Assumption Princess Monastery. Princess Assumption Monastery: description, history and interesting facts. St. Princess Maria Shvarovna

The Holy Dormition Princess Monastery in Vladimir has always been called a “women’s” tomb in Rus'. It was founded in 1200 by the wife of Prince Vsevolod, Maria. The great woman, who gave birth to 12 children, personified an example of holiness and virtue. And the monastery founded by her was very rich and famous.

Immediately after its foundation, a tradition began to bury princesses and women of noble families in the monastery. The last refuge was found in the Princess Monastery by the founder of the monastery herself, her sister, the daughter of Alexander Nevsky Evdokia and the wives of Prince Vassa and Alexander. Already in the 18th century, the sister of the great Russian admiral Mikhail Lazarev was buried in the monastery.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Tatar prince Talych destroyed the monastery. Like a plague, like a black whirlwind, swept through the Princess Monastery, and it was empty Holy place for more than a hundred years. In the 16th century, the monastery began to be revived. Grand dukes and kings invested their own money to reopen the monastery. Ivan the Terrible kept this charitable deed under his strict control.

His wife Pelagia also lived in the Princess Monastery for some time. The Vladimir governor was responsible for the so-called “tsarina’s” mansions, which were located within the walls of the monastery. Everything there had to correspond to the high status of the inhabitants. By the way, they loved the Princess's monastery and Boris Godunov's daughter Ksenia.

In the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the monastery was famous for its charity. The nuns created a hospital for the poor, a handicraft school for girls from low-income families, beggars and cripples found shelter here. In 1900, the monastery celebrated its 700th anniversary, and in 1923 it was practically wiped off the face of the earth.

The princess's monastery came under severe repression, the nuns were expelled, absolutely everything was plundered, even the monastery cemetery was destroyed. Workers of the Communist Party settled in the cells, and the place where the monastery stands was renamed the Vorovsky village. The Princess Monastery was revived in 1992 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Vladimir diocese.

The Assumption Cathedral deserves special attention. Although it was founded in the 12th century, a later copy of the temple, erected on an ancient foundation, has survived to this day. Miraculously, the amazingly beautiful paintings on the walls, which were made in the 17th century by famous Russian masters led by Mark Matveev, have survived to this day.

Today people come to the Holy Dormition Princess Monastery not only to admire the frescoes, but also to venerate two of the greatest shrines - the relics of Abraham of Bulgaria and the icon of the God-loving Mother of God. This icon was painted on the personal instructions of Prince Andrei.

Dormition Princess Monastery in the photo

Address: 600000, Vladimir, st. Princess Monastery, 37A

Assumption Cathedral of the Assumption Princess Monastery in Vladimir.

Shrines of the monastery:

Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God.

On the northern porch of the Assumption Cathedral, where the Annunciation chapel is now located, the founder of the monastery, Grand Duchess Maria Shvarnovna, in the schema of Martha, was buried. On Sundays, a prayer is read at her tomb, the troparion, kontakion and magnification are sung. Many revere the holy princess, pray to her and receive help from her.

Grand Duchess Maria was glorified at the Cathedral of Vladimir Saints - June 23 / July 6. The monastery still celebrates the day of her death on March 19/April 1. The lithium is served, the troparion and kontakion are sung.

Icon of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon.

With the blessing of Archbishop Eulogius and the petition of Abbess Anthony, in 1999 an icon of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon was painted on Holy Mount Athos, in the monastery of Righteous Anna. Through the diligence of the rector of the Athos metochion in Moscow, abbot Nikon (Smirnov), the icon was delivered to Vladimir. Here, at the walls of the Princess's monastery, she was greeted with a religious procession.

Icon of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon in his life. The end of the 20th century. Located in the Assumption Cathedral of the monastery.

In the autumn of the same year, with the blessing of Bishop Eulogius, the icon of the Great Martyr Panteleimon was carried in a religious procession throughout the diocese. And immediately miracles began to flow from her - healings, the flow of myrrh, the consolation of the grieving and the relief of everyday hardships. Upon returning to the monastery, the icon was decorated with hagiographic stamps, a silver reliquary with a particle of the relics of St. Panteleimon was inserted into it, and a carved wooden icon case was arranged.

In 2005, with the blessing of Bishop Eulogius, the icon was again carried in a religious procession throughout the diocese. And healing, consolation and gracious help flowed from her again. The icon began to stream myrrh again, and the stream of myrrh continues to this day.

