Valdai Iberian Monastery photography. Monasteries of Mount Athos. Iveron, Iversky Monastery. Shrines of the Yveron Monastery

Equipment and tools 06.12.2020

Equipment and tools

Valdaisky Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky monastery- one of the centers of pilgrimage in the Novgorod region. The Orthodox monastery complex is located in a picturesque place 10 km from the city of Valdai: it is located on Selvitsky Island, almost in the center of the holy Valdai Lake.

Iversky monastery has ancient history. The construction was started in 1653 on the initiative of the Patriarch of Moscow Nikon, and the place was chosen in accordance with the vision that visited him. The cathedral church of the Iberian Icon and the church of St. Philip of Moscow were the first to be completed.

Almost a year later, Nikon visited the monastery under construction, the surrounding Valdai Posad ordered to be renamed Bogoroditskoye village and consecrated the lake. So the monastery became Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky. At the same time, at the initial stage of development, the new monastery acquired the relics of the miracle worker Jacob of Borovichi. The Assumption Cathedral of the monastery was completed in 1656.

In the first half of the 18th century, the Valdai Monastery quickly, and partly by force, found itself in stagnation. His property and land were transferred to the St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Monastery, which was under construction at that time, to which a large bell was even transported from Valdai, while the monastery was rapidly falling into decay. However, already under the reform of 1764, the Iversky Monastery was assigned to the first class.

The history of the monastery in the 20th century includes numerous transformations. In 1919, the complex became the Iberian Labor Artel, but in fact remained a monastic monastery. In 1927 the monks were deprived miraculous icon and the community ceased to exist. In subsequent Soviet years on the island there was a museum (historical, local history), various workshops, a home for the disabled of the Great Patriotic War (with accommodation and care), a local school for children with tuberculosis, and, finally, a recreation center.

The long-awaited return of the monastery to the Novgorod diocese took place only in 1991. A large-scale, painstaking restoration of the complex was completed in 2007, then the Assumption Cathedral of the Iversky Monastery of Valdai was consecrated by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of Iveron, the main shrine of the monastery. Vladimir Putin attended the ceremony. Separate work on decorating the monastery continued until 2011.

Currently, the monastery complex includes: Iberian Cathedral of the Assumption Holy Mother of God, The Refectory of the Epiphany Church, Gate Churches of Michael the Archangel and Metropolitan Philip of Moscow, the Church of Jacob Borovichsky, a chapel with the tomb of the Panaevs, a hipped bell tower, vicegerent and auxiliary buildings, a fence with towers, the Nikolaevskaya (Mikhailovskaya) tower.

At the current monastery there is a museum dedicated to the history of the holy place and Patriarch Nikon. There are guided tours in the monastery complex.

Schedule of Divine Services in the Valdai Iversky Monastery

Services in the monastery are held according to a regular schedule. On weekdays, the time allocated is from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00; on Saturday, Sunday and holidays - from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00. Baptism - on weekdays, Sundays, holidays - at 13:00. Wedding - by appointment, only on permitted days according to the church calendar.

The full schedule and opening hours are available on the official website of the Iversky Monastery.

How to get to the Valday Iversky Monastery

Ferries "Zarya-211" depart from the Valdai pier to the monastery. You can also take a taxi - for about 200-300 rubles from Valdai. At the same time, it is convenient to get there by road: the first island, Ryabinovy, is connected to the mainland by a road bridge; from its northern end, across a narrow strait, there is a bridge to the Selvitz Island, where the monastery is located.

Pilgrims often get to Valdai from other regions of Russia. The M-10 highway leads to the city, there are regular local and intercity bus routes with a stop at the Valdai bus station, electric trains and long-distance trains. However, it is more convenient to travel by suburban trains not to Valdai, but to the Chernushki stopping point, located about 5 km from the island monastery, this distance can be walked or traveled with fellow travelers. In addition, there remains the opportunity to travel to Valdai and visit the famous Iversky Monastery in an organized manner - as part of an excursion group (you need to check with the pilgrimage center of the complex and the pilgrimage services of your city).

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Valdai Iversky Monastery: video

Iversky Monastery (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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The main Orthodox attraction of Valdai - the Iversky Monastery - is located on the Selvitsky Island of the Valdai Lake. The monastery was founded in the middle of the 17th century in the likeness of a monastery on Mount Athos.

Today, on the territory of the Valdai Iversky Monastery there are the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, the Epiphany Church, several Gate Churches, a chapel with a tomb, a Pilgrimage Center, as well as economic and administrative buildings.

The Iversky Monastery is open for visits from 6:00 to 21:00. For tourists and pilgrims, the staff of the monastery conducts daily excursions. True, you need to pre-register by phone and indicate the number of people in your tour group. In the Iversky Monastery, tourists are provided with accommodation in the guest building (with overnight stay and meals), but these issues should also be agreed with the Pilgrimage Center.

You can get to the island where the Iversky Monastery is located by boat. It runs daily: on weekdays, the ship "Zarya-211" departs from the Valdai pier at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00, on Saturday and Sunday - at 9:00. A ticket for the ship costs 100 RUB.

After visiting the Iversky Monastery, you can go for a walk along the Valdai Lake on the same boat.

The ride lasts about an hour (departure from the island at 17:00) and costs only 250 RUB.

Prices on the page are for September 2018.

Address: Selvitsky island, Valdai district, Novgorod region, Russia. Coordinates: 57.9892224, 33.30542749999995 . Phone of the pilgrimage center: +7-911-614-66-94. The monastery is open for visits from 7-00 to 21-00. Tours of the monastery can be booked in the church shop of the main cathedral or by phone. Accommodation and meals in the monastery strictly by appointment, preferably a month in advance.

