Golden domes over the Seliger.

Храмы и монастыри России

Golden domes

over the Seliger

Nilova Pustyn

Ostashkov district, Tver region

2020

Nile's Hermitage (Nilova Pustyn), an Orthodox monastery, is situated on the Stolobny Island at the eastern lakeside of the Seliger . 

It was called in honor of the Reverend Nile.

The Reverend Nile had lived on the island for 27 years, spending days and nights in solitude and in prayer. The monastery was founded here after his death, in 1594, and reached its prosperity by the middle of the 19^th century.

It is believed that Nile did not go to sleep. He rested leaning on wooden hooks driven into the wall.

A bit of history.

Nile was buried on the Island Stolobny. The monastic cloister was founded with permission of the Patriarch Job in 1594. The founder of the monastery was the monk Herman from Nicolo Rozhok. The church and the cells received the status of the monastery called Nilova Pustyn.

The most churches and other constructions were built from the 17^th to 19^th centuries. It was a period of the prosperity of the monastery.

In 1614, after the death of the founder of Nilova Pustyn, Nicolai Telyashin (in monastic life - Nectary) was at the head of the monastery.

L. Magnitsky, a famous Russian scientist, the author of the first textbook of arithmetic, was the nephew of the Father Superior Nectary.

Under Nectary economic conditions became much better, the spirit of poverty changed in friendship with the boyars and the tsars. The cloister started getting more lands.

The most important event in the history of Nilova Pustyn in the 17th century was the finding the holy relics of St. Nile. On the 27^th of August in 1665 the fire destroyed all the wooden buildings, including church. Reverend Nile's relics were found incorrupt and fragrant on the 27^th of May in 1667.

There were miraculous signs before it. 10 days before the fishermen had seen a big pillar of fire, shone above the monastery. Another fisherman - burning candle on the tomb of St. Nile.

A lot of miracles happened after that.

Nilova Pustyn became a well-known place. The monastery began to receive large sums of money from the Tsar and his relatives.

In the 17 th century Nilova Pustyn had town churches in Ostashkov, Novgorod and Moscow. By the end of the 17 th century Nilova Pustyn formed large and various farm.

But at the beginning of the 18^th century the construction of Nilova Pustyn became slower, the number of conventuals decreased.

1756 was a great event for the monastery. Nile Stolobensky was hailed as the Saint. His name was included in the calendar of the saints.

The annual celebration of finding the holy relicts was established since 1756.

By the beginning of the 19^th century Nilova Pustyn grew into a real town on the island. There were two docks, a lot of yards, forges, barns, mills, cellars, hospices and even the observation place from one can see the panorama of the Seliger and Ostashkov.

In the 19^th century the Christening Cathedral was erected by the architect Botani. This project was designed by the architect Sharleman for the building of St. Isaacs Cathedral, but it was realized in Nilova Pustyn.

Emperor Alexander I visited the monastery in the 19th century during his travelling throughout Russia. It was an important event in the history of Nilova Pustyn in the 19th century.

Decoration work of the cathedral lasted 30 years. The magnificent “capital” temple was erected on the Seliger. It looked like as a part of St. Petersburg : the buildings of classicism style, the granite embankment.

Nilova Pustyn changed into one of the largest Russian monasteries. Crowds of pilgrims came here. Special guests were met at the Bishop's wharf. (Arkhiereyskaya Pristan).

The Tower Svetlitsa was the latest building erected in 1863.

The 20th century was very hard for Nilova Pustyn. After the October Revolution of 1917 the monastery was plundered. Then the monastery was a camp for Polish prisoners of war, a hospital, a retirement home.

In the 60s the monastery was considered as an architectural monument. The restoration work began in the 70s and lasted 20 years.

In 1995 Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksiy II visited Ostashkov to take part in carrying of the holy relics of the Reverend Nile to Nilova Pustun because since the Great Patriotic War they were in one of the churches of Ostashkov.

In 1998 radiomarathon was held to collect money for reconstruction of the monastery. As a result of it Nilova Pustyn received contributions and construction materials.

Nowadays the appearance of the monastery is taking a lot of changes. Nilova Pustyn is a whole town on the island, consisting of different buildings : rooms for the abbot and monks, a hospice, cellars, a stable, an orchard. The territory of the monastery is surrounded by a high stone wall with towers. There is a park on the lake's shore.

The monastery is open for visitors.

It is an amazing place, because it is difficult to understand where you are: in Heaven or on Earth.

Links:

1. Барсегян Т. В. Нило –Столобенская пустынь. Монастырь и мир. – М.: Издательство МГУ, 1999.

2. Барсегян Т. В. Земля Истока… Очерки культуры Верхневолжья. – М.: Издательсьво Моск. Ун-та, 2001.

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Images/ii1653&265.htm

http://st-tver.ru/saints/detail.php?id=233

http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/atachenka/view/291705/?page=1

http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/atachenka/view/411071/?page=2#preview

http://tourbina.ru/common/photo/44806/palbum/43/

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