The address of the indigenous desert. Monastery Kursk root of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary male hermitage diocesan monastery. Tuskar river and springs

I continue my story about the press tour to Kursk, organized by the “Travel-Russia” community and the Administration of the Kursk region.

In the village of Svoboda, a five-minute walk from the Command Post of General K.K. Rokossovsky, from where he exercised command of the Central Front in the defensive and then in the counter-offensive battle, conducted on, the Kursk Root Christmas-Mother of God Hermitage is located - a monastery based on the site of the appearance of the Kursk Root Icon. The monastery was founded in 1615, but the history of its origin dates back to the 13th century.

Kursk Root Icon "Sign"

The history of the icon, about which our guide Alexander told us, is mysterious, otherwise you cannot call it a miracle.

According to legend, an icon was found in this place, which was named the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign". On September 8, 1295, two hunters wandering near Kursk, burnt by the Tatars, found it in the roots of trees. Apparently, that is why the word "indigenous" is present in its name. And when one of them lifted her up to inspect, a spring started to flow in the place where she was lying.

A monument is dedicated to this event,

installed just opposite the main entrance to the monastery.

Soon the hunters and their comrades built a wooden chapel on this place. But the most mysterious began only later. Tatars again came to the Kursk region. They cut the icon in half, burned the chapel, and took the priest away. After some time, the priest was ransomed from captivity. He found the cut pieces of the icon, put them to each other, and they fused together!

The icon then traveled around the world for a long time, and eventually ended up in New York - in the Znamensky Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Here's a story. But it is not all that bad. Every year the icon is brought here, home, to the Kursk Root Monastery ...

On the territory of the monastery there is a bronze monument, which depicts the ever-memorable Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II and the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Laurus, holding the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign".

Healing of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov

The Kursk Root Icon at one time healed the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, for whose recovery no one hoped ... In the central part of the monastery a monument is erected to him.

During the years of its existence, the monastery has experienced many things. And what was created over several centuries was successfully defeated by the Soviet government (in fact, as in many similar places).

The descents from the top of the hill, where the monastery building is located, to the source and the Tuscori river, broke,

the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was blown up,

the dome of the bell tower was demolished,

The holy spring by the river was concreted (however, it later broke through again),

the surrounding forest was cut down, so that even the Tuskor River could not stand it and became shallow.

Despite all this, the monastery complex was nevertheless restored.

And every day people from all over Russia (and not only) come here.

The springs of the monastery are famous for the fact that their water heals eye diseases.

It is said that there are even known cases of healing. We also tried healing water from the springs, of which there are several.

At the entrance to the monastery there is a monastery shop, where the most popular product is empty bottles with a capacity of 5 liters!

Last call

Now remember your last call at school. Where did the whole class go after him? As far as I remember, we went home that day, and the next day we went out of town to the countryside.

On this day, the last bell rang at the schools of the Kursk region. And we met the graduates here, in the Kursk Root Hermitage.

Well, as it should be for a monastery - nowhere without monastery cats. They are everywhere here and in various colors - black, red, gray ...

And each has its own character.

Someone behaves decorously, as befits a real monastery cat,

someone behaves like an ordinary yard cattle, sorting things out in full view of everyone.

After a short lunch we set off further to. Next time I will tell you why our great poet changed his last name three times (!), For which he stayed for the second year while studying at the University, and why the local donkey in the estate is called Nekrasov.

Do not miss!

and in your mailbox

Kursk Root Christmas-Mother of God Hermitage in Central Russia is one of the most famous male monasteries. It is located in the village of Svoboda, although before the revolution this area was called, as expected, the same as the monastery. The place of her bookmark was indicated in the most wonderful way. And none other than the Queen of Heaven. Her image appeared at the edge of a deep forest above the Tuskor River, where, by a miracle, one of the hunter-traders appeared.

Seeing the face turned downward under a large elm tree, the timid peasant picked up the blessed image and hid it in the hollow of the elm tree. From the place where the icon had just lay, a spring began at the same instant. It happened in 1295, and it hits from the ground to this day. The water in it does not freeze and, according to those who have tasted it, has a sweet taste. Almost like mother's milk. The elm, in the hollow of which a man from the Rylsky district hid the icon, is considered magical.

