Valdai Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Orthodox Monastery: pages of history. Iversky Valdai Monastery Valdai Iversky Monastery history

Iversky Monastery (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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The main Orthodox attraction of Valdai - the Iversky Monastery - is located on the Selvitsky Island of the Valdai Lake. The monastery was founded in the middle of the 17th century in the likeness of a monastery on Mount Athos.

Today, the Assumption Cathedral is located on the territory of the Valdai Iversky Monastery. Holy Mother of God, Epiphany Church, several Gate Churches, a chapel with a tomb, a Pilgrimage Center, as well as economic and administrative buildings.

The Iversky Monastery is open for visits from 6:00 to 21:00. For tourists and pilgrims, the staff of the monastery conducts daily excursions. True, you need to pre-register by phone and indicate the number of people in your tour group. In the Iversky Monastery, tourists are provided with accommodation in the guest building (with overnight stay and meals), but these issues should also be agreed with the Pilgrimage Center.

You can get to the island where the Iversky Monastery is located by boat. It runs daily: on weekdays, the ship "Zarya-211" departs from the Valdai pier at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00, on Saturday and Sunday - at 9:00. A ticket for the ship costs 100 RUB.

After visiting the Iversky Monastery, you can go for a walk along the Valdai Lake on the same boat.

The ride lasts about an hour (departure from the island at 17:00) and costs only 250 RUB.

Prices on the page are for November 2019.

Milestones of construction: the Russian prototype of the Greek Iveron

The idea of ​​building an Orthodox monastery, which would be a kind of copy of the Iberian monastery on Athos, came to Nikon immediately after ascending to the patriarchal throne. According to the patriarch, during a trip to Solovki, he had a divine vision, which pointed to Valdai Lake as the future location of the monastery.

Funds for the construction were allocated from the state treasury, and in the summer of 1653 the foundation stone of the future monastery was laid on Valdai Lake. By autumn, two wooden churches had grown on Selvitz Island, and a year later the patriarch himself visited the construction site. According to legend, here Nikon for the second time had a divine vision, which was a pillar of fire. After this event, the patriarch decided to consecrate Valdai Lake by placing the Gospel and the cross on its bottom.

In 1655, the brethren of the Orsha Monastery settled in the monastery, bringing with them the traditions of printing and bookbinding. And almost 12 months later, the last building of the Valdai Iversky Monastery was erected - main temple monastery, Assumption Cathedral.

History of the Valdai Iversky Monastery: from the 18th century to the present day

From the beginning of the 18th century, the Iberian Monastery in Valdai gradually lost its significance, and already in 1712 the monastery was merged with the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra, which was just beginning to be built.

In 1764, in order to increase revenues to the state treasury, Catherine II signed the Manifesto on Secularization. According to this document, the land allotments of Orthodox churches and monasteries were seized, and 20 monasteries, including Iversky, were completely removed from state support. However, despite the official abolition, life in the Valdai monastery was still glimmering.

Real trials awaited the monastery after the Great October Revolution. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the local inhabitants had to share their already meager supplies with endless food detachments. In 1919 the monastery was declared a labor artel. About 200 hectares of the monastery's lands were cultivated by monks and novices, who were listed in official documents as workers of the artel. In 1927, a commission from the commissariat of agriculture decided that the monastery workers were paying too much attention to worship, as a result of which the artel was completely liquidated. Under the guise and confusion, the commissars removed from the monastery the image of the Iveron Mother of God - the main shrine of the monastery church. Now its place is occupied by a copy of the sacred image, made in the middle of the 19th century.

Until 1991, the premises of the Valdai Iversky Monastery were occupied by organizations of various profiles. Local history museums and workshops were also located here. At one time, a nursing home operated on the territory of the monastery, which was replaced by a special school for children with tuberculosis, and then a camp site.

In the 90s, the Valdai Iversky Monastery was again returned to the Novgorod diocese. By that time, almost all of its buildings were in a frankly deplorable state, so the monastery was to undergo a grandiose restoration. During the last stage of reconstruction and restoration work, the Assumption Cathedral acquired gilded domes, and its walls were again covered with elegant frescoes.

Today, among the restored buildings of the Valdai Iversky Monastery, the most original and interesting from a historical point of view are:

• Assumption Cathedral;
• Gate Church of Philip Metropolitan of Moscow
• gate temple of the Archangel of God Michael;
• Church of the Epiphany with a refectory;
• Church of Iakov Borovichsky;
• Viceroyal Corps;
• Hip bell tower;
• Treasury Corps;
• Fraternal Corps;
• Seating, Hospice and Stable buildings;
• stone fence;
• Nicholas tower;
• chapel.

Iversky Bogoroditsky Monastery in Valdai: how to get there and what to be prepared for

You can visit the Valdai Iversky Monastery both as part of pilgrimage groups, and on your own, for example, by joining one of the tourist groups. To enter the territory of the monastery as a pilgrim, you will first have to receive a blessing for the trip from the rector of your temple, or in the diocese to which your church belongs. It is better to plan a trip in advance, as rooms in the monastery hotel are booked at least a month before arrival.

Being within the walls of the monastery, it is very important to understand the specifics of this place, and also, if possible, try not to violate the strict internal routine. If you decide to stay in a hotel on the territory of the monastery, then get ready to observe the monastic regime and do not discredit yourself with all sorts of delays (for a meal or a church service).

Be careful with your wardrobe choices. Exclude from it jeans, mini-skirts, shorts, as well as blouses with a frank neckline and other immodest things. Women and girls should take scarves or scarves with them to cover their hair, since usually its inhabitants (monks, novices) conduct excursion activities in the monastery. Well, for those who still forgot to take proper clothes with them, the monastery shop will help out, where you can buy modest scarves and skirts.

What to see and visit during the tour

There are several active churches on the territory of the Valdai Iversky Monastery, the main of which is the Assumption Cathedral. The construction was the first stone building of the monastery, erected in 1656 on the highest part of the island. They usually visit the church because of the unique frescoes of the 19th century, partly preserved and partly restored already in the early 2000s. The cathedral has five gilded domes (a total of about 3,000 gold plates were used to cover the domes) and is a striking example of temple architecture typical of the Nikonian period of construction.

The first stone building built after the Assumption Cathedral was the Church of the Epiphany, connected to the refectory. The architect Averky Mokeev, who had already managed to build the Assumption Cathedral, worked on the drawings of the building. The spacious and bright refectory hall, located on a high foundation, was skillfully “poured” into the wall Church of the Epiphany, forming an original architectural complex. By the way, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was in the Church of the Epiphany that the first services were held.

Another active monastery church is the Church of the Archangel Michael of God. The structure is distinguished by its relatively laconic appearance: galleries surround the single-domed, pillarless structure on three sides. During the Great Patriotic War a military hospital was organized in it, as a result, most of the interior decoration and painting disappeared without a trace, and the premises themselves were very dilapidated. Restoration in 2007 somewhat improved the condition of the building, making it, if not ideal, then relatively satisfactory.

Against the background of other temples of the Valdai Iversky Monastery, the architectural appearance of the Church of Jacob Borovichi stands out noticeably. The unusual appearance is explained by the fact that the original temple was destroyed in a fire in 1700, and only a couple of years later a new stone structure grew on the site of the fire. A small square building with a round apse contained not only a temple, but also a refectory, as well as hospital wards. Over time, the building grew somewhat and acquired a second floor.

In the western wing of the monastery wall there is the gate church of Philip the Metropolitan of Moscow. This temple is the first to meet pilgrims, as it is located directly above the main gate of the monastery.

The Iversky Monastery also has its own museum, the first floor of which is occupied by a monastery shop and a dressing room. Here, everyone can purchase spiritual literature, icons and some products created by the hands of the monastery inhabitants. Climbing the stairs leading to the second and third floors of the building, you can get a closer look at the life of the main reformer Orthodox Church, Patriarch Nikon, to see household items of the monastery brethren, reproductions of icons and photographic documents.

Those who come to the monastery in order to strengthen their faith can attend daily services, perform the sacrament of baptism or wedding, order an absentee funeral or memorial service. Like excursions, they can be ordered at the church shop or by mail along with a cash donation (applications for commemoration are not accepted via the Internet).

Divine services in the monastery churches are held daily from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00. On Saturday-Sunday, as well as on holidays - from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00.

Visitors are also given the opportunity to venerate the holy relics. By the way, in the Iberian monastery there are 103 fragments of sacred relics, including particles of stone from the Holy Sepulcher, as well as a piece of the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross.

How to get there

Iversky Monastery is located 10 km from the city of Valdai, which in turn is located on the 386th kilometer of the M10 highway, Moscow - St. Petersburg. You can get here by bus or by train Pskov - Moscow. You can get to the monastery from the city by water: daily the motor ship Zarya-211 runs between the Valdai pier and Selvitsky Island. The second, no less convenient option is a local taxi, which will take you over the road bridge to Ryabinovy ​​Island, and from there, over another bridge, to Selvitsky Island.

Valdai Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Orthodox monastery, located on the Selvitsky (Ryabinov) island of Valdai Lake, became in the 17th century one of those that were founded after a half-century break caused by the hardships of the Time of Troubles.

View of the Iversky Monastery from the South Gate. 2013

The creation of the monastery was preceded by truly providential events and, undoubtedly, influenced not only the fate of the monastery itself, but also the course of Russian history, the fate of the Russian Orthodox and universal church.

On the example of the monastery, the process of uniting the primordially united Orthodox peoples who lived in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine is most clearly presented. The Iberian Monastery gave unique examples of not just living together, but also the amazing co-creation of Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian masters, laymen and monks. The monastery was the first (and later two more monasteries created by the patriarch: the New Jerusalem and the Cross monasteries) showed that the Third Rome was not a pure theory, but a concrete act. In the 17th century, on Russian soil, it was created by His Holiness Patriarch Nikon, who collected and succeeded Orthodox strength and the holiness of Greece, Palestine, Constantinople, concentrating them in specially marked, sacred places Russia. Moreover, the first such point was marked on the most ancient Russian land - Novgorod, in Valdai.

It should be noted that at all times our people clearly understood why on the most powerful tower of the Iberian monastery, Nikonovskaya, something was built that cannot be found anywhere else in Russia - a single-headed gilded eagle, which here is not a heraldic symbol or a sign of foreign statehood. Nikon's enemies saw in this eagle a claim to the sole power of the church and the patriarch in Russia and made reproaches to the Holy One, why, they say, this eagle is single-headed, and not double-headed, which it has always been in Russia. The double-headed eagle meant the unity of the state and the church, the authorities of the worldly (sovereign) and spiritual (patriarch). And if in the patriarchal Iberian monastery the eagle was single-headed, they believed in Nikon's opposition, then Nikon excludes one of the branches of power from the essence of Russian life, and, obviously, excludes royal, autocratic power. Others, also disagreeing with the saint, saw in the single-headed eagle a symbol of the Polish-Lithuanian state and noted this as a sign of treason, especially since at that time there was a war with Poland. The patriarch blessed the tsar for the Polish campaign, and he himself raised the Polish symbol over his monastery and the Valdai royal palace possessions. Yes, in addition, he brought captive Poles and "refugees from the Polish border" to Valdai, whom he made the core of the monastic brethren.

