Monasticism as a way of serving God by renouncing the world dates back more than one millennium. The first monks are considered to be the disciples of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. However, the idea of monasticism received its most complete development in Christianity. In Egypt in the 4th century, the first communities of Christian hermits appeared. The history of European monasticism is rightfully associated with the name of Benedict of Nursia, who founded the Abbey of Monte Cassino in the 6th century on the territory of modern Italy.
It is worth noting that this was not the only merit of the patriarch, since he also wrote the charter, which for centuries determined the way of life of the Benedictine monks. Considering the influence that Saint Benedict had on the history of monasticism, it makes sense to start getting acquainted with the most ancient monasteries in the world with Monte Cassino, especially since this abbey is not only the oldest, but also one of the largest in Europe.
Monte Cassino, Italy
Around 530, Benedict of Nursia founded a Christian monastery on the site of a former pagan temple of Apollo near the town of Cassino. In subsequent centuries, the monastery was repeatedly subjected to invasions and destruction, but was always revived. During its heyday, starting from the 14th century, the Abbey of Monte Cassino became a place of pilgrimage, and its three monks different time are elected popes.
One of the sad pages in the history of the ancient monastery dates back to the period of World War II. The Allied air forces subjected Monte Cassino to massive bombing, resulting in the complete destruction of the monastery. Fortunately, cultural and religious values were removed in advance. Restoration work took about 20 years, and only in 1964 Monte Cassino became active monastery, which is what it is up to today.
Lérins Abbey, France
In the 5th century, on the island of Saint-Honoré, not far from modern Cannes, Honorat of Arelatsky, together with his disciples, founded a monastic community. Three hundred years later, Lérins Abbey became influential and prosperous. The wealth of the monks was the reason for repeated attacks and plunders of the monastery, either by the Saracens, or by pirates, or by the Spaniards.
During the turbulent days of the French Revolution, the new government expelled the monks, and the abbey itself became the property of the actress Mademoiselle Sainval, who turned the monastery from a place of pilgrimage into a guest house. Only in 1859 did Bishop Frejus buy the ancient abbey. After reconstruction, monks settled in it again, who to this day devote time to prayers and viticulture, and also, to some extent, continue the work of Mademoiselle Sainval, hotel business and receiving tourists.
Mont Saint Michel, France
The fortress-monastery, located on the island of the same name off the coast of Normandy, is one of the most significant monuments of medieval architecture in France. The legend says: in the 8th century, the Archangel Michael appeared to Saint Aubert, at that time a simple bishop, and gave the order to build a temple on the island. From that first building in the form of a grotto, only a wall has survived to this day, and the world-famous abbey of Mont Saint-Michel was built by Benedictine monks after the Norman Duke Richard I settled them on the island in 966 in place of the exiled canons of the temple. This castle is included in the list of the most beautiful castles in Europe according to the Samogo.Net portal.
As it turned out, the holy fathers had not only good construction skills, but also business acumen. Since the island has been popular with pilgrims for two centuries, the monks of Mont Saint-Michel built a town at the foot of their monastery for their convenience. Their foresight paid off in spades - with funds donated by pilgrims, the monks soon erected not only an impressively sized temple on the rock, but also other monastic buildings. However, the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel often became a fortress. For example, during the Hundred Years' War, the monks and knights of the abbey more than once had to repel attacks by the British. Today, the ancient monastery is a center of tourist pilgrimage, visited by more than 4 million people annually.
St. Gallen, Switzerland
Back in 613, the hermit monk Gallus founded the monastery of St. Gall. A little later, an art school was opened in the monastery, where Irish and English masters were invited. However, the most significant event in the life of the monastery was the founding of the library in the 8th century. From that moment on, St. Gallen gained the reputation of a center of European education for a thousand years. It must be admitted that the fame is well deserved, for the library located here contains approximately 170 thousand books.
In the second half of the 18th century, the medieval buildings of the monastery were demolished, and new ones were built in their place, including a cathedral and a library in the late Baroque style. In one of the library halls, in addition to books, there are also mummies brought from Egypt. By decision of UNESCO in 1983, the Abbey of St. Gallen was included in the list of World Heritage Sites.
Shaolin, China
The date of the founding of Shaolin is lost in the mists of time, but an ancient legend claims that in the 5th century the Chinese emperor, having learned about the teachings of Buddha, sent envoys to India. They returned together with the Buddhist monk Bato, who not only founded a monastery on the slopes of Mount Songshan, but also taught the Chinese monks the first complex martial art Wushu. The prosperity of Shaolin begins after the warrior monks freed the heir to the throne, who was kidnapped by the rebels. Emperor Tang, in gratitude for the release of his son, generously endowed the monastery.
Over the centuries, warrior monks who practiced kung fu have been used by emperors more than once during numerous wars. Their refusal caused a wave of repression, closure, and even destruction of the monastery. But Shaolin was invariably revived! This continued until the 80s of the 20th century, or rather until the release of the film “Shaolin Temple,” which was a great box office success. The Chinese government allocated funds and in a short time, kung fu schools were built around the monastery, designed for tourists. Thus it was opened new page in the history of ancient Shaolin.
Jvari, Georgia
Jvari - the Monastery of the Cross - was built on the top of a mountain in the very place where, according to legend, in the 4th century St. Nina installed a wooden cross as a symbol of the victory of Christianity over paganism. As has happened more than once in history, pilgrims flocked to the miraculous shrine, and two centuries later a church was built on the mountain, and a little later a monastery. The remains of those original buildings have survived to this day. IN Soviet time The Jvari monastery fell into decay not only due to the anti-religious policy of the state, but also due to the appearance of military bases in the area. After the breakup Soviet Union Jvari was restored and became the first Georgian monument to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a masterpiece of Georgian medieval architecture.
