Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in Nikandrova Hermitage description and photos - Russia - North-West: Pskov Region (Topic)

Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos of Nikandrova Hermitage description and photos - Russia - North-West: Pskov Region. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

The Cathedral Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is built right above the grave of the Monk Saint Nikandr, who was the first abbot of the Nikandrova Hermitage. The church was erected with the active work of Hegumen Isaiah with the blessing of the Novgorod Metropolitan Alexander at the end of the 16th century.

In 1673, the Church of the Annunciation and other monastery buildings burned down, and a new Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected on the site of the previously existing church, only this time from stone. In 1807, under the rector-archimandrite Samuel, the church expanded significantly, thanks to the following additions: a porch, an altar, two side-altars: the first was consecrated in the name of the Monk Nikandr, and the second - in the name of the two Holy Apostles Paul and Peter; above the porch itself, a chamber was erected to store the sacred monastery sacristy.

The sacristy of the Annunciation Church at one time kept a wide variety and numerous objects, which, first of all, include multiple vestments and outfits of crimson velvet, which were donated by the Emperor Pavel Petrovich himself. Among other things, a large number of various utensils and other vestments were kept in the sacristy, which include 125 priestly vestments, most of them made of precious brocade, 94 apitrachilios, 80 podriznik, 7 most valuable covers intended for the tomb of St. Nikandr, 11 altar crosses made of silver, decorated with gilding, 18 small and large altar gospels, of which the largest number was kept under solid gold with a silver setting, as well as a huge amount of silver dishes, carved icon lamps and many other precious objects and things. An important feature and attraction of the monastery at one time was the Gospel, which was printed in the winter of December 7, 1698, weighing 1 pood and 15 pounds. On one of the walls of the sacristy hung a portrait of Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, engraved on a spacious board made of copper, who donated 33 thousand rubles for the arrangement of the silver shrine of St. Nikandr.

The main and revered shrine of the monastery's church was the relics of Saint Reverend Nikandr, which were put under the shelter in the southern wall of the Annunciation Church during the period of their examination, namely in 1687. Embossed, made of silver with enamel edged crayfish, located directly above the coffin of the Monk Nikandr, was built in 1792 with the active work of Sheremetev. Some of the relics were kept in a special silver and gilded, as well as a tomb-shaped reliquary, which was transferred to the throne of the church in which the process of worship took place. All traces of the crayfish are lost.

In the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos there was an ancient and especially revered image of St. which were placed holy crosses and icons with particles of the holy Lord's Robe, the Life-giving Lord's Cross, the belt and the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as particles of the relics of various Divine Saints in the amount of 130 pieces. This kind of shrines disappeared after the monastery was closed in 1928.

The Cathedral Church of the Annunciation was completely turned into a pile of unnecessary construction waste. Throughout the 1960s, on these ruins, above the very place where the saint's shrine was located, the symbolic grave of Saint Nikandros, which was built by the God-lovers, found its place. In 2001-2007, work was carried out regarding the dismantling of the rubble. In a solemn atmosphere in 2007, Metropolitan Eusebius of Velikie Luki and Pskov, as well as Abbot Spiridon - the governors of the desert - laid the first cornerstone in the foundation of the new cathedral. On October 7, 2011, the first church service was held, which coincided with the commemoration day of the Monk Nikandr.

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Topic: Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in Nikandrova Hermitage description and photos - Russia - North-West: Pskov Region.