Indeed, “from beyond the Polish border” many came to Valdai, to the Russian Patriarch for protection, “coming from under the Poles”, becoming refugees, so as not to “stand under the Uniyats”. These were the most steadfast and sincere Orthodox Christians of Belarus and other neighboring lands. Their appearance in Valdai was very important in the arrangement of the new monastery, it was important for strengthening it with well-established, praying shrines, it was important for the spiritual strengthening of the elders who had extensive monastic experience. At the same time, the single-headed eagle was a sign of the unification of Orthodoxy into a single force - the Third Rome. It is also noteworthy that the Iberian monastery was founded exactly 200 years after the fall of the Second Rome, Byzantium, inheriting its tradition of gathering around itself Orthodox world, which was emphasized by the top of the Nikon tower. Traditions claimed that as long as the Nikon Tower holds a single-headed eagle above it, until then Orthodoxy will be strong in the world, Orthodox states and peoples will be strong.

The book of the Iberian press, which tells about the history of the creation of the monastery, is called symbolically - "Paradise of the Mind". The book includes materials written by His Holiness Patriarch Nikon himself, for whom the theme of heaven on earth was very important. The patriarch directly points to the similarity of this place to paradise. And the point is not only in the God-given beauty of Valdai, but also in the power of grace, which does not let go of itself: If anyone does not want to believe this, let him tempt with things: I remember the grace of God and I’m tempted to know the kindness of places for monastic cohabitation, but nowhere is such a red sight; If someone would by skill desire to see that holy place temporarily, I think that no one will desire to leave it forever” 1 .

Small Synodicon of the Iversky Monastery. XVII-XVIII centuries. Museum of the county town. Valdai

Nikon saw these places earlier, when he was Metropolitan of Novgorod. Even then, he realized that Valdai was for monastic life fits like no other place. Soon, the thoughts about the need to mark these places as a monastery were strengthened by several circumstances at once.

In 1652, in accordance with the conciliar decision and the will of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod went to the Solovetsky Monastery to transfer to Moscow the relics of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia. The saint suffered during the reign of Ivan the Terrible for denouncing the royal iniquities and cruelties. In a special letter of repentance, compiled on the model of a letter written to St. John Chrysostom, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (largely according to Nikon's teaching) repented for his "great-grandfather" John Vasilyevich, recognized the guilt of the tsar and expressed respect for the martyrdom of the saint. Nikon read the royal letter before the tomb of St. Philip and offered repentance on behalf of the king for the iniquity of his ancestor. Metropolitan Nikon with a solemn procession returned with the relics of St. Philip, who performed many miracles and healings, to Moscow. On the way, in a dream vision, the slain Saint Philip appeared to him and blessed his intention to build a monastery in Valdai, “contributing and strengthening for this good deed” 2 .

Then Nikon made a vow to St. Philip to fulfill his dream vision and to build a monastery on the Valdai "foretold island" 3 .

In the spring of 1652, when Nikon was on a Solovki trip, Patriarch Joseph reposed. Upon Nikon's return with the relics of St. Philip to Moscow, the primatial rank 5 passed to him, "former elevated to the highest and great throne" 4 .

At the beginning of July 1653, on the anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Philip, during the all-night vigil, Patriarch Nikon again clearly presented how he received the blessing of the great hierarch for the construction of the Valdai monastery. And then Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich “prayed prudently” to help fulfill the promise. The sovereign approved the intention of his "common friend" and granted his palace lands in the region of Valdai 6 for the establishment of the monastery.

Iberian Monastery. Engraving by A. Stepanov based on a drawing by A. Makushev. 1824. Museum of the county town. Valdai

The Patriarch gives his blessing to deal with the affairs of the new monastery, Archimandrite of the Novgorod Holy Spirit Monastery Jacob, known to Nikon as a “skillful master” 7 , and already in August 1653 he writes him orders to prepare everything necessary for the future monastery 8 .

At the same time, the patriarch sends craftsmen to Valdai, "the masters of the structure" in order to choose a place "to create a monastery."

“They walked and walked a lot and looked everywhere: and having found a single island among others, it’s not very big, but it’s very red and surrounded by fishing: and having come announcing me about the holy place, I commanded the forest to visit it, it’s already over the summer the transient and the present and winter approaching…” 9 Masters not only chose a place, but also made a plan of the island and future buildings on it. In September 1653/54 10, both Patriarch Nikon and Archimandrite Jacob had this plan. His Holiness sends a letter to Valdai, in which he blesses the construction of the Iversky Monastery, and sends from Moscow the Iberian icon and many things necessary for "church needs" 11 .

This blessed patriarchal letter emphasizes that “the Most Holy Theotokos and the miracle-worker Philip deigned to be a monastery in that place” 12 .

According to a legend that has existed in Valdai for many centuries, on one elevated place of Ryabinovy ​​Island, when approaching the present monastery, the Holy Mother of God appeared to the founders of the monastery and indicated exactly where to build the monastery. This place is still revered by pilgrims today and is called the Mother of God Hill.

Icon of St. James of Borovichi and St. Tikhon with the Iberian Icon. Beginning of the XX century. Museum of the county town. Valdai

In a letter given in 1654 by Patriarch Nikon to Archimandrite Dionysius, it is written that the island is not only very beautiful, but also “for the cohabitation of monastic life”, and also “it is very necessary for the monastery building” 13.

Iberian construction begins with the erection of temporary wooden buildings and the request of the most holy one so that only "not to belittle the monastery" 14 .

Vasily Naumov 15, an apprentice stone worker who arrived from Moscow in September 1653/54, plans to place the original wooden buildings in such a way that they do not interfere with future stone construction.

In October 1653/54, the monastery was given a blessed letter from Metropolitan Macarius of Novgorod for the construction of a wooden cathedral church in the name of the Most Pure Mother of God of Iver and a wooden church with a warm meal (the word “refectory” is now more commonly used) in the name of the miracle worker Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia 16 . In mid-October 1653/54, the cold collegiate church was ready. For this purpose, a wooden temple was brought from the village of Edrovo 17 . This was done not only “for the sake of haste”, but also on the basis of the established tradition to establish an old church in a new place, transferring the grace of Orthodoxy.

They hurried with the construction of the temple in order to have time to complete it before the onset of winter cold. Seeing the picture of construction, the patriarch worries: “It would be nice to add more space for the monastery, so that it would be more spacious for every measure” 18 . Nikon makes a "scale painting" for the temple - about 10 sazhens, determining to build it "on basements with porches", following the model of the Novgorod Kirillov or Solovetsky monasteries 19 .

Cathedral in honor of the Iberian Icon Mother of God(1655–1656), the bell tower of the monastery (1680s) and the Ritual Court of the 17th century. 2015

In order to speed up the construction, it was ordered to completely prepare the logs for construction right in the forest, collecting them into mansions and transporting ready-made cells "along the winter path" to the monastery.

The first monastery church was completed in October 1653/54, and the porches around it were added later, in April 1654 20 . For this church, in September 1653/54, all the necessary “church utensils” 21 were delivered from Moscow, in which the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God occupied a special place - an exact list of the miraculous image on a cypress board, overlaid with a gold setting with precious stones, sent earlier by Archimandrite of the Iberian Monastery on Athos Pachomius at the request of the then Archimandrite Novospassky Monastery, the future Patriarch Nikon.

The royal gates were also delivered, “lined with camphor silver” 22 . Already in March 1654 they were replaced by new ones lined with gilded copper 23 . The Basma gates were transferred to the refectory church, where they existed at the beginning of the 20th century, being in the church in the name of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles 24 .

The biggest event of the beginning period of the construction of the monastery and the Iberian temple was the transfer of holy relics to Valdai.

On February 25, 1654, Patriarch Nikon arrived at the Iberian Monastery. By this time, a silver-gilded reliquary had been arranged with his care. His Holiness himself transferred from the old dilapidated shrine to new power the holy righteous Jacob of Borovichi, just delivered from Borovichi to the Iberian Monastery. The reliquary was installed in a specially designated place for it in a wooden cathedral church 25 . The transfer of the relics of the Monk Jacob, as a shrine highly revered locally, regionally, as well as particles of the relics of all-Russian saints, primarily the Moscow hierarchs Peter, Alexy, Jonah, Philip, was undertaken with the aim of glorifying, and most importantly, establishing the new monastery, whose Christian power is now prayerfully preserved by these holy prayers, who became the heavenly patrons of the Iberian Monastery. At that time, as the patriarch himself writes, there were 52 inhabitants in the monastery - 26 monks and the same number of novices 26 .

Window of the Rector's building (2nd half of the 17th century), decorated with glazed tiles. 2015

His Holiness bakes a lot “for the sake of brotherly peace” 27, constantly repeating: “For God’s sake, be merciful to the brothers, and to the peasants, and to all who live in that holy monastery” 28, “and for the brethren, for God’s sake, take care and rest, as if their relatives' children" 29 . The names of the first Iberian tonsurers are known: Diodorus (in the world Dmitry) and Varukh (in the world Vladimir). They were sent by the patriarch to be tonsured at the Iberian Monastery in September 1653/54 30 .

In a letter sent by Metropolitan Macarius of Novgorod to the Iversky Monastery in October 1653/54, the order and sequence of the consecration of the first monastery churches were described 31 . Since the consecration of the Church of the Most Holy Mother of God of Iberia, Vladyka has blessed “vespers and matins, and masses to serve for six weeks on all days, without translation” 32 . It is proposed to consecrate the church of St. Philip with a meal in the same way, but not simultaneously with the cathedral church, but no less than six weeks after the consecration of the first church, so that it would not be a day “without singing” and that services at that time would take place only in it .

Having approved Orthodox prayer Iberian Cathedral Church, after a few months of winter cold, a refectory church was also laid. The antimension was given to him by Metropolitan Macarius back in October 1653/54, simultaneously with the antimension for the Church of the Iberian Mother of God.

According to the vow given during the Solovetsky trip, the patriarch consecrates the refectory church in the name of St. Philip 33 . The construction was carried out in the spring of 1654: “And you would cut a meal against our previous decree, what kind of drawing was given to you; and you would be ordered to make the ceiling lamellar, instead of a ceiling; but to chop the meal together with the church, and not chop it to the old church” 34 . The same patriarchal charter determined the need to make a porch near the cathedral church and transitions from it to the refectory chamber, as well as to build a new large bread-box 35 .

