Holy Assumption Sarov desert

The first monk hermit who settled on the Sarov mountain was the Penza monk Theodosius, who came to the “old settlement” in 1664 and made himself a cell here. Having lived here for about six years, Theodosius decided to retire to Penza . Around this time, the monk Gerasim from the Krasnoslobodsky Monastery (according to other sources, the Arzamas Spassky Monastery) settled in the “old settlement” ^[2] . For some time both hermits lived together, but soon Theodosius “retired” to Penza, and Gerasim was left alone on the “old settlement”. Having lived here for more than a year ^[2] , Gerasim retired to the Krasnoslobodsky monastery , apparently from fear of thieves and robbers who began to do “many dirty tricks” (according to Leonid Denisov, the inhabitants asked for their builder ) ^[2] , after which “ the old settlement "again desolate ^[2] .

Around 1683, hieromonk Savvaty and the monk Philaret came from the Sanaksari monastery founded in 1659 , but they soon returned to their monastery ^[2] . The “old city” was depopulated again.

The founder of the Sarov desert was hieromonk Isaac Stepanov ( in the world, Ivan Fedorovich ) ^[3] , the son of the deacon of the village of Red, Arzamas district ^[2] ), who, with the blessing of the head priest, left Vvedensky monastery and, together with the monk Filaret of the Sanaksarsky monastery, settled in the “old settlement” ^{[2 ]} . Soon Isaac's associates appeared, and Father Isaac initiated a petition for the establishment of a monastic monastery in Sarov.

In 1705, Prince Kugushev, the owner of the “old settlement”, donated to Father Isaac a plot between the rivers Satis and Sarovka for the future monastery. In January 1706, the Metropolitan of Ryazan, Stephen Yavorsky, granted the petition of Fr Isaac about the establishment of a church at the “old settlement”. On April 28, 1706, Father Isaac laid a wooden church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Life-Giving Spring ”. On June 16, 1706, the consecration of the new and first temple of the Sarov monastery, built with the assistance of Prince Kugushev , was accomplished ^[1] ; this day (June 29 in accordance with the new style) is considered the foundation day of the Sarov desert ^[4] .

In 1731 , in view of the weakening of the forces, the first abbot of the monastery, Father Isaac (by that time John the Holy Father), abandoned the superior and chose his disciple Dorotheus to succeed him.

Of the subsequent priors, Father Ephraim (Korotkov), who was innocently accused of high treason and spent 16 years in exile in Orsk Fortress, was particularly honored. Justified and returned to the Sarov desert in 1755. During the famine of 1775, Father Ephraim, being the abbot of the monastery, ordered to open the monastery's breadbaskets to help the needy laymen.

During his lifetime, the elder Ephraim chose a successor for himself, Father Hieromonk Pachomius. It was during the reign of Father Pachomius that Prokhor Moshnin, the future father of Seraphim of Sarov , arrived in Sarov.

In 1897, construction began on the temple above the cell of Seraphim Sarovsky ^[5] . The author of the project was the architect A. S. Kaminsky ^[5] . After the glorification of the venerable old man in 1903, the church was consecrated by the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Anthony ^[5] .

In 1906, the Sarov Hermitage celebrated the 200th anniversary of its existence. To celebrate the anniversary gathered a lot of guests. The Sarov Hermitage has become a universally recognized shrine of Russia. By 1909, there were nine temples in the desert, as well as a forty-seated bell tower with a clock, which housed the church of St. Nicholas and the monastic library ^[1] .

After the revolution of 1917, the economy of the Sarov monastery was devastated, the shrines were desecrated.

On October 16, 1923, by the decision of Patriarch Tikhon “The Sarov deserts of the Tambov diocese subordinated to the temporarily direct administration of His Holiness the Patriarch” ^[6] , that is, the monastery became Stavropegic.

By the end of 1925, the decision was made to close the monastery, and in March 1927 a government decision was made to liquidate the Sarov monastery. The property of the monastery together with the buildings was transferred to the Nizhny Novgorod NKVD administration.

On the basis of the Sarov monastery in 1927, a children's labor commune was created. In November 1931, the labor commune was closed. After it, a correctional labor colony for teenagers and adult prisoners was organized in the village. In November 1938, this colony was also closed ^[7] .

On September 26, 1989, Sarov was first visited by the Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Nikolai (Kutepov) ^[8] , who served a prayer service with an akathist to Rev. Seraphim of Sarov in a distant desert ^[9] .

In 1990 an Orthodox parish was organized in Sarov.

In the summer of 1991 , the parish organized a year earlier was registered.

In November 1990, the second acquisition of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the Museum of Atheism and Religion in St. Petersburg took place ^[8] . On January 11, 1991, the official transfer of the relics of the Russian Orthodox Church took place ^[8] . On July 30, the holy relics of Seraphim's father were transferred to Diveevo ^[8] .

On August 2, 1991, the city ​​was first visited by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II .

In March 1992 , the first priest arrived in the city, priest Vladimir Alyasov. On April 25, 1992 , the first Divine Liturgy took place on Easter night.

In February 1993, Metropolitan Nicholas consecrated the Church of All Saints, a year earlier transferred to the parish from the Nuclear Center, repaired and restored ^[9] ; at the temple, Sunday school and Orthodox courses for adults were earned.

