St. Paphnutiev Borovsky Monastery - a meeting place with the soul

There are many shrines and miraculous places in our country, but the fame of the Pafnutiev-Borovsky Monastery resounds far beyond its borders. I’m lucky that I live very close to this wonderful place in the Kaluga region, so I’ve been here more than once.

It is worth noting that the town of Borovsk, next to which the Paphnutian Monastery is located, is famous for its ancient architecture, modern frescoes on the walls of houses and other beauties. In addition, this place is home to many religious shrines and museums.

I would like to start my story from the Borovsk outskirts. Indeed, back in 1414, a young man named Parthenius came to this wonderful and secluded place, located on the banks of the Protva River. Here, in the Vysoko-Pokrovsky Monastery, he took monastic vows with the name Paphnutius and began his service to God and people.

And after another 30 years, the Monk Paphnutius retired to seclusion several miles from his first monastery. Exactly on the spot where the St. Paphnutian Monastery is now located.

Visiting Saint Paphnutius

And here is another trip to the Borovsky Monastery. Perhaps the great ones are right when they say that there can be no future without the past. Therefore, every ancient building, no matter whether religious or not, must be preserved for posterity.

Currently, this monastery combines a whole complex of church buildings of various styles and times.

In fact, the Holy Paphnutian Monastery is now not only a place of worship for Orthodox Christians, but also an architectural museum, where crowds of tourists, pilgrims and beggars flock daily, begging for alms right at the entrance.

And there is something to see here! When on the green bank of the river a white wall with narrow loophole windows grows right in front of you,

whose reflection bathes in water,

and the golden domes of the temples burn high in the sky - your heart skips a beat.

Address and route from Moscow

The Holy Pafnutev Monastery is located at the address: Kaluga region, Borovsk city, Dmitrova street, building 1.

If you decide to travel on your own, you should adhere to the following scheme:

1. By electric train from Kievsky station to the station. Balobanovo.
2. Take bus No. 101 or 101t, heading to Borovsk, get to the stop. “Grove” or “Ryabushki”.
3. Continue on your own. From the Ryabushki stop there is a gentle, but longer, path. You should cross the highway, walk along an unpaved road, turn right and move along the highway. The path is shorter, but steeper - at the “Roshcha” stop, cross the highway, follow the path between the trees straight, right, left and down, cross the bridge, go around the pond and left, to the central entrance.

If you have to travel by car:

• move in the direction of Kaluga along the Kyiv highway, turn at the sign “Balabanovo”;
• drive about a kilometer, at the intersection with A-108 turn towards Borovsk;
• continue driving to Borovsk through the village of Ermolino;
• Having covered another kilometer, turn at the sign “St. Pafnutev Monastery”. An asphalt road leads directly to the monastery.

A look into the past

The monastery was founded in 1444, when the monk Paphnutius, leaving the monastery of the Intercession, accompanied by a student, went to seek solitude. Following him was a string of faithful followers who wanted to share his fate with the elder.

Little by little, the hermitage was transformed into a men's monastery, now known as the Pafnutiev Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The monastery was often visited by the powers that be: great princes and kings, the top of the Orthodox clergy. Each of them did not skimp on donations, which made it possible to complete the construction of more and more churches, walls and towers.

In May 1477, Saint Paphnutius died and was buried here, at the southern gate of the main cathedral of the monastery. After his death, the elder was canonized and canonized; his relics are still in the place of rest to this day.

The rich courtyard and enemies did not ignore it. Twice the Borovsky monastery was devastated and burned.

The first time this happened was in 1610 by order of False Dmitry II, then in 1812 during the war with the French. But each time the St. Borovsky Monastery was restored, life went on.

With the advent of Soviet power in 1919, the brethren were expelled from their native walls, and the monastery was declared a national monument. Another 70 years have flown by. During this period, the buildings were not used at all for their intended purpose. In 1942 they were retrained into the Political Directorate of the Western Front. And later an agricultural technical school was located here.

And only in 1991 the Borovsky Monastery was returned to the Orthodox diocese and regained its former status. The churches were re-consecrated, priests and parishioners returned to them, and services were resumed.

Story

The year of foundation of the monastic monastery is considered to be 1444. It was in this year that the Monk Paphnutius and a group of followers settled on a hill at the confluence of the Isterma River with Protva. Over time, word of the monastery spread; people from nearby settlements began to come here for services and prayers.

After some time, the hermitage became a full-fledged monastery. In 1467, on the site of the old wooden church, the first stone structure was erected - the Nativity Cathedral. More than a hundred years later (in 1586), the temple was demolished, and a new, five-domed one was built in its place. During construction, painted elements from the previous building were used. Since the 16th century, the monastery has been overgrown with walls and fortifications, which did not always save it from destruction and burning during foreign raids. At the end of the Time of Troubles, the territory began to be restored, including the towers and walls.

With the arrival of the Bolsheviks, all property was transferred to the Main Museum. The territory housed a correctional colony, and later an agricultural technical school. For a long time, the monastery belonged to the Borovsky Local History Museum.

The revival of the monastery and its transfer to the Russian Orthodox Church took place only in 1991. Since then, the monastery complex has completely resumed its usual life - its doors have opened to parishioners, and services have begun to be held in churches. In the 1990s, many other positive events took place - the Church of the Prophet Elijah was revived, the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Irene was opened, and the bells were again raised to the bell tower.

Domes of the Nativity Cathedral and bell tower, © Margarita Kushnirenko

Territory and temples

The territory of the monastery is well-groomed, surrounded by greenery, flowers and trees.

Very close by, behind the wall, a river gurgles and there is a pond, which once served as a source of drinking water.

Fortress wall

What is impressive at first glance: the entire courtyard is surrounded by a high fortress wall,

into which several different-sized towers are built.

Each has its own name: Round, Armory, Povarennaya, Georgievskaya, Storozhevaya and Taynitskaya. The wall was built over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, its thickness is not the same everywhere, the average is 4 m, length 673 m.

This is not just a decorative element. The wall was supposed to perform a protective function and for this purpose it was equipped with embrasures for cannon and rifle combat. As they say, trust in God, and don’t make a mistake yourself!

And from the inside of the fortress wall you can walk along a long corridor.

Is it true. the passage is currently closed to visitors.

The main temple of the Borovsky monastery

To date, not all churches have survived on the territory of the St. Pafnutevsky Monastery. For example, the Church of All Saints, which stood from 1838 to 1930, was destroyed. But the white stone Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which was founded under Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich in 1586, was perfectly preserved.

The yellow-white temple with majestic onion domes is surrounded on both sides by chapels named after Theodore Stratelates and the Great Martyr Irene. The building is deliberately placed in an open space, which emphasizes its austere beauty.

An interesting fact: the foundation was based on blocks with frescoes from the 15th century, which allowed several local history museums to acquire fragments of paintings by the icon painter Mitrofan himself and his assistant Dionysius during restoration work.