On one of the beautiful islands of Valdai Lake, among the virgin forests, is the Iversky Monastery. It embodied the desire of Nikon, the Patriarch of All Rus', to create a monastery similar to the one on Athos and in the same architectural traditions. For many years it became the center of spirituality in the Russian land. Today, the monastery architectural ensemble has been completely restored and attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year.

How to get to the holy place

Today, anyone can get into the Iversky Monastery - every believer is welcome here. It is proposed to do this in different ways:
- The most convenient way to get to Valdai by train is from Moscow. To do this, you need to choose a flight to Pskov. It departs from the Leningradsky railway station at 20:23, and you will be there at 2:04. The price of the trip is from 772 rubles.
- it is better to get by bus from St. Petersburg. There is a direct route to Valdai (12:45), as well as a transit route (8:25), following to Demyansk. Travel time will take 5-6 hours. The cost of such a trip is 750-800 rubles.
- it is also easy to get there by car, because Valdai is located on the highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. In terms of time, a car trip from the capital will take about 6 hours, from the Northern capital - 4 hours.
From Valdai itself, by taxi or private transport, you need to move in a southeast direction to the M-10 highway, and then east to the first turn to the left (Cheryomushki stopping point). Further, you will also need to turn left - the road will take you through about. Rowan on about. Selvitsky, where the monastery is equipped.

Where to stay in Valdai

For pilgrims and tourists visiting the Valdai Monastery, there are a variety of accommodation options. Those wishing to settle in a monastery hotel should contact the pilgrimage center. Both for large groups and for individual pilgrims, a preliminary agreement a month in advance is required, as well as its confirmation. In the refectory, only those who live in the hotel eat and strictly according to the schedule, ordering their participation in advance. Check-in must be done before evening service. For accommodation donated 1000 rubles per day for one place.
For those who decide to stay in the city, there are comfortable hotels with reasonable prices and magnificent hotel complexes. Families with children are more suitable for mini-hotels, where children up to seven years old are accommodated for free. On the picturesque shores of the lake there are numerous boarding houses and rest houses offering country houses and cozy cottages. A convenient budget option is the private sector near the monastery. Here you can find comfortable accommodation, prices for which depend on the area, living conditions and distance to the monastery. Prices mainly range from 1,000 to 4,500 thousand rubles.

Variety of catering establishments

In the vicinity of Valdai Lake big choice cafes and restaurants where you can have a delicious lunch. The most popular cafes are "Uyezdnoe" and "Urartu". The latter offers dishes of Armenian and Russian cuisine, everything is very tasty and of high quality, the portions are large, and at the same time inexpensive.
In "Uyezdnoy" you can taste delicious pancakes and other traditional dishes of Russian cuisine, the prices for which are quite low. Inexpensive and cozy cafe "Podvorye" is distinguished by cleanliness and reasonable prices. They bake here homebaked bread and delicious pastries.
Wpcafe is a place where you can sit quietly over a glass of beer and have a tasty snack. Cafe-restaurant "Together" - an institution for a family dinner with a cozy atmosphere and attentive service. A wonderful selection of dishes is offered, and they cook quickly and tasty.
In the restaurant "Rybnoe Mesto" you can taste delicious fish soup from trout and for only 150 rubles, other dishes also differ in excellent taste - grilled carp, home-salted salted mushrooms, there is a choice for a child. And lunch is so hearty that you can not have dinner. The service is very fast, and after the meal you can stroll through the picturesque surroundings.

Features of visiting the monastery

When visiting the monastery complex, one must remember that not only in it, but on the entire island, life goes on according to a strict charter. Signs with signs are placed in the courtyard of the monastery, and on the official website you can get acquainted with the rules of visiting. On the shores, even behind the walls, you can not sunbathe or swim, especially have picnics or behave noisily, cheekily. This ban does not apply to other rivers and lakes, there are scattered tents of vacationers everywhere. Smoking is strictly prohibited inside the monastery.
Orthodox people in front of the temple are advised to make the sign of the cross and bow from the waist, and inside you need to put candles to the saints and slowly pray, and only then make a request with which you arrived at this Holy place. Loud conversations or phone calls are inappropriate in the church, they must be turned off before entering. For a meeting with priests and ministers, a preliminary agreement is desirable.
Great importance is attached to the appearance, as it is an indicator of the internal state. According to the dress code, only clean, tidy clothes that match the gender are allowed on the monastery territory. Women must wear dresses with long sleeves and closed collars. If you do not have the necessary things with you, long skirts will be offered at the entrance. Pants are not welcome - like men's clothing. It is not recommended to use bright cosmetics and perfumes with a rich aroma. Men should wear trousers, if they come in shorts, they will also have to use skirts. Women's hair should be covered with a scarf, and men's long hair should simply be carefully tied with an elastic band so that they do not touch the shrines.
The rules for visitors indicate that photography or video filming can be carried out only after the blessing of the holy father, and in order to see him, you must ask the church ministers. You can also get permission to take pictures at the pilgrimage center. Directly at the walls of the monastery, opposite the church shop, there is a large paved parking lot. There is also a second parking lot, a little smaller, about half a kilometer from the attraction. There are always empty seats on it, even if the first one is completely filled.

