Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersk Monastery. Pskov-Pechersky Monastery - a monastery with a centuries-old history

More than half a million pilgrims annually visit the city of Pechory in the Pskov region to come into contact with their main shrine - the Pskov-Pechersky Holy Dormition Monastery.
Here, since the founding of the monastery in 1473, even in the years of unrest and unrest, the experience of eldership and spiritual service has never been interrupted.
According to legend, Izborsk hunters, father and son Selishi, who were chasing an animal in a distant forest, ended up on the bank of the small river Kamenets, where they heard quiet prayer singing from underground. Deciding that it was angels singing, they spread the news throughout the area.

Taylovskaya tower of the monastery

The “Singing Lands” went to the peasant Ivan Dementyev. One day he went to cut down trees, and one of them fell and opened the Caves. It is believed that monks settled in the Caves to escape the raids of the Crimean Tatars in these lands.

Today the Caves are a large necropolis. Remaining incorruptible for centuries, over ten thousand people found peace here.

It is believed that the discovery of the God-created caves occurred in 1392, but the official date when the Pskov-Pechersk Holy Assumption Monastery was founded was declared to be 1473. It was at this time that the Assumption Church was consecrated, which was dug in a sandy hill near the Kamenets stream by the Monk Jonah. In the world he bore the name John and was a priest of the St. George Church in Yuryevo-Livonsk.

Fleeing persecution from the Latin Germans, John, his wife Maria and children left Yuryevo-Livonsk and came to Pskov. Here, having heard about a newly discovered cave, he set up his home next to it to serve God.

First miracle
The Pskov-Pechersky Monastery had not yet been completed when John's wife Maria became mortally ill. She became the first monk to take the monastic vows and took the name Vassa. After her death and burial, the coffin with her body unusually found itself on the surface. The miracle was repeated during the second burial. John took this as a sign from above.

Since then, miraculous grace has been operating in the caves of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. For centuries, coffins are not buried in the ground, but placed on top of each other, and the bodies of the buried remain incorrupt. Among the people buried in the monastery are representatives of the families of Pushkin, Kutuzov, Pleshcheev, Nazimov, and Mussorgsky.

After the death of his wife, John took on the monastic image with the name Jonah. Like the Venerable Vassa, Jonah was numbered among the venerables of Pskov-Pechersk.

Ascetics began to come to Jonah. One of them, Hieromonk Misail, erected a temple and cells on the mountain. But a few years later the monastery was attacked by the Livonians. Wooden buildings were burned and property was looted. When the sacrilege began to commit outrages in the Assumption Church of the monastery, fire coming out of the altar expelled them from the monastery. Meanwhile, a Russian detachment arrived from Izborsk and completed the destruction of the enemies.

After the attack of the Livonians, Pechory was in distress: the raids, although less daring, continued. Foreign conquerors tried more than once to wipe the monastery off the face of the earth, since they saw in it, first of all, a stronghold of Orthodoxy and a Russian military stronghold.

The monastery has never been closed in its entire history. During the interwar period (until January 1945) it was located within Estonia, thanks to which it was preserved.

In 1967-2006, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) labored in the monastery.
There is no reliable information about the beginning of monastic life on the site of the modern monastery, just as there have been no scientific surveys of the caves. Presumably of natural origin, erosion-suffosion caves in sandstone deposits along the banks of the Kamenets stream became known to local residents in 1392.
According to legend, they were inhabited by monks who fled to the Pskov land from the south, from the raids of the Crimean Tatars. The main cave complex is called the “God-created cave”, and consists of the Assumption Cave Church with a bypass gallery (small caves), nearby caves with the relics of the Venerable Pechersk Mark (the “initial monk”), Jonah, Lazarus and mother Vassa, and then continues with a necropolis of seven underground gallery-streets with the cave Church of the Resurrection of Christ at the end of the 6th gallery and a chapel.

monument to St. Cornelius

CHRONICLE
Foundation of the monastery
Located 340 km southwest of St. Petersburg and 50 km west of Pskov, the Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery dates back more than 500 years. Here, on the northwestern borders of Russia, on the ancient land of Pskov, the seeds of the Orthodox faith were grown, sown in Rus' back in the 10th century by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, who, according to legend, was born in the village of Vybutskaya near Pskov.
The chronicle tells how at the end of the 14th century Izborsk hunters, father and son Selisha, heard “the voices of those singing ineffably and beautifully” in a deep forest near the Kamenets stream and felt a fragrance “like a lot of incense.”
The generally accepted historical date for the founding of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery is considered to be 1473, when the Assumption Church, dug out of a sandy hill near the Kamenets stream, was consecrated by the Monk Jonah. Venerable Jonah is the immediate founder of the monastery. Previously, he, bearing the name John in the world, was a priest in the St. George Church of Yuryev-Livonsky (now Tartu). He was nicknamed Shestnik, i.e. an alien, because he originally came from Moscow. He came to Livonia as a missionary.
At that time, the Orthodox people there were subjected to severe persecution by the Latin Germans. Fearing for the life of his family, Fr. John, along with his wife Maria and children, leaves Yuryev and settles in Pskov.
Here he first heard about the “God-created cave.” A heartfelt desire to serve the Lord with even greater zeal led John and his family to settle near the holy place. The construction of the cave temple was not yet completed when Maria, his wife, became seriously ill. Feeling the approach of death, she took monastic vows with the name Vassa, thus becoming the first tonsure of the monastery.
After the death of his wife, John himself took on the monastic image with the name Jonah. Like the Venerable Vassa, he is also numbered among the Pskov-Pechersk venerables. He and St. Mark are commemorated on March 29/April 11, and St. Vassa on March 19/April 1.
The successor of the Monk Jonah, Hieromonk Misail, erected cells and a temple on the mountain, but soon the monastery was attacked by the Livonians. Wooden buildings were burned and property was looted. When the sacrilege began to commit outrages in the Assumption Church of the monastery, fire coming out of the altar expelled them from the monastery. Meanwhile, a Russian detachment arrived from Izborsk and completed the destruction of the Livonians.
The monastery suffered for a long time after this shock: the raids, although less daring, continued. Foreign conquerors more than once tried to wipe the monastery from the face of the earth, since they saw in it, first of all, a stronghold of Orthodoxy and Russian influence on the nearby local population of the Baltic tribes (Estonians and Setos), as well as the organizer of economic activity in the region and, finally, the Russian military strong point.

St. Nicholas Church and the walls of the monastery

The heyday of the monastery in the 16th century

Only half a century later, under Abbot Dorotheos, the monastery rose and flourished again: in the 20s of the 16th century, the Assumption Church was renewed and expanded, and a chapel was built in the name of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev-Pechersk. Other temples and monastic buildings were also erected. The construction was supervised by the sovereign clerk, who had the power of the plenipotentiary representative of the Grand Duke of Moscow in Pskov, Misyur Munekhin, who carried out the work on a large scale. For his services in establishing the monastery, he was the first of the laity to be buried in the monastery cave.
In 1521, the monastery acquired the miraculous icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God “in the hagiography” (with hagiographic stamps). This image was painted by the icon painter Alexei Maly at the request of the Pskov “trading people” Vasily and Theodore (Theodore later took monastic vows with the name Theophilus and died in the monastery).
During this period, the monastery moved from the mountain down to the Kamenets valley, and the cells were placed opposite the Assumption Church.
By the end of the 20s of the 16th century, under Abbot Gerasim, the internal life of the monastery was streamlined: the abbot drew up a communal charter based on the model of the Kiev-Pechersk, established the order of church services according to the tradition of ancient monasteries, decreeing that services should be performed daily in the Assumption Cathedral. And today the monastery sacredly preserves ancient traditions, observing strict communal regulations.
The real flourishing of the monastery is associated with the name of its abbot, the Venerable Martyr Cornelius.
The fame of the monastery increased year by year. The rumor about miraculous healings received through the special intercession of the Queen of Heaven not only by the Orthodox, but also by the Latins, attracted many pilgrims; The once “poor place” was replenished with precious deposits, vast lands and estates. But these offerings went not only to the needs of the monastery. Monastic expense books preserved information about the material assistance that the monks constantly provided to refugees during numerous wars. At the expense of the monastery treasury, houses destroyed by the invaders in the surrounding villages were restored; during truces, the monastery ransomed prisoners of war from the enemy. All other monasteries of the Pskov diocese, even the more ancient ones: Mirozhsky (1156), Snetogorsky (XIII century), Veliko-Pustynsky (1404), Spaso-Eleazarovsky (1447) - yielded primacy to the Pskov-Pechersk monastery, and the abbots of other monasteries were now promoted to its abbots as a sign of promotion. Pechersk abbots were appointed bishops.

