The first bell tower of the Sarov Hermitage was built together with the Assumption Cathedral and was in the center of the monastery territory. When the monastery began to expand, the monks demolished the rampart and filled in the ditch that remained from the Old Fort. They decided to combine the new bell tower with the main entrance to the monastery - the Holy Gate.
The stone bell tower, which has survived to this day, is the third in a row (the two previous ones were wooden) and is in the full sense the calling card of the city. Her image is also on the coat of arms of Sarov. The bell tower was built from 1789 to 1799 with donations from investors and, according to the original design, it was supposed to be five-tiered. But, apparently, there were not enough funds during construction, and the bell tower was built in four tiers. Its height is 81 meters.
There is a version that the design of the bell tower and the entire western facade of the monastery was made by the famous architect K.I. In blank. The first tier of the bell tower is a high arched opening, designed in the form of a triumphal arch with pilasters and a pediment. The main entrance to the monastery was painted with picturesque paintings on evangelical themes. Above the main entrance were the premises of the monastery library. It had two funds: a regular fund, where more than 7,000 volumes were stored, and a fund of especially valuable rarities, where approximately 700 manuscripts were kept, including the chronicle of the Sarov Monastery, written by the founder of the desert, Hieromonk John.
In the second tier of the bell tower there was a church in the name of St. Nicholas, consecrated in 1806. There were bells on the third and fourth tiers. The largest bell, weighing 1200 pounds (more than 19 tons), occupied the third tier. It was cast in the monastery and called "Thousandth". The fourth tier was occupied by 18 bells. Among them, the largest were bells weighing 550, 350, 213, 134 and 86 pounds.
The large bell was raised on May 9, 1829, on the temple holiday of St. Nicholas Church. The Sarov ringing had its own melody, its own sequence. Traditionally, the bell ringers in the Sarov monastery were blind monks. On holidays, the bell ringing of the Sarov Monastery could be heard for dozens of miles throughout the entire district.
After the monastery was closed, all the bells were removed. It is still unknown where the large bell is located. There is a version that it was sunk at the bottom of the Satis River.
A chiming clock was installed on the bell tower, made by the gunsmith and watchmaker Kobylin from Tula. The chime played the melody “Who will escape you, hour of death?” The minute bell reminded of the transience of earthly life.
The ancient mechanism has not been preserved and for a long time a simple clock (without a chime) was installed on the bell tower, which was driven by the 1961 mechanism. The bell tower itself served as a television broadcast tower in Soviet and post-Soviet times. Only in 2012 were the technical platforms and broadcasting equipment removed from the bell tower, and then a new dome was installed.
In December 2013, the restored gate church was consecrated. The service was led by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas. The temple appeared in all its glory. Alien structures were dismantled, including floor coverings from the Soviet period, utility networks were replaced and new window blocks were installed. A major overhaul has been carried out. The church was not only restored, but also re-painted, since the previous painting was almost completely lost. The style chosen for painting is academic, as in the Zosimo-Savvatievsky Church.
In 2014, during restoration work, the Holy Gates were opened and a surviving painting was found. In Soviet times, a false ceiling was installed there, and the semicircles of arches on the western and eastern sides were glazed like windows. When everything unnecessary was removed, a vault was revealed with well-preserved paintings from the monastery period - ornaments and Christian symbols. And on the sides, above the doorways, are the remains of the plot painting. The subjects were damaged by huge floor beams, but a large area of painting survived.
In April of the same year, the bells for the recreated chimes were raised to the bell tower and the townspeople again heard the melodic chime of the clock. By August 2014, the bell tower had completely acquired its historical appearance and is now awaiting the return of the bells.
Cave church in honor of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev-Pechersk Wonderworkers
Restored in 2011
The cave temple in the name of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev-Pechersk with a system of underground galleries is the most ancient monastic creation - it is more than 300 years old.
According to the manuscript of the founder of the monastery, Hieroschemamonk John, “The Legend of the First Residence of the Monks,” John began to dig a cave half a mountain from the Satis River above the source. Tired of work, he lay down to rest in a hut, and in a dream he had a vision. It was as if he found himself near the city of Kyiv, and Metropolitan Hilarion - the same one who once began to be the first to dig the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery - blessed the work he had begun. The monks continued to dig caves and made several branches with small cells.
In 1709, a church was built in the dungeons. The maximum dimensions of the temple are 9 by 6 meters, the vault is supported by four columns, each more than a meter in diameter. Permission to consecrate the underground church was obtained with great difficulty. The locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Stefan Yavorsky, allowed the opening of the church only on May 30, 1711, after the petition of the princesses Maria and Theodosia, sisters of Peter I. They also donated an iconostasis with icons, service books, pewter vessels for worship, vestments, money and the greatest precious shrine to the new church - fourteen particles of the relics of the Kiev-Pechersk miracle workers, which were kept in it under the throne.