The history of the appearance of the Iversky monastery

Its foundation is associated with an amazing vision that visited Patriarch Nikon, at that time still Metropolitan of Novgorod, during a trip to Solovki. After some time, churches were already erected and consecrated - the Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God and St. Philip, both wooden. Having visited the grandiose construction site for the first time, the patriarch lowered the Gospel and the cross to the bottom of the lake, calling it Holy, and the word Svyatoozersky was added to the name of the monastery. Soon, a lake with islands and settlements, and other monasteries of the Novgorod land were assigned to him by royal charter. It was inhabited by a brethren of several dozen people engaged in printing and bookbinding. The holy relics of Jacob of Borovichi, which were in a small chapel, next to the healing spring, were also transferred to it.
The local printing house became the second in Russia after the Sovereign Printing House and the first in the provinces. Various crafts developed here - wood carving, icon painting, the manufacture of colored tiles, the remains of which can still be seen in one of the buildings. By this time, the Dormition Cathedral was completed and solemnly consecrated in the presence of numerous representatives of the higher clergy, striking in its monumentality. For its construction, the highest place on the island was chosen. To this day, the patriarch ordered a huge 35-pood bell, cast at his expense and with his image, and a beautiful copy of the miraculous icon of the Iberian Mother of God was delivered from Moscow. A five-tiered gilded iconostasis was installed in the church, and a wonderful chandelier in the shape of a tree, decorated with flowers and birds, brightly illuminated the magnificent decoration.
The monastery, which received the status of a first-class one and had multiple privileges, flourished until the 60s. XVII century - until the period of disgrace of Patriarch Nikon. Then all his parishes were closed and transferred to the treasury - as formed not according to the charter. The construction of the Iberian monastery was also suspended. However, the sentence was soon canceled, and she was fully restored to her rights. By the middle of the 18th century, a two-story building of fraternal cells appeared here, adjoining the Church of Michael the Archangel. The building, unlike other buildings, is made in the Moscow Baroque style with its characteristic white stone carved decorations in the design of the architraves. It has hardly undergone reconstruction and has been preserved in its original form. One of the oldest is considered the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, or Horse Tower, built in the 18th century, and later the Corps of Stable Cells was attached to it.
The famous secularization reform of Catherine II in the mid-1770s. fundamentally undermined the foundations of the former monastic life. All church possessions were transferred to the state, a good half of the parishes were abolished, and the rest had to receive a certain amount for maintenance, depending on their status, or to exist by cultivating nearby uninhabited lands. Although the Iversky Monastery received the status of a first-class one, however, the financial support was barely enough to exist. It began to fall into decay, the buildings dilapidated, the number of monks decreased, only those who devoted themselves to the ascetic way of life and obeyed a strict charter remained. After the revolutionary events, the monastery was plundered, and within its walls a museum, a forest school, and a recreation center were alternately located.
Only in the 90s. restoration work began - buildings were repaired, the bell tower was renovated, heating was installed, thanks to which services can be held at any time of the year. The restoration was completed at the beginning of this century. There was also the consecration of the restored Iversky Cathedral, the former Assumption Cathedral, where its shrine was returned - the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, which had been kept in the local church for decades. Fine craftsmen from Chrysostom made a precious riza for her. It was decided to gild the domes of the cathedral. There is also a museum dedicated to the history of the monastery and its founder.

Monastic shrines

Assumption Cathedral - the main temple of the monastery, is the largest Orthodox object built in Russia in the 17th century. The majestic snow-white building, decorated with five domes dazzling with gold, is distinguished by its simplicity of form. It was built in the form of a square, consisting of three naves, and surrounded by a gallery with a porch. Temple vaults are supported by six huge pillars. The walls are painted with scenes from the history of the Athos monastery from the life of the saints. Since the monastery has undergone several reconstructions, the original paintings by local masters have not been preserved and have been restored according to the descriptions. The frescoes of the 19th century have been restored. The old oak doors with unique carvings and wrought iron bars remained unchanged. The new carved iconostasis was reconstructed according to the surviving documents.
The Church of the Epiphany with a refectory was presumably built at the very end of the 60s. XVII century. It is a single-domed temple of a cubic shape with a strict facade, having a two-tiered faceted apse. The complex is connected by arched passages with a huge two-story refectory. The windows of the first floor are decorated with small kokoshniks. The refectory itself, along with the kitchen and utility rooms, is located on the second tier, and there are storage facilities below.
Between the buildings - vicegerent and abbot, there is a bell tower. The first, stone, it was built in the 70-80s. XVII century in the form of a tower topped with a tent - it then had 13 bells. Due to deformations caused by the characteristics of the soil, as well as due to a large fire that happened here earlier, the structure had to be rebuilt. The tent was dismantled, and instead a dome with a spire, having 8 faces, was installed on the upper tier. Arched spans were left for the bells. In the 90s, during the period of reconstruction, the upper tier was rebuilt, returning it to its original form - with a tent. A set of bells was handed over to the Valdai Monastery from the city administration of Valdai for the Ringing Festival organized here.
The wooden church of Philip the Metropolitan was one of the first to be rebuilt - as a sign of special respect and recognition of his merits in the foundation of the complex. He was considered the local patron. The modern two-story building of the gate church was built in the 70s. XIX century in the form of a single-domed quadrangle with cut corners, made in the style of eclecticism. On the second tier, crowned with a dome with a dome, there is a church, and the lower tier is equipped with a passage arch. Opposite the gate there is a small pier for the motor ship, which makes flights between the monastery and the city in summer.
The gate church of Michael the Archangel is located at the main entrance and is an important element in the architectural ensemble. The tall building is a quadrangle with one apse, cut in the center by a wide arch, on both sides of which there are false arched decorations. The temple is single-domed, although originally it supposedly had five domes. The facades and gates are decorated with various architectural elements - in contrast to the more austere appearance of other Christian buildings. Stored here unique icon Nicholas the Wonderworker, referring to the XVI or XVII century. The buildings of monastic and treasury cells adjoin on both sides, as well as the Nikon tower from the monastery fence.
Nikonovskaya tower has another name - printing, as it once housed a monastery printing house, where many unique books were printed. The construction is one of the first buildings of the monastery and still attracts with its beauty and architectural forms. It is decorated with a six-sided tent, which ends with a spire with a gilded eagle.
The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God is the main shrine of the monastery. Richly decorated, it is an exact list from the image on Mount Athos and was brought here by two monks. The cost of her jewelry was estimated at almost 45 thousand rubles at that time. A ban was placed on making copies of it. It became famous for numerous miracles - in the middle of the 19th century, when the cholera epidemic began, the image saved the monks and many surrounding residents from a terrible death. Since that time, a religious procession with him takes place every year. Hundreds of pilgrims come to pray to the icon, each with his own misfortune.

