Ascension Convent, Tambov, Russian Federation

Ιστορικές Πληροφορίες

Έτος Ίδρυσης:

1690

Ιστορία:

As a rule, the formation of new convents was preceded by the formation of communities or almshouses. The first founder of the female monastic community, from which the Ascension Monastery later grew up, was the schema-nun Mariamna. In 1676, at the Nativity of Christ Church in the city of Tambov (the parish church of the Panskaya Sloboda), a manor place 13 fathoms long (about 26 meters) was allocated for the "courtyard and services", and 8 fathoms across (about 16 meters). The schema-nun was engaged in baking prosphora; over time, several more girls joined her who wished to lead their lives according to monastic rules, and when Saint Pitirim entered the Tambov See, he found “several cells” here. In 1690, at the direction of Saint Pitirim and at his expense, the cells were surrounded by a wooden fence. Mother Superior Catherine was appointed abbess of the monastery. In the "Note to the Composition of the Hierarchy and Literary Russian Spiritual History" for 1794, it is said about this: "The Ascension Convent was built in 1690 with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Pitirim with the help of benefactors of the city of Tambov." _MG_3582The bright flourishing of monasticism in Russia occupies a special place in the history of the Russian Church in the 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period, female monasticism developed especially, as evidenced by the large number of newly formed monasteries. So from 1810 to 1914 the number of women's monasteries in Russia increased fivefold. On the territory of the modern Tambov diocese at the beginning of the 19th century, there was only one Ascension women's monastery in Tambov. In the second half of the 19th century, in the Tambov province, construction was carried out on the territory of most of the women's monasteries, while the men's monasteries were only subject to minor reconstruction or planned repairs. Therefore, women's monasteries and communities became carriers of a new architectural style on the territory of the Tambov diocese. The 19th century was a period of architectural transformation of one of the oldest monasteries of the Tambov diocese of the Ascension convent in Tambov. At the beginning of the century, 150 nuns and novices found refuge in the monastery. At their disposal were cells located along the perimeter of the quadrangle, in the southern part of which was the Ascension Church. The construction of this temple was carried out by Bishop Theophilus, who consecrated it seven years later. The Ascension Church was repaired twice - in 1863 and 1906. In 1906, the reconstruction and expansion of the Ascension Church began, and two side chapels, previously located in the refectory, were removed and placed next to the main chapel. By 1907, the interior decoration of the expanded Ascension Church was completed: the floors of the entire temple and the altar were paved, new window frames and doors were exposed, In 1816, due to the increase in the number of the monastery's sisters, and “the side churches ... became cramped and non-accommodating,” the abbess asked for permission from the ruling bishop to build a new warm church. On May 29, 1816, the laying of the first stone of the second church of the monastery took place; Catholicos of the Georgian Church Anthony laid it at the foundation of the future church. Four years later, the main altar of the new church was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow", and the chapel - in honor of the Prophet of God and the Monk Alexy, the man of God. The construction of the temple was completed in 1817, and the interior decoration was completed by 1820. _MG_1457At the beginning of the 19th century, the Ascension Convent occupied a land area of ​​12062 sq. fathoms. In the middle of the 19th century, Abbess Eugenia launched an extensive construction in the monastery. A public prosphora appeared, providing prosphora to almost all the churches in the city and bringing the monastery a net annual income of 1,000 rubles. The money was used to maintain a girls' shelter (Olginskaya school), which was opened in 1868. A wooden building was originally built for the shelter, and then a two-story brick mansion was built behind the monastery wall in 1898. In addition, a bath-laundry, a water-folding booth for water supply of the entire monastery were built. A sister building of three floors with a house church in the name of the Monk Anthony of Pechersk was founded in the southern part of the monastery in 1891.