Final word.

On the tenth of April 1993, on Lazarus Saturday, His Eminence Archbishop Eulogius consecrated the Assumption Cathedral of the Princess Monastery. 14 years have passed since then, over the years the appearance and internal life of the monastery have changed a lot. Four nursing buildings, an orphanage and a regency school were rebuilt, and the monastery church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was restored. In 2008 we will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the resumption of monastic life at the monastery. Now 29 nuns live and work in the monastery: 11 nuns, 11 nuns, 4 novices and 3 laborers who are passing the test to enter the monastery. The oldest who reposed in the Lord in 2007, nun Christina, was 97 years old, the youngest sister was 22 years old. The monastic life of the monastery proceeds according to the charter approved by the ruling Archbishop Eulogius. Labor obediences are closely connected with prayer.

Behind last years we celebrated three important dates associated with the glorious history of the monastery. In 2000 - the 800th anniversary of the opening of the monastery, in 2003 - the 10th anniversary of the newly opened monastery, in 2006 - the 800th anniversary of the death of its founder - Grand Duchess Maria Shvarnovna.

In 2007, the Vladimir diocese hosted celebrations associated with the 850th anniversary of the painting of the Bogolyubsk Icon of the Mother of God. This day is especially dear to the sisters, since the opening of the monastery began on the day greatest shrine The Bogolyubsk Icon of the Mother of God of the Russian land was transferred to these walls.

We are grateful to everyone who helped us during the difficult years of the formation of the monastery, and we will be glad to welcome everyone who wants to visit our holy monastery.

Using materials from the book “Holy Dormition Princess convent in Vladimir."

The Assumption Princess Monastery was founded in 1200 on the territory of the so-called New City, with the features of ancient ramparts facing the Lybid River by Prince Vladimir Vsevolod. The appearance of the monastery is associated with the name of Vsevolod’s wife, Maria, who was the daughter of the Ossetian prince Shvarnovna. Maria Shvarnovna was a faithful assistant to her husband and a selfless mother who raised twelve children.

In 1198, after the birth of her last son, the Grand Duchess fell ill and endured suffering without complaint for 7 years. During her illness, she vowed to found a monastery, and in 1200, Vsevolod, at her insistence, founded the Dormition Princess Monastery. In 1206, the Grand Duchess became a nun under the name Martha. After being tonsured, Maria died and was buried in the monastery.

In the name of Princess Maria the monastery was named Knyaginin. Then the main temple of the monastery became the family tomb. The princess's sister Anna, Elena, Maria's daughter, two wives of Alexander Nevsky, as well as his daughter and other noble women are buried here. In more late period Admiral M.P.’s sister was buried here. Lazarev, discoverer of Antarctica, - Lazarev V.P.

The founder of the monastery was an image of Russian holiness. Her descendants also became glorified saints. Among them are her sons Yaroslav, George, Konstantin, Svyatoslav Vsevolodich, grandchildren Theodore and Alexander Nevsky, Vasilko, sons of George, Daniil of Moscow, etc. Princess Maria herself is also glorified in the cathedral of saints who shone in the land of Vladimir.

The monastery suffered more than once from Tatar-Mongol and Horde raids. In 1411, during the invasion of Vladimir by the Tatars under the control of Tsarevich Talych, the monastery was destroyed. The revival of the monastery began only in the 16th century. Among those who participated in the restoration of the monastery are Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich, Ivan the Terrible, Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich. For some time, the wife of Ivan the Terrible’s son, Pelagia Mikhailovna, stayed in the monastery. Since 1606, Boris Godunov’s daughter, Ksenia, lived here, who later accepted monasticism.

In the 17th century In the monastery there were special Tsarina’s mansions, their maintenance was supervised by the Vladimir governor. From the beginning of the 18th century. During the times of Peter the Great and the reign of Catherine II, the Knyaginin monastery experienced some decline. The revival of the monastery began only in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1876, a hospital for the poor was created in the monastery. And in 1889 a handicraft shop was opened here parochial school for girls.

