Annunciation Monastery of Murom: photo, history

The city of Murom is deservedly considered the heart of Russian Orthodoxy. Thousands of tourists come here every year not only from our country, but also foreign guests to enjoy the atmosphere of cleanliness and tranquility.

Today we will make a virtual trip to the Annunciation Monastery, which is located next to the Trinity Monastery. Compared with the last, the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Murom is more strict and ascetic. The territory of it is small, but it is neat and decorated with flowers. Here there is a wonderful atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

Annunciation Monastery in Murom: history

The monastery was founded by the decree of Ivan the Terrible. This happened in the middle of the XVI century. Earlier on this place was the Annunciation Cathedral, where the relics of the holy princes of Murom - Constantine and his sons Fedor and Michael - were kept. Prince Constantine received Moore as an inheritance and his name is inextricably linked with the history of the baptism of the townspeople.

In The Tale of the Establishment of Christianity in Murom, which dates back to the 16th century, it is said that the Gentiles, who refused to accept Christianity, brutally killed the son of the prince's son, Mikhail, and approached his chambers closely. Toward them came Prince Constantine, who was holding in his hands not weapons, as the enemies expected, but an icon of the Mother of God, which later became known as Muromskaya.

The image in the hands of the prince beamed, and the pagans astonished by this miracle unquestioningly adopted Christianity. Those who held the necessary post baptized Murom Bishop Basil in the Oka. Prince Constantine and his sons were canonized in 1547 at the church cathedral, but before that they were considered sacred in Murom.

Proceeding from this, it becomes quite clear why Ivan the Terrible, who before the legendary campaign on Kazan prayed in Murom to these saints, immediately after the victory in the campaign ordered the founding of the monastery on the place where they were buried.

From the first days of its existence, the monastery was not deprived of royal favors: the letter of 1558, she received a salary, as well as grain rugu from the customs revenues of Murom, a large collection of unique church utensils was sent from Moscow to the monastery, and substantial financial assistance from the treasury, A few villages were presented.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

The cathedral was erected in place of the old disassembled temple. During the analysis of the wooden structure, the Annunciation Monastery in Murom recovered the relics of the holy princes. In its original form, to this day, this temple has not survived, since it was rebuilt several times and today, unfortunately, in its appearance almost nothing resembles a structure that was erected by Moscow masters, which Ivan the Terrible sent.

The Cathedral of the Annunciation rises on a high sub-plane, and is a rectangle stretched from south to north. This layout is quite typical for the religious buildings of the XVI century. The architectural details of the cathedral are close to the architecture of Moscow architecture. The cathedral is characterized by monumental proportions and strict forms. The building is divided vertically by wide blade-pilasters into three equal parts. The basis of the drums is a high cornice with denticles. Kokoshniki rely on the pilasters.

The walls of the Annunciation Cathedral are a complex sculptural structure, which consists of differently processed window frames: a dentate crown or a keeled kokoshnikom. Columns of platbands are represented by different in color capsules and beads. The architectural details of the cathedral have much in common with the Murom traditional monuments, and with examples of Moscow architecture of the XVII century. However, Murom temples by the nature of the patterns constitute a separate, special group in the history of Russian architecture.

In architectural respect, the southern facade can be considered exceptional. Thanks to very strict proportions, preserved from the XVII century, a perfect and harmonious composition was created here. There is a podklet, in fact it is a powerful socle, the entrance to which is framed by pilasters. They are supported by a pediment of complex construction. In the lateral parts there are windows of the arched form recessed in the niches.

During the invasion of Polish-Lithuanian troops of Pan Lisovsky (1616) the monastery suffered greatly. The cathedral was ruthlessly ruined and looted. After the war and confusion, the monastery began to rebuild not immediately, and again it did not do without the king's favors. At the same time, the main means for rebuilding the cathedral and the monastery were singled out by the Trombet merchant TB Tsvetnov, who at the very end of his life at the monastery took tonsure, having received the name Tikhon. Here he was buried.

Although the cathedral is one-story, thanks to two rows of windows, it creates an unusual impression that it is two-story. This interesting technique was used in many temple buildings of the 16th-17th centuries.

Recovery

In 1664 the main cathedral of the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Murom was actually built anew: from the former building, only a podklet survived. Today it is a magnificently decorated building in the style of Russian trimmings, which has five chapters, rows of kokoshniks, located on top of the quadrangle, a beautiful tent porch and bell tower.

Tarasy Tsvetnova installed a clock on her. Initially, the heads of the temple had a helmet shape, but later they were made bulbous. The walls are decorated with magnificent carvings - carved with cornices, semicolumns, platbands.

Iconostasis

In the Annunciation Monastery of Murom, more precisely, in the cathedral of the same name, there is an amazing six-tiered iconostasis, executed in the Baroque style. It was installed in the cathedral in 1797 and, probably, was preserved only due to the fact that during the Soviet era the church was not closed. In it, unique icons of the 16th-18th centuries were preserved.