Confrontation with the Polish-Lithuanian army

The border position of the monastery remained dangerous. In the middle of the 16th century, the pressure on the Pskov land from the German Livonian Order intensified. This led to the fact that the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery gradually became not only a place of salvation for Christian souls, not only a missionary and educational center, but also a powerful fortress of northwestern Rus'.
In the summer of 1581, a hundred thousand strong Polish-Lithuanian army moved to Pskov. The guard troops stationed in the Pechersk fortress-monastery intercepted enemy detachments and convoys with weapons heading towards the besieged city.
On October 29, the angry Polish king Stefan Batory sent a large army to the monastery, the defenders of which were only two or three hundred archers, resettled from Moscow and marking the beginning of the Pechersky Posad.
On November 5, enemy troops fired at the monastery with cannons and smashed the wall near the Church of the Annunciation. An enemy detachment immediately rushed here. Now military force alone could not save the monastery, and then the monks brought the main monastery shrine to the breach - the ancient icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God. All the besieged fervently prayed to the Intercessor of the Christian race, and the Mother of God heard their prayers. The battle continued until late at night, but all attacks were repelled.
The chronicle also tells about other miraculous events in which God’s special mercy was revealed to the monastery. The secretary of the Batory campaign office, Father Jan Piotrovsky, wrote in his diary: “The Germans were unlucky in Pechory, there were two assaults and both were unhappy. They'll make a hole in the wall, go for an attack, and then they won't move. This surprises everyone, some say that the place is enchanted, others say that the place is holy, but in any case, the exploits of the monks are worthy of surprise.”
The miraculous icons of the Mother of God “Assumption” and “Tenderness” were sent to the defenders of Pskov, inspiring them to feats of arms: during the 5 months of the siege, the enemy stormed the Pskov Kremlin more than 30 times, but never took the city.
In memory of this miraculous deliverance, the grateful people of Pechersk every year on the 7th week of Easter went in procession with the miraculous icon “Tenderness” to Pskov. In 1998, the tradition of the religious procession was resumed (only the icon is now transferred inside the monastery - from the Assumption to St. Michael's Church and back).
At the beginning of the 17th century, the monastery survived many attacks by Swedish, Lithuanian and Polish conquerors, who took advantage of the internal difficulties of the Russian state and committed outrages on its western borders.
In 1701, Peter I ordered to surround the monastery with an earthen rampart and a deep, water-filled ditch (the remains of earthen fortifications from the Petrine era have survived to this day). 5 bastions were built at the most important points, and a battery was placed at the gates. The Pechersk fortress acquired national significance: as a sign of this, the state emblem was installed on the main fortress Nikolskaya Tower.
In 1703, thanks to new fortifications, a small detachment under the command of governor Ivan Nazimov managed to repel an attack by a 2,000-strong Swedish army. This was the last battle near the walls of the monastery. The Peace of Nystadt (1721) moved the country's border to the west and put an end to the defense mission of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery.
In 1812, the Russian land was again threatened by a conqueror. The rapidly advancing Napoleonic troops occupied Polotsk. The threat of occupation also loomed over Pskov. Then, at the request of the Pskov residents, the icons of the Mother of God “Assumption” and “Tenderness”, a banner with the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, were brought to the city from the monastery. On October 7, a religious procession was held with miraculous shrines. On the same day, Russian troops recaptured Polotsk, and Pskov was out of danger. In memory of this event, on the initiative of the war hero Field Marshal P.H. Wittgenstein, a temple was erected in the Pechersk monastery in honor of the Holy Archangel Michael (1815-1827).

Holy spring in the monastery

Monastery during the Great Patriotic War

On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. Fascist troops quickly advanced across the Baltic states. All Soviet organizations in the city of Pechora were hastily evacuated to the rear. The Germans entered the city.
The monastery continued to remain under dual subordination: Metropolitan Alexander (Paulus) of Tallinn and Metropolitan Sergius (Voskresensky) Exarch of the Baltic States.
Changes took place in the monastery during 1941: Archimandrite Parthenius retired due to old age, although he still continued to serve as steward. He was an excellent business executive and a man of great soul. Father Parthenius’ favorite expression was: “Thank God for everything!” Before the departure of Father Parthenius, Abbot Pavel only helped him, but then all the troubles associated with the occupation fell as a heavy burden on the shoulders of one Father Pavel, who was also already in old age.
Abbot Hegumen Pavel (in the world Peter Mikhailovich Gorshkov) was born in St. Petersburg in 1867 in the family of a merchant of the Second Guild. Graduated from 4th grade of primary school. In 1884 he entered the Sergiev Monastery near St. Petersburg as a novice. In 1888, he was tonsured into the mantle, after which he fought the good fight for thirty years in the same desert. In 1919, he served as a regimental priest in the northwestern army, commanded by General Rodzianko, and spiritually cared for the wounded in the Narva hospital. Further, by the providence of God, he was sent to obedience in Estonia - as a priest in Yuriev, then as a confessor in the Pyukhtitsky convent, then again to parishes - in Tapa and Mustvey, and since 1937 he held the position of dean and assistant rector in the Pskov-Pechersk monastery.
By nature, Father Pavel was very active and compassionate towards people. In the first year of the Great Patriotic War, he became rector.

These years (1941-1945) were as difficult for the monastery as the period of the Civil War. Entering this period, the brethren placed special hope in the Heavenly Abbess - the Most Holy Theotokos. Life consisted of daily prayer and work to preserve the monastery. A striking illustration of this is the document, the text of which we present below in full:
“To His Eminence the Most Reverend Bishop Alexander Metropolitan of Tallinn.
No. 177 20.IX.41/departure
With this, respectfully, after a long silence, I greet you with all the brethren in Christ with the mercy of God - after disturbing experiences, we mentally ask you to sanctify. Blessings and St. prayers.
Holy Master! For your St. prayers The Lady saved us healthy and unharmed except for Fr. I. Alexia Smirnova on Mustishchevo.
All the churches of God and everything in them are also safe and sound, as well as the sacristy and everything in it that is behind three seals: Soviet, monastic, German. Worship services always took place. We are amazed at the care of our Heavenly Mother Superior for us, that even the keys to the Sacristy were taken by the Soviet authorities on October 21. last 1940 Pecher was returned to us. city. Management on August 13th, which was found by the son of the chairman of the Uyezd Pech. Councils in the Alatskivi castle near Peypus.
We still haven’t gone to the sacristy, we consider it for the best... besides, we don’t have an inventory, which is only available to Mr. Vaga, who checked it, O. Ig had it. Agathon, but her comrades were also taken, only a little household equipment was damaged, i.e. we were forced to sell a horse, 4 cows, hay, straw, harness and agricultural tools very cheaply. All furnishings have been removed from the abbot's house. Temples did not have taxes, but they paid very dearly for the fraternal premises and in total more than 4,000 rubles were paid.
By the grace of God, the necessary repairs were made... Wooden feet were made on the south side of St. Michael's Cathedral and 200 2-inch boards were prepared for the floor of the Assumption Cathedral.
O. Pavel was sent to Pskov with our food for the hungry on August 9. and for Divine services - at the request of believers.”* (*Letter, ref. No. 177 dated 09.20.1941. Copy. Archive of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery.)
During the war period, Abbot Pavel not only performed divine services and preached, worked on the monastery's household, but most importantly, helped prisoners of war and the elderly. Let us turn to the documents and memories of eyewitnesses.

“Input No. 112. 19.VIII. 41
Father Pavel! I beg you, visit the almshouse, show mercy to the unfortunate people who are useless to anyone. After all, think about it: one jumped out of a window from hunger, died yesterday, and others are asking to poison them.
I really hope that you will not refuse my request.
Sofia Dmitrievna Petrova from Pskov. Almshouse in Zavelichye."
In response to this cry for help, Abbot Paul, after the Divine service, from the church pulpit makes an appeal to the people for help to the sick, elderly and prisoners of war. The parishioners of the monastery responded to the call of Abbot Paul. The products have been collected. And we read further:
“No. 139 23.VIII.41
Certification that from the Pechersk Monastery in the city of Pskov one hundred eleven (111) poods are sent to the hungry on 4 carts, namely: 12 bags of bread - 25 poods, 7 bags of rye flour - 25 poods, 1 bag of white flour 1 pood., 3 bags of cereals - 3 poods, 5 bags of crackers. - 6 pounds, 4 bags and a basket of vegetables - 8 pounds, 12 bags. Potatoes - 43 pounds, 197 eggs, 5 kilos of meat.
Assistant Rector Hieromonk Pavel Gorshkov.
P.S. There are 3 bags of potatoes left in the monastery, p.c. did not fit on 4 carts.
In total, 153 pounds were sent from the Holy Pechersk Monastery to Pskov for the hungry, namely: 8.VIII - 42 pounds, accompanied by Fr. Pavel, and 23.VIII - 111 poods were accompanied by Anastasia Ilyinichna Shirokova and Natalya Afanasyevna Bystrika.
Free guides: Nikolay Vasilievich Kurnosov.”