Jokhang, Tibet
Jokhang Monastery is a sacred place in Tibet, where crowds of believers professing various sects of Buddhism, as well as Bonpo, the indigenous Tibetan religion, flock daily. The initiation ceremonies of the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama are held here. The original buildings, erected in the 7th century, underwent reconstruction a thousand years later, and the monastery was decorated with paintings and statues. Occupation of Tibet by China in 1959 and implementation of ideas cultural revolution became a real disaster for the monastery, part of which was turned into a pigsty, and ancient Tibetan manuscripts were burned in the fire. The restored Jokhang Monastery, an imposing four-story structure with an open roof, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
The list of the most ancient monasteries, of course, does not end there, but these examples are enough to convince us of their cultural and spiritual influence on humanity.
Monasteries, as you know, are an integral part of the history and culture of Russia. Every ancient city in Russia delights residents and guests with a stunning picture - the majestic domes of temples, monasteries and cathedrals. The Russian Orthodox Church has about 804 monasteries, a number that deserves admiration and respect. Many people are interested in what is the most ancient monastery in Russia, we will try to figure it out in this article.
It is worth noting that the word “monastery” in translation means one, that is, such a building provides an opportunity to think alone with oneself about eternal life values.
The ancient Russian city called Novgorod played a huge role in the development of the entire state. It is in this city that the world-famous Yuriev Monastery is located. Many scientists believe that this particular building can be considered the most ancient monastery.
More specifically, the majestic structure is located on the banks of the beautiful Volkhov River. The presented monastery was founded by Yaroslav the Wise. Initially, the ruler erected a wooden church, and later the history of the Yuryev Monastery itself began.
It is worth noting that in Russia the monastery functioned as a fortress, since enemies besieged the walls of such a building for a long time. Unfortunately, it was the monasteries that were the first to take the blow during attacks and wars. Monasteries were also considered centers of education, because libraries, schools, and workshops were concentrated here. If hard times came, the monasteries distributed food and clothing to everyone who needed it.
As you know, the Russian Empire collapsed in the 20th century after the revolution. There was no place for religion in the USSR. As for the monasteries, they closed and went bankrupt, cafes and clubs opened in the buildings. The monasteries began their activities when the communists took power. New monasteries continue to open in Russia to this day.
The most famous monasteries
Novospassky Monastery - one of the oldest monasteries male type, which is located behind Taganka. This monastery was founded in 1490, when Ivan I reigned.
The Boris and Gleb Monastery, dating back to the time of D. Donskoy, was also considered famous in Rus'. In addition, the people revered the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Most likely, this monastery was the largest in Russia. This building played a big role in the development of Orthodoxy.
It is worth mentioning the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, created in 1473. As for the monastery, it was surrounded by strong walls with loopholes and towers.
Suzdal monasteries are a real decoration of the Vladimir region.
Many scientists are confident that the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Murom can be considered the oldest in Russia. This monastery pleasantly surprises with its variety of icons with unusual narratives.
Each of these buildings, in various historical sources, claims to be the most ancient monastery in Russia.
Ancient temples of ancient Rus'
If we talk about temples, they occupied the most important place in everyone’s life Orthodox man. That is why the issue of building and decorating temples was given great importance. As a rule, temples were built on hills, in the very best place cities. Temples were dedicated to Christ the Savior, Life-Giving Trinity, Mother of God, and also to the saints. Sometimes the name of the temple formed the basis for the name of the entire city. Temple-monuments were very often erected in places of memorable battles.
Temple construction was based on the development of architecture Ancient Rus'. Such majestic buildings as the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral, the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir and others are recognized as real monuments of world art.
Video: Veliky Novgorod. St. George's Monastery
Read also:
Which one is the best ancient city Rus'? This question is very common among scientists, since they still cannot come to a single answer. Moreover, even archaeologists with all the possibilities and prospects also cannot come to a specific solution. There are 3 most common versions,
Many scientists have long been interested in the question of the emergence of the ancient Russian state. So, when exactly Ancient Rus' appeared, it is still impossible to say for sure. Most scientists come to the conclusion that the formation and development of the ancient Russian state is a process of gradual political
Everyday life is part of a person’s physical as well as social life, which includes the satisfaction of material and various spiritual needs. In this article we will try to explore the topic of “the unusual life of the peoples of the north.”
It is worth noting that the social system of the ancient Russian state can be called quite complex, but the features of feudal relations were already visible here. At this time, feudal ownership of land began to form, which entailed the division of society into classes - feudal lords and,
Australopithecus is the name of the higher great apes who moved with two legs. Most often, Australopithecus is considered to be one of the subfamilies of the family called hominids. The first find included the skull of a 4-year-old cub found in Yuzhnaya
It is no secret that the inhabitants of the North were mainly engaged in fishing, hunting forest animals, etc. Local hunters shot bears, martens, hazel grouse, squirrels and other animals. In fact, the northerners went hunting for several months. Before the trip, they loaded their boats with various edibles
There are places on earth, after visiting which they say that a person is charged with positive energy and begins to look at the world optimistically. Or vice versa - he learns a lot about the world and himself - a lot of new things. The paths of pilgrims from all over the world do not overgrow to such places.
I found an interesting site - Tips for budget travel!
There's news and travel notes, and advice from a Low Cost expert (that’s the name of this site), and economy routes, and information about airlines, and about online aircraft tracking sites, thanks to which you can track flights in real time. For me personally, this is a very important convenience that allows you to track flights in real time. Knowing exactly where the aircraft we are interested in is located is very convenient, especially in the absence of mobile communications. However, you can read about this in detail on the website itself.
So, 7 places of power that at least every Russian should visit.
