History of occurrence
AT 1295 year on the day of the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos "a certain pious man" from the city of Rylsk, hunting with comrades in the forest, in 27 versts from the former Kursk; on the banks of the Tuskari River, found an icon lying at the roots of a large elm, turned to face the earth. As soon as he picked it up, a source of water opened under the icon, existing to this day. The icon turned out to be "Theotokos" of the "Sign" type., small sizes - 3,5 p 3,5 cream (15,2 p 15,6). According to the name of the area, the icon was called the Kursk, and Root - because, what is found at the roots of the tree. Those who found the icon immediately felt its grace and did not dare to carry it from the place of discovery.; by placing the icon in the hollow of the same tree, they immediately cut down a small chapel. Subsequently, a monastery cathedral church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built on this site..
At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century, the inhabitants of Rylsk repeatedly transferred the icon to their city and placed it in churches, but the icon miraculously disappeared each time and ended up in that place, where it was originally found. Then a more spacious and durable chapel was built here and people began to come here to worship the icon., on the wooded slope of the Tuskari River. More and more pilgrims every year, because many signs of grace came from the icon and healings were performed.
In the same 1597 In 1998, a royal decree was issued to establish a monastery on the site of the discovery of the Kursk Root Icon with a church in the name of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.. The icon was escorted there from Moscow along with the “royal dependency” to build a desert. A priest from Rylsk was appointed as the abbot of the future monastery, who had a special zeal for the Root Icon, often performing prayers and other services for pilgrims at the place of its acquisition. In monasticism, he received the name Euthymius.
The history of the desert in the Time of Troubles
However, the new monastery hardly had time to turn around.. AT 1598 or 1599 Tsar Boris Godunov ordered to transfer the "royal dependency" from the Root Desert to Kursk, due to the dangerous proximity of the Crimean Tatars, who attacked Belgorod. The icon was placed in the chapel in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, arranged through the efforts of hegumen Euthymius at the city's Resurrection Cathedral. AT 1601 – 1603 years, Russia was struck by a terrible famine. Fertile lands did not yield crops, everything ... except the Kursk land. She alone supplied bread not only to her inhabitants, but also Moscow. In the minds of people, this was directly associated with the miraculous icon; as if in gratitude to her, Tsar Boris granted a monetary treasury to the Root Desert that had not yet arisen, vestments, candles, incense, icons, bells and books (5, with. 17,18). All this is also located so far in Kursk. Hegumen Evfimy income from his services, in the aisle of the Resurrection Cathedral saved up for the maintenance of the Root Monastery. The councilors complained to the king, but he supported Euphemia, ordering the hegumen and the brethren to own all the proceeds from the services at Christmas - the Theotokos chapel (3, p. 12). From this it is clear, that already at the end of the sixteenth century the brethren of the Root Desert existed and, probably, some preparatory work was carried out for the construction of the monastery. Kursk was just being rebuilt at that time; it has not yet become a strong fortress, and in 1604 In the year 1918, a detachment of False Dmitry I entered the city without hindrance and took the Kursk Root Icon with them to Putivl, from where she was brought to Moscow in the camp of the impostor. Shrines do not help an unjust cause ... False Dmitry suffered popular vengeance. But you can't ignore that, that the Kursk Root Icon ended up in the capital at such a critical moment in history and remained there until the end of the Time of Troubles and the establishment of legitimate power in Russia in 1613 year.
The calamity befell that year also the Root Hermitage. AT 1611 year the united horde of the Crimean, Nogai and Kazan Tatars attacked the Kursk district (Kursk was not taken by them) and then "all the letters and extracts" of the Root Desert "burned out", which, Consequently, by this time had settled, get business papers.
AT 1612 year, the 7,000th army of the Polish-Lithuanian interventionists, led by Sagaidachny and Zholkievsky, unexpectedly approached Kursk. Residents of Kursk fled to the Resurrection Cathedral and all night with tears prayed in front of the list from the Root Icon in the chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin for deliverance from the enemy, promising the Queen of Heaven to build a monastery in Kursk in honor of Her icon. On the same night, the gunner Ivan Moskvitin saw the Luminous Virgin accompanied by two young men in bright clothes., walking from the Pyatnitskaya tower to the city visor. Encouraged Kurians in a procession circled the list of the Root Icon along the walls of the fortress. Four weeks held the enemy siege of Kursk, captured Big Ostrog, but Maly Ostrozhok, where the inhabitants and warriors took refuge, could not take.