There is a legend that previously there were underground passages from the Church of the Nativity through which one could get to Kaluga and Moscow. And this was done so that the monks could overcome this long path in solitude, being in prayer and not being distracted by the temptations of the world around them.

The main shrine of the Nativity Church, of course, is the shrine with the relics of St. Paphnutius of Borovsky. It is located near the altar, on the right. In the main chapel, in gilded cases, there are miraculous icons of the Mother of God. There are always a lot of fresh flowers near them. And under the glass are a wide variety of decorations and jewels that believers bring as gifts to the Mother of God for the speedy hearing of their prayers.

There are also several caskets in the temple, which contain particles of the relics of many Orthodox saints.

Hospital Temple of the Prophet Elijah

The small building of the Temple of the Prophet Elijah adjoins the premises that previously housed a hospital ward, a refectory and a kitchen.

The lattice separating them allowed patients undergoing treatment to attend church services. Nearby there is a cemetery where soldiers who died during the War of 1610 were buried.

Mitrofan's Church

No less interesting is the Mitrofan Church. The one-story church building was erected in 1760 and is one of the latest architectural structures of the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery. Its crown with a cross rises to a height of 30.5 m, pleasing the eye with the purity of its lines.

The Church of St. Mitrofan is connected to the abbot's building, from where you can get to the temple without going outside.

Previously, the temple was surrounded by a porch on three sides, now only the porch on the south side reminds of this.

In the basement there is a resting place for all the abbots of the monastery. An arch located on the side of the church leads to the crypt room.

Bell tower

The bell tower can be called a real miracle of Russian architecture.

An airy, snow-white building 55 m high, decorated with semi-columns, semicircular high windows and bas-reliefs in the form of seraphim and fruits.

There is also a tower clock installed here, the ancient mechanism of which has long been replaced with a modern, electronic one, but on the outside everything looks the same, preserving the spirit of antiquity.

The Museum of Russian Icons is located in the basement; in one of its rooms you can see unique medieval frescoes. This is a heritage carefully preserved for our descendants.

And on the other side of the bell tower, if you go from the street under the arch and go up to the 2nd floor, there is a huge icon shop, where a huge selection of icons, Orthodox literature, audio and video recordings and other paraphernalia is presented.

There is also a food kiosk next to the bell tower. This is where you can buy monastery bread, the aroma of which is in the air.

Despite the fact that all the temple buildings and ancillary premises were built at different times, in general they create a surprisingly harmonious impression.

Village of Ryabushki

Adjacent to the Borovsky Monastery is another village, Ryabushki. This is the small homeland of the famous merchants Ryabushinsky. The founder of this dynasty was a peasant from the Ryabushinskaya settlement, Mikhail Yakovlevich Denisov, or according to other sources, Mikhail Yakovlev. One way or another, the surname Ryabushinsky appeared later, when he amassed capital, settled in Moscow and joined the Old Believers. But the enterprising merchant did not forget about his native place and at least in this way paid tribute to the place where he was born.

Temple in the village of Ryabushki

Temple in the village of Ryabushki

In Ryabushki, a temple in honor of Dmitry of Thessaloniki, built in 1804, has been preserved. Below Protva there are two holy springs, and from the church there are wonderful views of Borovsk and the forests on the other side of the river. All these temples used to belong to the Borovsky Pafnutievo Monastery, and that’s where we’re heading next.

View from the temple in Ryabushki

View from the temple in Ryabushki

View from the temple in Ryabushki

View from the temple in Ryabushki

Paradise

And behind the main Nativity Church of the St. Paphnutyev Monastery, a truly paradise has been recreated. And you can enter it along beautiful marble steps through an openwork arch.

And now you find yourself in a very cozy gazebo, decorated with bright and fragrant flowers.

A little further away there is a carved wooden feeder, and nearby there are beautiful lawns.

Hidden between the trees is a cute fountain with kissing doves.

Here you simply forget about the passage of time, as if it stops. And only cats scurrying around, raising their pointy-eared muzzles up, destroy the charm of sleep, causing smiles.

Moreover, the aromas of herbal tea, bread and pastries floating through the air invite you to take a break and have a snack. This is such a funny transition to reality.

Current state

The St. Paphnutie Monastery became an architectural and historical monument in 1919. However, after the Civil War, all Orthodox relics were taken away and the monks were expelled from the Lavra. By 1935, a mechanization school was opened on the territory of the monastery. After the Second World War, a gymnasium for production instructors was organized in its place, and 10 years later - various workshops, oil depots and educational buildings.

Gate of the Pafnutievo Borovsky Monastery

The question of restoring the Borovsky Monastery began to mature after the collapse of the main dome of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. At the same time, all production workshops were closed, and museums were organized in their place. Only in the 90s of the twentieth century did the Holy Paphnutia Lavra begin to accept monks and engage in its direct activities.

Gradually, the Borovsk monastery began to be restored - destroyed buildings were rebuilt, wall paintings were restored, and found relics were returned. Today, all work is almost completed, and the monastery is completely open to pilgrims. The Lavra is surrounded by a strong wall with named towers, and there is a small lake and river on the territory.

Holy Elder

Many believers come to the Borovsky Monastery in the hope of the help of the elder - the local confessor, Father Blasius. They say that this person is able to help with family troubles and health problems. Many believe him and strive to go to confession.

We failed to see this enlightened man. Yes, it’s not so simple: many people come to see Father Vlasiy for advice and consolation. And often people wait more than one day for their turn.

They also say that it was he who became the prototype of Father Anatoly from Pavel Lungin’s film “The Island”.

Father Vlasiy

Many people come to the St. Paphnutyev Monastery to meet its spiritual mentor. Father Vlasiy was born in 34 of the 20th century into a religious family and received an Orthodox upbringing largely thanks to his grandmother.

After entering medical school, despite the possible difficulties that could have followed during the years of Soviet power, he attended services and served in the Assumption Cathedral. The disclosure of this information and the subsequent persecution forced him to leave his studies and go to the Transcarpathian monastery of Flora and Lavra at the suggestion of Father Hilarion (Rybar), who became his spiritual mentor.

The closure of the monastery during the era of religious persecution forced Father Blasius to return to Smolensk. Having rejected the offer to be reinstated at the institute on the condition of renouncing spiritual views and life, the holy father turned to Bishop Gideon, who accepted him into the cathedral. Until 1972, he remained in his hometown, going from an altar cleaner to the bishop’s cell attendant, then he was transferred to the Novosibirsk diocese, later to Tobolsk, and in 1980 he was assigned to the Kaluga region. Here, despite a serious illness, he accepted the Great Schema.