The Holy Vvedenskaya Optina Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia, located on the banks of the Zhizdra River near the city of Kozelsk. The origins of Optina remain unknown. It can be assumed that it was built not by princes and boyars, but by the ascetics themselves, by calling from above through repentant tears, labor and prayer. What are pilgrims looking for in the Optina Desert? In the language of believers, this is called grace, that is, a special state of the soul that cannot be expressed in words.
Diveevo is called the Fourth Usage Mother of God on the ground. The main shrine of the Diveyevo monastery - relics St. Seraphim Sarovsky. The Holy Elder invisibly but clearly consoles, admonishes, heals, opening the hardened souls of people who come to him to Divine love, and leads to Orthodox faith, to the Church, which is the foundation and establishment of the Russian land. Pilgrims come to fetch holy water from 4 springs, venerate the relics and walk along the holy ditch, which, according to legend, the Antichrist will not be able to cross.
This monastery is rightfully considered the spiritual center of Russia. The history of the monastery is inextricably linked with the fate of the country - here Dmitry Donskoy received his blessing for the Battle of Kulikovo, local monks, together with troops, defended themselves against the Polish-Lithuanian invaders for two years, here the future Tsar Peter I took the oath of boyars. To this day, pilgrims from all over Orthodox world people come here to pray and feel the grace of this place.
A small town, lost among the lakes of the Vologda region, for centuries has been the center of spiritual life of the entire Russian North. Here, on the shore of the lake, is the Kirillo-Belozersk monastery - a city within a city, the largest monastery in Europe. The gigantic fortress has withstood enemy siege more than once - two cars can easily pass each other on its three-story walls. Took tonsure here richest people of its time, and the sovereign’s criminals were kept in the dungeons. Ivan the Terrible himself favored the monastery and invested considerable funds in it. There is a strange energy here that gives peace. Next door are two more pearls of the North - Ferapontov and Goritsky monasteries. The first is famous for its ancient cathedrals and frescoes of Dionysius, and the second for nuns from noble families. Those who have visited the vicinity of Kirillov at least once return here.
An almost mythical place on the map of Russia - the Solovetsky archipelago is located in the middle of the cold White Sea. Even in pagan times, the islands were strewn with temples, and the ancient Sami considered this place holy. Already in the 15th century, a monastery arose here, which soon became a major spiritual and social center. A pilgrimage to the Solovetsky Monastery has always been a great feat, which only a few dared to undertake. Thanks to this, until the beginning of the 20th century, the monks managed to preserve a special atmosphere here, which, oddly enough, did not disappear over the years of hard times. Today, not only pilgrims come here, but also scientists, researchers, and historians.
Once upon a time there was one of the main Ural fortresses, from which several buildings remain (the local Kremlin is the smallest in the country). However, this small town became famous not for its glorious history, but for its great concentration Orthodox churches and monasteries. In the 19th century, Verkhoturye was a center of pilgrimage. In 1913, the third largest cathedral was built here Russian Empire- Holy Cross. Not far from the city, in the village of Merkushino, lived the wonderworker Simeon of Verkhoturye, the patron saint of the Urals. People from all over the country come to pray at the relics of the saint - it is believed that they cure diseases. Verkhoturye was included in our list as a unique place of prayer, which, unfortunately, few people know about.
Valaam is quite large for fresh water, rocky and forested archipelago in the northern part of Lake Ladoga, the territory of which is occupied by one of the two “monastic republics” that existed in Russia. The permanent population of the archipelago is several hundred people, mostly monks, fishermen and foresters. In addition, there is a military unit and a weather station on the islands.
The time of foundation of the Orthodox monastery on the islands is unknown. One way or another, at the beginning of the 16th century the monastery already existed; in the 15th-16th centuries, about a dozen future saints lived in the monastery, including, for example, the future founder of another “monastic republic” Savvaty Solovetsky (until 1429) and Alexander Svirsky. It was at this time that ships appeared on the neighboring islands. large quantities monastic hermitages. Unlike the Solovetsky archipelago, where the owner is a museum-reserve, on Valaam monastic traditions have been revived almost completely. All the monasteries operate here, the monastery also performs administrative functions on the islands, and the vast majority of visitors to Valaam are pilgrims. At the same time, monks are not the only inhabitants of Valaam. There are several fishing villages here, but the monks and lay people live isolated from each other. Throughout the entire area of the island there are monasteries, “branches” of the monastery, about ten in total. The incomparable nature of the Valaam archipelago - a kind of “quintessence” of the nature of South Karelia - contributes to the pilgrim’s desire to move away from the bustle of the world and come to himself. Based on materials from http://russian7.ru
Among all world religions, Christianity is one of the most numerous in terms of the number of its representatives. And it doesn’t matter that what was once a single whole, today it has split into three branches - Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. All modern Christians are very close spiritually. Believing in one God, honoring Jesus Christ, trusting in help Holy Mother of God, they have a common cultural and historical whole that leads them to salvation.
Christian monasteries are an important spiritual object in any branch of the world's largest religion. They are a religious community consisting of unmarried male or female church ministers who permanently reside within specific religious and outbuildings. Each monastery has its own history, charter and order.
The idea of monasticism first appeared in Christianity at the beginning of the fourth century AD. At that time Christian faith spread widely throughout the Middle East, became familiar, and therefore weaker in its foundations. It became difficult for its particularly zealous representatives to maintain the purity of their souls intact, and they decided to retire from urban society - to the desert. The first monastic community created by St. Pachomius the Great in Egypt, with its internal structure, laid the foundation for the formation of Christian monasteries throughout the world.
Christian monasteries Photo.
