The Makaryevskaya Hergozerskaya Hermitage, also known as the Makaryevsky Hergozero Monastery or Makaryevskaya Hergozerskaya Pustyn (Russian: Макариевская Хергоозерская пустынь), is a historic Russian Orthodox hermitage located in the remote and picturesque Kenozero region of Arkhangelsk Oblast, northern Russia. This site, dedicated to St. Macarius Zheltovodsky and Unzhensky (also known as Macarius of the Yellow Water Lake and the Unzha, the Miracle Worker), represents a significant example of 17th-century monastic life in the European North, blending spiritual seclusion with cultural and historical importance. Though it fell into ruin during the Soviet era, ongoing revival efforts have begun to restore its role as a pilgrimage destination.
The hermitage is situated on a narrow peninsula jutting into Hergozero Lake (also spelled Khergozero), within the boundaries of Kenozero National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve known for its pristine lakes, forests, and traditional Russian wooden architecture. The park encompasses a network of interconnected lakes and waterways, with Hergozero being one of the larger bodies of water in the Lekshmozero area. Local oral traditions suggest the site was originally an island, later connected to the mainland by an artificial isthmus for easier access. Surrounded by vast swamps with evocative names like Gladkoye (Smooth), Ledyanoye (Icy), Veliky Mokh (Great Moss), Vnutrenny Mokh (Inner Moss), Sokolia Glad (Falcon Smooth), Toporia Glad (Axe Smooth), and Gryaznoe (Dirty), the location emphasizes its historical isolation—ideal for monastic contemplation but challenging to reach. The nearest settlements are small villages like Pochozero, and access today typically involves boat travel or hiking through the park's trails. This marshy, forested environment underscores the hermitage's role as a "pustyn" (desert or hermitage), a term in Russian Orthodoxy denoting a secluded monastic community, often in wilderness areas.
Founding in the 17th Century
The hermitage was founded in the
1630s—or the early 1640s (according to various sources, around 1640)—by
two monks from the Alexander-Oshevensky Monastery: the monastics Sergius
(the chief builder and first abbot) and Loggin (Longinus). The monastery
is dedicated to the Venerable Macarius of Zheltovodsk and Unzha (†
1444)—the enlightener of the Volga region and founder of the
Macarius-Zheltovodsky Monastery.
According to tradition and the *Tale
of the Glorious Miracles of the Miraculous Icon...*, the site was chosen
for a specific reason: according to one version, the Venerable Macarius
passed through this area while en route to the Solovetsky Islands and
blessed the land; according to another, the site was revealed through
the miraculous appearance of his icon. In Novgorod, the monastic Sergius
received a charter of blessing for the construction of a church
dedicated to the Holy Trinity—along with an antimension—from
Metropolitan Afony (1635–1648). By as early as 1641, the hermitage was
already engaged in economic activity: the community obtained land under
a quitrent agreement from the authorities in Kargopol (a document dated
September 19, 1641, has been preserved in the archives of the Oshevensky
Monastery).
In 1632—even before the monastery’s formal
establishment—a significant event occurred: the Venerable Alexander of
Oshevensk appeared in a vision to Gerasim Anfimov, a priest from
Kargopol, and commanded him to commission a miraculous icon of Macarius
of Zheltovodsk. This icon subsequently became the principal sacred relic
of the monastery and was the source of numerous miracles.
Development and Flourishing in the 17th–18th Centuries
During its
initial years, the monastery was small, but it grew rapidly. By 1653,
the first wooden Trinity Church—featuring a side chapel dedicated to the
Venerable Macarius—had been constructed and consecrated. Seventeen years
later, it was destroyed by fire. In 1658, a new Trinity Church was
erected, along with a wooden Church of the Presentation of the Most Holy
Theotokos, featuring a side chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas the
Wonderworker. In 1660, a third church was added—dedicated to the Three
Holy Hierarchs of Moscow (Peter, Alexius, and Jonah).
