The village of Mogochino is located in northern latitudes. In winter there are frosts down to -50 degrees, in summer there is intense heat, and at the end of September the first snow falls on the ground.
| St. Nicholas Monastery in Mogochino | |
| A country | Russia |
| City | Mogochino |
| Year of foundation | 1989 |
| Website | https://mogochinovolok.ru |
| Abbot | Hegumen Matthew Cherevikin |
That is why the construction season here lasts no more than 3-4 months. Construction materials are delivered either by river or by truck across a crossing.
In these harsh conditions, in a field, out of nowhere, Hieromonk John (Lugovskikh) and nun Irina (Seliverstova) managed to found the Mogochinsky St. Nicholas Convent, which became widely known throughout the Orthodox world.
St. Nicholas Convent - a landmark of the village of Mogochino, Tomsk region
The village of Mogochino is located in the Tomsk region on the right bank of the Ob River. This is an ordinary village in the Russian countryside, but what makes it unusual is the St. Nicholas Convent located here.
His address: Russia, Tomsk region, Molchanovsky district, pos. Mogochino.
In order to visit the monastery, you must first get to the village of Narga (221 km from Tomsk), then take a ferry and cross to the other side of the Ob River. In winter, a bus runs across the ice from Narga. There are no other freely accessible routes to the village.
Mogochinsky St. Nicholas Convent during construction. The monastery was built in memory of the exiled settlers who lived here during Stalin's times. Photo: azbyka.ru
The village was founded in 1726. The period of its active development occurred in the 20s of the 20th century. It was then that a large woodworking enterprise was built here.
In Soviet times, Mogonchino was a place of residence for exiled settlers, kulaks, and deported Germans.
After the closure of the wood processing enterprise in the 1990s, the area became unpromising and young people left it. Nowadays, the majority of local residents are pensioners. The population of the village barely reaches 3,000 people.
October 1, 1989
date of foundation of the Mogochinsky St. Nicholas Nunnery
In fact, Mogochino cannot be called either a village or a workers’ settlement, since there are no industrial or agricultural enterprises on its territory. In our time, the Orthodox St. Nicholas Convent is recognized as the center around which life in the village glows.
It was founded on October 1, 1989 and was built entirely through donations. The construction of such a large-scale monastery in the outback is associated with the feat of those innocently exiled to the village during the repressions.
The village of Mogochino, Tomsk region, during a flood. Most of the residents of the village of Mogochino left. Now the center of life in it is the St. Nicholas Convent. Photo: i.ucrazy.ru
In addition, the founders of the monastery pursued the goal of purifying ancient pagan elements that had not yet encountered church grace. Around the monastery since its foundation there has been something resembling an Orthodox community in which volunteer clergy live.
People from all over the country come to Mogochino; the monastery annually attracts hundreds of pilgrims. A hotel was built for them at the monastery.
Shrines and patronal feasts
Pilgrims, parishioners, especially women, rush to pray before the icon of St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The gratitude for the help of the miraculous face is evidenced by the precious decorations hung around the icon.
Interior of the Mogochinsky St. Nicholas Monastery
The St. Nicholas Monastery in Mogochino houses an icon of Spyridon of Trimifunt and a piece of his shoe.
The story of the Holy Cross Icon of the Mother of God is unusual, written after eyewitness accounts of the appearance of the Mother of God in black robes, praying in front of the cross during the capture of civilians by the bandit Baslaev in 1995.
After the repeated appearance of the Virgin Mary, who was also seen by the bandits, all the hostages were released.
By order of Metropolitan Gideon of Stavropol, an order was given to paint an icon of the Mother of God, which was consecrated on the fortieth day of 128 innocent people killed. The holy image of the Holy Cross Mother of God was painted by the servant of God Olga, a native of the Holy Cross.
The holy icon of the Mother of God is exhibited in the church of the St. Nicholas Convent.
Important! August 11, the Nativity of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, is the patronal feast day of the St. Nicholas Monastery.
In 2022, in honor of the holiday, a consecrated new cross appeared on the roof of the monastery, the erection of which was watched by many people gathered in the courtyard of the temple.
The Mogochinsky Monastery was founded by Hieromonk John (Lugovskikh) and nun Irina (Seliverstova)
Mogochinsky Monastery was founded on October 1, 1989. It was then that Hieromonk John (Lugovskikh) came to the newly opened St. Nicholas parish with nun Irina (Seliverstova).
