Diocese of Rybinsk: description, history and interesting facts

During the period of communism in our country, Orthodoxy was not popular. But in the last 20 years there has been a revival of the old traditions. Therefore, this topic has become relevant. Let's talk about several church parishes and monasteries located in the Yaroslavl region and better known as the Diocese of Rybinsk.

What is the Diocese?

First, let us clarify the necessary concepts.

The diocese is a part of the Russian Orthodox Church, the boundaries of which usually coincide with the boundaries of the federal arrangement of our state. In any case, before the unification, they are first agreed with the Holy Synod. The Diocese is headed by a diocesan bishop.

The diocese unites churches, monasteries, deaneries within its borders.

Deanery, in turn, is part of the diocese, uniting the parishes located next to each other. The boundaries coincide with the boundaries of the districts. Dean is ruled by a dean.

The history of the Rybinsk diocese

In 2012, twelve cities in the Yaroslavl region united, forming a new Orthodox unit, known as the Rybinsk diocese. The way to this was very long.

In fact, the unification started back in 1909. Then the Rybinsk vicariate of the Yaroslavl diocese was established.

Even before 1934 it was renamed the Rybinsk diocese. But after 1937, after the death of the last Bishop of Rybinsk, Ioannicius (Popov), other bishops were no longer appointed. Only in 2010 the Rybinsk vicariate was revived, and in 2012 - the Diocese of Rybinsk.

Monasteries and deanery included in the Rybinsk diocese

The Diocese of Rybin unites 12 districts, it includes 9 monasteries, 130 parishes, 13 deaneries. Many temples were built in ancient times and carry a history. There are small villages where new residents have built new churches.

The most famous monasteries:

• Preobrazhensky Gennadievsky Monastery, with. Sloboda, was founded in the 20s of the 16th century by the Monk Korniliy of Komel and Gennady Kostromsky.

• The Holy Assumption Adrian Monastery, p. Adrianova Sloboda. The place for this monastery was indicated by a certain monk. He and two other reverend hermits, Adrian and Leonid Peshekhonsky, appeared on the tree icon of the Assumption of the Mother of God, thereby showing the divine protection of the chosen place for the construction of the monastery. It happened in the middle of the 16th century.

• Kazan Monastery in Gorushka, village of Gorushka. It was founded in the late 19th century near the city of Danilov by a certain nun Mikhail.

• Mologsky Pokrovsky Women's Monastery, with. Bykovo. It was founded at the request and desire of the noblewoman Elisaveta Ermolinskaya in 1883. After the construction of the Rybinsk hydroelectric power station, when the city of Mologa was flooded together with other churches and parishes, he was the only one left intact.

• St. Sophia Convent, Rybinsk. This monastery was glorified by the deeds of many righteous people, now revered by believers. It was founded in the late 19th century.

Some deaneries included in the diocese:

• Danilovsky Deanery;
• Nekouzskoe deanery;
• Prechistenskoye deanery;
• Rybinsk deanery;
• Breitovskoe deanery;
• Lyubimskoe deanery;
• Poshekhon deanery;
• Romanov-Borisoglebsk deanery and others.

The clergy of the Rybinsk diocese

All the bishops, who at various times administered the Rybinsk eparchy, bore the rank of bishop of Rybinsk and Danilovsky. And all of them were from 1909, from the day of the founding of the Rybinsk vicariate, 18 people.

Many of them are known for their righteous deeds, some have written many works on an Orthodox theme.

It is known that, beginning in 1930, the persecution of the church by the authorities began. At that time the Rybinsk bishops were shot: Sergiy (Zenkevich), Fedor (Yakovcevsky), Varlaam (Pikalov), Venedikt (Alentov), Alexander (Toropov), Andrey (Solntsev). All of them were rehabilitated posthumously in the 80s of the 20th century.

Bishop Benjamin

Currently, this diocese is led by Benjamin (Likhomanov), he accepted the appointment in 2012.

It is known that he was born in 1952 in the family of Orthodox believers. At the beginning of his life, Benjamin worked as an engineer, and was ordained deacon in 1978.

Since that time, Benjamin's father has come a long way, he has written many works on Orthodox themes that are popular with believers.

Veniamin (Likhomanov) has many church and secular awards.