holy springs

Springs with healing water in Valdai have been known for a long time. For many centuries, thousands of pilgrims have been coming here to test their strength and pray in holy places.
People come to the Tekunok spring, which is near the small village of Dinner, to pray and wash before any important business. In the 19th century, the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God was installed near it - this place was popular among newlyweds, after the wedding they drew water from the spring, praying for a happy family life. During the war years, the local water relieved the suffering of the wounded in hospitals. Later, the spring was filled up several times, but it made its way again. At the beginning of this century, its channel was cleared, a font and a chapel were built here. Every year, on the day of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, divine services are held near the spring. Holy water from here is especially useful for eye diseases, but it also helps with various inflammatory diseases.
The source of Saints Cosmas and Damian is located on the Praying Hill. After a centuries-old pilgrimage, at the beginning of the 20th century it was abandoned for several decades, until one of the local residents again discovered healing water near the ruins of the chapel. The spring has been restored, it has a noticeable therapeutic effect in diseases of internal organs, perfectly relieves fatigue, increasing the tone of the body.
Mshentsy became famous thanks to the unique sources that hit from a great depth - it can not even be measured. Pure and healing water cures heart ailments, nervous system and many others. locals it is also believed that bathing in a font with this key cures infertility.
The holy spring in Izhytsy is dedicated to the Kazan icon of the Mother of God. The chapel that stood on this site has not been preserved. The key was also abandoned and forgotten during the years of Soviet power. Now it has been restored, and a bathhouse has been built nearby. Many people prefer to come here on the day of the annual solemn service, when its next consecration is held. Especially useful spring water in childhood diseases and infertility.
The village of Bor is famous for its holy spring, named after the Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Here is the source of the Pyatnitskaya river, where the font is also arranged. Nearby stands the chapel of the Holy. A spring near the village of Edrovo was also consecrated in her honor. A dirt road leads to the spring with a chapel and an open bath. It is surprising that the water temperature here is constant throughout the year and is +4 degrees.
According to legend, the builders of the monastery told that they saw unclean spirits over the waters of the lake. Then, having consecrated it, Patriarch Nikon called the Valdai Lake Holy and served a prayer service. Since then, every year it has been consecrated at Epiphany, and the servants of the temple, along with numerous believers, go to the lake font, which is cut into the ice. The depth of the reservoir is on average 12 m, but in some places it can reach 60 m. It is fed by springs, thanks to which it is distinguished by a clean bottom and fresh and cold water. As a rule, it freezes already at the beginning of winter, remaining covered with ice until May.

When is the best time to visit the monastery?

The monastery receives pilgrims and tourists at any time of the year, but the best period for a trip is late spring and summer - then it looks especially picturesque, surrounded by lush forest greenery and clear, transparent waters of the lake.
Warm weather is also convenient for bathing in holy springs, and for walking along shady forest paths. The summer months are also characterized by a large influx of visitors, so there may be some slight inconvenience due to queues. A huge number of pilgrims choose the Easter holiday to visit the monastery, so these days there is a congestion a large number of people.
The climate in Valdai is a bit like a marine one, with moderately cold winters and long, warm autumns. At this time, a trip to Valdai attracts by the fact that the flow of people decreases, and nature fascinates with a variety of colors. On the last warm days before the cold, it is especially pleasant to walk through the forest in search of berries or mushrooms.
The monastery is not empty even in winter days - there are always visitors here. Some of them specially come to plunge into the holy springs, the water in which has more high temperature than on the street. Pleasant and walks in the frost after the evening service.

