Mammoth Desert (Tambov Region, Sosnovsky District): description

Many Orthodox people, and even more so pilgrims are interested in the question of where is one of the most beautiful holy monasteries - the Mammoth Desert. The Tambov region keeps in its history the emergence of this most ancient place, because it is closely connected with the spread and strengthening of Orthodoxy in this region. The desert is located 70 versts from the city of Tambov, in the village of Mamontovo (Sosnovsky district). The village, like the monastery, bears the name of Monk Mamont, his founder. The journey takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. Many people are interested in the Mammoth Desert (Tambov region). How to get there by car? It is worth saying that it will be easiest to get there on the route from Tambov to Morshansk and then stop in the village of Otyasy of Sosnovsky district, and there will be 4 km to Mamontovo.

The First Settlements

The history of the Mammoth desert tells that in 1629 the elder Mamont, on the orders of the nun Martha Ivanovna, a local landowner, opened the desert in honor of St. Nicholas on a meadow called Nikolskaya. At first the monastery was very poor and miserable. The charter of 1634 even gave the prohibition to take the tax from 30 quarters of the monastic grounds, since the elder lived alone, he fed on Christ's name, he had no assistants and peasants, he had no profit from anywhere.

But gradually bonded peasants, free men and women from the Ryazan region, Narovchat and Zvenigorod uyezd began to settle nearby. All of them were very happy, there was a lot of free territory, but the hands of the workers did not suffice to cultivate the land. So the foundations of the culture of landowning began to be laid down here, which were later transferred to newcomers.

Mammoth Desert: description

In the scribe books of 1677 there are indications that at that time the Mamontov Deserts (Tambov region) had two churches: the first and the main one, in honor of Sts. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, the second - the ultimate, in honor of Alexy God's man, with icons, all utensils and bell-tower, which were in the same building. The first builder of the desert was the elder Mamont himself. A refectory and a porch were added to the church, a five-walled altar was chopped separately, and the Alekseevsky chapel was arranged on the right. The domes were decorated with scales and crosses.

Monastic economy

The church was consecrated in the name of Alexy, because it was during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich that the monastery received the greatest number of deposits. By the end of the XVII century the monastery began to quickly enrich itself, and by that time it had numerous yards with cows, poultry and an apiary. In each such village the monastery appointed its headmen and ruling monks.

In 1764, the deserts were officially abolished, but the temple and farm buildings remained for a very long time monastic.

Ornaments of the Temple

The one-sided new Nikolaevsky church was built in 1768-1775 by the reading and writing of Bishop Theodosius (Golosnitsky). It was a solid and beautiful structure, which stood until the beginning of the XX century. This temple was rebuilt from the log house of a pine forest on a small hill near Lake Glubokoe.

In the new chopped chapels in 1865 there was a sacristy and the Intercession Church, the iconostases were decorated with abundantly gilded twisted columns. It would be incomplete to describe the interior of the church without mentioning that the temple was still decorated with wooden statues. Above the iconostasis there was a carved crucifixion, on the sides - images of the Virgin and John the Theologian. In the lower tier above the local icons are the cherubs, skillfully carved from wood and covered with sheet gold. Some of the royal doors adorn the wooden figures of the evangelists in growth.

Nikola Mozhaisky

After the abolition of the monastery, the active activities of priest Alexei Ivanovich Krinov on the site of the monastery on the basis of the almshouse, a new sister community was formed, in which in 1912 20 peasant widows lived.

By May 1912 in Mamontovo, with the funds of the priest AI Krinov and parishioners, the first stone church was built, it was consecrated in 1915, and the most important icon was St. Nicholas the Wonderworker's icon in silver setting, executed on a lime board for those times in two Arshin. The prelate was depicted in full bishop's vestments with golden crosses, all the way up. His head was decorated with wreaths, in one hand he held a steel sword, in another hand - a tabernacle. On the reverse side of the icon was the inscription "Nikola Mozhaisky".

Miracle-working icon

A local legend says that the elder monk Mamont found this icon near three limes, exactly in that sacred place where later he built his first monastery temple. Of these same limes, all the church utensils were then made, which for centuries was kept in the Nikolaev church of the village.

Unknown Morshansk craftsmen of carved works created magnificent works that adorned all the churches of this district.

Heritage

In 1924, carved statues were transported to the Morshansk Museum of Local History, among them there were more than 10 statues of Christ with a crown of thorns and chains, figures of angels and saints. But for 70 years of atheistic policy, Orthodox culture over time lost unique works for its descendants.

However, the people's path to the desert does not overgrow, people come to Sosnovsky district of the village of Mamontov from all over Russia to pray and be healed of various ailments, and also to plunge the Holy Lake. On May 22, many pilgrims and guests from neighboring regions come here to the St. Nicholas patronal celebration. Since 2003, the Mammoth desert began to revive, then the bathing-place on the Holy Lake was built, the nursery building, the chapel and the temple were being built.

Mammoth desert (Tambov region) is still known today because the sculpture of Sergei Isakov "Nicholas the Wonderworker" stands near the temple of the monastery. It almost exactly resembles the ancient icon of the temple. In his right hand he holds a sword, and in the other - a restored temple.

Conclusion

This place is very famous and popular in Tambov region. Many pilgrims travel here, not only from Russia, but also from abroad, to enjoy the Russian Orthodox spirit. Especially a lot of people here on May 22, on the Day of Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Many people are attracted to the Mammoth Desert today. Tambov region reviews receive the most favorable. After all, there is clean air, a lake and magnificent nature, literally everything acts in the health of the soul and body and just pacifies. Nobody leaves indifferent here.

It simply captivates with its beauty the Mammoth Deserts (Tambov region). Opening hours of her can be found, unfortunately, only getting to the place, and the official site is still only in the development stage.