St. Vvedensky Convent, Ivanovo: photo, history

The Holy Virgin Convent (Ivanovo), located in the center, is an undoubted adornment of this wonderful town. A feature distinguishing the monastery from many others is that it was founded not so long ago, and to this day its construction continues. Of particular interest is the history of the revival of the temple. Events that have already occurred today are rich in wonderful examples of the Christian heroism.

Occurrence

As well as other churches, the Holy Vvedensky nunnery has its own history, which began not so long ago - in the last century, and is connected with the church, which the people call the Red. The solemn consecration of the territory of the future church took place in the spring of 1901.

Construction was completed in 1907. The author of the project is the well-known architect of that time Peter Begen. Funds for construction were donated by merchant families, owners of city factories. A special contribution to the creation of the church was made by the then mayor of the city, PN. Derbenev. On June 21 of the same year the temple was consecrated. It provided for three thrones:

• The Great Martyr Theodore Tiron ;
• St. Nicholas the Wonderworker;
• The main one - the Introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary, thanks to which the monastery got its name, since this part occupies the main territory of the church.

Many events of those times survived the Holy Monastery of the Vvedensky, one of the most significant - in 1918 Patriarch Tikhon himself served here.

Since 1925, the rector of the church is Zosima Trubachev, appointed Vladyka Augustine. At this difficult time, the priest carried out his selfless service, despite the many obstacles that the Soviet government, revivalists, and atheists repaired. Among the parishioners there was also no unity. Zosima's father always defended and protected the church entrusted to him, preaching to strengthen his flock, exemplifying Christian piety.

The Age of Oblivion

This sad fate did not pass and the Holy Vvedensky convent in Ivanovo, whose church in those days was just a parish. In the autumn of 1935, the Soviet government transferred the church in submission to the Renovationists. As is known from history, this organization was created with the purpose of destroying the true canonical church, which in those days the Bolsheviks called Tikhonovskaya.

In 1938, the authorities closed the temple, citing the fact that the townspeople do not visit it.
All magnificent decoration of the church was plundered or destroyed, and the building itself was used as an archive of the region.

The beginning of the revival

The first efforts to resume worship were made in the war years. In 1942, collecting signatures, the faithful appealed to the local authorities to open the church. Numerous petitions and appeals were made to the representatives of the authorities. Unfortunately, all these attempts did not lead to anything. The party leadership of the city considered that the opening of the church is not an urgent need of the Soviet citizens.

Irreconcilable struggle for the temple

In 1988, attempts to return the temple were resumed. With the blessing of Father Ambrose, twenty believers were gathered - this was the condition that the Soviets set for the opening of the church. In the autumn of the same year, the Council for Religious Affairs finally gave its positive response in the form of a document authorizing the registration of the community.

However, victory was achieved only on paper. The next two years the church community with the blessing of Bishop Ambrose persistently led the struggle for the Red Church. Believers wrote in different instances, the lord himself appealed to the representatives of the authorities, but there was no answer.

The culmination of these events was the spring of 1989. March 17 was supposed to hold a rally for the Red Church. The authorities refused, and on the 21st near it, near the Sovremennik cinema, four representatives of the church community settled down, who went on a hunger strike in favor of opening the church. A day later they were forcibly transported to the territory of the Red Church. The hunger strike lasted ten days. All this time, women were threatened with reprisal, there were people who spat in them, the authorities threatened through the newspapers to Father Ambrose and his followers, organized protests against the demands of believers with slogans calling for a hunger strike.

Prediction of St. Leontius

All these events attracted the attention not only of Ivanovo, but also of the inhabitants of other cities of the USSR and the whole world. This was started in the news. Christian communities of different countries began to collect signatures in defense of believers.

It was said by Archimandrite Leonty Mikhailovsky, who, foreseeing the long struggle for the temple, said that he would be given it, but the whole world would have to scream about it.

The women who went on hunger strike were forcibly taken to the hospital, where the secretary of the regional executive committee talked with them for a long time. The official urged them to stop the protest. Women agreed only after the promise that this issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

Resonance did not provide a quick victory, but allowed to find a lot of like-minded people who contributed to the fact that the Holy Virgin Monastery (Ivanovo) was finally opened. And by common efforts on the Holy Week of 1990, the keys to the church were finally given to the church community.

