Vysotsky Monastery

Serpukhov, Russia

Vysotsky Monastery is a walled Russian Orthodox monastery founded in the 1370s by Vladimir the Bold. It served for a long time as a border fortress defending the southern approaches to Moscow from the Tatars. The first hegumen, Afanasy the Elder, was a disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, whose successor, St. Nikon of Radonezh, is believed to have been tonsured a monk in this monastery.

After the Russo–Crimean War (1571) the badly damaged monastery was restored on a grander scale. The five-domed Cathedral of the Conception dates from that building campaign, financed byIvan the Terrible. The cathedral was almost certainly preceded by a medieval limestone church of which little is known.

In the mid-17th century the monastery was fortified with stone walls and four corner towers. It rivalled the Vladychny Monastery as the most important shrine of Serpukhov and welcomed rich patrons wishing to be buried within the monastery walls. Among those buried there are Gavrila Golovkin, the Chancellor of Peter the Great, and Fyodor Soimonov, the Governor of Siberia. The Neoclassical belfry was completed in the 1840s.

The monastery celebrated its 500th anniversary with the construction of the All Saints church, designed by Roman Klein in a fashionable Neo-Byzantine style. The church was destroyed after the Russian Revolution, when the monastery was given over to the Latvian Riflemen to be used as barracks. By the end of the Soviet period the monastery had lost most of its walls and was very dilapidated.

Restoration work on one of the greatest monasteries of the Moscow region started immediately after its return to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991. Repairs were made in the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, dating from the 17th century and containing an icon screen and royal doors from the 16th century. Reconstruction of the missing sections of the wall is in prospect.

The modern monastery derives its prosperity from the venerated copy of the icon of the Inexhaustible Chalice, which attracts hundreds of pilgrims from all over Russia and abroad. The icon is said to be particularly effective in the treatment of alcoholism.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1370s
Category: Religious sites in Russia

Rating

4.9/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

EMELY PERLITA MOZOMBITE SOLON (15 months ago)
Efficient and friendly! I lost my house keys, and they arrived quickly to help me out. The locksmith not only provided new keys but also ensured that my locks were secure. Such a hassle-free experience.
GRACE ESTEFANIA YSLA CAZORLA (15 months ago)
Great experience from start to finish! The locksmith was friendly, patient, and skillful in repairing my jammed front door lock. The prices were reasonable, and the service was exceptional. Will definitely use them again if needed.
Siddharth Mishra (3 years ago)
I really loved it. It was my first orthodox Church and it was great experience.
ashraf barakat (4 years ago)
Very good place
Aleksandr Melnikov (4 years ago)
Beautiful!♥️
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.