Travel to the Konevo Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery. Mother of God Shcheglovsky Monastery in Tula
The Shcheglovsky Monastery was founded in 1859 by the famous Moscow merchant and industrialist V.I. Makarukhin on the land of the bishop's summer dacha near the Shcheglovskaya outpost, 7 versts from Tula. Hieromonk Nikandr (Kondratov; + 05/18/1866) was appointed as the builder. Gavriil Vasilyevich Bocharnikov (30.03.1804 -04.02.1880) is appointed as the construction work contractor. He held this position from 1859 to 1866. The design of the buildings and territory was carried out by his son, Alexander Gavriilovich Bocharnikov (1833 - 03/13/1886). He was a certified architect of the Imperial Academy of Arts. The entire monastery complex was built within 6 years.
On May 20, 1860, the first stone of the Cathedral Church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Mammal” was laid, as well as other buildings: the bell tower above the entrance gate, fraternal buildings, walls with corner towers, abbot’s chambers with the house church in honor of the Assumption Mother of God. On June 9, 1863, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the new church. In the same year, the construction of the monastery was interrupted due to the threat of collapse of the central dome of the Mammal Temple. But at the request of influential people, including the manager of the Tula Treasury Chamber N.I. Zhdanovsky, construction continued.
On September 8, 1864, the main monastery church was solemnly consecrated. The upper temple (cold) had 3 chapels: the central one - the Mother of God "Mammal".
By 1864, all buildings of the Shcheglovsky Monastery were completed. In total, V.I. donated money for the construction of the monastery. Makarukhin 500 thousand silver rubles plus 30 thousand silver for maintenance.
In May 1865, merchant M.M. Strukov donated 42 acres of arable land in the village. Deaf Glades in favor of the monastery.
On May 14, 1865, the Tula City Society decided to petition the Diocese and the Holy Synod for the establishment of the Mother of God Monastery in Shcheglov. The main initiator was the mayor N.N. Dobrynin and 100 more people with him. On June 16, 1865, the decision was sent to His Grace Bishop Nikandr, but the bishop postponed the petition due to financial disagreements for a year.
By 1867, all disagreements had been settled and it was decided to time the approval of the monastery to coincide with the miraculous deliverance of the Emperor from the threat of assassination attempt on April 4, 1866. By the highest permission and determination of the Holy Synod on September 30, 1868, the monastery was established. G.V. Bocharnikov became a monk with the name Herman in 1866 and brings shrines from Athos: part of the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, part of the Stone of the Holy Sepulcher, particles of the relics of the great martyr. Panteleimon and Rev. mchch. Euthymia, Ignatius and Akaki. In the Cathedral Church there was a marvelous image of the Mother of God “Mammal” in a silver robe with turquoise and red decorations. His fate is unknown.
In 1880 V.I. Makarukhin moved to the monastery, and from the same year the early Divine Liturgies began, for which 10 thousand silver rubles were allocated.
Since 1882, construction of the hotel began in two stages: 1882-1884, and expansion to 23 rooms in 1891-1892. In 1884, a bakery and refectory were built.
In 1886, the architect of the monastery A.G. died. Bocharnikov, buried near the grave of his father in the Church of the Mother of God "Mammal". On May 24, 1886, the stone of the temple was laid in honor of St. Nikandra the Desert Dweller of Pskov with chapels in honor of Equal Apostles. book Vladimir and the Great Martyr. Panteleimon (1891-1892), consecrated on September 24, 1889 by Archbishop Nikander of Tula and Belevsky.
In 1890, the founder of the monastery, Schemamonk Barsanuphius (V.I. Makarukhin), died and was buried in the left aisle of the lower temple of the Mother of God "Mammal". His successor in 1894 was his nephew N.F. Musatov. During his 30 years at the monastery, he built: the Alexander School for poor children for 100 people, a monastery hospital, first for 10 beds, and then for 25. With his funds, a two-story house was built on the territory of the monastery. N.F. Musatov donates 18 thousand rubles in silver for the construction of the Pokrovsky courtyard in Tula. A year before his death, he accepted monasticism with the name Nikanor, and at the same time he was ordained as a hieromonk with the assignment of duties as a dean. He died on April 22, 1915, and was buried next to the grave of his uncle, schema-monk Barsanuphius.
At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. the monastery had about 117 hectares of land; the farm is quite impressive: two ponds, an apiary, stables, a barnyard and a vegetable garden.
The monastery was abolished in 1920-1922. The monks were dispersed, the churches were sealed, the land was nationalized. On March 14, 1922, authorized Gubono Popov drew up an act on the final closure of the monastery. Temple utensils were transported to the present city of Kireevsk for use during divine services in the new church.
Of the famous people who visited the monastery, it should be noted Met. Eulogius (Georgievsky), who underwent obedience here before being tonsured into monasticism under the leadership of the elder Hieroschemamonk Dometian (+ April 17, 1908), who lived in the monastery for 46 years.
It is known that the icon of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon from the Shcheglovsky "monastery is now in Estonia in the Pyukhtitsky Assumption Monastery. The well near the Nikandra Church was dug by the monks themselves, Hieromonk Geronty planted trees in the park, Hieromonk Barsanuphius, after the closure of the monastery, served in the church of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica.
