What secrets are kept by the monasteries of Russia, which survived even under the communists

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Monasteries occupy a special place in Russian Orthodox culture. However, today their importance has grown, because they are not only spiritual value, but also cultural and architectural. Holy places often become a favorite place for believers to visit, and most of the monasteries not only continue to function for centuries, but also grow from year to year, clearly demonstrating the fact that a religious community and an ascetic lifestyle are not a relic of the past, but a spiritual need.

The very word "monk" comes from the Greek language and means "solitary", and therefore monasticism presupposes a hermit life, asceticism. The Greek basis of the word indicates that monasticism as a phenomenon originated precisely in Greece in the 3rd century. Anthony the Great is considered to be the first monk, he wandered in the desert for 90 years, he had a lot of trials, ranging from hunger and ending with the temptations and attacks of the devil. People strove to become closer to such great and famous ascetics, came to them from different parts of the earth and settled nearby, forming communities. In them they lived, obeying their rule and obeying the elder in everything.

On the Russian land, monasteries immediately fell in love and began to build one after another. The first was built in 1051 in Kiev by Anthony of Pechersky, later other large monasteries began to appear. They were not just a place for prayer, but also a kind of educational centers. Wanderers, merchants and other people came here who needed good advice. It was believed that priests - people who have comprehended the meaning of life, are able to give good advice in any direction.

However, during this time, not much has changed. Many large monasteries, despite being considered a place of seclusion, are a favorite tourist attraction. However, any monastery positions itself as a place where any traveler can stop, gain strength, pray, get advice and move on.

Modern monasteries are not just a place of religious worship, but an architectural landmark, a place where religious works of art of historical value are kept.

Women's and men's monasteries - what is the main difference

Women's monasteries were of particular importance, they could find peace here and very often save their lives, many girls and women who claimed the throne, or just by the mere fact of their existence, made those who wanted to become emperors nervous. Women often found their peace here, whose life path from childhood was full of suffering, hardships and trials.

In exchange for peace and harmony, she had to accept the rules by which the monastery lives, take tonsure, put on a cassock, devote herself to worship and renounce everything worldly. But at the same time, nuns are quite active in everyday life and they have many responsibilities. In addition to the fact that they spend many times in prayer and in worship, they are also engaged in the improvement of the church, grow vegetables, fruits and flowers, cook, sew, and provide assistance to various organizations and people.

Often, hospitals, orphanages, nuns work at monasteries, helping those who need their help, find their calling and carry the word of God in their actions and deeds.

Men's monasteries are in many ways similar to women's monasteries in the way of life, but they still have distinctive features. For example, men completely renounce earthly and worldly life and lead a more reclusive lifestyle. They are often involved in carpentry and are involved in renovating churches. The main vows that determined the way of life of monks were determined by three directions: • chastity, celibacy, virginity; • obedience; • non-covetousness.

Chastity and celibacy in this context are not perceived as identical concepts. Chastity means giving up excess, pleasing the flesh and lusts. In the same context, there is a rejection of the marriage relationship, however, not for the sake of loneliness. Loneliness for a person is an unnatural and flawed state, therefore monks are not lonely people, their "other half" is God. It is not for nothing that nuns are called Christ's brides.

Obedience implies that a person is deprived of his own will and completely surrenders to the spiritual mentor and the Lord. It becomes part of humility, trust, and the ability to respond equally to sorrow and joy.

Non-covetousness means the absence of personal belongings, a monk should not be a slave to property, should not get used to the fact that he has something, should not depend on habits and love for things.

Solovetsky Monastery

One of the largest Orthodox monasteries was built in a picturesque location near the White Sea, just 165 km from the Arctic Circle. This place for their prayers was once chosen by the ascetics Zosima, Savvaty and German. First, they built a cell in this place, so they lived for six years in prayers and labors, starting the construction of a church with a wooden temple, a side-altar and a refectory. Two buildings became the main ones, then they began to erect a monastery.

By the end of the 16th century, the monastery becomes a real fortress, walls and towers of stone are being built, the outlines of the building begin to resemble a ship. Given the location of the monastery, it often became the object of attack and was forced to hold the line. During the Crimean War, the monks, under the leadership of Archimandrite Alexander, managed to repel the attack of the British and French.

Svyato-Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage

Male monks live here, and the monastery is stavropegic. Its founder is the robber Opta (according to other versions of Optius), who repented of his crimes and became a monk. In the ministry he was known by the name Macarius.

In the 19th century, a skete was built at the temple, and men who had spent many years in solitude, the so-called hermits, began to live there. The number of residents and parishioners grew, and the number of donations for the construction of new buildings also increased. So a mill appeared here, new arable land.

Today this place is a museum and has a confirmed historical value, being one of the objects of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Novodevichy Convent

One of the most famous monasteries dates back to the 16th century, when it was built on Samson's meadow, later this area was renamed into Maiden's Field. It is noteworthy that the temple was built in the image of the Assumption Cathedral, adjacent to the Kremlin. Architectural grandeur lays the foundations for the so-called Moscow Baroque.

However, the monastery became famous not because of its beautiful facades. Here, before the beginning of his reign, Boris Godunov lived with his sister Irina. She took her hair as a nun and began to be called Alexandra, although she did not live in a cell, but in separate chambers with a wooden bath. The territory of the monastery was actively built up, stone walls and towers appeared, which continued to repeat the Kremlin style - square turrets with battlements. Today it is a functioning monastery and a museum at the same time.

Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery

This monastery was founded by Cyril, who later received the status of a reverend, in the 14th century. He made a cell out of the cave, installed a wooden cross on top. This was enough for work to begin on the construction of the temple; at the end of the same year, the priests consecrated a wooden temple, which they managed to build.

