12 sacred places of Russia

12 sacred places of Russia1. Diveevois Where? Nizhny Novgorod region, Diveevsky district.

What is Holiness? Diveevo is called the Fourth Destiny of the Mother of God on the earth. The main Shrine diveevsk monastery — the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Holy man invisibly, but obviously comforts, corrects, heals, opening Oresteia souls of people coming to him for divine love, and leads to the Orthodox faith, to the Church, which is the basis and the statement of the Russian land.







 

Pilgrims come for the Holy water from 4 sources, to venerate the relics and to pass along the Holy ditch, which, according to legend, can not cross the Antichrist.

 

2. Optina



Where? Kaluga oblast.

What is Holiness? Svyato-Vvedenskaya Optina Pustyn is one of the oldest monasteries of Russia located on the banks of the Zhizdra river near the town of Kozelsk.

The origin of the Optina remains unknown. We can assume that built it not the princes and boyars, and the devotees are calling for more than penitential tears, work and prayer.

Optina elders had a huge impact on the minds of people of different classes. Been here three times Gogol. After visiting Optina born "the Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoevsky. A special relationship with the monastery (as, indeed, with the Church in General) was Lev Tolstoy.

 

3. Nilo-Stolobenskaya Pustyn



Where? Stolobny island, Peninsula Svetlitsa, lake Seliger.

What is Holiness? The monastery is named Nilova desert by the name of Reverend Nile, who lived on the island for 27 years and bequeathed to build a monastery. In 1555 Neil died and was buried on the island of Stolobny. At the end of the monk near his grave on the island began to settle hermits praying for him, and they founded a monastery.

Before the revolution, Nilo-Stolobensky monastery was among the most revered in Russia, every year thousands of people. In 1828 the monastery was visited by Emperor Alexander I.

After the revolution, the monastery had a difficult fate. He managed to stay a colony and hospital, and a pow camp, and a camp site. During archaeological excavations on the territory of the monastery was established in the XVIII century here worked the biggest workshop for the manufacture of crosses.

Only in 1990 Nilova Pustyn was again transferred to the Orthodox Church, and in 1995 it was returned relics of the Nile.
 

4. Kizhi



Where? Kizhi island, lake Onega.

What is Holiness? Many believe that Kizhi is a beautiful temple somewhere in the North. This is actually a nature reserve, which is carefully preserved way of life and unique wooden architecture.

Center and the main monument of the Museum was the churchyard of Kizhi Church of the Transfiguration. It was founded in 1714 and built without a single nail and Foundation. The most remarkable thing that even in the Soviet period, the Shrine was not touched, even left the iconostasis with two hundred images.

All of the Kizhi ensemble is included in the List of UNESCO world heritage. To reach the island in the summer on a rocket from Petrozavodsk and in winter on the ice road from the village of Velikaya Guba.

 

5. Solovetsky monastery



Where? The white sea.

What is Holiness? Even in pagan times, the Solovetsky Islands were dotted with temples and ancient Sami people considered this a Holy place. Already in the XV century there arose a monastery, which soon became the main spiritual and public center.

Pilgrimage in the Solovetsky monastery has always been a great feat, which few dared. Because of this, until the beginning of XX century the monks managed to preserve a special atmosphere, which, oddly enough not evaporated over the years of hardship. Today come here not only believers but also scientists, researchers, and historians.

 

6. The Trinity-Sergius Lavra



Where? Moscow region, Sergiev Posad.

What is Holiness? This monastery is considered the spiritual center of Russia. The history of the monastery is inextricably linked with the fate of the country – here Dmitry Donskoy was blessed to the battle of Kulikovo, the local monks together with the troops for two years, defended from the Polish-Lithuanian interventionists, then took the oath of the boyars, the future Tsar Peter I.

To this day pilgrims from the whole Orthodox world come here to pray and to feel the grace of this place.

 

7. The Pskovo-Pechersk monastery



Where? Pechora.

What is Holiness? The Pskovo-Pechersk monastery — one of the oldest and most famous Russian monasteries. In 1473 there was consecrated cave Church of the assumption, Reverend Jonah dug in a hill of Sandstone. This year is the year of Foundation of the monastery.

