Tikhonova Pustyn, Russia

Tikhonova Pustyn

 

Description of Tikhonova Pustyn

Tikhonova Uspenskaya Pustyn (Kaluga Piously-Tikhonov Pustyn) is a male monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church located in the village of Lev Tolstoy, Kaluga Region. It is one of the parishes of the Kaluga diocese.

The monastery was founded by St. Tikhon of Medyn, presumably in 1485. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the upper reaches of the Oka, and is also one of the most prominent monuments of historical and cultural heritage of local importance in the Kaluga region.

In 1918 the Tikhonova Pustyn was closed and declared “the first Soviet cultural economy to them. Lenin ". In the early 1920s, an agricultural technical school for the disabled was located on the territory of the monastery. After some time, a military unit was stationed in the buildings.

On April 5, 1991, by the decision of the Kaluga Regional Executive Committee, 15.5 hectares of land with a source were transferred to the Kaluga diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. And by the decision of the Kaluga Regional Executive Committee of September 16, 1991, the natural component of the territory of the Tikhonova Pustyn was declared a natural monument of local importance. Since 1993, there has been a phased transfer of monastic buildings.

 

History

The male monastery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Kaluga St. Tikhon Hermitage was founded in the second half of the 15th century by the Monk Tikhon of Medyn, the Wonderworker of Kaluga (+1492).

During its centuries-old history, closely connected with the historical development of the Russian state, the monastery of Tikhonov Pustyn has experienced periods of prosperity and desolation more than once. During the Time of Troubles in 1610, the monastery of St. Tikhon was destroyed by the troops of False Dmitry II, but 20 years later, with the hard work of the brethren, it was restored again. In 1684, Tikhonov Hermitage was assigned to the Moscow Donskoy Monastery. Having lost its independence, the monastery gradually fell into decay. In 1765, with the transfer of church institutions to the spiritual states, the Tikhonov Monastery again gained independence, and its new revival began.

By the middle of the 19th century, this monastery became one of the most famous in Russia. Many miracles and healings performed at the shrine over the whole-bearing relics of St. Tikhon and at his Holy Spring attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the country to the monastery.

The second half of the 19th century was the time of the spiritual flourishing of the Tikhonov Hermitage and significant construction transformations of the monastery complex. In many ways, the spiritual growth of the inhabitants of the monastery was associated with the establishment of close ties between the two deserts: Tikhonova and Vvedenskaya Optina, where eldership flourished at that time. From 1837 to 1857, the builder of Tikhonov's Hermitage was hegumen Geronty (Vasiliev), a cell-attendant of the famous Reverend Optina Elder Lev. And in 1858, Archimandrite Moses (Krasilnikov) became the rector of the Tikhon monastery. 37 years of his presidency (until 1895) became the "golden period" in the history of the monastery. During the reign of Father Moses, the spiritual life of the monastery flourished, and great work was carried out to build and renovate the monastery complex.

In 1879–1886 The Transfiguration Cathedral was rebuilt, where since 1610 the relics of St. Tikhon were kept under a bushel. In 1894, the construction of a five-tiered bell tower about 75 meters high was completed. At the beginning of the 20th century, the majestic Assumption Cathedral in the Byzantine style was erected on the site of the ancient Assumption Church. During this period, a hospital building with a temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" and a church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with a fraternal refectory were also built. About 230 inhabitants labored in the monastery, there were three types of monastic life: cenobitic, skete and hermit. A candle factory operated in the monastery, there were three baths at St. Tikhon's spring and land.

After the coup d'état of 1917, Tikhonov Hermitage, like many other monasteries in Russia, was closed by the godless authorities (October 12, 1918). In Soviet times, the monastery was completely destroyed, some of its churches and buildings were wiped off the face of the earth, icons, church utensils and other material values were confiscated. Despite this, the Monk Tikhon was always invisibly present in his monastery and preserved it.

Through the prayers of the first hegumen of the monastery, in 1991, the revival of Tikhon's Hermitage began: the construction of a new church over the "well of the Monk Tikhon" instead of the old, destroyed one, as well as the improvement of the area around the Holy Spring. Another significant event took place in 1992, when the Orthodox Church celebrated a joyful anniversary - the 500th anniversary of the repose of St. Tikhon the Wonderworker. For the first time in the history of the Kaluga land, the jubilee celebration was led by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. The celebration of the day of remembrance of the Reverend took place especially solemnly and majestically. At the confluence of a huge number of people at the source of St. Tikhon, the Patriarch performed a prayer service for the blessing of water. And soon, in November 1993, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Kaluga St. Tikhon Hermitage Monastery was officially opened.

25 years have passed since the beginning of the revival of the monastery. With many labors of the newly assembled brethren, the ancient monastery, destroyed during the years of atheistic power, was restored. Today, great changes have taken place in the monastery of St. Tikhon: the cathedral in honor of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos has been restored, as well as the St. Nicholas and Sorrowful churches, the cathedral in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord has been rebuilt, where the relics of the Reverend rest under a bushel in the lower Tikhon church. Three sketes were created: in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring" with two baths and in the name of St. Ephraim the Syrian. In memory of the Great Standing on the Ugra River in 1480, as well as for spiritual help and service to people, the Vladimir Skete was built three kilometers from the monastery - in which there is a temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Vladimirskaya" with a lower church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh and museum complex with the diorama "Great Standing on the Ugra".

Today, in the Kaluga St. Tikhon Hermitage, a great work of spiritual transformation of human souls is taking place. The inhabitants of the holy monastery daily perform services, pray for all donors and parishioners, strive to be an example for their contemporaries, sacrificially serving God and neighbors. In order to bring people out of spiritual oblivion, show them the true meaning of life and strengthen them in the Orthodox faith, the Transfiguration Spiritual and Educational Center was organized in the monastery, which houses a library, a video library, as well as a correspondence department of the Kaluga Seminary.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Kaluga St. Tikhon Hermitage again appeared before the gaze of pilgrims in all its beauty and grandeur. Guests of the monastery are received by the pilgrimage department; three comfortable hotels and a monastery refectory have been created for them. The ancient monastery of St. Tikhon is included in the all-Russian pilgrimage routes. Today, not only the inhabitants of the Kaluga region, but also many people from other regions of Russia go to the Reverend in his holy monastery. Through the marvelous intercession of God's saint Tikhon the wonderworker, they receive first aid, healing, grace-filled strengthening and good consolation.

 

Geography

The railway station is located in the central part of the Kaluga region, in the zone of coniferous-deciduous forests, within the northwestern slope of the Central Russian Upland, near the Northern Bypass of Kaluga, at a distance of approximately 23 kilometers (in a straight line) northwest of the city of Kaluga, the administrative center of the region and districts.

 

Climate

The climate is characterized as temperate continental, with warm summers and cold snowy winters. The average annual long-term air temperature is 3.8 °C. The average air temperature of the warmest month (July) is 17.6 °C (the absolute maximum is 38 °C); the coldest (January) -10 °C (absolute minimum -46 °C). The frost-free period lasts an average of 149 days. The average annual amount of precipitation is 738 mm, of which most (467 mm) falls during the warm period. Snow cover lasts for 139 days.

 

Timezone

The Tikhonova Pustyn railway station, like the entire Kaluga region, is located in the MSK time zone (Moscow time). The offset of the applicable time from UTC is +3:00.

 

National composition

According to the results of the 2002 census, Russians made up 93% of the national population structure.

 

Infrastructure

There are thirteen streets in the railway station. There is a school.