Fulfilling your vow, Kuryans of all classes sent in the same 1612 year of the Moscow boyars, and in 1613 year - to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich petitions, in which, describing the events, asked permission to build a monastery in honor of the Kursk Root Icon of the Sign on the site of Maly Ostrozhok. AT 1615 year Znamensky Monastery was built. At the request of the people of Kursk, the Root Icon of the Sign was returned to Kursk from Moscow.. It should be noted, whatever the hetman, no other enemy, never managed to take Kursk, although in the continuation of the XVII century the city was often attacked by the Poles, and Crimean Tatars. Kursk, truth, was occupied during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 years. But note, that it was here that the victorious Battle of Kursk took place, which was a turning point for the whole war. The command post of the Central Front was located in the monastery garden of the Root Hermitage, very close to the miraculous source.
Indigenous deserts 1613 by 1764 year
The indigenous desert was conceived as a major spiritual center. According to the charters of Feodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov, apart from money and valuables, The estates complained to the indigenous monastery "in the Kursk district in Obmyatsky camp the village of Tazovo, yes village Zhernovets, yes freedom Servants, Yes Sloboda Long on the Tuskari River, and in those villages and settlements of the monastery land 600 foreign, but they don’t know the fallow and the wild field, how many chethers. Old books and ... letters of commendation and extracts from the war (1611 year. - Auth.) lost". So it says in the petition 1621 of the year, addressed by the Abbot of the Kursk Znamensky Monastery to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. The king confirmed the ownership of the aforementioned estates, but no longer Root Desert, and the Znamensky Monastery in Kursk, in relation to which the Root Hermitage was now attributed.
Appearance in 1613 year of the monastery in honor of the Root Sign Icon in Kursk itself put the Root Hermitage in a strange position; since the main shrine - the Kursk Root Icon was in Kursk, then the deserts inevitably had to fall into disrepair.
True, a small and very modest monastery was built in this holy place.. AT 1618 the wooden church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin was consecrated; several cells were built, necessary outbuildings (all are wooden), well above the spring. There was one monk and four "contributors" in the Monastery. AT 1621 four monks lived here, Yes, behind the monastery was the house of the priest Michael. AT 1630 year the monastery consisted 10 man of monastics. "Pustynsky monastery", that's what they called him in those days, had good icons, including one ancient list of the Kursk Root Icon in a silver-gilded setting, necessary books, crosses with relics, bells, other utensils, but did not even have a fence. The canopy over the holy spring was covered with bast, church - tesom, many buildings are thatched.
I, Nonetheless, the processions have already begun. According to legend, for the first time the Kursk Root Icon was brought here from Kursk to 1618 year on the occasion of the consecration of the first wooden church of the Nativity of the Virgin on the 9th Friday after Easter, and then there was a bargain. AT 1667 four monks lived in the Root Hermitage; buildings dilapidated. At this time, the Kursk Root Icon was sent to the Don to collect alms for the desert.. The monastery comes to life at the beginning of the 17th century, when the danger of Tatar raids passed. According to the documents 1701 of the year, there were six monastics with the charter, close to community. Priests from among the hieromonks were appointed as "builders"; there were also abbots - in that case, if they previously had such dignity. AT 1703 a new stone church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in the Root Hermitage on the site of the former wooden one (with the chapel of John the Baptist). AT 1708 The stone gates and the gate church of the Transfiguration of the Lord with the chapel of archangel Michael were created. All this is at the personal expense of two rich people. (from nobles) Monks of the Root Desert.
Construction in 1713 year of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the "Life-Giving Spring" above the well is associated with the name of an outstanding commander, hero of the Poltava battle, Northern war with the Swedes and many other battles, the first Russian Field Marshal General from the Russians, Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev. On the way from Ukraine to Moscow, Sheremetyev visited the Root Hermitage and, having experienced the grace of the holy spring, wished to erect a temple over him and express his all possible gratitude to the Mother of God "The only one who has an invincible victory". He allocated the necessary funds and put his overseer in charge of the work.(One of the antimensions of the temple of the "Life-Giving Spring" was consecrated in 1752 year by Saint Joasaph (Gorlenko;1754) - an outstanding Russian hierarch, canonized as saints).
At the same time, a stone covered passage was built from this church to the upper square of the monastery to the cathedral church.. Roof - plank, stairs paved with oak planks. New cells were built, guest yards. From year to year, traditional religious processions to the Root Hermitage became more and more numerous., like bidding, which the locals dated to this time. S 1726 by 1764 year, the stay of the icon in the desert increased from three days to a week. Processions and a fair were almost the only sources of income in the Root Hermitage..