He has been the spiritual mentor of the Borovsky Monastery since 1991, with the exception of a five-year stay on Mount Athos, in the monastery of St. Panteleimon (1998-2002), where he wanted to find peace, spend time in repentance and prayer, due to a serious illness, but the illness happily subsided.

During his mentorship, thousands of people, local parishioners, residents of other cities of the Russian Federation and even pilgrims from abroad, visited the monastery, seeking spiritual support. People come to Father Vlasiy in different cases: some need help in difficult life situations, problems in the family, some need relief from serious illnesses, others need spiritual participation, everyday advice or consolation.

As those who visited the schema-archimandrite say, he finds an approach to everyone, sees “through and through”, listens to everyone and always gives clear and effective advice.

Father Vlasiy takes part in the services, but the dates and times of personal reception cannot be established precisely. There is no registration, everything is based on the well-being of the schema-archimandrite, admission is on a “first come, first served basis”, it is advisable to have the opportunity to stay for more than one day, you can stay at the monastery hotel in order to definitely have the opportunity to meet the holy father.

On the days when the reception is held, it usually takes place from five in the morning to nine in the evening (before church celebrations until five), Sunday - only confession, approximately from 7 to 9.30.

Holy spring

But this is a sad section in this article, since I will have to write about something that currently (summer 2015) does not exist.

For many years, residents of all surrounding cities came to the holy spring of Paphnutius Borovsky to collect amazingly tasty and clean water.

A few years ago a wonderful font was built over the spring! Oh, and the water there was cold. It was breathtaking when we plunged headlong three times in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And what long lines lined up here for Epiphany! People stood in the cold for several hours to plunge into the font and collect blessed Epiphany water.

It's hard to say what happened. But gradually the water pressure in the spring began to weaken. And now the source in its former place has completely ceased to exist.

But they say there is hope for recovery.

I offer everyone who wants to plunge into the holy font and draw spring water a wonderful place located a few kilometers from here. This is the Vysoko-Pokrovsky Church, which is the courtyard of the St. Paphnutev Monastery. It is quite deservedly also called Borovskie Kizhi.

History of the monastery

The founder of the now famous monastery is the monk Paphnutius. He was born at the end of the 14th century, originally from the small village of Kudinovo, not far from the city of Borovsk (Kaluga region). When the boy was 12 years old, he became a novice of the Intercession Lavra, and soon took monastic vows there. In 1434, Paphnutius was appointed abbot, and 10 years later, due to a serious illness, he accepted the schema and left the monastery. Later, on the banks of the Protva, he founded the Borovsky Monastery, where he became abbot.

St. Pafnutev Borovsky Monastery

Even during the life of Paphnutius, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was erected on the territory of the monastery, which was painted by famous icon painters of that time. When the monk died, Abbot Joseph took his place, but he too soon left the monastery. Until the 20s of the 16th century, the monastery was not expanded. Only in 1529 another building appeared - the Church of the Nativity of Christ, where Prince Vasily III came to pray.

In 1531, by decision of the Council, an official patronal holiday was established on May 1 in the name of the founding father. Soon Paphnutius himself was canonized, ranking him among the wonderworkers. At the end of the 16th century, a large stone cathedral was erected on the territory of the monastery to replace the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. However, after the raid of False Dmitry II, all buildings were destroyed.

The Holy Paphnutian Monastery was brought back to life by Patriarch Filaret, who personally ordered the restoration of the shrine to begin. Restoration work was carried out until 1640, and after another 30 years the complex was replenished with the Temple of Elijah the Prophet, which was adjacent to the hospital. At the same time, a new belfry was erected. In 1760, a church was built on the territory of the monastery in the name of St. Mitrophan of Tsaregrad, where a theological seminary was later opened for peasant children.

During the War of 1812, the men's monastery again suffered from enemy raids. It was restored only 10 years after the victory over Napoleon. In honor of this, a great religious procession was held, timed to coincide with the day of the celebration of the memory of the Monk Paphnutius.

How to get there

Finding out where the Borovsky Monastery is located and how to get to it is quite easy; there will be many signs along the way.

Personal car: along the Kievskoe highway to Balabanovo (about 90 km from Moscow), then drive towards Borovsk until the fork. We turn left, pass Rusinovo, then in Ryabushki on the left there will be a sign to the Borovsky Monastery.

There is free parking near the monastery. But it is worth considering that on weekends and holidays there are a lot of cars and excursion buses. So you can’t always count on being able to park close to the entrance to the monastery.

Coordinates: 55.21391, 36.53263.

You can get there from Moscow by public transport. Electric trains run from Kievsky Station to Maloyaroslavets or Kaluga. We get to Balabanovo station (just under 2 hours). Next, at the bus station we change to a bus or minibus to Borovsk. You need to get off at the “Ryabushki” or “Roshcha” stop, then walk.

And then our path lay to the city of Maloyaroslavets, where another ancient monastery with an unusual name is located: St. Nicholas Chernoostrovsky.

If you want to stay in these places longer, you can easily rent an apartment or a room on the Airbnb service, or through Booking book any hotel in nearby cities: Obninsk, Balabanovo, Borovsk, Maloyaroslavets or near them.

This trip took place on August 21, 2015. Read about other monasteries and churches that I was able to visit here. You can read about other attractions of the Kaluga region here. They are all marked on this map.

Write in the comments below which holy places you were able to visit and what made the strongest impression.

How to get to the Borovsky Monastery in the Kaluga region

Currently, the main confessor of the St. Paphnutevsky Monastery is Schema-Archimandrite Father Blasius; it is to him that most pilgrims from different parts of Russia flock, especially for spiritual nourishment. To find out how and when you can get an appointment with the priest, please call the monastery gatehouse: +7 48438 4-37-39.

From Moscow you can take the train to Balabanovo station (Kaluga region). The train towards Kaluga and Maloyaroslavets departs from the Kyiv railway station (see Yandex. Timetables).

Having reached the city, you can take bus/minibus No. 101, 101t to Borovsk. There are also direct bus services to Borovsk from Obninsk, Abramovsky, Vorsino, Ermolino, Semichevo. The stops of regular buses and minibuses closest to the monastery - “Roshcha”, “Ryabushki” - are within walking distance (the distance is about a kilometer). A detailed route is presented on the website of the Pafnutiev-Borovsky Monastery.

The most convenient option would be to travel by car. The distance from Moscow and Kaluga to the monastery is approximately the same - about 100 kilometers. If you don’t have your own car, then you can use taxi services using one of the applications: Yandex.Taxi, Gett, taximaxim, Uber and others.

Pilgrims and those simply wishing to get better acquainted with this unique historical place can stay at the hotel at the monastery.

The last test

Already in the 18th century, cracks began to creep along the walls of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. They were sealed up, but they appeared in other places. In the 19th century, this process continued, taking over the newly built refectory. During the Great Patriotic War, military operations took place in the immediate vicinity of the monastery - in January 1942, one of the shellings covered the monastery.