In 1923, the monastery was forcibly closed by the repressive bodies of the Soviet government. The liquidation of the monastery took place over 8 months and was accompanied by the looting of the monastery property. The nuns were expelled from their cells. The premises were occupied by senior officials of the Communist Party and the leadership of the Soviet government. Due to the closure of the monastery and the creation of a village for the Soviet bureaucratic elite, the monastery cemetery was also liquidated. In 1923, the monastery as a territorial unit was renamed the village named after. Vorovsky.

In 1992, the Princess Monastery began to be revived as a women's monastic monastery of the Vladimir diocese. The abbess of the monastery was nun Antonia (Shakhovtseva).

On the territory of the Knyagininsky Monastery there are two stone churches: the Kazan and the Assumption Cathedral. The Assumption Cathedral is a magnificent example of early Moscow architecture. In Vladimir, this is the only building in this style. The outer walls of the temple end with zakomaras. Above them, in two rows, are keel-shaped kokoshniks, which form the basis for a drum with a helmet-shaped head. The smooth shapes of the building's silhouette attract attention with flat blades dividing the façade into sections and narrow slit-like windows. The inside walls of the Assumption Cathedral are painted with frescoes (1648), which were executed by Moscow isographers commissioned by Patriarch Joseph. The masters were supervised by Mark Matveev.

The temple in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has two chapels: one in honor of John Chrysostom, the other in honor of the martyr Abraham. The Kazan Church is distinguished by its ancient royal gates with masterly carvings from the 16th century.

The Assumption Cathedral houses one of the few pre-Mongol icons that have survived to this day. The miraculous image of the Bogolyubskaya Mother of God was painted by order of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in honor of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God to him. In addition to the icon of the Mother of God, the shrine of the monastery are particles of the relics of the torment. Abraham of Bulgaria. Saint Abraham was from the Volga Bulgars, he professed Islam, and then converted to Orthodoxy and began active missionary work. Abraham's brothers in the Muslim faith tried to persuade him to renounce Christ, but he was adamant in his new faith and chose martyrdom. In 1230, the Vladimir prince Georgy Vsevolodovich transferred the relics of Abraham to the Assumption Cathedral, where numerous miracles of healing began to occur.

Since 1200, the Dormition Princess Monastery has been included in the list of monasteries in the Vladimir region. The monastery was founded in 1200 by the first wife of Grand Duke Vsevolod Georgievich (Yuryevich) - Grand Duchess Maria Shvarnovna. In 2000, the 800th anniversary of the founding of this, one of the most famous Russian monasteries, was celebrated. The organizer of the Princess Monastery (in monasticism - Schema-nun Martha) presented herself as an image of Russian holiness. Her descendants also became famous as saints - sons George, Yaroslav (in holy baptism - Theodore), Svyatoslav and Konstantin Vsevolodich, grandchildren Alexander Nevsky and Feodor (sons from Yaroslav), Vasilko (from Constantine), sons of George, great-grandson along the line of Alexander Nevsky - Daniil Moskovsky and others. Grand Duchess Maria herself was also glorified in the Cathedral of Saints who shone in the land of Vladimir. In ancient times, the Princess Monastery was one of the most famous and rich. The name of the monastery is connected both with the fact of its foundation by Grand Duchess Maria Shvarnovna, and with the tradition of burial within the walls of the main cathedral of the monastery, dedicated to the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God of the Grand Duchesses and their daughters. Here are the burial places of the founder herself, her sister Anna, the daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky Evdokia and his wives Vassa and Alexandra, the wife of Yaroslav Vsevolodich Elena. At a later time, the sister of the discoverer of Antarctica, Admiral M.P., rested here. Lazareva - V.P. Lazarev. As we can see, the history of the monastery is closely connected with the most important events of Russian history and the capital status of the city of Vladimir in ancient times.

In 1411, during the invasion of Vladimir by the Tatars under the leadership of Tserevich Talych, the monastery was destroyed. The revival of the monastery began only in the 16th century. Among the investors of the monastery, the Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich and the kings: Ivan the Terrible, Mikhail Feodorovich, Alexei Mikhailovich are mentioned. The wife of Tsarevich Ivan (son of Ivan the Terrible), Pelagia Mikhailovna, stayed in the Princess Monastery for some time. Since 1606, the daughter of Tsar Boris Godunov, Ksenia, also lived in the monastery, who later accepted monasticism with the name Olga. In the 17th century, the monastery had special Tsarina’s mansions, for the maintenance of which the Vladimir governor was responsible. Since the beginning of the 18th century, as a result of the reforms of Peter I and later Catherine II, the monastery has been experiencing a period of some decline. The monastery experienced a new stage of revival in the 19th - early 19th century. XX centuries. At this stage for the monastery characteristic feature acts of charity and mercy become. In 1876, a hospital for the poor was created there. In 1889, a parochial handicraft school for girls from poor families was opened here. In 1900, the monastery solemnly celebrated the 700th anniversary of its historical existence.