Etymology of the name.
In some publications of the late 19th century there are descriptions of the “Monastery of the Mother of God in Shcheglovskaya Zaseka.” What does "Zaseka" mean and why is it called "Shcheglovskaya"? From the chronicles it is known that along the southern borders of the Moscow state. on the border of the so-called “Wild Field”, where warlike Tatar tribes roamed, the so-called road was laid for more than 500 km. “Abatis line”, which consisted of notches - heaps of trees cut down and felled diagonally on top of each other. Moreover, the tree was not cut down completely, the connection with the root was preserved and the tree continued to grow in a horizontal position - the result was a living impenetrable wall. On the territory of the Tula region, abatis forests stretched over more than 200 km of the defense line. Among the abatis, impassable for enemy cavalry, small wooden fortresses like forts with watchtowers armed with cannons rose at certain distances. Between the watchtowers, various types of earthen fortifications (ramps, ditches, bastions, and adobes) were additionally built. The abatis were a reliable defense against attacks by nomads.
One of these Zaseks in the area of present-day Tula was called Shcheglovskaya after the name of the governor Shcheglov, who stood guard here. The monastery was called the Mother of God in the name of a very rare icon to which its main cathedral was dedicated - the image of the Mother of God of the Mammal.
Chronology of major events from the founding.
Main dates of the life of the monastery:
1860 May 80 - foundation stone for the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Mammal, the beginning of construction of the complex of the future monastery.
1863, June 9 - consecration of the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God.
1864, September 8 - consecration of the main temple of the monastery - the church in the name of the icon of the Mother of God of the Mammal.
1868, June 22 - establishment of the monastery.
1889, September 24 - consecration of the temple in honor of St. Nikander (the temple was expanded in 1891-92)
1895-96 - a new building of the Alexander parish school was built on Shcheglovskaya Street (now Kirova Street).
1901 - consecration of the church in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Raisa at the Alexander Parish School.
1909, December - consecration of the house church in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Pokrovsko-Panteleimonovsky metochion of the Shcheglovsky Monastery.
1915, February 25 - completion of construction of the rebuilt and expanded Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
1921, September-October - closure of the monastery, confiscation of property, dissolution of the brethren.
1990, November 2 - the territory and buildings of the former monastery were returned to the church.
1991, April 7 - first service in the monastery.
1991, July 18 - The Holy Synod blessed the opening of the monastery.
Russian people always tend to strive for a spiritual and contemplative lifestyle. Russian people wanted to comprehend all the most significant events in life not from an earthly, human position, but to see in them the finger of God, the will of God, leading each person and the entire people as a whole according to a special higher destiny. People of previous generations, struck by this or that event, left a stone chronicle of architecture for their descendants to edify: they erected temples or entire monasteries on memorable places or in memory of any events, as living witnesses of what happened. Throughout the vast expanses of our Motherland, these silent (but not silent!) monuments of the past can be found everywhere.
On the terrible day of June 22, 1552. The Tula residents drove away the 30,000-strong army of Khan Devlet-Girey and, in gratitude for the salvation of Tula, on the bones of the slain soldiers, in the place where especially many of the city’s defenders were killed, a monastery was erected in honor of the Baptist John, who suffered for the truth. It was the first monastery in Tula, founded in 1553 at the southeastern wall of the Tula Kremlin. In 1801, this monastery was abolished and the bishop's staff of the open Tula diocese was located in it. However, “the citizens of populous Tula, mourning the abolition of the Forerunner Monastery 16, heartily desired to restore the former or found a new monastic community.”
This petition of the inhabitants of Tula predetermined the creation of a new monastery and it turned out to be “the monastery in Shcheglov.” Thus, it is possible to establish a continuity of the emergence of monastic monasteries in Tula.
In 1799 By decision of the Holy Synod, an independent diocese was opened: the Tula diocese. It was from this year that the formation of an organized “monastic life” in the Land of Tula began to clearly appear. For the newly appointed Tula Bishop, a spacious country house-dacha was built among the beautiful nature of the former Zaseka in 1810. Due to the fact that the bishop's retinue included several monastics, a house church was consecrated at the dacha and a monastic way of life was established. Consequently, the beginning of the 19th century is the actual, official date of the founding of the monastery in Shcheglov.
In the middle of the 19th century, on the initiative and at the expense of the Moscow merchant Vasily Ivanovich Makarukhin (the founder of the monastery), a complex of buildings for the future monastery began to be erected next to the bishop’s house.
In May 1860 The foundation stone of the main church of the monastery took place, which four years later (September 8, 1864) was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Mammal.
At the same time as the temple, a bell tower, three housing buildings, a stone fence about 550 m long and outbuildings were built.
The official opening of the monastery was given by the Holy Synod only in 1868.