They equipped a village house as a temple, and also purchased three nearby houses. This became the basis of the territory of the future monastery.
St. Nicholas Monastery in the village of Mogochino. Mother Irina Seliverstova. Mother Irina is one of the founders of the St. Nicholas Monastery in Mogochino. Photo: radiologos.ru
The monastery was built without centralized funding, solely through donations. The founders of the monastery attribute its appearance to the feat of those innocently exiled here during the period of repression.
In addition, they also wanted to bring the Christian faith to the ancient pagan area. That is why the construction of the monastery took place in the most difficult conditions, since in the village, which is 270 years old, there has never been a church or roads. Everything needed was brought here by river.
John Lugovskikh in 1998 became the confessor of the Mogochinsky St. Nicholas Convent.
This area has a harsh climate: in winter frosts reach -50 degrees Celsius, in summer it is hot, snow falls already at the end of September. The construction season therefore sometimes lasts only 3-4 months. Construction materials must be delivered either by river or by truck via ferry or ice crossing.
Archimandrite John (Lugovskikh), abbot of the Transfiguration Bolshevolotsk Monastery, confessor of the St. Nicholas Mogochin Convent of the Tomsk Metropolis. The founder and builder of these monasteries. Photo: iskitimeparhia.ru
Hegumen John (in the world Vasily Mikhailovich Lugovskikh) played a major role in the construction of the Mogochin St. Nicholas Monastery. At the age of 35, he was called to church service by hearing the words of the Mother of God: “Come to work with Me.” Father John built many churches.
In April 1993, by decree of Bishop Tikhon of Novosibirsk and Barnaul, Father John was approved as abbot of the Transfiguration Monastery in the former village of Bolshoy Volok, 14 kilometers from Mogochino, and in May of the same year, Bishop Tikhon elevated Father to the rank of abbot.
In 1998, with the blessing of Bishop Arkady of Tomsk and Asinovsky, Abbot John was appointed confessor of the St. Nicholas Monastery.
Modern life of the St. Nicholas Monastery
On December 19, 2014, Bishop Kolpashevo and Strezhevsky celebrated the Divine Liturgy in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia at the St. Nicholas Convent, which celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Divine service at the Mogochinsky St. Nicholas Monastery
The monastery sisters, parishioners and Abbess Irina (Seliverstova) prayed at the service.
The current priestly composition of the monastery includes twelve priests, four deacons and about 100 nuns, not counting parishioners temporarily living in the monastery.
The hieromonk laid out the foundation of the future church of the monastery already in the first days of his arrival in Mogochino
Arriving in Mogochino, which happened in early October 1989, Hieromonk John marked the foundation of the future church. Metropolitan Gideon (Dokukin) of Novosibirsk and Barnaul blessed Father John to bring workers laid off from the local RSU to the village. They became the first builders of the monastery.
Metropolitan of Novosibirsk and Barnaul Gideon (Dokukin). Metropolitan Gideon gave his blessing for the construction of the St. Nicholas Convent in the village of Mogochino. Photo: orthedu.ru
By November 14, they poured concrete for the foundation of the temple. Metropolitan Gideon blessed the caretaker of the diocesan administration, Ivan Andreevich Sosnin, to deliver bricks for the construction of the church of the future monastery. A few years later he took monastic vows.
The first builders of the St. Nicholas Convent were workers from the local RSU.
In 1990-1991, the monastery's builders erected the white stone walls of its church, as well as a bell tower and a cinder-cast garage. Father John gave his blessing to use only ancient construction technology during the construction of the temple, without using modern measuring tools.
As a result, the building of St. Nicholas Church has slight asymmetry, which gives it a lively appearance.
St. Nicholas Church of the Monogochinsky St. Nicholas Convent. Since the temple was built using ancient technology without the use of measuring tools, it looks picturesque. Photo: znaigorod.ru
In 1992, the roof of the temple was erected and it was plastered from the inside. At the same time, manual excavation work began, aimed at digging pits for the foundation of the monastery walls-buildings. By autumn, concrete underground cubes 50 meters long and 10 meters wide were poured.
In the period from 1993 to 1995, the builders of the monastery built on this foundation the southern and eastern buildings of the Mogochin St. Nicholas Convent, three floors high.
Hegumen of the St. Nicholas Monastery
Service in St. Nicholas Church is carried out under the leadership of Abbot Matthew, whose life is truly a miracle of the Lord.