The monastery
quickly gained renown thanks to the miraculous icon of St. Macarius. A
special *Tale of the Glorious Miracles...* was compiled to document its
wonders (including healings from illness, aid during droughts, the
resurrection of livestock, the miraculous provision of a horse to
pilgrims, and the healing properties of the lake's water and local
herbs). Dating to the mid-17th century, this manuscript recorded
approximately 41 miracles and was read aloud annually during the
monastery's feast day celebrations. The icon was housed in the Church of
the Presentation and continued to attract pilgrims even after the
monastery’s closure.
The hermitage maintained active economic
operations, receiving donations in the form of livestock, butter, wool,
and money. By the beginning of the 18th century, it had established
itself as a major spiritual center for the Kargopol region and the
Lekshmozero area.
Dissolution and Life as a Parish (1764–20th
Century)
In 1764, as part of Catherine II’s secularization reforms,
the monastery was dissolved, and its churches were transferred to the
Khergozero parish. However, spiritual life did not fade away; thanks to
the miraculous icon and the continued flow of pilgrims, the former
monastic site remained an important religious center.
During the
late 18th and 19th centuries, the churches were rebuilt in stone:
1782–1790: Construction of the stone Church of St. Nicholas and the
Presentation (a heated, single-domed structure).
1857: A fire
destroyed the wooden Trinity Church.
1865–1872: Construction of a
new, five-domed stone Trinity Cathedral—featuring side chapels dedicated
to St. Macarius and Saints Boris and Gleb—along with an octagonal stone
bell tower. By the beginning of the 20th century, the complex was
enclosed by a wooden fence featuring towers; inside stood "cold
storehouses" for pilgrims, while outside the enclosure were the homes of
the priests and the psalmist.
St. Macarius's Day (July 24–25, Old
Style / August 7) was the principal festival of the Kargopol region: a
religious procession was organized, traveling from Kargopol and
Oshevensk, and the Macarius Fair was held. Pilgrims would crawl around
the lake on their knees, bathe their livestock in the "holy" water, and
offer gifts (livestock, eggs, or money). Even Old Believers came to
pray. The hermitage was regarded as a single sacred space, spiritually
linked with the Oshevensk and Chelmogorsk monasteries.
The Soviet
Era and Destruction
In the 1930s, the parish was gradually shut down.
In December 1961, during Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign, the last
remaining inhabitants—including the family of a priest’s
descendants—were evicted; their homes were demolished, and the Church of
St. Nicholas and the Presentation was dismantled for its bricks. The
Trinity Cathedral miraculously survived—it proved simply too sturdy to
be taken down.
Current Status and Restoration Efforts
Following the 1990s, the site once again began to attract pilgrims and
volunteers. Nikolai Yakovlevich Ushakov (1934–2021)—the great-grandson
of the last priest, Father Dimitry Ivanovich Lebedev (and also the
grandson of Alexandra Dmitrievna Basova and the son of Olga Vasilievna
Ushakova, women who had safeguarded the churches for decades)—dedicated
more than thirty years of his life to the "Macarius" site. In the 1990s,
he erected a votive cross—fashioned from a beam salvaged from his
parents' home—on the very spot where the now-vanished church had once
stood.
Between 2004 and 2008, detailed measurements and restoration
work commenced, carried out with the support of Kenozero National Park.
In 2009, an agreement was signed regarding the shared use of the site.
In 2013, volunteers—including artists from Moscow and Father Mikhail
Buzynkin—cleared the access road and restored the altar of the Trinity
Church. Services are held annually, particularly on August 7th. The site
remains difficult to reach, yet it remains a popular destination for
pilgrims from Kargopol, Arkhangelsk, St. Petersburg, and other cities.
The Makaryevskaya Khergozerskaya Hermitage stands as a vivid example of
a Northern Russian pustyn (wilderness hermitage): a remote monastic
retreat that evolved into a spiritual center for the people, thanks to a
miraculous icon and the ascetic devotion of its founders. Despite
enduring numerous trials, it continues to live on in the collective
memory and in the traditions of pilgrims.