In 1923, the Princess Monastery was forcibly closed by the repressive bodies of the Soviet government: the liquidation of the monastery was carried out over eight months from March to November 1923 and was accompanied by the looting of the property of the monastery and its nuns. The nuns were expelled from their cells, which were given over to responsible officials of the Soviet government and the Communist Party for settlement. In connection with the closure of the monastery and the creation of a village for the new bureaucratic elite, the monastery cemetery was also liquidated. In 1923, the Princess Monastery as a territorial unit within the city’s borders was renamed the village named after Vorovsky.

In 1992, the Dormition Princess Monastery was again revived as a monastic monastery for the Vladimir diocese. Nun Antonia (Shakhovtseva) became the abbess of the monastery. In the Assumption Cathedral of the Princess Monastery, wonderfully painted in the 17th century. a team of famous masters, there are the greatest spiritual shrines of the Russian people - the icon of the God-loving Mother of God (the first Russian icon-painting image, created at the direction of St. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky) and the relics of the holy martyr Abraham of Bulgaria.

From the book: Minin S.N., priest. Essays on the history of the Vladimir diocese. (X-XX centuries). - Vladimir: 2004. P. 11-13

Princess Assumption Monastery, 1st class, in the city of Vladimir. Founded in 1199 by Princess Maria (monastically Martha), wife of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod Yuryevich. In 1311 the monastery was destroyed by the Tatars; renewed at the beginning of the 16th century; suffered from fire in 1855; resumed in 1865. The monastery cathedral church is in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God with the chapels of the Annunciation and the Nativity of Christ. Here the relics of Abramius of Bulgaria rest (see April 1) and Princess Alexandra, the first wife of Alexander Nevsky, Princess Vassa, his second wife and daughter Evdokia are buried. Behind the left choir on a pillar is an ancient icon of the holy martyr Abramius; it sometimes served instead of a coffin board over the relics of the passion-bearer. Here is also the tomb of Princess Maria, the founder of the monastery, and other princes and princesses buried here.

Built in 1200, the Assumption Cathedral has been rebuilt many times; after the final restoration it was consecrated in 1902. A lover of ancient Russian art will find a lot of noteworthy things here. The walls are painted from top to bottom. Here is the Last Judgment, and the Twelfth Feasts, and the Creeds, and the Akathist to the Mother of God. The akathist begins on the southern wall from the iconostasis and goes in two rows to the western wall, which, according to custom, is occupied by the depiction of a painting of the Last Judgment and ends on the northern wall, where the akathist paintings also go in two rows. In the altar on the vault is depicted the song: “Now are the powers of heaven,” where angels in church vestments make a great exit with gifts. Of the icons, especially remarkable are those that constitute the gift of Patriarch Joseph: in the iconostasis - the icon of the Savior and the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the Icon of the Assumption Holy Mother of God, letters from the 15th century, lined with base silver along the margins. In addition to the Church of the Assumption, the monastery has a separate warm church in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with chapels of St. John Chrysostom and the martyr Avramius. In this church, there are remarkable ancient royal gates with fine carvings of skillful work from the 16th century and an icon of the Savior sitting on a throne with the Gospel in his hands, near which Saint Alexander Nevsky in the schema and the martyr Abramius are depicted kneeling in a prayerful position; The icon is a gift from Patriarch Joseph. The sacristy of the monastery is quite rich in utensils; it contains wonderful ancient objects, all gifts from Patriarch Joseph. On the 3rd Sunday after Easter is celebrated procession around the monastery. There is a school, a handicraft workshop and a hospital at the monastery.