The hill which contains the Church of the assumption and God created the cave, called the Holy mountain. In the monastery there are two saints of the source.

A feature of the Pskov-caves monastery is that it has never in its history has not been closed. In the interwar period (from February 1920 to January 1945), he was in Estonia, which has been preserved.

 8. Kirillo-Belozersky monastery



Where? Vologda region, Kirillov district.

What is Holiness? Kirillo-Belozersky monastery – a city within a city, the largest monastery in Europe. A giant fortress withstood the attack of the enemy – at its three-story walls can safely disperse two cars.

Vows to be the richest people of his time, and in the dungeons contained the sovereign offenders. Ivan the terrible himself was in favor of the monastery and invested a lot of money. There's a strange energy, giving a sense of peace.

In the district there are two pearls of the North, Ferapontov and Goritsky monasteries. The first is famous for its ancient cathedrals and the frescoes of Dionysius, and the second nuns from noble families. Those who have been in the vicinity of Kirillova at least once – return.

 

9. Verkhoturye



Where? Sverdlovsk region, Verkhoturye district.

What is Holiness? Once there was one of the main Ural fortresses, from which there were several buildings (the Kremlin is the smallest in the country). However, this small town became famous not glorious history, and a large concentration of Orthodox churches and monasteries.

In the nineteenth century, Verkhoturye became the center of pilgrimage. In 1913, the year there was built the third largest Cathedral of the Russian Empire – the exaltation of the cross. Near the town, in the village of Merkushino lived Simeon of Verkhotursk miracle worker – patron Saint of the Urals. To pray at the relics of Holy people come from all over the country – it is believed that they cure diseases.

 

10. Balaam



Where? Ladoga lake.

What is Holiness? Balaam is one of two which existed in Russia "monastic Republic". The Foundation on the Islands of the Orthodox monastery is unknown. In the beginning of XVI century the monastery already existed; in the XV—XVI centuries in the monastery lived about a dozen future saints, including, for example, the future founder of another "monastic Republic" Savvatii of Solovetsk (before 1429) and Alexander Svirsky. It was at this time on the neighboring Islands appeared in a large number of monastic hermitages.

Unlike the Solovetsky archipelago, where the host is a Museum-reserve, the Valaam monastic tradition was revived almost in full. All the monasteries here are, the monastery performs on the Islands and administrative functions, and the vast majority of Balaam — the pilgrims. Throughout the area the Islands are located monasteries, the "branches" of the monastery, only about ten. The incomparable nature of the Valaam archipelago — a kind of "quintessential" nature of South Karelia — contributes to the desire of the pilgrim to depart from the mundane and come to him.

 

11. Pustozersk



Where? In fact, nowhere. Pustozersk is a Ghost town in the lower reaches of the Pechora, Zapolyarny district of the Nenets Autonomous district. Located 20 km from the present city of Naryan-Mar.

What is Holiness? Pustozersk was a place where Avvakum lived in exile in an earth pit 15 years, wrote his life and was burned. Pustozersk and is now the seat of the old believers ' pilgrimage and revered by them as a Holy place. Here was built the chapel and refectory, are memorial crosses.

 

12. Rogozhskaya Sloboda



Where? Moscow.

What is Holiness? Rogozhskaya Sloboda is the historic spiritual center of Russian old believers. In 1771 have Rogozhskaya gate was founded the old believer Rogozhskoe cemetery, and here was built a quarantine hospital and a small chapel.

Then, at the turn of XVIII–XIX centuries when the cemetery was built two Cathedral of the intercession and Nativity, St. Nicholas chapel was rebuilt in stone, near the churches were erected houses for the clergy and of the clergy, monastic cells, six almshouses and a number of private and merchant houses.

Two centuries of St. Basil's Cathedral was the largest Orthodox Church in Moscow, accommodating over 7,000 worshippers at a time.
By the early twentieth century the population of the area Rogozhskaya old believers reached 30 000 people.published

 

Also interesting: paisios of the Holy mountain: God hurts for the grief that people experience

Russkaya izba: the ark among the woods

 



Source: russian7.ru/post/25-svyashhennykh-mest-rossii/

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