Valdai Iversky Monastery how to get there. Monasteries of Holy Mount Athos

Iversky Monastery (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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

Today, the Cathedral of the Assumption 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 to visitors from 6:00 to 21:00. The monastery staff conducts daily excursions for tourists and pilgrims. However, you need to pre-register by phone and indicate the number of people in your tour group. The Iversky Monastery provides accommodation for tourists in the guest building (with overnight stay and meals), but these issues should also be agreed upon with the Pilgrimage Center.

You can get to the island where the Iversky Monastery is located by boat. It runs daily: on weekdays the motor 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 Lake Valdai on the same ship.

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

Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Bogoroditsky Monastery located on the territory of the Novgorod region, Valdai district, 10 km. from Valdai.

The city of Valdai is located in the North-West of Russia in the Novgorod region in its most south-eastern part at the 386th kilometer of the Moscow - St. Petersburg highway (M10).

You can get to Valdai by railway transport, train Pskov-Moscow (Valdai station), buses, then to the Iversky Monastery from the Valdai pier on the motor ship "Zarya-211" (temporarily out of service) or by taxi.

From St. Petersburg, take the St. Petersburg-Moscow train (Uglovka station) then take a taxi to the Iversky Monastery.

Access by private vehicle you can drive along the Moscow - St. Petersburg highway (M10), from the side of Moscow, before reaching the city of Valdai, turn at the turn to the city of Borovichi, from the side of St. Petersburg, having passed the city of Valdai, but without entering it, also turn onto the highway to Borovichi. After driving along it for 2 km. turn left, already on the road to the monastery islands.

Valdai, is known to have been a leader Tsarist Russia in the bell-making business. The history of Valdai is mainly connected with the Iversky Monastery, located on one of the islands of Lake Valdai, which gives the lake a simply fabulous landscape. There are also traces of ancient tribes.
Lake Valdai (1992 ha) is the most deep lake State Valdai National Park. Its depth reaches 92 m. A group of islands divides the lake into two reaches: Valdaisky (10 x 3 km) and Dolgoborodsky (6.5 x 2.7 km). Valdai Lake belongs to the basin Baltic Sea. 75 rivers and streams flow into it, and only Valdaika flows out. The lake has many bays and about 20 islands. On the shores of this lake there is the city of Valdai, several villages, houses and recreation centers.
Islands of Valdai Lake.

Ant Island (42.4 hectares), the second largest after Ryabinovy, has its own internal lake, connected by a short channel to Valdai, the water temperature in this small lake, called Glukhim (Bishop), is always several degrees higher than in Valdai. This island also has another name - Dark. There is a legend according to which the island got its name because a sorcerer once lived on it, before the monks settled here.

Ryabinovy ​​Island (119 hectares) is the largest island on the lake. Got its name from a large number rowan growing here. Once upon a time, some Finns worshiped the rowan tree - Ugric tribes, it was their cult tree. This island preserves a beautiful old-growth forest. Ryabinovy ​​is one of the most popular holiday destinations for tourists and local residents. Unfortunately, a large influx of holidaymakers in summer months has an adverse effect on the island's ecosystem. There is a walking trail “Ryabinushka” (1.5 km) along the island. It has five recreation areas. Here you can swim, sunbathe, and fish. There are many berry and mushroom places along the trail.
Selvitsky Island (11 hectares) is connected by a humpback bridge to Ryabinov Island. On this “small, but very beautiful” island is located the Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Monastery, founded in the middle. XVII century by His Holiness Patriarch Nikon. Patriarch Nikon, outstanding figure The Russian Orthodox Church, having seen this island, said about it: “not very great, but very beautiful” and decided to found the Iveron Monastery on this island.

Contact number of the pilgrimage center - tel. +7-911-6146694

Turn onto the Borovichi road leading to the monastery from the St. Petersburg - Moscow highway

Turning from the Borovichi road to the island to the monastery

Large bridge from the mainland to the monastery island

Let's start from the very beginning. After the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, the apostles began to prepare to preach the Gospel in different countries. To find out who would get which country, they cast lots. So the Mother of God asked to know where to go. The Iveron land fell, but the Angel warned that she was destined to serve the Lord in another land. And so it happened.

