Description of the attraction
The Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Monastery is an Orthodox male monastery located in the Pskov region, namely in the village of Pushkinskie Gory. The Svyatogorsk monastery was founded by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1569 and has long been part of the most revered monasteries in Russia. The monastery received a huge number of gifts free of charge, the most valuable of which was a bell presented by Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the weight of which reached 15 poods, as well as the Gospel presented by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Today, you can see a few fragments from the bell, which was cast by order of Hegumen Innokenty in 1753 in the city of Moscow.
Important changes awaited the monastery in the 18th century, when the Russian border moved to the Baltic shores, and especially after the order of Catherine II, according to which the monastery became a third-rate monastery, and all its lands were transferred to the state treasury. Since the 19th century, the Svyatogorsk monastery has been closely associated with the name of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The famous poet, staying in Mikhailovsky, often came here at difficult moments of his creative quest. When writing the drama "Boris Godunov" Alexander Sergeevich strove to most historically truthfully transfer the characters of his characters to the pages, which is why the poet spent a lot of time in the monastery library, studying the chronicle sources in the light of one of the "fraternal" buildings.
Around the entire perimeter, the monastery is surrounded by a stone fence. A pair of gates leads to the monastery building, some of which are Saints, and others are Pyatnitsky, which were previously located next to the lost Pyatnitskaya church.
Not far from the Holy Gates is the governor's house, which was built in 1911. The Nikolskie Gates, named after the lost church, lead to the cloister's trading yard. The Anastasievsky gate is closely adjacent to an old stone fire-lamp, intended for the gatekeeper. Stone stairs lead directly to the Assumption Cathedral, and then to the family cemetery of the Pushkin-Hannibals. In the 18th century, two side-chapels were added to the old Assumption Cathedral - Odigitrievsky and Pokrovsky. It was in the Odigitrievsky chapel that the coffin of A. S. Pushkin on the night before burial.
In the Holy Dormition Monastery, at the family cemetery of the Pushkin-Hannibals clan, there are burials of family members: Pushkin's grandfather - Osip Abramovich, grandmother - Maria Alekseevna, mother - Nadezhda Osipovna and father - Sergei Lvovich. In 1819, Plato died - the poet's younger brother, who was buried at the Assumption Cathedral.
It was the Svyatogorsk monastery that became the last refuge of the great poet. In the winter of February 6, 1837, after a memorial service, the poet's body was buried near the altar wall. After four years, a large marble monument was erected here, which was ordered by Pushkin's widow to the Petersburg master of monumental affairs A. M. Permogorov. In 1924 the Svyatogorsk monastery was closed.
As you know, a huge number of monasteries suffered to a greater extent during the Great Patriotic War. The Assumption Cathedral was restored only in 1949. At this place, an exposition was opened, which became a dedication to the history of the monastery, as well as the life, work, duel and funeral of A. S. Pushkin.
In mid-1992, the Svyatogorsk monastery was returned to the permanent use of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the spring of May 29, with the participation of Moscow Patriarch Alexy II, services in the Holy Dormition Monastery, namely the Assumption Cathedral, were resumed in a solemn atmosphere.
At the moment, the cathedral is working, and the adjacent territory is actively used in cooperation with the Pushkin Reserve, as well as the diocese. Today, about 25 monks and novices live at the monastery, although in Pushkin's time their number did not exceed ten. Monks work on the monastery lands, doing agriculture. There is a church Sunday school at the monastery. According to the blessing of the church governor, the monks actively receive pilgrims. In the morning and in the evening, according to the monastery charter, services are held, while every day the monastic brethren pray for the repose of the soul of God's servant Alexander.
