Description of the attraction
The Holy Bogolyubsky Monastery is one of the oldest Russian monasteries located on the Vladimir land. The glory of Vladimir as the ancient Russian capital began from here - from the Bogolyubov monastery.
In 1155, Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, left Kiev for the north-east of Russia. On the steep bank of the Klyazma, 7 versts from Vladimir, the horses carrying a cart with the icon of the Mother of God suddenly got up and could not go further. The prince spent the whole night in prayer in front of the icon. The Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him and ordered the miraculous icon to be erected in Vladimir, to build a temple on this and to build a monastery.
Construction began in 1157. The miraculous icon was named after the city - Vladimirskaya. From that time on, it has been the main shrine and symbol of Holy Russia. By order of the prince, the icon of the Mother of God was also written in memory of the miraculous vision to the prince, it was named Bogolyubivaya or Bogolyubskaya. This icon was the first to be painted in Russia, until that time all icons were brought from Byzantium.
Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky was the first organizer and creator of the Russian land after Grand Duke Vladimir. For his piety, the prince was nicknamed Bogolyubsky. He knew the whole church liturgical circle by heart, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him, he presented Russia with two of her miraculous icons, built more than 30 monasteries and temples. In the summer of 1174, the prince was killed by conspirators because he sought to unite the Russian principalities into a single state. To this day, the place of the martyrdom of the prince has been preserved in the Bogolyubsky castle.
After the death of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the monastery was ruined and plundered several times, but continued to exist. Tsars, princes, and other eminent persons often came here. Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky used to be here, and in 1263, after his sudden death, his body was brought here. Metropolitan Peter, the saint of Moscow, celebrated divine services here. Here, from 1364 to 1373, Bishop John of Suzdal asceticised, who was later canonized. During his Kazan campaign in 1552, John IV visited here. The Moscow patriarchs Joseph and Nikon came here on pilgrimage. The honorary pilgrims of the monastery also include Dimitri Pozharsky and Alexander Suvorov, Andrei Rublev, Tsar Feodor Alekseevich, Tsar Peter I, Paul I, Alexander I, Alexander II and many great dukes. On May 13, 1913, Nicholas II and his family honored the Bogolyubsk monastery with his visit. On July 17, 1918, on the day of memory of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, the family of Nicholas II was murdered in a villainous manner, as was Prince Andrei.
The 19th century was the spiritual flourishing of the monastery: the number of inhabitants increased, new buildings were built, in 1842 a new monastery bell tower was erected, and in the period from 1855 to 1866. a new cathedral five-domed temple was built in honor of the Bogolyubskaya icon. This temple is one of the largest in Central Russia. It accommodates about 5 thousand believers. It was built at the expense of the merchant A. G. Alekseeva according to the project of the architect Nikiforov Ya. M., who took the development of K. A. Tones. The temple was consecrated in 1866.
By the beginning of the 20th century. there were about 75 brethren in the monastery. The last abbot of the monastery before its closure in 1923 was Afanasy Sakharov, today canonized.
After the revolutionary events, the time of desolation came for the monastery, the temples were ravaged, the bells were thrown down, the shrines were desecrated. The monks were dispersed, many were martyred. The buildings of the monastery housed a hospital, school, post office, police, cannery, and warehouses and storehouses were arranged in the temples. The restoration of the shrine began in 1994, when 60 sisters and Archimandrite Peter (Kucher) from the Transfiguration Convent (Zadonsk) were transferred to the Bogolyubsk monastery. Today there are more than 170 nuns in the monastery, its abbess is Abbess Antonia (Shakhovtseva), the confessor of the monastery is Archimandrite Peter (Kucher), the senior priest is Hieromonk Herman.
The Bogolyubsky Monastery is building a courtyard in the Spas-Kupalishche tract in the Sudogodsky district, which is located near the confluence of the Sudogda and the Klyazma. According to legend, Tsar Ivan the Terrible was drowning there while swimming. Miraculously, he was saved, and built on a vow in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord a temple.
The Holy Bogolyubsky monastery today has risen from the ruins and is the spiritual center of Russia. It is included in the Golden Ring of Russia, daily it is visited by numerous groups of tourists, thousands of pilgrims come here to worship ancient shrines.
