Vazheozersky Monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church (Karelia): history, abbots, shrines

They say that while laymen sleep, monks pray and thereby give the world the opportunity to exist. In Russia, Orthodox monasteries with ancient traditions of asceticism - a great many. Today they have become centers of revival of spirituality, which gives the country and people a chance to have their own way of development, outlook and preservation of their own identity. Male Vazheozersky monastery in Karelia for 500 years was the center of spiritual life. It continues to attract pilgrims, tourists, lovers of antiquity.

The Monks Gennady and Nicephorus

In the 16th century, the Monk Gennady chose the shores of Lake Vazha for a prayer feat. This happened around 1500, it is impossible to establish the date more precisely, since written certificates have not been preserved. Father Gennady was a pupil of Alexander Svirsky and wished for the glory of God to live as a hermit in a severe land - Karelia. He chose a cave where the earth served him as a bed, and prayer was a blanket. His faith and service were so earnest that during his lifetime he became a visionary, healer by the grace of God. The monk reappeared in 1516. During his lifetime, he did not set the foundation of the monastery, but new devotees came to the place of his prayers, with the works of which the domes of churches ascended to the sky.

Approximately in 1520, where the Monk Gennady worked, the Monk Nikifor, also a follower of Alexander Svirsky, with disciples came. They built several cells and a wooden church of the Transfiguration, later these buildings formed a monastery courtyard, and the Vazheozersky Savior-Transfiguration Monastery arose. The first abbot of the monastic brotherhood was the Monk Nikifor, and he remained in this rank until the end of his days.

Lithuanian invasion

Even during the life of the first hegumen, Tsar Ivan the Terrible granted the monastery lands that the monks had to process themselves. In the royal decree it was noted that the brethren had no right to hire peasants, to settle the families of workers on their own land: "But the villages would not be eaten and there would not be any repairs in that forest, and they would not call the peasants on that forest, and I would hire them out of it. The forest and the arable land were not given to anyone alone. "

Vazheozersky monastery was first ruined in the Time of Troubles of Russian History. It happened in the 17th century: the Lithuanians attacked defenseless hermits and exterminated everyone, ravaged the monastery. The hands of the invaders killed Hegumen Dorofei and part of the brethren (according to some reports, 20 people died martyrdom), some monks managed to escape. The monastic courtyard was empty, but for a long time it served as a place of pilgrimage for the graves of the martyrs. To date, the burial site is unknown, the traces of the saints are lost, as are their names. Also a great veneration of the faithful enjoyed the chapel, built over the graves of the founders of the monastery of Gennady and Nicephorus, set by the labor of Hegumen Dorofei.

Historical vicissitudes

In 1623, as is known from the annals, the Vazheozersky monastery served as a shelter for only six ascetics. The material condition was poor, there were no books, monks wandered around the yards in search of food, fishing. It was also sad that the brothers lived in a monastery devastated by the Lithuanians, and were also oppressed by the peasants who lived around the farmstead.

Through the efforts of the brethren and prayers the monastery began to revive a little, a new temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin was built, a bell tower, a chapel. The new hegumen Anthony, who appeared in the monastery in 1620, made a donation in the form of an expensive Gospel and built a cell. Over the next forty years, the financial situation of the monastery gradually improved. According to the inventory made in 1680, the number of monks and workers was 22 people, church utensils and monastic economy increased significantly. The following years brought a further increase.

In 1700, during the church reform, the Vazheozersky Monastery was attributed to the Sandem Desert (1723), abolished and converted to a parish church (1764). From 1800 to 1846 the monastery was under the patronage of the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery. The full-blooded monastic life began to revive in 1830, with the arrival of the hegumen Isaiah. He managed to achieve the independence of the monastery and at the same time preserve all the land once granted.

Revival

In the summer of 1885 the Vazheozersky monastery was devastated by a violent fire, in which all the buildings were burnt. Miraculously preserved chapel of the Great Martyr Nikita, a house at the western gate and the walls of a stone church. The stone church of All Saints was restored and consecrated by the works of the brethren and hegumen Benjamin in six months. The parishioners flocked to the monastery, philanthropists made large donations - the monastery prospered and became more and more beautiful. The blessing for the restoration of the monastery was given by John of Kronstadt himself, he was also the first donor.

In 1892 the bell tower and the wooden church of the Transfiguration of the Lord were completed, John Kronstadt came to her consecration, which attracted a large number of pilgrims. By the end of the 1800s, several temples were built, a hotel, an hegumen corps, workshops for workers and a courtyard of the desert in Petersburg.

In St. Petersburg court in 1894 was laid two-story temple dedicated to the royal family of the Romanovs. Now these buildings belong to the city administration, but negotiations are under way to return them to the monastery. By the beginning of the new century, in 1901, a total of 44 people lived in the monastery.

