Description of the attraction
In the city of Gorokhovets there is the famous Nikolo-Trinity Monastery, which bears the honorary title of the main attraction of the city. This is a male Orthodox monastery. Literally from anywhere in the city, you can see the crosses of the Nikolo-Trinity Monastery, because it was erected on the elevated place of Gorokhovets - Puzhalovaya Gora. In the 11th century, a settlement was formed in this area, and a century later a defensive wooden fortress already existed.
The founding of the monastery took place in the 17th century. The main temple of the Nikolo-Trinity Monastery was the Trinity Cathedral, the foundation of which took place in 1681. The necessary funds for the construction of the Trinity Cathedral were generously donated by a wealthy merchant from Gorokhovets, Ershov S. N. The cathedral was finally built by 1689. It has two floors, in the space of which there are two churches. The first floor is occupied by the warm church of St. Nicholas, and on the second floor there is a summer church consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity. The base of the temple is represented by a regular triangle, and its walls are decorated in the form of carved details made of stone; at the same time, the window openings are decorated with unusual platbands. The wedding ceremony of the cathedral is made in the form of five domes, which are set on imposing drums, equipped with columns.
In front of the entrance to the Trinity Cathedral, you can see an elegant porch, and from the north-west there is a hipped-roof bell tower, at the base of which there is a quadrangle turning into an octagon. Over the years, this type of bell tower has become traditional for the Orthodox architecture of Gorokhovets.
In 1710, in the northern part of the Nikolo-Trinity Monastery, a two-story church was built, consecrated in honor of John Climacus. Construction work was completed only in 1716. Warehouses were located on the first floor of the church, while the second floor was occupied by an altar. The Church of St. John of the Ladder was built in the style of the primordially Russian refectory churches.
In the middle of the 18th century, the Nikolo-Trinity Monastery was surrounded by a stone-paved fence, and small towers were located at its corners. The front gate is located in the eastern wall. It is worth noting that they somewhat blocked the main road along which numerous monks descended into the city.
A church consecrated in honor of the Intercession was erected right above the gate. This church is a gateway and designed according to the architectural traditions of the 17th century. The temple is equipped with a small dome and has a rather modest facade decoration. Not far from it there is a building with monastic cells, which were built almost immediately from the moment the monastery was founded.
It is worth noting that all buildings located on the territory of the Nikolo-Trinity Monastery are somewhat adjacent to the fence; the central part of the courtyard is set aside for the main Trinity Cathedral.
As you know, during the years of Soviet rule, large-scale anti-religious activities were carried out aimed at suppressing the influence of the Orthodox Church. The Holy Trinity-Nicholas Monastery could not escape this fate, and in 1920 it was closed. All the churches of the monastery were plundered and ruined, and the property was completely nationalized. After the events held, a cinema was located in the building of the Trinity Cathedral, as well as a warehouse intended for film distribution.
As soon as the power in the country changed, the Nikolo-Trinity Monastery was returned to the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese. Closer to 1993, it was almost completely settled by monks, who gradually began to rebuild the monastic cells.
Today the monastery operates, and its magnificent gates are open to numerous visitors. At the moment, in the Nikolo-Trinity Monastery, particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant are carefully preserved, which is why a large number of Orthodox believers come to the monastery to pray near the remains of one of the most revered saints on Russian soil.
