The city of Murom is deservedly considered the heart of Russian Orthodoxy. Thousands of tourists come here annually, not only from our country, but also foreign guests to enjoy the atmosphere of cleanliness and peace.
Today we will take a virtual trip to the Annunciation Monastery, which is located next to the Trinity Monastery. Compared with the latter, the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Murom is more austere and austere. Its territory is small, but it is well-groomed, decorated with flowers. There is an amazing atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
Annunciation monastery in Murom: history
The monastery was founded by decree of Ivan the Terrible. This happened in the middle of the 16th century. Before this place was the Annunciation Church, where the relics of the holy princes of Murom - Konstantin and his sons Fedor and Michael were stored. Prince Konstantin received Murom as an inheritance and his name is inextricably linked with the history of the baptism of citizens.
In the "Tale of the Establishment of Christianity in Murom", which dates from the 16th century, it is said that pagans, who refused to accept Christianity, brutally killed the son of the princely son - Michael, and approached his chambers close. Prince Konstantin came out to meet them, who was holding in his hands not an weapon, as enemies expected, but an icon of the Mother of God, which later became known as Murom.
The image in the hands of the prince shone, and the pagans astonished by this miracle unconditionally accepted Christianity. Those who survived the necessary post were baptized by Murom Bishop Vasily in the Oka. Prince Konstantin and his sons in 1547 at the church council were canonized, but even before that they were considered saints in Murom.
Based on this, it becomes completely clear why Ivan the Terrible, who, before the legendary campaign in Kazan, prayed this saint in Murom, immediately after winning the campaign ordered to establish a monastery on the site where they were buried.
From the first days of its existence, the monastery was not deprived of royal favors: with a letter of 1558, she received a cash salary, as well as a bread rug from the customs revenues of Murom, a large collection of unique church utensils was sent to the monastery from Moscow, and solid financial assistance was allocated from the treasury, donated to several villages.
Blagoveshchensky cathedral
The cathedral was built on the site of an old disassembled temple. During the analysis of the wooden structure, the Annunciation monastery in Murom gained the relics of the holy princes. In its original form, this temple has not been preserved to our days, since it was rebuilt several times and today, unfortunately, in its appearance almost nothing resembles a building erected by Moscow masters, which was sent by Ivan the Terrible.
The Annunciation Cathedral rises on a high basement, and is a rectangle stretched from south to north. Such a layout is quite typical for 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 vertically divided by wide pilasters into three equal parts. The bases of the drums is a high cornice with cloves. Kokoshniks lean on pilasters.
The walls of the Annunciation Cathedral are a complex sculptural structure, which consists of differently processed window platbands: a toothed crown or keeled kokoshnik. Columns of platbands are presented in different 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 17th century. However, the Murom churches by the nature of the patterns make up a separate, special group in the history of Russian architecture.
Architecturally, the south 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 basement, which is essentially a powerful base, the entrance to which is framed by pilasters. The pediment of complex design rests on them. In the lateral parts there are arched windows recessed in niches.
During the invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian troops, Pan Lisowski (1616), the monastery was badly damaged. The cathedral was ruthlessly ravaged and plundered. After the war and the turmoil ended, the monastery was not immediately restored, and again it was not without the mercies of the king. At the same time, the main funds for the restoration of the cathedral and the cloister were allocated by the Murom merchant T. B. Tsvetnov, who at the very end of his life in the monastery took tonsure, receiving 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 XVI-XVII centuries.
Recovery
In 1664, the main cathedral of the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Murom was actually built anew: only the basement survived from the previous building. Today it is a lavishly decorated building in the style of Russian patterned, with five chapters, rows of kokoshniks located on top of the fours, a beautiful tented porch and a bell tower.
A watch was installed on it at the expense of Tarasiy Tsvetnov. Initially, the heads of the temple had a helmet-like shape, but later they were made bulbous. The walls are decorated with magnificent carvings - carved with cornices, half-columns, platbands.
Iconostasis
In the Annunciation Monastery of Murom, more precisely, in the eponymous cathedral, an amazing six-tier iconostasis made in the Baroque style has been preserved. It was installed in the cathedral in 1797 and probably survived only due to the fact that the church did not close in Soviet times. It preserved unique icons of the XVI-XVIII centuries.
