St. Michael's Cathedral (Izhevsk): opening hours and photos. St. Michael's Athos Monastery (Adygea) Where is St. Michael's Monastery on the map

02.03.2021

Rest in Adygea is a pleasure all year round. Even in winter, there is plenty to do here. It is possible to spend time interestingly, actively, and cognitively at the numerous attractions of the region. For example, visit the St. Michael's Athos Monastery, full of mysteries and secrets.

Location

An amazing tourist complex is located between the villages of Kamennomostsky and Pobeda (closer to Pobeda). It is located on Mount Fiziabgo, cut up and down by numerous underground passages and caves.

These places tend to be visited not only by pilgrims, but also by ordinary tourists who prefer to combine entertainment with a cultural program, during which they can admire the monuments of architecture, history, not indifferent to everything beautiful. Find out more interesting things about the region in which they are located. By the way, right on the territory of the monastery there is an excellent recreation center.

Accommodation for daily rent in these parts

Kamennomostsky

Dakhovskaya

Guzeripl

My wife and I and my friends lived at (excellent camp site with delicious breakfasts)

Features of the monastery

Many pilgrims equate the Mikhailovsky Monastery with the famous Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. There is also a huge number of underground passages under it, which previously contained objects significant for monks. Little is left of them today.

On the territory of buildings of different times, many ancient structures were destroyed. New buildings have appeared in their place. Everything is as harmonious and beautiful as possible. The architectural composition is amazing, unique and truly special.

Among the old buildings, the main building of the monastery has survived, as well as the Refectory, some household buildings. In principle, it will not be difficult to distinguish new structures from ancient ones, even for people who are poorly versed in construction.

Not far from the monastery is the holy spring of Panteleimon the Healer. A huge number of tourists come to him to get water with healing power. Some citizens even collect 5 - 7 five liter egg-bottles of "living water". There is also a font with spring (very cold) water. According to legends, who will plunge into it to get rid of many ailments.

Although the monastery is male, female representatives can also visit it. At the entrance, they are offered to cover their heads with a scarf and wear a skirt over their trousers. All this is completely free, because it is a holy place. By the way, if you go to the source do not miss the opportunity to admire the majestic mountain range. A path leads to the observation deck, turning to the left of the trail to the source.

Important: if you are going to visit the source of Panteleimon the healer, go here as early as possible. Otherwise, you will stand in line for a long time. There are always a lot of people here. In winter, of course, less, but still. All this, of course, is very interesting, but the historical facts of the creation and development of the main attraction of Adygea are of no less interest.

The history of development

Planning for the construction of a complex for believers in these parts began in 1864. There were many Cossack villages, believers, but there was no financial opportunity to build and maintain a temple. The rulers of the Stavropol diocese thought about where to place sectarians, Old Believers, and so on. Residents of six stanitsas and villages of the Zakubania mountainous strip decided to independently raise the necessary funds for the construction of a temple and a place of residence for a priest.

It was planned to pay the clergyman one hundred rubles of allowance, and also to hire him a messenger annually. But only in the seventy-fourth year of the century before last, Bishop Herman tried to create the St. Michael's Monastery. The peasant I. Trubin, together with the petty bourgeois from Kharkov I. Bezverkhov, asked permission to found monks near the village of Tsarskoye Pustyust. These two people led a spiritual, moral existence, served the church. They aspired to the Ionic life, therefore they arrived in the Yekaterina-Lyabezhskaya desert.

At the same time, they were attracted like a magnet to the Caucasus Mountains, which were fighting on the spot with their beauty and grandeur. They were the ones who convinced of the need to build a monastery. At the same time, these truly great people understood that they could not solve this issue on their own. Therefore, they came to the villagers for help. Naturally, we received a positive answer.

People who lived on the territory of Dakhovskaya, Sevastopolskaya, Tsarskaya stanitsa and the village of Kamennomostsky decided to donate 270 dessiatines of their lands. And believers from Tsarskaya gave a prayer house to the not yet built church. One of the main advantages of the donated lands was their high fertility.

Preparations for the construction lasted two whole years, but in the process it became clear that it was impossible to build any structures on these lands. Because it was in the possession of the villagers, and could not be transferred to third parties. But people were already determined to build a great temple, on the territory of which it was also planned to open a school for local children. There is money and materials, the villagers were ready to take an active part in the construction.