In October 1653/54, the patriarch informs the monastery: “And the sovereign tsar and empress empress favor, they have great faith in the house of the Most Holy Theotokos, and their sovereigns have many mercy, and henceforth they promised to keep faith and mercy” 36. And in fact, on December 8, 1653/54, a royal refusal letter was signed on the assignment to the Iversky Monastery of several rows in the region of Novgorod, Borovichi, Vyshny Volochok, Ostashkov, as well as the Borovichsky Yakovlevsky Monastery 37 . In March 1654, the sovereign transferred to the monastery an even greater number of estates, including the village of Valdai, which he renamed Bogoroditino 38 .

Burials behind the main cathedral of the Iversky Monastery. Photo from the beginning of the 20th century. Museum of the county town. Valdai

Materials for the Iberian construction were procured within the confines of the monastery. Already in the autumn of 1653 - in the winter of 1654, material was being prepared not only for wooden buildings being built in the most urgent manner, necessary for housing and services, but also for future stone construction 39 .

By the spring of 1655, everything was ready for this. Masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, tinkers came to the Selvitsky Island of Valdai Lake from all regions of Russia ... But master Vasily Naumov was not among those who came to the Iberian construction site at that crucial moment.

Many circumstances, including the pestilence of 1654-1655, made adjustments to Nikon's plans and the course of construction. It was at this time that the name of the apprentice stoneworker V. Naumov disappeared from the monastery documents (possibly, he died from a “deadly ulcer”), and in May 1655, an apprentice stoneworker from Kalyazin, Averky Mokeev, appeared at the construction site.

In 1654-1655, in the Kalyazinsky Trinity-Makarevsky Monastery, the patriarch sheltered the royal family from the epidemic. The sovereign was very grateful to him: “greater than before ... he began to repay with his royal love” 40 . At this time, the grateful Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was signing en masse letters of commendation to the patriarch for the Iversky Monastery 41 .

The oak gates of the Iversky Cathedral are a preserved detail of the original decoration (2nd half of the 17th century). 2015

In Kalyazin, Patriarch Nikon met Averky Mokeev, an apprentice stone worker, taking him to his Valdai construction site. His Holiness demanded from the monastic authorities "to do stone work according to the old salary" 42 . But the subtleties of the originality of the construction project, conceived and embodied in architectural plans and models by another master, Mokeev had to constantly explain. And this was most often done by the patriarch himself.

A huge role in organizing the construction process was played by the patriarchal bailiff boyar son Artemy Tokmachev. The archimandrites, governors, treasurers and craftsmen changed, but it is important that during the entire patriarchal period there was always a person at the monastery who knew the history of architectural designs, the course of construction, the intricacies of crafts and was able to negotiate with the saint, and with the brethren, and "with working people." The patriarch composed the so-called "mandatory memory" for A. Tokmachev, which he dutifully executed, trying to "take care of the stone structure" 43 .

The main monastery church was built in two construction seasons. Apprentice stonemason A. Mokeev, masons and bricklayers left Valdai for the off-season. A few masons remained "for the sake of making bells for shoes" 44 , i.e. help in creating a brick core and a clay casing for a grandiose bell, conceived by Patriarch Nikon. The chief evangelist of the Iversky Monastery cast in September 1656/57, the sovereign master Alexander Grigoriev 45 . In September-October, when the bricklayers had already left the construction site, the carpenters were covering up the cathedral roof, placing wooden domes over the side porches, and the silversmiths were preparing temple crosses 46 .

In the report for the season of 1656, A. Tokmachev reports that in addition to the main temple, 7 new cells, 12 warm huts were built, work is underway to build powerful wooden walls with 10 towers and 4 gates. In addition, during this season, 730,740 bricks were made, almost all of which went to the construction of the cathedral, as well as cell ovens and "kilns for bell making" 47 .

On August 15, 1656, the still unfinished cathedral was consecrated by the rite of small consecration by Patriarch Macarius of Antioch, who arrived at the monastery. Paul of Aleppo, who was present at this event, describes a rare procedure for laying the thrones of the temple and gives one of the first descriptions of the monastery 48 .

Domes of the Iversky Cathedral. 2015

The solemn consecration of the temple took place on December 16, 1656/57 in the presence of holy patriarch Nikon, who was co-served by Metropolitan Macarius of Novgorod, Metropolitan Pitirim of Krutitsy, Archbishop Lavrenty of Tver and other archimandrites, abbots, and priests.

The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, placed in a cypress case, was installed in the cathedral iconostasis on the left side of the royal doors, as the main temple icon 49 .

Paul of Aleppo wrote: “The icon is beyond any surprise, it strikes the eyes and mind of the viewer: there is no one like it even in the treasuries of the king, nor in his churches…” 50

Among the events that preceded the celebrations of the glorification of the Iberian Icon and the consecration of the main temple of the monastery, the resettlement in 1655 to Valdai from Belarus of the inhabitants of the Kuteinsky Orsha Epiphany Monastery and members of the Kuteinsky Brotherhood at this monastery was important. Their arrival in the Iversky Monastery largely determined its further development.

Belarusian monks went to Russia under the leadership of the recognized and revered elder Joel, who founded and equipped a number of Orthodox monasteries, which were destined to become a stronghold of Orthodoxy in Belarus and Lithuania. Elder Joel himself departed to another world on the way to Valdai, bequeathing to bury him in the Iberian monastery intended for him to live. He wished "even after his death to maintain extreme obedience to the great archpastor" 51 .

Carved columns of the gates of the Iberian Cathedral. 2015

Here it is necessary to deviate from the chronology and talk about the Iversky necropolis. Thoughts about its creation in the main temple of the Iversky Monastery and near its altar were indicated by Patriarch Nikon already at the very beginning of construction.

The idea of ​​death as a new birth for the Kingdom of Heaven, which is very important for the Christian worldview, is already emphasized by the very location of the burial places - in the eastern part of the monastery: as in the City of the Lord - the graves are in the east, where the gardens are. On the Valdai Iver, the image of the Garden of Eden, Vertograd, Paradise on Earth, arranged behind the main temple (to the east of it), is combined with the place where the Iberian inhabitants and monastic guardians from the laity are buried forever.

The abbots of the monastery were buried inside the temple, and this is seen as the continuity of the ancient Christian tradition, reminiscent of the fact that the physical end of a person's life is a transition to another world. And it is the Church that ensures this transition, linking the worlds below and above. The resting places in the temple and near it provide an opportunity to give a constant prayerful commemoration, thereby appealing to God's intercession for these departed.

The chronological framework of the Iversky necropolis can be traced from 1655 to 2012.

The very first temple burial was the burial of Igumen of the Epiphany Kuteinsky Monastery Joel Trutsevich in the spring of 1655. He created and equipped the stronghold of Orthodoxy in Belarus and Lithuania 52 . Under his control was not only Kuteinsky, but also other monasteries, including Buynitsky Holy Spirits. Hegumen Joel transfers the inhabitants and members of the brotherhood formed at the Kuteinsky and Buynitsky monasteries to Valdai 53 . It should be noted that the temples at the refectory chamber of the Iversky Monastery were consecrated in the same name as the main thrones of these monasteries: the Church of the Epiphany and the Holy Spirit Church, in which icons, church utensils, vestments, books brought by Belarusians from their churches to Valdai were gracefully arranged.

The Royal Gates and a fragment of the iconostasis of the Iberian Cathedral. 2015

Hegumen Joel happened to keep piety in White Russia and, saving him, lead his monks out of the oppression of the Uniates to Russia, to Patriarch Nikon in the monastery.

The abbot did not reach the Valdai Monastery, having departed to the Lord on the road, in the town of Boldino, but he bequeathed to rest in the Iberian Monastery.

In 1656, in his efforts to consecrate the main Iberian church, his saint made a special point to indicate the need to solemnly remove the temple grave of hegumen Joel, who was buried behind a high place in the eastern part of the porch 54 . And at the beginning of the 20th century, a slab with an inscription worn away from time at the place of his burial was a special relic of the Iberian monastery 55 .

In the monastery sacristy, and then in the Nikon Museum, an iron paraman with a cross worn by Abbot Joel 56 was reverently kept.

Soon, his disciples and associates, who became Iberian archimandrites in the 17th century, were buried next to Abbot Joel in the porch of the temple. Let's name them.

Archimandrite Dionysius II - from the governors of the Kuteinsky monastery, the successor of hegumen Joel. He ruled the Iberian monastery from March 1655 in the rank of hegumen 58 , and in August 1655 he was consecrated archimandrite by His Holiness Patriarch Nikon 59 . In February 1658, he beat the patriarch with his forehead, asking him to dismiss him, due to old age and infirmity, from the archimandrite. His Holiness gave his blessing to remain in the archimandrite “until… God is pleased to live,” with the release of old age from church services and rules 60 . On August 26, 1658, Archimandrite Dionisy reposed blissfully 61 .

Church of Michael the Archangel (1683–1685) above the inner monastery gates. 2015

Archimandrite Joseph I was a short term archimandrite; having retired, he died on April 6, 1660 62.

Even under Archimandrite Dionysius II, Hieromonk Filofey 63 was the governor of the Iberian monastery. He was consecrated to archimandrite by His Holiness Patriarch Nikon in 1658/59. He died on April 18, 1669 and was buried in the Iberian Church 65 .

Painting of the Iversky Cathedral. Restoration of the beginning of the XXI century. 2015

In 1669, the former abbot of the Buinitsky monastery Theodosius was promoted to Iberian archimandrite. In the table charter given to him by Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod, it is said: “It is fitting for such a pastor to be God-loving and human-loving, and church fulfillment without laziness to be diligent, meek and humble, sober and chaste, govein, hospitable and instructive, not a drunkard, not quarrelsome and not a crook, a watcher, not an envious, not a lover of money ... take care of those who are under him, and drive mental wolves away from the flock of divine words and prophetic and apostolic and fatherly traditions with slings, and act all divine and sacred rites ... ”66 Archimandrite Theodosius died, at rest , October 18, 1672 67 .

As early as May 1672, another archimandrite, 68 the successor of Father Theodosius, was in the Iversky Monastery, a former for a long time abbot of Iversky - Father Evmeny, who died on July 19, 1681 and was buried in the cathedral church 69 .

Archimandrite Zosima, one of the governors of Iberian, after the death of his father Evmeny, was elected from among the brethren according to the Kuteinsky charter, and was not an archimandrite for long. Reposed in 1682 70 .

In monastic documents for August 1682, Joseph II is mentioned as an archimandrite 71 . He rested on January 6, 1692 72 .

