Description of the attraction
The Assumption Pustynsky Monastery, or the Male Pustynsky Monastery in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, is located near the city of Mstislavl. Until recently, one could only admire the ancient ruins, but now there is an active revival of the monastery with the assistance of the government of the Republic of Belarus and the Orthodox Church.
This ancient monastery was founded in 1380 by the son of Prince Olgerd, the ancestor of the Mstislavsky family of Lugveni. Legend has it that Lugwen began to rapidly lose his sight. One night, in a dream, the Mother of God appeared to him and said that he would find healing near the Oslyanka River (a tributary of the Sozh). After washing with healing water, the prince recovered his sight. The first thing he happened to see was a miracle of God - a wonderful image of the Deserted Mother of God. Further, the legend says that next to the healing spring there was a monastery of hermit monks. To celebrate, Lugwen built a large beautiful monastery and church for the monks.
In the 16th century, disaster struck - a war was going on in the Mstislavl lands. The monks of the Pustynsky monastery were partially killed, the rest hastily left their home. In 1605, a non-residential monastery was occupied by the Basilian monks, but they could not live in the monastery for a long time. Only in the 19th century, the monastery began to revive.
In 1864, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built. It was built right above the miraculous healing spring, in the place where the wonderful icon of the Desert Mother of God appeared.
The snow-white bell tower, 60 meters high, was built in 1866. The temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was also reconstructed and numerous outbuildings and dwellings of monks were built. There was a church school and a peasant school. The monks taught poor students and orphans at their own expense.
In 1919, at the time of collectivization, the cunning monks registered a commune in Pustynka, which gave them some time to lead the same way of life, but in 1925 the monastery was closed anyway and the monks were dispersed. During the Great Patriotic War, the monastery was blown up by German troops.
The revival of the monastery today began on July 16, 2003. Now it is a functioning monastery. The bell tower and the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been restored, the rest of the buildings are being restored. The font for holy water has also been restored. Pilgrims reached the monastery for miraculous healing water.