But in connection with the ban on the construction of the shrine, donations and values \u200b\u200bhad to be transferred to the marching church of the Trukhmyansk bailiff. Despite the refusal, the idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding a monastery did not die out. In the year 77 of the last century, a petition was again submitted to the governor of the Caucasus for the allocation of 350 acres of land of the villagers (on the town of Fiziabgo) for the construction of the monastery.

In the spring of the same year, permission was obtained and already in the fall, the construction of the St. Michael's Monastery began. It lasted a little less than two years. It was completed in the spring of 1879. True, during this time only the first temple was built, named in honor of the Archangel Michael. For some time it served as a monastery for monks and a place for services.

Another temple, built in honor of A. Nevsky, opened only three years later. And four years later, the largest and most majestic temple was erected - the Assumption Cathedral. It was so large that it could easily accommodate up to 1000 parishioners at a time.

Over time, the elders began to equip cells in the town of Shakhan. The monks built a temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the town of Fiziabgo. And two of them, for some reason considered themselves sinful people, dug passages in the bowels of the mountain. Around the same time, a church school was opened. There was a lot of activity here.

A farm and a barnyard, a shoemaker and even a sewing workshop were built, not to mention a laundry and a dye shop. There was also a smithy, a hospital, a meteorological station and a plant for the production of alabaster. The monks lived and worked in peace until the civil war. Upon its completion, the land, inventory and buildings were confiscated.

In the early twenties of the last century, they made a holiday home, and then organized a commune. At the same time, the monks were able to live here until the 28th year of the last century. After the monastery was closed officially, and all the inhabitants were dismissed.

In the Second World War, the recreation center was also closed, and a house for people with disabilities was equipped in its place. In 1944, the authorities generally decided to make a DTK (children's labor colony) here. Two years later, the Assumption Cathedral was destroyed, the remaining material was used for the construction of an educational institution. In the same year, the Khr was destroyed. Transformations.

In the sixties of the last century, the colony was removed from here. And already in 72, on the territory of the St. Michael's Monastery, a recreation center for tourists "Romance" was opened. The struggle for the return of buildings and land to the Orthodox Church began only in the early nineties of the last century and lasted for more than ten years. The final transfer of the Mikhailovsky Monastery took place only at the beginning of our century, in 2003. Since then, the restoration of destroyed objects, more precisely, the construction of new temples, began.

What is interesting about the monastery today

The most popular place is the Holy Trinity Church (which survived all the events described above), this is one of the largest buildings. It is also worth visiting the temples of the Assumption and the Archangel Michael. Another local attraction is the mass grave of people with disabilities killed by the Nazis.

Of no less interest are the structures that have not yet been fully restored: Khr. Dormition, St. Alexander, refectory and house, receiving wanderers. Many tourists, especially pilgrims, try to visit the crypt of Archimandrite Martyrius.

There is also plenty to do in the vicinity of St. Michael's Monastery. This includes horseback riding and visiting caves on the way to Mount Fiziabgo. Climbing the mountain, enjoying the panorama. Those tourists who have enough time often go to the Fars River, famous for its canyon.

By the way, a hotel with 80 rooms is provided for the pilgrims, however, according to some information, it is temporarily impossible to stay there. At the same time, excursions to caves created by human hands, to monastic lakes, Assumption cells and to the chapel of Tsar Alexander II are organized in the pilgrim center.

How to get (drive) to the St. Michael's Monastery

First you need to get to Pobeda village. This can be done by bus going from Krasnodar through the village of Kamennomostsky. By car, you can get to the Mikhailovsky Monastery through Maykop, in the direction of Kamennomostsky. At the entrance to the village you will be greeted by signs to the holy places. So it’s unlikely to get lost. Moreover, if you follow the coordinates. Exact coordinates and map at the bottom of the page.

Address: Maykop district, Pobeda village, p / o Vesely, Rodnikovaya street 5.

It is also possible to contact Father Varlaam by phone: 8 928 2682660 or Father Michael at 8 928 4660358.

A photo

St. Michael's Athos Monastery is truly the main attraction of Adygea. I would recommend visiting it to every tourist spending time in the village of Kamennomostsky and its environs. And if you've already been here, please the readers and me by describing your experience in the comments.