In those days, a chapel was first built next to it, and then a church. Little by little, it came to the construction of the Root Desert. It arose here through the efforts of the God-loving Tsar Fyodor Ioanovich, the last of the Rurikovichs. When he built Kursk in 1597, he made sure that citizens had where to pray, and ordered the construction of a monastery with a church in the name of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.

When the temple was erected, the wonderful icon was placed in the most honorable place. Many sick people applied to the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign, and she helped them to heal. They say that among those who got rid of the ailments was Seraphim of Sarov himself. Then, however, the Root Desert had to go through a lot of sorrows. It was blown up and set on fire more than once. And the beautiful and life-giving icon ended up in the USA.

In the post-revolutionary period, when many people who disagreed with communist ideas fled to emigration, someone took this relic with them, not wanting to leave it to the Bolsheviks, who could have a very short conversation with the priests and with the attributes of their activities. True, they say that this icon in America is often carried to parishes visited by Russian people, but still it is in a foreign land. Alas. And in 1923 the monastery was closed.

The famous descents from the top of the hill to the source were dismantled, the temple was blown up, the dome of the bell tower was demolished. Even the Mother of God was cut down. Tuskor was shallow because the monks no longer tended the dam. In short, decline has come and desolation. However, people have not stopped honoring this place. They went here anyway. The source was their strength and hope. By the way, they fought with it, trying to cement it, but wise water every time found a loophole and again made its way to people.

This is a strong place, they say. Now it bears the name of the Kursk Regional Historical and Cultural Center "Root Hermitage". Its main task is to conduct educational activities and receive tourists and pilgrims. In addition, in these places, as you know, famous fairs known throughout the country were held. It is generally accepted that local authorities are inclined to revive these traditions. There are interesting places here.

In the vicinity of the Korennaya Pustyn there is the Feta (Vorobyovka) estate and the village of Ukalovo, where Tchaikovsky often visited. From the monastery itself, only the Holy Gates with a bell tower, a prosphora, the abbot's body and the fraternal body survived. But local citizens and guests do not regret the houses and households lost by the monks, but about their icon. Although she became the Hodegetria of the entire Russian Diaspora and in this capacity again brings healing to people.

Kursk Root Hermitage in the photo

Address: 306050, Kursk region, 3olotukhinsky district, metro Svoboda, Monastery of the Root Pustyn

The Kursk Monastery was built in the XIII century on the banks of the Tuskar River, about thirty kilometers from the center of modern Kursk. The place for the construction of this famous temple was not chosen by chance. It was here, according to ancient legends, that the ancient icon "The Sign" of the Mother of God was found.

The discovery of this miraculous icon took place in 1295, according to local legends. For these lands, these were difficult times of constant raids by the Tatar-Mongol troops under the leadership of Khan Batu. Local hunters were tracking their prey when one of them noticed an icon standing by a large tree. The hunter took it in his hands, and from under the ground immediately gushed a small spring. The man hid the icon in the same tree, and later told his friends about his amazing find.

On the site of the amazing find, the hunters erected a small chapel, in which the icon was placed. A little later, a church of the Nativity of the Virgin was erected on the site of the chapel, and the sculptures at the entrance to the cathedral remind everyone of the amazing find and hunters.

Numerous pilgrims began to converge to the place where they discovered the miraculous image. Over time, there were so many of them that Prince Vasily Shemyaka ordered to transport the icon to Rylsk. However, he did not show her any honors and was soon completely blind. The prince managed to see his sight only when he publicly promised to rebuild a huge temple in the city and consecrate it in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin. The icon did not stay in the new church for long: after a few months it miraculously disappeared and reappeared at the site of its original find. Several times they tried to return her to the temple, but she stubbornly returned back.

Another old legend tells about an attempt to set fire to the chapel during the next raid of the Tatar-Mongol troops.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the invaders decided to simply cut the wonderful icon in half. After their departure, the elder Bogolyub came up with the idea to try to collect it and put it in place. As soon as the cut halves touched, they immediately fused together in front of the surprised old man.

