Monastery of Savior-Prilutsky, Vologda: opening hours, photo

The Monastery of Savior-Prilutsky is one of the largest religious buildings of the Russian North. It was named after the Spassky church of the monastery and the river bend (hay-bark), where it is located. Today it is a complex of architectural monuments of the XVI-XVIII centuries of national importance.

A bit of history

The Savior-Prilutsky Monastery (Vologda Region) appeared on this land in 1371, north of Vologda, along the road leading to Beloozero, near the village of Vypryagovo. Its founder is the celebrated Russian saint, patron of Vologda Dimitry Prilutsky. He built a wooden church in the monastery, and next to it wooden cells were built for the monks.

The peasants who formerly owned these lands, Ilya and Isidor Vyprryag, as history testifies, were happy to give these territories for a good cause. According to contemporaries, the Savior-Prilutsky Monastery (Vologda) has always enjoyed the favor and great respect of the Grand Dukes of John III, John IV, Basil III.

When John III went to Kazan (1503), he took from the monastery an icon of Dimitri Prilutsky written by Dionysius. Returning with the victory, he decorated the icon with silver and gold. The monastery of Spaso-Prilutsky was visited by Basil III with his wife Elena Glinskaya (1528) during a pilgrimage to Russian monasteries.

An altarpiece of 140 cm, decorated with numerous carved images, made on white bone and covered with gilded basma, was taken from the monastery of John IV during the campaign against Kazan (1552). Historians connect this Kilikievsky cross from the monastery with the ancient Cilicia, located in Asia Minor. Now it is stored in the Vologda Museum. According to the historian SM Soloviev, Dimitri Prilutsky created a monastery on the roads that led from Vologda to the North Ocean. Spaso-Prilutskiy Dimitriev Monastery in the XVI century turned into one of the most famous and wealthy monasteries in the north of the country.

Architecture

In the center of the monastery is the bell tower and the Savior Cathedral. It was the first temple built of stone in the city. In order for his construction to move faster, Ivan the Terrible ordered his decree to release the monastery from duties. Construction work was completed in 1542. In the same year, the Savior-Prilutskiy Dimitriev monastery, as well as the built cathedral, was visited by John IV.

The cathedral is very similar to Moscow's religious buildings. It is a temple of a cubic form, two-storied, three-pedestal, four-pillar. It is crowned with five helmet-shaped heads, which are located on round-shaped drums. At the base of the drums there is a cornice, which is decorated with an ornamental slot. The first floor has a vaulted overlap, its cruciform vaults are supported by four pilasters, their cornices are held by three semicircular shaped zakomars.

According to researchers, the western porch appeared here until the XVII century. The south and the north were erected later, in 1672. The porch of the western porch constitutes two pitcher-like stone pillars and two half-pillars. They support two arches, which are located on each side. On the west side of the porch you can see a pediment. On a smooth surface it is painted with a fresco.

The cathedral visibly dominates the surrounding buildings and stands out with a majestic view. Cubic monumental volume, put on a high podklete, looks very impressive. On three sides the cathedral is surrounded by galleries, and from the east are three apses.

The walls of the temple are divided by flat and wide shoulder blades into three strands. Above them are two tiers of semicircular large zakomars, with a small keel in the middle. Unlike the capital's temples, it is executed with the emphasized modesty inherent in northern architecture. It should pay attention to a very concise decorative solution of the facades.

A somewhat more diverse decoration of the drums, which consists of belts of a runner, arches, nicks and a curb. In September 1811, a fire broke out from a candle that was forgotten in the temple. All interior decoration burned down. Some chapters have been burnt.

When the French invaded the capital (1812), the treasures of the sacristy of the patriarchs of Novospassky, Chudov, Ugreshsky, Znamensky, Novodevichy, Pokrovsky, Voznesensky monasteries, the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius and some of Moscow's cathedrals were taken from the capital. Values were in the cathedral until the liberation of the capital.

Restoration of the Cathedral

From 1813 to 1817, the temple was rebuilt. Correcting the damaged heads, it was decided to give them a pitcher-like shape. The charred walls were completely restored.

Ivan Baranov - Yaroslavl master - with eight assistants inside plastered the walls of the cathedral. A peasant from Vologda, M. Gorin, in 1841 made a new head of the cathedral and a spire for the bell tower. In the lower floor of the cathedral were the tombs of the coal princes John and Dimitri, who were exiled by John III to imprisonment in this northern city and Dimitri Prilutsky. In the monastery John took a vow and received the name of Ignatius. The tombs of the Monks Ignatius and Dimitrii Prilutsky are today completely restored - they are the relics of the monastery reverently honored by the brethren and pilgrims.

The Gate Church

The central gate of the monastery, the gate church above them, and part of the wall were erected after the construction of the Cathedral of the All-Merciful Savior. They decorate the entrance to the Monastery of Savior-Prilutsky from the side of the road leading to Kirillov, Belozersk and Arkhangelsk.