St. Michael's Cathedral, which is located in the very heart of Izhevsk, is the hallmark of the city and the most important spiritual building in the whole of Udmurtia. That is why the monastery attracts many people: both local residents, who have long chosen the church territory, as a place for walking with children, and guests of the city, who want to see firsthand one of the most beautiful churches in Russia.

Personally, the cathedral made a strong impression on me - the rich iconostasis, many buildings and monuments on the very territory of the temple, as well as the grandeur and pomp of St. Michael's Cathedral. So what else can he surprise and amaze us with?

Story

The history of St. Michael's Cathedral, located in the city, cannot be called calm. After all, fate has not always been favorable to this spiritual abode.

The ancestor of the modern cathedral is considered to be a small wooden chapel that was erected on the highest point of the city in 1765. However, she was destined to serve not for long, because after half a century she was destroyed by a terrible fire. The decision to build a new building was made only at the end of the nineteenth century, it was then that the townspeople began to support the government with all their might and help the construction with money.

By 1907, local residents could not only enjoy the beauty of the 70-meter cathedral, but also wake up to the ringing of bells, which could be heard even in neighboring villages.

However, with the advent of Soviet power, the fate of the church remained in question, but despite this, the local administration tried to preserve the city's heritage - by 1932 the bells were removed, and a year later a local history museum was established in the church. But four years later, the residents of Izhevsk still had to say goodbye to the main spiritual building - in 1937, after an order that came from Moscow, St. Michael's Cathedral was demolished.

Today's spiritual abode is a complete prototype of the building that was erected at the beginning of the twentieth century. That is why its construction was not delayed - the church was erected in 7 years, which is a record short time.

Today, St. Michael's Cathedral is not just a spiritual landmark, but also a religious and educational center, which is visited by hundreds of believers.

How to get there

St. Michael's Cathedral is located at: city, st. Karl Marx, 222.

On foot

The cathedral stands on one of the central streets of the city, so do not deny yourself the pleasure of walking to it. This can be done by going down to Karl Marx Street from the central square and heading down. If you go straight all the time and don't turn anywhere, you will find yourself at the foot of the church in 7-10 minutes.

Public transport

Of course, there are those tourists who do not like to walk or simply cannot overcome the fear of getting lost. There is an option for them to take a tram.

In order to get to St. Michael's Cathedral, you also need to go down from the central square to Karl Marx Street, cross the road and take any tram that moves down from the city square. The fare is fixed, therefore, regardless of the number of stops, you will need to pay 20 rubles for using city public transport.

If you decide to keep your route in this way, then you need to drive only one stop and get off at the one called "Church".

Cathedral territory

Once at the foot of St. Michael's Cathedral, you will have to overcome a sufficient number of steps, because the spiritual monastery is located at the highest point of the city. Having risen to the entrance to the church, the question will certainly arise - should you familiarize yourself with the site of the cathedral or immediately enter the temple? On the one hand, a pompous tall building with shiny domes beckons inward, on the other hand, well-groomed flower beds in summer, ice sculptures in winter, bronze monuments and a love bench attract the eye no less. So where do you go first?

Church area

Personally, I decided to start my acquaintance with the cathedral from the adjacent territory and did not regret it at all. The huge site is literally strewn with many bronze sculptures and other objects of architectural and spiritual value.

One of the most famous is the monument to the holy noble Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom. It attracts couples in love, honeymooners and children, who often take pictures and pose in front of them.

In addition, on the territory of St. Michael's Cathedral there is a chapel, which anyone can visit, and a school where masters teach everyone interested in icon painting. You can also admire or purchase one of the works there.

In the summer

It is worth noting that the entire territory of the cathedral in summer is practically buried in greenery - neatly decorated flower beds and tall trees protect from the bustle of the city and noise, which are literally below, at a distance of a couple of hundred steps.

In winter

As for the winter months, on the territory of St. Michael's Cathedral you can often see ice sculptures, caves, castles or low slides that are created especially for parishioners with small children.