Services in the underground church continued until the 1730s. The ventilation system was imperfect, and wood and liturgical books deteriorated due to dampness. And after the resignation of the founder of the monastery, John, the church became inactive for many years.
In August 1778, Bishop Jerome of Vladimir came to Sarov Hermitage to consecrate the newly built Assumption Cathedral. While touring the monastery, he visited the underground church and expressed a desire to resume worship there. This required repairs. Penza landowner Nikolai Afanasyevich Radishchev (father of the writer A.N. Radishchev), who was present in Sarov at that time, expressed his readiness to help. He bought a marble altar plaque for the church, made in St. Petersburg. In addition, a cast-iron iconostasis was made, a ventilation shaft was brought up, over the exit of which to the surface a small dome with a dome and a cross was built. After repairs, Bishop Jerome consecrated the church on August 15, 1780.
Due to dampness, the iconostasis and church utensils in the Church of Anthony and Theodosius had to be renewed and replaced. Under Abbot Joseph (1872-1890), the cast-iron iconostasis was replaced by a silver-plated copper one with gilded copper icons. The iconostasis was 5.6 meters long and 2.1 meters high. Services in the church were held at that time only once a year - on the day of remembrance of the Kiev-Pechersk Wonderworkers. The caves served rather excursion purposes.
On July 18, 1903, during the celebrations for the canonization of Seraphim of Sarov, the Russian Tsar Nicholas II visited the cave.
During Soviet times, the entrances to the caves were filled with construction debris. And only in 1992, as a result of excavations carried out by the Sarov Hermitage association, the entrance to the caves was found and an inscription was found carved on one of its pillars (the inscription was not preserved), which read “Summer 7199. From the Nativity of Christ 1691, May 14 This cave began to be dug. In the summer of 1711, on the 6th of May, this church of the venerable Father Anthony Theodosius of Pechersk was sanctified in them.”
In 1995, the cave complex was transferred to the city museum. In 2000 - 2002, planned repairs were carried out. Over several years of work, more than 300 linear meters of underground galleries were manually cleared of alluvial soil, the entrance to the caves and an emergency exit were equipped, dangerous areas of the galleries were strengthened, ventilation shafts were restored, and electric lighting was installed at the main entrances of the complex. In 2003, a metal iconostasis was manufactured and installed in the Church of Anthony and Theodosius. In 2006, the cave complex was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church.
On September 6, 2011, Archbishop Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas performed the rite of great consecration of the cave church in honor of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk. Currently, the length of the restored underground passages is about 400 meters.
Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary was the first stone building of the Sarov Hermitage. It was considered the main cathedral of the Holy Dormition Monastery from the moment of its construction and first consecration in 1744 until its destruction in Soviet times. In 1778, the temple was significantly enlarged and re-consecrated.
A distinctive feature of the interior of the Assumption Cathedral was a five-tiered carved gilded iconostasis with icons of Byzantine writing, the height of which in the middle was 19 meters, and at the edges - 27. According to legend, the drawing of this iconostasis was made by the architect Rastrelli.
Inside, the Assumption Cathedral was richly decorated with wall paintings on themes from the Old and New Testaments. Many Sarov abbots were buried near the walls of the cathedral. On the south-eastern side of the temple, near the altar, two famous hermits of the Sarov monastery were buried - the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov and schemamonk Mark the Silent.
In 1903, in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a shrine with the relics of St. Seraphim was installed - the main shrine of the monastery. For the winter, it was solemnly transferred from the summer Assumption Cathedral to the “warm” one in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos and her Life-Giving Source.
In 1925, the Sarov Monastery was closed. When the Sarov Hermitage was closed on April 5, 1927, the relics of the saint were taken to Moscow. The Assumption Cathedral began to deteriorate, and in 1951 it was demolished, and in 1954 the cathedral in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos and her Life-Giving Source was blown up.
During the explosion, almost all the foundations of the temple were destroyed, and later only thanks to the knowledge and experience of archaeologists from the Moscow company Simargl, under the leadership of Elena Khvorostova, who led the excavations, it was possible to determine the location of the cathedral, as well as clarify the location of the burials of Seraphim of Sarov and Mark the Silhouette.
In 1991, on the site of the temple, members of the historical association “Sarov Hermitage” erected a memorial stone, and in 2002 - a cross with a lamp. In 2004, a chapel built at the end of the 19th century was restored over the grave of St. Seraphim.
In March 2016, restoration of the temple began. It is noteworthy that the reconstruction began in the tenth year of the revival of the Sarov monastery, when the 25th anniversary of the bringing of the holy relics of Father Seraphim to the Nizhny Novgorod land was celebrated.
