Vysotsky Monastery

In the summer of 1373, the Golden Horde regiments of Khan Mamaia severely attacked the Ryazan principality, after which there was an urgent need to strengthen the defense and, first of all, cover the most important route from the middle Oka to Moscow, passing through the old village of Serpukhov in the fatherland of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Khrabry . The place of the ancient settlement was surrounded by a wall, and a decision was made to build a monastery ^[1] . The construction of the monastery was part of a program to strengthen the borders of the principality and the princely residence on the Oka.

The monastery was founded by Serpukhov prince Vladimir the Brave with the blessing of St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1374 ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} . First mentioned in the Simeon chronicles of the XV century ^[7] :

The same year, the same Christ-loving princes Volodimer Andreevichy thought in himself a thought for good, only about the holy and the church of Bolzhii, and only about the monastery structure; by the grace of God, not only thoughts, but also create your own. Vshhotѣ vzgraditi own monastery in Serpohov on Vysokoe and vshhotѣv to go on a pilgrimage ...

As the manager of the city of Radonezh, Prince Vladimir the Brave asked for blessing and for help in the construction of the monastery to the Monk Sergius of Radonezh. At the invitation of the prince, the Monk Sergius with his disciple Athanasius came to Serpukhov on foot and chose a place for the future monastery. The chosen place was cleared, and St. Sergius prayed at it. For the construction of the monastery, Sergius, at the request of the prince, left his disciple.

Rev. Athanasius Vysotsky the senior zealously set about building a monastery. The number of inhabitants grew. Among them appeared worthy students, who subsequently shone with their holiness: Nikon of Radonezh (future successor under the reign of St. Sergius) and from 1375 Athanasius Vysotsky the Younger . The monastery began to rapidly develop book writing. This direction, thanks to the Vysotsky monastery, soon acquired the significance of the center of Byzantism in Russia.

From the Vysotsky Monastery there is the so-called Vysotsky Rite — the Deesis Rite , the style of which is believed to have had some influence on the icon-painting style of Andrei Rublev ^[8] . The information of the later inhabitants of the monastery about the existence there back in the time of Dmitry Donskoy stone temple is not confirmed by the latest research ^[9] .

In September 1380, on the Kulikovo Field, the Russian army won a great victory over the Golden Horde . The outcome was decided by an ambush regiment commanded by Prince Serpukhov, Vladimir Andreevich, nicknamed the Brave and the Don. Upon returning from the battle, the noble prince buried the remains of the Serpukhovich warriors, including forty boyars, in the walls of the Vysotsky monastery. In memory of the great victory, a white stone cathedral was erected over the mass grave in honor of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by the holy righteous Anna, as well as a stone church-refectory for the brethren in gratitude for the prayerful feat. The place of burial of soldiers can be seen in the sub- base of the Conception Cathedral.

In the spring of 1381, St. Sergius again visited the monastery. He accompanied St. Cyprian , who arrived at Vysokoye to consecrate the Conception Cathedral and a stone church refectory in honor of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

In August 1382, Khan Tokhtamysh moved to Russia. The first blow was taken by Serpukhov and the Vysotsky Monastery, which were robbed and ruined.

In 1387, the Monk Athanasius Vysotsky, the elder, together with St. Cyprian departed for Constantinople to write off liturgical books for the Russian Orthodox Church, and the second hegumen of the Vysotsky Monastery was the holy Monk Athanasius Vysotsky the Younger, who is now revered as the patron saint of Serpukhov.

In 1395, upon the death of Athanasius the Younger, the reign passed to the Monk Nikita, a relative and disciple of Sergius. The Monk Nikita successfully managed the monastery for 19 years and, according to Joseph Volotsky , had the rank of archimandrite , who in those years was assigned to the rectors of only the most significant monasteries.

In 1408 , after the raid of Edigheus , the monastery was again ruined, but thanks to the efforts of Nikita was restored.