The main entrance to the monastery is formed by the holy gates, built under the arch of the lower tier of the bell tower, rising in the middle of the western wall of the monastery fence, in the form of a special tower, directly emerging from the wall, as its integral part. The Holy Gate is an iron, forged double-leaf lattice with internal locking on the gates. The gate lattice is made up of geometric figures located in 42 quadrangles; in the upper part of the gate leaves there is an inscription: 1864. The gate's lattice was decorated with many bronze medallions with relief images on them. Above the gate, on the western side, in a special frame, in the form of a protrusion on the wall, the Iveron Icon was placed. Directly above the arch of the holy gates rises the bell tower, its first tier - tetrahedral - ends with a gable top on each side, and at the corners and in the middle of each side there are hanging columns, ending with domed domes with crosses. The upper tier is octagonal, with four bays, each ending in a double arch divided by a weight. Along the top of the cornice there is a row of pointed kokoshniks. Above them rises an octagonal, pyramidal, truncated roof tent, also bordered at the top by a crown of pointed kokoshniks. The roof ends with a bulbous dome with a poppy, which serves as the base of a six-pointed cross installed in it. The spans (or gaps) of the chamber where the bells hang are fenced with a wooden baluster. There are nine bells, they were cast in 1861. in Kharkov: bell weight: 208 p.23 f., 107 p.37 f., 52 p.39 f., .26 f., II p.27 f., 6 p.17 f., 2 p.39 1/4 f., I p.26!/2f.,37 p.37 1/4f. The total weight of the bells is 421 p. 32 lbs. The main tent of the bell tower, as well as its parts, are covered with sheet iron and painted with verdigris.
TEMPLE OF "MAMMALS"
Inside the monastery fence, almost in the middle of the square, at a distance of about 21m from the bell tower, to the east, rises the main temple of the monastery in the name of the Mother of God the Mammal.
The very name of the icon “Mammal” is associated with ancient times: according to legend, an icon with that name was in the Lavra of St. Sava the Sanctified (+532) near Jerusalem, in the 13th century it was transferred by St. Sava, Archbishop of Serbia, to Mount Athos in the Hilendar monastery, from where it spread throughout Russia in many copies. Probably, the pious icon painter wanted to emphasize the Divine-human nature of Jesus Christ with the plot of the icon: the Mother of God fed Christ with milk as he truly took on human flesh out of fear for the sake of the human race.
The temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Mammal, in its majesty, beauty of external and internal design, deeply thought out equipment by the founder, church utensils and icons, can easily be classified as well-appointed cathedral churches. The architecture of the temple, while preserving purely Russian national forms, early church buildings, has its own special features. The cube-shaped stone building has two floors and a spacious room, which later became the tomb of the temple builder and his closest employees.
Initially, the temple was intended to be single-domed, but later, at the request of V.I. Makarukhin, four tents were added and the temple became five-domed. Wooden rafters, covered with sheet iron on four slopes, painted with verdigris, formed a rather complex completion of the temple. Five domes rise above the roof in the form of separate octagonal towers with pointed kokoshniks along the upper edge and each with a pyramidal covering. Five domes with gilded poppies (apples) are topped with six-pointed crosses. Copper crosses, gilded. The middle dome has eight windows with a semicircular top. On the eastern side there is a three-part altar apse, with the largest projection in the middle. The parts of the altar apse are separated by granite half-columns the height of the wall, from the foundation to the cornice. To drain rainwater from the roof, 14 drainpipes were installed.
Natural (daylight) lighting of the temple was facilitated by a large number of windows: in the upper (cold) temple there were 22 of them, which had single semicircular frames at the top without iron bars, in the lower temple - 22, which were quadrangular, small in size, with double frames and iron bars. There are four windows in the vestibules of the upper and lower floors.
There was only one entrance to the temple, on the western side. Above the entrance door in the wall there was an icon of the Image Not Made by Hands, a painting painted on an iron board, and at the top of the wall there was a cross. Above the entrance door inside the narthex there is an icon of the Kiev-Pechersk Mother of God. From the narthex, to enter the upper church, a stone staircase with 16 steps was made. There are three altars in the upper church: in the center - in the name of the icon of the Mother of God of the Mammal; the right, southern aisle - in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist, the left, northern - in the name of St. Basil. The floor in the temple is wooden, painted, salted and the altar is two steps higher than the church itself. The choirs are fenced with wooden, carved, gilded balusters. The vaults of the temple, as well as the dome, are supported on four-stone masonry, quadrangular pillars located in the middle of the church, the cornices at the top of the arches are gilded. The iconostasis of the upper church was built in 1859 by carpentry, all with carvings, gilded and consisted of three tiers. The Royal Doors are carved, through, gilded in the middle.
In the lower warm floor of the Temple of the Mammal, it was proposed to have three thrones, but by 1895 there were only two: in the center - si. Joseph the Songwriter, St. George and others in Maley and in the northern aisle - in the name of the Nativity of Christ.
According to N.I. Troitsky, the lower church did not represent anything remarkable either in its structure or in its decoration.
To the southeast of the main temple of the Mother of God the Mammal, at a distance of about 20 meters from it, there is a small church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In terms of time, this is the first church on the territory of the monastery: it was built together with the monastery fence and right in its southeastern tower, to which the abbot’s cells are directly adjacent. Thus, the Assumption Church was a house church. The building is stone, small in size, without a bell tower, covered with sheet iron, the roof is painted with copper, the cross on the dome is iron, gilded. The dome has two windows, and the church itself has nine windows with double frames and iron bars. During the construction of the church, four bricks were placed in its foundation, brought by Hieromonk Nikander from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and consecrated there. A small icon of the Assumption was brought from the same Lavra - a copy of the Kyiv one, which was placed above the royal doors. The consecration of the temple and antimension took place on June 9, 1863.