In connection with the death of Archimandrite Joseph II, the brethren appeal to Patriarch Adrian with a request to bless Hieromonk Theognostus, a tonsured Iberian, chosen from among them according to the ancient Kutein rank 73 . Chosen in this way, Archimandrite Theognost died on October 28, 1693, and was laid to rest in church 74.

On the bell tower of the Iversky Monastery (2nd half of the 17th century.). 2015

Probably, archimandrites Benjamin I, Filaret, Seraphim, Avraamy, Triphyllius 75, who ruled the monastery in the first half of the 18th century, were buried in the Iberian Church, but no documentary evidence of this was found.

Archimandrite Abraham, who was transferred to Iver from the Paleostrovsky Monastery in 1733, left a special mark on the history of the monastery. He managed the Iversky Monastery until 1747. Under him, the monastery received complete independence from the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, carried out active construction activities, the arrangement of temples and their shrines, pilgrimage buildings, outbuildings. In 1742, Archbishop Ambrose of Novgorod and Velikolutsk awarded Archimandrite Avraamy with a silver gilded pectoral cross with particles of holy relics for his efforts in furnishing the Iversky Monastery.

The burials of the abbots of the Iversky monastery of the 19th century are known:

Veniamin II (Zhukov), in the monastery since 1809, from the archimandrites of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (+ May 14, 1811) 76 ; Gerasim (Gaidukova), in the monastery since 1822, from the archimandrites of the Vyazhishchi monastery and the stewards of the Novgorod Bishop's House (+ February 25, 1829) 77 ; Innokenty II (Areshnikov), in the monastery since 1840, from the archimandrites of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (+ September 28, 1847) 78 ; Lawrence (Makarov), in the monastery since 1854, from the abbots of the Kiev-Vydubitsky monastery (+ July 2, 1876) 79 .

A description of the burial place of Archimandrite Lavrenty has been preserved. It was located in the western part of the cathedral porch, to the left of the entrance to the temple, and was marked with a marble slab and an icon of the heavenly patron archimandrite with the image of the holy archdeacon Lawrence. This image was placed in a marble frame along with a maternal blessing - the icon of the Akhtyrskaya Mother of God, with which Archimandrite Lavrenty never parted. Over the place of his repose, lovingly arranged by his spiritual children, an unquenchable lamp burned 80 . Everyone who entered the temple prayerfully commemorated Father Lavrenty, beloved by everyone and who took great care of the monastery.

Unfortunately, the tombstones over the graves of the abbots of the Iversky monastery in the porch of the temple have not been preserved. Information about burials was obtained from written sources.

Silhouette of an angel with a pipe on the spire of the Skitskaya tower of the 18th century. Photo by M.V. Nashchokina. 2014

Now a place is being arranged for the Iberian necropolis in the monastery garden, behind the cathedral, fragments of tombstones found in recent times on the territory of the monastery. In the Soviet years, the necropolis was destroyed. But out of the many destroyed graves, two mundane burials miraculously survived, made in the 1860-1870s with the blessing of Archimandrite Lavrenty: I.V. Kopylov-Orlov and the Panaev family 81 . Since these are the only surviving old burials, we will describe them in detail.

Ilya Vasilievich Kopylov-Orlov (1795–1862) 82 was buried in the southeastern part of the Iversky Monastery, behind the altar of the main cathedral, in August 1862. In September 1863, through the efforts of Archimandrite Lavrenty, a monument was erected on his grave, ordered by the widow of Kopylov-Orlov, Praskovya Ivanovna. In the summer of 1863, she lived at the invitation of her spiritual mentor, Fr. Lawrence on the Iver 83. The monument to the anniversary of the death of Ilya Vasilyevich, which fell on August 20, 1863, was not yet ready.

In a letter to Praskovya Ivanovna dated September 13, 1863, Archimandrite Lavrenty writes: “The monument that lay like a stone on your heart is now splendidly flaunting in its place, day and night visible from my windows. Your poetic, Christian idea has been fulfilled, for your patience it is completely satisfactory in my opinion ... "84

The monument was a dark granite lectern covered with a white marble shroud with gilded fringes. On the lectern lay an open Gospel with the text: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." A gilded cross 85 rose above the lectern. During the Soviet years, the golden fringe, the cross and the Gospel were lost. The sketch of the monument was prepared by the actor I.I. Sosnitsky.

On the south side of the lectern is engraved: “Ilya Vasilyevich Kopylov-Orlov. He died on August 20, 1862, in the 70th year. On the east side epitaph:

Lord, at that hour when the trumpet
Doomsday will sound,
Accept the deceased slave
To their blessed villages 86 .

I.V. Kopylov-Orlov was an actor in the Alexandrinsky (1825–1828) and Maly (1828–1848) theaters, worked in Odessa, Kyiv, Kaluga, Serpukhov and other places87. He was a nobleman, which is quite rare in an acting environment, he was brought up in the Mining Corps 88.

In 1835, at the age of 42, he married 19-year-old actress Praskovya Kulikova, a graduate of the Moscow Theater School, who had been playing at the Maly Theater since the age of 15.

Ilya Vasilyevich's unbalance, irascibility, habit of subordinating everyone to his desires made, in the end, their marriage impossible 89 . Having lived together under the same roof (both home and stage) for 16 years, they broke up, officially continuing to be considered spouses.

Archimandrite Lavrenty, calling Praskovya Ivanovna "a bird in the sky", encourages her to leave stage 90 in 1860, and after the death of Ilya Vasilyevich blesses her second marriage. At the same time, he writes from Iver: “You married the first husband as a human being, or according to the flesh, and for the second according to your soul, at will, to work hard and be useful not to yourself, but to your neighbors. You saw the cold dawn from the first marriage, for it was in ordinary forms, and the second in the forms of morally self-sacrificing, believe me, it will bring you abundant fruit. PI Orlova-Savina devotes herself to charity, helping churches and monasteries, and Christian service 92 . The Archbishop of Tver Filofey even once said to her: “Why did you go only to Moscow or Iver, you should pray to the saint Nilu ...” 93

In addition to money, she donated stones to decorate the oklad, made in 1866 for the Iberian icon 94 , and icons for the main temple of the monastery 95 were arranged by her. Her attitude towards Kopylov-Orlov was also a peculiar act of mercy and Christian love. In 1862, she assigned him for treatment to the Maximilian Hospital in St. Petersburg, visited him, bought medicines and paid for doctors, took care of organizing his travel to Borovichi. Having received the news that Ilya Vasilyevich is in a serious condition, she immediately leaves for him. Praskovya Ivanovna arrived two hours before his death, having managed to say goodbye and pray not only for him, but also for the Lord to forgive them both, who were unable to arrange their lives and therefore suffering. After her prayer and words of forgiveness, he quietly died 96 .

Archimandrite Joseph with the priests of the Valdai district near the Rector's building. Photo from the beginning of the 20th century. Museum of the county town. Valdai

Not wanting to leave the deceased in a strange city, where there would be no one to remember him, she ordered him to be taken to the Iberian Monastery, where she often visited herself and where, with the blessing of Metropolitan Isidor, a relative of Ilya Vasilyevich - V.A. Tegleva, "old noblewoman" lived , as the abbess of Leushin Taisia ​​says about her 97 . She was the spiritual daughter of Archimandrite Lavrenty, "a God-loving widow who did much good to the elder" and arranged his grave, located in the western part of the gallery of the main church 98 . “The humble widow,” as Father Lavrenty called her, 99 also took care of the grave of Kopylov-Orlov.

In 1870, with the blessing of Archimandrite Lavrentiy, the Panaev family burial vault was built in the Iversky Monastery, located in the northeastern part of the monastery, in the garden. It is an elegant chapel, rising on a high plinth, inside of which the actual tomb is located. There, under three stone sarcophagi, the ashes of members of the Panaev family rest. The entrance to the tomb is through the western lower small door, above which there is a large paneled door leading to the chapel. A two-flight light metal staircase descends from the right and left sides of the entrance to the chapel. All four facades are decorated with triangular pediments. The complex tent form of the roof ends with a low tent topped with a cross.

The tomb was erected by Valeryan Alexandrovich Panaev (1824–1899), cousin of the famous I.I. Panaev (1812–1862), journalist, writer, co-editor of the Nekrasov magazine Sovremennik. V.A. Panaev, like his brother Ippolit, who also took part in the construction of the tomb, was a railway engineer. The brothers graduated from the Corps of Railway Engineers and decided to serve at the Nikolaev railway under construction, taking part in the survey, design, and operation of the Moscow-Petersburg railway 100.

Panaev was also the author of books on economics and railway construction, a publicist, and the creator of the musical, so-called "Panaevsky" theater in St. Petersburg. With the money earned by him and his brother Ippolit on the construction of the Kursk-Kyiv railway, they decided to build a tomb with a chapel for their mother, Elena Matveevna Panaeva (nee Lalaeva), who was buried in the Iversky Monastery 101 .

Soon, quite unexpectedly for V.A. Panaev, another burial place had to be prepared here - for his youngest daughter, Valentina.

Necropolis of the Iversky Monastery. Modern look. 2014

Valentina Valerianovna Schulenburg (1855–1875) died after childbirth. For less than a year and a half, she was married to Count Ivan Karlovich Schulenburg (1850–1891), a lieutenant of the Cavalier Guard Regiment, a friend of P.P. Diaghilev, who married another daughter of V.A. Panaev, Elena.

The boy (Sergey Shulenburg) who remained after the death of Valentina was raised by his grandmother, Sofya Mikhailovna Panaeva (1830–1912).

Valentina Shulenburg (nee Panaeva) in her youth gave the impression of a serious, silent, rarely laughing person 102 . Recalling the last months of her life, E.V. Diaghileva notices that her usual silence disappeared at those moments when she saw little Seryozha Diaghilev (the future “great impresario” - S.P. Diaghilev), for whom she had a touching tenderness. Whenever she came to see her sister Elena, she immediately went to the nursery and spent the whole time of her visit talking to her nephew Seryozha. During these moments, she spoke non-stop. And the boy looked at her with his huge black eyes, hugged her neck, thoughtfully stroked her cheek and said: “Aunt Lina, why are you so velvety?” 103 And it was impossible to find a better definition for Valentina Valerianovna. All her peculiar beauty, and everything that was put on her, and the way she spoke, looked - everything seemed exactly velvet.

She named her son, born on May 20, 1875, in honor of Seryozha Diaghilev - Sergey, and on June 11 she was no longer 104. In turn, Elena Valerianovna, in memory of her deceased sister, named her soon-to-be-born son Valentine. Valentin Pavlovich Diaghilev (1875–1929) - graduate of the Academy of the General Staff, professor, master military history- will be martyred in the Solovetsky camps. In the same year, 1929, the life of S.P. Diaghilev, who was a special light in the life of Valentina, will also end.