The time when the monastery was run by the first three holy rectors made up its holy fortieth anniversary and entered the history of the ancient Vysotsky monastery as the most precious page.

In the future, the history of the monastery is closely connected with the history of Serpukhov. The city and the monastery were often attacked by enemies, under the monastery often hosted reviews of troops, which were usually attended by kings , grand dukes , boyars and governors . The Tsar himself often visited the Vysotsky monastery. For such cases, the monastery had special "royal chambers." Eminent persons often donated large financial donations, estates with arable land and forests, donated rare service books , vessels, vestments, and so on. In the XVI century, Nikolsky and Sergiev churches were built in the monastery, a chapel in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin and a gallery around the cathedral.

By the middle of the 16th century, four graveyards, 89 villages, and Vysotsky Bor were assigned to the monastery.

In 1542, Tsar Ivan the Terrible gave a diploma that the rights of the trial of peasants in their estates, to extract iron ore on the monastery lands, to protect the monastery forests from arbitrary cutting were affirmed behind the monastery.

In 1556, 1571 and 1574, the monastery was visited by Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible.

The diploma of 1570 did not charge food money from the shops of the monastery peasants.

In the spring of 1571, the monastery again devastated the Crimean Tatar Khan Devlet-Girey , robbing and desecrating temples.

With a preferential certificate of 1572, a devastated monastery was exempted from paying taxes and taxes for five years.

In February 1610, the monastery was burned down by the troops of the Polish Colonel A. Młotsky, then rebuilt again.

With the accession of Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov to the Russian throne, the time for prosperity and rebirth came for the monastery. The most generous donations came from representatives of the Naryshkin family, whose patrimony was located on Serpukhov’s land, and especially from Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna , mother of Emperor Peter I. By the end of the 17th century, many temples and iconostases were renewed by donations from the Naryshkins and other contributors. There was a rich sacristy and a library of rare books. In 1627 and 1628, the Moscow Patriarch Filaret donated books, a wooden carved cross and money. The depositors of the monastery were the landowners of Serpukhov and neighboring districts : the princes and boyars of the Voratynsky , Akhamashukovs-Cherkassky , Zasekins , Lobanov-Rostovs , Lykovs, Sontsovs , Patrikeevs , Tutolmins , Shishkins , Buturlins , Voeikovs and others. At the expense of the tsar’s stolnik prince O. V. Zasekin , the iconostasis of the Intercession Church was built in 1697 ^[10] .

In 1647, to ensure defense against the Crimean khans, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered archimandrite Paphnutius to erect a stone fence, giving 1000 rubles for its construction, and by the end of the 17th century the monastery acquired a stone wall with towers.

In 1678, 400 yards were assigned to the monastery, and the income was 90 rubles. In 1700, there were 379 households behind it; in 1744, 2,963 peasants were attributed.

In the XVII - beginning of the XVIII century, the following were assigned to the monastery: Serpukhov Vladychny Monastery, two chapels on the Nara River and Tula tract. In Moscow, on Pyatnitskaya Street, the monastery had a wooden compound . The monastery owned vast estates: Zaborye, Igumnovo , Borisovo, Buturlino, Goltsy, Nefedovo , Sobakino, Stromilovo, Novinki, Ivanovskoye, Panikovo , Drakino , Martyanovo , Arneevo , Knyaginino, as well as a mill on the Nara River and others.

Passing through Serpukhov in the 18th century, Andrei Bolotov paid special attention to this monastery and to the Vvedensky Vladychny Monastery located behind Nara:

From the second half of the 18th century, when the Empress Catherine II introduced the states for monasteries, the welfare of the monastery began to decline. By decree of 1764 on the secularization of church possessions, the monastery lost its estates and switched to state maintenance according to the state and donations. By this time in the monastery lived: Archimandrite Innocent, 70 inhabitants, 57 people of clerical and various ministers, 22 military invalids.

