The Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky (Pskov-Caves) monastery is located on the historically Russian land, 50 kilometers to the west of the city of Pskov, near the very border of Estonia and 340 kilometers from St. Petersburg.
The date of the monastery's foundation is
considered to be August, 15/28,1473. It was on that day that the monastery's
founder, St. Jonah (Shesnik) consecrated the church of the Dormition of the
Most Holy Mother of God — a church which was built into the hillside. But the
monastic life had actually begun there much earlier, when a few hermits,
seeking solitude, came to live in the caves. The holy relics of one of them,
St. Mark the desert-dweller, still rest in the caves and many people come to
venerate them. The monastery's chronicle relates that "the Most Pure
Virgin herself chose this site in the valley of the Kamenets spring, blessed
it, exalted it through her chosen people and has been protecting it ever since.
Five centuries have passed, and the monastery has seen both glory and tragedy,
but never have the holy lampadas gone out, nor prayer ceased in this blessed
place.
The monastery
gradually grew in size and reputation. The 16th century was the time of its
flourishing, when under Abbot Cornelius the Annunciation and St. Nicholas
Churches were erected as well as the stone belfry and the monastery was
fortified around by a stone wall with bastions, and the brethren numbered up to
200. Abbot Cornelius collected a rich library, established chronicling and
founded an icon-painting workshop. The monastery became an important missionary
center and stronghold of Orthodoxy on the western border of Russia. Tradition
has it that, slandered by envious people, Abbot Cornelius was beheaded by Tsar
Ivan the Terrible on the 20th of February, 1570 and now numbers among the hosts
of holy martyrs.
In the 16th and 17th centuries the
monastery suffered from numerous attacks by the "Latins" — Polish and
Lithuanian troops, as well as by the Swedish and German soldiers. The most
serious attack was lead by the Polish King Stephan Batory in the autumn of 1581.
In 1920 the town of Pechory, in accordance
with the Tartu Agreement, was given to Estonia, and the monastery found itself
outside Russia. This new situation did not affect the church services in the
monastery — they never ceased; however, the new authorities caused a lot of
problems and distress to the brethren.
After the Second World War, in the 50s,
the revitalization of the monastery began, and Archimandrite Alipi (Voronov,
+1975) contributed much to it. It was under his abbacy that all the churches
were repaired and the stone wall and bastions were restored to their original
appearance.
During those years the spiritual life of
the monastery also flourished. Under the Holy Protection of the Most Pure
Mother of God were gathered many ascetics and elders. Through their prayerful
pastoral labors lived the great tradition of Orthodox asceticism and eldership.
This tradition is still carried on in the monastery by Archimandrite Adrian
(Kirsanov).
Now there are ten churches in the
monastery. It is in the oldest gold-domed Dormition church that one can see and
venerate the miracle-working icon of the Dormition of the Most Pure Mother of
God and the relics of the Holy Martyr Cornelius. Currently the monastic
community numbers over 90. The brethren celebrate daily morning and evening
services, perform perpetual psalter reading and spiritually guide a large
number of people seeking their wise spiritual counsel. The monks also labour in
the monastery fields and stable. There are an icon-painting and an
icon-restoration workshops and a Sunday school. The monks run a House of Mercy
which comprises a Pilgrim's house and a hospice for aged monastery workers. The
monastery is also renowned for its children's choir.
In 2013 the monastery marked the 540th
anniversary of its existence and salvific work in the Orthodox Church. The
years pass, governments and empires rise and fall, but the monastery ever
remains a firm stronghold of Orthodoxy in a restless world.
Source:
http://www.pskovo-pechersky-monastery.ru/eng
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