The death of Valentina severely undermined the health of his father, V.A. Panaev 105 . Perhaps Ippolit Panaev hinted at this in his dedication to his brother:

... But thinking about everyone, you remembered your own,
For the good of them, he built a lot of plans
And everyone took care to arrange them -
He arranged for us - but he upset himself ... 106

Arranging the affairs of his relatives, he also took care of his deceased brother, Iliodor Alexandrovich Panaev (1819–1886), who was buried next to his mother and niece in the Iversky Monastery 107 . Iliodor Panaev was an amazingly musical person, dreamed of becoming a great violinist and did everything possible to make his son Achilles Panaev (1862–1919) 108 . He gave the name to his son following the example of Paganini, whom he admired all his life and who called his son Achilles.

Ensemble of the Iversky Monastery with the gate church of Michael the Archangel (1683–1685) and the Nikonovskaya (Mikhailovskaya) tower of the 1680s. 2015

The Panaevs, their children and relatives made large donations to the Iversky Monastery for the maintenance of the tomb and the commemoration of relatives. Elena Valeryanovna's father-in-law, Pavel Dmitrievich Diaghilev (1808–1883) was also a permanent contributor to the monastery 109 . From distant Perm, he made frequent pilgrimages to Iver. In 1858 he brought to the monastery a new silver reliquary for the relics of the holy righteous Jacob of Borovichi. Cancer, arranged by the "zeal of willing donors" and made by the St. Petersburg master A. Verkhovtsev, weighed 3 pounds 29 pounds 5 spools. At the most difficult moment of the journey, P.D. Diaghilev had a miraculous vision of the holy righteous Jacob of Borovichi and was a witness to his invisible help 110 .

The Iberian burials of the Panaevs and I.V. Kopylov-Orlov are connected with the fates of the remarkable Russian people, to whom the Lord granted the eternal right to be intimately united with both Iver and the wondrous old man and prayer book, Archimandrite Lavrenty, who in 1876 found eternal rest in the same monastery.

In the Iversky Monastery, in addition, there is a common mass grave (behind the northern monastery wall) and several personal burials (behind the altar of the main church) of the soldiers of the North-Western Front, who were treated in the monastery hospital in 1941-1943. Today inside the monastery grave crosses mark the graves of Likharev Semyon Mikhailovich (1926–1942) and Yegorov Vasily Yegorovich (1895–1943).

Behind the altar of the main temple are the burial places of today's inhabitants of the monastery. Here are buried those who died in December 2002 during a car accident: Hieromonk Nil (Mikhailov), 09/25/1968 - 12/09/2002; Hieromonk Sergius (Biryukov), 12/06/1972 - 12/19/2002; novice Sergius (Astrakhantsev), 11/18/1974 - 12/09/2002. In 2006, another burial appeared. Archpriest Alexy (Bulanushkin), 01/20/1951 - 10/19/2006, the uncle of Hieromonk Sergius (Biryukov), who was buried here earlier, was buried next to the dead Iberian brothers.

In 2008, Hierodeacon Alexander (Samuylov) was buried on the monastery churchyard, 04/07/1952 - 09/19. 2008. He always sought solitude, but everyone knew him, first of all, as an amazing hard worker, a gardener who lovingly worked in the monastery greenhouses, which he himself built.

On June 30, 2009, the monastery said goodbye to its first abbot, on whose shoulders lay the most difficult job of reviving the Iberian Monastery - abbot Stefan (Popkov), 07/07/1946 - 06/30/2009. He came to the monastery having extensive experience of monastic life and pastoral service. But the monastery as such did not yet exist, it had to be created again after many years of oblivion and spiritual loss...

Wooden crosses with carved inscriptions "Eternal Memory" marked two monastery burials dating back to 2012. Under one of them rests the ashes of the most gentle and respected worker, who for many years carried the obedience of a cattleman and was certainly respectfully referred to by his first name and patronymic - Mikhail Mikhailovich Shcherba, 09/01/1953 - 07/17/2012. And after 11 days, another burial took place in the monastery. The nun Matrona (Bogorosh), who lived in the Iberian monastery at rest, rested in the Lord, 11/6/1930 - 07/28/2012.

The interior of the monastery museum in the Nikon Tower. 2015

Let us return, however, to the times when Belarusian monks appeared in the Iberian monastery. They brought their holy images and books, vestments and church utensils. They delivered to Valdai a drukarny, where the famous printer Spiridon Sobol worked in Kutein, which served as an impetus for the spread of book business in Russia.

Belarusians shared the secrets of tsenina (how to work with glaze), and soon multi-colored tiled tiles appeared in many parts of Russia. The Kuteins also introduced the Russians to wood and stone carving techniques.

The Belarusians brought, in addition to unique material monuments, also gifts that were much more valuable for arranging and strengthening the church. They introduced the strict order of the Kutein monastic life. It is no coincidence that from the moment the Belarusians appeared in Valdai in 1655, the Iberian archimandrites, abbots, and treasurers, as a rule, were Kuteins. On Ivera, the Kutein rank of ordination to the archimandrites from among the worthy monks only of their own monastery was established. In 1692, Metropolitan Kornily of Novgorod tried to place an archimandrite from another monastery in the Iberian monastery, but the elders wrote back to Patriarch Adrian with a request not to violate the ancient cenobitic kutein rite 111 . The patriarch did not object.

The most important Nikon buildings of the Iversky Monastery and the arrangement of the inner monastic life fall on the time of the archimandrite of the Kuteinsky elder Dionysius, who, following Joel, first accepted the Kuteinsky abbess, and then the Iberian abbess. Later, in order to further strengthen the brethren of the Iversky Monastery, the abbot Philotheus and brother Severian (both from the Kuteins) were sent to Mogilev, Kutein and Kyiv to select the brethren needed in the Iversky Monastery 112 . Thus, in September 1657/58, the elder of the Kiev-Mezhigorsk monastery Joachim Savelov, the future patriarch Joachim 113, appeared in the Iversky Monastery.

In 1689, according to the nominal census of the brethren, 178 monks were listed in the Iversky Monastery, among which immigrants from Belarus and Ukraine are especially noted 114 . True, this was preceded by the exodus of Belarusians (as well as all other inhabitants of the Iberian Monastery) to other monasteries. This was due to the deprivation of Nikon of the patriarchal rank in 1666/67, his exile for life and the closure of the monasteries he created 115 . Archimandrite Philotheus and the brethren were evicted from the monastery at that time. In 1667, he writes: “We endure encroachment on many things that they see us as implacable according to the former Patriarch Nikon” 116 . However, on October 26, 1668/69, the royal charter to the Iversky monastery followed, confirming it among those correctly created and returning its former estates to it 117 . At the same time, a letter followed, restoring Archimandrite Philotheus to his position in the Iberian Monastery 118 .

The monastery, which had been abolished, quickly fell into disrepair, and in the 1660s-1670s it was forced to carry out restoration work on buildings erected in the Nikon era. In 1671, the work of the water supply system was restored, which was carried out by Afonka Fomin and his comrades 119 . At this time, stone bakeries and kvass breweries are being built, work is underway at the refectory. The monastery archers Afonka Fomin, Mikhalka Danilov, Danilko Fedorov are busy with the construction.

Lacking the former highest patronage, the Iversky Monastery was not able to count on construction personnel who arrived at the construction site from other regions, as well as on those material resources that Patriarch Nikon issued at one time for construction. But, having significant land holdings, the property rights to which were returned to the monastery in 1668-1669, the monastery gradually raised the necessary funds for the construction of such significant buildings as the Church of the Archangel Michael, the Rector's, Viceroyal, Fraternal buildings, the bell tower. Thus, the ensemble of the main square of the monastery was finally formed. The grandiose plans of His Holiness Patriarch Nikon have found their final form.

Samples of ancient ceramics in the museum of the monastery. 2015

Active construction at the end of the 17th century was brought to life by a change in the attitude of the secular authorities towards the personality of His Holiness Patriarch Nikon, his return from exile and restoration to the patriarchal rank 120 .

The monastery, however, was waiting for new tests. In 1700, a fire destroyed the church of Iakov Borovichsky with a hospital. Only two years later, a new two-story stone church of Iakov Borovichsky with cells and a refectory was built in its place. On May 11, 1704, an even more terrible fire broke out, in which the main temple, the refectory church, iconostases, the library and other buildings were badly damaged. Burnt tiled architraves were knocked off the facade of the Rector's Building, the windows were torn apart, the walls were plastered and whitewashed - the building stood in this form for more than 300 years. In 2007, the tiled decoration of the Rector's cells was restored. The décor was modeled after a 17th-century tiled architraves, fragmentarily preserved on the eastern wall of the building.

From 1704 to 1710, repairs were carried out in the main temple, and upon completion, the cathedral was consecrated in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saved from the fire, the miraculous Iberian Icon took a new place in the temple - at the right pillar. At the left pillar they placed a shrine with the relics of the holy righteous Jacob of Borovichi. Later, these two main shrines were placed under wooden carved gilded canopies. In a niche arranged in the southern wall, particles of holy relics and 4 silver arks with the relics of Moscow saints, brought in 1654 to the Iberian Monastery by His Holiness Patriarch Nikon, were placed.

But not only the fires of the beginning of the 18th century were a test for the monastery. In 1712, by decree of Tsar Peter I, the Iverskaya monastery was assigned to the St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Monastery 122 under construction, where the most valuable things from the Iberian sacristy were transferred. Land holdings were also signed off in favor of St. Petersburg. The Iversky Monastery fell into disrepair and desolation.

In 1730, by the highest order of Empress Anna Ioannovna, the Iberian monastery received independence from the Lavra. The lands were returned, but the things taken to St. Petersburg were never returned 123 .

By 1764 the monastery was listed as the second in the Novgorod diocese. The monastery had 4275 acres of land, 7113 peasants. However, Catherine's secularization of church and monastery lands brings the monastery into ruin: all land holdings are again torn away. But in 1778, the Highest Decree was issued in connection with measures to strengthen economic methods for the maintenance of monasteries, according to which the Iversky Monastery again received the right to use land 124 .

The plight of the monastery was aggravated by the fire of 1825. Appointed at that time as Archimandrite Gerasim Gaidukov, he did everything possible to revive the monastery. Much for the prosperity of the Iversky Monastery in the 1850-1870s was prepared by Archimandrite Lavrenty Makarov 125 . The spiritual glory of Iver was acquired by many inhabitants. Hieromonk Lavrenty, who for a long time served as a cell-attendant under Archimandrite Lavrenty, was revered as a perspicacious and wise elder, with whom the abbots of the monastery held advice 126 . The famous silent and prayer book of Iberian Pakhomiy Valdaisky was known for his humility and diligence. He died, like Seraphim of Sarov, in prayerful kneeling 127 . Monk Nikon, who was named after being tonsured in memory of His Holiness Patriarch Nikon, was a Valdai merchant N.A. Dubinin in the world 128 . He spent 30 years researching the healing properties of the Varnitsa salt springs, discovered by Patriarch Nikon three versts from Valdai 129 , spent his entire fortune on their study 130 , and having left the world for the Iberian Monastery, he did not leave this work.