Since the beginning of the XIX century, the welfare of the monastery began to grow again: old churches were restored, new ones were built. The flow of pilgrims has increased. A school for boys and a hospital were opened in the monastery.

Around 1840, a three-tier bell tower was built (instead of the old one, collapsed from time to time), in the second tier of which there was a church in the name of the Three Saints and Ecumenical Teachers Basil the Great , Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom . The consecration of this church in 1843 was made by the Metropolitan of Moscow Filaret .

In 1872, the Church of the Intercession was expanded due to the extension on the north side of the chapel in the name of Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which existed earlier at the monastery hospital, the building of which was dismantled.

In 1878, in memory of the 500th anniversary of the monastery, a magnificent church was erected over the burial place of St. Athanasius the Younger in the name of St. Athanasius of Athos and Sergius of Radonezh, instead of the old wooden church, built in 1697 on donations from the Naryshkin boyars.

In 1896, at the expense of the manufacturer Nikolai Konshin, according to the project of the architect Roman Klein , a Byzantine-style temple was built in the name of All Saints with a family tomb of the temple-creator in the lower floor.

The monastery had a rich sacristy , located in the Conception Cathedral over the St. Nicholas Church. Among other things, two vestments were kept there, belonging to the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, bedspreads and a veil embroidered with ancient Russian embroidery of the 17th century, more than 20 altar crosses - silver and gilded, carved cypress, etc., various church utensils, mitres of the abbots of the monastery. In the monastery there were many wonderful icons. Among them stood out seven icons of the famous Vysotsky rank of Byzantine letters sent from Constantinople in 1395 by the Monk Athanasius Vysotsky Sr. for the iconostasis of the Conception Cathedral, which were above the Royal Gates until 1920 ^[11] . Now six of them are in the Tretyakov Gallery and one in the Russian Museum ^[1] .

In November 1918, the monastery occupied the 4th company of the 5th Zemgale Latvian Rifle Regiment. For about a year, under the walls of the monastery, the Latvian red arrows shot suspected of desertion and aiding the old authorities. After the departure of the Latvian regiment, part of the monastery went under the camp for the maintenance of prisoners and suspected in sympathy with the tsarist authorities. In a small part of the monastery, the inhabitants conducted church services.

In the summer of 1924, the monastery was visited by Patriarch Tikhon , who performed services.

In 1928, authorities closed the Vysotsky Monastery, with the exception of the Intercession Cathedral, in which, as in the parish church, divine services were held. Many monks in the years 1928-1931 were arrested and served sentences in various camps.

In 1931 the monastery completely ceased its activities and was closed. The architectural ensemble of the monastery was used like other former monasteries. For 50 years, organizations and institutions, barracks, warehouses, garages, communal apartments and cattle pens have been housed here. At the same time, three towers and most of the walls were destroyed. The monastery complex was dilapidated, and repair work was started, during which in 1967 the church was demolished “as having no historical and cultural value” in honor of the Monks Athanasius of Athos and Sergius of Radonezh (at present, a covered porch was built in its place in Old Russian style with poppy and cross).

On March 25, 1991, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to open and revive the Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery. The first services were held in a small church in the name of the Three Saints. The only temple suitable for winter worship was the St. Nicholas Church of the XVI century, used in Soviet times under a sawmill.

In 1992, work began on the restoration of the Intercession Church, which had come into emergency condition by this time. On July 9, 1993, the chapel was consecrated in honor of the Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on September 8, 1994 - the main throne in honor of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos. In the same year, on September 24, the holy relics of St. Athanasius of Vysotsky the Younger were acquired.

September 25, 1995, the day of the 600th anniversary of the repose of the Monk Athanasius Vysotsky the Younger, the monastery was visited by Patriarch Alexy II .

In early 1996, restoration work began in the Sergius Church.

In 1998, in the restored building, the house church was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God, "The Quick Haughty ."

Since 2001, restoration work began in the church in the name of All Saints. In the post-revolutionary time, the graves in his tomb were opened and looted. The temple was in disrepair ^[1] .