The project for recreating the Assumption Cathedral was carried out by Regional Engineering Center LLC, and during the development all the features of the soil foundation were taken into account, associated with the high karst hazard of the construction site, the proximity of the cave temple and industrial seismicity caused by the peculiarities of the production tests of the Sarov Nuclear Center.
On August 1, 2016, the solemn consecration of the foundation stone of the cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary took place. The service was performed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. Chairman of the Government of Russia Dmitry Rogozin, General Director of the State Nuclear Energy Corporation Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Education Vyacheslav Nikonov, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Valery Shantsev, heads of the Federal Nuclear Center and the city of Sarov took part in the laying of the capsule into the foundation of the reviving Uspensky cathedral
Temple in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
Restored in 2003
On the southern side of the monastery in 1903, a temple was built in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov, imitating the architectural forms of the 17th century with brick decoration and covering with its vaults the cell in which the great elder lived and rested peacefully.
Every day
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
By: Mon., Tue., Wed., Thursday, Fri., Sun.
By: Sat., holidays
To: Sun., holidays
In 1903, the celebrations of the glorification of the Great Russian Elder gathered hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in the Sarov Desert. Sovereign Nicholas II with members of the Imperial family and other high-ranking officials of the Russian state took part in those events, which resonated throughout Russia. The Russian people loved and revered Father Seraphim. According to historical data, in the period from 1903 to 1917. throughout Russia, more than 220 churches, chapels, monasteries, societies, educational and medical institutions, and shelters were consecrated or named in his name. And the very first of them was the temple above the cell of the Great Elder in our city.
The church building on Monastyrskaya Square has been preserved, but since 1949 it has housed the city theater.
For the upcoming celebrations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov in 2003, it was necessary to solve the difficult problems of returning the temple.
These works united the efforts of clergy and the Orthodox community, the authorities of Sarov and the Nizhny Novgorod region, managers and employees of many divisions of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center. At the final stage of the work to restore the temple and prepare for the celebrations, more than two dozen enterprises and thousands of people in different parts of Russia were involved. The Nizhegorodinzhenerstroy enterprise was appointed as the state customer for the restoration of the temple; the Regional Engineering Center in the city of Vladimir acted as the general designer and contractor.
In 2002, the building of the church in the name of the Holy Venerable Seraphim of Sarov was returned to the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. During the restoration work, the foundation of Father Seraphim's cell was discovered. Based on surviving photographs and descriptions, the cell has been restored today.
One of the signs of attention to the upcoming event was a belfry of 8 bells, donated to Sarov in July 2003 and placed next to the restored temple. Among these bells, the largest, 4-ton, was donated by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin.
On July 30, 2003, during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov, in the presence of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' and representatives of all local Orthodox churches, the temple was consecrated, and now services are held in the restored Sarov Monastery.
Just like 100 years ago, the head of the Russian state was present at the celebrations in Sarov. This time it was the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. And the words from the holiday message of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II resonated in the soul of every Orthodox person:
“Entering under the arches of the restored church on the site of the saint’s cell, we believe that the continuity of the Russian spirit, the continuity of our history, tragically refracted in the twentieth century, is now being recreated. ... We are returning together to our ancestral path, interrupted by revolutionary turmoil. ... Let it be established on this path Our Fatherland and our people. May the Russian Land never again be darkened by the darkness of God-fighting, hostility and strife.
Reverend Father Seraphim, pray to God for us!”
Temple in honor of Saints Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky wonderworkers
1745 - 1750
Restored in 2012
In 1745, construction began, and in 1750, the church was consecrated in the name of Saints Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky wonderworkers. Since it was located next to hospital cells, it was also called the “Hospital Room”.
In that old monastery hospital, the Monk Seraphim, at that time still a novice Prokhor, lay sick for three years and there he was honored with a miraculous appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos with the apostles John the Theologian and Peter, who healed him of a serious illness. The miraculously healed ascetic himself collected money for the construction of this church. He, like a skilled carpenter, with his own hands made a throne of cypress wood for a real temple. Here he received Holy Communion until the end of his life.
In 1784, it was decided to move the temple to the northern slope, thereby freeing up the area in front of the “Holy” Gates. The church was built at the expense of Ivan Leontyevich Beketov and had “two floors”: below is the warm temple of Zosima and Savvaty, on the second floor there is a cold chapel in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The monastery leadership tried to equip the church: the floors were laid out of cast iron slabs, the iconostasis was gilded “with the best art, applied to the cathedral Assumption iconostasis, so that it would be no worse” (they entrusted this important task to the peasant of the Serpukhov district of the village of Khatuni, Nikifor Ilyin). In the altar there was a throne made by the hands of novice Prokhor Moshnin, the future ascetic Seraphim. The main altar was consecrated on August 16, 1787, the upper altar in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord was consecrated in 1789 during the arrival of the ruling bishop to the monastery.
During Soviet times, the temple was dismantled by hand in 1942, the justification being the lack of building materials.
