Resurrection Monastery of Uglich: description, interesting facts and reviews

The Resurrection Monastery of Uglich is one of the finest monuments of the Russian architectural style of the seventeenth century. Many will say that only the shadow of the past remains from him, and the magnificence with which he was famous earlier can not be returned ... But the Resurrection Monastery is an Orthodox monastery of special significance. It is connected with famous people in Russian history who invested a lot of energy and resources in its construction. Our article is devoted to its history, architecture and ensemble, as well as to the appearance, decline and revival of this monastery.

Uglich and his monasteries

By itself, this city is one of the most interesting places on the so-called Golden Ring of Russia. A special place in the local architecture is occupied by the monasteries of Uglich. The Resurrection Monastery, whose story is told below, is one of the most interesting and perhaps the most ancient. Of course, he had a lot to go through. Other monasteries of this city can surpass it by the richness of the decor or the abundance of ancient icons and paintings. But it is this ensemble that is classic for Rostov architecture. The rest of the monasteries are also unusually interesting. The date of appearance of most of them is unknown. This Alekseevsky, Trinity-Nikolsky "on the sands," John the Theologian and others. Most of them were devastated in the seventeenth century and closed after the October Revolution. And only a few have been restored and restored. Resurrection monastery refers to such "lucky". It was almost completely restored.

Location:

Voskresensky Monastery (Uglich, address: Spasskaya Street, 31 / 2a) is located on the bank of the Volga River. This is the area to the west of the Kremlin. Administratively, he belongs to the Rybinsk diocese. But since the territory of the monastery is very large, it is surrounded by other streets - Academician Oparin, Pionerskaya. Nearby is the park-museum of the Rooster, one of the interesting sights of the city.

How to get there?

Uglich often organizes sightseeing tours. It is problematic to get yourself here. The easiest way to get to Uglich from Yaroslavl. From this regional center to the city-museum two hours drive. Yes, and regular bus services. You can get to Uglich and from Moscow. Every day buses go through Pushkino and Sergiev Posad. But it takes about five hours to get there. Almost every resident knows the address of the Resurrection Monastery in Uglich. Especially since he is near the Kremlin. So, the road will be shown to you, you will not get lost.

History

We do not know exactly when the Resurrection Uglich monastery in Uglich was founded. In this regard, tell a lot of different legends. One of them says that its construction is connected with the biography of St. Paisius of Uglich. Allegedly, this monastery was founded when Archimandrite Nathanael was in the city, who came to consecrate the Holy Protection Church. It happened on October 1, 1482. The Charter of the Specific Prince Dimitry Zhilka from 1509, on which the monastery received several neighboring villages, was preserved. At least, at that time he was already a large land owner.

And other sources assure that the monastery is much older. According to this version it was built by the Uglich prince Roman Vladimirovich in the thirteenth century. In the 16th century there were six wooden churches here. In 1609, in the Time of Troubles, the Polish monastery stormed the monastery. Five hundred inhabitants of the city, about sixty monks and archimandrite perished. In the XVII century, stone buildings were built in a new place. But already in the eighteenth century this monastery ceased to exist. It was liquidated, and the temples turned into parish city churches. Household buildings on the territory of the monastery were closed. Over time, the number of existing parish churches has declined.

Building

The Holy Resurrection Monastery (Uglich) now has the form that it adopted in the seventeenth century. In those days it was rebuilt at the direction of Jonas Sysoyevich. This is the metropolitan of Rostov, an associate of Patriarch Nikon, who took monastic vows in that monastery. He ordered the construction of a complex of buildings in a new place, which was then called Lusatia. The fact is that the territory on which the old monastery was located was in the zone of destruction. The shore of the Trinity brook, where he stood, gradually collapsed. Therefore, in spring almost the whole area was flooded with water, which the population did not like. All the buildings of the monastery were built according to plan, at the same time. The architect was Alexei Ustinov. The composition is well thought out. This monument of architecture has a complex and at the same time solid composition. The buildings were stretched out in a row and connected by a so-called crook.

Monastery in the Soviet period

After the revolution, the parish churches experienced a decline. The main cathedral has decayed severely, and the ground beneath it began to fail. Under Soviet rule, it was originally transferred to the Museum of Antiquities, where many masterpieces of Old Russian art, including applied art, were collected. But during the so-called active atheism (1923-24), all the temples of the monastery were closed. But after the war and especially since the sixties of last century, they gradually began to recover. In 1975, the ensemble of the Resurrection Monastery in Uglich was restored using the latest technology at the time. First of all, they were used to strengthen the ground under the foundations that had sagged. . In 1999, the monastery and all its buildings were returned to the Orthodox Church .

