Location: Vologda Oblast Map
Founded: 1398 by Saint Ferapont
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Ferapontov Belozersky Bogoroditse-Nativity Monastery - a
monastery of the Vologda diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church,
located in the village of Ferapontovo, Kirillovsky district, Vologda
region; one of the oldest monasteries in the Russian North, founded
in the 14th century. For 400 years the monastery was the most
important cultural and religious educational center of the Belozersk
region. The monastery has reached our time in the buildings of the
XIV-XVII centuries and the paintings of the famous icon painter
Dionysius. The monastic tradition in it was interrupted by the
consequences of the change in the state system in Russia at the
beginning of the 20th century. Since Soviet times, the walls of the
Ferapontov Monastery have housed the Museum of Dionysius Frescoes, a
branch of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve. In 2000, the UNESCO
session added the monastery to the World Heritage List.
Ferapontov Monastery founded in 1398 east of
the
Kirillo-Belozersky
Monastery, named after St. Cyril of Belozero.
The monastery began to be known under the disciple of Cyril, St.
Marciniano, who will become abbot of the monastery of the Trinity
and of Saint Sergey in 1447.
The monastery, located 20 km northeast of Kirillov and 120 km northwest of Vologda, is built on a hill between two lakes - Ferapontovsky and Spassky, which are connected by the small river Paska. The village of Ferapontovo itself is located mainly on the opposite bank of the river from the monastery. The monastery dominates the surrounding area, however, due to its chamber size and elegant style, it does not overwhelm with grandeur, like its closest neighbor, the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.
The ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is unique in its beauty,
authenticity, consistency of architectural details of different
centuries, uniting it into a single whole. The idea of the ensemble is
to reveal the theme of the Incarnation in architectural and pictorial
images.
Of particular importance for Russian and world culture is
the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. According to the text of
the chronicle on the slope of the northern door, it was painted by
Dionysius and his sons from August 6 to September 8, 1502. This is the
only surviving painting by an outstanding representative of the Moscow
icon painting school, the main artist of the turn of the 15th-16th
centuries.
The mural area of the cathedral is 600 m². It is the
only documented painting by the master. The individuality of the wall
painting of Dionysius lies in the unique tonal richness of soft colors,
the rhythmic harmony of numerous subjects, combined with the
architectural articulations of the cathedral. Features of the
relationship between the plot cycles (Akathist to the Mother of God,
Ecumenical Councils, the Last Judgment and others) and individual
compositions both inside the cathedral and outside, the color diversity
and philosophical depth determine the significance of the murals of the
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. Among the monuments of the
Orthodox circle, the murals of the cathedral are distinguished by the
complete safety of the author's painting that has never been updated.
The Ferapontov Monastery with a painting by Dionysius is a rare
example of the preservation and stylistic unity of the Russian northern
monastic ensemble of the 15th-17th centuries, revealing the typical
features of the architecture of the formation of the Russian centralized
state. The ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is a vivid example of
harmonious unity with the natural surrounding landscape that has not
changed since the 17th century, emphasizing the special spiritual
structure of northern monasticism, at the same time revealing the
features of the economic structure of the northern peasantry.
The
buildings of the monastery, the only ones in the Russian North, have
retained all the characteristic features of decor and interiors. The
ensemble of the monastery is the only fully preserved example in Russia
from the beginning of the 16th century of the interaction between
architecture and wall painting, created by the most outstanding master
of the era.
Monastery Map:
1. Church of Birth of Mother of God (1490)
2. Church of Annunciation (1534) and Dining Hall
3. Treasury (17th century)
4. Bell Tower
5. Church of Saint Martinian (1640)
6. Holy Gate with Church of Epiphany and Saint Ferapon
The historical significance of the Ferapontov
Monastery, founded during the period of expansion of the political
influence of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, is determined by its
participation in the key moments of the era of the formation of the
Russian centralized state and is closely connected with the main
historical events that took place in Moscow in the 15th-17th centuries.
The monastery was founded in 1398 by Saint Ferapont. Being a
descendant of the boyar family of the Poskochins, Ferapont took the
monastic vows in the Moscow Simonov Monastery, came to the North
together with his friend and associate Saint Cyril of Belozersky, but
did not stay with him on Lake Siverskoye, having founded his monastery
15 km from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. Like Cyril, Ferapont did
not remain alone for long. The number of monks grew, they built cells
for themselves, in 1409 they built a wooden church of the Nativity of
the Mother of God, and a little later - a refectory. Thanks to the
activities of the disciple of Cyril Belozersky, the Monk Martinian
Belozersky, who at the request of the brethren became hegumen of the
monastery, the Ferapontov Monastery gained wide popularity.
