This quiet monastery is located on the outskirts of Kolomna,in a picturesque place where the Oka meets the Moscow River. The place on which the Old-Golutvin monastery stands is truly sacred, it was chosen by the monks for the foundation of the monastery at the beginning of the 14th century. By order of Dmitry Donskoy, his first stone was laid, however, historians argue about the date. Some people call the 1374th, others - the year 1385, but this changes little.
History of the holy place
Old-Golutvin monastery is not just quietthe abode of the monks. In the past, this was a strategically important object, which was designed to protect not just the road, but the most popular trade route. That is why the monastery quickly grew and developed, and the period of its highest bloom reached by the beginning of the XVII century. At this time, he becomes the richest of its kind, which, of course, leads to claims on his land. In this regard, at the end of the XVIII century, the monastery was deprived of its possessions and fell into decay. Only with the beginning of the XIX century, he began to recover, but after the revolution the building was given to the dormitory, and only in 1994 was returned to the Moscow diocese. However, let us dwell a little bit on the past of the monastery.
origin of name
Why is the monastery has this name -Old-Golutvin monastery? Historians still do not agree, but there is a generally accepted version, according to which the prefix "old" appeared relatively recently, when the brethren of the Golutvinsky monastery was resettled and a new monastery was formed. That is, the automatically restored monastery became old. Today the buildings on its territory have been completely renovated, and the walls and towers are being restored.
The founder of the monastery
It was Sergius of Radonezh who became hisfounding father. Under his leadership, the first temple was laid, from which only parts of the foundation survived. According to legend, it was this place that Sergius of Radonezh chose because a source suddenly scored here. Anyway, his role in the creation of the monastery is not forgotten. This is evidenced by the monument, as well as the greatest respect for the insignificant part of that first temple, which has been preserved to date.
Architectural ensemble
Every tourist has his own interest in the ancient monastery.Someone wants to get in touch with the peculiar world of monks, for others it is just an informative tour and inspection of the monument of ancient architecture. Anyway, there’s really something to see here. The Old-Golutvin Monastery (Kolomna) is stunningly beautiful, besides it is the largest in the whole region. The largest building is the main temple, dating back to the beginning of the XVIII century. It is located on the site of an old stone cathedral, which was no longer subject to reconstruction. The beautiful wall or fence with intricate towers belongs to this time of construction. All earlier buildings are now completely lost.
Old-Golutvin monastery (Kolomna) was rebuiltfor the most part in the nineteenth century. In the first half of it was built Sergievsky temple. A little later, the Eastern (fraternal) building and bell tower was erected, as well as the gate church was erected. Household additions, which are necessary for brothers living in the monastery, gradually grew.
The latest buildings were the western corps, which served as a hotel for pilgrims, as well as an Orthodox theological seminary.
Visit the monastery today
Epiphany Old-Golutvin Monastery (Kolomna) invites both true believers who seek unity with God, and ordinary inhabitants. Every Sunday at 17:00 water-holy prayer is held. You can choose the day and time of your visit based on what exactly interests you. Evening services are especially visited, and in the morning most often there are only brothers and novices. Not all tourists come here to join the quiet life of monks, much more often people are interested in this object as a cultural and historical monument. The time of the visit is not regulated, you are free to just walk around the territory, go to the church, take part in the service or make donations.
Landscapes and sights
Do not forget to take a camera with you ifdecided to go to the Epiphany Old Golutvin monastery; Kolomna itself is extremely beautiful, green and quiet, but its outskirts are especially picturesque. And one of the most attractive places is occupied by the monastery. Especially love tourists main temple of the monastery. All mass divine services are held here, for the monks of the monastery there is an opportunity to pray in more secluded places. What else, besides the natural beauty and grandeur of this old monastery, is Kolomna famous for? The Epiphany Old-Golutvin Monastery is very interesting to tourists for their shrines, which we now talk about.
Abode eyes of the believer
Of course, the religious person firstthe temple interests as the house of God. The ancient large monastery has significant wealth in the spiritual sense of the word. Here is a huge library, which is studied by all novices and mentors. In addition, the Epiphany Old-Golutvin monastery keeps shrines that are very important for every believer. These are miraculous relics with parts of the crown of thorns and the cross of the Savior. The relics of many saints are also buried here.
It is for the sake of not only seeingto touch these great shrines, a large number of pilgrims come here. Not every monastery has such a rich history, even the land itself is different here - holy, namolennaya, healing.
Hermitage through the eyes of a simple inhabitant
Old-Golutvin friary lives his,quiet and very special life. For an ordinary tourist information about the life of the monastery is quite difficult to obtain. The only thing you can see is the schedule of worship services in front of the entrance door. It is usually closed, although not closed, which causes some tourists confusion. Upon entering, you are on the territory of the monastery. Here is a neat alley that leads to the main square. Before you in all its glory - Old-Golutvin Epiphany Monastery. On the right are the majestic Epiphany and Sergiev Churches. In fact, they are nothing special. Simple, quadrangular buildings with turrets and domes. However, you need to look deeper into the history, which shows the true greatness of this abode. On the left are the brotherly corps, a simple white building with openwork porches. Adjacent to it is Vvedensky temple. Its bell tower was built at the beginning of the XIX century. The height of the bell tower is about 50 meters. If you have time, you should spend time here, contemplating the high bell tower against the background of bright blue sky. The spectacle is amazing and fascinating. You will be surprised by the fact that there are a lot of flowers and greenery, flowerbeds and flowerpots on the territory of the monastery. Meanwhile, the brothers themselves, who live in the monastery, almost never seen. Between the temples is a monument to the founder of the monastery, Sergius of Radonezh. Immediately behind the beautiful monument is a row of flower beds, and a little further there is a well-preserved fence with Gothic towers. The red brick wall and intricate towers create a contrast with the white, simple walls of the temples themselves.
What we see today is the creation of handsmasters of the XVIII century. All earlier buildings were completely lost, only fragments of the basement and the basement of the original version remained. Adjacent to the Epiphany Cathedral is the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, which is adjoined to the superior church.
В отдалении находится собственная пасека monastery, however, close to the beehives is not desirable for their own safety. And quite separately, behind the high old fence, the Kolomna Theological Seminary is located.
How to get to the monastery
Most often, his visit is included in the programexcursions around the Golden Ring of Russia. The Old-Golutvin monastery is located, the photo of which does not convey the special atmosphere that prevails here in the ancient Moscow town called Kolomna. The distance from Moscow is only 100 km. If you choose the path on the train, it runs from the Kazan station to the station Golutvin. Since it bears the same name as the monastery itself, it is easy to remember. Travel time is about 2 hours. Upon arrival at the station you will walk about 2 km, and if there is no desire to walk, then you can go two stops by bus. After the stop “Bochmanovo”, where you need to get out, turn left and, after going a few hundred meters, you get to the gates of the monastery.
Reviews of tourists
Unlike many ancient temples thatvalued by tourists for the artsy decoration or the abundance of ancient icons, everything is completely different here. The temples of a quiet abode do not abound with gilding, frescoes or icons, here people believe differently, sincerely, without external luster. To understand the atmosphere reigning here, you need to feel it for yourself, to understand, comprehend, live. Some say that visiting the monastery helped solve personal problems, others got rid of serious diseases, and still others just had a good time and plunged into the history of the ancient monastery. It is necessary to prepare for such an excursion in advance, because there is no guide here, which means there will be no one to tell and show. Today, restoration work is underway in the territory, walls, towers and some elements of buildings are being reconstructed. That is, over time, the monastery will become even more beautiful. Regardless of whether you are a believer, you should visit it at least once.