The Church of Our Lady of the Mammal was a summer church and had no heating. In the immediate vicinity of it, to the northeast, in 1886. a new building of a warm (heated) church was laid, which was consecrated on September 24, 1889. In 1889, the 25th anniversary of Archbishop Nikandr's tenure at the Tula See was celebrated. The new temple was dedicated to the memory of St. Nikander of Pskov, the patron saint of the venerable Bishop. Due to the fact that in winter there were more worshipers than the church of St. Nikandra could accommodate in 1891-92. V.I. Makarukhin’s nephew, Nikolai Feodorovich Musatov, built an extension on the western side, doubling the area of the temple. The semicircular vaults on arched arches and the cruciform plan of the building give it massiveness and grandeur. The chandeliers in the vaults provide excellent acoustics.
The path to this shrine leads through the Sosnovo railway station, and from there by bus to Vladimir Bay. You need to get up early to catch the first train from Finlyandsky Station from St. Petersburg. Half asleep, we get off at a small station and wait for the bus, sitting right there on the steps of the station so as not to once again push our heavy backpacks. The day is very hot, we lazily watch how the buses are storming, we still have a long wait for us, but a queue is already forming. Nearby, the granny sells guard pies with cabbage and potatoes; they are very large and soft, but I don’t want to eat them yet. Finally, a bus approaches, long and creaky, we are pushed in, we rush into the empty seats and drive, relaxed from such luck, among fishing rods, baskets, buckets and backpacks of summer residents and tourists, for four hours. The road is beautiful. The sun highlights the orange trunks of a pine forest, dances across the blue water of lakes on which islands grow like mushrooms, the clean light sand of an empty beach, rapids on a fast river and the laughter of stranded kayakers. The fishing rods and baskets are leaving, only us and the conductor are left, the stuffiness, the smell of diesel fuel and forest, small villages with faded fences. The revival near the store sheds is ending, there is a smell of inviting freedom and mud, seagulls are screaming, straining themselves. “The final stop, guys, is Vladimir Bay. Lake Ladoga is on your left.”
We run to the lake, I really want to swim. An overgrown old pier appears, we no longer run, we walk silently and offended: the bay is flooded with fuel oil, there is a leaky rusty ship on an abandoned pier, a red flag is torn in the wind, grimy and sad people in vests are painting something. The wind suddenly takes away the scarf, pushes, does not allow one to speak, the sun has disappeared, the forest throws round cones and pine needles onto the road, the workers curse badly and start the Kamaz, it suddenly gets dark and large strong drops drum on the top of the head. A storm begins. We run to the brick stop, maybe it will hold out. Everything around is wet, whole branches are already falling. But it’s not scary, this power of natural rebellion, this smell of the elements is intoxicating: cold wind, wet, in bubbles, earth, old pines, an awakened lake. I want to shout something very important out loud, spreading my arms wide... but then the wind dies down, flies away into the distance, and hurries to disturb the lives of others. We remain in the rain, looking around. It looks like there’s a checkpoint ahead, there’s no one there, then there’s an abandoned military unit: monumental barracks, but the windows are broken, the doors are crumpled, voices are heard somewhere, let’s go to them. A merry foursome are feasting in a barn on the shore, celebrating someone's title. It turns out that all the captains of various ranks, and good luck, are also sailing to Konevets to fish. For a reasonable fee they invite you along. We look at each other with apprehension, it’s been too long, apparently, but then we agree, looking at the proposed yacht, that we shouldn’t spend the night here. We move things, they say: “Move on.” Where?! And then, on the side of the yacht, a small boat dangles. The captains laugh, seeing our bewilderment, nothing, they say, 500 kg will only withstand this. We understand that we have much more, but we are already setting off, getting started... well, with God. The boat has settled, but the bay is calm, only rain, and they say it won’t take long to swim, they cover us with film and order us to sit quietly. And suddenly the bay ends, and we feel that the lake begins.
We are floating in a white milky kingdom, in a cloud in which nothing is visible. Neither Konevets nor the shores are visible, we ourselves are barely visible, we are lost in this lake, we have lost direction, land, and the world in which we lived also plunged into this muddy whiteness. But now, the rain is getting stronger, the wind is tearing the film, Vaska the boatswain is laughing, someone is brave and climbs onto the bow of this vessel, but she is already barely holding on to the waves, it’s already a real storm, we are being thrown from side to side, our hands are numb and frozen from the icy spray, but we hold on with all our might. Water is everywhere, below, above, splashing from the sides, wet clothes, feet. Someone is praying with concentration to the Monk Arseny, someone is looking around, hoping to determine where to sail, if God forbid... We sailed for about forty minutes, and suddenly the land grew, immediately appeared, that’s right - Konevets. A boy was waiting on the shore, the son of Vaska the fisherman, they called him Sashka, and it was he who brought him to the monastery for the Snickers.