Desert Disasters
In connection with the secularization of church lands, undertaken by Catherine II, Thousands of Russian monasteries ceased to exist.
By decree 1764 Year of the Belgorod Consistory of His Grace Porfiry, Bishop of Belgorod and Oboyan, The root hermitage was excluded from the jurisdiction of the Kursk Znamensky Monastery and became independent with a staff of seven monastics..
At the same time, Bogoroditsky Forest was illegally taken away from the Root Hermitage., and meadows, orchards and orchards, mill, beekeeper, all buildings, externally adjacent to the wattle fence of the monastery, including dilapidated living houses. In the monastery inventory 1765 years there are such eloquent records, "livestock, riding three horses, all the elderly. Note: two fell in labor, one sold. cattle, old and young cows, two-year-old bulls and small heifers of all 11. Note: by fraternal decree, for lack of, what to feed 5 – sold. There is no money in the treasury.) It can be seen from the documents, that the monastery lacks the most necessary utensils, temples in need of repair. The monastery was still not fenced, so barns, the cells of the monks and even the altars of the temples were often robbed. In this state, Abbot Isaiah accepted the Root Hermitage (Ilyashevich), tonsured a monk by St. Joasaph of Belgorod (Gorlenko), experienced in economic affairs and a very diligent rector, manager of the desert 1765 by 1771 year. Hegumen managed to repair something, to correct, improve in the monastery. In order to find funds for the further repair and maintenance of the life of the monastery, Abbot Isaiah achieved, what in 1765 year, the stay of the Kursk Icon in the Root Hermitage was increased to two weeks. When disagreements arose between the Kursk Znamensky Monastery and the Root Desert about the income from the lace and other fees, Bishop Porfiry ordered to divide the income equally, in half. AT 1767 year, during the traditional procession, there was a quarrel over these incomes. The highest decree was followed on the prohibition of religious processions to the Root Hermitage, is believed, on the initiative of the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, a man of Protestant sympathies, Count Melissino. They were only renewed 1791 year. The indigenous desert began to fall into complete decline.
As we can see, after a noticeable revival at the beginning of the XVIII century, the position of the Kursk Root Desert soon began to deteriorate steadily.. This was facilitated by far from specific local conditions.. It all started with the "church reform" of Peter I, conducted under the guidance of English professors of Oxford, continued with the anti-Orthodox policy of Catherine II, all kinds of oppression of monastic asceticism (including ideological persecution of doing the Jesus Prayer). All this ended up, that in the second half of the eighteenth century Saint Paisius Velichkovsky did not find a single monastery in Russia, where one who desires a truly monastic feat could live, without being mocked, and was forced to retire to Moldova ...
It was an internal consistent policy of the ruling elites of Russia, aimed at undermining the fundamental foundations of Russian church and spiritual life, over 80 years. The result of such a policy was the impoverishment of monasticism., his moral decline. And in 1792 year, when it was decided to introduce a firm cenobitic charter in the Root Desert, of the five inhabitants of the brethren of the monastery, only one, Hieromonk Proterius, expressed a desire to stay, the rest asked permission to retire to other monasteries, where it was easier. It was a far worse disaster, than material deprivation and constraint of the monastery! In this way, that, what happened to the Root Desert and in itself, was only a local reflection of the all-Russian phenomena of church life.
Catherine II significantly changed her attitude towards Orthodoxy, in particular to monasticism. This explains the amazing fact, what in 1790 Kursk citizens, headed by the mayor Ivan Golikov, dared to apply to her with a request for the resumption of religious processions to the Root Hermitage and immediately received the highest permission.