Currently, the temple has been restored on a historical site. Preparations for construction began in February 2010. The cross on the dome was raised on July 29, 2011. The great consecration of the temple in honor of St. Zosima and Savvaty in the lower tier took place on May 26, 2012. In the upper tier - under the dome - is the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, consecrated on December 21, 2012.
Temple in the name of the Descent of the Holy Spirit
According to the story of Nikolai Motovilov, which he heard from Father Seraphim himself, the Reverend, leaving the seclusion on November 25, 1825, headed to the Far Hermitage. Near the Theological Spring, the Mother of God appeared to him with the apostles Peter and John the Theologian. The Mother of God hit the ground with her staff “so that a spring boiled out of the ground with a fountain of bright water.” At this place St. Seraphim dug a well. Through his prayers, the Mother of God promised to give healing power to the waters of this source.
At the edge of the mountain, a small log house without windows or doors was erected for the ascetic. It was possible to get into it by crawling under the wall. The shape of the current temple is reminiscent of this, the first building in the Near Desert.
To the source of St. Seraphim, many pilgrims flocked to the Near Desert, miraculous healings took place. The royal family visited here during the celebrations of 1903. And a year after these events, the long-awaited heir was born to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In 1903, a chapel and bathhouse were built over the spring.
During Soviet times, all this was destroyed, the source was concreted over. The Sarovka River was dammed and the Borovoye pond was formed.
“In 1991, members of the historical association “Sarov Hermitage” began searching for this holy place... As a result of searches and excavations, the site of the chapel above the spring and the bathhouse was found. The building itself has not survived, but the foundations and lower rooms where the bathing took place were intact. These four rooms were led by steps lined with Metlakh tiles, the floor was covered with tiles with a very beautiful colored ornament...” (From A. Agapov’s book “Sarov-Diveevo”)
“Then a memorial stone and a worship cross were installed on the Near Hermitage; in 2003, a chapel was erected there, which was later dismantled. And in 2006, before the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Sarov Holy Dormition Monastery, construction began again on the Near Hermitage, but this time of a temple. The temple was built exactly on the historical site, only an altar and an entrance were added to it. The filled-in bathhouse is located closer to the pond, now this entire area has been transferred to the church and fenced... The Temple of the Holy Spirit was visited by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II during the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the revived Sarov Hermitage in July 2006. And on August 27, Archbishop Georgy consecrated this temple...” (from the memoirs of Archpriest Lev Yushkov)
In the temple on the Near Hermitage there are icons painted in the icon-painting workshop of Pavel Busalaev with funds from the Seraphim of Sarov Foundation.
During the consecration of the temple in 2006, the first icon was transferred to it - St. Seraphim with hagiographic marks, 5 of which are new, not previously depicted. A year later they brought her a paired icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh with stamps, two of them are new.
The entire history of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery, the asceticism, spiritual and physical labors of the sisters of the monastery are closely linked with the activities of the Sarov Monastery, widely known in Russia. Two neighboring holy monasteries form, as it were, a single whole within Russian Orthodoxy, replenishing its service to high, indestructible Christian principles.
The first and most important written source about the initial stage of the activity of the Sarov Hermitage and its subsequent history is the work of Hieromonk John, who was later awarded the trust of the Sarov brethren to be the founder of the monastery. The work was written between 1710-1712.
The primary source-essay indicates that the start date of the Sarov Monastery is the day of the consecration of the first temple - June 16/29, 1706. Before this, there was no residence here on a forested hill at the confluence of the Satis and Sarova rivers. And among the surrounding Mordovians and Russian peasants this place was called the Old Settlement.
Local early researchers claim that the emergence of the Settlement is associated with the arrival of the Mongol-Tatars, who appeared here in 1298, in this wild forest region and on the forest hill. They chose the hill as their camp site.
Further, the researchers point out that the name of the Sarov river came from the Tatar dialect, which means swampy river. It was so: the banks of the Sarovy River near the hill in those distant times and much later were a swampy lowland.
The researchers also touched upon the origin of the name - deserts, Sarov deserts. It is alleged that the soldiers of Dmitry Donskoy, led by Prince Boris Konstantinovich Gorodetsky, completely defeated the Tatar-Mongols here in 1377, wiped out their town called Saraklych from the face of the earth, turning it into a deserted place. Hence, according to researchers, the name of the place where the Sarov monastery later stood - Old Settlement - stuck among the surrounding residents.
The Old Settlement remained uninhabited for a very long time. From time to time, only fishermen from the local Mordovians came here. The first monk to choose the Old Settlement for hermitage was Theodosius. He came here in 1664 from one of the monasteries near the city of Penza and lived with other monks who came to him for about five years. Then he returned to Penza.