First of all, they sent us to “settle” with Mother Cornelia - a lively, slightly vain, slightly absent-minded, but good-natured girl nun. To stay in the monastery, it was necessary to go through the blessing of the dean, his name is Alexey, and to our surprise the dean turned out to be not even a monk. Alexey looked at us tiredly, conferred with the head of the local pilgrimage service, and did not bless us to settle. He told us that two groups of Finns were waiting, who were apparently late, getting lost in the Ladoga fog. But he sternly reminded us that the service starts at 7 am, and work starts at 9.00, and he does not advise us to be late. So, having eaten little salt, wet and tired, we trudged to the shore of the lake to set up a tent. We found a very beautiful place: on a high bank, with a steep copper-sand slope to the lake, among blueberries and short, stout pine trees. On the pine tree that stands on the slope there was a homemade rope swing, on which we could not pump ourselves up. They somehow opened the sprats with a knife, washed them down with Tarragon, stuffed their indignant stomachs into sleeping bags and, after praying, somehow tried to while away the rest of such a bright Ladoga night. It was cold, the wind was still raging, and the tent was flapping and inflating like a real sail. The waves desperately beat against the shore, splashes flew at us, and the view of the endless lake, almost the sea, made us think that we were brave captains who had set out on a long voyage.
We woke up at 5 am, the tent was completely wet from dew, shivering and apprehensively, we began to plan the day. We washed ourselves in the icy Ladoga water, and, chattering our teeth that were stiff from it, arrived at the service at 6.40. There were few people, about five parishioners. The morning church is still dozing in the haze of incense, on the choir a stern voice reads the hours.
And then, finally, we saw the Monk Arseny. Cancer dark red, warm wood, carved figure of the monk in a floral design. A bouquet of flowers in the head and at the feet of the old man: modest field and marvelous pink peonies with a white border are fragrant, enveloping him in a gentle cloud. When you venerate the relics, you feel as if the priest is quietly stroking your head: “Well, hello, hello... we get wet, sometimes,” and suddenly you remember that the Monk Arseny himself sailed here in a storm.
Maybe it was similar to ours, and also before the Monk Arseny, out of the fog, this beautiful island suddenly appeared, copper-brown pine trees appeared, shores covered with pure, as if sifted golden sand, cliffs overgrown with blueberries...
This was in 1393. Arseny was looking for a place for a monastery, specially departing from Valaam in order to fulfill the blessing of Abbot John from the Holy Mountain. For three years he labored under the guidance of the Athonite elders, gave them dishes that he forged from copper, and then he himself received a gift - an icon of the Mother of God, the rules of the hostel and the commandment to found a monastery in the far north. So he returned to his native Rus', visited the Fox Monastery of Novgorod, where he had labored since childhood, was blessed by its abbot, sailed to Valaam, and from there, through a storm, ended up at Konevets.
Here in front of us, to the right of the shrine, where the relics of the saint rest - his Athos blessing - the Konevskaya icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in a carved icon case, already a list, but also miraculous. In the twilight of the temple, the golden crosses of the Mother of God’s mercy gleam slightly, these are evidence of modern miracles, and the original of the icon resides in Finland, in the New Valaam Monastery. The Finns love and honor St. Arsenios and his monastery. For several years the Konevsky monastery lived within Finland. It was during that period that the relics of St. Arseny were discovered, and now there are several icons in the temple, even the icon of St. Arseny, written by Orthodox Finns.
Hieroschemamonk Barachiel and a very young deacon Adrian served, there was also a choir quartet and a strict reader.
After the service, so calm and peaceful, a little over an hour later we arrived at the refectory building in the humble hope of “something hot” and, of course, to receive the obedience promised by Alexei. Sitting on a log next to the door, we tried to attract the attention of the priest, who was rushing to the morning meal, and with our frozen and hungry appearance we tried to beg for a blessing for breakfast. But in vain. More than once a monk or novice opened the door for us, but we, taught that in a monastery we must do everything with a blessing, refused. They didn’t know that there were only two priests in the monastery, and Father Varachiel immediately after the service went to the monastery, and the abbot, Father Isidore, left the island on business. But, of course, we got our vegetable gardens in obedience! And also the long-awaited permission to move into the old stone hotel building. We were assigned housing in the attic, on the third floor. They said that the first is usually occupied by Finns, the second by special pilgrims from among us, and the third by just pilgrims like us. On this day there was no one else in the hotel except us. They gave me an ascetic room, everything in it smelled of old age, but it was clean. Four beds, albeit without linen and with creaky springs stretched to the floor, were quite suitable for sleeping; two of them even had thin blankets. The windows were open, but it was impossible to get rid of the smell of this antiquity and dampness. Harsh? And we were glad! And in high spirits they ran to look for the gardener’s father.
Father Georgy assigned us to weeding carrots and beets. The beds are long, but so neat, it’s clear that they love not only the vegetables themselves, but also the work on the land. With pleasure, we began to pull out wheatgrass and dandelions, emulating Father George, who worked nearby, but he still did much better.