Closure of the monastery

With the advent of Soviet power Olonets region, where the monastery was located, began to undergo great changes. Under the new requirements, all owners of land had to be united in state farms, so new educations began to appear on the site of the dioceses. The monks tried to preserve the way of life, way of life and continue the service under the changed conditions. But in 1918-1919 the possessions of all the monasteries were nationalized, they were governed by abbots, but in new ranks, and the brethren was considered a commune. By 1920, the situation was complicated by the fact that when a state farm, organized from the monastery, created a children's colony. With her left five monks as employees, having allocated to them one room for habitation and a temple for Divine Services.

By 1930 all churches and monasteries of Karelia were closed, Vazheozersk monastery ceased to function. The monastery's inhabitants were partially repressed, deported to the camps, shot in the monastery walls. In 1935, only the walls remained from the monastery, serving entirely different purposes. On the courtyard were arranged a cinema, a gym, a dining room. In the post-war years, in 1945, in the once glorious monastery were placed two institutions: a colony for minors and a psychiatric hospital.

At the end of the 20th century

In 1991, the desert returned to the diocese, adding to the monasteries of Karelia. From 1992 to 2000 the monastery was given to the women's community under the leadership of the senior nun Serafima. The first service in the Transfiguration Church took place in early August 1992. By this time the church and the whole territory were in ruin, there was not enough money even for simple repairs. Nevertheless, the work was carried out, albeit not as soon as one wanted. In 1995 the monastery was received by the hegumen Illarion, who is still alive today. For two years he was the only hieromonk of the monastery.

The daily liturgies in the church in honor of All Saints began in February 1998, the day of the celebration of the Monks Gennady and Nicephorus. The works of the sisters until 2000 were restored refectory, workshop, bakery, the construction of the archbishop and hegumen houses was laid.

Monastery

After 2000, restoration work is under way on the territory of the monastery. During this time, much has been done: in the old place the completely destroyed bell tower was rebuilt, the gate church of John Rylsky was rebuilt almost completely (in 2001 there was a fire), 2 corps cells for the brothers, the new Holy Gates were built. Great joy was the restoration of the chapel dedicated to the Great Martyr Nikita. The cemetery that was destroyed in the Soviet times was cleared, and on this place the chapel of the New Martyrs of Russia flaunts.

At the moment several hieromonks are working in the monastery in the service of God, pilgrims from such cities as St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Gatchina and other places aspire to the temple. The monastery and the brethren are still guarded by the founders of the monastery - the Monks Gennady and Nicephorus, whose relics rest under the temple of All Saints.

Every year in Vazheozersky monastery in the summer months a children's camp is organized, where children from 9 to 14 years old come. In the program of their stay - not only rest, but also prayers, worship services, labor obedience. During the summer period there are about 100 people from the surrounding villages, as well as from cities such as St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Gatchina, etc.

Temples and shrines of the monastery

To date, there are 5 temples on the territory of the monastery metochion: In honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Monks of Nicephorus and Gennady Vazheozersky, the Church of All Saints, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Gate Church of St. John of Rylsky.

Chapel of the monastery: Novomuchennikov and Confessors of Russia, Gennady and Nikifor of Vazheozersky, pr. Sergius of Radonezh, John the Baptist, the Great Martyr Nikita.

In the Vazhaozersky monastery (Olonets region), there are many revered Christian shrines: the particles of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and the Mamvrean oak. Also here, more than 20 parts of the relics of the Saints are revered by the church, among them are the relics of Seraphim of Sarov, Alexander Svirsky, Prince Alexander Nevsky, the baptizer of John the Baptist, the Optina elders and others.

The abbots

For all the time of its history there were 23 stewards in the monastery, of which not all were hegumenes and abbots, often monks headed by the monks, clothed in trust, but not endowed with the title, stood at the head of the monastery. The very first rector and hegumen from 1520 to 1557 was the Monk Nikifor. The next hegumen was Dorotheus, murdered by Lithuanians (1588-1612). In 1640, Anthony remained abbess, and in 1764 he ruled the abode of Tarasy. In 1830, he was clothed with the confidence of Isaiah. From 1846 to 1853, the builder Mitrofan was engaged in the affairs of the monastery.

Priest Daniel ran the monastery from 1853 to 1870. Hegumen Sylvester held the post from 1871 to 1877, followed by a series of monastic rulers (from 1877 to 1890), not endowed with the title: Azarius, Gennady, Veniamin, Hieromonk Veniamin, Filaret, Jonah. From 1899 to 1901 hegumen Mitrofan administered the monastery. For eight years (1902-1910), the monk Georgi was engaged in affairs, and from 1911 to 1912 the rank of hegumen was occupied by the priesthood Vasily.

Prior to the Revolution, the duties of the hegumen were performed by Vladimir, who later became an archimandrite. The hard time of the revolution fell on the hegumen of Paisius - since 1917, the date of his death is unknown. Revival of the monastery was entrusted to the nun Seraphim from 1992 to 1995. In 1995 he ruled the monastery Paisiy (Kovalev), in the same year hegumen Illarion, acting in the monastery to the present, was appointed to the monastery, which overshadows Lake Vazha.