The matter was completed by an agricultural school, which was housed in a desecrated monastery during the Soviet era and converted the cathedral into a garage for tractors that produced strong vibrations. In 1954, on the day of remembrance of the holy founder of the monastery, the central dome collapsed. It was impossible not to hear such a formidable warning that it was impossible to further destroy the ancient monastery. And in 1962, restorers appeared in the cathedral...

In modern times, restorers have returned the cathedral to its original appearance - in almost everything, with the exception of the classic refectory, which, for some good reasons, it was decided to leave in place.

Holy places of the Moscow region. West and South-West. Part 3

Nativity of the Mother of God Holy Paphnutiev Borovsky Monastery, the city of Borovsk, Borovsky Vysoko-Pokrovsky Monastery, the city of Vereya, Sergievo-Dubrovsky Convent, the city of Mozhaisk, Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Tsarevo-Borisov town, Ferapontov Luzhetsky Mozhaisk Monastery.

NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN OF THE HOLY PAFNUTIEV BOROVO MONASTERY

Located on the left low bank of the river.
Protva, 3 km southeast of the city of Borovsk, Kaluga region. and 83 km southwest of Moscow. Founded in 1444 by St. Paphnutius Borovsky (1395 - May 1, 1477). St. Paphnutius was born in the village. Kudinovo, 4.5 km from Borovsk, in a family of pious parents and at baptism he was named Parthenius. According to legend, the saint’s grandfather was a Tatar Baskak official who converted to Orthodoxy. Having reached the age of 20, Parfeniy entered the Borovsky Vysoko-Pokrovsky Monastery[1], where he was tonsured with the name Paphnutius.

Seeing the heartfelt desire of Paphnutius, the abbot gave him into obedience to Elder Nikita[2], who was a student of St. Sergius of Radonezh and ruled the Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery for 19 years (see Issue No. 1, pp. 28-31), becoming in 1396 the successor of St. Afanasy the Younger.

When, after 20 years, Rev.
Paphnutius rose “to the level of a teaching man” of high spiritual life, St. Metropolitan Photius ordained him as abbot of the monastery. In 1444, St. at the inspiration of God, he left the Intercession Monastery and settled 3 km from it, in a deserted place at the confluence of the river. Hysteria in Protva. Soon a monastery also arose here and by the command of St. Metropolitan Jonah, a wooden church was built in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

Asceticism St. Paphnutia was not distinguished by extreme severity, but he was strict in observing the rules, church rules and deanery. A guardian of the canons, he did not want to recognize Metropolitan. Jonah, elected without the approval of the Patriarch of Constantinople, for which he was subjected to severe punishment. St. he is harsh towards the laity, before his death he refuses to accept letters and gifts from princes and boyars. But he inspires such respect in them that gifts generously flow into his monastery. Ivan III’s brother, Prince Yuri Vasilyevich of Serpukhov, who lived a celibate and pure life, said: “When I go to confession to Father Paphnutius, my legs give way.” His veneration in the grand ducal house made St. as if the family saint of the Moscow princes. Ivan the Terrible was considered born through the prayers of St. and he himself mentioned his name among the greatest Moscow saints - Sergius of Radonezh and Cyril of Belozersky.

He spent eighteen years with St.
Paphnutius school of monastic education, the future great figure of the Russian Orthodox Church - St. Joseph of Volotsky, who headed the monastery after the repose of the saint in 1477. The tonsure of St. Paphnutia were: brother of St. Joseph Vassian Sanin, later the author of the life of St. Paphnutia and Archbishop of Rostov; St. David is the founder of the Ascension David Hermitage (see Issue 1, pp. 23-27); St. Daniil is the founder of the Trinity Monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky and the godfather of Ivan the Terrible. St. Paphnutius was a supporter of the unification of appanage principalities under the rule of Moscow. Therefore, he enjoyed the support of the Grand Duke; Already in 1467, a stone cathedral in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was erected in the monastery, and the largest icon painters of that time, Mitrophanius and his student Dionysius, were invited to paint it. It was Dionysius who addressed the famous “Message to the Icon Painter” to St. Joseph Volotsky. The great artist and thinker had a strong influence on the process of formation of a special artistic and craft tradition in the monastery. Among those who deeply perceived it was St. Macarius, also a monk of the Pafnutiev Monastery, later the head of the Russian Orthodox Church (in 1542-1563).

In the 16th century, the Pafnutiev Monastery became one of the most famous and richest in Russia. It was here that in the summer of 1513 the main forces of the Russian army, led by Vasily III, stopped before the campaign against Smolensk. Already in the 2nd half of the 16th century. The monastery, which occupied a strategically advantageous position on the southwestern approaches to Moscow, received stone walls and towers. Severely damaged during the Time of Troubles, they will be restored in the 17th century. Trofim Sharutin, a hereditary mason from Kashin.

In 1511, a majestic Refectory Chamber with a warm church in the name of the Nativity of Christ was built, and at the end of the century the Cathedral Church was rebuilt - one of the most perfect at that time.
In the architecture of this four-pillar, five-domed temple, the influence of the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin is noticeable. In 1644 it was painted with frescoes. In 1651, at the expense of Tsarina Irina Mikhailovna, a northern aisle was built in the name of St. VMC. Irina. The architectural composition of the cathedral itself was damaged in the 19th century. extension of the vestibule and alteration of the domes. The “Tushino thief” (False Dmitry II) who approached Borovsk in July 1610 was unable to take the monastery-fortress until two traitorous governors opened the gates. The unequal battle continued in the monastery. An army of thousands, all the brethren and surrounding residents who took refuge in the monastery died. Heading the defense, Prince. Mikhail Volkonsky was killed in battle in the cathedral church. The abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite, died. Nikon and the defender of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, who was here in retirement, Archimandrite. Joasaph. All the wealth was stolen, and the documents and letters of grant were burned in a fire. In memory of this defense and feat of Prince. Volkonsky in 1777, the city of Borovsk received its coat of arms: a heart with a cross (a symbol of fidelity) in a laurel wreath.

In the 17th century The monastery was not only restored after destruction, but also experienced a period of prosperity. By this time, its architectural ensemble had been formed, almost completely surviving to our time. In 1666-67. The notorious archpriest Avvakum was kept in the monastery prison. From here he was exiled to the Pustozersky prison. In the fall of 1674, by decree of the Sovereign, the “spiritual children” of the frantic archpriest, noblewoman F. Morozova, her sister E. Urusova and the wife of Streltsy Colonel M. Danilov, who persisted in the schism, were brought here. The unfortunate victims of schismatic propaganda died of starvation here in the fall of 1675.