The first service in a dilapidated church

This service Father Ambrose spent on Easter Night. The service passed in the silent shining of stars under the open sky. The condition of the temple was deplorable: the dilapidated walls, wedged with logs, broken windows, a leaking roof. However, the most important thing was accomplished - the service to the Lord began. The long road of seventy years was over, and the struggle is finally over.

Day by day the church was gradually restored. Today one can see with one's own eyes how the Holy Vvedensky Convent (Ivanovo) has been transformed. Photos show a wonderful beauty temple, which, of course, is the decoration of the city. The construction and finishing works on the territory of the monastery continue to this day. New buildings of the monastery grow, the walls of the church are transformed and renovated.

The beginning of the monastery's life

The parish temple was short-lived. A small group of his spiritual children formed around Father Amrosia, expressing his desire to serve God. And already in March 1991 the archimandrite petitioned to bless the creation of the monastery. And on March 27, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, the Holy Vvedensky Women's Monastery began its spiritual mission. Six months later, the first tonsure was performed.

Together with the efforts of the residents of the monastery, parishioners and donors, the church was quickly restored. Next to it were built several two-story buildings, a bell tower. All buildings were built taking into account the architectural features of the Red Church. The result was the appearance in the heart of the city's most beautiful architectural ensemble. So here settled the Ivanovo Holy-Vvedensky monastery (female). Over time, this monastery began to expand at the expense of the suburbs, which were organized in the Ivanovo region.

The founder of the monastery - Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov)

Ivanovo (Holy Virgin Monastery) today has become a refuge for more than 200 nuns. Teaches and spiritually nourishes the abode of Archimandrite Ambrose. Having overcome the resistance of the authorities in the 1990s and opened the Red Church for believers, he remains the true warrior of Christ to this day: he actively preaches and instructs, writes books, leads Orthodox programs.

The topics of his conversations relate to the most difficult moments of the Christian faith. About salvation, repentance, why one should do good, how to heal a sick soul-these and many other questions are raised in his broadcasts by Father Ambrose. For this he even earned the fame of "the confessor of Radonezh."

The Holy Virgin Monastery: metochion

There are several of them for today:

• Preobrazhenskoye in the village of Doronino;
• Pokrovskoye, which is located in the landowner's estate of the village of Zlatoust;
• Ilyinsky, located in the city of Gavrilov Posad;
• Another one is recovering, which is located in the village of Stupkino, it was named Sergiev Pustyn in honor of St. Sergius Hegumen of Radonezh.

Each metochion is a separate story. Temples and manors were restored, new buildings were erected. Today, the metochion covers not only houses, parish churches and agricultural lands. Pokrovskoe metochion prepares for the opening of a boarding school for girls: a three-storey building has already been erected. They are also trying to create all the conditions for the development of long-forgotten fisheries. Sisters of the monastery help children's shelters and small children's homes, which are located in nearby areas.

The modern life of the monastery

Despite the fact that the future nuns have won their abode, the Holy Vvedensky nunnery (Ivanovo), they can not calm down, because the struggle continues to this day. Today there is no godless Soviet power, but there are other problems. Nuns, praying for peace throughout the world, do not stop working for the glory of God.

The peculiarity of this young monastery is that the nuns, led by their mentors, conduct active social work: visit prisons and colonies, help the sick and infirm, take care of the elderly and disabled children.

Sisters of the monastery participate in the work of the prison commission, often visiting prisoners. There are representatives of the monastery and in the commission involved in the canonization of saints.

Assistance to the needy, alcoholic and drug addicts, prisoners and freed, homeless and childless today seeks to provide a Holy Vvedensky nunnery (Ivanovo). The helpline (+7 4932 5898 88), to which anyone who needs support or assistance can call, is a vivid confirmation of this.

Everyone can visit the monastery, which is located in the city center - not far from the railway station, in ten minutes walk. If you have to get from another area of the city, then as a guide you can stop near the cinema "Contemporary".