1. Alcobaca Monastery, Portugal
The Portuguese monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça, founded in 1153 by the first king of this European country Afonso Enriques, serves as a refuge for the Cistercians - Catholic monks who broke away from the Benedictine order in the 11th century. The monastery building is a unique architectural ensemble of medieval Gothic and later Baroque, added to it in the 18th century during the expansion of the Portuguese king Manuel I the Happy. In 1989, the entire complex of buildings of Santa Maria de Alcobaza was classified as especially revered objects.
2. Panagia Sumela Monastery, Türkiye
Perched proudly on the side of a cliff in Turkey's Altındere Valley, the evocatively named Panagia Sumela (Greek for "Holy One of Chalk Mountain") Orthodox monastery has long been a center of Orthodoxy in the Ottoman Empire. Founded at the end of the 4th century by the monk Barnabas, it was destroyed by the Turks in the 6th century and restored a century later by Christopher the Roman. Panagia Sumela gained world fame at a later time - in the 18th-19th centuries. In the 20th century, services in the monastery were prohibited by Muslims, and only on August 15, 2010, the local Ministry of Culture allowed the liturgy and reception Orthodox pilgrims in Panagia Soumela.
3. Ostrog Monastery, Montenegro
The Orthodox Serbian monastery Ostrog, located in Montenegro, occupies a unique location - it climbed high (more than nine hundred meters above sea level) into the mountains, fifteen kilometers from the town of Danilovgrad. Founded in the 17th century by Saint Basil of Ostrog, today it serves as a storage place for the relics of this great Orthodox miracle worker. Currently, just over a dozen monks support monastic life. In terms of its internal structure, Ostrog is a two-level structure consisting of the Lower Monastery (built in the 19th century) and the Upper, original one. The buildings are connected to each other by a five-kilometer-long road.
4. Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine
Located in the center of Kyiv, on the right bank of the famous Ukrainian Dnieper River, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful Orthodox monasteries in the world. She earned her reputation over centuries. By the way, founded in 1051 by the monk Anthony, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra is also the most ancient Orthodox monastery Kievan Rus. The monastery experienced raids and plunders many times, but each time it was revived to new life. Today the Kiev Pechersk Lavra is an architectural complex that includes as many as six independent monasteries.
5. Gelati Monastery, Georgia
The Orthodox Gelati Monastery of the Mother of God, rising on a hill located near Kutaisi, was founded in 1106 by King David IV, known as the Builder. From the depths of centuries, an architectural complex has reached our time, consisting of a number of outbuildings and two churches - the Great Martyr George and St. Nicholas. The ancient monastic buildings are decorated with rich mosaics and frescoes of high artistic and religious value. Since its foundation, the Gelati Monastery has served as a place of peace Georgian kings.
6. Mount Athos, Greece
Holy Mount Athos - a Greek peninsula with a mountain rising 2033 meters above sea level - is a sacramental place for all Orthodox believers. Here is the second destiny of the Most Holy Theotokos - a land that is under her special protection, so much so that in the future it will be possible to be saved even from the Antichrist himself. Only men can visit Athos; women have been prohibited from accessing it for many centuries. Today there are 20 monasteries on the Holy Mountain, united into a single administrative center, subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople since the beginning of the 14th century.
The Monastery of St. John of Rila is one of the largest Orthodox monasteries in. Located one hundred and fifteen kilometers south of the country's capital, it has been included in the list for several decades. The Rila Monastery was founded in the first third of the 10th century in memory of the hermit Ivan Rilsky, who later received the status of a saint. From an architectural point of view, Rila Monastery is amazing beauty a church crowned with five domes and decorated with frescoes by famous artists. The monastery houses an icon of the Virgin Mary dating back to the 12th century and the heart of Tsar Boris III.
8. Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Egypt
Founded in Egypt in the 4th century AD, the monastery of St. Catherine is one of the oldest among the continuously operating church communities in the world. Its original name, the Monastery of the Burning Bush, was replaced by its current name after the monks discovered the relics of St. Catherine. During the same period, the fortified building of the monastery itself was built. The Monastery of St. Catherine is Orthodox. It is predominantly inhabited by Greeks. The monastery has never gone bankrupt for many centuries and was able to accumulate a huge amount of religious and cultural treasures - icons, books, etc.
9. El Escorial Monastery, Spain
The unique monastery-palace of El Escorial is often called the eighth wonder of the world. The Spanish King Philip II created it in the 16th century as a dynastic pantheon, combining a royal residence with religious buildings. Made of light sandstone, the Escorial Monastery has the appearance of a square lattice, proudly rising against a backdrop of fresh greenery. The palace chambers contain countless treasures, collected under the shadow of two museums. These include ancient manuscripts and books, as well as paintings by famous Spanish and Dutch artists - Bosch, Van Dyck and others. All the kings and queens of Spain rest in the tomb of the monastery.
The Greek monasteries of Meteora, located in the mountains of Thessaly, are a unique architectural complex of six active Orthodox communities (four men and two women). Distinctive feature Meteors are located on high (up to 600 meters above sea level) rocks, which were the bottom 60 million years ago ancient sea. The first hermits settled in these places long before the foundation of the Preobrazhensky Skete in the 11th century. Meteors flourished in the 16th century, during which more than twenty monasteries operated in the mountains.
INTRODUCTION
Russian culture is a huge variety of possibilities, coming from many sources and teachers. Among the latter are the pre-Christian culture of the Eastern Slavs, the beneficial lack of unity (Russian culture at birth is a combination of the cultures of many centers of the Kiev land), freedom (primarily internal, perceived both as creativity and destruction) and, of course, widespread foreign influences and borrowings.
In addition, it is difficult to find a period in our culture when its spheres developed evenly - in the 14th - early 15th centuries. Painting came into first place in the 15th – 16th centuries. architecture prevails, in the 17th century. the leading positions belong to literature. At the same time, Russian culture in every century and over several centuries is a unity, where each of its spheres enriches the others, suggests new moves and opportunities to them, and learns from them.