Interior decoration of the cathedral

After admiring the external beauty of the building and the well-groomed area, I went inside the cathedral. It should immediately be noted that, as elsewhere, in St. Michael's Cathedral, all women must have a headscarf on their heads. But if suddenly one of the parishioners has forgotten that you need to come with your head covered, the employees at the entrance give out the scarves free of charge, but on the condition that you will definitely return it when you leave.

When I went into the very depths of the church, a rich decoration opened before me - painted walls, a carved iconostasis up to the ceiling, a huge chandelier illuminating the vaults, where the holy martyrs are depicted.

Going further and studying everything that catches your eye, it begins to seem that you are not in a church, but in a religious museum. This feeling accompanied me throughout my stay in the building and left only after I left it.

But here it is worth saying that a larger number of parishioners are attracted not only by external beauty, but also by many shrines. In the cathedral, you can bow before the miraculous icon, created in the 16th century. It is the oldest in the cathedral and has particles of the relics of such holy apostles as Bartholomew, Luke, James, Matthew and Mark.

Ground floor

Having walked around the entire territory, having enjoyed the interior decoration of the church, I was about to leave, but it turned out that the basement of the building was open to ordinary visitors. There is a room where the sacrament of baptism takes place, an icon shop and an exhibition gallery.

Epiphany

As for baptism, the St. Michael's Cathedral, located in Izhevsk, took this position: baptism takes place strictly behind closed doors, which means that you will not be able to get into this room, unless you are, of course, a parent. However, you can see how she looks in the photographs that are on the wall near the entrance.

There you can see a more modest iconostasis, a small font and a table, where a church worker will give the happy parents confirmation that their child was baptized in St. Michael's Cathedral.

Church shop and exhibition gallery

If we talk about a church shop, then it is a fairly typical showcase where you can buy a variety of spiritual literature, icons, consecrated jewelry (rings, crosses, chains), as well as candles. In addition, you can leave a note in the shop with the names of your loved ones and relatives. The next day, these notes are sent to the priests, who conduct rituals of prayer for health.

A little further away, you can observe a small exhibition gallery, where you can enjoy the works of students who created the icons, and buy the one you like. It is noteworthy that most of them are middle school students. However, without knowing this information, we can safely say that the icon was created by professionals, since it turned out to be impossible for me to distinguish between an icon created at a cathedral by students and an icon created by narrow specialists.

Working hours

St. Michael's Cathedral is open daily from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. The morning service runs from 7:00 and ends at 10:00, as for the evening service: if you want to get to it, you need to be at St. Michael's Cathedral already at 16:30 in the evening.

Since I have been to St. Michael's Cathedral more than once, I can say that a lot of people always come to the morning and evening services. Regardless of whether it is a weekday or a weekend, sometimes there is simply no overcrowding in the church. That is why I would advise those who go to the cathedral for the first time to simply enjoy the beauty and grandeur and visit the cathedral at lunchtime, approximately from 13:00 to 15:00. It is at these two hours that it becomes freer there, you can come up and examine the icons, calmly admire the painted vaults.

On a note

Coordinates: N44 17.4 E40 19.104.

The history of the creation of the St. Michael's Monastery

By 1864, many Cossack villages appeared in the mountainous belt of Trans-Kuban region. The inhabitants of most of them were poor and could not afford the construction and maintenance of the temple. The situation in the new stanitsas caused concern of the leadership of the Stavropol diocese, since among the Cossack stanitsa there were many representatives of Old Believers and even sectarians, there were no conditions in Trans-Kuban region necessary to accommodate monks and clergy. All this created the preconditions for the appearance of the St. Michael Athos Monastery in Adygea.

In this situation, residents of the villages of Barakaevskaya, Tsarskaya, Abadzekhskaya, Psemenskaya, the villages of Bagovsky and Sevastopolsky decided to raise funds for the construction of a church and a parish priest's house, provide the clergy with means of maintenance, annually pay the parish priest an allowance in the amount of 100 rubles, as well as hire every year for priest messenger.

In 1874, Bishop Herman made the first attempt to found the Orthodox St. Michael's Monastery in Trans-Kuban.