Having completed the work and having received discreet praise from the gardener’s father, we barely moved our legs and trudged to our “new home.” They almost slept through lunch, and when they heard the refectory bell, they jumped over the steps and rushed into the refectory. They no longer thought about the blessing; they were very hungry. They fed us potato-noodle soup, hot, generously sprinkled with onions and dill, only cut from Fr. Georgiy. Buckwheat with carrot sauce for the main course. Mint tea. My stomach growled gratefully. Flushed, satisfied, glorifying the novices at the refectory, we returned to obedience, and, having finished our work, before the service, we went to inspect the island of St. Arseny.
The weather was changing for the better, the drizzling rain stopped, the sun's rays parted the heavy clouds, everything shone, sparkled, framed by sparkling drops, it became very cozy and joyful. And then Konevets warmed up, the drops disappeared and smells flowed from everywhere. It smelled of clover and lungwort, the smell of the grass you stepped on, warm sand, resin and pine needles from the surrounding pines, blueberries that were eaten by the handful, the smell of the old bricks of the Kazan monastery, where Father Barachiel lives, the boards of the Assumption Chapel... and there were sounds as if the birds, the insects, the trees, and the flowers in the meadow started talking at once. And Konevets became alive and so full...
We go down the steep path to the Horse-stone. Around the impressive rock, old, tall spruce trees creak, mosquitoes squeak fiercely - the place is in the lowlands. In pagan times, in the summer, the surrounding residents left their horses to graze on Konevets; they believed that the spirits would keep them safe and sound, and in the fall, near this huge stone, they sacrificed one horse from the herd to the spirits. That’s why it’s called Kon-Stone, and the island is called Konevets. The Monk Arseny, having settled on the island, learned about such a pagan superstition from the fisherman Philip, he approached this stone with prayer, sprinkled it with holy water and expelled the spirits from the island, they flew away in a black cloud towards Vladimir Bay, which was formerly called Devil's Lakhta. Since then, although sacrifices have not been made at the stone, locals joke that small evil spirits still remain here - in the form of mosquitoes.
The horse-stone is a huge boulder, they say it weighs more than 750 tons, the person next to it is tiny, there is even a chapel on top of the stone. In ancient times, the Reverend himself built it, and here he labored, on this small pillar, for three years. Now there is a ladder of twenty steps leading to the chapel, we climb up to pray. Inside there are only two icons - St. Arseny and the Konevsky image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They serve prayer services, and pilgrims, venerating themselves, leave notes of remembrance.
We rise up, we hurry, fleeing from mosquitoes and in front of us, in the bushes of fragrant rose hips, among dense thickets, in the already fading lilacs, as if protected from vain glances, the yellow-white, chamomile, Kazan monastery. The abode of Hieroschemamonk Barachiel, the place of retreat and work on its restoration. Nearby is a small, neat Assumption Chapel: a bright porch, carved railings, a cross glowing in the sun in the greenery. Here, according to legend, the Most Pure One appeared during a famine to the disciple of Elder Arseny Joachim, he then remained in the monastery for the elder: the brethren threatened to disperse, the Monk Arseny sailed to Mount Athos for a blessing, no supplies, no mentor, only despondency, so the Mother of God saved the monastery with her phenomenon, inspired me, and asked me to be patient. Indeed, the Monk Arseny soon returned on two ships with great food supplies, and in honor of the miraculous phenomenon the brethren erected a chapel.
In 1421, when there was an extraordinary flood of Lake Ladoga, the water washed away all the buildings of the poor Konevskaya monastery, so the Monk Arseny moved the monastery to a new place, to where it is now located. Its temples are still visible from the lake, the bells can be heard, but winds and floods are no longer afraid of it. When Euthymiy, the saint’s friend and prayer leader at the monastery on Lisichya Mountain, became Archbishop of Novgorod, he helped many people at the Konevskaya monastery and made it famous within the Novgorod region. So the pious Novgorod residents began to visit her and donate alms. The Monk Arseny received pilgrims in his cell as his guests, cordially treated them and talked. We can imagine the joy of the pilgrims. But such consolation did not last long, the perspicacious elder Simeon told Arseny that demons rejoice when you receive laymen in your cell, and then, without violating either instructions or hospitality, Arseny began to lead pilgrims to the fraternal refectory.
And this is how one feels the hospitality of the Reverend himself, comforting us, small and sinners. Some special warmth embraces you, especially closer to the temple, to Father Arseny, and all the nature around seems to rejoice.
Thinking about the monastery's hospitality, we scattered around the island. We were late for the service, tempted by the local blueberries, which were very large. Only at Sveta Quiet did we approach the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This beautiful temple, dating from the early 19th century, is visible from everywhere on the island, especially its bright blue domes with golden crosses shining in the passing clouds. The all-night vigil takes place in the lower Sretensky Church, there are low vaults, pure white, recently painted walls, rare small icons on them, and all around, indeed, there is the quiet light of the setting sun - yellow corrugated glass in the windows. There was so much of this light, thick and golden, that lighting was not needed. However, the lighting here is special: a pair of round ten-candlesticks in the center of the temple, and lamps. They are lit with a special stick: on one side there is a candle, and on the other there is an extinguisher cap. Just like in the old days.