The above documents are only a small part of the social work that the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery carried out during the years of occupation.
To complete the picture of the ministry of Abbot Paul, we present the testimonies of eyewitnesses who knew him.
Georgy Aleksandrovich Pechnikov, a resident of the city of Pechora, says: “I know of a case in 1943 when one of the monks hid the partisan Rinusov in the monastery. Later he died, but his relative Rinusova Elena Alekseevna (in reality Viktorovna) is still alive, and she can confirm this.”* (*St. Petersburg Diocesan Gazette. Issue 26-27, 2002, p. 184. )
Elena Viktorovna Rinusova, a resident of the city of Pechory, adds: “I was born and raised in the city of Pechory. I remember Pyotr Mikhailovich Gorshkov (Father Paul) quite well... The monastery was engaged in charitable work, and P.M. Gorshkov himself had a lot of credit for this. So, through the parishioners, the monastery collected food (and the villages around the city were not devastated, and people lived well enough and could isolate something from the products) and transferred it to hospitals and camps. In particular, near the city where the Maysky microdistrict is now located, there was a prisoner of war camp, and some of the food was taken there. I do not know that there was a partisan movement in the city and region; there are still no facts of the monastery workers providing assistance to the partisans or, conversely, handing over partisans who sympathized with Soviet power to the Germans or Omakaitse. True, there was a conversation that someone was hiding a relative on my husband’s side in the monastery, but I don’t know any details about this... I can definitely say that he (Hegumen Pavel) had no dealings with the invaders or Omakaitse and was not a policeman.”* (*St. Petersburg Diocesan Gazette. Issue 26-27, 2002, p. 185.)

The Mother of God is the Patroness of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery and the Pskov region. This was especially evident during the Great Patriotic War. The Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery is one of the few Russian Orthodox monasteries that did not interrupt their prayerful presence before God in the 20th century.
And although neither revolution nor war spared the monastery (in May 1945 it was literally in ruins), the work and prayer of the monastery brethren overcame yet another devastation and again brought the monastery to improvement and splendor.
The wounds of war were slowly healing. There were thirty-three brethren: two archimandrites, hegumen Anatoly, nine hieromonks, elder Simeon, four hierodeacons, six monks and ten novices.
The prayers of the brethren during the Great Patriotic War for the victory of the Russian army and people were heard by God through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. Even seemingly unbelieving officers felt and appreciated in their hearts the prayers of the brethren of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery.

The monastery in the twentieth century and today

In the twentieth century, the monastery, together with the Fatherland, had to go through two wars. But the ancient traditions, carefully preserved in the monastery, were not violated even in the most terrible times for Russian monasticism. Through the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God, the Pskov-Pechersk monastery, by the providence of God, was assigned to bourgeois Estonia under the treaty of 1922 and remained there until 1940, thereby saving it from general ruin and desecration.
The disasters that befell our Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War did not spare the monastery. The Refectory and the Brotherhood Building, and the wall of St. Michael's Cathedral were destroyed. Other churches were also damaged by artillery shelling.
Concerns about putting the monastery's economy in order in the post-war years largely fell to the lot of Archimandrite Pimen, the abbot of the monastery from 1949 to 1954, and who later became the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. His works were continued by Archimandrite Alypius, a warrior and artist (1959-1975). Under him, in 1960, restoration of the fortress walls and towers began (they had stood uncovered since 1688 after a devastating fire, gradually collapsing).
During the difficult times of the war, the monastery was headed by Abbot Pavel (Gorshkov). After the release of Pechory, he was arrested, sentenced to 15 years and died in a prison hospital at the age of 80. For many years, tourists visiting the monastery were told about its alleged collaboration with the Nazis. Only 52 years later, Abbot Pavel was rehabilitated. Then, in the first year of the war, it was not by chance that the brethren chose him as their governor. Thanks to his chosen subtle and intelligent line of behavior with the occupation regime, the monastery with all its values ​​and shrines was preserved, and the brethren were preserved. Moreover, trusting in the mercy of God, he strengthened others with his faith, organized food assistance to captured Red Army soldiers in camp point No. 134 of Pskov, the sick and elderly of the Pskov nursing home and the almshouse on Zavelichye. There is also evidence that Soviet intelligence officers took refuge in the monastery caves during the war. One of them, when visiting the monastery in 1984, personally confirmed this fact.
Thus, even in the last war, the holy monastery-fortress remained an unquenchable lamp of the Orthodox faith, a reliable support for our compatriots to survive in this difficult time for the entire country.
The monastery also became famous in peaceful years for the spiritual deeds of its inhabitants, through whose prayers God’s mercy does not diminish to those who seek Heavenly consolation at the Pechersk shrines. Throughout the existence of the monastery, the fire of elder service did not go out in it. Everyone who came for spiritual consolation and advice found it in conversations with great prayer books.
When the family of Sovereign Nicholas II visited the Pechersk monastery, the latter had a spiritual conversation with Elder Theodosius, who was then ascetic in the monastery.

entrance to the caves

Through the diligence of the next rector (1988-1992), Archimandrite Pavel (Ponomarev), now Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky, the monastery library, stored in Tartu, was returned to the monastery, new buildings for a hospital, an icon-painting and restoration and sewing workshop were built, and a House of Mercy for lonely elderly people was built in the city people, 100 hectares of arable land were returned to the monastery.
The viceroy, Archimandrite Roman (Zherebtsov), continued the reconstruction of the monastery buildings and churches; through his efforts, a wooden fraternal building was built and the copper coating of the fortress walls and towers began.
Currently, Archimandrite Tikhon (Secretaryov), the abbot of the monastery since 1995, continues the pious tradition of his predecessors in preserving the monastery charter and improving and decorating the monastery. The construction of the fraternal stone building near the Lower Lattice tower with a bathhouse and laundry has been completed, work on covering the fortress walls with copper has been completed, the construction of an economic complex is underway, the domes of the temples have been restored, the paintings on the façade of the Assumption Church have been restored, and restoration has been carried out in the St. Michael's Church.
Its centuries-old traditions are carefully preserved in the monastery. With the blessing of His Holiness, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', the locally revered Fathers Mark, Jonah, and Mother Vassa were included in the All-Russian calendar. Since 1994, the monastery has celebrated the memory of the venerable fathers of Pskov-Pechersk on the 4th week after Pentecost, and in 1998 the celebration in honor of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness”, celebrated on the 7th week after Easter, was restored. For the first time in many years (since the beginning of the twentieth century), in July 2000, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” of Pskov-Pechersk visited Pskov for the consecration of a chapel in honor of St. equal to book Olga.
The monastery continues catechetical and publishing activities.
On the shore of Lake Pskov, the monastery opened the Priozerny monastery. Construction of the monastery skete began on the shores of Lake Malskoe.
In the monastery, by the grace of God, the lamps of true piety do not go out. The now deceased archimandrites - John (Krestyankin), Feofan (Molyavko), Nathanael (Pospelov), Schema-Archimandrite Alexander (Vasiliev) - are marvelous elders, whom almost the entire Orthodox world now knows. Archimandrite Adrian (Kirsanov), who is still alive today, is a living tradition of the Church, holy Orthodoxy and humble monastic life.
All spiritual and educational activities of the monastery are led by His Eminence Eusebius, Metropolitan of Pskov and Velikoluksky, Holy Archimandrite of the Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery with the Spiritual Council of Elders, blessing and sanctifying the works of the monks.
And God grant that through the prayerful intercession of the Most Pure Mother of God the tradition of Pechersk asceticism will not be stopped, so that the monastery will continue to remain a bright embodiment of the ideal of Orthodox Holy Rus'.

TEMPLES AND CONSTRUCTION OF A MONASTERY

Belfry of the Church of St. Nicholas the Gatekeeper
It was built according to the design of St. Cornelius no later than 1565 during the construction of fortress walls around the monastery. The church is connected to one of the battle towers of the fortress wall.

Great belfry
To the east of the Assumption Cathedral, along the same line, on the site there is the main monastery bell tower, or belfry, made of stone from several pillars placed in one line, from west to east.

The Great Belfry is one of the largest architectural structures of this type (like the belfry of the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral, the belfry of the Church of the Epiphany and the Paromena Assumption Church in Pskov).

It has six main spans (bells) and a seventh, which was added later, thanks to which a kind of second tier is formed.

The collection of bells of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery is one of the most significant both in the Pskov region and in Northwestern Russia.

St. Michael's Cathedral

St. Michael's Cathedral
Sretenskaya Church
Built in 1540 as a refectory; rebuilt as a temple in 1867-70. (Moreover, the ground floor, which once housed the kitchen and utility rooms, remained untouched). Major repairs were carried out in 1924.