From the book by S.V. Bulgakov “Russian monasteries in 1913”

The Assumption Princess Monastery appeared in Vladimir at the time when the Vladimir Grand Duke's throne was occupied by the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Vsevolod Yuryevich "Big Nest", who reigned from 1176 to 1212. Twelve children were born in his marriage with the daughter of a Czech prince, Maria Shvarnovna. The God-loving Maria Shvarnovna stood at the origins of the Princess's monastery. After the birth of her last child in 1198, the princess fell ill with a serious illness, which did not leave her until her death, for eight years. It was then that she decided to build a nunnery, where she could take monastic vows and find eternal rest. In 1200, a stone church was founded on a site acquired by Miria Shvarnovna in the northwestern part of the city, next to the earthen rampart; in September 1202, the cathedral was consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In March 1206, the holy noble princess took on the monastic image in the new monastery, and eighteen days later she passed away into eternal life. They buried Princess Maria (in the schema of Martha) in the cathedral built by her care. We don’t know how the monastery existed for the first three centuries - the most valuable monastery archive disappeared at the beginning of the 17th century, during the era of the Russian Troubles, as indicated in the charter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich dated 1650.

Relying on indirect chronicle evidence, we can identify only two tragic events in the early history of the monastery. The first of them dates back to 1238, when the Tatars who took Vladimir committed a massacre in it, and finally burned the city. The second dates back to 1411 - in that unlucky year the nomads again suffered a hail of fire. The fire raged with such force that it caused “bells to ring.” Apparently, around that time the monastery cathedral was destroyed, and the monastery itself fell into complete desolation. In any case, in the charter of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III Ioannovich dated 1512, the monastery is called “new”. At that time it was also called “Novodevichy”, and this proves that at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries the monastery was rebuilt from practically nothing. In the 16th-17th centuries, the Duchess's monastery saw within its walls representatives of royal families who appeared here under sad circumstances... So in the second half of the 16th century, the nun Paraskeva, in the recent past Princess Pelageya Mikhailovna, the second wife of Tsarevich Ivan Ioannovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible, labored in the monastery , she was tonsured a nun for her childlessness in 1579. The second famous nun is Boris Godunov’s daughter Ksenia, monastically Olga, placed in the Assumption Monastery under Tsar Vasily Shuisky. That is, the Princess Monastery has fully justified its original name in modern times. Despite the fact that, having been renewed again, he lost the definition of “Princess”, returning it only in 1900.

Until the 1640s, the monastery was in poverty, there was a catastrophic lack of funds, and then, fortunately, a generous benefactor was found - Patriarch Joseph. A tented bell tower then appeared in the monastery, a fence with a gate grew, the monastery sacristy was replenished with new utensils, the covering of the aisles of the Assumption Cathedral was installed... But the most important thing, from our point of view today, the main thing is that in 1647-1648 the altar, pillars, walls, The vaults and drum of the cathedral church were decorated with continuous painting, stylistically inheriting from the painting of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. We know the names of at least two masters who participated in the decoration of the Assumption Cathedral of the Princess Monastery - their autographs were discovered during the discovery of frescoes recorded in the 19th century. This is the renowned icon painter Mark Matveev and the Yaroslavl master Stepan Efimiev. According to the autograph of the first, he worked “with his comrades” - it is believed that it was Mark Matveev who led the team of masters who completed the paintings in the Assumption Cathedral. This was his last work - in 1648 the outstanding Bogomaz died. The previous documented work of Mark Matveev and Stepan Evfimiev was the painting of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

In the middle of the 18th century, the Princess Monastery did not lack funds: a good income was provided by the monastery lands, of which, according to surviving documents, it already had enough a century earlier. There were territories in the city itself, they were rented out local residents. After the secularization reform of 1764, the Princess Monastery was classified as second class - not the worst option at that time. There is no need to talk about sudden poverty. Evidence of this is the construction work of the late 18th - early 19th centuries. It is known that in 1781 the Assumption Cathedral was reconstructed - a narrow octagonal drum was placed on the half-cut down ancient dome, crowned with a new onion dome. The reasons that prompted the then monastery authorities to carry out this alteration, which in the blink of an eye destroyed the “golden ratio” of the temple and, generally speaking, disfigured it, are not clear to us, but it took place - which means that the money for it was found. At the same time, apparently, the new hipped roof hid the wonderful tiers of kokoshniks that framed the drum. A little later, in the early 1790s, in view of the planned construction of a new bell tower, the old “patriarchal” bell tower adjacent to the southwestern corner of the cathedral was dismantled; in the 1820s, its lower tier became part of the porch attached to the temple from the west. In the mid-1850s, the monastery suffered from a large fire - and it is unlikely that the greatest troubles then befell the Assumption Cathedral. In any case, in 1867-1869 the ancient frescoes were recorded - “preserving the type of ancient frescoes.” The “ancient frescoes” simply disappeared at the end of this procedure. Meanwhile, the monastery met the new 20th century in a flourishing state - in 1900, to mark its 700th anniversary, it was elevated to first class with the return of the old name “Princess”; About thirty nuns and up to a hundred novices labored in it; the monastery was famous for its needlewomen; since 1889, it operated a parochial school for girls with a specialization in the same needlework; there was a hospital and a pharmacy...