Desert rebirth
In June 1767 year, the Mother of God appeared to a seriously ill 9-year-old boy Prokhor Mashnin and said, that she herself would come and heal him, what Prokhor told his mother, Agafya Fateevna. The next day, the procession from the Znamensky Kursk Monastery changed direction due to heavy rain and went through the Mashniny estate. Agafya Fateevna carried the boy out into the yard, asked to carry the Root Icon over him and gave her son to venerate it, after which he began to recover. This incident from the life of the great lamp of the Russian land, St. Seraphim of Sarov, connected him with a spiritual thread with the Root Icon and the Root Hermitage. At the age of 20, he went to the Sarov Monastery of the Tambov diocese, and, maybe not by accident, that the spiritual revival of the Kursk Root Desert began precisely from the Sarov Monastery. AT 1792 the first (upon resumption) procession to the Root Hermitage, after which another petition followed to the Synod. Noting, that many thousands of people participated in the procession, and not only local, but also "from Moscow, S. – Petersburg, Kyiv, Great Russian, Little Russian and Greek cities, Valakhi, Crimea, Poland and other countries", the citizens of Kursk complained with sorrow, that the cathedral service, prayers and akathists in the desert are performed "with extreme negligence". And they asked in the Root Hermitage “to establish a hostel approximately against (that is, in the likeness. - Auth). Sarov Hermitage and appoint abbots from the monastics thereof (Sarovskaya. - Auth.) Hieromonk Nikander".
The Synod sent Hieromonk Ilariy to the Abbots for the Root Desert of Sarov, with him came Hierodeacon Parthenius and two novices.. Elder Hilarius, releasing those from the Root Desert, who did not wish to live as a monk, replenished the brethren with spiritually strong people, introduced a communal charter, leaving no care in the external improvement of the monastery. However, due to old age and poor health, he was not able to remain abbot for a long time and in 1795 year returned to Sarov. Hieromonk Parthenius remained confessor in the Root Desert. Appointed in 1799 year rector Hieromonk Macarius (Kamenetsky) previously passed the obedience of a trapezar in the St. Petersburg Alexander - Nevsky Lavra; personal connections with high-ranking people in the capital, including with Metropolitan Gabriel, helped father Macarius in the revival of the Root Hermitage. With his arrival, the monastery returned many lands and lands, taken in 1764 year, including the forest, grasslands on both sides of the Tuskari River, orchards and orchards, a mill near the village of Dolgogo and more. AT 1804 year the decree was issued, according to which the Kursk Icon of the Sign was to henceforth remain in the Root Desert from the 9th Friday to Easter until 12/25 September; all fees during this time went to the Root Desert. For interior improvement, the spiritual naturally followed the external, material splendor.
AT 1806 year Father Macarius was elevated to the rank of abbot. He made Hieromonk Parthenius his closest assistant. (former Sarov monk), who worked diligently on the spiritual strengthening of the monastery until 1809 of the year, when he was transferred by the rector to the Glinskaya Nativity of the Mother of God hermitage.
AT 1811 year, there were nine hieromonks in the Root Monastery, five hierodeacons, one white deacon, four monks and 25 novices. Among them were people of different backgrounds and status. (sometimes high), but with a common sincere desire for monastic piety and ascetic life.
Hegumen Macarius passed away 16 August 1815 year and buried under the porch of the cathedral monastery church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Hegumen Pallady became his successor (1815-1818), in the world Pavel Belevtsev, from the nobles of the Kursk province, graduated from the course of sciences in the Engineering Corps. Under him, an archimandry was established in the Root Hermitage; he himself became its first archimandrite, in 1819 year was transferred by the rector of the Kursk Znamensky Monastery; there his activities were crowned with the construction of the majestic Znamensky Cathedral, which to this day adorns the city.
AT 1819 year in the Root Hermitage, the fourth Church of All Saints was consecrated in the fraternal refectory with cells. In the 1930s, the monastery brick factory was launched, producing 300 thousand pieces of bricks per year. The mill near the village of Dolgogo provided the monastery with flour.
AT 1825 year, the monastery was bequeathed to the court of the merchant Gladkov in the city of Kursk, which became something like a courtyard of the monastery. AT 1832-1835 years, under the archimandres Paisii, the famous roofed majestic stone descents from the upper platform of the monastery to the Church of the Life-Giving Spring were built. Having spent large funds for those times - 20 thousand rubles in silver. According to eyewitnesses, these gatherings gave the Root Desert an unusually beautiful look., reminiscent of the galleries of the Athos monasteries and the covered galleries of the Near and Far caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and created great amenities for the pilgrims.
AT 1825 year, a cathedral church was laid in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the project, chosen by the famous Kursk landowner Count Kleinmichel, having been ordered by the government. Sanctified in 1860 year, the new temple represented one of the best examples of the Russian-Byzantine style.