What to see

To get acquainted with all the sights of the monastery and its shrines, you need to set aside a few free days. However, you can see a lot of interesting things in a day. The shrine is located in stunningly beautiful places. Even a quiet walk along its walls and along the well-groomed territory will leave an indelible impression.
You can make an interesting trip to the Museum of Bells, which is located in the building of the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine. Its round snow-white building topped with a dome attracts attention with its unusual architecture. It bears the features of classicism; the author of the project here was the remarkable architect N.A. Lvov. The museum presents an amazing collection of various bells, ranging from tiny ones to ship bells. There are also carillons, consisting of many ringing bells. In general, Valdai is known for the production of bells, and a similar museum complex- the only one in the country. A legend is popular here, according to which, the ringing bells of Valdai appeared as fragments of the famous veche bell of ancient Novgorod, which crashed during transportation. Bells up to two thousand pounds in weight could be cast in the city.
Pilgrims arriving at the monastery must visit the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Its stunning beauty and unusual color involuntarily attract attention. The temple had to experience many hardships - from fires and destruction to persecution of the faith, but every time it was restored. The current building was built on the site of a wooden church in the middle of the 18th century. At the end of the last century, it was completely restored, and today the functioning cathedral pleases residents and pilgrims with its delicate color and beautiful architecture.
The Museum of the county town is housed in an old two-story mansion. Initially, it was called Nikonovsky, it presented an exposition related to the history of the Iversky Monastery and church values. It was exhibited in one of his churches. After the closure, the museum values were transferred to various museums of Novgorod, and the remaining exhibits became the basis for the creation of the Museum of Local Lore. Today, expositions dedicated to the history of locality and the monastery that glorified it, the crafts that the region was famous for, as well as famous personalities - natives of this region.
If you have enough time, you can also get acquainted with wonderful examples of Russian architecture - old mansions that are well preserved. The beautiful Gory manor complex belonged to Duke N.N. Leuchterberg. The central element of the magnificent architectural ensemble was a three-storey stone palace topped with a two-tiered round turret. It was surrounded by a wonderful landscape park with picturesque alleys around elegant ponds and fragrant flower beds. From the windows opened a delightful panorama of the lake and its environs. Outbuildings and fragments of the park have survived to this day, but they still make an impression.
In the XVIII century, the coast of Lake Dinner, connected by a canal with Valdai, was built up with rich estates. In Novotroitsy there was a large park ensemble belonging to the Kvashnin-Samarin family with numerous outbuildings. It was distinguished by a beautiful alley of white birches. The church, which was located on the estate, has also been preserved.
The magnificent estate complex, which belonged to the Musin-Pushkin family, is made in the traditions of "wooden" classicism. Two wings of the two-storey building are equipped with porticoes with columns, and a round turret flaunted at the top. The Church of the Holy Trinity on the estate, built in the same style, is a four-pillared structure with a dome. Inside there is an iconostasis, and beautiful wall paintings have been preserved.
The estate of Tolstoy in Nikolskoye at one time occupied more than 19 hectares. A large fish breeding plant was once founded here - several flowing artificial ponds for breeding fish. Along the shores of a vast expanse of water, century-old trees of park species grow - birch, poplar, linden, etc.
A walk along the largest island in Valdai - Rowan Island will be wonderful. Rowan was a cult tree among the Finno-Ugric tribes living in these places. Until now, a hundred-year-old mountain ash forest has been preserved here and a tourist trail has been laid along which you can find mushroom and berry plantations. There are also places for recreation.

What to bring back from the monastery

At the gates of the monastery there is a small church shop where you can buy a variety of souvenirs and church attributes - small icons, crosses, books, which are then consecrated. They also sell long dark skirts and scarves. There is a stall next to the parking lot, where it is easy to buy church pastries for very cheap. Bread and lean pies with cabbage have a special taste. On Easter days, unusual Easter cakes are sold here.
There is also a church shop on the monastery territory, where they sell candles and incense. They are offered to buy in the church. In the monastery you can buy bottled holy water. Church shops are also located next to the healing springs and offer various religious attributes and souvenirs with images of saints, stones and icons with the image of the Iberian Mother of God are especially popular.
There are also many souvenir shops in Valdai with a rich selection of magnets, postcards, bells, boxes and much more. One of the remarkable symbols of the city are bells of various shapes and sizes, which are especially popular. Local craftsmen make unique items from birch bark - combs, mirrors. The bactericidal properties of birch bark have been known for a long time, so birch bark souvenirs will become not only a beautiful reminder of wonderful places, but also a source of positive energy. The city is also famous for linen products with original embroidery.

Iversky Monastery is an amazing place filled with powerful, spiritually enlightening energy. Unusual tranquility seems to be poured into the clean, fresh air, filled with coniferous aromas of pine forests, and the fabulously picturesque nature is a wonderful setting for the majestic monastery!

Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Monastery - a copy of the monastery of Iveri on Mount Athos

Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Monastery was created under Metropolitan Nikon back in 1652. The monastery is located on one of the islands on the Valdai lake.

The Valdai Monastery was the first among the grandiose buildings that the patriarch carried out. The Iberian Monastery on Lake Valdai is, in fact, a kind of copy of the Athos monastery of Iveri, which was revered as the main monastery on the Holy Mountain. And it was precisely in this that the special strategy of the policy of Patriarch Nikon was concluded, he sought to expand the boundaries of the Orthodox Church of Rus' as much as possible, endowing grandiose buildings with loud names: New Jerusalem, the Monastery of the Cross.

The Assumption Cathedral in the Iversky Monastery was built by the whole world, in the literal sense of the word: for example, a blacksmith arrived from Torzhok, brick-makers and calciners were supplied by Moscow, the famous Ignat Maksimov, a master of magnificent colored tiles, came from Kopys in Belarus, his work subsequently became known far beyond Valdai.

Belarusian monks brought to Valdai all their property and even a printing house - a great value and an extraordinary rarity in Rus' at that time. Prior to this, the only printing house was only in Moscow.

And the Assumption Cathedral has not lost its scope and grandeur even today. And today, like 3 centuries ago, it is one of the largest buildings of the 17th century in Russia.

Sasha Mitrahovich 13.03.2016 10:22

Foundation of the Valdai Iversky Monastery

The founding of the Valdai Iberian Monastery is associated with the miraculous appearance of Patriarch Nikon. In 1652, he ordered the relics of the man killed on the orders of Ivan the Terrible and buried in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral to be transferred to. Metropolitan Nikon, accompanied by a large retinue, was determined to go for the remains of the saint. According to legend, during this trip “back and forth,” Metropolitan Philip appeared to Nikon in a dream and blessed his intention to build a monastery on Lake Valdai.

In the summer of 1653, work began on Valdai, and in the autumn there were already two new churches that smelled of fresh wood. One of them, warm, was consecrated in the name of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, the other - in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God.

Valdai Lake has long been notorious among the surrounding residents. It was said that at times unclean spirits rise above the surface of the lake, taking the form of disgusting monsters, and in the surrounding forests one can hear whistling, then laughter.