In the winter of 1874, the state peasant Isidor Trubin and the philistine from Kharkov Ilya Bezverkhov submitted a petition to found a monastic hermitage near the village of Sakhrayskaya (Tsarskaya). Both from an early age were attracted to a moral, spiritual life, served at churches and, at the call of their hearts, arrived in the Yekaterina-Lyabezhskaya Hermitage, where their desire for monastic life could be satisfied. However, an unknown feeling attracted them to the mountains of the Caucasus, to those places where the village of Tsarskaya was evicted. The places they saw amazed the monks with their beauty and grandeur. After staying here for some time, both of them considered it necessary to build a monastery in this place, however, realizing that their opinion alone would not be enough, they turned to the Cossacks from the village for help and received support. Residents of the nearest villages: Dakhovskaya, Sevastopolskaya, Tsarskaya and Kamennomostskaya donated 270 acres of communal land to the future church, and the Cossacks of the Tsarskaya village, in addition to this, donated the prayer house of the former Sakhraiskaya village to the future St. Michael's Athos Monastery. The land that the Cossacks donated to the monastery was fertile, there were plenty of berries and forest fruits here, everything that spoke of the prosperity of the economic life of the future monastery.

After carefully considering everything, Ilya Bezverkhov and Isidor Trubin decided that the construction and provision of the monastery could be carried out without the help of the state, because building materials for the construction of the monastery buildings were in abundance, and the local residents were ready to take part in construction work.

Isidor Trubin and Ilya Bezverkhov believed that the opening of St. Michael's Athos Monastery could have a beneficial effect on both the indigenous inhabitants and the Cossack settlers; on the basis of the male monastery, a school could be opened for the children of stanitsa residents.

Having prepared the ground for the construction of the St. Michael's Athos Monastery in Adygea, Ilya Bezverkhov and Isidor Trubin turned to Bishop German for a blessing to begin construction work. By order of Bishop German Bezverkhov and Trubin were temporarily transferred to the Yekaterino-Lebyazhskaya Hermitage, where they were to study the monastic institutes, and at this time German himself began to collect information about the location of the future monastery and the donations collected for its construction. In the course of the inquiries made by Bishop German by 1876, it became clear that the transfer of land by the villagers for the construction of the St. Michael's Athos Monastery had no legal force, since the communal land could not leave the possession of the villagers, and even more so pass into the ownership of other persons.

Since the construction of the St. Michael's Athos Monastery was not allowed, Herman donated donations and values \u200b\u200bcollected for the construction of the monastery to the marching church of the Trukhmyansk bailiff.

Thus, the first attempt to found a monastery near the village of Tsarskaya did not materialize, but the idea of \u200b\u200bopening a monastery here continued to live.

In 1877, the Cossacks-stanitsa petitioned the governor of the Caucasus to allow 350 dessiatines to be allocated from the stanitsa lands for the construction of an Orthodox monastery on Mount Fiziabgo.

In May of the same 1877, permission for the construction of the St. Michael's Athos Monastery in Adygea was received. And in September 1877, the construction of the St. Michael's Athos Monastery began. By April 1879, the construction of the first temple in honor of the guardian angel of the brother of Emperor Alexander II, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, Archangel Michael was completed, at first this temple was used both for services and for housing monks. The construction of the second church in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky was completed in 1881. And four years later, the largest temple of St. Michael's Athos male hermitage was erected - the Assumption Cathedral, which could accommodate up to 1000 parishioners within its walls.

At the suggestion of Martyrius, the pilgrims who visited the St. Michael's Athos Monastery, took part in its further improvement. Each pilgrim arriving at the St. Michael's Athos Monastery brought a stone with him for construction.

The monks who lived in the monastery lived in labor and prayer. The monk's day began at 2 am, when the divine service began, which lasted until dawn. After that there was a meal and work. At 12 o'clock the ringing of the church bell called everyone to mass. From the end of the lunch service to the beginning of the evening service, the monks had a time of rest. Those who violated the order were punished with additional work. Constantly on the territory of the St. Michael's Athos Monastery, attendants were appointed who, with bell ringing, gathered the monks to work. Parishioners and pilgrims also had to follow the established order.

Martyrius paid great attention to the development of eldership. The elders of the St. Michael's Athos Monastery built cells on Mount Shakhan, where they prayed and worked a lot. The monks of the St. Michael's monastery, together with the elders, erected the Temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Fiziabgo, and two elders, considering themselves sinners, dug underground passages into the mountain.

