Description of the attraction
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery is located on the shores of Lake Nero. It was founded in 1389. The monastery has a rich and long history. At this place, two monasteries were originally founded: the Spaso-Pesotsky for women and the Yakovlevsky for men. She founded a women's monastery in the middle of the 13th century. daughter of Prince Mikhail of Chernigov Maria, who was the wife of Prince Vasilko of Rostov, who died in 1238 in the battle on the Sit River. After such a loss, the princess left the world and outside the city founded the monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior, it was also called the Knyagin's monastery. Here Mary lived the rest of her life, and before her death she took monastic vows. Only the Church of the Savior on the Sands has survived from the monastery. By the decree of Catherine II in 1764, the convent was abolished and attributed to Yakovlevsky.
Almost 100 years after the founding of the women's monastery, a men's monastery was founded nearby. It was laid by the Bishop of Rostov, St. James. Refusing to hand over a woman to the townspeople for execution, the saint was expelled from the city. But, leaving the city, Jacob, in front of the eyes of many Rostovites, sailed along the lake in a miraculous way on a spread cloak. He stopped near the Spassky Knyaginin monastery, where he founded a new monastery. She was named Conception. After the death of Jacob, the monastery was called Yakovlevsky. The buildings of these monasteries were made of wood. Therefore, they did not reach our time.
Over time, both monasteries became poorer and destroyed. But Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich supported the Yakovlevsky monastery, placing over the grave of St. Jacob's stone church and rebuilding the Conception Cathedral in 1686-1691. The monastery was assigned to the Bishops' House.
At the beginning of the 18th century. Saint Demetrius came to Rostov, he was made the metropolitan of the monastery. In 1709, according to his will, he was buried in the Conception (Trinity) Cathedral.
The oldest building of the monastery is the Cathedral of the Conception of Righteous Anna. Its construction began in 1686 under Metropolitan Jonah. At first it was consecrated as Trinity, in 1754 it became Zachatyevsky. The central head of the temple stands on a light drum, and the four side ones - on the deaf. Small domes are blue with gold stars, the central one is gold. In the years 1689-1690. the temple was painted by Yaroslavl masters, its frescoes are still the best examples of the isographic art of Yaroslavl. In 1752, under the floor of this cathedral, the relics of the Metropolitan of Rostov, St. Arseny, near whom miraculous healings began to take place, then the Synod decided to glorify this saint.
In the same 1752, the first Yakovlevskaya church was added to the wall of the Conception Cathedral. In the 19th century. it was dismantled and rebuilt. The Yakovlevskaya church is somewhat smaller than the Dimitrievskaya one, but their outlines, shapes and decor details are similar.
At the beginning of the 20th century. Vladyka Joseph, the last abbot of the monastery, built the Resurrection Church in the basement of the church with the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher inside.
Dimitrievskaya church began to be built in 1794 with funds allocated by Count N. P. Sheremetev. For the construction, he attracted an architect from Moscow, Elizvoy Nazarov, and serf masters - Mironov and Dushkin. Alexey Mironov built a lot for Count Sheremetev, worked in his estates Ostankino and Kuskovo. The Dmitrievsky temple was built in the style of classicism, but during the construction process, its project was corrected several times, therefore, despite the beauty and elaboration of individual elements of the building, in general, it does not look quite proportional. The temple is crowned with a large dome with one dome. At the corners of the quadrangle there are small chapters. The facades of the building are decorated on all sides with multi-column porticoes of the Ionic and Corinthian order, small porticos on the windows, and numerous bas-reliefs. According to I. Grabar, the figures and bas-reliefs, the colonnade of the western portico, could have been made by the architect Quarenghi. The walls of the temple were painted at the end of the 18th century. Rostov iconographer, master Porfiry Ryabov.
To the east of all the temples is a three-tiered bell tower, crowned with a spire, dating back to 1776-1786. It is decorated in a rather restrained manner, in the classical style, with pilasters and rustic stones, pairs of columns, and serves as the high-rise dominant of the monastery.
The cell buildings and the abbot's chambers were built in 1776-1795. They are designed in the style of classical residential architecture of the 18th century.
There are gates to the monastery from both sides - from the lake and from the road.
In Soviet times, in 1923, the monastery was closed, and in 1928 worship in its churches was banned. His abbot Joseph was arrested and died in exile. For a long time, the monastery buildings housed living quarters, warehouses, and a kindergarten. In the 1920s. this monument lost many valuable icons and other church utensils, which disappeared without a trace.
In 1991 the monastery was returned to the Church. Services are held here, monks live, who are engaged in subsistence farming, sewing, icon painting.
