Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery and its history

Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery has a unique and very interesting history of its origin. This is one of the oldest and largest male monasteries located in the north of Russia. It was formed in the Vologda region, on the bank of the river Nurma, near its place of flow into the river Obnoru. In 2014, this monastery celebrated the 600th anniversary, since its foundation dates back to 1414. St. Paul of Obnorsky, a disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, became its creator.

Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery. Vologda Region

Soviet power inflicted irreparable damage to the monastery when it was closed and soon destroyed by its ancient buildings dating back to the 16th-18th centuries. Including was the main Trinity Cathedral. In the surviving buildings, children's educational institutions eventually began to be located. Then many years later, when in 1994 the monastery was returned to the Russian Church again.

Until 2003 it was considered to be a courtyard of Prilutsk Monastery. Today it is already an independent monastery in which the miraculous relics of St. Paul Obnorsky are kept. Some accidentally surviving buildings belong to the monuments of architecture. From the Trinity Cathedral there were several icons that were made by the famous Moscow icon painter Dionysius. Today the icons are in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum and the Vologda Museum-Reserve.

History of the Monk Paul

This saint is considered one of the pillars of the great Northern Thebaid, bearing the light of Christ that illuminates the grace. He lived 112 years, from 1317 to 1429.

St. Pavel Obnorskiy was born in 1317 in Moscow. As a young man, he secretly left his father's house in order to avoid the marriage that his parents dreamed of doing. At the age of 21 he took monastic vows and went for a blessing to Sergius of Radonezh. After that he retired 15 years away from Troitsky monastery. Then he received a blessing from St. Sergius to build his own monastery and a forged copper cross, which was kept in the monastery until a violent fire in 1909.

In 1389, near the abode of Dionysius of Glushitsky, St. Paul Obnorsky built himself a small cell, but then left it at the request of Dionysius, went to the Komel forests and lived in the hollow of a tree of lime for three years. Now his fragment is kept in the monastery in the Assumption Church. Then the Monk Father Pavel arranged a cell on the right bank of Nurma, around which other monks began to settle in time.

Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery and its founder

From the life of St. Paul, it is known that in 1414 the old man had a wonderful vision (he heard the sound of bells in the forest), then he addressed Metropolitan Photius of Kiev to allow him to found a monastery, but was rejected in a rather crude form. However, soon Metropolitan Photius himself had a certain vision and called on Paul to give him his blessing.

On the left bank of Nurma, a community monastery with the main wooden Trinity Cathedral was soon established. So gradually the famous male Pavlo-Obnorsky monastery was rebuilt. Reverend by this time was already very old, and therefore blessed to become hegumen of his pupil Alexy, and he continued to live in his secluded cell and the monastery visited only on holidays.

Confessor

The spiritual father and interlocutor of the Monk Paul was Sergius of Nurom. A chapel was built in memory of their friendship between Pavlo-Obnorsky and Spaso-Nursky monasteries. After the death of the monk in 1429, his body was buried in the southern part of the Trinity Cathedral.

The Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery in 1489 received privileges and exemption from taxes from the Great Tsar John III. He belonged to forests and villages. These privileges were also fixed by other kings: Basil III, John IV the Terrible and their further successors. In the period from 1505 to 1516 years in the monastery was built stone Trinity Cathedral temple. Later the tsar attributed the monastery of the village of Kostroma and Belozersk lands.

Time trials

In 1529, Tsar Vasily III, together with his wife, visited the Pavlo-Obnorsky monastery in order to beg for God's charity. In 1538 it was attacked by the Kazan Tatars, who looted the property, burned, killed several monks.

By the end of XVII the monastery numbered 59 inhabitants, 8 villages, 122 villages with 710 households and 1,798 souls. By the end of the XIX century it was inhabited by only 12 monks. In 1909, there was a severe fire, and the monastery suffered greatly. In the fire, a cross was melted, presented to St. Paul Sergius of Radonezh. Throughout Russia, money was collected for the restoration of the monastery. Tsar Nicholas II donated a new cancer for the relics of St. Paul.

Before the revolution itself, 80 inhabitants lived in the monastery. At that time, his last hegumen was Nikon (Chulkov). In 1924, on the orders of the Gryazovets Uyezd Executive Committee, the monastery was closed.

Temples of the monastery

The entire building complex consists of the Assumption Church, the Church of Pavel Obnorsky, the Church of Our Lady of Korsun, the Rector's Chambers and the Resurrection Church.

The Church of the Dormition became the second church erected after the destruction of the Trinity Cathedral, which was built half a century ago. The church in honor of St. Paul Obnorsky, erected in 1546, where the relics of this miracle worker were stored for a long time, and the church of Sergius of Radonezh were subsequently disassembled. In their place was built a one-headed church of the Monk Korsun Mother of God, which was blown up in the 30s. Already in 2000 a wooden chapel was built on this place, where they placed a cancers with the relics of St. Paul Obnorsky.

The Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery is noteworthy for its three-story parish chambers. They are adjacent to the refectory of the Assumption Church. The lower two floors were built in the 16th century. Not far away are the stone on which the elder prayed, and the well, which he himself dug out.

Address and schedule of services

Before this monastery can be reached as follows: from the city of Gryazovets every day there are buses to the village of Kosikovo, after which it is necessary to drive another 4 km along the sign to the village.

The Holy Trinity Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery is located at: 162011, Vologda Region, Gryazovetsky District, p. Youth. Services in the monastery are held daily. Everyday - from 5:00 and at 17:00, on weekends and holidays Liturgy begins at 9:00, evening service - at 17:00, confession - at 8:00.