By the beginning of the 15th century, fifty monks already lived here, and the place was becoming popular, not only nobles, but also kings often came here. Donations were rich, the monks were able to quickly build new buildings and structures from stones, which became the secret of their longevity. The Assumption Cathedral is considered the main architectural attraction. Its construction was completed by the end of the 15th century and it became the first stone building to be built in the North. Until the middle of the 18th century, changes were constantly made to it.

Valaam monastery

There is no unequivocal data about when this temple was built and who was its founder, but the first mentions of it are found in the 14th century, they indicate that the monastery was founded in 1407. At one time it was the largest men's monastery in Russia, more than 600 monks lived in it, there were a huge number of buildings and buildings on the territory. But, despite the large number of people, the constant attacks of the Swedish troops led to a decline, the number of inhabitants decreased.

The monks tried to build their Jerusalem by building the Assumption Church and the Savior-Prebrazhensky Cathedral. Over the entire period of its existence, it was built up and altered a huge number of times, today it is one of the most beautiful buildings of a religious cult in the whole country.

Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Peter the Great insisted on the construction of this building, so he wanted to perpetuate the victory over the Swedes. Where the Monastyrka River joins the Neva, the foundation of the future temple was laid. So the emperor wanted to immortalize the name of Alexander Nevsky, who brought victory, for these merits he canonized him.

The temple, erected in this place, bore the name of Alexander, later a monastery appeared nearby. The buildings were located with the letter "P", churches were located in the corners. There has always been a magnificent garden of trees and flowers, this tradition is continued to this day, turning the territory into a fragrant paradise.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra

This monastery was founded by Sergius of Radonezh in the 14th century, he was the son of a ruined nobleman. He also owns the architectural idea of the building. He planned to put a cathedral in the center of the quadrangle, around which cells would be located. The fences were built from a wooden tyna.

Later, another small church was built over the gates of the monastery. Some time later, such a construction plan began to be used in the construction, completion and alteration of other monasteries. This is what gave rise to the opinion that Sergei Radonezhsky allegedly is the founder of all Russian monasteries. Rather, he was a talented designer and architect, which they could not help but notice from the objects erected according to his idea.

After some time, another church was built near the cathedral, calling it Svyato-Dukhovskaya, there was a temple and a bell tower in it, and the monastery began to be called Lavra.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery

Prince Gleb received the city as an inheritance, but did not want to live among the pagans, so he began to build his city just upstream of the Oka River. He also erected a temple there, later a man's monastery appeared near it, which arose from the monks of the monastery - a small room that was used for educational purposes for the Murom people.

In the annals there is an indication of the year the monastery was founded - 1096. Since then, its walls have become home to many famous healers and miracle workers. The monks participated in the construction of the Savior Cathedral, but Ivan the Terrible himself had a hand in this, who, with the help of this architectural object, immortalized the capture of Kazan. The tsar allocated from the treasury not only icons, utensils for the church, but also literature, clothes for priests and monks.

Later, in the 17th century, the Intercession Church will appear here, in which there will be a bakery, a cook's chamber and other utility rooms designed for making bread.

Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery

This structure is notable for the fact that for the first time in the construction of religious buildings, reinforced concrete was used - an expensive material for those times. Mother Alexandra is considered the founder of the convent. Despite the fact that she began construction with her own funds, later she found those who were ready to invest in her life's work.

Mother Alexandra was on her way to the Sarov desert and stopped to rest in the village of Diveyeva, where she saw a dream, which she regarded as a vision. The Mother of God pointed out to her that this was exactly the place that she was looking for for the construction of the temple.

At first it was a monastery, but the local landowner Zhdanova, learning that such a mother had appeared in their vicinity, made a large donation, giving the future monastery part of her land. Three cells were built here, fenced off. Alexandra herself lived in one of the rooms together with the novice, the second was occupied by three more women, and the third cell was intended for the pilgrims who went to Sarov.

Anticipating her death, Annushka turned to Father Pachomius with a request not to leave the monastery and novices, bequeathed to continue the work she had begun. From among the novices, a mother was chosen, who in the coming years increased the number of nuns to 50.

The monastery became a monastery in the 19th century, during the reign of Abbess Mary the monastery acquired a unique architectural appearance, becoming a real historical heritage and a place of religious worship.

Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

The main attraction of this monastery is not the luxurious facades, but a small historical detail - it has never been closed. And this is the only monastery on the territory of Russia that survived the Bolshevik terror and defended its right to exist. During the last attacks, already during Khrushchev, the monks defended the monastery as if it were Leningrad, and behind the walls were the Nazis. And they managed to defend their common home, the atheists surrendered, allowing them to continue to live as they lived.

The Commissioner for Religious Affairs came to the monastery in order to hand over to Archimandrite Alipy, who, by the way, was a participant in the Great Patriotic War, the order to close the monastery. Having received the document in his hands, Alipy began to slowly read the text by syllables, waiting for the fireplace to warm up, and he sent the paper there as soon as the fire broke out. He told the official that he would rather die than let the monastery be closed, and his monks think the same way. And finally, he recalled that two-thirds of the monks are participants in World War II, ready to fight for their choice.

One should only be surprised at the insolence of the abbot, because he recommended bombing from an airplane, besides, Europe, which is located very close, will surely hear about such an outrageous incident and the world community will learn about the atrocities taking place on the territory of the USSR.

At about the same time, the Prime Minister of India arrived at the monastery, which was shocked by what she saw. So, abroad they learned about the monastery and one after another foreign guests began to come, without knowing it, they saved the monastery from closure and destruction. The monks understood this perfectly and were only glad to have new guests.