The patriarch took up the Valdai evil spirits with his characteristic energy. On one of his visits to the monastery under construction, he went ashore with all the clergy, served a prayer service, loaded the cross and the Gospel to the bottom of the lake and renamed the lake. Now it was to be called Holy. The name did not stick, but the bad reputation of the lake faded. Moreover, now they began to observe phenomena of a completely different kind.

There is no one like him in the world

The monastery developed rapidly. In 1654, the Patriarch ordered the relics of the righteous Jacob of Borovichi to be transferred here from the relatively nearby village of Borovichi, and at the same time sent silver reliquaries with particles of the relics of the Moscow hierarchs Peter, Alexy, Iona and Philip to Valdai. And in 1656, the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God was solemnly greeted in the monastery.

By this time, a magnificent stone cathedral dedicated to the Iberian image of the Most Holy Theotokos was already being completed on the island. Construction proceeded at a truly "Nikon" pace. In May 1655, the cathedral church was laid, and in December 1656 it was already consecrated. The building amazed the imagination of contemporaries: in a hitherto remote area, in the middle of a lake, a five-domed temple was erected, which would be fit to see in the capital city.

Especially for the consecration of the Iberian Cathedral, master Alexander Grigoriev cast a thousand-pound bell, commissioned by Nikon, on which the Patriarch himself was depicted, and inside the new cathedral was decorated with a five-tiered carved iconostasis (Belarusian carvers must have worked on it) and a chandelier of “yellow copper” ordered abroad, "the size of a large tree, with flowers, birds and indescribable curiosities."

First class monastery

It is to this period that the second stage of landscaping work in the monastery belongs. Under Nikon, all the buildings of the monastery, except for the Iberian Cathedral and the warm Epiphany Church with a refectory, remained wooden. In the 1670s-1680s, stone construction continued, and by the beginning of the 18th century, the monastery as a whole looked about the same as it does now.

The main income for the monastery was brought by pilgrims, who flocked in large numbers to the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, which, when it was not worn around the surrounding villages, was in the Assumption Cathedral. By Tuesday of Bright Week, on the day of honoring the Iberian Icon, up to fifteen thousand people sometimes gathered in the monastery. The attention of pilgrims to the Valdai Monastery became especially zealous after 1848, when the Iberian Icon became famous as the deliverer of Valdai from the cholera epidemic.

By the beginning of the 20th century, there were about seventy inhabitants in the Valdai Iversky Monastery, and the monastery itself was a gratifying picture of well-being. Far away could be seen the domes of the Assumption Cathedral (not gold, they were gilded only in modern times), and far overflowed over the water the monastic blagovest.

Valdai Monastery after the revolution

On the field of the revolution, the communists took out everything they could see from the monastery. The keys to all storerooms and barns were taken away from the monks. From now on, members of the committee gave bread to the monks, and the rector did not have the right to take any action without the knowledge of the proletarian authorities. Since December 1918, the committee members forced young monks and novices to work in logging for the benefit of the state. The old and the poor also found something to do: they worked at the pumping station and in the kitchen.

In 1919, the monastery was transformed into a labor artel, the charter of which was registered in accordance with Soviet rules. It lasted eight years, after which it was closed.

After the dispersal of the artel, the monastery was first a museum, then workshops. During the war, the building of the monastery was occupied by a hospital, later - a home for disabled veterans and, finally, a forest school for children with tuberculosis. In the 1970s, it was decided to set up a recreation center on the picturesque island. All these successive owners did not care too much about saving the monastery churches. The Assumption Cathedral lost its iconostasis and - almost completely - murals. From its original decoration, only carved oak doors and wrought-iron front gates have been preserved.

Sasha Mitrahovich 28.11.2017 07:28

For many centuries, the Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which, according to legend, survived the iconoclastic era, was the main shrine of the Athos Iberian Monastery, its guardian. But only in the 17th century, a list from it came to Moscow - in order to become one of the most famous and beloved here. The legend of finding the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God on Mount Athos The famous Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. . .

Sasha Mitrahovich 28.11.2017 07:33

There are many buildings on the monastery island. The first among them, both in seniority and in significance (after the Iberian Cathedral, of course), is the warm Church of the Epiphany with a refectory. It was built under Patriarch Nikon, in 1657-1658. In the second floor of the temple, in 1747, a chapel was consecrated in honor of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, and in the porch - the chapel of St. Nil Stolobensky. As for the Holy Spirit Chapel, it was notable for its royal doors, sent at one time by Patriarch Nikon for the wooden Iberian church.

A little further, above the inner monastery gates, rises an elegant church in the name of the Archangel Michael, built, like most of the buildings of the Iberian monastery, at the end of the 17th century. During its existence, the church has undergone quite significant alterations. It is known that initially it was crowned with a wooden tent, and not a baroque "lantern" with an onion dome. Inside, too, everything is changed: there are partitions, new doors and stairs. In addition, considering the inner space of the temple too high, it was divided in two by a wooden ceiling.

Above the outer monastery gates is a church in the name of St. Philippa, heiress of a warm wooden church that has been in the monastery since its foundation. The current building was built in the last quarter of the 17th century and, like the Archangel Michael Church, has survived to this day not without changes.

The “change” in appearance is also noticeable in the church in the name of the righteous Jacob of Borovichi, which occupies the northeastern part of the monastery complex. It is in the same connection with the two-story hospital building. Both the temple and the hospital cells, being the same age as the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk and Filippovskaya churches, were rebuilt, perhaps even more actively than they were, and now they have a very contradictory appearance.