Before Theodosius had to leave the Old Settlement, another hermit settled here - the monk Gerasim. He came to a forest hill at the confluence of the Satis and Sarova rivers from the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, which was located near Krasnaya Sloboda (Krasnoslobodsk, Mordovia). For about ten years Gerasim lived alone. Then, after other desert dwellers came here, he led a small community here.
The founder of the monastery, O. John, came to the Old Settlement in 1691 together with the monk from Sanaksar (Mordovia) Filaret. Monk John in the world bore the name Ivan Fedorovich Popov. In the Arzamas Vedeno Monastery he took monastic vows with the name Isaac, and in the schema he received the name John. The desert dwellers chose a forest hill for a future monastery, which St. John accomplished in 1706.
On November 20 (December 3), 1778, a native of Kursk, a native of a merchant family, Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin, entered the Sarov monastery. On August 13 (26), 1786, the ascetic of the monastery took monastic vows with the name Seraphim, and on October 27 (November 9) of the same year he was ordained to the rank of deacon. September 2 (15) Fr. Seraphim was ordained a hieromonk.
Here, in the Sarov Desert, Fr. Seraphim performed his great spiritual, prayerful and labor feat. He lived as a hermit in a deep forest, took a vow of silence on himself, and suffered an attack by robbers. The monk spent more than 20 years in a solitary ascetic life. Of these, he spent 15 years (1794-1810) in his distant desert.
In 1825, O. Seraphim finally left the prison and assumed full responsibility for the organization of the Diveyevo community. The monk met with the founder of the Diveyevo women's hostel, Agafya Semenovna Melgunova - in the schema, mother Alexander, before her death in 1789. I met her before. He always helped the Diveyevo sisters with his prayers, advice, and labors. Now, after leaving the retreat, he delved into the affairs of the community more fully and led them until his death, increasing the glory of the Sarov Monastery and the greatness of the Diveyevo monastery.
The fame of Sarov was increased by their exploits by the abbots of the forest monastery Dorotheus (its second builder, 1731-1747), Ephraim (1758-1777), Pachomius (1777-1794), Isaiah (1794-1809) and others. In the Sarov Monastery, schemamonk-monk Mark, hieromonk Markellin, abbot Nazarius and other ascetics labored, writing bright pages in the spiritual history of the desert.
During the period of persecution of Orthodoxy after the revolution of 1917, Hieromonk Isaac accepted the suffering of Markellinus (for many years he stood as a grave at the relics of St. Seraphim) as faith. monks of the monastery Vasily, Fedor and others.
The Sarov Monastery was famous for its fame and many spiritual material values of Orthodoxy, Among them: the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her Life-Giving Source, the Assumption Cathedral, the Bell Tower, the churches of Zosima and Savvaty, John the Baptist, All Saints, Seraphim of Sarov, caves,
Particularly revered in the monastery were places associated with the feat of Fr. Seraphim - Near desert and spring, chapel over the saint's stone, Far desert, chapel and bathhouse at the spring of Seraphim. The Sarov springs were widely known. There were seven of them.
The values of the monastery were destroyed under Soviet rule. Currently, some things are being restored, which serves as a sign of the revival of the Holy Place. Although not on the same scale.
Most monasteries in Russia have a long history or are at least located in places that already have ancient buildings. But the Monastery of Seraphim of Sarov is an exception: this place was given over to the monastery only in 1995, although the healing consecrated spring has been here for a long time. However, until the twentieth century there was no church or other object here.
In contact with
Classmates
Story
The Seraphim-Sarov Monastery is a functioning monastery that belongs to the Boris and Gleb diocese. It appeared after the collapse of the USSR in 1995 on the site of the noble estate and garden of General Solovtsov, who participated in the Caucasian War. A specific location was chosen - in the middle of a forest, fenced by a natural ditch, 8 km from the village of Novomakarovo, where less than a thousand people live, and 150 km from Voronezh. A saint once lived in a similar place.
The first monks lived in trailers and slowly built a church. The first temple received the name of the World Lamp Seraphim of Sarov. It was completed and consecrated in 1998 - 2 years after the start of construction. It and the entire monastery were consecrated by Metropolitan Lipetsk and Voronezh Methodius. Today, on the territory of the monastery there are 2 courtyards: the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in the village of Malaya Gribanovka and the Church of the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin Mary in the village of Bratki.
But the monastery is famous not only for its churches: two healing springs flow on its lands. The first has been flowing here since ancient times, the second was consecrated only in 2005 in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice”. It is noteworthy that photographs taken from above show that the linden alleys that have been growing on the ground for centuries are shaped like a cross.
Today on the lands of the monastery are located:
- Temple in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov;
- Temple in honor of the Holy Royal Martyrs;
- Vvedensky Temple;
- Vegetable garden, apiary and flower garden;
- An old pond inhabited by fish.