In the XVII-XIX centuries.
The monastery was famous for its rare icons, frescoes, rich sacristy and library. In 1744, 11 thousand peasants were assigned to the monastery. Visitors to the monastery in the 19th century. They note its well-groomed nature, silence, special calm and tranquility. We do not know the names of the outstanding ascetics of those times, but judging by the spirit of the monastery, its well-established and calm life, the life of the brethren proceeded quietly and measuredly, in unhurried monastic services and obedience labors. The prosperity of the monastery was not prevented even by the triple visit of the Napoleonic army in 1812. Then, as in 1610, the monastery was completely plundered and the library burned down. But the main ruin was yet to come. In 1923 the monastery was closed. A museum was placed on its territory, and then a correctional labor colony was installed, which was replaced by a school of agricultural mechanization. The school's educational building was erected in 1933-35. on the site of the demolished monastery necropolis. On the night of May 14, 1954 (the day of memory of St. Paphnutius), the central dome of the Nativity Cathedral collapsed, crushing the school equipment standing in the church. So Rev. Paphnutius laid the foundation for the revival of the monastery. In 1960, restoration work began here.

At the beginning of 1991, the agricultural technical school was removed from the territory of the monastery, and in the summer the first inhabitants came here. It is symbolic that the first abbot of the monastery was Abbot Nikon (Khudyakov), a student and spiritual son of Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose (Ivanov)[3], the last of the brethren of the Borovsk monastery before its closure. Thus, spiritual continuity was preserved. On April 13, 1991, the consecration of the Church of St. prophet Elijah, into which part of the relics of St. Paphnutia, - it was preserved in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery and was transported from there by the Archbishop of Kaluga and Borovsk Clement.

In the summer of 1994, solemn and festive (since 1995 - morning and evening) services began in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. A three-tier iconostasis was built in it, and a chapel was built in honor of St. Pafnutia, September 14, 1996, the bells were raised to the bell tower. In October 1996, a water prayer service was served in the Church of St. VMC. Irina.

The monastery is managed by Abbot Seraphim (Savostyanov). In 2000, 23 monks labored in the monastery.

Temples:

1. St. Pafnutev Borovsky Monastery. Church of St. prophet Elijah.

   Cathedral - in the name of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1467, 80 of the 16th century), north. chapel - St. VMC. Irene (1651); narthex – 19th century with a chapel in the name of St. Paphnutius Borovsky (90s of the XX century)

2. in the name of the Nativity of Christ, at the Refectory Chamber (XVI century)
3. in the name of St. Prophet Elijah, sick leave (1670)
4. in the name of St. Mitrofan, Patriarch of Constantinople, on the top floor of the abbot's cells (renewed in 1760; consecrated after Napoleon's invasion in 1819; after the return of the monastery to the Russian Orthodox Church, consecrated on July 27, 1992, with a new four-tiered iconostasis installed)
5. in the name of All Saints (1837; in the 30s of the 20th century a school building was built in its place)

Shrines:

1. part of St. relics of St. Paphnutius Borovsky
2. ancient icon of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church of St. Mitrofan

Source:

St. Paphnutia - next to the monastery. Bathhouse.

Compounds:

1. in Kaluga - ts. Transfiguration of the Savior, so-called Spas behind the Horse
2. in Moscow – Ipatievsky lane, 12 (not valid)

Address:

249002, Kaluga region. Borovsky district, village Grove.

Telephone

(08238) 4-37-39; 4-47-62

Directions:

To the station Balabanovo Kyiv railway (90 km). Then take a bus to the stop. With. Grove (15 km) Kyiv, Borovskoe highway.

City BOROVSK

Located 106 km to the north.
From Kaluga and 80 km to the south-west. from Moscow, on the hilly bank of the river. Protva (tributary of the Oka). First mentioned in the Spiritual Charter of Vel. book Ivan III under 1356. Initially it belonged to the Chernigov governors, later it went to the Ryazan principality. In 1382, according to the treaty of Vel. book Dmitry Donskoy with the Ryazan prince Oleg became part of the Moscow principality and in 1386 was given to the Serpukhov prince. Vladimir Andreevich. Until 1456 it remained the center of an appanage principality. Since the 15th century becomes one of the links in the defensive ring around Moscow. From the 2nd floor. XVII century a trading and craft city, one of the centers of Russian Old Believers. In 1708 it was assigned to the Moscow province, from 1776 it was a district town of the Kaluga governorship. In Oct. 1812 was occupied by French troops. Near the city in the village. Gorodnya Napoleon decided to retreat along the devastated Smolensk road. From 15 Oct. 1941 to January 4 1942 was occupied by Nazi troops. Nowadays it is the regional center of the Kaluga region. In the city cathedral church in the name of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an ancient shrine has been preserved - the miraculous image of St. Nicholas. According to legend, the carved image was made in the 14th century. craftsmen from the Kaluga city of Przemysl. Previously it was located in the wooden St. Nicholas Church; when the temple burned down in 1812, the venerated image was moved to the St. Nicholas chapel of the Annunciation Cathedral.

In 1544, by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, to the southeast. On the outskirts of the city of Borovsk, the Nativity of Christ husband was founded on the settlement. monastery (since 1651 - women's). In 1610, during the invasion of False Dmitry II, the monastery was burned, but then restored. In 1764 it was abolished, and in 1834 a new center was built on this site. Nativity of Christ. In the 1930s The temple was blown up, after the war, secondary school No. 2 was built in its place.

From 1633 to 1761 The city is famous for the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos on Gnoische. In 1826, a stone church was built on the site of the abolished monastery. Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the Khrushchev persecutions, the temple was blown up, today in its place is the Rodina cinema.

BOROVO VYSOKO-POKROVSKY MONASTERY (now the city cemetery)

Located on the high right bank of the river.
Protvy. It was first mentioned in 1410. For about 30 years, St. Pafnuty Borovsky. His spiritual mentor, St. Nikita in 1421 went to the north, where he founded the Kostroma Epiphany Monastery, in which he was buried (since 1864, the Epiphany-Anastasinsky monastery became a women's monastery). In 1610 the monastery was burned, in 1618 it was restored and assigned to the Pafnutiev monastery, and in 1764 it was abolished. The currently existing Church of the Intercession in the village. Vysokoye (today part of the city of Borovsk) was built at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries. In the 19th century it was assigned to the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in Borovsk (preserved in a mutilated form). Not active. Behind the altar there is a restored chapel on the grave of the parents of St. Paphnutia.

