Description of the attraction
Varlaamo-Khutynsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky nunnery is located 10 km north of Novgorod. The life of the monastery is closely connected with the name of its founder Varlaam Khutynsky, one of the most revered saints in the north of Russia. The monastery appeared in the XII century. in a "bad place" that was dominated by evil forces. By the power of prayer, Barlaam managed to drive out evil spirits and erect a temple - the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior. Unfortunately, this temple has not survived.
In 1515, on the site of the old Savior Cathedral, a new Transfiguration Cathedral with five domes was built. Especially noteworthy is the western porch of the cathedral with a porch, decorated with tiles. The remains of the great Russian poet Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin and his wife Daria Alekseevna are buried in the cathedral. Derzhavin died in 1816 at his home on the Zvanka estate. The coffin with the body of the deceased on a barge along the Volkhov River went to its last refuge. During the Great Patriotic War, the monastery was destroyed. Derzhavin's grave also suffered. In 1959, the remains of the poet and his wife were reburied in the Novgorod Kremlin. In 1993, in connection with the 250th anniversary of the poet, his remains were returned to the monastery.
Near the Transfiguration Cathedral in 1552. the refectory church of Varlaam was built, which is a pillarless building, to which a two-pillar chamber is adjoined on the west side, which is a refectory. The church and the refectory have two floors.
After the closure of the monastery, the office of the OGPU was located in the monastery. During the Great Patriotic War, almost all the buildings of the monastery were badly damaged. After the war, a hospital for the mentally ill was located here, and before that there was a tractor station. 1970-1980 a recreation area for visiting tourists was organized on the territory of the monastery.
Since 1992, the monastic life began to revive in the monastery. Now Khutynsky monastery is a place of pilgrimage for Novgorodians and residents of the surrounding villages. From the main gates of the monastery, a dirt path leads to the holy well. Walking around the Transfiguration Cathedral and going beyond the fence, you can see a small chapel on the hill, the land for which was laid by Varlaam Khutynsky himself.