Sacristy
Walls and towers
The fortress with six towers and three gates was built in 1558 - 1565 as a border fortress during the Livonian War near the Livonian fortress of Neuhausen. Later four more towers were built. The fortress withstood a two-month siege by a detachment of troops of Stefan Batory and a Hungarian detachment under the command of Bornemisza in 1581, and subsequently repeatedly participated in border fighting until the end of the Northern War in 1721.

The Tower of the Upper Lattices is next to the Taylovskaya Tower, above the ravine and the Kamenets stream flowing along its bottom. At the bottom of the tower there is a small stone arch through which the waters of the stream flow into the fortress. The stone arch or vault was covered with an iron grating so that the besiegers would not use the stream to penetrate the fortress. The lattice gave its name to the tower itself. Despite the fact that the Upper Lattice Tower stands at the bottom of the ravine, it is the highest in the Pechora Fortress, and its top point reaches a height of 25 meters. Behind the walls are hidden 6 combat tiers with loopholes and wide chambers for installing guns. The tower's tent is topped with a lookout platform - a guardhouse, a guard hut, from which the approaches to the fortress and the surrounding area are clearly visible. From the tower, like wings, sections of walls - spindles - diverge, connecting into one whole the towers placed on the banks of the ravine. This section of military fortifications looks especially picturesque from the tourist site, located almost opposite the Upper Lattice tower.

The Tower of the lower bars, just like the Tower of the upper bars, is placed at the bottom of the ravine, downstream of the stream, and closes the north-eastern arc of the fortress wall. The stream here becomes wider and deeper than where it enters the fortress. The Lower Lattice Tower has four combat tiers. Each of the three lower ones has four loopholes with wide combat chambers. On the topmost tier there are seven loopholes. Their location made it possible to take control of almost all directions of possible attacks. In addition, on the third tier there was access to the fortress wall. This detail is very important, because next to the tower there is a lower gate. To strengthen the protection of the gates, loopholes were installed above them in the fortress wall, between which there is an icon case with the image of the Savior.

entrance to the monastery

HOW TO GET THERE

By train to Pskov, then from the Bus Station (200 m from the railway station) by bus to Pechory.

Bus schedule Pskov-Pechora:
LLC "Niva"
GPPO "Pskovpassazhiravtotrans" (via Old Izborsk) bus No. 207

Attention! On Sundays, a new route has been opened, especially convenient for those who are going to leave Pechory for Pskov on Sunday with a stop in St. Izborsk and an audio tour along the entire route.

Coordinates:
Latitude: 57°48?35.18?N (57.809773)
Longitude: 27°36?45.32?E (27.612589)

PILGRIMAGE SERVICE
Pilgrimage center: 181500 Pskov region, Pechory, st. Yuryevskaya, 82
The pilgrimage center “Pilgrim’s House” of the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery was opened on June 1, 2012 on the territory of a former military unit. Cells in buildings are designed to accommodate 4 or more people.
Meals - 2 times a day: lunch - from 13.15 to 14.00, dinner - from 21.00 to 22.00.
The duration of stay at the Pilgrimage Center is no more than 3 days.
Accommodation, meals and excursions around the monastery are by donation.
Issues regarding the accommodation of 1-6 people are resolved by the person responsible for the accommodation of pilgrims by calling: +7-911-369-76-48.

Group accommodation (from 7 people):
We ask you to inform us in advance about the date of arrival of the group, time of stay and the number of pilgrims in the form of a request by e-mail:
[email protected]

Phone/fax for inquiries: 8-811-48-23-227
+7-911-890-21-63
Skype: dompalppm

Conducting excursions for residents of the Pilgrim House:
Phone/fax 8-81148-2-18-39
mob. tel. +79118877111
e-mail: [email protected]

Saint Reverend Cornelius of Pskov-Pechersk

PECHORY TODAY

Pechory continues to be decorated all these years. In the 80s, with the blessing of Metropolitan John (Razumov), the viceroy, Archimandrite Gabriel (Steblyuchenko 1975-1988), now Bishop of Annunciation and Tynda, carried out restoration work: the painting of the temple walls was updated, the restoration of the monastery walls, which began under Archimandrite Alipia, was completed. A new fraternal building was built. In the St. Nicholas Church a chapel was built in honor of the Venerable Martyr Cornelius. The bakery and library premises have been renovated.

Through the diligence of the next abbot (1988-1992), Archimandrite Pavel (Ponomarev), now Bishop of Vienna and Budapest, the monastery library, stored in Tartu, was returned to the monastery, new buildings of the hospital, icon-painting and restoration and sewing workshops were built. The city has established a House of Mercy for lonely elderly people. 100 hectares of arable land were returned to the monastery.

The viceroy, Archimandrite Roman (Zherebtsov), continued the reconstruction of the monastery buildings and churches; through his efforts, a wooden fraternal building was built and the copper coating of the fortress walls and towers began.

Currently, Archimandrite Tikhon (Secretaryov), the abbot of the monastery since 1995, continues the tradition of his predecessors in preserving the monastery charter and improving and decorating the monastery. The construction of the fraternal stone building near the Lower Lattice tower with a bathhouse and laundry was completed, and work on covering the fortress walls with copper was completed. Construction of an economic complex is underway. The domes of the churches, the paintings on the facade of the Assumption Church were restored, and restoration was carried out in the St. Michael's Church.

With the blessing of His Holiness, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', the locally revered Fathers Mark, Jonah, and Mother Vassa were included in the All-Russian calendar.

Since 1994, the monastery has celebrated the memory of the venerable fathers of Pskov-Pechersk on the 4th week after Pentecost, and in 1998 the celebration in honor of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness”, celebrated on the 7th week after Easter, was restored. For the first time in many years (since the beginning of the twentieth century), in July 2000, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” of Pskov-Pechersk visited Pskov at the consecration of the chapel in honor of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga.

The monastery continues catechetical and publishing activities. Pechora schoolchildren gather weekly for Sunday school and icon painting classes. Many sing in the children's and youth choir.

On the shore of Lake Pskov, the monastery opened the Priozerny monastery. The improvement of the monastery monastery and on the shore of Lake Malskoe is underway.

Lamps of Faith

The monastery also became famous in peaceful years for the spiritual deeds of its inhabitants, through whose prayers God’s mercy does not diminish to those who seek Heavenly consolation at the Pechersk shrines. Throughout the existence of the monastery, the fire of elder service did not go out in it. All those who came for spiritual consolation and advice found it in conversations with great prayer books.

One of these lamps of the Orthodox faith was the Venerable Hieroschemamonk Lazar, who labored as a recluse in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

When the family of Sovereign Nicholas II visited the monastery, the latter had a spiritual conversation with Elder Theodosius, who was then ascetic in the monastery.

Hieroschemamonk Simeon (Zhelnin) served God and people for more than 60 years, spiritually caring for not only the brethren, but also numerous lay people and pilgrims who came to him for spiritual advice. A separate book has been published about his life, in which the reader will find many testimonies about the miraculous prayer help of the elder.

On April 1, 2003, Hieroschemamonk Simeon was glorified as a saint. Schema-archimandrites Agapius (Agapov) and Pimen (Gavrilenko) continued the feat of elder service in the 60s and 70s.

After the Great Patriotic War, the elders from Valaam arrived at the Pskov-Pechersk monastery, having been transported from the holy island to Finland before the war. Hieroschemamonks Mikhail (Pitkevich), Luke (Zemskov) and other elders were like a spiritual bridge connecting Old Valaam and the holy Pechersk monastery.

Temple architecture and decoration

Year after year, century after century, the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery turned into an outstanding historical and cultural monument.

The fortress monastery walls with 9 towers and a total length of about 810 meters surround a magnificent architectural ensemble formed by a number of temples. The oldest of them, the Assumption Cathedral, is excavated in the mountain; only the northern wall facing the monastery is made of stone. Here, in the central part of the temple, the main shrine of the monastery is located - the ancient miraculous icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God (1521).

The iconostasis (3rd quarter of the 17th century) is decorated with carvings; The royal doors are made in the form of a trunk entwined with a vine. The upper part of the innostasis is like branches and leaves, between which, instead of flowers or fruits, small oval icons of the Mother of God, apostles and prophets are inserted. Near the blank southern wall of the temple there is a deep niche, in which is placed a shrine with the relics of St. Cornelia.

In the 18th century, above the cathedral Assumption Church, a temple in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos was consecrated in 1759, on the site of the monastery “court chamber”. On the days of the patronal feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, when small churches cannot accommodate many pilgrims, the solemn service is performed in the open air, and then the facade of the Assumption and Intercession churches serves as an iconostasis, the square in front of the cathedral pulpit, the slopes of the hills and the fortress wall serve as the walls of the temple, and the dome it becomes the sky.