In 1992 and 1993, Patriarch Alexy II visited Sarov on the days of the feast of Seraphim of Sarov.

On May 17, 1997, the bells were installed on the belfry according to the calculations of one of the VNIIEF laboratories ^{[10] [9]} .

In 1998, the Federal Nuclear Center decided to transfer the building of the Temple of St. John the Forerunner to the parish. In the summer of 1999 such a transfer took place ^[11] .

In July and August 2003, celebrations were held in Sarov on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the canonization of Serafim Sarovsky, which was preceded by considerable preparation. On July 13, 2003, a cross was installed on the bell tower ^[10] . July 30, 2003. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II re-consecrated the church of Sts. prp. Seraphim of Sarov. On the same days, President Vladimir V. Putin ^[9] visited Sarov.

In 2005, the possibility of restoring the monastery was expressed ^[12] .

On July 17, 2006, the Holy Synod decided to open the monastery ^{[13] [14]} . On July 30, His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II performed the rite of Great Consecration of the restored temple in the name of the Beheading of St. John the Forerunner ^[15] . The restored temple became the seventh active temple in Sarov ^[15] .

On July 27, 2009, Archimandrite Kirill (Pokrovsky) , Provost of the Varnavinsky and Urensky Districts , was appointed governor ^[16] . By this time, seven monks and three novices lived in the monastery ^[16] .

On September 7, the monastery was transferred to the building of the northern private cell, which recently housed the Children's Art School ^[17] . It is planned to place a spiritual and educational center in this building, and several rooms have been allocated for the Rodnichok children's studio attached to the Orthodox creative association MіR ^[18] .

On September 9, 2009, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill visited the Far and Near Hermitage, the Church of St. John the Forerunner, the underground Church of Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk, the burial place of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and the Temple of Seraphim of Sarov ^[19] . A memorial inscription, and the people who met him, distributed icons depicting the holy Prince Alexander Nevsky ^[19] .

On December 22, Archbishop Georgy held a meeting where he summed up the year’s reestablishment of the church in honor of Sts. Zosima and Savvatiy : it took more than a year to vacate the premises and demolish the building built on the site of the church, developing project documentation ^[20] . On the night of December 23, the archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, George, performed a liturgy in the Sarov cave church in honor of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk ^[21] .

On June 29, 2010, Archbishop George consecrated five icons for the temple in honor of the Holy Spirit, built on the site where St. Seraphim of Sarov held a conversation with Nikolai Motovilov about acquiring the Holy Spirit ^[22] . The next day, Archbishop George performed the order of laying a church in honor of the Monks Zosima and Savvatiy of Solovki ^[23] .

On November 12, Archbishop Georgy performed the first prayer in the church under construction in honor of the Monks Zosima and Savvatiy of Solovki ^[24] . By this time, the walls and vault of the temple were built ^[24] . The consecration of the cross and the dome took place on July 28, 2011 ^[25] , the next day the dome with the cross were installed ^[26] . The height of the temple under construction reached 47.5 meters ^[26] . On May 26, 2012, Metropolitan George performed the rite of great consecration of the temple in honor of Zosima and Savvatiy. ^[27]

From July 17, 2012, television broadcasts began to be conducted with a new tower built with federal funds, and on July 18, the dismantling of the old television and radio transmission equipment began from the bell tower of the Holy Dormition Monastery. ^[28]

On December 21, Metropolitan George, on the second floor of the temple, performed the Great Consecration of the side-chapel in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. ^[29]

In 2016, the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral began in the Sarov desert. ^[thirty]

On October 21, 2016, Metropolitan George of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas was appointed Holy Archimandrite of the Sarov desert. ^[31]

On May 24, 2019, a monastery was laid in the monastery in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Source”. The eponymous temple, consecrated in 1706, the date of its consecration was considered the date of foundation of the monastery, was destroyed in the 1950s ^[32] .

• Barnabas (Baranov) (July 17 - December 26, 2006)
• Andronic (Mogilatov) (October 12, 2007 - July 27, 2009)
• Cyril (Pokrovsky) (July 27 - November 29, 2009)
• Nikon (Ivashkov) (from November 2009 to October 21, 2016) until July 26, 2010 - and. about. governor
• Georgy (Danilov) (since October 21, 2016)

• Stepashkin V. А. The Chronicle of Events Associated with the Name of Rev. Seraphim of Sarov (Part III) // Rev. Seraphim of Sarov: Traditions and Facts. - 3rd edition, rev. and add. - Sarov: INFO CJSC, 2009. - p. 148-263. - 264 s. - 1000 copies - ISBN 978-5-89269-010-2 .
• Podurets A. M. Sarov: a monument of history, culture, orthodoxy. - 3rd ed., Ext. - Sarov: INFO CJSC, 2006. - 400 p. - 2000 copies

• Site of the monastery of Sarov deserts
• 100th anniversary of the glorification of prep. Seraphim of Sarov (Neopr.) . Nizhny Novgorod Diocese . The date of circulation is September 5, 2009. Archived February 19, 2012.
• The monastery before the revolution // from the book by S. V. Bulgakov “The desk-book of a priest-church minister”, Moscow, 1993, pp. 1539—1541
• The film "The cave of the Holy Assumption Sarov desert" (Russian)