Sven Monastery (Bryansk): History and Photos

Not far from the place where her younger sister River Sven falls into the wide and deep Desna, they stand on the bank of the monastery wall, which received its name from it and is known as the male Holy Dormition Svensky Monastery. Founded in 1288, it is one of the most ancient and famous in Russia.

The illness of the pious prince

With its foundation, a legend is associated, which, as the monks of the monastery assure, arises not from scratch. She tells us that the pious prince of Chernigov and Debriansky Roman Mikhailovich, who ruled by these lands at the end of the 13th century, once suffered a serious illness - he began to get blind, so much so that the white light faded every day with his eyes. At that time there was no healer at the prince's court, but to address the sorcerers and sorcerers - God forbid! - Baptized person. On what to trust? Only at the mercy of God.

So the prince of the archimandrite of the local monastery sent to Kiev to bring him the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, prayers before which healing was given more than once to the suffering. The prince's word is the law, and the man of God set out on his journey, taking with himself a heft of monks humble in heart, but very strong in flesh-the times were troubled, and everything could happen on the road.

A miracle on the riverbank

The prince's messengers had already drifted back along the Desna River, and they were carrying the cherished icon with them, when a certain attack suddenly occurred to them - the boat so briskly cut through the streams of water, suddenly froze in place, stopped by an unknown force. No matter how hard the rowers tried, no matter how they leaned on the oars, they could not move up or downstream. Nothing to do, somehow got to the shore and spent the night.

In the morning they missed - there are no icons, it's gone! They rushed to search, trying not to think about what kind of reward they were waiting for such a service. But God is merciful - was lost. Found it among the branches of a mighty oak tree, which stood at the bend of the river. Though monks were dying, they did not dare touch the image, but rushed to inform the prince about the miracle that had happened. He did not hesitate to appear and, falling to his knees, prayed for a long time. Then everything happened according to the laws of the genre - the prince has received his sight and ordered to establish on this place a monastery that has survived to our days and is known as the Sven monastery.

By the way, a curious detail - in ancient times the river Sven, which gave the name to the monastery, was called the Swine, and the abode, respectively, was called Svinskaya, which was very inconsiderate and gave rise to irrelevant witticisms. To rectify the situation, in the 17th century it was decided to change only one letter in its name, but at the same time it was necessary to rename the entire river. Since then, and appeared on the maps of the river Sven, and with it the Sven monastery.

Creation of the Monk Alipia

The icon, so miraculously healed the prince, became the main shrine of the newly formed monastery. On a wooden board measuring 68x42 cm the Most Holy Mother of God is seen sitting on the throne and holding the Eternal Baby in her arms, who raised the right hand in blessing. On both sides of the throne are depicted the holy Caves miraculous Theodosius and Antony.

The authorship of the icon is attributed to the Monk Alipius, who studied with Byzantine masters, who worked in the year 1088 in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. These details are known due to the fact that the icon after the revolution was included in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery and preserved to this day.

The Holy Dormition Svensky Monastery, formed among the dense forests of Bryansk, became the cradle for many hermit-deserters. It is known that dozens of his monks, having asked the rector to bless, have shut themselves out of the world in impenetrable thickets, having built their own squalid cells and spending their lives in fasting and prayer. In the monastery, they appeared only for confession and communion. This form of religious asceticism became widespread in the early 18th century and was then preserved for many years.

The protection of the terrible king

The first stone structure of the monastery, and at the same time, the surroundings of Bryansk, was the Assumption Cathedral, built at the behest of Ivan the Terrible. It is known that, in the nature of the tsar, devilish cruelty combined surprisingly with extreme religiosity. Attributing to the cruel execution of innocent people, he could then stand out all night long in prayer for the repose of their souls.

Preparing for the Livonian War, the pious sovereign did not skimp on contributions to the holy monasteries. He did not bypass the Dormition Svensky Monastery, which at that time was a fortified fortification, and an important spiritual center. Until now, archival documents have survived, which bear witness to the many donations that have been made to them. In particular, in 1561 the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk) received a considerable amount from him on the occasion of the death of his wife Anastasia. A little later they were paid money for the construction of the temple in honor of the Pechersk wonderworkers Anthony and Theodosius.

The raids of foreign adversaries

But it is clear that the Lord did not bless the donations of the tsar-murderer - in 1583 the Lithuanians, with whom he waged war, captured the Svensky Monastery, and, having plundered everything that could be carried out, was burned. Only the Svenska icon of the Mother of God was miraculously preserved. Long afterwards, the monastery reborn after this, but in 1664 God's wrath again fell upon it - this time it became the prey of the Crimean Tatars.