The Slavic peoples were first introduced to the heights of culture through Christianity. The revelation for them was not the “physicality” that they constantly encountered, but the spirituality of human existence. This spirituality came to them primarily through art, which was easily and uniquely perceived Eastern Slavs prepared for this by their attitude towards the surrounding world and nature.
Monasteries played a major role in the formation of spirituality and in the cultural development of the Russian people.
IN Rus'
Monasteries appeared in Ancient Rus' in the 11th century, several decades after the adoption of Christianity prince of Kyiv Vladimir and his subjects. And after 1.5-2 centuries they already played an important role in the life of the country.
The chronicle connects the beginning of Russian monasticism with the activities of Anthony, a resident of the city of Lyubech, near Chernigov, who became a monk on Mount Athos and appeared in Kyiv in the middle of the 11th century. The Tale of Bygone Years reports about him under the year 1051. True, the chronicle says that when Anthony came to Kyiv and began to choose where to settle, he “went to the monasteries, and did not like it anywhere.” So we were on Kyiv land some monastic monasteries before Anthony. But there is no information about them, and therefore the first Russian Orthodox monastery is considered to be Pechersky (later the Kiev-Pechora Lavra), which arose on one of the Kyiv mountains at the initiative of Anthony: he allegedly settled in a cave dug for prayers by the future Metropolitan Hilarion.
However, the Russian Orthodox Church considers Theodosius, who accepted monasticism with the blessing of Anthony, to be the true founder of monasticism. Having become abbot, he introduced into his monastery, which numbered two dozen monks, the charter of the Constantinople Studite Monastery, which strictly regulated the entire life of the monastics. Subsequently, this charter was introduced in other large monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, which were predominantly sociable.
At the beginning of the 12th century. Kievan Rus broke up into a number of principalities, which were, in essence, completely independent feudal states. The process of Christianization in their capital cities has already gone far; princes and boyars, wealthy merchants, whose lives did not at all correspond to Christian commandments, founded monasteries, trying to atone for their sins. At the same time, rich investors not only received “service from specialists” - monks, but could themselves spend the rest of their lives in the usual conditions of material well-being. The increased population in cities also ensured an increase in the number of monks.
There was a predominance of urban monasteries. Apparently, the spread of Christianity played a role here, first among rich and wealthy people close to the princes and living with them in the cities. Rich merchants and artisans also lived in them. Of course, ordinary townspeople accepted Christianity more quickly than peasants.
Along with large ones, there were also small private monasteries, the owners of which could dispose of them and pass them on to their heirs. The monks in such monasteries did not maintain a common household, and investors, wishing to leave the monastery, could demand their contribution back.
From the middle of the 14th century. the emergence of a new type of monasteries began, which were founded by people who did not have land holdings, but had energy and enterprise. They sought land grants from the Grand Duke, accepted donations from their feudal neighbors “to commemorate their souls,” enslaved surrounding peasants, bought and bartered lands, ran their own farms, traded, engaged in usury, and turned monasteries into feudal estates.
Following Kiev, Novgorod, Vladimir, Smolensk, Galich and other ancient Russian cities acquired their own monasteries. During the pre-Mongol period total number monasteries and the number of monastics in them were insignificant. According to chronicles, in the 11th-13th centuries there were no more than 70 monasteries in Rus', including 17 each in Kyiv and Novgorod.
The number of monasteries increased noticeably during the period Tatar-Mongol yoke: by the middle of the 15th century there were more than 180 of them. Over the next century and a half, about 300 new monasteries were opened, and in the 17th century alone - 220. The process of the emergence of more and more new monasteries (both male and female) continued until the Great October Socialist revolution. By 1917 there were 1025 of them.
Russian Orthodox monasteries were multifunctional. They have always been considered not only as centers of the most intense religious life, guardians of church traditions, but also as an economic stronghold of the church, as well as centers for training church personnel. Monks formed the backbone of the clergy, occupying key positions in all areas of church life. Only the monastic rank gave access to the episcopal rank. Bound by the vow of complete and unconditional obedience, which they took at the time of tonsure, the monks were obedient instruments in the hands of the church leadership.
As a rule, in the Russian lands of the 11th-13th centuries. monasteries were founded by princes or local boyar aristocracy.
monasteries in Rus'
The first monasteries arose near large cities, or directly in them. Monasteries were a form social organization people who have abandoned the norms of life accepted in secular society. These teams solved different problems: from preparing their members to afterlife before the creation of model farms. Monasteries served as institutions of social charity. They, closely connected with the authorities, became the centers of the ideological life of Rus'.
The monasteries trained cadres of clergy of all ranks. The episcopate was elected from the monastic circle, and the rank of bishop was received mainly by monks of noble origin. In the 11th-12th centuries, fifteen bishops emerged from one Kiev-Pechora monastery. There were only a few “simple” bishops.
THE ROLE OF MONASTERIES IN THE CULTURAL LIFE OF Rus'
Orthodox monasteries played a huge role in the cultural, political and economic history Rus', Russia. In our country - as, indeed, in other countries of the Christian world - the monasteries of monks have always been not only places of prayerful service to God, but also centers of culture and education; in many periods national history monasteries had a noticeable impact on the political development of the country and on the economic life of people.
One of these periods was the time of consolidation of Russian lands around Moscow, the time of flourishing of Orthodox art and the rethinking of the cultural tradition that connected Kievan Rus with the Muscovite kingdom, the time of colonization of new lands and the introduction of new peoples to Orthodoxy.