Soon rumors about the miraculous icon reached Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. He ordered to make every effort to restore the city of Kursk, and took the holy image to Moscow. A worthy cypress frame and a silver-plated frame with gilding, precious stones and pearls were prepared for the icon. The queen, together with her daughter, sewed a veil for this salary with their own hands, decorating it with gold embroidery. After that, the miraculous icon was returned back, but was no longer placed in the chapel, but in a new rebuilt monastery and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Field Marshal Sheremetyev donated a considerable amount to repair this temple. The building was restored and overlaid with masonry on all sides. A small church with a stone gate was erected over the source at the place where the image was found.

The root desert has experienced a lot over the years of its existence. It was destroyed and plundered during the revolution, and then during the Great Patriotic War. It stood in dilapidated form until 1989, when they decided to breathe new life into it. Today, the Root Hermitage deservedly takes the third place of honor among the main shrines of the Russian Church.

Kursk Root Christmas-Mother of God Hermitage - a men's monastery in the Kursk region, based on the place where the Kursk Root Icon appeared.

History

Among the ancient Russian monasteries, one of the most famous for a long time was the Kursk Root Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is one of the first monasteries in the Kursk region. The root desert is located on the right bank of the Tuskar River, 30 kilometers north of Kursk. In the dark blue of the vast Korensk forest, the crosses of monastic churches shone with gold, the white-stone vaults descended in slender ledges to the river and the overhead church of the Life-Giving Source, recalling the descents into the caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra or the coastal Athos monasteries. Founded in 1597, on the site of the appearance of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign".

The period of the beginning of the 18th century became successful in the construction of the monastery. In 1713, over the place where the icon appeared, the Church of the Life-Giving Source was built - in memory of the zeal for it of the first Russian field marshal, Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev. In 1764 the monastery became independent from the Znamensky monastery. By the end of the 18th century, the desert had a completely complete look. On both sides of the Holy Gates there are rector's and brotherly cells in two floors. On the left side of the monastery, the All Saints Church was laid in 1797. Two hotel courtyards were built behind the monastery in 1793. There was a large monastery garden. Emperor Paul I granted the holy monastery of the earth and a mill in the village of Dolgo. At the beginning of the 19th century, 30 monastics worked spiritually in the monastery. In 1806, by the decree of the Holy Synod, it was allowed to leave the miraculous icon in the desert until September 12. The year 1816 is remembered for the fact that an archimandry was established in the monastery. The construction of the Church of All Saints was completed under the reign of Hieromonk Pallady, and it was consecrated in 1819. Palladium became the first archimandrite of the Root Desert. From 1832 to 1835, steep stone descents were built in the monastery, going from the upper monastery square to the lower Church of the Life-Giving Spring. They fit surprisingly harmoniously into the ensemble of the church, creating maximum comfort for the pilgrims. From all the steps and platforms the middle of the church was visible and the divine service performed in it was perfectly heard (the gatherings are now restored in their former form).

On July 1, 1852, in the desert, according to the project of the famous architect K.A.Ton, a new church was laid on the site of a dilapidated church that had become by the middle of the 19th century. In 1860 the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built and consecrated. The history of the monastery is connected with the life in it of one of the outstanding educators of the past - Sylvester Medvedev. He monasticized in Korennaya from 1675 to 1678, did a lot for the development of book printing, and became one of the outstanding Russian bibliographers. The iconostasis installed in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Root Hermitage is one of the most significant works of the masters of the Holy Trinity Brotherhood from the city of Shchigry, Kursk Region.

During the civil war, in 1919, the icon (which was kept in the Kursk Znamensky Monastery (Kursk) for most of the year) was taken from Kursk: to Belgorod, Taganrog, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinodar, Novorossiysk. On March 1, 1920, she departed for Constantinople on the Saint Nicholas steamer, from where she went to Greece and Serbia. For a short time, at the request of General Pyotr Wrangel, to encourage his troops, the icon stayed in the Crimea. In 1944, the icon was delivered to Munich, and then to the USA in 1951, where it stayed in the Novo-Root Hermitage specially arranged for it. Since 1957, the icon has been in