Abbess Theodorita Markova

Rybinsk Diocese is famous for its clergy. The abbess Feodorita Markova is the abbess of the Mologa Pokrovsky female monastery in the village of Bykovo, which is part of the Rybinsk diocese. Her appointment was in 2011.

Came for the first time in this monastery in 2004, Mother Theodoret found him in terrible condition. About three thousand square meters of the main building were not suitable for housing novices and nuns. For a long time there was a tractor school on the territory of the church and the whole farmstead.

Through labor and care, hegumeny monastery was completely restored and restored from the foundation to the roof, water and heating were carried out.

An interesting fact is that, for the first time having got to the Monastery of Mologa and dismantling the rubble, the mother in the attic found a black metal sheet, which on closer examination turned out to be an icon of the Blessed Virgin. By the prayers of my mother and other novices, the icon itself was purified and mended. That's what faith is so strong!

Inside the monastery is the house church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, where regular services are held.

Also on the territory of the Convent there is the second temple of the Most-Pure Virgin, but it is completely destroyed. The Bishop of the Rybinsk diocese was blessed at his re-creation.

Abbess Theodoret Markova is an example for Orthodox people.

It so happened that in her youth she fell unsuccessfully and suffered a serious spinal injury. For several years the bones of the neck refused to fuse. Mother Feodorita could only pray for her recovery. And a miracle happened: after the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Father Superior Theodoret was completely healed.

Mologsky Pokrovsky Women's Monastery miraculously remained intact in the flooding of territories for the construction of the Rybinsk hydroelectric power station.

Influence of construction of Rybinsk Hydroelectric Power Station on the composition of the diocese

Everyone knows that during the construction of the Rybinsk hydroelectric power station, a significant part of the Yaroslavl region was flooded and in part - by Tverskaya.

Together with dozens of villages, the town of Mologa, known for its amazing architecture, disappeared under water.

Until now, the banks of the Rybinsk reservoir are considered sacred. Annually in the summer, the Orthodox are committed on its shores so-called leushinskie standing - the sacred services, which is led by the priest.

Together with Mologoi, the Leushin women's monastery, Afanasyevsky monastery, the Resurrection Cathedral were flooded. In particularly arid years, the bell towers of these churches and monasteries stand over the water, embodying great sorrow. At such a time, local priests go on a boat to the place of flooding and serve there prayer services.

A lot of grief was suffered by the settlers in the distant 40s of the last century. Many have not been able to leave their homes and, having chained themselves to the houses, were drowned during flooding.

Inactive monasteries of the Rybinsk diocese

In the Rybinsk diocese there are ruins for more than two hundred years of a non-functioning monastery. This is the Poshekhonsky Ilyinsky Monastery. It was located in the Danilov district and ceased to exist in the 17th century, it was abolished by the order of the then tsar.

It is interesting that Poshekhonsky Ilyinsky monastery was assigned to the Troitskaya Kolyasnikovaya desert, which also does not exist anymore. In former times these monasteries were revered by believers.

The reason for the abolition is unknown.

Closure of monasteries in the Rybinsk diocese is not yet expected, moreover, the existing monasteries are actively reviving.

This concludes a brief overview of the Rybinsk diocese. It is interesting that in the Krasnoyarsk Territory there is the same deanery - Rybinsk, tell about it.

Rybinsk Deanery of the Kansk Diocese

The Kansk eparchy is a part of the Krasnoyarsk metropolis. It was singled out in 2011 by the decision of the Holy Synod. The diocese is governed by Bishop Filaret of Kansk and Boguchansky.

One of the deaneries included in this diocese is the Rybinsk deanery. The parish is located in the city of Zelenogorsk, it includes the city of Zaozerny, the villages of Yersh, Uspenka, the Urals.

The Rybinsk deanery includes the temple of Archangel Michael, the temple of St. John the Theologian, the temple of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, the temple of St. Princess Olga, the temple of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the temple of the Archangel Gabriel, the temple of the icon of the Mother of God, the chapel of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God.

All the monasteries of such a diocese, like the Rybinsk Diocese, are popular with believers, pilgrims often go there.

This concludes with a brief overview of the Rybinsk Diocese and the Rybinsk Deanery of the Kansk Diocese.