In 1906-1907 spiritual writer S.A. Nilus lived and worked on Iver 131 . In 1908, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the presence of the Iberian Icon in Valdai, he published his "Tale of the Miraculous Iberian Icon" in a separate book.

Letters from S.A. Nilus from Optina Hermitage to the abbot of the Iversky Monastery, Archimandrite Joseph 133 have been preserved. In 1912, S. Nilus again came "to the God-saved and God-loved Valdai", settling near the Iversky Monastery 134 . In the most difficult times of persecution, he found shelter and peace in the Iberian Monastery.

Archimandrite of the Iversky Monastery Joseph (Nikolaevsky). Photo from the beginning of the 20th century. Museum of the county town. Valdai

Many guests came to the Nilus. E. Kontsevich left memories of a trip to the Iversky Monastery on October 12, 1913: “We went to the monastery in a roundabout way on horseback and rode 7 versts instead of three, if we had sailed straight, on a boat. On this day, the eve of Her feast, the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God returns to the monastery for the whole winter, going around several counties during the summer, visiting all the cities, villages and villages along the way.

Upon arrival, towards the end of the day, we went along with the procession to the shore of the lake to the monastery pier to meet the icon. It was a dark autumn evening. They waited not so long: here, against the background of the blackening expanse of water, colored lights appeared - lanterns with which the boat with the icon was decorated. The boat approached the shore and moored. The procession received the icon, and it was carried to the winter temple with candles and singing. On the way, the icon was carried over individual pilgrims, bowed to the ground” 135 .

It describes the return of the miraculous icon from the procession on the eve of the feast of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. By this day, the icon will certainly return to Iver after long wanderings, which annually lasted from May to October. A participant in the events draws attention to the long-established custom - to carry the icon over the heads of the worshipers. It was an all-Russian tradition, but in connection with the meeting of the Iberian icon, a special ritual developed. People came out to meet the icon carried in the procession, with new household towels in their hands. Near the icon, the ends of the towels were sewn together - one common long towel was obtained - a white road for the Iverskaya Guide. Then the towels were raised on their hands over the heads of people, and from them, thus, a “gate” was created for the Iberian Goalkeeper. The Iberian icon was led along the towels, she made a detour over the heads of the worshipers, taking them under her Veil. Then the towels were embroidered, each took his own towel home and kept it at the Bozhnitsa. This is seen as a folk interpretation of the texts of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of the miraculous icon of Her Iberian: “You, as if having an invincible power, cover and protect us, Lady, from all enemies visible and invisible”; "Rejoice, our hope and protection"; "Rejoice, our fence"; "Rejoice, consolation in our journey"; “Rejoice, sudden help to those in distress on the way, on land and on waters”; “Rejoice, opening the entrance to everything blessed”; “Rejoice, good Goalkeeper, who opens the doors of paradise to the faithful” 136.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Iversky Monastery, in addition to temples and cell, household services in the monastery itself, had a stone church in the name of the Iberian icon at the Lykoshino station of the Nikolaev railway and two chapels: one - stone in the name of Jacob Borovichsky in Valdai, the other - wooden, set near the ferry at the entrance to the monastery islands. At the monastery there was a literacy school for 10 orphans who lived all year round in the monastery. They received from the monastery a room with heating and lighting, servants, tea, sugar, ready-made clothes, shoes, and meals in the monastery refectory.

In 1918, there were 68 inhabitants in the monastery, of which: archimandrite - 1, hegumen - 1, hieromonks - 15, hierodeacons - 8, monks - 9, novices - 10, living on probation - 14, orphans of boys - 10. daily worship. The monastery was in possession of 1021 des. 51 cells earth. The capital of the monastery was 138,143 rubles. 28 kop. Blacksmith, locksmith, carpentry, and shoe shops worked at the monastery. There was a library that contained 605 books 137 .

Beginning in January 1918, the authorities constantly requisitioned bread, cabbage, and cattle from the monastery. On July 15, 1918, during the requisition of bread, the food detachment went on an armed assault on the monastery. The monks sounded the alarm. A popular uprising began. In these events, Archimandrite Joseph was seriously wounded. The counter-revolutionary action was suppressed by the troops, a state of emergency was introduced in Valdai, arrests and executions began. In connection with these events, Menshikov, a remarkable writer and leading publicist for the Novoye Vremya newspaper, who lived on an estate near Valdai, General V.A. Kosagovsky, and others were shot.

Iversky Monastery from the West Gate

In 1919 the monastery was transformed into the Iverskaya labor agricultural artel. The brethren worked hard about this for a long time, wishing thereby to preserve the monastery. The artel consisted of 70 people, had 5 hectares of monastic lands and 200 hectares occupied by gardens, orchards, arable land, and pastures. Artelnikov had a tractor, 12 cows, 10 horses, agricultural implements 139 at their disposal.

On January 1, 1919, the confiscated earlier "all precious and ancient sacristy vessels and things" were returned to the monastery, on the basis of which the Nikon Museum was created, located in the porch of the Church of the Archangel Michael 140 .

In 1927, the People's Commissariat of Agriculture surveyed the Iverskaya labor artel. It was noted that the labor community is "too closely connected with the Iberian miraculous icon." This was the reason for the removal of the labor artel from registration, after which it was proposed to "clear the territory of the monastery from the non-labor element."

Hieromonk Fr. “The kindest father Nikita”, as the famous publicist MO Menshikov 142 spoke of him, happened to manage the monastery economy in the most difficult years for the monastery. In 1930 he was arrested, there is no information about his further fate, but his special luminosity is still remembered today. M.O. Menshikov asked his children that when they have their own children, one of them will definitely have to be named Nikita in memory of the Iberian hieromonk. The publicist's great-grandson was baptized under that name 143 .

By 1930, the activities of the monastery and the monastic labor artel were completely stopped, its inhabitants left Iver.

In the 1930s, the Strochpromartel for deaf and dumb disabled people was located on the territory of the monastery. From 1941 to 1943 - an evacuation hospital for soldiers and commanders of the North-Western Front, then - a recreation center for war invalids. In the post-war period, a children's sanatorium-forest school was opened here. In the late 1960s, the monastery buildings were occupied by a recreation center of one of the Novgorod enterprises.

In 1991, the Iversky Monastery was transferred to the Novgorod diocese.

The arrangement of spiritual, monastic life began with the Divine Liturgy, held in main holiday Iversky Monastery, which falls on July 28 (August 10). Several thousand worshipers, together with Vladyka Novgorod Archbishop Lev and the clergy of the Novgorod diocese, for the first time in many decades of godless years, went through a procession around the monastery. Transferred to this day from the Peter and Paul Church of Valdai, the icon of the Iberian Mother of God was the first, before all the monastery inhabitants, came to Iver and remained there forever as the main shrine of the monastery, its patroness and intercessor.

Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, looking at the panorama of the restored Iberian Monastery, one involuntarily recalls the words of the son of Patriarch Macarius of Antioch, Archdeacon Paul of Aleppo, who visited here in 1656, noting the exclusivity of Iver: “We marveled at this blessed place and its pleasant location: in truth, there is no one like it in the world, and in the future it will become an example for all ages” 144 .