The hermitage's architecture evolved from humble wooden beginnings to
more elaborate stone edifices, reflecting the region's vernacular styles
influenced by northern Russian traditions.
Early Wooden Phase
(17th Century): The initial complex included three wooden churches built
in quick succession. The first, erected in 1653, was the Church of the
Holy Life-Giving Trinity with a side chapel dedicated to St. Macarius.
In 1658, the Church of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin
Mary (Vvedenskaya) followed, featuring a St. Nicholas chapel. The third,
completed in 1660, honored the Three Saints of Moscow (Peter, Alexei,
and Jonah). By 1769, records mention only the Trinity and Vvedenskaya
churches, with additional chapels for St. Nicholas, the Moscow Saints,
and Alexander Svirsky.
Stone Reconstructions (Late 18th–19th
Centuries): After the 1782 fire, a warm (heated) stone Vvedensky Temple
with a St. Nicholas side chapel was constructed between 1782 and 1790.
Following the 1857 fire, a grand five-domed stone Holy Trinity Cathedral
was built from 1865 to 1872, incorporating altars for the Holy Trinity,
the Martyrs Boris and Gleb, and St. Macarius. An octagonal stone bell
tower, approximately 17 meters (56 feet) tall, stood on the south side,
accompanied by a wooden cross under a canopy. In the 19th and early 20th
centuries, the site was enclosed by wooden walls with towers, creating a
fortified appearance typical of Russian monasteries. Internal "cold
rooms" (unheated spaces) were rented to pilgrims, while external areas
housed residences for priests and psalm-readers.
The architecture
blended functional monastic design with symbolic elements, such as the
five domes representing Christ and the four evangelists. Much of the
stone work survived into the mid-20th century but deteriorated
thereafter.
The hermitage's fame stemmed from its association with St. Macarius,
whose wonderworking icon was housed there and credited with numerous
miracles. A special manuscript, "The Legend of the Glorious Miracles of
the Miraculous Image...," documented these events, including healings
from diseases, rain during droughts, and guidance for pilgrims (e.g.,
directing horses to meet visitors). The saint was said to prescribe
remedies like water from Hergozero Lake and local herbs. St. Macarius
was particularly revered in the Kargopol region, drawing pilgrims from
surrounding villages via dedicated paths.
Annual celebrations on
"Makariyev Day" (July 25, the saint's feast) featured the Makaryevskaya
Fair, a major event combining commerce, devotion, and community.
Pilgrims offered livestock (later monetary donations) and performed
rituals like crawling on knees around the "holy lake" for purification
or bathing animals in its waters. Even in the mid-20th century, figures
like Philip Antonovich Likotov (known as "Filyushki from Pochozero")
upheld traditions, accepting "covenants" (vows) and traveling to honor
"distant Makarii" (other sites dedicated to the saint).
Culturally,
the hermitage exemplifies the spiritual heritage of northern Russia,
where monasteries served as beacons in remote areas. Its icons,
including 25 from the Holy Trinity Church's iconostasis, are now
preserved in the Kenozero National Park museum fund, providing insights
into 19th-century Orthodox art.
Today, the site remains largely in ruins: the Vvedensky Church was dismantled in the 1960s, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral stands dilapidated, though its stone structure endures. However, revival initiatives began in the post-Soviet era, led by Nikolai Yakovlevich Ushakov (great-grandson of the last parish priest, Dmitry I. Lebedev), alongside priests Victor Pantin (senior priest of St. John the Baptist Church) and Vasily Cheremisin (priest at the Church of John the Apostle in Oshevenskoye). Supported by the Kenozero National Park administration and benefactors, these efforts have resumed Orthodox services in the Trinity Church and restored pilgrimage traditions. Groups from St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Kargopol, and Nyandoma now visit, maintaining the site's spiritual legacy.