Over the course of the 15th and 16th centuries, the wooded north of the country was covered with a network of large monastic farms, around which the peasant population gradually settled. Thus began the peaceful development of vast spaces. It went simultaneously with extensive educational and missionary activities.
Bishop Stefan of Perm preached along the Northern Dvina among the Komi, for whom he created the alphabet and translated the Gospel. Venerable Sergius and Herman founded the Valaam Transfiguration Monastery on the islands in Lake Ladoga and preached among the Karelian tribes. Reverends Savvaty and Zosima laid the foundation for the largest Solovetsky Transfiguration Monastery in Northern Europe. Saint Cyril created a monastery in the Beloozersky region. Saint Theodoret of Kola baptized the Finnish tribe of Topars and created the alphabet for them. His mission in the middle of the 16th century. continued Saint Tryphon of Pecheneg, who founded a monastery on the northern coast of the Kola Peninsula.
Appeared in the XV-XVI centuries. and many other monasteries. There was a big one in them educational work, books were copied, original schools of icon painting and fresco painting developed.
Icons were painted in monasteries, which, along with frescoes and mosaics, constituted that genre of painting that was allowed by the church and encouraged in every possible way by it.
Outstanding painters of antiquity reflected in icons both religious subjects and their vision of the world around them; they captured in paint not only Christian dogmas, but also their own attitude to pressing problems of our time. Therefore, ancient Russian painting went beyond the narrow framework of church utilitarianism and became an important means of artistic reflection of its era - a phenomenon not only of purely religious life, but also of general cultural life.
XIV – early XV centuries. - This is the heyday of icon painting. It was in it that Russian artists managed to fully express the character of the country and people, and rise to the heights of world culture. The luminaries of icon painting, of course, were Theophanes the Greek, Andrei Rublev and Dionysius. Thanks to their work, the Russian icon became not only the subject of painting, but also of philosophical discussions; it says a lot not only to art historians, but also to social psychologists, and has become an integral part of the life of the Russian people.
Providence extremely rarely orders in such a way that for 150 years, great cultural figures live and create one after another. Russia XIV-XV centuries. in this regard, she was lucky - she had F. Greek, A. Rublev, Dionysius. The first link in this chain was Feofan - a philosopher, scribe, illustrator, and icon painter, who came to Rus' as an already established master, but not frozen in the themes and techniques of writing. Working in Novgorod and Moscow, he managed to create completely different frescoes and icons with equal sophistication. The Greek did not disdain adapting to circumstances: frantic, amazing with irrepressible imagination in Novgorod, he bears little resemblance to the strictly canonical master in Moscow. Only his skill remains unchanged. He did not argue with time and customers, and taught the life and tricks of his profession to Russian artists, including, probably, Andrei Rublev.
Rublev tried to make a revolution in the souls and minds of his viewers. He wanted the icon to become not only an object of cult, endowed with magical power, but also a subject of philosophical, artistic and aesthetic contemplation. Not much is known about the life of Rublev, like many other masters of Ancient Rus'. Almost all of it life path associated with the Trinity-Sergius and Andronnikov monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow region.
Rublev’s most famous icon, “The Trinity,” caused controversy and doubt during the author’s lifetime. The dogmatic concept of the Trinity - the unity of deity in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - was abstract and difficult to understand. It is no coincidence that it was the doctrine of the Trinity that gave rise to a huge number of heresies in the history of Christianity. Yes, and in Rus' XI-XIII centuries. they preferred to dedicate churches to more real images: the Savior, the Mother of God, and St. Nicholas.
In the symbol of the Trinity, Rublev distinguished not only an abstract dogmatic idea, but also a vital idea for that time about the political and moral unity of the Russian land. In picturesque images he conveyed a religious periphrasis of a completely earthly idea of unity, “unity of equals.” Rublev's approach to the essence and meaning of the icon was so new, and his breakthrough from the canon so decisive, that real fame came to him only in the 20th century. Contemporaries appreciated in him not only a talented painter, but also the holiness of his life. Then the Rublev icons were updated by later authors and disappeared until our century (let’s not forget that 80-100 years after their creation, the icons darkened from the drying oil covering them, and the painting became indistinguishable.
We also know little about the third luminary of icon painting. Dionysius, apparently, was the favorite artist of Ivan III and remained a secular painter without taking monastic vows. In fact, humility and obedience are clearly not inherent in him, which is reflected in his frescoes. And the era was completely different from the times of Grek and Rublev. Moscow triumphed over the Horde and art was instructed to glorify the greatness and glory of the Moscow state. The frescoes of Dionysius do not perhaps achieve the high aspiration and deep expressiveness of the Rublev icons. They are created not for reflection, but for joyful admiration. They are part of the holiday, and not an object of thoughtful contemplation. Dionysius did not become a prophetic predictor, but he is an unsurpassed master and master of color, unusually light and pure tones. With his work, ceremonial, solemn art became leading. Of course, they tried to imitate him, but his followers lacked some small things: measure, harmony, cleanliness - what distinguishes a true master from a diligent artisan.
We know by name only a few monks - icon painters, carvers, writers, architects. The culture of that time was to a certain extent anonymous, which was generally characteristic of the Middle Ages. Humble monks did not always sign their works; lay masters also did not care too much about lifetime or posthumous earthly glory.
This was the era of cathedral creativity. Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and Yuryev, our contemporary, wrote about this era in his work “The Experience of the National Spirit” as follows: “The spirit of conciliar work touched all areas of creativity. Following the political gathering of Rus', simultaneously with the growth of economic ties between various parts of the state, a cultural gathering began. It was then that the works multiplied hagiographic literature, generalizing chronicle vaults, the achievements of the largest provincial schools in the field of fine, architectural, musical and singing, decorative and applied arts began to merge together in the all-Russian culture.”
