Holy Vvedensky Convent, Ivanovo: photo, history

The Holy Vvedensky Convent is one of the Orthodox pearls of Ivanovo; it is located in the very heart of the city.

The monastery was founded in 1991.

The site where the Orthodox women's monastery was built is unique in itself. Near it, another shrine was erected - the Church of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which, according to the time of its construction, dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, and at the moment is an integral part of the monastery.

© Kin kuma

The monastery contains particles of the relics of 168 Orthodox martyrs; one of the most revered shrines is the cassock of John of Kronstadt.

Today, more than 150 nuns permanently reside in the Holy Vvedensky Monastery. And each of them is busy not only with prayers. The novices of this monastery devote a lot of time to charity.

In addition, the monastery is actively involved in social projects, as well as educational functions: they work at the Orthodox radio station "Radonezh", visit women's colonies, where they conduct services for believers, and work on a special commission for the canonization of saints. The nuns of the Holy Vvedensky Convent also support the poor by holding charity dinners, and there is a helpline.

The monastery has its own publishing department, with the help of which books, booklets on Orthodox topics and the monastery newspaper “Word of Consolation” are published. A sister choir has been organized in the monastery. You can listen to recordings of the choir on the official website of the Vvedensky Monastery.

© Vvedensky Convent

Emergence

Just like other churches, the Holy Vvedensky Convent has its own history, which began not so long ago - in the last century, and is connected with the church, which is popularly called the Red Church. The ceremonial consecration of the territory of the future temple took place in the spring of 1901.

Construction ended in 1907. The author of the project was the quite famous architect Petr Begen in those days. Funds for construction were donated by merchant families and owners of the city's factories. A special contribution to the creation of the church was made by the then mayor P.N. Derbenev. On June 21 of the same year the temple was consecrated. It provided for three thrones:

• Great Martyr Theodore Tiron;
• St. Nicholas the Wonderworker;
• the main one is the Introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary, thanks to which the monastery received its name, since this part occupies the main territory of the temple.

The Holy Vvedensky Convent experienced many events of those times, one of the significant ones was that in 1918 Patriarch Tikhon himself served here.

Since 1925, Zosima Trubachev, appointed by Bishop Augustine, became the rector of the temple. During this difficult time, the priest carried out his ascetic ministry, despite the many obstacles imposed by the Soviet government, renovationists, and atheists. There was also no unity among the parishioners. Father Zosima always defended and preserved the church entrusted to him, and tried to strengthen his flock with his preaching, setting an example of Christian piety.

Schedule of services

In the main church of the Holy Vvedensky Church, located in the center of Ivanovo, divine services are held daily. Their approximate schedule is reflected in the following table.

On holidays the schedule changes:

• All-night vigil the day before - 17.00;
• Divine Liturgy - 7.40;
• festive prayer service - 10.00.

Holidays - general church holidays and dates of patronal feasts. These include:

• Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple - December 4;
• in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - May 22 and December 19;
• in honor of the martyr Theodore Tiron - March 1 and the first Saturday of Great Lent.

Age of Oblivion

This sad fate did not escape the Holy Vvedensky Convent in Ivanovo, whose church in those days was simply a parish. In the fall of 1935, the Soviet government handed over the church to the Renovationists. As we know from history, this organization was created with the goal of destroying the true canonical church, which in those days the Bolsheviks called Tikhonovskaya.

In 1938, the authorities closed the temple, citing the fact that the townspeople did not visit it. All the magnificent decoration of the church was stolen or destroyed, and the room itself was used as an archive of the region.

Irreconcilable struggle for the temple

In 1988, attempts to return the temple were resumed. With the blessing of Father Ambrose, twenty believers were gathered - this was precisely the condition set by the Soviets for opening the church. In the fall of the same year, the Council for Religious Affairs finally gave its positive answer in the form of a document allowing the community to register.

