Sretensky Church of Vladimir Mother of God is Russian Orthodox church in Gorokhovets that was constructed in 1678. Originally it was a wooden temple, but in 1689 it was replaced by a stone structure using finances provided by rich merchant Semen Efimovich Ershov.
The convent in honor of the Presentation of the
Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was founded by decree of Patriarch
Nikon in 1658. The monastery was built in the center of the city suburb
and was originally wooden. The inventory of the city in 1678 states that
in the Sretensky Monastery there are “twenty cells, and in them there
are 44 sisters.” Stone construction began in the monastery in 1689. At
the expense of Semyon Ershov, the cold Sretensky Cathedral and a
three-tier bell tower were built.
In 1700, a temple was founded
in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the construction of which was
completed three years later. The merchant brothers Sergius and Grigory
Shiryaev made a significant contribution to the construction of the
Sergius Church. An ancient tiled stove has been preserved in this
temple. At the same time, a stone two-story cell building and a
monastery fence were built, a small fragment of which has survived to
this day. An almshouse for elderly nuns was built. The Sretensky
Monastery had no land holdings. The monastery was supported by donations
from benefactors and through the sale of sisters' handicrafts.
In
1764, during the reforms of Catherine II, the Sretensky Convent was
abolished, the nuns were transferred to the Arzamas Monastery of St.
Nicholas the Wonderworker. Thus, the monastery existed for 106 years
from the time of its foundation and was closed. Its churches continued
to function as parish churches.
After the October events of 1917,
all city churches were requisitioned, and persecution of the clergy and
parishioners began. In May 1922, during the confiscation of church
valuables, precious utensils and temple gold were removed from the
Sretensky and Sergius churches. But services continued to be held. The
closure of the churches followed in 1928.
In the 1930s The
ensemble of the Sretensky Monastery was classified as an architectural
monument of the highest category, protected by the state. In the
1960-1970s, its restoration was carried out. The monastery buildings are
used for various needs: there was a store in the St. Sergius Church, the
Sretensky Church was planned to be converted into a concert hall, the
bell tower and gatehouse were probably empty, residents lived in the
cell building and the almshouse.
A new page in the chronicle of
the Sretensky Monastery opened on February 15, 2001, on the feast of the
Presentation of the Lord: in the winter church of St. Sergius of
Radonezh, His Eminence Bishop Eulogius, co-served by a large number of
clergy, performed the first prayer service. Two sisters were transferred
from the Suzdal Intercession Convent to the Sretensky Convent. Mon. Nina
(Doroshko) was elevated to the rank of abbess in the newly opened
monastery.
Prayer services and memorial services began to be held
weekly in the monastery. During Great Lent, the first divine service was
celebrated - the Passion, led by Archbishop Eulogius.
Since 2002,
with the blessing of Bishop Evlogiy, the monastery began its social
ministry: a Sunday school for children was opened, classes in which
continue today. At Sunday school, children study the Slavic language,
the law of God, liturgy, Church history, learn to sing, prepare
performances for the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and Easter, and
also take part in Orthodox children's festivals and competitions. For
children, the monastery organizes holiday gifts, pilgrimage trips, and
nature trips.
The monastery cooperates with the city orphanage.
Classes are conducted with children according to the Law of God. On the
holidays of Easter and Christmas, gifts are given and pilgrimage trips
are organized.
The monastery cares for the House of Mercy in the
village of Chulkovo. For elderly people, prayer services, sacraments of
confession, communion are performed there, Easter and Christmas gifts
are distributed. Meetings are also organized in schools and city
libraries, where conversations are held about the Orthodox faith and its
cultural heritage. The monastery also cooperates with the city center
for social services. Charity dinners were repeatedly organized for
low-income residents of the city.
Since 2005, at the monastery,
with the blessing of Bishop Evlogii, a choir of parishioners was
organized. Over time, the choir began to sing at services, and also take
part in Orthodox holidays and concerts. Since 2008, with the blessing of
Bishop Eulogius, a community of Sisters of Mercy has been operating at
the monastery in honor of St. Juliania Lazarevskaya. The service of the
Sisters of Mercy takes place at the Central Regional Hospital.
Icon "The Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the
Blessed Virgin Mary"
July 8
In 1395, the terrible conqueror Khan
Tamerlane (Temir-Aksak) reached the borders of Ryazan, took the city of
Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don.
Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich went out with an army to Kolomna and
stopped on the banks of the Oka. He prayed to the saints of Moscow and
St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the
Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian (September 16), so that the upcoming
Dormition Fast would be devoted to fervent prayers for pardon and
repentance. The clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the famous
miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the
feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted
the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross.
Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed:
“Mother of God, save the Russian land!” At the very hour when the
residents of Moscow greeted the icon on Kuchkovo Field, Tamerlane was
dozing in his tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from
the top of which saints with golden rods were coming towards him, and
above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She
ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane
asked about the meaning of the vision. Those who knew answered that the
radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians.
Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back. In memory of
the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, the
Sretensky Monastery was built on Kuchkovo Field, where the icon was met,
and on August 26, an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of
the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Icon
with a particle of the relics of Righteous Juliana Lazarevskaya, Murom
Righteous Juliania Lazarevskaya, Murom, is an amazing example of a
selfless Russian Christian. She was the daughter of the nobleman Justin
Nedyurov. From a young age she lived piously, fasted strictly and
devoted a lot of time to prayer. Orphaned early, she was given to the
care of relatives who did not understand her and laughed at her.
Juliania endured everything patiently and resignedly. Her love for
people was expressed in the fact that she often cared for the sick and
sewed clothes for the poor. The pious and virtuous life of the girl
attracted the attention of the owner of the village of Lazarevsky (not
far from Murom) Yuri Osorin, who soon married her. The husband's parents
fell in love with the meek daughter-in-law and transferred the
management of the house into her hands. Household worries did not
interrupt Juliana’s spiritual exploits. She always found time for prayer
and was always ready to feed orphans and clothe the poor. During times
of severe famine, being left without food herself, she gave the last
piece to the one asking. When an epidemic began following the famine,
Juliana devoted herself entirely to caring for the sick.
Righteous Juliana had six sons and a daughter. After the death of her
two sons, she decided to retire to a monastery, but her husband
persuaded her to stay in the world to continue raising her children.
According to the testimony of Juliania’s son, Kallistrat Osorin, who
wrote her life, at this time she became even more demanding of herself:
she intensified her fasting and prayer, slept no more than two hours at
night, putting a log under her head.
After the death of her
husband, Juliana distributed her part of the inheritance to the poor.
Living in extreme poverty, she nevertheless was always cheerful,
friendly and thanked the Lord for everything. The saint was honored with
a visit from St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the instruction of the
Mother of God in temple prayer. When righteous Juliana departed to the
Lord, she was buried next to her husband in the Church of St. Lazarus.
Her daughter, schema-nun Theodosia, was also buried here. In 1614, the
relics of the righteous were found, exuding fragrant myrrh, from which
many received healing.