Description of the attraction
The Feodorovsky Monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky was founded, most likely, after 1304. This place was not chosen by chance: according to legend, in 1304, on the day of commemoration of the Great Martyr. Theodore Stratilates, a battle took place between the soldiers of the Tver and Moscow princes, in which many people died, including the boyar Akinf, the leader of the Tver army. In honor of the victory, the Moscow prince established a monastery here.
The first information about the monastery dates back to 1511. During this period, the Fedorovsky monastery was a large and rich monastery, which enjoyed the patronage of the great dukes.
The oldest building of the monastery is the Feodorovsky Cathedral, which was built in 1557 with funds donated by Ivan the Terrible in honor of the birth of his son Fedor. The cathedral was built in the center of the monastery grounds. It is a massive brick building with five chapters. The initial covering of the quadrangle is zakomarny, this is evidenced by the drawings of the zakomars remaining on the facades. The roof was replaced with a four-pitched one. Three apses adjoin the quadrangle from the east of the cathedral. Other external decoration is hidden from view: at the end of the 19th century, the cathedral was surrounded by a stylized gallery on three sides. The church was reconstructed earlier: in 1704, the dilapidated porch was replaced, a small bell in the north-western corner of the church was removed. Inside the cathedral there are still paintings that belonged to the hand of the Italian master N. Tonchi.
Next to the Feodorovsky Cathedral is the refectory Church of the Presentation. It was built in 1710 with funds donated by Princess Natalia Alekseevna. The refectory was built on the site of a former stone one, which was dismantled due to dilapidation. The low temple is wide enough; spacious side-chapels adjoin its main volume. The temple has three apses, which are decorated with graceful semi-columns. The walls of the side-chapels are decorated with a similar decor. The quadruple is crowned with one chapter, another, smaller chapter, stands above the refectory.
Another monastery church is the Kazan hospital church, which was built in 1714 with donations from Princess Natalia, along with two-story hospital wards. This is a simple and modest building, which suffered quite badly in the 18th century: when the hospital wards burned down, the church was abandoned, and for a long time it was closed. Today this church has been restored. She is acting.
The monastery had a bell tower - the tallest building in Pereslavl. It was erected in 1681-1705, its ringing was quite rich.
In 1681, the construction of stone walls and towers began. Only fragments of the walls have survived to this day. The fence no longer performed a defensive function; it was completed without transitions and loopholes. There was supposed to be a church at the gate in the fence, but, most likely, there were not enough funds for it. Nowadays, a single-storey bell tower was built over the gate. On the north side of the main entrance to the monastery is the building of the monastery hotel, which was built in 1896.
Several cell buildings of the 17th-19th centuries have survived on the territory of the monastery. Today, restorers carrying out restoration work in the Feodorovsky Monastery find here many old items.
Until 1667 the monastery was for men; but after an epidemic of pestilence in the city, there were many orphaned girls and widows who had nowhere to go except to the monastery. By the decision of Patriarch Joseph and the decree of Alexei Mikhailovich, the monastery where ten monks lived was turned into a female one, and the male brethren were distributed among other monasteries.
During the reign of Peter I, German weaving was introduced in the monastery. Various types of handicrafts flourished in the monastery: gold embroidery, weaving, embroidery, pottery; it also had its own icon-painting workshop. By the end of the 19th century. the monastery became impoverished, but not deserted.
After the revolution, the monastery was closed. Her last abbess was arrested. Returning from the camps, she lived out her life at the monastery in the gatehouse. The cathedral housed a storage warehouse. After the war, a military unit was located on the monastery territory. Recently, the Institute of Software Systems was located here.
The restoration of the monastery began in 1998. About 20 sisters live here, who are doing everything possible to save the 700-year-old monastery.