This time to raise the monastery walls from the ashes was easier, since three years before this monastery was attributed to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and from there to Bryansk the help was available. Thanks to her on the territory of the monastery in 1679, the Gate Church of Sretensky was erected, which survived the centuries and survived to the present day.

Visits of the Crowned Persons

Revived from the ashes Sven monastery remembers the visits of many royal people. It is known that in 1708 Peter the Great visited him and even stopped for the night. The house where the Emperor spent the night lived to see the revolution, and it was shown to all visitors as a historical landmark. Another witness of the royal visit - an oak planted by monks in honor of this event, stands to this day, also attracting the attention of numerous pilgrims and tourists.

During one of her trips she visited the walls of the Svenskoye Uspensky Monastery and the Empress Empress Catherine II. Finding his main temple in a very old and requiring immediate repair, she donated six thousand rubles, which he was soon completely rebuilt. He was chosen for a more comfortable, dry and high place in the center of the monastery.

Until the beginning of the XX century, the Svenskiy Uspensky Monastery (Bryansk) lived in peace and prosperity. As before, generous donations from the God-loving citizens and the people of the reigning house came to his treasury. Near the walls of the monastery was a fair that was one of the largest in the western part of Russia, and the God-loving monks prayed for the tsar and the fatherland. This continued until 1917.

The advent of dashing times

From the beginning of the twenties, the Bolsheviks who came to power began a gradual but systematic closure of the monastery. When the campaign for the seizure of church valuables was carried out across the country, allegedly directed to fight hunger, everything that was of interest to the new government was taken from the monastery.

From the churches, church utensils were taken out, assembled there for many centuries, shot and sent to the melting of the bell, and gold and silver salaries ruthlessly peeled off the icons. It seemed that the times of the Lithuanian and Tatar invaders had returned. Systematic looting continued until 1926, after which the Svensky Monastery was closed.

The mortal sin of Captain Rykhlov and all who were with him

The next stage of the destruction of this historical and cultural monument began in 1930, when, by order of the city authorities, most of the monastery buildings were demolished. The Cathedral of the Assumption was also blown up, so successfully rebuilt on the donations of Catherine II. The blast wave also damaged the nearby temple of the Caves of the Caves, leaving only the lower tier from the old building. The Svenskiy Uspensky Monastery (Bryansk) ceased to exist.

This act of vandalism was committed by a group of Soviet demolitions. History preserved the name of their commander - Captain Rykhlov. For a long time ago, he is dead, and one can only hope that at the time of death the Lord sent him repentance in the deed and did not let him go to another world with a soul burdened with this terrible sin.

Ruins returned to people

But the wheel of history does not stand still. Rolling around the country with all the hardships that fell to her share in the twentieth century, in the end it plunged Russia into a stormy ocean of perestroika. In 1992 the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk) was returned to the Church. By this time, of all the former buildings, only the Sretenskaya and Preobrazhenskaya churches that had been renovated, as well as the remains of the monastery walls and several former economic buildings in disrepair, were preserved.

Other structures were destroyed, and most of them did not even have traces left, and in the ruins that remained, it was difficult to recognize the former, known from archival documents, the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk). The photos published in the article give an idea of the scope of the work.

Divine services in the reborn temples

Immediately began the restoration of the former architectural complex. First of all, major repairs and restoration were carried out in two surviving churches, which today in their pristine form again became a place of regular worship, which after long decades of oblivion resumed the Sven monastery. The schedule of the services conducted in them is slightly different from that of other Orthodox churches.

On weekdays morning services begin at 8:00, and at 17:00. On Sundays and holidays, the Liturgy is also held. It starts at 10:00. All additional services and religious processions held in the monastery in connection with various holidays can be found on its website. After restoration from the ruins of the temple of Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, completed in 2012, it also hosts regular services.

Currently, work is underway to restore the destroyed in 1930 Assumption Cathedral. They began in 2005 with a review of the remaining ruins, as well as an engineering and archaeological survey of the foundation. Upon their completion in 2010, a board of trustees was formed from representatives of state and public organizations, which led the restoration work. Since that time the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk) has become a place where extensive construction began.

Pilgrimage to the monastery

Gradually the monastic life returns to its ancient walls. As in previous years, pilgrims rush here, wishing to worship the shrine, which is still for the Orthodox people Sven monastery (Bryansk). How to reach him, you can find out in this publication.

It is recommended to go from the railway station of Bryansk to trolleybus No. 1 to "Telecenter" and then take bus number 7 to the monastery. Another option: from the bus station by bus number 7 or by shuttle buses No. 45, 36 to the stop "Svensky Monastery". The photos attached to the article will help to accurately know the purpose of the trip.