Boldinsky monastery is considered the oldest in the entire Smolensk region. Located 15 km from the city of Dorogobuzh, near the Old Smolensk road. This article proposes the history of the creation of the shrine and a description of this outstanding monument of Christianity.
Historical information
The Boldinsky monastery was founded by the efforts of the Monk Gerasim. On the 9th day of May 1530, this man conducted the rite of consecration of the first wooden Trinity Church.
The location of the monastery Gerasim chose the bank of the river, where amazing centuries-old oaks grew. They used to be called bolds, and therefore the area became known as Boldinskaya. The habitat of Gerasim soon became widely known. The brotherhood actively replenished ranks, and soon 130 people lived with him.
The life of the Monk Gerasim was interrupted in the year 67. He was buried in the first chapel created by this man. The venerable deeds, which distinguished Gerasim, served as an occasion for the reckoning of this Christian as a saint.
Golden Age Achievements
After the death of Gerasim, the monastery became even more popular. The spiritual life of the Smolensk Territory was concentrated here. Thanks to the receipt of large financial donations under the constant care of the tsarist authority, the monks were able to erect stone structures.
The end of the sixteenth century was marked by the appearance on the territory of the Boldinsky monastery:
- The five-domed Trinity Cathedral, to which two symmetrical chapels are attached in honor of such saints as John the Theologian, Boris and Gleb.
- The room of the refectory, where the tent church is located in honor of such a large Christian holiday, as the Introduction to the Church of the Virgin.
- Hexagonal construction of a pillar-shaped three-tier bell tower.
All the described structures of the Boldinsky monastery became masterpieces that marked the golden age in Russian architecture.
The best of the best
The Boldinsky monastery of the Smolensk region has a lot of undeniable artistic merits. The best royal masters took part in their creation:
- Fedor Kon, sovereign master;
- Terenty, church master;
- Postnik Dermin, icon painter;
- Stepan Mikhailov, icon painter;
- Ivan Afanasyev, a Lithuanian.
The Boldinsky monastery of the Smolensk region was famous for its pundits. The abbot of the monastery, whom the Monk Gerasim appointed during his lifetime, was called a Krasnopisist. The next Boldin abbot, Anthony, Bishop of Vologda, managed to write a work about the life of the Monk Gerasim.
Hard times
The monastery of Gerasim Boldinsky survived a difficult time when at the beginning of the seventeenth century the Jesuits captured him. It took almost half a century to return the shrine to Orthodox Christians again. As before, the monastery was not devoid of royal attention and patronage. But it took time and money to restore the buildings to their former luxury.
The next difficult period was the time of the capture of the monastery by Napoleonic soldiers. They kept their horses in the walls of the temple, setting up a stable there.
But the conflagration dispersed, the monks whitewashed the walls, and to the sound of the gospel the believers again rushed to prayer.
Rebirth
The Boldino Monastery is the venue for fairs that were held in honor of the patronal festivals twice a year - on the day of the Holy Trinity and the winter celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The end of the nineteenth century was marked by the construction of new cells made of wood, a hotel appeared in which pilgrims could stay. In addition to the listed works, the forces of Archimandrite Andrei managed to restore the cell where the Monk Gerasim, the founder of the monastery, lived.
Holy Boldinsky Monastery was also influenced by time. When the beauty of the buildings began to fade, at the beginning of the 20th century, the forces of the young restorer Pyotr Baranovsky proposed a unique technique for carrying out restoration work. But the architectural monument began to be restored only in the thirties.
In parallel with the restoration work, Baranovsky began to create a museum.
At this time, due to the influence of the policy of the new Soviet government, persecution of believers began, including the desecration of the relics of Gerasim, the founder of the monastery. Years of atheistic power were lost to restorers. Moreover, these people were repressed.
The Great Patriotic War brought new losses. Then the Nazis destroyed the buildings of the Trinity Cathedral, the bell tower, the refectory and the Vvedensky church.
Nowadays
In the mid-seventies, the already famous restorer Pyotr Baranovsky again began to carry out construction work, which was continued by his student and assistant Ponomarev A. M.
And the restoration of the bell tower, which the Nazis blew up during the war, began. This building was erected in such a way that the brickwork could be preserved, falling apart into large parts. Despite the fact that some fragments of the building weighed from 20 to 40 tons, restorers applied a method such as anastylosis - when the fragments were returned to their places.
At the end of the century, a significant event took place - the consecration of the restored Vvedensky refectory church, completely destroyed in the old days. This symbolized the victory of the Christian faith over all invaders and enemies who made themselves felt during the existence of the monastery.
To summarize
The Boldinsky monastery was founded at the beginning of the sixteenth century by the Monk Gerasim. This area immediately began to attract hundreds of novices into its territory. The monks were not only deeply religious, but also competent people, capable of creating books about the history of the monastery buildings. In peacetime, the Boldinsky monastery always received the patronage of kings and was considered the center of the spiritual life of the Smolensk region. But conquest wars contributed to the destruction of shrines. It was necessary to restore them for centuries. Restorers were harassed and repressed. But times have changed, and confidence in the inviolability of the Christian faith has been strengthened.
The monastery, created by novice Gerasim, survived during the difficult times of wars of conquest. This area was originally the center of the spiritual life of the Smolensk Territory. Here the cultural and national life of Russians developed. And therefore, holy monasteries continue to revive today. Today, the Boldinsky Monastery for men gives shelter to twenty-one novices. They are engaged in the restoration of buildings and the construction of new structures, caring for the apple orchard. The collection of spiritual treasures continues to this day.
Rev. Gerasim is commemorated on May 14. It is this day that has become accepted as a general diocese holiday, which will be celebrated annually.