The interior of the cathedral is also in full conformity with the iconostasis: the magnificent portal that decorated the entrance from the porch amazes with a variety of decorations. After the Lithuanian ruin of the Annunciation monastery in Murom, only this cathedral remained stone. In 1652, the record of the stone church of St. John the Evangelist, which has not been preserved to this day, has been preserved in the annals. Other buildings still remained wooden.
Stefanievskaya church
The Holy Annunciation Monastery in Murom was replenished with another stone structure in 1716. They became the Stefaniev Gate Church. The exact date of its construction is questioned by some experts, since the stone church, presumably Stefanievskaya, is already mentioned in the inventory dating back to 1678.
It is distinguished by a rather modest and at the same time elegant architecture: the quadruple is crowned with one row of kokoshniks, and the drum, located under a single head, is decorated with fine beautiful carvings. Everything in this temple resembles the architectural traditions of the Murom churches dating back to the 17th century. Despite some changes made in the 19th century, the temple actually did not lose its original appearance.
In 1811, the Annunciation Monastery in Murom was surrounded by a stone fence with towers. Around 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 Iverskaya and Vladimir Mother of God. They were kept in the cathedral, and then they were transported to Vladimir. Stone churches in the Annunciation Monastery of Murom were not built. Only in 1828 a cell building was built, and in 1900 a house for the abbot was built.
The monastery in Soviet times
In Soviet times, the monastery, like most religious buildings, was closed, the brethren moved to live in urban houses, but, strangely enough, the Annunciation Cathedral remained operational: services were still held there.
In 1923, cancer was discovered with the relics of the princes of Murom. After that, they were transferred to the museum as exhibits. The cathedral was still closed in 1940, but not for long - until 1942.
Return of the Russian Orthodox Church
In 1989, the holy relics were returned to the temple, and in 1991 the Annunciation Monastery in Murom again began to live a measured life. His address is st. Krasnoarmeyskaya, 16. Today, many tourists and pilgrims visit it to bow to the shrines stored here.
These include:
- Cancer with the relics of princes Konstantin, Fedor and Mikhail of Murom.
- Icon of the holy princes of Murom.
- Icon of Elijah Muromets.
- Icon of Saints Peter and Fevronia.
- Iverian Icon of the Virgin.
- Icon of the Sign of the Mother of God.
- Icon of St. 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 on the right side of the temple, by the window, next to the right altar. This image is a copy of the Athos Icon of the Mother of God, world-famous among Christians around the world, as well as a list of the Iveron Icon, which was donated to the monastery in 1812. Pilgrims claim that this is an icon of extraordinary power and beauty.
Numerous gold and silver jewelry are stored under the glass, with which people thanked the Mother of God for the speedy and miraculous fulfillment of the requests heard in prayers. Next to this icon is another shrine - the image of Ilya Muromets and a particle of his relics. This icon was donated to the Annunciation Monastery in Murom by the monks of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. In its caves is the Russian hero.
The grave of the monastery
On the territory of the Annunciation Monastery in Murom, ancient graves have been preserved to this day: the grave of one of the first abbots of the monastery, archimandrite Alexy, in the world Andrei Polisadov, great-great-grandfather of the famous poet Andrei Voznesensky, who dedicated his memory to the poem Andrei Polisadov.
On the territory of the Holy Annunciation Monastery there is another shrine, which is always visited by pilgrims - the grave of the old Apollonius. Today, a chapel has been built on the site of his burial, in which pilgrims pray for the repose of the old man’s soul. They are sure that Apollonius hears them well, and therefore so quickly fulfills requests addressed to him.
Annunciation monastery in Murom: schedule of services
Daily
- The beginning of the Midnight Office is at 5.30.
- Morning prayers - 6.00.
- Compline - 20.00.
- Prayers for the coming dream - 20.40.
Tuesday
- Prayer service with akathist to the Monk Lazarus of Murom the Wonderworker - 12.40.
Friday
- A prayer service in front of the icon “The Tsaritsa” (about the afflicted and sick) - 12.30.
Saturday
- Memorial service (commemoration of the dead) - 10.00.
- Evening service - 16.00.
Sunday
- Divine Liturgy - 9.30.
- Sanctuary Prayer - 12.30.
The schedule of public services on holidays in the Annunciation monastery of Murom should be clarified. Phones of the information service are on the official website. We hope that if you manage to visit this Murom monastery, you will get a real pleasure from the tour.