Patronal feasts and shrines
In addition to general Christian holidays, the monastery also has its own:
Pilgrims will also be interested in the shrines of the monastery:
Among the icons stand out:
- : protects kind-hearted people from misfortunes and supports them, helps them find the right path and answer, protects women during childbirth and protects children;
- Icon of Our Lady of Kazan: gives strength to fight misfortunes, helps to gain physical and spiritual health, see the truth, protects soldiers and military personnel, protects families and children;
- List (copy) from the icon of the Mother of God “Akhtyrskaya”: they pray to her for success in business, for a happy marriage, for healing from illnesses, for help in finding a job;
- Icon of the Mother of God “Consolation in sorrows and sorrows”: helps to find mental health and joy, helps to choose the right answer when making a difficult choice, relieves fears, anxieties and grief.
Also located on the territory of the monastery:
- A copy of the hermitage (hut) of the Venerable Father John of Kronstadt and his portrait, painted during his lifetime;
- A copy of the Hermitage of Seraphim, inside which lies part of the stone on which the saint prayed for 1000 days, and part of the cell itself;
- A spring named after St. Seraphim: the water from it helps especially well with leg diseases and physical ailments;
- A spring named after Our Lady “The Inexhaustible Chalice”: it helps with physical and spiritual ailments, especially with addictions (drunkenness, drug addiction and smoking).
This is one of the most revered saints in Russia. Seraphim of Sarov (Prokhor Moshnin) lived in the second half of the 18th century, died in the first half of the 19th century in the house of a wealthy merchant. The boy lost his father early, and at the age of 7 he himself fell from the bell tower of the Sergius-Kazan Cathedral under construction in Kursk. The child did not harm himself. After some time, the boy fell ill and saw in a dream the icon of Our Lady of the Sign. She was carried past the house during a religious procession, the child kissed her and recovered.
At the age of 22, Seraphim went as a pilgrim to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where Saint Diosthea blessed him and said that the guy should take monastic vows at the Sarov Monastery. But monastic life did not work out: after 8 years, Seraphim went into the forest and set up a home for himself in solitude. He set up a beehive near his home and built a vegetable garden.
The solitary life of the saint is rich in interesting and unusual facts: for several years he ate only grass and fed forest animals, including a huge bear, which ate from Seraphim’s hand. The saint spent a thousand days, standing on a stone in prayer, took a vow of silence for 3 years. One day, robbers attacked his cell, thinking that rich donations were being brought to the monk. They beat him and left him to die, but Seraphim not only survived, but after capturing the criminals, he asked not to punish them.
In 1810, Seraphim of Sarov returned to the monastery, but secluded himself in continuous prayer for 15 years. After this, he received the gift of healing and began to receive visitors. Among others, Emperor Alexander I came to him.
The life of the saint was written 4 years after his death and was edited several times due to censorship requirements. The icon of the saint was painted by the artist Serebryakov from the portrait of Seraphim of Sarov, which was painted 5 years before the death of the elder.
The monastery tried to convey the atmosphere that accompanied the saint himself, his piety and love for those close to him. It is no coincidence that a copy of the old man’s hut was placed on the territory, they quote his sayings, and everyone who comes is greeted with the words “My joy” - with these words the elder greeted his guests.
Contacts and service schedule
On weekdays the schedule of services is as follows:
- 6:30 - morning fraternal prayer rule;
- 7:30 - Divine;
On Sundays and holidays the schedule changes:
- 8:30 - prayer before confession;
- 8:40 - Divine Liturgy;
- 17:00 - evening worship.
On Wednesday additionally at 15:00 A prayer service with an akathist is performed in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear.” On Friday at the same time - a prayer service in front of the ark with the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, on Saturday - in front of the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice”. The schedule is subject to change: before your trip, it is better to check the current information on the website.
Conclusion
Seraphim-Sarov Monastery is a functioning monastery in the Voronezh region. It appeared at the end of the last century, but is already quite a popular place. Pilgrims from all over the region and even Russia come here to venerate the icons and shrines.
Holy Dormition Monastery Sarov Desert founded at the beginning XVII century in the north of the Tambov province in Temnikovsky district (now Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod region). Known as the place where the monk labored Seraphim of Sarov, one of the most revered Orthodox ascetics and saints.
The founder of the Sarov Desert was Hieromonk Isaac(in the world Ivan Fedorovich Popov, son of the clerk of the village of Krasny Arzamas district). The consecration of the first temple of the Sarov monastery took place June 16, 1706. This day is considered the founding day of the monastery.
Number of brethren in 1733 year there were 36 people. IN 1744 year, the first stone temple was erected and consecrated - the Church of the Assumption. IN 1752 year, the stone Church of John the Baptist was built over a spring under the mountain. IN 1758 year, the stone building of the Church of the Life-Giving Spring was built. Also by this year, stone walls, two corner towers and the holy gates were erected.