Along
with the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, it became a traditional place of
worship and contributions (including land) of many representatives of
the Russian feudal nobility (Andrei and Mikhail Mozhaisky, Vasily III,
Ivan IV and others).
Prominent hierarchs of the Russian Church
emerged from its walls at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries, actively
participating in the internal life of the country - Archbishop Ioasaf
(Obolensky) of Rostov and Yaroslavl, Bishop Philotheus of Perm and
Vologda, Bishop Ferapont of Suzdal. The scribes Martinian, Spiridon,
Philotheus, Paisius, Matthew, Euphrosynus, the icon painter Dionysius
worked here. The monk Cassian the Greek, who arrived in Russia as part
of the retinue of Sophia Paleologus, was a shearer of the monastery.
At the same time, major church leaders who fought for the priority
of church power in the state (Metropolitan Spiridon Savva, Patriarch
Nikon) were exiled here.
The whole XVI century is the heyday of
the monastery. This is evidenced by the preserved contributions and
letters of commendation of the secular and spiritual authorities,
primarily Ivan IV. Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya, Ivan IV came to the
monastery on a pilgrimage. The deposit book of the monastery, begun in
1534, names among the contributors "the princes Staritsky, Kubensky,
Lykov, Belsky, Shuisky, Vorotynsky ... Godunov, Sheremetev" and others.
Bishops of Siberia, Rostov, Vologda, Belozersk, Novgorod are also
mentioned here.
With the acquisition of the relics of the Monk
Martinian and his subsequent canonization, attention to the monastery
increased, which contributed to the growth of contributions and income.
In 1490, with the construction of the first stone church of
Belozerye, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, by the Rostov
masters, the formation of the stone ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery
of the 15th-17th centuries began.
In the 16th century, the
monumental Church of the Annunciation with a refectory, a state chamber,
service buildings - a stone dryer, a guest chamber, and a cookery were
built in the monastery.
Polish-Lithuanian invasion
However,
such a powerful fortress as the Kirillovsky, Ferapontov monastery did
not become. Even its fence remained wooden until the 19th century. It
was precisely because of the complete absence of any fortifications that
the monastery in 1614 was devastated by Polish-Lithuanian predatory
detachments. Knowing in advance about the invasion, the monks managed to
hide the most valuable things. As a result of the Polish-Lithuanian
devastation, cells and gates were burned, the surrounding villages were
devastated and local residents were killed.
The neighboring
Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery successfully repulsed all the attacks of
the invaders.
The Ferapontov Monastery was the richest patrimony
of Belozerye. Him at the beginning of the XVII century. belonged to
several villages, about 60 villages, 100 wastelands, more than 300
peasants.
The difficult economic situation of Belozerye in the
first half of the 17th century. reflected in the Ferapontov Monastery.
Only 25 years after the invasion, stone construction was resumed. After
recovering from the Lithuanian ruin, in the middle of the XVII century.
the monastery erects gate churches on the Holy Gates, the Martinian
Church, the bell tower.
But this new upsurge in the life of the
monastery was not long, in the second half of the 17th century the
situation worsened again.
This was partly due to the stay here in
exile of the former Patriarch Nikon from 1666 to 1676. Nikon's ten-year
stay in Ferapontovo was the last bright event in the history of the
monastery. Gradually he became poor and fell into disrepair.
After Catherine's decree of 1764 on the secularization reform, the lands
belonging to the monastery with settlements were transferred to the
State College of Economy.
In 1798, the Ferapontov Monastery was
abolished by a decree of the Synod, and the churches became parish. In
the 19th century, during the parish period, the narrowed monastery
territory was surrounded by a stone fence.
In 1903, through the
efforts of Abbess Taisia (Solopova), the monastery was restored as a
convent, and operated until 1924. Then again turned into a parish, and
was completely closed in 1936.
Since 1975, the formation of a
modern museum began, which turned into a research and educational center
that spreads knowledge about the unique monuments of the Ferapontov
Monastery ensemble through various forms of museum work.