Notes

1 Nikon, patriarch. A word of benefit about the creation of the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos of Iversky and the Holy New Confessor and Hieromartyr Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, the miracle worker, who is on the Holy Lake, and about the transfer of the relics of the Holy Righteous Jacob, who was previously named Borovechesk // Paradise of the mind. Type of. Iversky Monastery, 1658/59. pp. 64-64 v. 2 Acts of the Iversky Svyatoozersky Monastery (1582–1706), collected by Archimandrite Leonid. №40 // Russian historical library. T.5. SPb., 1878. Stb. 83.3 Ibid.4 Ibid. Stb. 84.5 Lobachev S.V. Patriarch Nikon. SPb., 2003. S. 97-112.6 Acts ... No. 40. Stb. 84.7 Leonid, archimandrite. Historical sketch of the Iberian Svyatoozersky monastery in its patriarchal period (from 1653 to the end of 1666) // Russian Historical Library. T.5. Stb. 3.8 Acts ... No. 16. Stb. 35-36.9 Nikon, patriarch. The word is beneficial... S. 53v.-54.10 Hereinafter: in the 50s of the 17th century. in Russia, the "September style" of the calendar operated, i.e. New Year started on September 1st. Therefore, the events that took place at that time from September to the end of December are usually denoted through a fraction: first, the year according to the now accepted "January" style, and then - according to the "September style."11 Acts ... No. 18. Stb. 37-38.12 Ibid. Stb. 37.13 Acts ... No. 40. Stb. 83.; Ambrose, archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. T.IV. M., 1812. S.270.14 Acts ... No. 18. Stb. 37.15 Ibid. Stb. 38.16 Acts ... No. 20. Stb. 39-41.17 Tikhomirov M.N. Novgorod chronograph of the 17th century // Novgorod historical collection. Issue. VII. Novgorod, 1940. P.86.18 Acts ... No. 21. Stb. 43.19 Ibid.20 Acts ... No. 18. Stb. 38.21 Acts ... No. 21. Stb. 42-44.22 Acts ... No. 18. Stb. 37-38.23 Acts ... No. 36. Stb. 68.24 Silin P.M. Historical description of the Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Bogoroditsky first-class monastery. SPb., 1885. P. 41; Slezskinsky A.G. Iversky Monastery (From a summer trip) // Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Bogoroditsky Monastery. SPb., 1999. P.47.25 Ambrose, archimandrite. History ... S. 218-219; Leonid, archimandrite. Historical essay ... Stb. 29-30.26 Leonid, archimandrite. Historical essay. … Stb. 6.27 Acts ... No. 39. Stb. 80.28 Acts… No. 21. Stb. 44.29 Acts ... No. 36. Stb. 69.30 Acts ... No. 18. Stb. 38.31 Acts ... No. 20. Stb. 40-41.32 Ibid. Stb. 41.33 Acts… No. 40. Stb. 83; Ambrose, archimandrite. History ... P.270.34 Acts ... No. 41. Stb. 87.35 Acts… No. 41. Stb. 88.36 Acts… No. 21. Stb. 44.37 Acts ... No. 29. Stb. 53-54.38 Acts. No. 44. Stb. 100.39 Acts… No. 24. Stb. 47-48; No. 35. Stb. 65-66; No. 41. Stb. 87-88; No. 43. Stb. 90.40 Shusherin John. News of the birth and upbringing and life of His Holiness Nikon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. M., 1871. P.32.41 Acts ... No. 51. Stb. 114-121; No. 53. Stb. 121-126; No. 55. Stb. 131-133; No. 56. Stb. 134-135.42 Acts ... No. 62. Stb. 158.43 Acts… No. 105. Stb. 305-307.44 Acts… No. 80. Stb. 203.45 Ibid. Stb. 204-207.46 Ibid. Stb. 203.47 Acts… No. 83. Stb. 217-218.48 Pavel of Aleppo. Journey of Patriarch Macarius of Antioch to Russia in the middle of the 17th century. Issue. IV. M., 1898. P.64.49 Acts ... No. 87. Stb. 226-234.50 Pavel of Aleppo. Journey… С.57.51 Leonid, archimandrite. Historical sketch ... P.11; Nikon, patriarch. A beneficial word… С.69.52 Zverinsky V.V. Materials for historical and topographic research on Orthodox monasteries in the Russian Empire. T.I. St. Petersburg, 1892. S. 172.53 Nikon, patriarch. The word is beneficial ... S.71.54 Acts ... No. 98. Stb. 293.55 Leonid, archimandrite. Historical essay ... Stb. 11.56 General ledger. Sacristy inventory and church inventory of the Valdai Iversky first-class monastery. 1904. P. 414v.; Silin P.M. Historical description of the Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Bogoroditsky first-class monastery. p.54; Franz D.D. Catalog of the Nikon Museum in the Iversky Monastery near the city of Valdai. Novgorod, 1920. P.20.57 Silin P.M. Historical description ... P.40.58 Acts ... No. 57. Stb. 37; Leonid, archimandrite. Historical essay ... Stb. 11-13.59 Ibid… Stb. 15-16.60 Acts… No. 106. Stb. 307.61 Ambrose, archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. T. IV. M., 1812. P.283.62 Ibid.63 Acts ... No. 117. Stb. 323.64 Leonid, archimandrite. Historical essay ... Stb. 26.65 Silin P.M. Historical description ... P.62.66 Acts ... No. 435. Stb. 1067.67 Ambrose, archimandrite. History ... S.283; Silin P.M. Historical description ... P.62.68 Acts ... No. 316. Stb. 806.69 Acts… No. 337. Stb. 849; No. 338. Stb. 850.70 Acts… No. 337. Stb. 849; No. 339. Stb. 851.71 Acts… No. 341. Stb. 856.72 Ambrose, archimandrite. History ... S.283; Acts ... No. 383. Stb. 927.73 Acts… No. 368. Stb. 927.74 Ambrose, archimandrite. History ... S.284; Peter (Zverev-Bogdanov), archimandrite. Description of the first-class Iversky Bogoroditsky monastery of the Novgorod diocese. SPb., 1850. P.45.75 Ambrose, archimandrite. History ... S.284.76 Ibid. S.287; Peter, archimandrite. Description… P.48; Silin P.M. Historical description… P.64.77 Peter (Zverev-Bogdanov), archimandrite. Description… P.49; Silin P.M. Historical description… P.65.78 Ibid.79 Silin P.M. Historical description ... P.65; Biography and letters in Bose of the late father, Archimandrite Lavrenty, rector of the Iversky Bogoroditsky Valdai Monastery, Novgorod Province / Comp. A.F. Kovalevsky. M., 1887. S. 28-51.80 Biography and letters ... S. 50-51.81 Yakovleva N.P. Iberian burials // Chelo. 2000. No. 2. pp. 41-44.82 According to the recollections of the wife of I.V. Kopylov-Orlov, in June 1862 he was 67 years old, i.e. the date of birth can be considered 1795 or 1796. It is written on the grave monument (perhaps this was done erroneously when making the tombstone) that the deceased died at the age of 70, i.e. the date of his birth may be 1792 or 1793.83 Orlova-Savina P.I. Autobiography. M., 1994. P.363.84 Biography and letters ... P.104.85 Orlova-Savina P.I. Autobiography. P.357.86 Yakovleva N.P. Grave monument in the monastery // Leninsky way. 1990. 20 Oct. No. 126 (10209). P.3.87 Theatrical encyclopedia. T.IV. M., 1965. S. 207-208; Orlova-Savina P.I. Autobiography. P. 193-220.88 Orlova-Savina P.I. Autobiography. S. 17, 396.89 Ibid. pp. 17, 18, 135, 138-139, 217.90 Biography and letters… pp. 97-98.91 Ibid. P.114.92 Vasiliev A.V. Talented, smart, conscientious artist // Valdai. 1995. 10 Oct. No. 118 (10962). P.3.93 Orlova-Savina P.I. Autobiography. P.352.94 Biography and letters… P.110.95 Main book… P. 41-42.96 Orlova-Savina P.I. Autobiography. pp. 356-357.97 Memories of Abbess Taisia, abbess of the Leushinsky Monastery, about Archimandrite Lavrenty (Makarov) // Valdai ascetic. M., 1997. P.151.98 Biography and letters ... P.51.99 Ibid. P.108.100 Memoirs of Valeryan Alexandrovich Panaev // Russian antiquity. 1893. T.80. pp. 560-568; 1901. V.107. P. 32, 285-287.101 Dyagileva E.V. Family record about the Diaghilevs. St. Petersburg; Perm: Dmitry Bulanin, 1998. P.160.102 Ibid. P.77.103 Ibid. P.124.104 Ibid. pp. 129-131.105 Ibid. P.133.106 Ibid. P.164.107 Ibid. S.201.108 Ibid. P.257.109 Main book… P.45.110 Dyagileva E.V. Family record ... S.160.111 Acts ... No. 383. Stb. 927-928.112 Acts… No. 88. Stb. 240, 242.113 Acts… No. 93. Stb. 276.114 Acts… No. 358. Stb. 886-887.115 Acts… No. 262. Stb. 721-726.116 Acts… No. 252. Stb. 684-685.117 Acts… No. 434. Stb. 1048-1066.118 Acts… No. 435. Stb. 1067-1071.119 Sivak S.I. Apprentice stonework Afanasy Fomin // Architectural Heritage and Restoration. M., 1984. S.244.120 Acts ... No. 436. Stb. 1071-1074.121 Acts… No. 412. Stb. 997-999.123 Peter (Zverev-Bogdanov), archimandrite. Description… S. 20-21.124 Ibid. pp. 21-22.125 Biography and letters ... pp. 3-51; Kovalevsky A. Biography of Archimandrite Lavrenty // Valdai ascetic. M., 1997. S. 3-64.126 Unknown Nilus / Comp. R. Bagdasarov, S. Fomin. M., 1995. T.I. pp. 30-31.127 Lives of domestic ascetics of piety in the 18th and 19th centuries. August. Kozelsk: Ed. Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage, 1994. P.590.128 NGM KP 37795 / 3.7.129 Acts ... No. 41. Stb. 87.130 Dubinin N.A. Medical and mineral muds of the Valdai Upland // Proceedings of the Highly Approved Russian Society for the Protection of National Health. Issue. XIII. T.5. SPb., 1890. S. 91-96.131 Strizhev A.N. The rank of nature is conquered // Towards the light. 1993. No. 3-4. P.21.122 Runkevich S.G. Alexander Nevsky Lavra. 1713–1913 SPb., 1997. S. 41, 57.132 Nilus S.A. The legend of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Her Iberian Appearance and of her miraculous icon of Iver, which is in the Theotokos Iversky Valdai Monastery of the Novgorod diocese. Sergiev Posad, 1908.133 Yakovleva N. P. Valdai letters of S.A. Nilus // Abstracts of reports and messages of the final scientific conference. Novgorod, 1997. S. 29-31.134 Nilus S.A. On the banks of the river of God. Notes of the Orthodox. Sergiev Posad, 1916. T.II. P. 16-18.135 Unknown Nilus ... P.29.136 Yakovleva N.P. Procession with the Iberian Icon // Orthodox Valdai. 2006. No. 29 (41). C.1. 137 GIANO. F.481. Op. 1. Unit ridge 140. P. 27-28, 37.138 Yakovleva N.P. Bishop Joseph of Valdai in memoirs, letters, diaries // Chelo. 2000. No. 3. pp. 8-12.139 GIANO. F.481. Op. 1. Unit ridge 427. P.6.140 Ibid. P.7.141 Yakovleva N.P. Torch people. In memory of Hieromonk of the Iversky Monastery Fr. Nikita // Chelo. 2000. No. 3. pp. 5-6.142 Menshikov M.O. Materials for the biography // Russian archive. T.IV. M., 1993. P.162.143 Menshikova O.M. Monk Nikita // Our heritage. 1997. No. 42. P.47.144 Pavel of Aleppo. Journey ... P.61.

Nadezhda Yakovleva, Senior Researcher, Valdai Branch of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve

Valdai Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Monastery is one of the centers of pilgrimage in Novgorod region. The Orthodox monastery complex is located in a picturesque place 10 km from the city of Valdai: it is located on Selvitsky Island, almost in the center of the holy Valdai Lake.

Iversky monastery has ancient history. The construction was started in 1653 on the initiative of the Patriarch of Moscow Nikon, and the place was chosen in accordance with the vision that visited him. The cathedral church of the Iberian Icon and the church of St. Philip of Moscow were the first to be completed.

Almost a year later, Nikon visited the monastery under construction, the surrounding Valdai Posad ordered to be renamed Bogoroditskoye village and consecrated the lake. So the monastery became Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky. At the same time, at the initial stage of development, the new monastery acquired the relics of the miracle worker Jacob of Borovichi. The Assumption Cathedral of the monastery was completed in 1656.

In the first half of the 18th century, the Valdai Monastery quickly, and partly by force, found itself in stagnation. His property and land were transferred to the St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Monastery, which was being built at that time, to which a large bell was even transported from Valdai, while the monastery was rapidly falling into decay. However, already under the reform of 1764, the Iversky Monastery was assigned to the first class.

The history of the monastery in the 20th century includes numerous transformations. In 1919, the complex became the Iberian Labor Artel, but in fact remained a monastic monastery. In 1927, the monks were deprived of the miraculous icon, and the community ceased to exist. In subsequent Soviet years, the island housed a museum (historical, local lore), various workshops, a home for the disabled of the Great Patriotic War (with accommodation and care), a local school for children with tuberculosis, and, finally, a recreation center.

The long-awaited return of the monastery to the Novgorod diocese took place only in 1991. A large-scale, painstaking restoration of the complex was completed in 2007, then the Assumption Cathedral of the Iversky Monastery of Valdai was consecrated by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of Iveron - the main shrine of the monastery. Vladimir Putin attended the ceremony. Separate work on decorating the monastery continued until 2011.

