Pechersky Ascension Monastery

Pechersky Voznesensky Monastery is usually said to have been founded ca. 1328-1330 by St. Dionysius, who came to Nizhny Novgorod from Kiev Pechersk Lavra (i.e., Kiev Monastery of the Caves, pechery meaning 'caves') with several other monks, and dug for himself a cave on the step Volga shore some 3 km southeast of the city. Later on, he founded at that site a monastery with a church of Resurrection of the Lord.

The monastery soon became an important spiritual and religious center of the Principality of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod. The monastery was destroyed by a landslide on June 18, 1597; surprisingly, no one died. The same year the monastery was rebuilt about 1 km upstream (north) of the old site.

Although there are no caves in the modern monastery, the appellation Pechersky, linking it to the old Kiev cloyster, has been preserved. Moreover, the entire section of Nizhny Novgorod surrounding the monastery, occupying uplands above the Volga south of the city center, is known as Pechery.

The monastery was closed by NKVD in 1924, and reopened in 1994.

The current Ascension Cathedral is constructed in 1630—1632.The Church of Dormition of Our Lady dates from 1648 and the church of Saint Venerable Euthimios of Suzdal from 1645.The other buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The belfry of the Ascension Cathedral (which also serves as a clock tower) is noticeably out of plumb. It has been leaning almost since the time it was originally constructed. The monastery is surrounded by a red brick wall with small towers, making it look like a small kremlin. The diocesal archeological museum and a book and icon shop operate in the monastery.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Privolzhskaya ulitsa 108, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia

Details

Founded: 1328-1330
Category: Religious sites in Russia