Directions

: to st. Balabanovo Kyiv railway (90 km), then bus. to Borovsk (17 km)

City VEREYA

Located in the Naro-Fominsk region, 113 km south-west of Moscow, on the right bank of the river.
Protvy. The first chronicle mention dates back to 1371. In 1432-86. center of the Verei principality. Since 1487, part of the Moscow state. Since 1782 it has been a district town in the Moscow province. It has preserved the architectural appearance that developed in the 18th-19th centuries. In 1812 it was destroyed by the French. 29 Sep. In 1812, a detachment under the command of General I.S. Dorokhov[4] liberated the city by storm. From Nov. From 1941 to January 1942 it was occupied by Nazi troops. On the territory of the former Kremlin, surrounded by earthen ramparts (the so-called Settlement), there is a cathedral in the name of the Nativity of Christ (1552, rebuilt in the late 17th - early 18th centuries), in the basement of which is the burial of I.S. Dorokhov; classic bell tower (1802). With the blessing of Metropolitan. Krutitsky and Kolomensky Juvenaly, one of the chapels of the refectory part of the upper church was consecrated in the name of the smch Hilarion of the Trinity, who bore the title of archbishop. Vereisky. The cathedral houses a piece of his St. relics[5].

The Ilyinskaya (1803), Konstantino-Eleninskaya (1789) and Epiphany (1777) churches have survived.
Monument to I.S. Dorokhov (bronze, 1912, sculptor A.F. Rachmaninov; destroyed in 1918, recreated in 1957, sculptor S.S. Aleshin). Until 1764, the Spassky-Vkhodo-Jerusalemsky husband operated in the city. a monastery that arose before 1631. In 1725-28. he was assigned to the Nikolaev Vozmitsky Monastery. The monastery church has been preserved. The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, in Krasnaya Sloboda (1667-1679).

The pillarless cubic volume of the temple, placed on a basement, is covered with a blind closed vault and crowned with five domes. In the basement of the temple at the end of the 19th century. The throne was consecrated in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The smooth octagonal pillar of the bell tower adjacent to the temple is decorated with painted tiles and topped with a stone tent. Partially restored in the 1960s.

Once upon a time in the upper church there was a revered wood carved image of St.
Nicholas the Wonderworker. According to legend, the image was in the wooden St. Nicholas Church in the city of Vereya. During the great fire of 1788, almost the entire city and all the wooden churches burned down, but the carved icon was miraculously found on the river. Against the monks, who placed it in the cathedral church. Somewhat higher than the Entrance Jerusalem Shrine along the river. Protva until 1629 there was a Resurrection Monastery. From the north The sides of the land that belonged to the monastery bordered the villages of Rozhdestveno and Godunovo, which have survived.

Directions:

1. To the station Dorokhovo Belorusskaya railway (87 km), then bus. (27 km).
2. From Moscow bus. (bus station near Tushinskaya metro station, t. 490-24-24) to Vereya (114 km). Minsk highway.

SERGIEVO – DUBROVSKY WOMEN'S MONASTERY

Was in the forest, near the village. Dubrovo, 12 km from the town of Vereya, Moscow province. Formed by the Decree of the Holy Synod of September 10-12, 1914 on the basis of the Sergievo-Dubrovsk women's community, in connection with which, on October 4. Archimandrite, dean of the monasteries of the Moscow diocese, arrived at the newly opened monastery. Valentin. He served small vespers in the monastery, after which he clothed 6 novices of the monastery in the cassock, and the All-Night Vigil.

October 5 from the village.
Dubrovo was greeted with a religious procession, then the Liturgy began, in which Fr. Nikolai Lebedev, priest of the Church of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica in the village. Dubrovo. It is interesting to note that in the solemn service, Archim. Concelebrating with Valentin was not only the founder of the monastery, Archpriest from the Moscow Ascension Monastery A.I. Pshenichnikov, but also his close relatives: the sacellarium of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, Archpriest. Nikolai Pshenichnikov, priest of the Church of St. Pavel Latrsky at the Tretyakov almshouse, Fr. John Pshenichnikov and the priest of the Moscow Church in the Name of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is at the Petrovsky Gate, Fr. Nikolai Pshenichnikov. During the Liturgy, Fr. The dean performed the first monastic tonsure in the monastery - the treasurers of the novice Theodosia with the name Thomaida, whom Fr. Valentin entrusted the spiritual leadership of the abbess of the Sergievo-Dubrovsky Monastery, Abbess Macaria. From the day of his ordination (September 5, 1926) until his death (March 2, 1929), the famous church historian Fr. Sergiy Mansurov.

After 1917, the Sergievo-Dubrovsky Monastery lived for another 12 years under the guise of an agricultural artel. In 1929 it was closed. Nowadays, only traces of its foundations remain.

Address:

Moscow region, Naro-Fominsk district, village. Dubrovo.

Directions:

From the city of Vereya bus. to s. Vyshgorod – 16 km, then on foot – 2 km.

City MOZHAYSK

Located 110 km west of Moscow, in the upper reaches of the river.
Moscow. First mentioned in the Nikon Chronicle in 1231; the inheritance of the Chernigov and then the Smolensk principality. In 1303 it became part of the Moscow Principality as a fortress on its western strategic borders. In 1389-1454. - the center of the appanage principality. In the beginning. XV century The importance of Mozhaisk as a fortress was strengthened by the construction of the Luzhetsky and Kolochsky monasteries. In 1541 the city was fortified with log walls and stone towers. At this time, Mozhaisk was a significant trade and craft center with huge suburbs and numerous settlements. In 1608-14. was occupied by the troops of False Dmitry II, and in 1617-18. was besieged by the troops of the Polish prince Vladislav. In the 1620s. Voivode D.M. Pozharsky built a new fortress around the city. Since 1708 - a district town of the Moscow province. Oct 18 1941 occupied by Nazi troops and destroyed; released 20 Jan. 1942

Already by the 16th century. the city is known as one of the major spiritual centers of Russia. Information about numerous monasteries in Mozhaisk has been preserved:

1. Yakimansky (Joakimoansky), husband. Stood to the north. from the fortress. Cathedral of St. The Godfather of Joachim and Anna was erected in the 90s. XIV century and has been preserved to this day in its rebuilt form. In the 16th century had chapels of the Resurrection of Christ and St. Leonty of Rostov, and now – the chapel of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God. The monastery had a tented wooden church. Three Saints, two abbot's cells, six fraternal cells. At the end of 1675, the monastery was assigned to the Luzhetsky monastery, and then abolished; the church became a parish. Current address: st. Krupskaya, 6.
2. Blagoveshchensky on Posad, women. It stood to the west of the fortress, to the right of the road in the village. Marfin Brod. In 1597, it had the Cathedral of the Annunciation, the abbess’s cell, 9 elders’ cells and 3 beggars’ cells, “fed from the Church of God.” In 1720 it is referred to as "former". Now this is an arable field.
3. Borisoglebsky, husband. He stood on the left side of Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street (the road to Moscow). Had a cool Cathedral of Sts. Boris and Gleb and the warm church of St. John Chrysostom. In 1660 it still existed, but by 1724 it was closed. Current address: st. Pionerskaya, 5-9
4. Petrovsky, female Stood to the south-west. from the Kremlin Mountain, on Petrovskaya Mountain, at the confluence of the nameless stream into the Petrovka River, to the left of the road to Vyazma. Had a tented cathedral of St. Peter, Metropolitan Moscow and warm c. The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (cage type), the abbess's cell and 16 eldresses' cells. Nowadays there is a city cemetery on the site of the monastery.
5. Petropavlovsky, husband. It stood north-west of the fortress, across the river. Mozhaykoy and meadows. There was a cathedral of Sts. App. Peter and Paul (cage type). Now this is an arable field.
6. Sretensky, husband. It stood on the eastern outskirts of the city, on a hill near the Moscow road. Had the Cathedral of the Presentation of the Lord (wooden, tented) and c. St. Catherine with the chapel of St. archid. Stefan (cage type). Nowadays there is a city hospital here.
7. Troitsky, husband It stood east of the fortress in the middle of the suburb, on Troitskaya Street. It had the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (wooden, cage type) and a church. Beheading of the Head of John the Baptist (dumpling type), abbot's cell, 2 brethren's cells and 8 beggars' cells. Abolished between 1672 and 1685, the monastery's cathedral became a parish church. All R. XIX century A new stone church was built, dismantled in 1941. A palace of culture was built on the site of the ancient monastery cemetery.
8. Uspensky-Bogoroditsky, female It stood 250 meters southwest of the fortress, crowning the Bogoroditskaya Mountain between the Mozhaika and Petrovka rivers. There was a Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God (wooden, tented). The monastery was abandoned after the pestilence of 1570-71, and the church became a parish church. Nowadays there is a city cemetery here (occupying the site of the Petrovsky Convent)
9. Alekseevsky, husband. It stood north-east of the city, on the bank of the Moscow River at the confluence of the Cherntsovsky stream. Had the Cathedral of St. Alexia, Metropolitan Moscow (wooden, cage type). After the Troubles there was a parish church here. Nowadays the monastery hill has been razed under a sand quarry.
10. Vasilievsky, husband. Stood to the north-east. on the outskirts of the settlement, on a high hill near the mouth of the river. Mozhaiki. Had the Cathedral of St. Basil the Great (wooden, tent-roofed). The monastery disappeared after the end of the pestilence. XVI century Nowadays there is a motorcycle track for local “rockers”.
11. Voskresensky, male(?). The exact location is not known. Perhaps he stood on Voskresenskaya Mountain, above the road to Vyazma, opposite the Petrovsky monastery. Had the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, disappeared after the pestilence of 1571.
12. Nastasinsky, female Stood to the north-east. on the outskirts of the settlement on the high eastern bank of the Psarevsky stream, at its confluence with the river. Mozhayka. Had the Cathedral of St. Anastasia Pattern Maker (wooden, tent). From the end of the 16th century. the cathedral became a parish cathedral. Now there are vegetable gardens.
13. Mironositsky, female It stood north of the fortress, opposite the Joachimoan monastery, across the river. Mozhayka. The monastery was abandoned after the pestilence of 1571. The cathedral church suffered during the Time of Troubles, but finally disappeared only in the middle. XVII century Nowadays there are courtyards of local residents (Streletskaya St., 19-21)
14. Mokro-Nikolsky, husband. It stood south of the fortress, to the north. bank of the Nikolsky stream, which flows into the Mozhaika. Cathedral of St. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (“St. Nicholas the Wet”) - wooden, cage type - after the pestilence of 1571 it became a parish church. Nowadays there are courtyards of local residents (Hertsena St., 10-12)
15. Pyatnitsky, female (?). stood south of the fortress, near the road to Vereya. In the 17th century converted to parish center Cathedral of St. Before the Time of Troubles, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa was a tented building, then a parish church was built. cage type. The second temple - the Ascension of the Lord - was also a cell, in the 19th century. it was built in stone and destroyed in 1941. Current address: st. Karaseva, 19-21.
16. Ioanno-Bogoslovsky, husband. It was located outside the city suburb, “on Psarna”. It appeared no later than 1569. In 1672 there was a c. St. George - former monastery.

Directions: d

about Art. Mozhaisk Belorusskaya railway (110 km). Further aut. 2 km. Minskoe highway

MONASTERY OF THE Nativity OF THE HOLY VIRGIN IN TSAREVO-BORISOV Gorodok (Not Extant)

Located 10 km.
from Mozhaisk, on the road to the city. Vereya and Borovsk, on the high right bank of the river. Protvy. In 1598, Boris Godunov built a stone fortress here, the decoration of which was a stone tented church in the name of St. Boris and Gleb, created in the image and likeness of the Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye, but surpassing it in height (74 m). Later the town turned into an ordinary village. In 1755, the dilapidated temple was dismantled for the construction of public places in Mozhaisk and Vereya. Probably a monastery known since the end. XVI century and who had 15 cells, suffered from the “Lithuanian people”, because in 1629 only “monastic place” was listed here. The Church of St. John the Baptist did not survive the Time of Troubles either. To this day in the village. Only the disfigured c. survived in Borisovo. Renovations of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ [6], it was first mentioned in 1629 as a parish church; in 1811, at the expense of parishioners, instead of a wooden one, a stone church with chapels of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Boris and Gleb was built - the benefactor of the church, peasant Matvey, was buried under the latter Yakovlev. The temple is not functioning.

Directions: d

about Art. Mozhaisk Belorusskaya railway (110 km). Further aut. No. 35 (to Vereya) to the stop. Borisovo village (10 km.).

FERAPONTOV LUZHETSKY MOZHAYSKY MONASTERY

Located on the outskirts of Mozhaisk on the high right bank of the river.
Moscow among vast floodplain meadows, in an area that was called “Luzhki” from ancient times. Founded in 1408 by the third son of St. blgv. Demetrius of Donskoy, Prince. Andrei Dmitrievich, who owned Mozhaisk, Vereya, Medyn, Kaluga and Belozersk. The first abbot of the monastery was St. Ferapont. St. Ferapont (in the world Fedor) b. OK. 1337 in Volokolamsk from the pious parents of the boyars Poskochin. Around 1377, he secretly left his father’s house and came to the newly built Moscow Simonov Monastery, where he received monastic vows from St. Fyodor, nephew of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