The gate church was consecrated in the name of Theodore Stratelates in 1590, but later it was renamed in the name of the Ascension of the Lord (1841). According to the records of the XVII century, which stores the Savior-Prilutskiy Monastery (Vologda region), it appears that a chapel of stone with four apertures in which the bells were installed was attached to the gatehouse church. There was a wheeled clock on the chapel.

In 1730, the chapel was converted into a small bell tower. Up to now, the four-storeyed quadrangle has been preserved, on which the octal of the ringing was built. In 1914, there hung the only bell, weighing 52 poods. He was cast by an old copper medal master Chartyshnikov (1876). Decorate the building with belts, niches, arches, a runner and a curb on the drum and walls. Such a decor, in which you can see the influence of Novgorod and Moscow, is quite typical for the northern temples from the 15th-16th century stone. The walls are separated by one spade into two spits.

Church of the Assumption

Today the Savior-Prilutsky Monastery (Vologda) has on its territory a unique wooden Assumption Church, appeared here in the first half of the 16th century. She was transported from the Alexander-Kushtsky monastery, which was near the village of Ustia, on the river Kushte.

This is the oldest monument of wooden architecture of the Russian North. Its architectural form underscores the dynamic aspiration. Above the crosswise volume there is a large octagon on the center, widening from above. It is called a pile. The octagon is crowned by a slender and high tent and a small head. The lateral parts (more lowered) end with delicately curved roofs. The silver color of the individual wooden plaques (melecha), which cover the roof and the tent, is perfectly combined with velvety brown shades of logs. All forms of the structure are inextricably linked. They form a one-piece and harmonious fall.

Church of All Saints

Spaso-Prilutsky Dmitriev Monastery has another interesting church. In the beginning she was a hospital, because she was adjacent to the hospital building. One-headed, one-story double-light. It was built in 1721 and consecrated in the name of the Three Saints. Much later (in 1781) was renamed in the name of All Saints.

Bell tower

Particularly proud are the pilgrims and brothers of the monastery bell tower, which has the Savior-Prilutsky Monastery (Vologda region). The first similar construction was built with the cathedral. It was adjacent to the north-western wing. But it was soon disassembled. The new one, existing today, was built in 1654.

In 1736 there were eighteen bells on it. The most important of them weighed more than 357 poods. In addition, there was also a news bell. Its weight exceeded 55 poods. On it was the image of the princes John and Dimitry of the Uglich. The bells were cast in 1738 by the town's master Ivan Korkutsky. In the upper octagon, a wheeled clock with a fight was installed. The rooms of the lower powerful chetverik were adapted for the church and cells.

Vvedensky Church

Covered passages connect the Savior Cathedral with a complex of buildings. One of them is the Church of the Presentation. This is a one-headed two-storey building with a meal adjacent to it. The time of its construction, unfortunately, is not known for certain. In the monastic descriptions of 1623 it is already described as stone.

The lower floor is occupied by the temple today. In 1876, the chapel, consecrated in the name of the martyr Varvara , was built into this church . It should be noted that its decor, which is executed in the form of kokoshnikov, it perfectly combines with the Savior's Cathedral and the gatehouse of the Ascension Church. Decorative belts from balusters, curbs and nishek give the temple a very elegant appearance.

Catherine's Church

To the east of the Vvedensky Church (ten meters away) stands a small church made of stone in the name of the Great Martyr Catherine and St. Prince Vladimir. It was built in 1830 on the money of the landowner from Vologda V. Volotsky. It was built over the graves of his relatives, who were buried here.

Walls and towers

The Vologda Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery in the 17th century was surrounded from three sides by a fence of wooden beams. Stone at that time were only the central gate and a small section of the wall that adjoined them. This was one of the reasons for the ruin of the monastery in 1612-1619. The Savior-Prilutsky Monastery, a photo of which you can see in our article, was completely enclosed by stone walls with towers in 1656. They were built according to all the rules of building science of the XVII century.

The monastic walls in the plan have the configuration of a quadrilateral (irregular). At its corners are built hexagonal towers, which are connected with each other by high walls. From the north, the main stone gate and Gate Church are built. On the west side is a rectangular Water Tower with separate gates leading to the river. In the south wall there are small (third) gates, which today are laid with brickwork.

The corner towers are considerably extended from the plane of the walls. They were intended for circular defense. In the outer wall of the towers there are hanging loopholes (mashukuli). Corner towers inside, in the center have stone pillars. These are the supports of the rafters of the tent, and the inter-tiered connections and the basis for the observation towers.

The walls are equipped with devices for conducting top and bottom battles. On the inside, along the stone arches there is an upper battlefield. It is a move around all the walls. The total length of the walls is 830 meters at a height of seven and a half meters.

