In previous centuries, pious Russians were commoncustom to commemorate the blessings of God to build temples and monasteries, to thank the Creator for the mercy shown to them by ringing their bells. This is how the Brusyansky Monastery, founded in memory of the victorious march of the troops of Ivan the Terrible to Kazan in 1552, appeared in Kolomna.
Bookmark the monastery
Successfully completing the third hike againstThe Kazan Khanate, having liquidated it as an independent state and annexed Russia, Ivan the Terrible ordered to erect a memorial church in Kolomna. In the same year, on the place from which on July 3 the royal regiments went to the banks of the Volga, a stone hipped-roof church was laid, consecrated in honor of the Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of God. Since it began its history Brusensky monastery, the first inhabitants of which were former warriors, participants of the glorious campaign.
Gradually, the monastery grew in its territorythere were new buildings. But information about the first years of the history of the monastery is very scarce and is drawn only from the inscriptions on the old gravestones and the remains of the first monks accidentally found in the earth, who lived within its walls. However, by the end of the XVI century, the monastery declared itself in full voice.
Years of prosperity
From the surviving documents it is known thatthanks to the generous contributions made by the pilgrims, the central church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was decorated with an iconostasis, which was based on the Deesis, consisting of eleven icons on gold. In her altar was kept the Gospel in a massive silver setting decorated with precious stones.
The monastery library, wheremany books were kept, both liturgical and intended for godly reading. Some of them were made on parchment. But the main treasure of the monastery was the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God - the first list from the image that was revealed in 1579.
The ruin of the monastery in the Time of Troubles
The peaceful life of the monastery was interrupted by dramaticevents played out in the Time of Troubles. The lot of quiet provincial Kolomna then fell through many trials. She saw the invasion of the Polish invaders, and both of the False Dmitrys, and the bloody gangs of Bolotnikov. In those years, from the incessant plunder, the monastery fell into complete decay and practically ceased to exist. When the fierce time passed, and its revival began, it was transformed into a female abode.
By the way, the name itself - the Brusensky Monastery -causes controversy among researchers. Some interpret it as a derivative of the old Russian word “Ubrus”, which means “women's scarf”. However, there is another point of view: “Brusensky” - from the word “cant”, that is, a wooden pole, which was used to make a fence. Which option is closer to reality - one can only guess.
The test sent down to the monastery sisters
Until the end of the XVII century, the life of the monastery sisters is nothingit was not broken until the Lord sent them a test in 1698 - a terrible fire occurred in the monastery, which destroyed most of the buildings. Four wooden churches and all the cells of the nuns erected by that time died in the fire. Only the Assumption Church survived.
For a long time the sisters could not recover from their comprehensionmisfortune, so that in 1725 the question was raised about the abolition of the monastery. In this regard, his abbess Abbess Alexander and several nuns were transferred to one of the Tula monasteries. It would have disappeared Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna), whose name was already widely known in Russia by that time, but the locals, for whom they enjoyed love and authority for their pious life, stood up for the sisters. They sent a letter to the diocesan bishop, in which they pledged, if necessary, to maintain the monastery at their own expense, so that it would not close. Their petition was granted, and the abbess and the nuns who had left with her were returned to the Brusensky monastery.
The beginning of the construction of stone buildings
Already from the middle of the 18th century, bearing in mind those troubleswhich brought a monastery that once burst into a fire, most of the wooden buildings were replaced with stone. In particular, a brick fence was built, decorated with four turrets, each of which had its own unique look. And by the end of the century a gate bell tower appeared.
But really large-scale work in the territoryThe monastery began in the middle of the next century, when the hegumen of the Olympiad, descended from a noble Cossack family, was appointed its superior. She received this important post with the blessing of Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Filaret (Drozdov), who was a native of Kolomna. Abbess Olympiad initiated the construction of the majestic Holy Cross Cathedral, three large stone buildings, which housed the cells of sisters, as well as many business premises.
Buildings that decorated the monastery
In the fifties of the XIX century a house was builtprioress. This building, made in the style of classicism, struck contemporaries with its artistic perfection. In addition, the project of the house included the original technical development, which allowed to heat the upper rooms, in which the abbot's chambers were located, with heat supplied through special channels from the refectory located on the first floor.
But deserved special attentionHoly Cross Cathedral. It was built according to the project of architect A. S. Kutepov in collaboration with V. E. Morgan. His appearance combines elements of classicism and pseudo-Russian style. The monumental building, square in plan, is crowned with five hipped heads, of which the central one was decorated with window cuts, while the four outermost ones remained deaf. The exterior finish of the walls, built of red brick and covered with white decor, is also extremely expressive.
After the death of the abbess of the Olympics, which occurred inIn 1883, her successor Abbess Angelina continued the construction and decoration of the monastery. During her reign, the Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna) was expanded, and the Assumption Church was built and consecrated on its territory, in one of the rooms of which the poorhouse was placed. In the same period, they thoroughly refurbished and partially rebuilt the Assumption Church, which is the oldest building of the monastery.
The ordeals of the XX century
During the Soviet period the Brusensky Monastery in KolomnaIt was closed, the nuns were expelled, and the church services were stopped. In the Holy Cross Church, devoid of their tent heads by that time, they placed a warehouse. Over time, they destroyed almost all outbuildings. In general, the monastery shared the fate of most Russian monasteries. Neither fires, nor disasters of the Time of Troubles were so disastrous for him as the coming to power of the “God-bearing people” (expression of Leo Tolstoy).
Revive the Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna), photowhich are presented in this article, began only with the onset of perestroika. In 1997, for the first time in six decades, the Divine Liturgy was performed in the Assumption Church restored by that time. At the same time, the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate made a decision on the resumption of monastic life.
How to get to the monastery?
В наши дни вновь открыл свои врата для всех visitors and pilgrims of the Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna). How to get to him? The recommendations are very simple. If you do not have your own transport, you can take bus number 460, stopping at the Vykhino metro station, or you can take a train from Kazansky railway station to Golutvin station. Then follow tram No. 3. It is most convenient for owners of private cars to use the Novoryazanskoye highway and get to the Brusensky monastery (Kolomna), which address: Moscow region, Kolomna, Brusensky pereulok, d. 36.