However, victory was achieved only on paper. For the next two years, the church community, with the blessing of Bishop Ambrose, persistently fought for the Red Church. Believers wrote to various authorities, the Bishop himself appealed to government officials, but there was no response.

The culmination of these events was the spring of 1989. On March 17, it was planned to hold a rally for the Red Church. The authorities refused, and on the 21st, not far from her, near the Sovremennik cinema, four representatives of the church community settled down and went on a hunger strike in favor of opening the temple. A day later they were forcibly transported to the territory of the Red Church. The hunger strike lasted ten days. All this time, women were threatened with death, there were people who spat at them, the authorities threatened Father Ambrose and his followers through newspapers, protests were organized against the demands of believers with slogans calling for an end to the hunger strike.

Prediction of Saint Leontius

All these events attracted the attention of not only Ivanovo residents, but also residents of other cities both in the USSR and around the world. This was mentioned in the news. Christian communities in different countries began to collect signatures in defense of believers.

What was said by Archimandrite Leonty Mikhailovsky came true, who, foreseeing a long struggle for the temple, said that it would be given away, but the whole world would need to shout about it.

The women who went on hunger strike were forcibly sent to the hospital, where the secretary of the regional executive committee talked with them for a long time. The official urged them to stop the protest. The women agreed only after promising that this issue would be resolved as soon as possible.

Resonance did not ensure a quick victory, but it made it possible to find many like-minded people who contributed to the opening of the Holy Vvedensky Convent (Ivanovo). And with common efforts, on Holy Week 1990, the keys to the church were finally given to the church community.

The first service in a dilapidated temple

Father Ambrose conducted this service on Easter night. The service took place in the quiet glow of the stars under the open sky. The condition of the temple was deplorable: dilapidated walls studded with logs, broken windows, leaking roof. However, the main thing was accomplished - service to the Lord began. A long journey of seventy years has been overcome, and the struggle is finally over.

Day by day the church was gradually restored. Today you can see with your own eyes how the Holy Vvedensky Convent (Ivanovo) has been transformed. The photos show an amazingly beautiful temple, which is undoubtedly a decoration of the city. Construction and finishing work on the territory of the monastery continues to this day. New buildings of the monastery are growing, the walls of the temple itself are being transformed and renewed.

Current status and visiting hours

The Vvedenskaya monastery is a functioning convent, which anyone can enter. A pilgrimage service has been created there and a museum of the Ivanovo New Martyrs has been opened.

170 nuns permanently live on the main territory and in the farmsteads (in the Preobrazhensky and Pokrovsky monasteries, as well as in the Sergius Hermitage). The monastery church houses the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear,” reliquaries with particles of the relics of Christian saints, as well as a cassock that belonged to John of Kronstadt.

The beginning of the life of the monastery

The parish church remained for a short period. A small group of his spiritual children formed around Father Amrosy, expressing their desire to serve God. And already in March 1991, the archimandrite submitted a petition to bless the creation of the monastery. And so on March 27, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, the Holy Vvedensky Convent began its spiritual mission. Six months later, the first tonsure was performed.

Through the joint efforts of the monastery's nuns, parishioners and donors, the church was quickly restored. Several two-story buildings and a bell tower were built next to it. All buildings were erected taking into account the architectural features of the Red Temple. The result was the emergence of a beautiful architectural ensemble in the heart of the city. So the Ivanovo Holy Vvedensky Monastery (women’s) settled here. Over time, this monastery began to expand due to farmsteads that were organized in the Ivanovo region.

Modernity

The Holy Vvedensky Monastery is an architectural monument and a center of spiritual life in Ivanovo, where not only spiritual and educational work is carried out, but also active social work.

Architecture and interior

Over the years of the monastery's existence, the territory on which it is located has changed significantly. Thanks to the actions of nuns, parishioners and patrons of the arts, the Vvedensky Cathedral was completely restored. The pillarless five-domed cathedral, built of red brick, is the architectural dominant not only of the monastery territory, but also of the entire surrounding area. The powerful central apse and volumetric projections of the western, northern and southern facades give the church a cruciform shape.