Other ancient miraculous images of the Mother of God also enjoy special popular veneration: “Tenderness” (a copy from the icon of the “Vladimir” Mother of God) and “Hodegetria” (brought from Smolensk), since the 17th century the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has been in the monastery, a carved image of St. Nicholas (“Nicholas of Mozhaisk” 16th century) from St. Nicholas Church and many other icons.

In St. Michael's Church, the right hand (right hand) of St. is kept in a special ark. martyr Tatiana, transferred to the monastery in 1977 by the brother of Archimandrite Afanasy (Moskvitin) Hieromonk Vladimir (Moskvitin). This shrine was once given to Archimandrite Athanasius by pious spouses of an eminent family, his spiritual children, who later became monks. During the destruction of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, they managed to buy the shrine and preserve it for veneration.

Assumption Cave Church with Pokrovsky
The domes of the Assumption Church are designed like the domes of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (in the “Ukrainian Baroque” style). There are five of them, dark blue with gold stars. The domes are located in one line on the roof slope, as if going down, towards the worshipers. Above the entrance to the Assumption Cathedral is a large Kiev-Pechersk icon of the Mother of God with the saints standing before Her. Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, the chapel of the cathedral was consecrated in their honor in 1523, and rebuilt in the mid-18th century.

To the east of the Assumption Cathedral there is a two-story church in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, rare for Pskov architecture. It was erected in 1541 under Abbot Cornelius. A large refectory is adjacent to the temple. In 1870, an altar was built in it, and it was consecrated as a temple in honor of the Presentation of the Lord. Opposite the Assumption Cathedral, a small temple was built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries in the name of the holy righteous Lazarus of the Four Days; in the building adjacent to it there is a monastery hospital.

At the top of the slope of the ravine, north of the Assumption Church, stands the majestic St. Michael's Cathedral.

In 1986, a wooden church in honor of the Pskov-Pechersk saints was consecrated on the Holy Mountain.

Almost in the very center of the monastery ensemble, above the artesian well, a chapel was built in 1911, decorated with images of Russian saints. Memorial services are held here every day from early spring to late autumn. Not far from the chapel is another monastery well, long revered by pilgrims and named by them in honor of the Venerable Martyr Cornelius “Kornilevsky”. Water is taken from it for water blessing prayers.

The monastery belfry, which adorns Assumption Square, was built in the 16th century. on the site of an old wooden one (1523). It has six different sizes - in accordance with the size of the bell-openings. All bells were made by Pskov craftsmen and decorated with ornaments, animal figures, and relief inscriptions. The polyeleos bell, donated by Ivan the Terrible (1562), weighs 3 tons, the Budnichny (hour) bell, donated by Boris Godunov (1591) - 2 tons. Large bell - a gift from Peter the Great (1690) - 4 tons. Large bells are swung from the ground using rocker arms.

Adjacent to the bell tower is a clock tower built in the early 18th century. The clock mechanism is connected to bells; Every quarter of an hour small bells ring, and the “Godunovsky” bell strikes the hours.

Holy Caves
The monastery's Holy Caves are especially revered. The entrance to the caves is next to the Assumption Cathedral. An ancient inscription has been restored above the entrance: “Caves created by God.” In the niche at the entrance to the caves is the coffin of the Venerable Vassa. On the left, in a chapel-like room, are the tombs of St. Mark, Jonah, and Lazarus.

From the entrance there are seven underground galleries, the so-called “streets,” which have lengthened and expanded at different times. The walls near the entrance are lined with bricks for strength. The air temperature here invariably stays around +5C. The exact number of burials has not been established, because with numerous sieges this was difficult to do. There is reason to believe that more than 10 thousand people are buried there.

The walls of the caves contain ceramic and limestone slabs with inscriptions, the so-called ceramides - a valuable historical monument of the Pskov region. The names of representatives of the glorious Slavic families of the Suvorovs, Rtishchevs, Nashchokins, Buturlins, Mstislavskys are found in tombstone inscriptions; here lie the ancestors of the poets A. S. Pushkin, A. N. Pleshcheev, commander M. I. Kutuzov, composer M. P. Mussorgsky.

Representatives of the ancient Simansky family, which gave Patriarch Alexy I of Moscow and All Rus' to the Russian Orthodox Church, are buried in the caves. Bishops were also buried here, including the outstanding Orthodox hierarch Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov).

Shortly before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was restored in the caves.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://www.pskovo-pechersky-monastery.ru
http://pechori.ru/
Dokuchaev I. A. Pechory in the palm of your hand. A guide to ancient monuments in photographs by S. Gavrilova. Pskov, 2002 - 112 pp.: ill.
Yamshchikov S. Archimandrite Alipiy. Human. Artist. Warrior. Abbot. M.: Moscow, 2004. - 488 p. ISBN 5-98637-004-X
Soykin P. P. Pskov-Pechersky Monastery in the Pskov district // Orthodox Russian monasteries: A complete illustrated description of Orthodox Russian monasteries in the Russian Empire and on Mount Athos. - St. Petersburg: Resurrection, 1994. - pp. 172-174. — 712 p. — 20,000 copies. — ISBN 5-88335-001-1.
Pskov-Pechersky-Uspensky Monastery // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
http://www.photosight.ru/
photo Vyacheslav Makarov, K. Nikiforov.

Pskov-Pechersky Monastery- the only one in Russia that never closed, even during the years of the most severe persecution of the church. Miracles? The monks explain this by saying that the caves from which the monastery began were discovered and built by God himself. And to prove that they are right, they cite the fact: the bodies of the dead, those buried here do not emit a putrid odor, on the contrary, they smell fragrant!

YELTSIN IN PECHORY

In the mid-1990s, Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin visited the famous monastery near Pskov. The head of state was accompanied by the treasurer of the monastery, Archimandrite Nathanael. Small, thin, nimble Father Nathanael was considered the most harmful person in the monastery. Both in winter and in summer he walked around in worn-out boots and a washed-out cassock, and an old canvas bag was always dangling behind his back.

Sharp-tongued and tight-fisted, the treasurer fought for every penny, suspecting everyone of wasting the monastery’s property. And this man was entrusted with an important mission - to accompany a distinguished guest and his retinue on a tour of the caves. Father Nathanael briskly moved through the labyrinths, lighting the path for himself and his companions with a candle. Boris Nikolaevich followed the priest in silence until he realized that something strange was happening around.

There was no smell of decay in the caves, despite the fact that the coffins with the dead stood in open niches. If necessary, it was not difficult to touch them and even open them - the coffins were not nailed down, but simply covered with a lid.

Boris Nikolaevich stopped the priest:

- Listen, why is there no smell in the caves?

Father Nathanael replied:

- Miracle of God.

- That’s how the Lord arranged it.

The answer again did not satisfy the president; when leaving the caves, he leaned over to the little treasurer and whispered in his ear:

- Tell me the secret, what do you rub them with?

“Boris Nikolaevich,” the archimandrite was not taken aback, “are there any foul-smelling people among your entourage?”

“Of course not,” Yeltsin said in a deep voice.

- So why do you think that someone around the Heavenly Father should smell bad?!

PHENOMENON OF PECHERSKY CAVES

This phenomenon has been known for a long time, but has not yet been solved. Many have tried to find an explanation for it. Indeed, why, after the deceased is brought here, do his remains immediately stop emitting a characteristic smell? Atheists were especially zealous during the Soviet years.

The most fantastic versions were put forward, starting with the one that later occurred to Yeltsin: monks almost daily anoint the bodies of the dead with incense. But only those who have little idea of ​​the size of the burials can believe this.

Another version is also popular: all odors are absorbed by local sandstones. It was this hypothesis that secular guides voiced to tourists in the Soviet years.

But the monks themselves consider both explanations stupid. The former governor of the monastery, the famous Archimandrite Alipiy (Voronov), when accompanying delegations of distinguished guests to the caves, always took with him a handkerchief, generously moistened with strong Soviet cologne. And when visitors started talking about the unique properties of local sandy soils, he held a handkerchief to each person’s nose and asked them to explain why the sandstones did not absorb this smell.

The confused guests did not know what to answer. Alypius also asked to pay attention to the flowers at the coffins of recently deceased monks. Roses and gladioli smelled fragrant a mile away. Satisfied with the effect produced, Alypius always asked the same question:

“Aren’t you ready to admit the fact that there is a lot in the world that is beyond the control of our minds?”

At one time, scientific research was carried out, and nearby caves were dug in the same rock, in which there was a similar temperature and air regime. Vegetables and fruits were placed in the freshly dug caves, but over time they all deteriorated and began to smell bad, but the same vegetables and fruits placed in the monastery cave remained fresh.

