Gorne-Uspensky nunnery description and photos - Russia - North-West: Vologda (Topic)

Gorne-Uspensky Convent description and photos - Russia - North-West: Vologda. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

Gorny-Uspensky Convent (other names - Uspensky Gorny, also Gorny Monastery) is a Vologda monastery that existed during 1590-1924. The holy monastery is located in Verkhniy Posad, “on the mountain” - in the historical part of the city. Some buildings have survived in part, others have been completely lost.

The Holy Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin was founded by Eldress Domnikia in 1590 during the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich and the archbishopric of Jonah of Vologda and Velikoperm. Nun Domnikia was for a long time abbess of the holy monastery. The date of foundation is confirmed by an important historical source - the petition of 1613. A hospital (almshouse) building was built in the holy monastery at the expense of the bishop's house. This is the first monastery building of the second half of the 17th century, made of stone, which was erected under Vladyka Bishop Simon. Sick old women lived in it.

In 1692-1699, a cathedral church was erected in honor of the bright feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God with a bell tower and a side-altar in memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh (a warm winter church). In 1709-1714, a one-domed cold gate church was built in memory of St. Alexis the man of God. Later, in the 1790s, the monastery was surrounded by a solid stone fence with turrets (instead of the old wooden one). The gates of the Assumption Monastery were distinguished by their beauty and originality. Unfortunately, the fence has not survived to this day.

In 1792, a fire in the monastery brutally destroyed all the wooden buildings. The fire did not spare neither the buildings nor the documents that contained the history of the monastery. Rare and valuable historical evidence, archival documents testifying to the life of the Gorny Monastery have practically not survived to this day. In 1824, the Dormition Monastery was visited by Emperor Alexander I. He examined the monastery buildings, the modest cells of the abbess. At the expense of His Majesty, a two-story building was built in 1826-1828.

In 1860, in accordance with the decree of the Holy Synod, the Ozersk Nicholas Church was attributed to the nunnery. The monastery had its own grounds. The monastery owned hay-making dachas in the Vologda and Gryazovets districts.

The monastery bell tower was rebuilt in 1880. In the 1870-1890s, a new building was erected for an orphanage. This two-story house was built with voluntary donations. In the orphanage, mostly orphans from the families of clergy were brought up. The full course of study consisted of six years. Studied the Law of God, church singing, liturgy, Old Testament and New Testament history, Church Slavonic and Russian, history, geography, arithmetic. In 1888, Vladyka Theodosius transformed the orphanage into a female diocesan school. In 1903, the school moved outside the monastery to another new building on the Zlatoustinskaya embankment. Graduates of the diocesan school could work as teachers.

In 1918, the Assumption Monastery was closed by the Soviet government, but some of the sisters remained there until 1923-1924 until the monastery was finally transferred to the Red Army. Divine services were held in the Holy Dormition Cathedral until 1924. After the closure of the monastery, several nuns lived in private houses near the monastery. In the difficult Soviet period for the monastery, there was a prison on the territory, as well as a military unit.

The revival of the ancient stone church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary began in 1995. In 1996, the church resumed services.

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Topic: Gorne-Uspensky nunnery description and photos - Russia - North-West: Vologda.