In
accordance with the expert decision of 2011 on the need to control the
state of the preserved murals of Dionysius, from 2012 to 2018,
conservation measures were carried out in the northern, western,
southern and eastern parts of the cathedral’s quadrangle, as well as in
the northern altar apse-altar. In 2018 they continued in the eastern and
central apses. In April 2019, the Financial and Economic Department of
the Moscow Patriarchate announced the completion of work to preserve the
monumental painting of the 16th century.
Projects for the renewal of "monastic residence" in
the historical territory of the monastery have existed for many
years[9].
Now services are performed in the gate churches of the
Ferapontov Monastery, in the summer - in the church of St. Martinian.
The first full-fledged service in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the
Virgin in recent decades was performed on September 21, 2016, on the
patronal feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, by the rector of the
bishop's metochion. The Russian Orthodox Church is not yet considering
the question of the service in the central cathedral of the monastery,
painted by Dionysius, as the main one.
Bishop Ignatius
(Deputatov) of Vologda and Veliky Ustyug determined from July 8, 2014 to
form an Orthodox religious organization "The Bishop's Metochion"
Ferapontov Monastery "of the village of Ferapontovo, Kirillovsky
District, Vologda Region, Vologda Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
(Moscow Patriarchate)".
On June 16, 2018, the Patriarch of Moscow
and All Rus' Kirill visited the Ferapontov Monastery with a primate
visit, expressing a wish to revive a full-fledged monastic life within
the walls of the monastery. Metropolitan Ignatius of Vologda and
Kirillov, speaking with the media, said that nothing could be said for
sure about the revival of the monastery, but even if a functioning
monastery was opened here, this would not prevent the Museum of
Dionysius’s frescoes from being located there. On October 15 of the same
year, the Holy Synod decided to open the monastery. In 2019, the
Treasury Chamber was transferred to the Ferapontov Monastery for
temporary possession and use for 490 years in accordance with the goals
of the religious organization.
The monastery is a monument of history and culture of federal significance, as well as the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Vologda Oblast. The Dionysius Frescoes Museum is a branch of the Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (KBIAKhMZ), which, on the basis of a Presidential Decree in 1997, was included in the State Code of Especially Valuable Cultural Heritage Objects of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.
Ferapont Belozersky - Reverend, the founder of the
monastery, he was abbot in the second monastery he founded - the
Ferapont Luzhetsky Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin near
Mozhaisk.
Martinian Belozersky - Reverend, builder, abbot of the
monastery, disciple of Cyril Belozersky.
Joasaph Obolensky - tonsured
at the Ferapontov monastery, disciple of the Monk Martinian, prince,
archbishop of Rostov.
Cassian the Greek - tonsured at the Ferapontov
Monastery, Prince Konstantin Mangupsky.
Galaktion Belozersky -
blessed, holy fool - locally revered saint.
Dionisy is an icon
painter who painted the walls and created the iconostasis of the
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.
Pomerantsev, Nikolai
Nikolaevich - restorer of the monastery.
The museum of the Ferapontov Monastery houses the Siversky idol. It dates from the 4th-9th centuries, the height is about 1 m. It was found in the village of Siverovo, Sukhoverkhovsky village council of the Kirillovsky district.
Get in
Ferapontovo is situated on R-5 highway about 115km to
north-west from Vologda - it's the easiest way to get there by car
or by hitchhike. You can also go there from Cherepovets via
Kirillov. Note, that buses from Vologda to Kirillov (several a day)
turn from R-5 to Kirillov about 4km before Ferapontovo, so you'll
need to not miss the turn (better ask driver beforehand), and then
either hitchhike or walk, as buses further are very seldom. There's
nothing at the turn to Kirillov except forest and a bus stop
(possibly not even mobile carrier), nearest shops and other
facilities are in Ferapontovo.
To reach Ferapontovo directly
you'll need buses, going to Lipin Bor and further - to Vytegra and
even further to Petrozavodsk from Vologda or Cherepovets (buses from
Cherepovets can be catched on in Kirillov or aforementioned turn).
The only daily buses of those are Vologda-Vytegra in the morning and
Cherepovets-Lipin Bor in the evening, also there's evening bus
Vologda-Lipin Bor with different schedule on Sunday, others are
going only on selected days of week (including 2 buses
Kirillov-Ferapontovo only on Tuesdays and Thursdays). Better check
timetable beforehand and note that further from their starting point
buses can be not only late, but ahead of schedule as well, as well
as get canceled, so it's better to check that the bus is on via a
call to departing bus station.
For hitchhiking from Vologda
you may want to reach first Molochnoe via a suburb bus (goes rather
often from central postoffice).