Today not only pilgrims, but also ordinary travelers visit the Savior-Prilutsky Monastery (Vologda). Its opening hours are convenient for visitors. We will discuss this in more detail later.

Outbuildings

The Savior-Priluki Monastery in the XVII century was ravaged several times. Thus, in December 1618, the detachments of Hetman Shelkovodsky and Cossack Atam Balovny burned 59 monks alive in the refectory, more than two hundred people died during this attack.

Lithuanians and Poles spent three days in the cloister. They looted and destroyed property, partially burned the monastery's archive. And the next year the monastery was ruined. This time it was committed by the Siberian prince Aleyevich, who arrived to "guard" the monastery with the Cossacks and Tatars. Another "guard" - Muraza and Tatars hosted the holy abode for nine days.

In 1618 the Lithuanians burnt the refectory and services, as well as most of the monastic premises. They stole cattle, once again plundered property, burned villages, killed peasants living in the vicinity of the monastery. In 1645, in the monastery, in exchange for lost wooden cells and a refectory, a stone one-story building with monastic cells with a common refectory was built. For their construction invited masters-masons from the Savior-Yaroslavl Monastery.

A two-story stone building is an ancient cell of cells. On the second floor there were the abbot's living quarters, on the first floor there were cellars. Residential cells of the abbots are connected with the Vvedenskaya church by a covered passage.

To the west of the Gate Church, another stone building was built in 1718, which was later rebuilt into a two-story structure of winter abbey chambers, and later a hotel for visitors was placed here.

To the east of Nadvratnaya in 1720 a stone two-storeyed Kelar building was built. Later, the treasures of the monastery were built there. The residential fraternal building stretches along the northern wall, which ends on the east side of the Church of All Saints. It was built quite a long time (XVII-XVIII century.), The facade was made in 1790. Today, the cells of the brethren are located in it.

Closing of the monastery

During the Soviet period, the monastery of Spaso-Prilutsky did not escape the sad fate of the religious buildings of Russia. In 1918, a search and inventory of all property were conducted in the monastery. In the buildings part, Red Army men were stationed. During the Civil War, the towers of the monastery played the role of warehouses of explosives. Once only timely measures taken, allowed timely repayment of the fire that began and save this priceless historical and architectural monument. Until 1923, the church values were confiscated from the monastery, which, in particular, went to the aid of the starving Volga region.

The county executive committee decided to evict Archimandrite Nifont (Kursin), novices and monks were removed from the monastery, and parishioners who expressed dissatisfaction were repressed. Residents of Pryluk and surrounding villages asked the authorities for permission to dismantle the monastery walls on bricks, but their petition was rejected.

In the summer of 1924 the agreement with the community was terminated, and the monastery itself was finally closed. All works of art were handed over to the city museum, the rest of the property was transferred to state institutions. In the 30s the monastery was turned into a transit prison for the dispossessed, who were then taken to the northern camps of the Gulag.

From the beginning of the 50s to the end of the 70s, military warehouses were located within the walls of the monastery. At different times in the monastery was a cinema, a house for disabled people. In the mid-fifties, the ruining and deserted buildings of the monastery began to be gradually restored. Experts say that the work was carried out very qualitatively, so many buildings were returned to their original appearance.

Since 1979, the Savior-Prilutsky Monastery has become a part of the Vologda Museum-Reserve. The tour through its territory was included in the program of the museum "Revival of the Monastery". In mid-June 1990, after the closing of the monastery for the first time, a procession to the Gorbachevsky cemetery, where the church of Lazarus is located, was held. In August of the same year, the Gate Ascension Church was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. And in 1991 the diocesan monastery was again opened.

On the day of the memory of Dmitry Prilutsky (February 24, 1992), the monastery was returned to the ROC completely. Gradually, life began to revive in the monastery, monastic buildings were renovated, bells and iconostasis were restored. Daily services are held. On the territory there is a farmstead, a Sunday school is open.

In the monastery there is a branch of the Orthodox spiritual school of Vologda. It prepares priests for the Veliky Ustyug and Vologda dioceses. Every year Dimitry readings are held here, gathering enlightenment workers and clergy.

Since 2014, the rector of the Savior-Prilutsk Monastery - Metropolitan Kirillov and Vologda Ignatius. Brotherhood of the monastery - about 20 people, here live the workers and several employees of civilians.

Excursions

We inform all those wishing to visit the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery (Vologda) opening hours.

- On weekdays (from Monday to Saturday) - from 10.00 to 17.00.

- On Sunday - from 12.30 to 17.00. On the days of the patronal feast, excursions are held from 14.00.

Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery: hours of work (worship)

During weekdays:

- Morning - 5.00.

- Liturgy - 7.00-7.30

- Confession is held in the left half of the temple.

- Evening - 5 pm.