Monastery in 1764 year. From an ancient engraving.
The main shrine and decoration of the Sarov Desert was the Assumption Cathedral. Its external appearance was similar to the Kiev-Pechersk Assumption Cathedral. He was consecrated in 1777 year. IN 1784 year the stone Temple of St. Zosima and Savvaty was built.
IN 1789 year, construction of the monastery bell tower began (construction was completed in 1799 year). WITH 1825 year, the Sarov Hermitage became a place of all-Russian pilgrimage.
The Church of St. John the Baptist was built in 1827 year. The building of the monastery refectory was built in 1828 year. IN 1861 year over the grave of Fr. Seraphim a chapel was built. IN 1864 The construction of the Church of the Life-Giving Spring was completed.
IN 1878 year, a stone two-story building was built to accommodate pilgrims from the common people visiting the Sarov Hermitage.
IN 1897 year in the Sarov Desert, the temple of Seraphim of Sarov was founded, consecrated in 1903 during the canonization of the Rev.
Monastery at the beginning XX century. Photo from the bell tower.
.
1. Bell tower (preserved)
2. Church of Saints Zosima and Sabbatius (being restored)
3. Temple of the Life-Giving Spring (planned restoration)
4. Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (planned restoration)
5. Temple of John the Baptist (current)
6. Temple of Seraphim of Sarov (active)
7. Church of All Saints (active)
8. "Tsar's" palace (preserved)
B. Corner towers (3 out of 5 preserved)
D. Children's clinic (new building)
Green- preserved (or already restored), yellow- planned for restoration (or already being restored).
Holy Dormition Sarov Hermitage- a men's monastery founded at the beginning of the 18th century in the city of Sarov in the north of the Tambov province in Temnikovsky district (now Sarov is part of the Nizhny Novgorod region). Known as the place where St. Seraphim of Sarov, a revered Orthodox ascetic and saint, labored.
History of the monastery
The first hermit monk to settle on Sarov Mountain was the Penza monk Theodosius, who came to the “old settlement” in 1664 and built his cell here. After living here for about six years, Theodosius decided to retire to Penza. Around this time, the monk Gerasim from the Krasnoslobodsky Monastery (according to other sources, the Arzamas Spassky Monastery) settled on the “old settlement”. For some time, both hermits lived together, but soon Theodosius “withdrew” to Penza, and Gerasim was left alone at the “old settlement.” Having lived here for more than years, Gerasim retired to the Krasnoslobodsky monastery, apparently out of fear of thieves and robbers, who began to do him “many dirty tricks” (according to Leonid Denisov, the inhabitants begged him to become a builder for them), after which the “old settlement” became deserted again.
Around 1683, Hieromonk Savvaty and Monk Philaret came from the Sanaksar Monastery founded in 1659, but they soon returned to their monastery. The “old settlement” was deserted again.
The founder of the Sarov Hermitage was Hieromonk Isaac (in the world Ionann Fedorov, the son of the clerk of the village of Krasny Arzamas district), who, with the blessing of the abbot, left the Vvedensky Monastery and, together with the monk Philaret of the Sanaksar Monastery, settled in the “old settlement”. Soon Isaac had associates, and Father Isaac filed a petition to establish a monastic monastery in Sarov.
In 1705, Prince Kugushev, the owner of the “old settlement,” donated a plot of land between the Satis and Sarovka rivers to Father Isaac for the future monastery. In January 1706, Metropolitan of Ryazan Stefan Yavorsky granted the request of Father Isaac to build a church on the “old settlement.” On April 28, 1706, Father Isaac laid the foundation for a wooden church in honor of the “Life-Giving Spring” icon of the Mother of God. On June 16, 1706, the consecration of the new and first temple of the Sarov monastery took place; this day (June 29 according to the new style) is considered the day of the founding of the Sarov Hermitage.
In 1731, due to the weakening of his strength, the first rector of the monastery, Father Isaac (who by that time had become hieroschemamonk John) abandoned his abbotship and chose his disciple Dorotheus as his successor.
Of the subsequent abbots, Father Ephraim (Korotkov), who was innocently accused of high treason and spent 16 years in exile in the Orsk fortress, was especially revered. Acquitted and returned to the Sarov Hermitage in 1755. During the famine of 1775, Father Ephraim, being the abbot of the monastery, ordered the opening of the monastery granaries to help the needy laity.
During his lifetime, Elder Ephraim chose his successor, hieromonk Father Pachomius. It was during the reign of Father Pachomius that Prokhor Moshnin, the future father of Seraphim of Sarov, arrived in Sarov.
In 1897, construction began on the temple above the cell of Seraphim of Sarov. The author of the project was the architect A. S. Kaminsky. After the glorification of the reverend elder in 1903, the temple was consecrated by Metropolitan Anthony of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.