It completely corresponds to the iconostasis and the interior of the cathedral: a lush portal, which adorns the entrance with the porch, amazes with various ornaments. After the Lithuanian ruin of the Annunciation Monastery in Murom, only this cathedral remained stone. In 1652 in the annals there is a record of the stone church of John the Theologian, which has not survived until our days. Other structures still remained wooden.

Stephanie Church

Another stone structure was added to the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Murom in 1716. They became Stefanievskaya gate church. The exact date of its construction by some specialists is questioned, since in the inventory relating to 1678 there is already mentioned a stone church, presumably Stefanievskaya.

It is distinguished by a rather modest, and at the same time elegant architecture: the quadrangle is crowned by one row of kokoshniks, and the drum, located under a single cupola, is decorated with a fine beautiful carving. Everything in this temple is reminiscent of the architectural traditions of the Murom churches dating back to the 17th century. Despite some changes made in the XIX century, the temple actually did not lose its original appearance.

In 1811, in the Annunciation Monastery in Murom was surrounded by a stone fence with towers. Approximately at the same time, the gate church was renewed.

Moscow shrines

During the war with the army of Napoleon, shrines from Moscow were brought to the Annunciation Monastery of Murom. These were icons of the Iberian and Vladimirian Mother of God. They were kept in the cathedral, and then they were transported to Vladimir. There were no stone temples in the Annunciation Monastery of Murom. Only in 1828 the cell building was built, and in 1900 - the house was built for the hegumen.

Monastery in the Soviet era

In Soviet times, the monastery, like most religious buildings, was closed, the brothers moved to live in town houses, but, strangely enough, the Cathedral of the Annunciation remained active: worship services were still held there.

In 1923, cancer was discovered with the relics of the Murom princes. After that, they were transferred to the museum, as exhibits. The cathedral was closed in 1940, but not for long - until 1942.

Return of the ROC

In 1989, the holy relics were returned to the church, and in 1991 the Blagoveshchensky monastery in Murom once again began to live a measured life. Its address is st. Krasnoarmeyskaya, 16. Today it is visited by numerous tourists and pilgrims to worship the shrines kept here.

They include:

• Cancer with the relics of princes Constantine, Fedor and Michael of Murom.
• Icon of the holy princes of Murom.
• Icon of Elijah of Murom.
• Icon of Saints Peter and Fevronia.
• Iveron icon of the Virgin.
• Icon of the Sign of the Mother of God.
• Icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Icon of the Iberian Mother of God

This icon is considered miraculous. It is located in the Cathedral of the Annunciation Monastery in Murom. The icon is located in the right part of the temple, near the window, next to the right altar. This image is a copy of the Athos icon of the Mother of God, known worldwide among Christians around the world, and also a list from the Iberian icon, which was donated to the monastery in 1812. Pilgrims claim that this icon is of extraordinary strength and beauty.

Under the glass there are numerous gold and silver ornaments, with which people thanked the Mother of God for the quick and wonderful fulfillment of requests made in prayers. Next to this icon there is another shrine - the image of Ilya of Murom and a part of his relics. This icon was donated to the Annunciation Monastery in Murom by the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. In its caves there is a Russian hero.

The burial place of the monastery

On the territory of the Annunciation Monastery in Murom, to the present day, ancient burials have been preserved: the grave of one of the first abbots of the monastery, Archimandrite Alexis, in the world of Andrei Polisadov, great-grandfather of the famous poet Andrei Voznesensky, who dedicated his poem "Andrey Polisadov".

On the territory of the Holy Annunciation Monastery there is another shrine, which is always visited by pilgrims - the grave of the elder Apollonius. Today, on the site of his burial, a chapel is built, in which pilgrims pray for the repose of the soul of the elder. They are sure that Apollonius hears them well, and therefore so quickly fulfills the requests addressed to him.

Annunciation Monastery in Murom: schedule of services

Daily

• The beginning of the Midnight Camp is 5.30.
• Morning prayers - 6.00.
• The evening is at 20.00.
• Prayer for the dream to come - 20.40.

Tuesday

• Moleben with akathist to the Monk Lazar of Murom Miracle-worker - 12.40.

Friday

• Moleben before the icon "Vsezaritsa" (about the suffering and aching) - 12.30.

Saturday

• Memorial service (commemoration of the dead) - 10.00.
• Evening service is at 16.00.

Sunday

• The Divine Liturgy is 9.30.
• Moleben waterborne - 12.30.

It is necessary to clarify the schedule of divine services during the holidays in the Annunciation Monastery of Murom. Information service phones are on the official website. We hope that if you manage to visit this Murom monastery, you will get a real pleasure from the excursion.