Uglich, the Resurrection Monastery. Description of ensemble

The whole monastery is a single whole, and this impression of a fusion characterizes the entire complex. This architectural style is typical for both the construction time and the customer. He was erected at one time with the Kremlin of Rostov the Great. All buildings are white stone, they are decorated with iridescent green ("muravlennymi") tiles, which depict different characters, animals, scenes - both household and military. The new Resurrection Monastery of Uglich, built in the seventeenth century, consisted of a cathedral, the Smolensk church with a refectory, and the above-mentioned church of Mary of Egypt with a bell-tower in tent style. At the same time, cells, a fence and utility rooms were built. He was also part of the system of urban fortifications, particularly defending the south-western part of Uglich. This architectural ensemble was recognized as one of the outstanding creations of Russian architecture. It is characterized by laconic forms, simplicity of decoration, interesting and rich decor, as well as taking into account the function of each part of the monastery. This suggests that its builders were exceptional, if not brilliant people.

Resurrection Cathedral

This building is dominant throughout the ensemble. This is the most majestic and even somewhat harsh temple that is in the center of the complex. Voskresensky Monastery (Uglich) is interesting because its main cathedral has two side-chapels, connected with the help of the gallery. The porch in the west passes into the staircase leading to the temple. And from the south the gallery joins the other buildings of the monastery. At first the temple was a separate building. But then with extensions and transitions it was connected with the rest of the complex. The Resurrection Cathedral itself is rich in various decorative ornaments. Its portals are made of a special brick, the arcades are inlaid with tiles. The windows of the windows in the apses are brightly painted. The church itself is a five-domed four-pillar temple, which is built according to the patterns of typical Yaroslavl religious architecture. Under the northern side-chapel is another cult building. This is the winter church of the Sign of Our Lady.

Bell tower

This impressive three-span structure with four tiers - belfry - has also architectural significance. It does not stand alone, as it happens in most monasteries. With her help the Resurrection Cathedral is connected with the refectory and the church of the Hodegetria. A bell tower was built according to the type of Yaroslavl and Rostov belfries. It consists of two floors. Downstairs there were the main gates, where they drove to get to the Resurrection Monastery of Uglich. Now this is a podlet with a ladder. There are also through gates. The second floor has been preserved as a gallery, it represents a transition between buildings. In one of the belfry rooms, on the upper tier, is the small church of Mary of Egypt. Enter there you can from the gallery on the stairs inside the walls. Above is an arcade for bells, completed with a gilded head. It was rebuilt in 1999.

Church of the Hodegetria, refectory and other buildings

In these buildings of the monastery you can get through the passage, which is in the belfry. The refectory represents an extensive hall - the so-called chamber, whose vaulted overlap is supported by a central column. In former times there was a clock with a mechanism. The Chamber itself at first had a tent dome, and then it was replaced by a more artsy. From the east to the refectory adjoins a three-pedestal one-domed temple of a slightly elongated form - the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. It used to be used as a winter church. After the monastery was closed, the spiritual school was located in the refectory. In the fifties of the twentieth century the Smolensk temple was restored. The Church of the Hodegetria (Resurrection Monastery of Uglich) is a small building that is immediately behind the refectory. The interior of this temple is not as richly decorated as it is in the Cathedral, but fragments of old frescos are preserved. In 2010, the Holy Gate and the fence with towers were completed to the complex. At the cemetery of the monastery in the sixteenth century, the ancestors of the first Romanov dynasty mother were buried. Therefore, the royal family made many donations to the monastery.

Reviews

Tourists and pilgrims who visited the Uglich Resurrection Monastery left positive comments about it. They write that the complex is operational. Monastic life revives beyond the gates. Everything is very modest, but cozy. In a small yard there are many benches for rest. There is a shop where you can buy religious literature and paraphernalia, as well as kvass and patties made by monks. Liturgies and services are held in churches. Beautiful, interconnected snow-white buildings with golden domes make an excellent impression. The street on which the monastery stands is also interesting - it is very old, and there were historical buildings there. This architectural complex fits perfectly into the city ensemble and character of Uglich. When visiting the city it is worth a visit.