With the participation of Martyrius, a parish school for village residents was opened at the St. Michael Athos Monastery, the monk Vakulin became the trustee.

The influence of the monastery on the nearest Adyghe villages was great, the monks spread the ideas of Orthodoxy, and constantly fought the consequences of the schism, which was especially pronounced in this area. The schismatics lived in the nearby villages and exerted a noticeable influence on the local residents. To fight the schismatics, the monks stepped up their preaching activities.

Thanks to Martyrius, a strong economy was created in the monastery: the monks cultivated industrial crops, were engaged in animal husbandry, cows, horses, oxen, even camels were grazed on the monastery pastures. Many outbuildings appeared on the lands of the monastery: a farm, a cattle yard, a shoe and sewing workshop, a bakery, a smithy, a laundry and a dye-room. An alabaster factory, a meteorological station and a hospital were built in the monastery.

After the end of the civil war, the monastery lands were confiscated, and with them the production facilities, agricultural implements and equipment. In 1926, a rest house was opened on the lands of the former St. Michael's monastery, and a year later the commune "Vladilen" was placed within the walls of the monastery. Despite the changes that took place in the monastery, monastic life in the monastery continued until 1928, when the monastery was officially closed and the monks were disbanded.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Rest House was closed and a house for disabled war veterans was created on its base. In 1944, after the liberation of Adygea, the authorities established a children's labor colony on the territory of the St. Michael's Monastery.

In 1946, the colonists blew up the Assumption Cathedral, from the stone of which a new school was erected. After the destruction of the cathedral, other buildings of the monastery were also dismantled in order to obtain material for the construction of dormitories for the colonists. Also in 1946, on Mount Fiziabgo, the colonists blew up the Temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

In the 1960s, the children's colony was reformed, and the buildings of the destroyed monastery were transferred to the Kamennomostsky fruit farm. In 1972, the territory of the St. Michael's Monastery and the remains of the destroyed buildings were transferred to the regional committee of the city of Krasnodar for tourism, and where there was once an old monastic monastery, a tourist base "Romance" was opened.

In 1992, Orthodox activists in Adygea began to fight for the transfer of the St. Michael's monastery to the Orthodox Church. The struggle lasted for twelve years, and only in 2001 a part of the monastery buildings and lands was returned to the church. From this time on, the revival of monastic life began within the walls of the St. Michael's monastery. But most of the monastery was still occupied by a camp site. Only in March 2003 was the final transfer of the monastery to the Orthodox Church.

After the return of the monastery and its lands to the Orthodox Church, hieromonk Martyrius became its first abbot, who held this post until 2004. With his participation, the divine service was established, the Trinity Church and the cell building were repaired, the St. Michael's Monastery (Adygea) had its own apiary and its own equipment. After Martyrius, Hieromonk Pimen became the new abbot. Under him, the arrangement and development of the monastery continued, the number of members of the monastery increased to 20 people.

At present, the abbot of the monastery is Hieromonk Gerasim, who was appointed in 2006. Since then, the temple of the Archangel Michael has been erected on the site of the old temple, which was illuminated in August 2008. The fame of the monastery is growing every year, the number of pilgrims and sufferers is increasing every year.

Places of interest included in the St. Michael's Athos Monastery and its surroundings

As a rule, tourists and pilgrims begin their acquaintance with the St. Michael Athos Monastery with the Holy Trinity Church, the largest temple on the territory of the monastery.

The Assumption Church is located in the center.

Another temple is the temple of the Archangel Michael.

Among other attractions on the territory of the St. Michael's Monastery (Adygea), one can note the mass grave of the disabled who were killed by the German fascists and not yet fully restored buildings: the Church of St. Alexander, the hospice, the refectory. Work is also underway to restore the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God. There is a sports field.

Separately, it is worth highlighting the crypt of Archimandrite Martyrius.

Many tourists celebrate the unusually delicious monastery tea, pies and pancakes with many fillings.

Outside the territory of the monastery, in the immediate vicinity, there is a stable, where tourist trips on horses are organized.

Also, having arrived at the St. Michael's Athos Monastery (Adygea), you should head towards Mount Fiziabgo, visit the caves on the way, and also climb to the top of the mountain and drink water from the holy source. An excellent view of the surroundings opens from the top of the mountain, however, those who are unable to climb to the top of Fiziabgo can be content with the panorama from the observation tower of the camp site, attached to the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. And if you have enough time, take a walk to the Fars River and its canyon.