In 1923, the Princess Monastery was abolished. The nuns were thrown out onto the street, the churches were handed over to the museum, and the cells were converted into housing. Despite the museum status of the Assumption Cathedral, its Soviet life was strange, dual - on the one hand, in 1924-1925 the famous restorer P.D. Baranovsky returned it to him if possible original appearance, eliminating all “innovations”, and on the other hand, since the late 1920s, the temple was used as a granary. This did not benefit his paintings: they were completely damaged in the altar. Already in 1945-1946, serious work began on the discovery and restoration of ancient paintings; they continued in 1966-1983 - in the end the fresco ensemble was restored to its original beauty. And in 1992, the Assumption Monastery was returned to the Church, and a revival of monastic life began there.

Magazine " Orthodox Temples. Travel to Holy Places". Issue No. 180, 2016.

One of the main cities of the Golden Ring, Vladimir was once the mighty capital of North-Eastern Rus'. Several historical buildings have survived to this day, remembering the reign of the great princes, the founders of the Vladimir principality. The best preserved are temples, monasteries and other religious buildings. One of the oldest sights of Vladimir is the Princess Monastery, founded presumably in 1200.

Its emergence is associated with the names of Grand Duke Vsevolod the Big Nest and his wife Maria Shvarovna. Their family was very prolific; twelve children were born in the marriage, for which the prince received the nickname “Big Nest.” Maria Shvarovna was particularly pious, therefore, when after her last birth she became very ill, she asked her husband to found a monastery, which was named Knyaginin in her honor. Feeling imminent death, the princess took monastic vows in the newly created monastery and soon died.

As many chroniclers write, all residents of the Vladimir principality bitterly mourned the death of their beloved princess. And since then the Princess Monastery has become the family tomb of the Grand Duchesses. The sister and daughter of Maria Shvarovna, both wives and the daughter of Prince Alexander Nevsky, who was the grandson of the pious founder of the Assumption Princess Monastery, were buried here.

Since this monastery was very rich, it suffered more than once from raids and devastation during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Then, unwanted princesses were more than once exiled to the Princess Monastery. So, one of the wives of Tsarevich Ivan, the son of Ivan the Terrible, lived here for some time, who was sent here for childlessness, and later Princess Ksenia, the daughter of Tsar Boris Godunov, found shelter in the same monastery.

From the time of Peter the Great, the decline of monastic life began, and after the Bolsheviks came to power, the ancient Princess Monastery was closed altogether and given a new name - the village of Vorovskogo.

Only in 1992 did monastic life resume. The monastery was returned to its main shrine - the icon of the Bogolyubskaya Mother of God, which is considered the first icon painted by Russian masters. Before this, all icons were brought from Byzantium. It is believed that it was written at the behest of Andrei Bogolyubsky, and, therefore, it is approximately 850 years old. They placed it in the Assumption Cathedral.

In addition, another important relic is kept here - a particle of the relics of St. Abraham of Bulgaria. This saint initially professed Islam, but then converted to Orthodoxy. Not succumbing to numerous persuasion to renounce the Christian faith, he was executed. Later, Prince Yuri of Vladimir, the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, transferred the relics of the saint to the Princess Monastery. They say that miraculous healings from mental and eye diseases occurred from them.

The Assumption Cathedral, which can now be seen in the monastery, was built in the 16th century on the foundation of an earlier church. Fragments of ancient walls have been preserved behind the brickwork. In the middle of the 12th century, the interior of the church was decorated with wonderful frescoes made by Moscow masters. Fortunately, they have generally been preserved.

The restoration of the Princess Monastery, which preserves the history of the great princes of the Vladimir land, continues. We can only hope that nothing will interfere with the former prosperity of this holy place.

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