The ship on which the Mother of God was sailing was driven by the wind to Mount Athos. It must be said that the entire mountain was filled with idols, there was a sanctuary of the god Apollo and many pagans came here to worship. When the Mother of God set foot on earth, all the idols cried out for people to go meet the Mother of the True God Jesus, so that all those who were there fell on their faces before the Mother of God, believed in the Lord and were baptized. And the Mother of God, having performed many miracles, blessed this place. Promising his intercession until the end of time. Tsar Constantine erected three great monasteries on Mount Athos (now there are many more of them), settled monks in them, and ordered the mountain to be called Holy.

One day, the brave military leader of the Iveron kingdom, Torniky, came to Athos as a simple monk. And in those days the Persian army took up arms against the reigning city, and there was no one who could resist it. Then the queen asked Tornicius to come, and he, having killed the barbarian army, returned with a great victory. The queen, as the winner, offered him a lot of gold, but he bequeathed to her to build a monastery with that money so that it would be a haven for the Iberian people. And she promised to build it so that there would be nothing more beautiful than that in the whole world. And this is what the Lord judged for him.

In the 9th century there was a persecution of holy icons. One widow from the city of Nicaea kept an icon of the Mother of God. Having learned about this, the iconoclast soldiers who appeared began to demand money for the image, threatening to burn it, and in anger they pierced the icon with a spear. And, oh, horror! – blood appeared on the cheek of the Mother of God as if from a living wound. Saving the image of the Mother of God, the widow carried it to the sea, and the icon, standing on the water, moved away from her. She appeared in a pillar of fire many years later (999) at the walls of the Iveron monastery and wished to be at its gates, which is why she is called the Goalkeeper. And many great miracles are performed by her even to this day. There are many lists of the Athos Goalkeeper all over the earth, and there are also miraculous ones.

Through pilgrims, rumors about the Iverskaya shrine spread throughout Russia; the future Patriarch Nikon ordered a copy of it. This is where the history of the Iversky Svyatoozersk Bogoroditsky Valdai Monastery begins. But – first things first.

While still Metropolitan of Novgorod, Nikon often visited Moscow, and he passed there precisely through Valdai. Valdai Hills - the highest point European Russia and the place is most picturesque. Special beauty Valdai Lake is different (and now, inhabited and crowded, it is beautiful, but before it was a marvelous wilderness, shining with transparent crystal clear deep waters, covered with green islands with narrow straits, decorated with picturesque carved shores with rare villages). Noticing such beauty, asking the residents in detail even about fishing, Nikon decided that such a place was worthy of having a monastery on it. Apparently, the longing of the future patriarch for the place of his last, before leaving for Moscow, abbess - the distant Kozheozersk Epiphany Monastery, another spiritual pearl of the Orthodox Russian North, where his confessor Elder Bogolep (Lvov) remained.

Then, without delay, Nikon turned to Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich, and he, as if informed by God, joyfully approved the idea of ​​​​the monastery, promising it his patronage. During a trip to Solovki for the relics of the Moscow Saint Philip, Nikon was awarded a vision of this ascetic, who also approved of his intention. And so, when Nikon became patriarch, he realized his long-time dream. Even earlier, as an archimandrite, he had heard a lot about miracles from the Iveron Icon on Mount Athos. And when, on occasion, the Iversky Archimandrite was in Moscow, Nikon asked to make a copy of the miraculous icon and send it to Moscow along with the plan of the monastery itself.

The icon arrived in 1648 along with a letter from the entire Iveron brotherhood, which told how the future shrine was created. After a long prayer, all the brethren poured holy water over the miraculous icon, and paints were added to that water along with the relics of the saints. They wrote with them. The icon painter ate food only on Saturday and Sunday, and the brethren were in prayer. It was reported that the icon that appeared was the same as on Mount Athos, only new. Having acquired the icon, Nikon began to create a monastery; he took the Iverskaya monastery as a model and named it by the same name. In 1653, construction of monastery churches and buildings began under the supervision of the patriarch and the most active support of the king and nobles. The patriarch himself consecrated the created monastery, placed in it a richly decorated icon of Iveron and ordered the relics of St. James Borovich, as well as particles of the relics of Moscow saints Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip, to be transported here for the spiritual support of the new brethren, which was solemnly accomplished to the ringing of bells. A great miracle also appeared - a pillar of fire, from which a brilliant light came - God blessed the monastery. At the same time, Nikon consecrated Lake Valdai, plunging the Gospel with a cross to the bottom of it, and renaming it Holy. This is how the monastery was born. During the patriarchate of Nikon, the Valdai Monastery was under his patronage and flourished, but with the imprisonment of the patriarch, the welfare of the monastery fell. The royal favors ceased, the estates were gradually taken away, fires brought great disasters, and only through the intercession of the Most Holy One and the energetic activity of the abbots was Iverskaya saved.