At present, the monastery complex includes: the Iberian Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Refectory of the Epiphany Church, the Gate Churches of Michael the Archangel and Metropolitan Philip of Moscow, the Church of Jacob Borovichsky, the chapel with the tomb of the Panaevs, the hipped bell tower, vicegerent and auxiliary buildings, a fence with towers, Nikolaevskaya ( Mikhailovskaya) tower.

At the current monastery there is a museum dedicated to the history of the holy place and Patriarch Nikon. There are guided tours in the monastery complex.

Schedule of Divine Services in the Valdai Iversky Monastery

Services in the monastery are held according to a regular schedule. On weekdays, the time allocated is from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00; on Saturday, Sunday and holidays - from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00. Baptism - on weekdays, Sundays, holidays - at 13:00. Wedding - by appointment, only on permitted days according to the church calendar.

The full schedule and opening hours are available on the official website of the Iversky Monastery.

How to get to the Valday Iversky Monastery

Ferries "Zarya-211" depart from the Valdai pier to the monastery. You can also take a taxi - for about 200-300 rubles from Valdai. At the same time, it is convenient to get there by road: the first island, Ryabinovy, is connected to the mainland by a road bridge; from its northern end, across a narrow strait, there is a bridge to the Selvitz Island, where the monastery is located.

Pilgrims often get to Valdai from other regions of Russia. The M-10 highway leads to the city, there are regular local and intercity bus routes with a stop at the Valdai bus station, electric trains and long-distance trains. However, it is more convenient to travel by suburban trains not to Valdai, but to the Chernushki stopping point, located about 5 km from the island monastery, this distance can be walked or traveled with fellow travelers. In addition, there remains the opportunity to go to Valdai and visit the famous Iversky Monastery in an organized manner - as part of an excursion group (you need to check with the pilgrimage center of the complex and the pilgrimage services of your city).

Valdai Iversky Monastery on google-panorama

Valdai Iversky Monastery: video

(Russian Valday Iversky Monastery; English Valday Iversky Monastery)

Opening hours: 07-00 to 20-00

How to get there: You can get there by bus from St. Petersburg (from the bus station on Obvodny Canal Embankment), to the city of Valdai, travel time 6 - 7 hours. You can also get by train from Moskovsky railway station to Bologoye station (Tver region), travel time - about 2 hours, and from there by taxi or bus to Valdai, or by train Bologoye - Valdai (travel time - 1 hour). ). From Valdai to the monastery about 10 km, you can take a taxi or walk.

From Veliky Novgorod to Valdai about 150 km. Direct buses go here (several times a day) Veliky Novgorod - Valdai (3 hours on the way). You can also get by train to Bologoye station (Tver region), and from there by taxi or bus to Valdai, or by train Bologoye - Valdai. From Valdai to the monastery about 10 km, you can take a taxi or walk.

You can get from Moscow to Valdai by bus Moscow-St. take a taxi or walk. You can also get by train from the Leningradsky railway station to Bologoye station (Tver region), travel time - 2 hours, and from there by taxi or bus to Valdai, or by train Bologoye - Valdai (travel time - 1 hour), then , also, to the monastery by taxi, or on foot.

By car, Valdai can be reached from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Veliky Novgorod along the E105 or M10 highway (Moscow - St. Petersburg). On the highway there will be a turn to Valdai (do not turn), and next to it is another turn (the highway to the city of Borovichi), with a sign to the Svyatoozersky Iversky Monastery, you need to turn there, and after driving 2 km along it, turn left, already on the road to the monastery islands, and then in a straight line to the monastery.

Excursions to the Valdai Iversky Monastery here

The Valdai Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Monastery is an Orthodox monastery located on the Selvitsky Island of Lake Valdai in the Valdai District of the Novgorod Region. This monastery became the first monastery built in Russia after the Time of Troubles.

On July 25, 1652, having ascended the patriarchal throne, Patriarch Nikon expressed a desire to found a monastery in Russia in the likeness of the Iberian Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece.

Map of the Valdai Iversky Monastery

In the summer of 1653, two wooden churches were built: the Cathedral Church, in honor of the miraculous icon of the Iberian Mother of God, and a warm church, in honor of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow. The first abbot of the monastery was Archimandrite Dionysius.

The incomparable beauty of the wooden complex of the monastery was noted by many. The 17th-century Syrian traveler Pavel of Aleppo wrote: “Patriarch Nikon, with his efforts, erected a new monastery near the city of Novgorod, among an island on a magnificent freshwater lake, competing in this with the buildings of the royal masters ...”.

The main value and decoration of the Svyatoozersky monastery, without a doubt, was the Iberian icon, which became famous for many miracles. The Iberian icon, striking the eyes and minds of the parishioners, was not like it, even in the tsar's treasury, or in his churches. The value of the decorations of this icon reached, at that time, more than 44,000 silver rubles. Patriarch Nikon forbade all icon painters to make lists and copies of it.

Scheme of the Valdai Iversky Monastery

By the beginning of 1654, there were already 26 monks and the same number of laborers in the monastery. In February of the same year, Patriarch Nikon visited the monastery under construction and renamed the Valdai settlement into the village of Bogoroditskoye, and named Lake Valdai Holy, having previously consecrated it and lowered the Gospel and the cross to the bottom. A letter from Patriarch Nikon to the Tsar has been preserved, where he reports his vision, over the island, of a sign in the form of a pillar of fire. The monastery itself, in addition to the former name, was called "Svyatoozersky". In May of the same year, by order of the tsar, Lake Valdai with islands, as well as the cities of Borovichi, Yazhelbitsy and Vyshny Volochek, were assigned to the Svyatoozersky Monastery.

The monastery was built and strengthened, and in 1655, in addition to all the monks, the brethren of the Belarusian Orsha Kuteinsky monastery moved here, in the amount of more than 70 people. And in 1656, the first stone building of the monastery, the Assumption Cathedral, was completed.

After the death of Archimandrite Dionisy, Archimandrite Philotheus became his successor, at that time the monastery received the status of a first-class one, and the number of brethren was 200 people.

But the Iberian monastery did not stay in a flourishing state for long. On the Bolshoi Church Cathedral In 1666, Patriarch Nikon was convicted and deposed from the Patriarchal see. From that moment on, the monastery began to slowly but surely fall into decay, and from 1712 to 1730, the monastery with all its property and land was completely assigned to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, which was then under construction.

But even in such hard times, there were many parishioners in the monastery. Especially many guests visited the monastery on the day of the celebration of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, which is celebrated on Tuesday of Bright Week. Solemn religious processions were held with the miraculous icon in the cities of Valdai, Borovichi, in the counties of Novgorod and neighboring provinces.

After the revolution of 1917, the Iversky Monastery had a sad fate. The Soviet authorities constantly requisitioned bread, cattle, fish, vegetables and fruits from the monastery. In addition, the golden riza from the miraculous Iberian icon was taken away from the monastery, as well as all the ancient and precious things of liturgical use. And in 1919, the monastery was completely transformed into the Iverskaya labor artel, numbering 70 people, and having 5 hectares of monastic land and 200 hectares of orchards, vegetable gardens, arable land and pastures.

What just did not survive the Iberian Monastery. On its territory there were a historical and archival museum, a museum of local history, workshops, a home for the disabled for participants in the Great Patriotic War, and a forest school for children with tuberculosis.

But, in 1991, the monastery, which was in disrepair, was returned to the Novgorod diocese. From that moment, the Iberian Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Monastery began to be brought back to life. The general clutter of the territory was eliminated, the people who lived there were resettled, the daily worship was resumed, and the beginning of the external and internal arrangement of the monastery buildings was laid.

The shrine of the monastery was a copy of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, which in the 1950s - 1980s was kept in the only functioning church in the Valdai region - Peter and Paul (cemetery) in the city of Valdai. Her new precious riza was made by craftsmen from the city of Zlatoust and consecrated on December 25, 2006.

At the end of 2007, the comprehensive restoration of the Valdai Monastery was completed. And now, before us, he appears in a unique guise. The unique beauty and elegance of the Iversky Monastery is known far beyond the borders of Russia.

The main building of the Iberian Monastery is the Assumption Cathedral, which has not lost its grandeur over the years, it is distinguished by its large size and monumentality. The six-pillared temple with galleries and large five domes, raised on the basement, is a kind of manifesto of the archaizing direction of Russian temple architecture of the middle of the 17th century. The east side is given out by three apses. Around the whole temple there is a gallery on four sides, with three entrance porches; with it, on the north and south sides, two tents, two-storied, in the form of chapels, with small gilded crosses, the same cross is on the entrance porch.

The vaults of the cathedral are supported by six massive pillars. Light comes here from the sides through wide windows (three windows on each of the three sides), and from above - through the windows of five domes. The length of the cathedral from the altar wall to the entrance porches is 6.8 meters, and the width is 21.7 meters.

On the walls of the altar and the temple there are frescoes of the 19th century, painted with oil paints. Unfortunately, 60% of the frescoes were lost during the Soviet era. Upon entering the cathedral right side door, the miraculous image of the Iberian Mother of God is brought to the Iberian monastery, and on the left - the miraculous appearance of the relics of St. James, during the ice drift on the Msta River, as well as the miraculous appearance of St. James to one sick priest and another.

From the front side, a stone step adjoins the throne; on the throne there are chased silver-plated clothes and above it there is a carved gilded canopy. Opposite the throne, on the eastern side, under a carved gilded canopy, there is an image of Christ the Savior sitting on the throne in the form of a bishop, with the Mother of God and John the Baptist present.

The painting of the cathedral, in general, is poorly preserved: some compositions are completely absent, many are represented only by separate colorful fragments, and only a few colorful drawings are read well enough. All surviving areas of old painting were strengthened with a special composition and cleared. In general, for the entire period of work, the artists restored, updated and re-painted 2,956 meters of painting.

Against the northwestern corner of the cathedral church, there is a warm monastery church in the name of the Epiphany of the Lord, built with the blessing and plan of His Holiness Patriarch Nikon in 1657-1658.

The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is located above the Church of the Epiphany of the Lord. It was built in 1747.

The gate church of St. Philip is located in the western section of the monastery wall of the ensemble of the Valdai Iversky Monastery. It was built in 1873 - 1874 and is a one-domed gate building with one passage arch. On the south side, the building of the Seating cells adjoins the church, on the north side - the Stable cells.

The church in the name of St. Jacob of Borovichi is one-story, square in plan, covered with a duct vault, with a semicircular apse part. A high wide dome with a round drum and a spherical dome rises above the roof. During the 20th century, the church lost its dome, as it was used as a dwelling.

The Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Monastery is a masterpiece of architecture, fortunately, which has survived to this day. A real pearl of the Valdai Lake, this monastery guards the peace and quiet of these places. Here you can feel calmness and peace, and in our turbulent age of technology and progress, sometimes such feelings are simply necessary for people...

Official website of the Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Monastery: http://www.iveron.ru/