The Vysotsky Monastery has collected many shrines reverently reverently worshiped.

A special place is occupied by the miraculous image of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice ”, which is located in the Intercession Church. An ark with a particle of the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos is inserted in the lower left corner of the icon. The image is glorified by many miracles and healings, mainly from the passions of wine drinking, drug addiction and smoking.

The relics of the second abbot of the monastery of St. Athanasius Vysotsky the Younger also rest in the Pokrovsky Church, from which the suffering receive grace. В этом же храме находится древний чудотворный образ XV века великомученика и Победоносца Георгия новгородского письма, сопровождавший в прошлом Серпуховское ополчение в военных походах. Икона «Николы Можайского» XIV века, «Николая чудотворца» XV века, а также иконы XVII века.

В обители собрано более 200 частиц мощей различных угодников Божиих ^[12] , прославленных от первых веков христианства до новомучеников Российских. Наиболее крупные частицы мощей хранятся в алтаре Покровского храма в особых ковчегах, среди которых выделяется серебряный ковчег в форме митры с частями мощей Сергия Радонежского . В обители имеются ковчеги с мощами: святой правоверной Анны (матери пресвятой Богородицы); апостолов Луки , Андрея Первозванного , Матфея , Марка и Фомы ; Пантелеимона ; Марии Магдалины ; Иоанна Предтечи ; Ростовских святителей: Авраамия , Исаии , Димитрия Ростовского ; князей Александра Невского и Даниила Московского ; царя Константина , князя Владимира ; Николая Чудотворца ; Василия Великого ; великомученика Георгия ; святых Никиты, Варвары, Татианы и Екатерины; Ефрема Сирина ; Германа Аляскинского (дар патриарха Алексия II); около 50 мощей Киево-Печерских угодников ; Оптинских старцев и многих других угодников Божиих.

Parts of the Tree of the Holy Cross of the Lord , part of the Holy Sepulcher , part of the Nail of the Crucifixion of Christ , embedded in the hat of an exact silver copy of the Nail stored in the Museum of the Moscow Kremlin are stored.

Personal belongings of St. John of Kronstadt : chalice , epitrachil , the required cross and the book "The Sun of Truth" with its gift inscription ^[1] .

Part of the shirt of St. Seraphim of Sarov , stained with blood, when he was beaten by robbers half to death, and much more.

Representatives of famous noble families are buried in the vast necropolis of the monastery, in particular, such famous figures as the first Russian chancellor Gavrila Golovkin and the navigator and hydrograph Fedor Soimonov , whose tombstone was lost ^[13] .

• The Conception Cathedral, a building dating back to the time of Boris Godunov ^[15] on a high basement with a girdling open two-story gallery (gulbische) and five large chapters. The vaults and domes were transferred in 1697 at the expense of L.K. Naryshkin . The original painting almost did not survive the records of 1800 and 1899.
• The refectory single-domed Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the end of the 17th century on the basements of the 16th century), with the vast northern aisle of the Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1872–78), was renovated and rebuilt in 1834, beheaded and repaired in the Soviet era in the 1990s.
• The Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, a small three-story extension to the cathedral, which replaced the Nikolsky chapel at the end of the 17th century.
• The bell tower with the gate church of the Three Saints (1831–40, architect D. F. Borisov ^[16] )
• The Church of All Saints (1896), built in the pseudo-Russian style according to the project of R. Klein at the expense of N. N. Konshin - the Konshins tribal tomb ^[17] .
• The pilgrimage building is equipped with the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”.
• The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Horned One” operates in the abbot corps.
• The church of Athanasius of Athos and Sergius of Radonezh was demolished in 1967.

Since 1853, the monastery has had a courtyard on the former Tula tract - the chapel of the Iversky Mother of God.

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  Vysotsky Monastery in 1905

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  General view in 2008

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  Monastery wall and tower

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