Like other monasteries, it did not escape a sad fate after the revolution; many monastery buildings, utensils, and the main shrine, the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in a precious golden robe, did not survive. Only in 1991 was the monastery returned to the Church. Before one of the copies of the Iveron Icon, which has been preserved in the Valdai Church, a prayer service was served, and the monastic life: prayer work and holiday. By the way, the holidays especially revered in Valdai are the memory of the Iveron Icon, celebrated, as on Athos, on Tuesday of Bright Week, the Annunciation, the Dormition, St. Jacob Borovicheskogo and the main monastic holiday in honor of the Iveron Icon (which saved Valdai from the plague) on August 10. On this day, the monastery is filled with pilgrims, the monastery hotels are full of pilgrims, there is not enough space for everyone, although they even sleep on the floor.

In the morning in the summer church of the Dormition of the Mother of God begins festive liturgy. “Iverskaya Mother” is decorated with flowers, monastery flowers, grown in flower beds, expensive ones, bought especially for the big day, or even just wild flowers that the children brought. The service seems to be in heaven, because the priestly vestments, the veils of everything marvelous blue color, Mother of God. There is no altar barrier in the temple; the entire temple is an altar, God’s dwelling. The pilgrims came to the church in advance, even though the Assumption Cathedral is large, and there are even more people, there is not enough space for everyone, and besides, I want to take a closer look at the bishop, the governor, and all the clergy from the Moscow region, Borovichi, from Novgorod, Leningrad regions for the sake of the holiday, those who visited the holy monastery. The Moscow School of Kustovsky Regents comes specially to sing. After the Liturgy there is a traditional religious procession, usually blessed by rain and immediately bright sun. They carry Iverskaya in front, everyone sings troparia together, congratulates, and after that everyone passes under the icon, which is held by two priests, you go into the temple, and you feel as if the Mother of God stroked your head. In the church, the sermon is also festive, and after: a meal for everyone, so tasty and plentiful, but how could it be otherwise - after all, we are feasting on the name day of the Mother of God herself. Once you've had your fill, you'll start talking with the pilgrims. Who? Where? How did God lead? They turn out to be mainly from St. Petersburg and Novgorod, there are also Muscovites.

They go not only to the Lady, but also to her pupils - the priests - to learn good living. All the monks, novices, even pilgrims in Valdai are family, you come as if you were visiting relatives, and how difficult it is to leave your relatives - someone will cry on the sly. But they know that they will definitely return; those who have been to Valdai at least once are drawn back, and they return. There are no more than 20 brothers in total, all from different places, and different in character - where does this unity come from? They say maybe because they are cheerful, friendly - God's joy.

Father Boris jokes, makes fun of the pilgrims, they say he humbles them, but this is not offensive at all, but pleasant, the children ask to play with pebbles - he plays. He also serves in the surrounding villages, with “beloved grandmothers”, bakes prosphora and the most delicious bread; they even came from the newspaper for the recipe, but they say he didn’t give it.

Father Nikandr is the dean, he manages all the monastery management and the temple, he is very concerned about the cleanliness of the temple, the pilgrims know that if he asks to wash the temple, it means they have gained his favor.

Father Anthony is focused, he is increasingly in the service. You can talk a lot about priests; these are favorite pilgrim conversations.

Archimandrite Ephraim (Barbinyagra) manages everything, and through his labors the monastery is being revived, restoration and repair work is being carried out. The vicar’s father is a Moldavian, and the choir decided to give him a gift for Easter - they sang “Christ is Risen” in Moldavian. Then a pilgrim bus with Orthodox Romanians arrived, how happy they were to hear the Easter greeting in their native language, they also found a family, they left so happy. This is how he is, Valdai. And everyone will have something they love: the kids have a lake where it’s so cool to swim, artists and photographers have amazing landscapes, archaeologists dig something, historians study something, and ordinary pilgrims go to help whoever they can. , yes, pray. Everyone is welcome and already loved.