The Father Superior served, the deacon was already different, “festive”, with a very deep and strong voice, and when they sang “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,” one could not hear oneself, only the mighty hum of Fr. deacon, blocking all sounds. The choir quartet is also not simple, not monastic - it comes from the farmstead, the Finns are shown it as a curiosity, they nod, listen and smile, looking at the guys in cassocks, looking at the cassettes that are sold right there. We bought them too - they sing well.
We sailed away on Sunday, having received communion, after the service, everyone was happy and well-behaved. Directly from the temple, with the pilgrims who had just arrived, showing the way, we solemnly went to lunch. They announced that the monastery boat would go to the mainland immediately after the meal, we had to hurry. But I didn’t want to rush, I didn’t want to leave at all. Who leaves on Sunday, when no one is working in the monastery, the weather is so wonderful, you can walk around the entire island and find so many interesting things! But the dean judged differently. Spurred on by constant announcements that this was the first and last boat in several days, tying sleeping bags, straps and laces as we went, we unloaded at the pier. We gazed into the endless and surprisingly calm Lake Ladoga for about four hours, during which time we got a good tan, took several wonderful shots, played with pebbles, wet our feet, examined the site of the first monastery and, finally, shuddering from the summoning whistle, stepped onto a real monastery boat, under the persistent insistence Captain's reminder: "We're leaving in an hour!"
Viceroy - Archimandrite Claudian (Larkov)
History of the monastery
The beginning of construction of the Cathedral of the Mother of God of the Shcheglovsky Monastery dates back to 1860. The consecration of the throne in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Mammal” took place on September 21, 1864 according to the new style. The monastery's cathedral is stone, two-story, cold (summer), with three Altars on each floor.
The founder of the monastery, Vasily Makarukhin, was not present at the solemn consecration of the cathedral. For many years he remained “an unknown benefactor, following the principle that “the left hand does not know” what good deeds “the right hand does.”
At the same time as the temple, a bell tower, three housing buildings, a stone fence about 550 m long and outbuildings were built. The work was carried out according to the design of the Tula architect A.G. Bocharnikova. By 1864, all buildings of the Shcheglovsky Monastery were completed. In total, V.I. donated money for the construction of the monastery. Makarukhin 500 thousand silver rubles plus 30 thousand silver for maintenance.
In May 1865, it was decided by the Tula city society to petition in the proper manner for the establishment of the Mother of God Monastery in Shcheglov, on the site of the Shcheglovskaya zaseka. At the same time, V.I.’s petition followed. Makarukhin, through Hieromonk Nikandr, and this petition directly and definitely spoke about financial support for the activities of the Shcheglovsky Monastery. The following year, there was a new petition from citizens to found a monastery in memory of the miraculous saving of the life of the Sovereign Emperor Alexander II from the assassination attempt on April 4, 1866.
In May 1868, the Synod asked the Sovereign's permission for this; in June 1868, the Sovereign Emperor deigned to approve the decision of the Holy Synod on the establishment of the Mother of God Shcheglovsky Monastery, writing with his own hand on the decision of the Holy Synod: “I agree and thanks.”
In 1870 the first monks arrived. Tula monks followed the teachings of St. Paisius of Velichkovsky and the Glinsky elders: they professed sobriety of mind, confession of thoughts, intelligent work, unconditional obedience of the student to the elder, renunciation of one’s will and opinion.
The hieromonks of the Glinsk monastery brought the spirit of eldership to the Tula land, and the Mother of God Shcheglovsky Monastery in Tula was rightfully considered a spiritual center. Parishioners and pilgrims had the opportunity to confess and receive instructions from the monastery’s well-known confessor in Central Russia, Elder Dometian, in the schema of Seraphim of Shcheglovsky and Tula, and also found personal confessors and mentors among Tula male monasticism. Elder Dometian (hieroschemamonk Seraphim of Shcheglovsky and Tula) lived in the Shcheglovsky monastery for 46 years.
August 26, 1879, on the day of the celebration of St. icon of the Mother of God "Vladimir", the founder of the monastery Vasily Makarukhin moved from Moscow to Tula for a permanent stay here in his monastery, for which he built himself a wooden two-story, small log outbuilding (preserved).
While staying here, he led a monastic life, hiding a truly monastic mood under secular attire. With the relocation of S.V.I. Makarukhin began celebrating the early Divine Liturgies in the monastery, for which they allocated another 10 thousand rubles in silver. In October 1882, Vasily Ivanovich Makarukhin wished to build a hotel at the monastery at his own expense to provide shelter for pilgrims during bad weather. In January 1884, he also proposed to build a stone one-story building for the refectory, kitchen and bakery, and a stone hut for utility rooms - barns, barns, cellars and stables. On his initiative and with his direct participation, it was decided to build a warm church in honor of the 25th anniversary of Archbishop Nikandr’s service at the Tula See. The foundation stone of the temple was completed on May 24, 1886 by Archimandrite John (Voskresensky) of the Mother of God Monastery and his brethren.
The temple with two chapels was consecrated on September 24, 1889 (October 7, new style) on the day of remembrance of St. Nikander the Desert-Dweller, Pskov Wonderworker. For this temple, the icon of the Mother of God “Mammal” was again ordered - in a silver robe with blue and red stones. This icon has been preserved and still remains in the church in honor of St. Nikandra of Pskov.