CITY OF DEAD

About fourteen thousand people are buried in the underground cemetery. A day is not enough to visit all the graves! Monks, Pskov priests, military men - defenders of the monastery, philanthropists, nobles, among whom there are many famous ones, for example from the family of Pushkins, Kutuzovs, Mussorgskys, Rtishchevs. Moreover, each coffin stands where it should be.

From the entrance there are seven underground galleries, the so-called streets, which have lengthened and expanded at different times. The leaders of the monastery are buried on a separate street. On the fifth and sixth streets, simple monks find their final resting place, which is why this part is called the brotherly cemetery. In other galleries, pilgrims, parishioners, and soldiers are buried.

In the walls of the caves there are ceramides - slabs with inscriptions telling about who, when and where they rested. Ceramids are real works of art, made in different techniques: glazed stone with gilding, limestone, clay, ceramic, etc. At the end of the main street there is a kanun - a special candlestick in the form of a small table, at which funeral services are held. Behind the eve is a large wooden cross.

There has long been a tradition of bringing coffins into caves and leaving them in niches. Over time, the lower ones decay, shrinkage occurs, and a new place is made available on top for the next coffin. At the same time, the air in the caves is surprisingly clean and fresh. You can breathe so easily as if you are in a forest or on the seashore.

WONDERS UNDERGROUND

Burials began here back in the 15th century. In the cave that the monks chose for the burial of their comrade, an inscription on the wall suddenly appeared: “God-created cave.”

Since then, the monks believe that their monastery was opened and created by the Almighty himself. According to legend, one of the first burials was accompanied by a miracle. The coffin with the monk's body, buried in the ground, rose to the surface the next morning. Seeing this, the brothers decided that they had made some mistake during the funeral service or burial, and they performed the whole ceremony again. However, the miracle repeated itself - the coffin “floated” to the surface again.

Miracles happen underground with enviable regularity. One day, young monks got hold of the keys to the old brotherly cemetery. There were no burials in that part of it for many centuries. The entrance to this “street” was blocked by a heavy iron door. Monks
They opened it and, lighting their way with candles, walked along the underground passage. In the niches stood old coffins that had crumbled over time.

Some were so rotten that skeletons could be seen through the holes. Soon the “pathfinders” came across a well-preserved coffin and stood thoughtfully in front of it. Curiosity took over, and the monks carefully lifted the lid.

The abbot lay in the coffin. The monk seemed to be sleeping! Not a single part of the body, including the face, was touched by decay! It seemed that a little more, and he would open his eyes and look menacingly at the living. The monks were so scared that they quickly covered the coffin with a lid and rushed back. Then they realized that they had disturbed the saint’s peace...

Lyubov SHAROVA

50 km from the city of Pskov there is an ancient monastery - the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. The five-hundred-year history of the monastery is shrouded in numerous legends and stories, endless wars and real miracles. First of all, the Pechora Monastery is famous for its holy caves, because the word “pechery” in Old Russian meant “caves”.

It was there that we went on the second day of our company’s stay in Pskov.

Having slept well after the train from St. Petersburg to Pskov, having had breakfast at the hotel, we went on an excursion to the Pechersky Monastery in two cars. According to the plan, the route included two sites: the Pechersky Monastery and Old Izborsk. In this article I will tell you about Pechory, and You can read a note about Izborsk here .

We got there very quickly - no more than an hour. The town of Pechory is small, modest and cozy, but with an ancient history. Its dominant and shrine and main attraction is the Pechora Monastery. We parked our cars in the center of Pechora, on the central square.

In the center of the square is an old water tower, sticking out like the last tooth. The central square is very well maintained and clean.

True, if you turn the corner, tourists will be greeted by the same broken roads and rickety wooden houses.

We got out of the cars and went on foot to the monastery. There are trays with souvenirs along the short path. Mostly products made from dog hair were offered here. On the way back we all bought ourselves a pair of warm socks.

Local souvenirs are harsh, like everything around.

After 5 minutes we were in front of the Monastery, or rather in front of the unusual Petrovskaya Tower.

First, we decided to go not to the monastery itself (we decided to leave it for dessert), but to the observation deck, which offered a magnificent view of the surrounding area. To do this, from the Petrovskaya Tower we walked a little to the left, if you were facing the tower.

Thoughtfully looking around the ancient fortress-monastery, we listened to our guide and listened to the history of this place.

Even in ancient times, many local residents heard voices and wonderful singing here. That's why the mountain was nicknamed Holy. According to legend, somewhere in the 12-13th century, peasants cut down forest on the mountain. Suddenly one tree fell, taking other trees with it. Under the roots a cave was discovered, above which was written “Caves created by God.” No matter how people tried to erase this inscription, it appeared again and again. The generally accepted date of foundation of the monastery is considered to be 1473, when the church dug by the Monk Jonah in a sand hill was consecrated. The Monk Jonah is considered the founder of the monastery. His wife Maria, ordained Vassa, diligently helped him. But before the construction was completed, she fell ill and died. However, after the burial the next day, her coffin was on the surface. This was repeated several times. Since then, the coffin with Vassa’s body has stood near the holy caves. When the Germans tried to open this tombstone during the war, flames burst out of it, traces of which can still be seen.

Until the 15-16th century, the monastery was poor and sparsely populated, and was often subject to raids by the Livonian Order. The real dawn of the monastery occurred under Abbot Cornelia, but we will talk about this a little later, inside the monastery. Powerful fortress walls and beautiful churches were built.

The passage next to the lookout was blocked in such an unusual way.

Having admired the view, we decided to take a walk along the monastery walls. The location of the monastery itself is very interesting - it is located in a lowland. Powerful walls defended the monastery more than once, including even during the formidable raids of Stefan Batory, the monastery was not taken. The thickness of the walls is 2 meters, the total length is 810 meters. It’s scary to imagine, but the monastery survived 200 battles.

Now the time has come to enter the territory of the Pechersky Monastery. From the main gate there is a sharp path down, which has a terrible name - “the bloody path”. And that's why.

In 1519, monk Cornelius, who at that time was only 28 years old, became hegumen of the Pechora Monastery. Cornelius did a lot for the monastery, but his life was cut short at the age of 41.

According to legend, in 1570 Ivan the Terrible was returning from a campaign in the Livonian region. The tsar saw a strong fortress on the border - the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, the construction of which he did not give consent to. The autocrat suspected treason, and even evil tongues whispered. The unsuspecting abbot Cornelius came out to meet the king with a cross in his hands... The frantic Ivan the Terrible silently cut off his head with his own hands. Cornelius's head rolled down towards the temple. Since then, the path from the Petrovskaya Tower to the Assumption Church has been called Bloody. According to the second version, in repentance, Ivan the Terrible immediately picked up the headless body of Cornelius and himself carried it to the caves.

Descending along the “Bloody Road”, we saw another exhibit - Anna Ioanovna’s carriage. One day the empress visited an elder who lived in a monastery. Suddenly snow fell, the roads were snowy, and it was only possible to get out of Pechory by sleigh. The royal carriage had to be left at the monastery.

Throughout its long history, the monastery was famous for its elders-soothsayers. Kings and queens repeatedly came to Pechory to talk with them. So Peter the Great was in Pechory 4 times, Nikolai the Second and Alexander the First came here. They say that the modern political elite also comes here.

The real decoration of the monastery is the ancient Assumption Cathedral, the appearance of which today is presented in the Baroque style. Initially, this temple was a cave temple, going twenty meters into the ravine. Then the church was built on and it acquired its present appearance. By the way, the domes are very reminiscent of the cathedrals of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Among local residents there is still a belief that the caves lead to the Kiev-Pechora Lavra.

The belfry, built in 1523, deserves special attention. In the 18th century, a bell was placed here, donated to the monastery by Peter the Great.

Here, next to the belfry, is the entrance to the caves. We were only able to visit a couple of small caves. We passed them so quickly that I only had time to quickly look at the tombstones and icons that were installed there. There were so many people that it was not possible to look at anything for a long time. The caves contain burial places of relatives of various famous people, including relatives of A.S. Pushkin. Filming in the caves is strictly prohibited. I don’t advise you to break this ban; people here are strict and religious.

On the walls of the caves there are special tombstones - ceramides, which are found only in this area. We saw ceramides already in the Pskov museum.

Visiting distant caves required the blessing of the abbot. But since the monastery was actively preparing for Christmas, everyone was not in the mood for it, and we did not receive the blessing. In general, there are 7 tunnels in the underground of the monastery, they are called “streets”. More than 10,000 people are buried in these streets.

Next to the Assumption Cathedral is the Sacristy, where treasures, gifts from sovereigns, were once kept. The library was also located here. During the war, the sacristy was looted by the Germans, but later some of the treasures were returned.