Photo: Pavel Panko, Distance X, A.V. Makarova, albertino-mourico, Tatiana Ledovskaya, Ekaterina Sviridova

In the very center of the Caucasus, surrounded by the sea and mountains, lies the ancient land - Adygea. A long time ago, there was a fortress on the top of Fiziabgo. The remaining masonry is dated by historians "antique" time. In the 19th century, the monks built a temple here. And nearby is the St. Michael's Athos Monastery.

Where is the St. Michael's Monastery on the map?

The map shows it to us in the central part of the Maykop district of Adygea, not far from, near the Pobeda farm. Several streams flow nearby, the most famous are Shushuk and Kamelyuk. At a slight distance from the Trans-Kuban desert, as it is also called, the Powder Cave, the Monastic Hill and the Holy Spring of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon are discovered.

St. Michael's Athos Zakubanskaya Hermitage and its history

By the Providence of God in Greece, on Saint Athos, there was a meeting of two monks. Monk Vitaly came there as a pilgrim from Russia, and Hieromonk Martyrius asceticised there at that time. Their views converged on the desire to establish the monastery, and already in 1877, with the blessing of the Athonite elders, they set off towards the Caucasus. Local Cossacks, who lived in the village, previously tried to equip a monastery in the mountain spurs, but nothing worked. After the arrival of the monks, having received the blessing of the ruling bishop, they began to work together to allocate land for the construction.

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich Romanov was the monastery's guardian. Archangel Michael is the patron saint of the prince, therefore the first temple was erected in his honor in September 1877. Several more monks come here from Athos, therefore the monastery was named "Athos", since the first monks were from there. Future parishioners donated money for the work, hierom. Martyrius invested his "mite" in the amount of 55 thousand rubles. In 1883, the latter was elevated here to the rank of archimandrite (abbot).

In this church, services and various services were originally held. Here, for lack of cells, the brethren lived. Then a monastic building was built - there were already about 200 ministers, annexes for economic purposes and a hotel for pilgrims. In 1885, a church was erected in honor of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which could accommodate up to 2000 parishioners.

Temples and flourishing

In total, 5 temples were built:

in honor of the Archangel Michael;
in the name of St. St. Alexandra;
Uspensky;
in the name of the Holy Trinity (preserved to this day);
dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord (Preobrazhensky), on Fiziabgo.

Mount Fiziabgo had steep slopes - it was impossible to lift stones for the foundation of the church, so those who wanted to help brought them, boards and logs by hand. With such efforts, the Transfiguration Church was erected, which could accommodate about 500 worshipers. Here there were workshops of different directions - icon painting, shoemaking and tailoring, turning, locksmithing. She worked on the territory and a smithy. A small brick factory was built for their needs. A parish school was opened for residents of the village.

The life of the monastery flourished. They got their own apiary, cheese-making shop, and organized a small monastery pond for fish farming. The monks had no need for anything. They provided food not only for themselves, but also for visiting pilgrims and wanderers. Cabbage soup was cooked for them in the refectory, and bread was baked at the bakery. During Lent, the site was visited by about 5,000 people. The parishioners were proud of the monastery. Everything happened under the strict guidance of Archimandrite. Martyria, which is worth mentioning in more detail.

Archimandrite Martyrius

Archim. Martyrius was from Kherson. His father is a former Cossack and wealthy tradesman - Vasily Ostrovykh. First, Martin (his name in the world) was sent to study at a parish school. Over time, to continue the "business" of his father, he mastered the trade craft. The boy's religious education began with his illness. Being in bed for two years, he read spiritual literature and prayed to the Queen of Heaven, asked for healing and promised to devote his life to monasticism after his recovery.

Time passed, the boy recovered and forgot about his vow. As an adult guy, he was going to get married and before this event he went to pray at the Kiev shrines. In confession, he remembered the vow made many years ago and promised to fulfill it. Upon arrival home, the relatives tried in every possible way to dissuade the guy - only the second illness pushed him to this step. First, Martin bore obedience in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, then left for Athos, where he took monastic vows and tonsured with the name Martyrius. From Athos he came to Chernigov, where he became a hieromonk. Then, with several monks, he again left for Greece and from there went to the Caucasus. Here, in the construction of the monastery, the rest of his life passed.