In the spring of 1890, Vasily Ivanovich Makarukhin became a monk. On April 22, 1890, his health condition deteriorated sharply. The next day the monk partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and the Sacrament of Anointing was performed on him. Two hours later he perceives the schema. The newly tonsured schemamonk was given the name Barsanuphius in honor of Barsanuphius the Great. On April 26 (May 9, New Style), 1890, Schemamonk Barsanuphius quietly rested in the Lord. His body was laid in the lower church (in the name of St. Panteleimon) of the two-story cathedral in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary - under the altar of the northern aisle, then dedicated to St. St. Basil the Blessed.
Currently, a shrine and a carved canopy have been created over the burial of St. Rev. Barsanuphius of Shcheglovsky and Tula, painted icons of the Holy Trinity and St. Rev. Barsanuphia. The canopy was installed in the lower church, now consecrated in honor of St. Vmch. Panteleimon, access is open to parishioners and pilgrims to venerate the memory of St. St. Barsanuphius, Shcheglovsky and Tula.
The monastery was abolished in 1920-1922. The monks were dispersed, the churches were sealed, the land and all the possessions of the monastery were nationalized. On March 14, 1922, the authorized representative of Gubono drew up an act on the final closure of the monastery. Monastic utensils and icons were taken away, and over time many of them were lost.
The Shcheglovskaya Monastery of the Mother of God was reopened in the year of the 100th anniversary of the death of Schemamonk Barsanuphius in 1990. On November 2, 1990, the territory and buildings of the monastery were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1991, on July 21, on the day of the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the first Liturgy took place.
For about 20 years, extensive repair and restoration work continued with great organizational activity of the abbot of the Mother of God Panteleimonov Shcheglovsky Monastery, Archimandrite Claudian. But a lot of work still needs to be done. To preserve the federal monument of history and architecture, which is the Shcheglovsky Monastery, large funds are still required.
On the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in 2007, the first Divine Liturgy after the Soviet years was celebrated in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos the Mammal. On January 28, 2008, the first bishop's service took place in the cathedral. The Divine Liturgy in commemoration of the patronal feast of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Mammal” was performed by Metropolitan Alexy of Tula and Efremov. Vladyka has contributed a lot and is helping to ensure that the Mother of God monastery acquires rare shrines dear to the heart of every Russian person.
Mother of God Shcheglovsky Monastery in Tula (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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The Shcheglovsky Monastery of the Mother of God is a men's monastery in Tula, the only one in Russia named after the icon of the Mother of God “Mammal”. This rare icon is very symbolic - on it Jesus Christ is represented in the form of a baby drinking his mother's milk, like an ordinary earthly child. Over its century and a half history, the Shcheglovsky Monastery, like many Orthodox monasteries in the USSR, had to go through a difficult path. And it started like this.
At the beginning of the 19th century, a bishop's house was built on the eastern outskirts. In 1859, merchant Vasily Makarukhin allocated funds for the construction of a monastery on this site. The monastery was designed by Alexander Bocharnikov, architect of the Imperial Academy of Arts. The construction was directly subordinated to his father Gavriil Bocharnikov. The first stone for the foundation of the central temple was laid on May 20, 1860, and 4 years later the cathedral in honor of the Mammal icon was consecrated.
But the opening of the monastery was delayed. Permission to found the monastery was received only in 1868 - a decade after the start of construction - and was dedicated to the miraculous rescue of Tsar Alexander II from an assassination attempt in 1866.
After the opening of the monastery, Gavriil Bocharnikov, who led the process of its construction, became a monk and took the name German. Later he went to Athos as a pilgrim and brought from there a particle of wood from the Cross of the Lord, a fragment of the Stone from the Tomb of Christ, as well as particles of the relics of the martyr Panteleimon and Saints Ignatius, Akakios, Euthymius. The founder of the monastery, merchant Vasily Makarukhin, also took monastic vows under the name Barsanuphius.
In 1921, the Shcheglovsky Monastery of the Mother of God was closed. Its monks were dispersed and its temples nationalized. Icons and monastic utensils were taken from the walls of the monastery, many of them were lost.
Only in 1990 the remaining property of the monastery was returned to the Orthodox Church. Its opening took place on July 18, 1991.
Patronal feast of the Shcheglovsky monastery: the day of remembrance of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon on August 9. On this day, the monastery is visited by many pilgrims.
Monastery objects:
- Central Cathedral. The upper church is consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Mammal,” and the lower one in honor of the Great Martyr Panteleimon;
- Assumption Church in the rectory building;
- Temple in honor of St. Nikander, the Pskov wonderworker;
- Chapel in honor of Archangel Michael;
- House-cell of St. Barsanuphius of Shcheglovsky and Tula. In the same building there is the Tula Diocesan Pilgrimage Center, a Sunday school and the monastery office.
The main temple of the monastery complex, thanks to its majesty, rich external and internal decoration, thoughtful layout, church utensils and icons, is one of the most beautiful churches in the Tula region. The stone building has two floors and a room that became the tomb for the founders and builders of the temple.