In addition to the elder, his friend, St. Petersburg, served as good advisers and models of monastic life for Ferapont. Kirill and especially St. Sergius, who often visited the Simonov Monastery. Around 1397 prpp. Ferapont and Kirill, leaving the Moscow monastery, retired to the north. After many wanderings, they arrived in the Belozersk region and finally found the place that was indicated by St. Cyril in a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The hermits erected a cross here and dug a dugout for themselves. But soon, at the inspiration of God, St. Ferapont went to a secluded place (15 fields from St. Cyril) and settled there. Devotees of desert living began to come to the ascetics - this was the beginning of two later famous monasteries: Kirillo-Belozersky and Ferapontov. When the rumor about the monasteries reached the prince who owned Belozerye. Andrei Mozhaisky, he was inflamed with the desire to establish a monastery in his capital city and begged St. Ferapont to become its founder. Here, on the banks of the Moscow River, in memory of the northern monastery, the prince erected a wooden church, consecrating it in the name of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to some information, already in 1420, on the site of a wooden one, he erected a stone cathedral. May 27 (June 9), 1426 St. Ferapont reposed and was buried near the northern wall of the cathedral church. At the beginning of the 16th century. The abbot of the monastery was the tonsured monastery of the Pafnutievo-Borovsk monastery, Macarius (Leontyev), the future head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Before leaving the monastery for the Novgorod See, he made a large contribution, for which in the period 1526-42. A new Nativity Cathedral and a refectory with a tented Vvedensky Church were erected. Around 1547 a c. was erected. Transfiguration of the Lord over the Holy Gate (late 15th – early 16th centuries). In 1549, on the initiative of Metropolitan. Macarius and Sovereign John IV The Council of the Russian Orthodox Church ranked St. Ferapont to the ranks of saints. At the end of the 16th century. A stone church was built over the grave of the saint in the name of St. John Climacus (In 1723, rebuilt and consecrated in honor of St. Ferapont). At this time, the monastery served as a guard fortress to the west. borders of the Moscow state. It was strengthened by Boris Godunov. During the Great Troubles, it was repeatedly ruined by Polish-Lithuanian invaders.

In 1681-92
the monastery was surrounded by a stone wall with 6 towers (renovated in 1761-68). At the same time (1673-92) a 4-tier hipped bell tower (35m high), the Brethren's building and the Rector's chambers were erected, which, like the Treasury building (1814), were greatly rebuilt in the 19th-20th centuries. In 1812 the monastery was plundered and devastated. Westphalian Corps General Junot set up a barracks in the Vvedensky Church, a carpentry workshop in the church. St. Ferapont, and in the refectory and cell there are stables. When the enemy retreated, the temple servant managed to prevent the fire by extinguishing the iconostasis of the cathedral church that was engulfed in fire and removing the bags of gunpowder scattered everywhere.

The monastery was closed in 1926. In 1928, the destruction of the center began. St. Ferapont with the chapel of the Beheading of John the Baptist (the temple was finally dismantled in the 1960s). During the Great Patriotic War, the monastery housed a hardware factory and a workshop for a medical equipment factory. The fraternal cells were occupied for housing. During the occupation, a prisoner of war camp was set up here.

In 1961-65. restoration work was carried out. In 1992, a summer labor camp of the Pan-Orthodox youth movement was located on the territory of the monastery, and in 1994, the House of the Most Holy Theotokos in Luzhki again became a house of monastic prayer. At the supposed burial place of St. Feraponta abbot. Boris (Petrukhin) approved the cross and soon pink and white clover, not sown by anyone, bloomed around it among the burdock thickets. The holy relics of the monk were fragrant, strengthening Christ’s little flock of inhabitants and parishioners of the monastery. In 1997, the foundations of the temple of St. Ferapont. It was they who served as a guideline for determining the burial place of St. Ferapont. On May 26, 1999, his holy relics were found, and on July 6 of the same year, St. made a pilgrimage to the found shrine. Patriarch Alexy II.

Nowadays the shrine with the relics of the great saint of God is in the gateway Church of the Transfiguration.
The brethren of the monastery (5 monks) headed by the abbot. Boris works tirelessly, reviving the ancient monastery. Temples:

1. cathedral, in the name of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1420, 1526-42)
2. in the name of St. John Climacus (late 16th century, from 1723 - in the name of St. Ferapont) with the chapel of the Beheading of John the Baptist. Dismantled in the 1960s. The foundations have been preserved.
3. in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, above the holy gates (1547)
4. in the name of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple (1st half of the 16th century, rebuilt in the 2nd half of the 18th century)

Source:

Spring (well) St. Ferapont. 100 m from the monastery.

Compounds:

in Dmitrov. Address: 141 800, Moscow region, Dmitrov, Professionalnaya str. 19.

Telephone

: (222) 3-28-10

Chapels:

1. Ferapontov Monastery near Mozhaisk. Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.

   in Moscow, on the square at the Serpukhov Gate (arrow of B. Serpukhovskaya street and M. Serpukhovskaya, now Lyusinovskaya). Since ancient times, it belonged to the Nikolo-Perervinsky monastery (see issue 1, pp. 7-9), the wooden chapel was erected in stone in 1825, and in 1859 it was transferred to the Ferapontov monastery. Rebuilt in 1894. Before the revolution, it belonged to the Nikolo-Peshnoshsky Monastery. It was a single-headed cube with decorations in the Russian style. Inside the chapel there was a miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”. The chapel was broken down in the early 1920s. The street arrow was destroyed later during the expansion of Serpukhovskaya Square.

2. in Moscow, on the square. Kaluga Gate (corner of B. Kaluzhskaya, now Leninsky Prospekt, 1 and Donskoy Street, near Kaluzhskaya Square) Having belonged to the Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery since ancient times, it was transferred to the Ferapontov Monastery in 1859. Closed in the early 1920s. Broken later during the demolition of the arrow of the streets - Donskaya and B. Kaluzhskaya

Address:

141200, Moscow region, Mozhaisk, st. S. Gerasimova, 1

Telephone

: (238) 4-06-73

Directions

: to st. Mozhaisk Belorusskaya railway (110 km), then bus. to the stop Moscow River (3 km) Minskoye Highway

[1] See separate essay

[2] See ibid.

[3] Rev. Ambrose Balabanovsky (January 1, 1882 - October 15, 1978) lived in the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery from 1904 to 1923. Succeeded in name and spirit by St. Ambrose of Optina. He is considered the last Optina and Borovsk elder. He was repressed. After his release he served until his death. He was buried at the site of his many years of service near the church. Spas – Prognan, near the town of Balabanovo. (see essay about the village of Spas-Prognan)

[4] I.S. Dorokhov (1762-1815) – hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, commander of the Izyum Hussar Regiment. In the Battle of Borodino, he commanded a reserve cavalry detachment that defended Bagration's flushes. For distinction he was promoted to lieutenant general. In the battle of Maloyaroslavets he was seriously wounded. Anticipating his death, Ivan Semenovich wrote to the residents of Vereya: “If you have heard about General Dorokhov, who liberated your city from the enemies of your fatherland, then I ask you for that reward, respectable citizens, to give me three arshins of land for my eternal rest at that church , where I stormed the enemy’s fortifications, completely destroying them. My children will be grateful to you for that.” Residents of Vereya carried the hero’s coffin 5 versts to the Nativity Cathedral, where his honorable remains rested.

[5] Relics of St. Hilarion now rests in the cathedral church of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery

[6] In Zarutskaya Sloboda