Pages:123next →
Monasteries- these are communal settlements of believers who live together, withdrawing from the world, while observing a certain charter. The oldest are Buddhist monasteries, which arose in India in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. In the Middle Ages, Christian monasteries in Europe were built as fortresses or castles. Since ancient times, Russian Orthodox monasteries have been characterized by a freer, picturesque layout.
Monasteries began to appear in Rus' at the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century. One of the first - Kiev-Pechersk- was founded by Saint Theodosius in 1051 on the banks of the Dnieper in artificial caves. In 1598 it received the status of a monastery. The Monk Theodosius laid down a strict monastic rule according to the Byzantine model. Until the 16th century, monks were buried here.
Trinity Cathedral- the first stone building of the monastery, erected in 1422-1423 on the site of a wooden church. The temple was built at the expense of Dmitry Donskoy’s son, Prince Yuri of Zvenigorod, “in praise” of Sergius of Radonezh. His remains were transferred here. So the cathedral became one of the first memorial monuments of Moscow Rus'.
Sergius tried to spread the veneration of the Holy Trinity as a symbol of the unity of all Rus'. Icon painters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny were invited to create the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral.
At the end of the 12th century, instead of the ancient chambers, a refectory was erected - an elegant building, surrounded by a gallery, decorated with columns, ornaments and carved platbands.
Trinity Monastery(XIV century) founded by the brothers Bartholomew and Stephen on the northern approaches to Moscow. When he was tonsured, Bartholomew received the name Sergius, who began to be called Radonezh.
“Reverend Sergius, with his life, the very possibility of such a life, made the grieving people feel that not everything good in them had yet extinguished and froze... The Russian people of the 14th century recognized this action as a miracle,” wrote historian Vasily Klyuchevsky. During his life, Sergius founded several more monasteries, and his disciples founded up to 40 monasteries in the lands of Rus'.
Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery was founded in 1397. Legend has it that during a prayer, Archimandrite Kirill of the Simonov Monastery was commanded by the voice of the Mother of God to go to the shore of White Lake and found a monastery there. The monastery developed actively and soon became one of the largest. From the first half of the 16th century, great princes came here on pilgrimage. Ivan the Terrible took monastic vows in this monastery.
Ferapontov Monastery was founded in 1398 by the monk Ferapont, who came to the North with Cyril. From the middle of the 15th century, the Ferapontov Monastery became the center of education for the entire Belozersky region. From the walls of this monastery came a galaxy of famous educators, scribes, and philosophers. Patriarch Nikon, who lived in the monastery from 1666 to 1676, was exiled here.
Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery was founded at the end of the 14th century on the site of the Zvenigorod watchtower (hence the name - Storozhevsky). During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, he used the monastery as a country residence.
Dionysius the Wise- this is what the contemporaries called this famous ancient Russian icon painter. At the end of his life (in 1550) Dionysius was invited to paint a stone Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary at Ferapontov Monastery. Of all the painting ensembles of Ancient Rus' that have come down to us, this is perhaps the only one that has survived almost in its original form.
Solovetsky Monastery was made of wood, but from the 16th century the monks began construction in stone. At the end of the 17th century, Solovki became an outpost of Russia.
IN Solovetsky Monastery The water-filling dock, dams, and fishing cages are amazing. The panorama of the monastery is unfolded along the sea. At the entrance to the Spassky Gate we see Assumption Church.
Solovetsky Islands - nature reserve in the White Sea. The distance from the mainland and the severity of the climate did not prevent the settlement and transformation of this region. Among the many small islands, six stand out - Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, Anzersky, Bolshaya and Malaya Muksulma and Bolshoi and Maly Zayatsky. The monastery, founded in the first half of the 15th century by settler monks, brought glory to the archipelago.
Suzdal is one of the first monastic centers of Rus'. There were 16 monasteries here, the most famous - Pokrovsky. It was founded in 1364 by the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Andrei Konstantinovich and went down in history as an aristocratic one. Starting from the 16th century, noble women were exiled here: the daughter of Ivan III, the nun Alexandra; wife Vasily III- Solomoniy Saburov; daughter of Boris Godunov - Ksenia; the first wife of Peter I - Evdokia Lopukhina, as well as many other women from famous families.
Spassky Monastery was founded in 1352 by the Suzdal prince Konstantin Vasilyevich. In the 16th century it was one of the five largest monasteries in Russia. Its first rector was Euthymius, an associate of Sergius of Radonezh. After the canonization of Euthymius, the monastery received the name of Spaso-Evfimiy. Under the Poles there was a military camp here.
IN Transfiguration Cathedral The monastery was the family tomb of the Pozharsky princes. Next to the altar apses there was a crypt where representatives of this ancient family were buried. The crypt was destroyed by the monks themselves in response to the monastic reform of Catherine II.
Rizpolozhensky Monastery was founded in 1207. This monastery is the only one that has brought to us the names of its builders - “stone builders” - Suzdal residents Ivan Mamin, Ivan Gryaznov and Andrei Shmakov. The Rizpolozhensky Monastery played a major role in preserving the topography of ancient Suzdal: the oldest Suzdal road passed through the monastery gates, coming from the Kremlin through the settlement along the left bank of the Kamenka River. The double-tented Holy Gate of the monastery, built in 1688, has been preserved.
Church of the Assumption of Gethsemane Skete- one of the most interesting buildings of Valaam. It is made in the “Russian style”, which has undergone changes under the influence of the architecture of the Russian North. It stands out for its complex decor.