On the territory we visited several churches with ancient icons and wooden iconostasis. In total, on the territory of the Pechora Monastery there are 11 temples, 3 of which are cave churches.

The Monastery houses miraculous icons. First of all, this is the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” and “Hodegetria”. They are kept in St. Michael's Cathedral.

On the territory of the Monastery there is a holy spring, which is called the holy well. The first information about the holy well appeared in the description of the monastery at the beginning of the 17th century, which reported that there had long been a holy well in the monastery, equipped and covered in the form of a chapel. The water in this well, “By the grace of the Most Pure Mother of God and the prayers of the venerable fathers - Mark, Jonah and Cornelius - goes to the holy land; and they take it for all the monastic needs.” They say that water helps against eye and other diseases.

We naturally decided to drink some water too. We didn't have any bottles with us. When we tried to wash ourselves at the “well,” the local caretakers kicked us out to wash ourselves over the flowerbed. Apparently, so that we don’t spoil the aura)).

Leaving the monastery, we bought local souvenirs and the recommended handmade soap, brewed in the monastery.

We had worked up quite a appetite, so when we returned to the central square we decided to have a snack. There were several cafes there. The most touristy and decent cafe was in that same old tower. But there were no places there, so we went to the canteen.

The prices here were ridiculous and the food was delicious. The salad and empanadas were pretty ok. Having satisfied our hunger, we moved on, because Izborsk was waiting for us.

How to get to Pechory from Pskov

By regular bus (travel time approximately 1 hour 20 minutes):

• Route No. 126 (Pskov - Pechory) - departure from the bus station (daily) approximately once an hour.

• Route No. 207 (Pskov - Pechory via St. Izborsk) - departure from the bus station

You can also get there by train, which departs from Pskov twice a day.

Where to stay in Pechory

Planet Hotel, Pechory: booking reviews

Guest House Wanderer, Pechory

Pechory-Pak Hotel: booking

and also, Hotel “Your Coast” - Pechory, st. Kuznechnaya, 17.

The Pskov-Pechersky Monastery (official website) was founded in the mid-15th century on the territory of today's city of Pechora, Pskov region. It is an active Russian monastery. It is also noteworthy that the monastery was never closed. Photo and description of the laurel in this article.

In contact with

History from the beginning

There is no exact date for the settlement of monks in this place - only the year of the consecration of the first temple is known, but scientists suggest that the first monks could have settled in the caves long before this year. It is believed that the caves were “discovered” by local residents in 1392: this was recorded in the chronicle of the monastery.

It is important to know: Researchers believe that the chronicle could have been changed in the 20th century. For example, in the indicated year Sergius of Radonezh died - by choosing this time, the creators could emphasize that the monastery is the successor of holiness.

The first settlers of the caves were monks fleeing from the south, fleeing the Crimean Tatars. In the 70s of the 15th century, priest John and his wife moved here: he dug a separate cave, in which the first temple was consecrated 3 years later. New monks gradually came to the land, and the owner gave the territory to the new monastery.

The era of the Livonian and Northern Wars

The monastery is located 20 km from the Livonian fortress of Neuhausen, which became the reason for frequent raids by the Livonians. This became the reason for the strengthening of the monastery: at the beginning of the 16th century it received wooden walls, and in the second half of the century - stone ones. Heyday began: several temples that have survived to this day were built.

Interesting fact: Abbot Cornelius was killed by Ivan the Terrible, who, repenting, carried the dead man from the monastery gates to the Church of the Assumption. This road from St. Nicholas Cathedral to the Assumption Cathedral is called the “Bloody Path”.

The heyday continued for 1.5 centuries, until the signing of peace with Sweden - it was given power over the territories of Livonia. During this period, the fortress was besieged by the Polish king Stefan Batory, the Swedish kings Gustav II Adolf and Charles XII.

Fate during the revolution and the Great Patriotic War

The monastery was lucky again at the beginning of the twentieth century: after the revolution it was given to Estonia, which saved it from destruction by Soviet power.

During the Second World War, the monastery suffered from artillery shelling - the Brotherhood Corps and the Refectory were destroyed.

note: According to some reports, it is known that the people the invaders were looking for were hiding under the domes of the cathedrals.

In an effort to protect themselves and the monastery, the monks maintained external loyalty to their enemies, gaining the opportunity to conduct an Orthodox mission in the occupied lands. However, this did not save it from ruin: more than 550 valuable items were taken away.

Post-war period

In January 1945, the Pechora region “withdrew” from Estonia, uniting with the Pskov region. The monastery was not closed, and it continued to work on a par with the Trinity-Sergius Lavra: in this way the Soviet government demonstrated “freedom of conscience.”

In the time remaining until the 90s, the monastery changed several leaders. One of them, Hieroschemamonk Sampson, was expelled due to a conflict with the Soviet regime and, after a short imprisonment, was tonsured into the great schema.

His successor, Abbot Alipiy, led the monastery during the reign of Khrushchev. Thanks to his efforts, the churches were not closed, and then, with the help of Germany, it was possible to return almost all the treasures taken away by the Nazis.

Current state

The 90s began for the monastery with an unpleasant event: Archimandrite Roman was forced to resign from his post. The reason was the media accusation that Nikolai Gavrilenko, who led the Velikiy Luki organized crime group, was buried in holy caves, where previously there were only the bodies of monks and saints.

Take note: in the 80s of the twentieth century, Bishop Tikhon created a documentary film about the monastery, and in 2011 a book by him was published.

Today the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery is a functioning monastery, open to pilgrims and tourists.

Architecture and ensemble of the monastery

God-created caves of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

This is a complex of caves, consisting of near and far. The first monks settled right here, in caves, on the banks of the Kamenets River. They are believed to be of natural origin. Monks and saints were buried there.

God-created caves are a complex of:

1. Nearby: have a length of 150 meters and are made in the shape of a “U”. Here are the relics of Saints Mark, Jonah, Bassa and Lazarus;
2. Distant: their length is 200 meters. Monks and ordinary residents who helped the monastery are buried there: nobles, close associates of the sovereign, pilgrims and others. In total, there are graves of more than 10 thousand people here, among whom are relatives of Kutuzov, Pleshcheev, and Pushkin.

St. Nicholas Church

The second name is the Church of St. Nicholas the Goalkeeper or Ratny. It was built in the second half of the 16th century and consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Some researchers believe that at first it was a gate church, which served as a passage inside. In this case, the current building was erected later. Today the temple has a common roof with the Nikolskaya Tower.

Keep in mind: The name "Goalkeeper" comes from the word "gate".

The building is made of white stone and has one gilded dome. Almost nothing is decorated, with the exception of icons above the entrances and a small belfry.

Lazarus Church

The second name is the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus or Righteous Lazarus. At first there was a hospital attached to it, but in the middle of the 19th century the hospital building was given over to the rector's house when the building of the previous house burned down. After the construction of the new abbot’s house, the building next to the church housed a candle factory (its pipes are still preserved), and after that a hospital.

Interesting fact: Today in the Church of Lazarus the Inexhaustible Psalter is read around the clock.

The building looks modest: it is a simple house, painted peach. The church can only be recognized by the icon between the windows.

holy gate

This is the main gate to the monastery, through which visitors enter. Above the gate is the Petrovskaya Tower.

The Holy Gate is a yellow and white tower with a square at the base. An observation deck surrounds the top and is crowned with a small golden dome. There are icons above both aisles.

Holy Mountain

Today there is a garden of fruit trees, walks through which are recommended for reflection and peace of mind. Once upon a time, a wooden church stood on the mountain in honor of Anthony and Theodosius from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

Afterwards, the southern chapel of the Assumption Church “came” in its place. However, during the restoration of the monastery in the second half of the twentieth century, the chapel in their honor was returned to its place, and after some time it was replaced with a full-fledged wooden cathedral. Today it is a temple in honor of the Pskov-Pechersk monks.

You can climb the Holy Mountain by stairs. From its top you can see the entire monastery and holy buildings.

Annunciation Church

The second name is the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Located near the Assumption Church, Sretenskaya Church and the fraternal building. It was built in the middle of the 16th century and at first was a refectory. During the reconstruction of the building in the second half of the 19th century, a cross and a memorial inscription about receiving a blessing for the very first church were found in its basement.

The cathedral was built on the site of the wooden Church of the Forty Martyrs. The building itself is made of red brick, the decorations are snow-white. The church has one dome (blue with stars) and, despite its modest appearance, stands out clearly against the background of other buildings.

Assumption Cave Church and Intercession Church

The Assumption Church became the first holy building of the monastery: it was located in a cave dug by the first leader. It has only a front wall, the rest of the space goes into the cave. In the middle of the 18th century, the Church of the Intercession was built over the church - thus the two churches were combined into one building. The building is especially notable for its drums: each one depicts an icon.