Of the "civilian" buildings in the monastery, the rector's cells (the last third of the 17th century), which form a single ensemble with a bell tower, deserve the most attention. Currently, the building has two floors and a basement. There is a ravine on the south side of the building, so the basement walls rise about three meters above the ground and are perceived as another full-fledged floor.

The abbot's cells are of particular interest due to the surviving fragments of tiled architraves discovered during the restoration process. As it was possible to establish, once magnificently executed tiles decorated the facades of many monastic buildings. The Orsha monks brought the technology for their manufacture to Valdai.

In the first years of the existence of the Valdai Monastery, the production of "tiles" was constantly expanding. Masters tested new technologies and reached true perfection in the manufacture of tiles. Decorated with a convex floral ornament, brightly colored, they had an exceptionally elegant look.

Patriarch Nikon soon took the best Valdai tilers to the New Jerusalem Monastery, and after a while, the production of tiles in Valdai completely died out. And today, only the architraves of the rector's building remind of the original Valdai "tiled school".

Sasha Mitrahovich 28.11.2017 07:46

The Valdai Monastery is today one of the most comfortable in Novgorod. But even twenty years ago it would have made a completely different impression on the visitor.

In the early 1990s, it was scary to think how much money and effort would be spent on restoring the monastery. Many of those who came to the monastery then admit that they simply did not believe that something could be done with these ruins. The buildings were in complete desolation: the cathedral was destroyed, the monastery bell tower from the 1960s stood without a roof.

In the late 1980s, the idea of returning the Valdai Monastery to the Church had many opponents. It was supposed to make the island a resort and tourist area, and, apparently, only the calculation of the costs associated with the restoration of monastic monuments and the creation of appropriate infrastructure forced the authorities to abandon this idea.

Be that as it may, in 1991 His Holiness the Patriarch blessed the revival of the Valdai Iberian Monastery and served a prayer service in the cathedral church of the monastery before the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God.

In 1652, on behalf of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod went to the Solovetsky Monastery to transfer to Moscow the relics of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow. The saint suffered during the reign of Ivan the Terrible in 1568 for denouncing the royal iniquities and cruelties. In a special letter, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich repented for the iniquity of John Vasilievich, acknowledged his guilt and expressed reverence for the martyrdom of the saint. Nikon read the royal charter in front of the tomb of St. Philip and offered repentance on behalf of the king. Metropolitan Nikon returned with the relics of St. Philip to Moscow with a solemn procession. On the way, in a dream vision, Saint Philip appeared to him and blessed his intention to build a monastery in Valdai.

In the spring of 1652, Patriarch Joseph died, and Nikon was chosen to the patriarchal throne by unanimous decision of the tsar and the Russian bishops. On July 25, 1652, Metropolitan Nikon was installed as Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' by a bishops' council.

Having ascended the primatial throne, Nikon expressed his intention to found a monastery on Lake Valdai to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The sovereign approved the request of the Patriarch and allocated huge funds from the state treasury for the speedy construction of the monastery. In the summer of 1653, the primate sent skilful architects, many people and building materials to the construction site, and by the autumn two wooden churches were built and ready for consecration. The cathedral church was consecrated in honor of the miraculous icon of the Iberian Mother of God, and warm - in the name of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow. The Patriarch appoints Archimandrite Dionysius as the first rector of the monastery - "a man who is skillful and filled with divine scripture, virtuous, gentle and meek ...".
The patriarch strove with all his heart to look at his offspring as quickly as possible. At the first visit to the monastery under construction, Nikon renamed the Valdai settlement into the village of Bogoroditsky, and also called the Valdai Lake Holy, having previously consecrated it and lowered the Gospel and the cross to the bottom. The monastery itself, in addition to the former name, was called Svyatoozersky.
To glorify the monastery, by order of the Patriarch, the holy relics of Jacob of Borovichi were transferred. The uncovering of the holy relics happened mysteriously, and in a mysterious way. As the Novgorod Chronicle testifies, in 1541 (according to other sources in 1452):

The monastery itself is located on the island. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge.

Valdai Lake can be compared in beauty with Seliger.

There are a lot of cars in the parking lot in front of the monastery. There is not enough space for everyone, so cars begin to park along the road even at the entrance to the monastery. Lots of tour buses.

Gate Church of St. Philippa is located in the western part of the monastery wall of the ensemble of the Valdai Iversky Monastery. The church was built in 1873-1874. designed by the engineer-architect Savelyev on the site of a dismantled church of the 18th century, it is a one-domed gate building with one passage arch.

The building is a two-story brick building with a rigid structural scheme (the distance between the transverse walls is less than 24 m). On the south side, the building of the Seating cells adjoins the church, on the north side - the Stable cells. The dome is octagonal.

In the main volume of the second tier there is an active church, the northern wing is used as a staircase

Berth. Another way to get to the monastery is a boat ride from Valdai.

But in the distance you can see the city of Valdai itself.

Usually on the spiers of the monastery walls there are weathervanes depicting trumpeting angels. Here is an eagle with a scepter and orb. But the dream is two-headed, the head is one.

Church of the Archangel Michael of God. This stone church is located to the west of the cathedral above the inner monastery gates.
Built in the 17th century. In the iconostasis of this temple, on the northern doors, St. Archangel Raphael, and on the south - King Melchizedek of Salem. In the vast porch of this temple there was a cover from the ancient shrine of St. Jacob Borovichsky, in which he rested. The building represents a pillarless, single-domed, single-apse temple with galleries on three sides, set on a rectangular volume of the Holy Gates with a passage arch in the center.
The construction goes to the complex of the middle line of the monastery, dividing the territory into eastern and western parts.