March 14, 1613 representatives Zemsky Sobor They announced to Mikhail Fedorovich, who was in the Ipatiev Monastery, his election to the kingdom. This was the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty. Associated with his name is the feat of the peasant Ivan Susanin, who led Polish soldiers into the forest who were looking for the way to the monastery in order to take the young king prisoner. At the cost of his life, Susanin saved the young monarch. In 1858, at the request of Emperor Alexander II, the monastery cells of the 16th-17th centuries were rebuilt. The emperor ordered the creation of a family nest for the reigning dynasty here. The reconstruction was carried out in a style stylized in the 16th century.
Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma was founded around 1330 by Khan Murza Chet, who converted to Christianity, the ancestor of the Godunov family. The Godunovs had a family tomb there. The most ancient part of the monastery - the Old Town - has existed since its foundation.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery on Valaam was a major center of religious life. It is believed that it was founded no later than the beginning of the 14th century. The monastery was repeatedly attacked by the Swedes. After the end of the Northern War, according to the Treaty of Nystadt in 1721, Western Karelia was returned to Russia. The buildings of the monastery belong to different eras and styles.
Monastery in Optina Hermitage founded in the 16th century.
the most ancient monastery in Russia? The oldest monastery
In 1821, a monastery arose at the monastery. This event predetermined him future fate and fame. In the second quarter of the 19th century, such a phenomenon as “elderhood” arose here. Among the elders there were many educated people involved in religious and philosophical problems. The elders were visited by N.V. Gogol, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, A.A. Akhmatova.
Archipelago of Lake Ladoga Valaam- an amazing corner of Karelia. Everything here is unusual: boulders, mighty trees, rocks... Each of the ensembles has its own appearance, interesting architectural structures and agricultural buildings, dozens of chapels, crosses. In clear weather, the outlines of the archipelago are visible from afar.
The architects of Valaam knew how to reveal the character of nature, and modest buildings turned into memorable landscapes. The painting of the cathedral is close to the naturalistic art of Western countries.
Emergence and initial construction Resurrection Monastery near Istra is associated with Nikon, a reformer of the Orthodox Church of the 17th century. Voskresenskoye was purchased by Nikon in 1656. In addition to the serfs of the patriarch himself, craftsmen from all over the country were involved in the construction. The white stone was delivered from the village of Myachkova along the Moscow River and its tributary Istra. Nikon set out to create a semblance of the Jerusalem Temple (hence the second name - New Jerusalem).
One of the most famous monasteries - Joseph-Volokolamsky- founded at the beginning of the 15th century in the city of Volok Lamsky, known since 1135. The city was founded by Novgorodians on the site of an ancient portage (dragging overland) of ships from the Lama River to Voloshna.
Spaso-Borodinsky Monastery- one of the best monuments to the War of 1812. Architect M. Bykovsky organically integrated the fence, bell tower and tomb of General Tuchkov into the monastery.
Literature
- Russian Great Children's Encyclopedia, Modern Writer, Minsk, 2008
The appearance of the first monasteries in Kievan Rus
In the oldest Russian sources, the first mentions of monks and monasteries in Rus' date back only to the era after the baptism of Prince Vladimir; their appearance dates back to the reign of Prince Yaroslav (1019–1054). His contemporary, Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kiev from 1051, in his “Sermon on Law and Grace,” said that already in the time of Vladimir, monasteries appeared in Kyiv and monks appeared. It is likely that the monasteries that Hilarion mentions were not monasteries in the proper sense, but simply Christians who lived in separate huts near the church in strict asceticism, gathered together for divine services, but did not yet have a monastic charter, did not take monastic vows and did not receive the right tonsure, or, another possibility - the compilers of the chronicle, which includes the “Code of 1039”, which has a very strong Grecophile overtones, tended to underestimate the successes in the spread of Christianity in Kievan Rus before the arrival there of Metropolitan Theopemptos (1037), probably the first in Kyiv hierarch of Greek origin and Greek origin.
Under the same year 1037, the Old Russian chronicler reports that Yaroslav founded two monasteries: St. George (Georgievsky) and St. Iriny (Irininsky convent) - the first regular monasteries in Kyiv. But these were the so-called ktitorsky, or, better said, princely monasteries, for their ktitor was the prince. Almost all monasteries founded in the pre-Mongol era, that is, until the middle of the 13th century, were precisely princely, or ktitorsky, monasteries.
The famous Kyiv cave monastery - the Pechersky Monastery - had a completely different beginning. It arose from the purely ascetic aspirations of individuals from the common people and became famous not for the nobility of its patrons and not for its wealth, but for the love that it gained from its contemporaries thanks to the ascetic exploits of its inhabitants, whose entire life, as the chronicler writes, passed “in abstinence and great repentance, and in prayers with tears.”
Simultaneously with the flourishing of the Pechersky Monastery, new monasteries appeared in Kyiv and other cities. From what is placed in the Paterikon we learn that in Kyiv even then there was a monastery of St. Mines.
Dimitrievsky Monastery was founded in Kyiv in 1061/62 by Prince Izyaslav. Izyaslav invited the abbot of the Pechersk Monastery to manage it. Izyaslav’s rival in the fight for Kyiv, Prince Vsevolod, in turn also founded a monastery - Mikhailovsky Vydubitsky and in 1070 ordered the construction of a stone church in it. Two years later, two more monasteries arose in Kyiv.
Thus, these decades were a time of rapid monastic construction.
Old Russian monasticism and the first monasteries in Rus'
From the 11th to the middle of the 13th century. Many other monasteries arose. Golubinsky has up to 17 monasteries in Kyiv alone.
In the 11th century Monasteries are also being built outside of Kyiv. Monasteries also appeared in Pereyaslavl (1072–1074), in Chernigov (1074), in Suzdal (1096). Especially many monasteries were built in Novgorod, where in the 12th–13th centuries. there were also up to 17 monasteries. Just until the middle of the 13th century. in Rus' you can count up to 70 monasteries located in cities or their environs.