The founder of the monastery is Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov)

Ivanovo (St. Vvedensky Convent) today has become a refuge for more than 200 nuns. Archimandrite Ambrose instructs and spiritually nourishes the monastery. Having overcome the resistance of the authorities in the 90s and opened the Red Church for believers, he remains to this day a true warrior of Christ: he actively preaches and instructs, writes books, and hosts Orthodox broadcasts.

The topics of his conversations concern the most difficult moments of the Christian faith. About salvation, about repentance, why you need to do good, how to heal a sick soul - these and many other questions are raised by Father Ambrose in his radio broadcasts. For this he even gained fame as the “spiritual father of Radonezh.”

History of the monastery

The founder and spiritual leader of the monastery was Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov). In 1990, he was appointed rector of the Vvedensky Church, which was returned to believers. And a year later, the parish of this church, by decree of the patriarch, was turned into a nunnery.

View of the Staircase Tower and Cell Building

For several years, members of the parish community and volunteer helpers had to restore the Vvedensky Church, erect new cells and equip the monastery territory. They dismantled the ceilings made in the church during the years of the archive's existence, removed old shelving and garbage from the buildings, and installed crosses on the domes. It took a lot of time to create two new carved iconostases and paint icons for them.

Today the Vvedenskaya monastery is distinguished by active missionary activity. The monastery organizes charity dinners for low-income citizens. The monastery is actively involved in publishing activities - the newspaper “Word of Consolation” is published here, Orthodox books and booklets are published. In addition, everyone can get the necessary advice by calling the helpline created in the monastery.

View of the domes of the Vvedenskaya Church

Holy Vvedensky Convent: courtyards

There are several of them today:

• Preobrazhenskoye in the village of Doronino;
• Pokrovskoye, which is located in the estate of the village of Zlatoust;
• Ilyinskoye, located in the city of Gavrilov Posad;
• Another one is also being restored, which is located in the village of Stupkino; it was named Sergius Pustyn in honor of St. Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh.

Each farmstead is a separate story. Temples and estates were restored, new buildings were erected. Today, farmsteads cover not only houses, parish churches and agricultural lands. The Pokrovsky Compound is preparing to open a boarding school for girls: a three-story building has already been built. They are also trying to create all the conditions for the development of long-forgotten crafts. The sisters of the monastery help orphanages and orphanages that are located in nearby areas.

Modern life of the monastery

Despite the fact that the future nuns have won back their monastery, the Holy Vvedensky Convent (Ivanovo), they do not have to calm down, because the struggle continues to this day. Today there is no longer a godless Soviet government, but there are other problems. The nuns, praying for world peace, do not stop working for the glory of God.

A special feature of this young monastery is that the nuns, led by their mentors, carry out active social work: visiting prisons and colonies, helping the sick and infirm, caring for the elderly and disabled children.

The sisters of the monastery participate in the work of the prison commission, often visiting prisoners. There are representatives of the monastery on the commission involved in the canonization of saints.

Today, the Holy Vvedensky Convent (Ivanovo) strives to provide assistance to those in need, alcohol and drug addicts, prisoners and those released, the homeless and childless. The helpline (+7 4932 5898 88), which anyone who needs support or help can call, is a clear confirmation of this.

Anyone can visit the monastery, which is located in the city center - not far from the train station, a ten-minute walk. If you have to get there from another area of ​​the city, then a stop near the Sovremennik cinema can serve as a guide.

How to get there

The Holy Vvedensky Monastery is located in the central part of the city of Ivanovo at the address st. Basic, 33. A walk to it from the train station will take 10-15 minutes.

Tourists and pilgrims who come to Ivanovo by bus will have to make a longer journey through the beautiful provincial city. From the bus station located on the outskirts to the center you can travel by public transport:

• bus No. 12, 14, 20, 32, 129;
• trolleybus No. 2, 6, 9, 11;
• minibus No. 18, 129, 135, 144.