In 1906, the Sarov Hermitage celebrated the 200th anniversary of its existence. Many guests came to celebrate the anniversary. The Sarov Hermitage has turned into a generally recognized shrine of Russia.
After the revolution of 1917, the economy of the Sarov Monastery was ruined, the shrines were desecrated. By the end of 1925, a decision was made to close the monastery, and in March 1927, a government decision was made to liquidate the Sarov Monastery. The property of the monastery, together with the buildings, was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Nizhny Novgorod NKVD department.
A children's labor commune was created on the basis of the Sarov Monastery in 1927. In November 1931, the labor commune was closed. After it, a correctional labor colony for teenagers and adult prisoners was organized in the village. In November 1938, this colony was also closed.
Spiritual revival of Sarov
On September 26, 1989, Sarov was visited for the first time by Archbishop Nikolai (Kutepov) of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, who served a prayer service with an akathist to St. Seraphim of Sarov in a distant hermitage.
In 1990, an Orthodox parish was organized in Sarov.
In the summer of 1991, the parish organized a year earlier was registered.
In November 1990, the second discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov took place in the Museum of Atheism and Religion in St. Petersburg. On January 11, 1991, the official transfer of the relics of the Russian Orthodox Church took place. On July 30, the holy relics of Father Seraphim were transferred to Diveevo.
In March 1992, the first priest, Priest Vladimir Alyasov, arrived in the city. On April 25, 1992, on Easter night, the first Divine Liturgy took place.
In February 1993, Metropolitan Nicholas consecrated the Church of All Saints, which a year earlier had been transferred from the Nuclear Center to the parish, repaired and restored; A Sunday school and Orthodox courses for adults began operating at the Temple.
In 1992 and 1993, Patriarch Alexy II visited Sarov on the days of the feast of Seraphim of Sarov.
On May 17, 1997, bells were installed on the bell tower, made according to calculations by one of the VNIIEF laboratories.
In 1998, the Federal Nuclear Center decided to transfer the building of the Church of John the Baptist to the parish. In the summer of 1999 such a transfer took place.
In July - August 2003, celebrations were held in Sarov on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the canonization of Seraphim of Sarov, which were preceded by significant preparation. On July 13, 2003, a cross was installed on the bell tower. On July 30, 2003, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II re-consecrated the church of St. St. Seraphim of Sarov. On the same days, Russian President V.V. Putin visited Sarov.
In 2005, the possibility of restoring the monastery was expressed.
On July 17, 2006, the Holy Synod decided to open the monastery. On July 30, His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II performed the rite of the Great Consecration of the restored temple in the name of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. The restored temple became the seventh operating temple in Sarov.
On July 27, 2009, Archimandrite Kirill (Pokrovsky), dean of the Varnavinsky and Urensky districts, was appointed vicar. By this time, seven monks and three novices lived in the monastery.
On September 7, the building of the northern cell building, which recently housed the Children's Art School, was transferred to the monastery. It is planned to house a spiritual and educational center in this building, and several rooms are allocated for the children's studio "Rodnichok" at the Orthodox creative association "MiR".
On September 9, 2009, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' visited the Far and Near Hermitages, the Church of John the Baptist, the underground Temple of Anthony and Theodosius of the Pechersk, the burial place of St. Seraphim of Sarov and the Temple of Seraphim of Sarov. Patriarch Kirill presented the Church of Seraphim of Sarov with an icon of the Savior with a commemorative inscription, and distributed icons with the image of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky to the people who met him.
On December 22, Archbishop Georgy held a meeting at which he summed up the results of the year in rebuilding the church in honor of Saints Zosima and Sabbatius: it took more than a year to vacate the premises and demolish the building built on the site of the temple, and develop design documentation. On the night of December 23, Archbishop Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas celebrated a liturgy in the Sarov Cave Church in honor of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk.
On June 29, 2010, Archbishop Georgy consecrated five icons for the temple in honor of the Holy Spirit, built on the site where the conversation between St. Seraphim of Sarov and Nikolai Motovilov about acquiring the Holy Spirit took place. The next day, Archbishop Georgy performed the ceremony of laying the foundation of a church in honor of the Venerable Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky.
On November 12, Archbishop Georgy performed the first prayer service in the church under construction in honor of the Monks Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky. By this time, the walls and vault of the temple were erected. The consecration of the cross and dome took place on July 28, 2011; the next day the dome and cross were installed. The height of the temple under construction reached 47.5 meters. On May 26, 2012, Metropolitan George performed the rite of great consecration of the temple in honor of Zosima and Savvaty.
On July 17, 2012, television broadcasts began to be made from a new tower built with federal funds, and on July 18, the dismantling of old television and radio broadcasting equipment from the bell tower of the Holy Dormition Monastery began.
On December 21, Metropolitan George performed the Great Consecration of the chapel in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the second floor of the church.