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

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

From Moscow to Valdai you can get by bus Moscow - St. Petersburg from the bus station on Shchelkovskaya (run daily), or by bus Moscow - Veliky Novgorod (from the Airport terminal on Leningradsky Prospekt), the bus goes directly to the Valdai bus station, from there you can go to the Valdai Iversky Monastery take a taxi or walk. You can also get by train from Leningradsky station to Bologoe station (Tver region), travel time is 2 hours, and from there by taxi or bus to Valdai, or by train Bologoe - Valdai (travel time - 1 hour), then , also, to the monastery by taxi, or on foot.

By car you can get to Valdai 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 there is another turn (the road 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

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 Rus' 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 Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece.

Map of the Valdai Iversky Monastery

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

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

The main value and decoration of the Svyatoozersk monastery, without a doubt, was the Iveron Icon, which became famous for many miracles. The Iveron icon amazed the eyes and minds of the parishioners; there was nothing 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 copies 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 workers 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 of a sign in the form of a pillar of fire over the island. The monastery itself, in addition to its previous name, was called “Svyatoozersky”. In May of the same year, by order of the tsar, Lake Valdai with the islands, as well as the cities of Borovichi, Yazhelbitsy and Vyshny Volochyok, 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, numbering more than 70 people, also moved here. And in 1656, the first stone building of the monastery was completed - the Assumption Cathedral.

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

But the Iverskaya monastery did not remain in a flourishing state for long. At the Great Church Council in 1666, Patriarch Nikon was condemned and deposed from the Patriarchal See. From that moment on, the monastery began to slowly but surely decline, 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 at this time hard time, there were many parishioners in the monastery. Especially many guests visited the monastery on the day of the celebration of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, celebrated on Tuesday of Bright Week. Ceremonial events were held religious processions With miraculous icon to the cities of Valdai, Borovichi, in the districts of Novgorod and neighboring provinces.

After the revolution of 1917, the Iversky Monastery expected sad fate. Soviet power constantly requisitioned bread, livestock, fish, vegetables and fruits from the monastery. In addition, the golden robe from the miraculous Iveron Icon and all the ancient and precious things for liturgical use were taken from the monastery. And in 1919, the monastery was completely transformed into the Iverskaya labor artel, numbering 70 people, and having 5 hectares of monastery land and 200 hectares of gardens, vegetable gardens, arable land and pastures.

What the Iversky Monastery has not experienced. On its territory there were a historical and archival museum, a local history museum, workshops, and a home for the disabled for participants in the Great Patriotic War. 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 on, the Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersk Monastery began to be brought back to life. The general clutter of the territory was removed, the people who lived there were resettled, daily worship was resumed, and the beginning was made of the external and internal arrangement of the monastery buildings.

The shrine of the monastery became a copy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which in the 1950s - 1980s was kept in the only operating church in the Valdai region - the Peter and Paul (cemetery) church in the city of Valdai. Her new precious robe was made by craftsmen from the city of Chrysostom, 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 Russia.

The main building of the Iverskaya monastery is the Assumption Cathedral, which over the years has not lost its grandeur; it is distinguished large sizes and monumentality. The six-pillared temple, raised on a basement with galleries and a large five-domed dome, is a kind of manifesto of the archaizing trend of Russian temple architecture of the mid-17th century. The eastern side is projected by three apses. Around the entire temple there is a gallery with four sides, with three entrance porches; there are two tents on the northern and southern sides, two-story, in the form of chapels, with small gilded crosses, the same cross on the entrance porch.

The cathedral's vaults 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 porch doors 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 oil paints. Unfortunately, 60% of the frescoes were lost in Soviet era. At the entrance to the cathedral, on the right side of the doors, the bringing to the Iveron monastery of the miraculous image of the Iveron Mother of God is depicted, 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.

On the front side, a stone step adjoins the throne; on the throne there is a chased silver-plated robe and above it 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 a throne in the form of a bishop, with the Mother of God and John the Baptist standing in front.

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

Opposite the northwestern corner of the cathedral church, there is a warm monastery church in the name of the Epiphany of the Lord, built according to the blessing and plan 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. It was built in 1747.

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

The church in the name of St. James Borovichi is one-story, square in plan, covered with a box vault, with a semicircular apse part. A tall, wide dome with a round drum and a spherical dome rises above the roof. During the twentieth century, the church lost its dome as it was used as a living space.

The Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Monastery is a masterpiece of architecture, which fortunately has survived to this day. A real pearl of Lake Valdai, this monastery protects the peace and quiet of these places. There is a feeling of calm and tranquility here, and in our turbulent age of technology and progress, sometimes people simply need such feelings...

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

Construction milestones: Russian prototype of the Greek Iveron

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

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

In 1655, the monastery was inhabited by the brethren of the Orsha Monastery, who brought 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 Iversky 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 plots of Orthodox churches and monasteries were confiscated, and 20 monasteries, including Iversky, were completely removed from state support. However, despite the official abolition, life in the Valdai monastery was still warm.

Real trials awaited the monastery after the Great October Revolution. With the Bolsheviks coming to power, 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 land were cultivated by monks and novices, who official documents were listed as workers of the artel. In 1927, a commission from the Commissariat of Agriculture decided that the monastery workers paid too much attention to divine services, as a result of which the artel was completely liquidated. Amidst noise and confusion, the commissars removed the image of Iverskaya from the monastery. 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 mid-19th century.

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

In the 90s, the Valdai Iversky Monastery was again returned to the Novgorod diocese. Almost all of its buildings had fallen into frankly deplorable condition by that time, so the monastery was facing a grandiose restoration. During the last stage of reconstruction and restoration work, the Assumption Cathedral acquired gilded domes, and its walls were once again covered with elegant fresco paintings.

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 God's Michael;
• Epiphany Church with a refectory;
• Church of Jacob Borovichi;
• Viceroyal Corps;
• Tent bell tower;
• Treasury Corps;
• Fraternal Corps;
• Living Room, Hospitality and Stables buildings;
• stone fence;
• Nikolaevskaya Tower;
• chapel.

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

You can visit the Valdai Iversky Monastery either as part of pilgrimage groups or independently, for example, by joining one of the tourist groups. To enter the monastery as a pilgrim, you will first have to obtain a blessing for the trip from the rector of your church, or from the diocese to which your church belongs. It is better to plan your trip in advance, since places in the monastery hotel are reserved at least a month before arrival.

While 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 strict internal regulations. If you decide to stay at a hotel on the territory of the monastery, then get ready to observe the monastic regime and do not discredit yourself by all kinds of delays (for meals or church services).

Be careful when choosing your wardrobe. Exclude from it jeans, miniskirts, shorts, as well as blouses with an open neckline and other immodest things. Women and girls should bring scarves or headscarves to cover their hair, as they usually excursion activities the monastery is led by its inhabitants (monks, novices). Well, those who still forgot to take appropriate clothes with them will be helped out by the monastery shop, where you can buy modest scarves and skirts.

What to see and visit during the excursion

On the territory of the Valdai Iversky Monastery there are several operating churches, the main one of which is the Assumption Cathedral. The structure was the first stone building of the monastery, erected in 1656 on the highest part of the island. People usually visit the church because of the unique fresco painting of the 19th century, partially preserved and partially restored in the early 2000s. The cathedral has five gilded domes (in total, about 3,000 gold plates were used to cover the domes) and is a striking representative 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 chamber. The architect Averky Mokeev, who had already managed to build the Assumption Cathedral, worked on the drawings of the structure. The spacious and bright refectory hall, located on a high foundation, was skillfully “fused” into the wall of the Epiphany Church, forming an original architectural complex. By the way, after the collapse 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 has a relatively laconic appearance: a single-domed, pillarless structure is surrounded by galleries on three sides. During the Great Patriotic War, a military hospital was organized in it, as a result, most of interior decoration and the paintings disappeared without a trace, and the premises themselves became very dilapidated. The restoration in 2007 somewhat improved the condition of the building, making it, if not ideal, then relatively satisfactory.

Compared to the rest of the churches of the Valdai Iversky Monastery, the architectural appearance of the Church of Jacob Borovichsky stands out noticeably. Not really normal look 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. The small square building with a round apse housed not only the 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 is the gate church of Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow. This temple is the first to greet 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, 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 store or by mail along with a monetary donation (requests for memorials 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. Saturday-Sunday, and also 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 Iveron 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

The 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 train Pskov - Moscow. You can get to the monastery from the city by water: the motor ship Zarya-211 runs daily between the Valdai pier and Selvitsky Island. The second, no less convenient option is a local taxi, which will take you across the road bridge to Ryabinovy ​​Island, and from there across another bridge to Selvitsky Island.