The Assumption Church is the most ancient cathedral of the monastery. Here are the relics of St. Cornelius and several miraculous icons: “The Dormition of the Mother of God,” the Mother of God “Tenderness” and the icon of St. Nicholas.

St. Michael's Cathedral

Consecrated in the first half of the 19th century in honor of the Archangel Michael after the victory over Napoleon, and specifically in honor of the liberation of Pskov from the invader. The architect was the Italian Rusca.

The cathedral is considered the largest building of the fortress. The temple is made in classicism style from white stone. It was crowned with a gilded dome, decorated with columns and images of saints. There are also signs outside with the names of the commanders who contributed to the liberation of Pskov.

Great belfry

It is a snow-white rectangular building next to the Assumption Church, on the upper tiers of which there is a series of arches with bells inside. The stone structure was built at the beginning of the 16th century on the site of a wooden “predecessor”.

Today it houses a set of 17 bells - they were cast in the period of the 16th-19th centuries, but the date is not indicated on 8 bells. The set is one of the best in the entire Pskov region. The bells do not have names - only individual groups. The belfry is one of the largest in Russia.

Sacristy

Its second name is the Great Treasury or church treasury. It is almost impossible to determine the exact date of its construction: at first it was located in the Annunciation Refectory Church, then a separate building was built. Scientists date the construction to the 16th-18th centuries, most lean towards the end of the 17th century.

At the end of the 17th century, some kind of sacristy was on fire, but whether it was modern is unknown. The sacristy is located near the Sretensky Church. Today it houses a warehouse, a library and a warehouse of sacred objects: crosses, frames, vestments, utensils and gifts from the royal family.

Sretenskaya Church

It was built in the second half of the 19th century on the site of the monastery refectory of the first half of the 16th century and is adjacent to the sacristy on the west. Built in pseudo-Russian style, it has 3 domes; in the basement there is a reading room and a vegetable storehouse.

It is important to know: it is assumed that the reconstruction did not affect the main walls, that is, the ancient walls were preserved under the decorations.

It contains the icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed” and “Seeking the Lost”; in the 21st century the relics of St. Simeon were installed there.

Walls and towers

A defensive wall was built around the territory in the mid-16th century, when the Livonian War began. Today, 9 towers have been preserved, almost all of them are located on the banks of the ravine, but two, the Upper and Lower Grates, are at its bottom.

The Tower of the Upper Lattice is erected on a stream - it flows into the fortress. It housed 6 combat tiers, a patrol area and a guardhouse. This is the tallest tower: its size is 25 meters.

The Lower Lattice Tower has 4 tiers, with 7 loopholes on each. This made it possible to examine all the surroundings; from the third tier one could go out onto the fortress wall.

Holy springs

There are only 2 holy springs in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery:

1. St. Cornelius, killed by Ivan the Terrible. Located near the Sacristy;
2. Icons of the Mother of God Life-giving spring: this is an artesian stream. Located opposite the Annunciation Church, inside a small chapel.

Miraculous icons

Many shrines of the monastery were taken away by the occupiers during the Second World War, but, thanks to the efforts of Abbot Alypius, almost all of them were returned.

Interesting fact: Of the 566 items, 504 were returned, the rest were missing.

The main icons of the monastery are:

1. “The Assumption of the Mother of God”: it was written in the 20s of the 16th century and immediately became famous for miracles and healings. The year 1581 brought particular glory to the icon, when the Polish king Stefan Batory began a siege of the monastery. The siege, which lasted more than six months, ended with the retreat of the enemy. In gratitude for the rescue, Ivan the Terrible ordered a silver icon case to be made for the icon and overlaid with gold. Today the icon is in the Assumption Cave Church.
2. “Our Lady of Tenderness”: it was brought by Abbot Cornelius, the image itself was copied from the Our Lady of Vladimir. Along with the first icon, the image helped during the siege of the Pole Stefan, for which he was awarded expensive gifts from Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. Today, two copies (16th and 19th centuries) are kept in the Assumption Church.
3. “Nicholas the Wonderworker”: a copy of the icon of Nikolai Velikoretsky, painted by St. Cornelius in Moscow (16th century). Kept in the same cathedral.

Information for pilgrims and tourists

How to get there (from Pskov, Moscow and St. Petersburg)

Full address of the monastery: Pskov region, Pechory, Mezhdunarodnaya street, building 5. You can get there:

1. From Pskov - by regular bus. It runs from the bus station, travel time is 1-1.5 hours;
2. From Moscow to Pskov - by train (departure from Leningradsky Station) or by bus from the Tushinskaya bus station;
3. From St. Petersburg to Pskov - by train from the Baltic Station or by bus from the Pulkovskaya Inn Park.

The Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery in Pechory is one of the largest in Russia, located in a ravine near the Kamenets stream. It is more than five hundred years old, during which the monastery has never been closed.

From the history of the Pechersky Monastery in the Pskov region

Once upon a time, hermit monks lived in caves along the banks of the Kamenets stream, who fled to the north from the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols. Mention of these places dates back to 1392. and are called God-created caves. In 1473 The monastery cave-temple was illuminated. In 1558 Fortress walls with 10 towers were built around the monastery (9 have survived).

Legend of the monastery

Ivan the Terrible came to the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery to pray. Hegumen Cornelius, who headed the monastery at that time, decided to take advantage of the moment and asked permission from the sovereign to erect a fortress wall in Pechory around the monastery buildings. With all the generous royal soul, Ivan the Terrible gave the go-ahead, only the fortress had to be no larger than the skin of a bull. Cornelius realized, cut the ox skin into strips, stretched them around the perimeter of the monastery and built fortress walls along them (🙂). Seven years later, the sovereign father visited Pechory again. Seeing the large fortress, Ivan the Terrible became so angry that he cut off the head of Cornelius with a sword, who hospitably greeted the king at the gate with bread and salt. And the head of the abbot rolled down the slope. The sovereign immediately shuddered, realized what he had done, caught the body of Cornelius and carried it to the Assumption Church of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. This descent is now called the Bloody Path, or the Cornilievsky Path.

Complex of the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

Scheme from the monastery’s official website www.pskovo-pechersky-monastery.ru

The Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery includes:

1. Assumption Cave Church
2. Belfry
3. Sretensky Church
4. Intercession Church
5. St. Michael's Cathedral
6. Fraternal Corps
7. God-given caves
8. Lazarus Church
9. St. Nicholas Church
10. holy gate
11. Annunciation Church
12. Holy Mountain
13. Fortress walls with nine towers: Petrovskaya, Nikolskaya, “Lower Lattices” Tower, Blagoveshchenskaya, Izborskaya, Tararygina, “Upper Lattices” Tower, Taylovskaya, Prison. Once upon a time there was also Brusovaya.

There are also Life-Giving and Holy springs. The caves house a monastery necropolis.

Our photo walk through the complex of the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

The entrance to the monastery complex of the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechora Monastery is through the Holy Gates under the Petrovskaya Tower. On the right is the prison tower, on the left is Nikolskaya:

We immediately see St. Nicholas Church, adjacent to the tower of the same name:

It was here, under the arch of the St. Nicholas Church, that the murder of abbot Cornelius took place by Ivan the Terrible:

And here is the Bloody Path (Cornilius Path):

The fraternal corps of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery:

Life-giving source:

Staircase to St. Michael's Cathedral:

St. Michael's Church of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery from Assumption Square:

The Holy Spring and the Assumption Cave Church (it was closed for general cleaning - we didn’t get there, just like in the caves created by God):

Sretensky and Annunciation churches of the Holy Dormition Monastery:

Belfry:

Now let’s look at the fortress wall and towers of the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. Petrovskaya and prison towers:

St. Michael's Cathedral:

Taylovskaya (the largest), Tower of the “Upper Lattices” (the highest - 25 m), Tararygina:

Izborsk tower and milestone:

Annunciation Tower:

Tower of the “Lower Grids”, behind it the Holy Mountain:

Fancy weather vanes:

There are a lot of beggars in the area around the monastery, so be prepared - you will be attacked, for example, this alcodama (bottom left) against the backdrop of the Varvarinskaya Church in front of the entrance to the complex:

Nearby is a monument to Abbot Cornelius:

In Pechory there is also the Lutheran Church of St. Peter:

How to get to the Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery

You can get to the Pechersky Monastery in the city of Pechory from the city of Pskov: follow the E-77 (A-212) highway in the direction of Estonia for 32 km, after Izborsk, follow the sign, turn right and drive another 23 km to the city of Pechory, where you continue drive along the main street until you see the golden domes of the temples.

Address: 181500 Pskov region, Pechory, st. International d.5.

GPS coordinates: 57.80988, 27.61456.

Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery on the map of the Pskov region:

A visit to the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery can be combined with a visit to the Izborsk Fortress and.

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