The archimandrite's life ended tragically. In the winter of 1917, on his return home, the cart he was riding was surrounded by wolves. Horses in fright turned off the road, and she crashed against a tree. On the territory of the monastery there is a grave in which the remains of its founder, Archimandrite, are buried. Martyria, anyone who wishes can pray and bow to her.

Difficult years and the revival of the male monastery in Adygea

In the Soviet theomachic period, they tried to wipe the St. Michael's Monastery in Adygea from the face of the earth. Everything was confiscated: land, premises, valuables. A rest house was also organized here. 1928 was a tragic year for him - it was simply closed.

During the Great Patriotic War, the monastery became a place for the placement of a children's educational colony. Every year there was destruction, and in 1946 the Assumption Church was blown up. In 1952, a stone was required for the buildings and the consequence of this was the explosion of the Transfiguration Church on the mountain. Now the monastery keeps only photos depicting the view of the complex of that time.

For many years, the territory was re-equipped, at first a state farm was located here, then a tourist committee, a horse camp. Vacationers came here, but no one suspected that once there was once a monastery - for 70 years its history has been erased from memory.

Renaissance and modernity

In 1992, the first attempts to return the monastery began. Locals collected signatures with an appeal to the President of Adygea for the return of the Christian shrine. Near the slab, on the site of the blown up temple of the Archangel Michael, the Cossacks with their families prayed and read akathists. In 2001, some of the monastery buildings were returned, but some buildings were still occupied by vacationers and tourists. In the spring of 2003, it was possible to completely return the Svyato-Mikhailo-Athos Zakubanskaya desert. Since then, divine services have been held here, religious services have been held, and restoration work has been carried out.

In Adygea, the St. Michael's Monastery is the main one today, it is visited by pilgrims and tourists. There are many shrines here:

several reliquary reliquaries with parts of relics (more than 50 saints);
particle of St. Feodosia (Caucasian);
two icons (lists) brought from Athos - the Blessing of the Mother of God and the Cathedral of the Archangels;
the miraculous face of Tsar Nicholas II "Nadym".

The features of the desert are that Athos (Byzantine) traditions are present here. The appearance of the brethren is a cowl with a cape and a cassock of a Greek cut. Also, part of the services are served according to the charter of the Athonite monasteries. Today it has its own chronicler and guide - the monk Procopius, who conducts excursions for visitors and tells the history of the Orthodox sight.

Desert landmarks

A few words must be said about the local shrine - the source of St. Panteleimon on Fiziabgo, which is famous for many healings from various ailments. Here you can drink some water and take home into a container. For those wishing to plunge into the healing water, there is a hot tub. Many have left testimonials about the healings and relief of diseases after washing. On January 19, on the feast of Epiphany, the rite of the great consecration of water is held here.

On the slopes there are caves that remain from an ancient Byzantine monastery. There used to be many long passages - about 3 km long, connecting temples built on different heights. Tradition says that now under the ground there is a repository of ancient bones (the remains of monks who lived in underground grottoes). Now you can see some cells of the monks who once lived here, the remains of a chapel. Due to the fact that in Soviet times these undergrounds were blown up, most of them are under the rubble, and you can enter the caves through one entrance on the mountain.

How to get there (get there)?

You can get to Pobeda by a regular bus from Krasnodar, which necessarily passes through Khadzhokh (Kamennomostsky). It departs twice a day.

It is not difficult to get to the Zakubanskaya desert from Maikop by car in this way:

Contact details

Address: Rodnikovaya street, 5, Pobeda village, Maykop district, Adygea, Russia.
GPS coordinates: 44.290754, 40.318029.
Phone: 8-928-466-03-58.
Official website: http://www.mihailov-monastir.narod.ru/

Each visitor to the St. Michael's Monastery feels like a part of the spiritual world. Having visited his temples, caves and at the source, the soul is filled with grace. The beauty of the opening landscapes will take your breath away, but nature, clean air and silence will help you escape from the daily bustle and worries. In conclusion, we offer a video tour of the place described above, enjoy your viewing!