Refectory with the Church of the Epiphany. Against the northwestern corner of the cathedral church, there is a warm monastery church in the name of the Theophany of the Lord, built with the blessing and plan of His Holiness Patriarch Nikon in 1657-1658.
This church is located above the Church of the Epiphany of the Lord. Built in 1747. In the iconostasis of this church, the royal doors with a canopy and columns, upholstered with silver-gilded basma, were remarkable. These doors, in 1653, were sent by Patriarch Nikon for the first wooden monastery church in honor of the icon of the Iberian Mother of God and constitute a wonderful monument of ancient Russian original art of the 17th century. These temples were in one connection with the fraternal meal and cells.

Bell tower.

Clock without hands.

Church of St. Jacob Borovichsky. Archimandrite Theodosius in 1670 asks Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod to build a church in the name of St. Jacob of Borovichi, since since 1654 the relics of the saint are in the monastery, but there is no church in his name.
A wooden temple was built, on the northeastern border of the monastery, in the garden.
In 1700, the wooden church of Iakov Borovichsky with the hospital burned down and in its place in 1702 a stone church with hospital cells and a refectory was built. The hospital building and the refectory were originally, apparently, one-story. Subsequently, the second floor was completed.
The church in the name of St. Jacob of Borovichi is one-storey, square in plan, covered with a duct vault, with a semicircular apse part. A high wide dome with a round drum and a spherical dome rises above the roof. Entrance to the temple from the southern facade, from the garden.

And here on the spire is already a trumpeting angel.

The Cathedral Iberian Church is an example of original Russian church architecture of the 17th century.
The five-domed temple was built in the form of an oblong square; the east side will protrude in 3 semicircles. Around the whole temple is a gallery with an entrance porch; it has two tents on the north and south sides, two-story, in the form of chapels, with small iron crosses, the same cross is on the entrance porch. The vaults of the cathedral are supported by four massive pillars. Light pours abundantly from the sides through wide windows (three on each of the 3 sides), and from above - through the windows of 5 domes. The length of the cathedral from the altar wall to the entrance porch of the doors is 3 sazhens, 2 arches, and the width is 10 sazhens, 2 arches. In the altar there are wooden choirs, the entrance to which is from the Iversky aisle, and in the temple itself there are stone choirs located above front door to the temple, the entrance to which is from the north side in the wall.

The floor in the temple is made of Putilov slab. The throne is approved on 4 stone pillars on a stone platform; a stone step adjoins it from the front side; he is wearing chased silver-plated clothes and above him is a carved gilded canopy. Against the throne east side, on the High Place under a carved gilded canopy - a majestic image of Christ the Savior sitting on a throne in the form of a bishop with the forthcoming Mother of God and John the Baptist. On both sides of this image were depicted St. twelve apostles, St. Apostle James, brother of God, St. Apostle Nicanor, St. Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lugdun and St. Stefan Surozhsky. The altar is three-part with 3 windows; in 1841, a chapel was built in the diaconate in the name of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, and the main altar was renamed in the name of the Assumption of the Mother of God during the resumption of the cathedral, which was after a devastating fire in 1710, consecrated by Metropolitan Job of Novgorod. The iconostasis in this temple is majestic, five-tiered, carved, wooden, gilded with pure gold, crowned with the Crucifixion of the Lord.

Iberian Icon of the Mother of God
The history of the Iberian Icon can be seen from the first century, when, out of indescribable love for people, the Mother of God blessed the holy apostle and evangelist Luke to paint her image even in the days of Her earthly life. The Monk John of Damascus wrote: “The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, at the time when the Most Holy Mother of God was still living in Jerusalem and dwelling in Zion, painted Her Divine and honest image on a board with pictorial means, so that, as in a mirror, her subsequent generations could contemplate and childbirth. When Luke presented this image to Her, She said: “From now on, all generations will please Me. The grace and power of the One born from Me and Mine be with you.” Tradition attributes the brushes of the holy apostle and evangelist Luke from three to seventy icons of the Mother of God, including the Iberian one.

In 1653, in memory of the transfer of the relics of St. Philip (July 3), Patriarch Nikon came up with the idea of creating a monastery in the name of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God on the previously (back in 1651) beloved island on Lake Valdai, within the Novgorod limits. He revealed his thought to the king, who gave him full cooperation in bringing his intention to fruition. It was supposed to create a monastery in everything similar to the Athos Iberian monastery. In the same year, the creation of the monastery was committed and two temporary wooden churches were erected: one in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos of Iveron, and the other with a warm meal in honor of St. Philip. IN next year Parts of the relics of Saints Peter, Jonah and Philip were brought to the newly created monastery from Moscow. Those who accompanied them met the relics of the Monk Jacob from Borovichi 20 versts from the Iversk Monastery (this was February 24). Having served the liturgy on the week of the Cross (February 26), the patriarch went to Moscow and immediately sent to Mount Athos, so that there, from the Iberian Athos icon, an icon for the newly built monastery would be painted. After writing it in complete agreement with the ancient miraculous, it was sent to Moscow with the same ascetic, priest Cornelius, who accompanied the first Iberian icon to Moscow (in 1648), and also with hieromonk Nicephorus. The holy icon arrived in Moscow in 1655.
In Moscow, meanwhile, she was adorned with gold, pearls and precious stones Iberian icon brought from Mount Athos. According to the testimony of the patriarch, he used forty-four thousand rubles for the golden riza, the robe of the Mother of God and the crowns, and for all the decoration of this icon. The decoration was completed on March 1, 1656, as can be seen from the historical inscription on the icon itself.
In December 1656/57, during the consecration of the cathedral church of the Iversky Monastery, the icon took its place in the iconostasis.