Arkady Cherevikin, the current abbot Matthew, was born into a family of intellectuals. His father was an engineer, his mother a teacher.
In a friendly family, great attention was paid to raising children, developing their creative and athletic abilities, but they never talked about God. Children who had not heard of God's fifth commandment were raised in obedience, humility and responsibility, and joined the Komsomol.
In the 2000s, the Mogochin St. Nicholas Convent was mainly built
The entire year of 1996 was devoted to excavation and concrete work on the construction of the “zero cycle” of the monastery building that closes the circle. They ended by autumn.
In the early spring of the following year, the builders of the monastery began large-scale construction, in which all local residents and inhabitants of the monastery were involved.
In one season, a three-story building in the shape of the letter “P” was built, closing the circle of the monastery.
Mogochino, construction of the St. Nicholas Convent. In 1998, the towers of the monastery were built. Photo: azbyka.ru
In 1998, the white stone towers of the monastery were built, and drainage communications began to be dug. A year later, concrete pouring began on the monastery territory. The final work on the construction of the monastery took place in the two thousand years.
So in 2001, the construction of the hotel building of the St. Nicholas Convent began. In addition, this year it was also necessary to restore the St. Nicholas Church, which was damaged by fire.
2001
this year not only the construction of the monastery began, but also the repair of the temple after the fire
In 2002, a building with a hotel and a garage was built at the monastery church. A year later - the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Repair work was also carried out. So the third floors of the southern monastery building, the abbot and part of the western building were demolished and rebuilt, and a gate tower was built.
Procession of the cross in the Holy Transfiguration Church under construction. Materials for its construction began to be imported after the completion of the construction of the St. Nicholas Convent in Mogochino. Photo: volokskit.ru
In 2005, the construction of the St. Nicholas Convent was basically completed: the circle of battlements and towers on the monastery walls was completed, a transition was made between the building of the Intercession Church and the western wall, and new cells were built in the southern building.
A year later, preparatory work was carried out for the construction of cells in new buildings, and the delivery of building materials to the village of Bolshoy Volok for the construction of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery began.
Hegumen Matthew (Cherevkin) - the oldest monk in Mogochin
On November 4, 2022, at the age of 71, the founder of the St. Nicholas Monastery and the long-term abbot of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery died suddenly. Big Volok Archimandrite John (Lugovskikh).
On June 23, 2022, Abbot Matthew (Cherevikin), a resident of the monastery, was appointed in his place. Father Matthew lived for many years in the village of Mogochino, participating with his own labor in the construction of the St. Nicholas Monastery.
Abbot Matthew (Cherevikin). Father Matthew is the rector of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery under construction in the village of Bolshoi Volok and the most famous elder in Mogochino. Photo: svjatoynarym.ru
Hegumen Matthew was born (in the world Arkady Yurievich Cherevikin), September 6, 1947. Graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics of Novosibirsk State University.
He worked for 22 years at the Novosibirsk Branch of the Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Technology. Received Baptism in the Ascension Cathedral in Novosibirsk in 1989.
Father Matthew (Cherevikin) is the most famous elder in Mogochino.
In March 1992, Father Matthew arrived in the village of Mogochino, Tomsk region. Here this year he took monastic vows. He worked on the construction of the newly built St. Nicholas Convent.
He also participated in the construction of the Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya men's monastery in the village. Big Volok. During this time, he acquired a wealth of experience in monastic life and then often said the following: “we all studied in Mogochino.”
The building of the Tomsk Theological Seminary. Father Matthew graduated from the Tomsk Theological Seminary and for a long time spiritually cared for its students. Photo: upload.wikimedia.org
On December 4, 1992 he was ordained a hierodeacon, and on December 10, 1997 a hieromonk. In 2003 he graduated from Tomsk Theological Seminary. In 2004 he was elevated to the rank of abbot. On August 20, 2022 he was awarded a cross with decorations.
Repeatedly took part in pilgrimages to Holy Mount Athos. Here Father Matthew became acquainted with the thousand-year-old tradition of Svyatogorsk monasticism.
Numerous pilgrims of both the St. Nicholas and Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya monasteries consider him an elder, and when they come to the monasteries, they find spiritual nourishment and support from him. In total, Abbot Matthew has more than 25 years of experience in monasteries.
By leaving a comment, you accept the user agreement