The Church of the Life-Giving Spring was also renovated.. In the center of her, in front of the altar, there was a well fenced with an iron grate; in a metal bowl, built for a better flow of water from the Root Spring, believers used to throw silver and copper money; sometimes a lot of money was collected. The southern doors of the temple overlooked a small courtyard, on the western side of which the slope was sheared and paved with stone; nearby, through a hole made in the stone, one could see the root of that same elm, which was found in 1295 miraculous icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. AT 1885 year, the root still emitted three living green shoots. Wooden shield with the image of the Root Icon at the time of finding, in the hands of the person who found her with a lantern-lamp in front of her, sheltered from above by a wooden roof on poles; below - a wooden platform, over which the miraculous spring flowed, immediately piped inside the church, in a well with a vat, and from it by a pipe - to the Tuskari River.
AT 1875 year, under the archimandres Ioannikii, the fifth monastery church was built - in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign on another hill of the monastery, through the ravine. A one-story building for the brethren was also built near this temple., in the middle of its roof is a small bell tower. At this temple, another - the fourth - a modest cemetery was arranged for the burial of the brethren and benefactors of the monastery.
The spiritual ascetic life of monastics improved, especially under Archimandrite Yuvenaly (Polovtsevo), appointed in 1862 year from the Glinskaya desert, where he was pastor. He continued the work, started in 1793 the year of the Sarov elder Ilarius. Juvenaly was a true old man; at the time he was more 10 worked for years in the Optina Hermitage under the guidance of the famous Elder Macarius. So, along with the spiritual direction of Sarov, the spirit of Optina was added to the Root Hermitage.. Educated in "spiritual sciences", father Juvenaly became an example for the brethren. Under him, a two-story stone building was completely built on the right side of the monastery, two-storey hotel. AT 1868 year, Archimandrite Yuvenaly was transferred to the post of governor of the St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
In the XIX- early XX century, the Root Desert acquired that appearance, in which she was remembered by eyewitnesses. From the holy gate closer to the market square, another gate with a bell tower was built. There were two hotels in front of the monastery, inside the monastery there was a stone abbot's building, fraternal corps, refectory with church, hotel and hospital buildings, other buildings.
Indigenous annual fair in law 1824 named among the top three fairs of the year, to which foreigners were allowed to send their goods.
AT 1860 more than 60 thousands of people. There have been years, when so many people gathered and gathered, that the procession stretched on everything 27 verst - so, what, when the first pilgrims entered the Root Hermitage, the latter were still on Red Square in Kursk. The sacristy of the Root Desert kept historical and spiritual relics, in particular, two altar crosses with many particles of relics of various saints, precious salaries, crosses, vessels, books, including seals of the 17th century, etc.. The most revered icons of the monastery were the Kursk Root (there were two lists from the original icon, one of them is the 17th century), Kazan and Fedorovskaya Icons of the Mother of God, as well as temple icons: John the Baptist, Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, Life-Giving Source, Transfiguration of the Lord, Archangel Mihailo, All Saints.
As the Russian historian put it about such monasteries, “not only the spirit of Russian Orthodox piety is expressed in all these various “acts”, and shallow observation without special analysis of monuments reveals, how and what they could and were able to build, acquire, donate and keep the ancient Russian people. Preserved as a shrine and precious monuments bear traces of ideas, forms and styles of ancient art, they are clearly visible as the mind, so is the taste of the creators and benefactors of the holy monastery".
The monastery during the years of the revolution and the red terror
AT 1918 year at the gathering of the poor, it was decided to rename the place Korennaya Pustyn to a new name - the place Svoboda.
At the same time, the monastery was deprived of the right of a legal entity., and in 1922 year according to the "Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee 16 February 1922 of the year” the confiscation of monastic valuables took place. A large number of precious items: salaries of icons, gospels, crosses, vestments and much more was taken away forever.
In October 1923 year of the desert was closed. Numerous brethren were disbanded. Some of them, staying devoted to the holy place, endure hunger and cold, huddled in dugouts, which they arranged not far from the monastery in the vicinity of the temple of Joachim and Anna in the village of Dolgoye.
After the closing of the monastery, the remaining valuables, including a unique library - looted and taken away. All the temples of the monastery were destroyed and dismantled into bricks., covered descents to the source, two tiers of the bell tower and its tent top, finials with crosses were destroyed on the entrance gates, the chapel was dismantled at the root - the place of finding the miraculous image and many other buildings.
The monastic surroundings have also changed. Bogoroditsky forest is cut down, and these were relict oak forests, creating a special unique healing air. Light clearings of the forest and coastal meadows made it possible to harvest medicinal herbs and plants., which were skillfully used by indigenous monks.
A fountain was built on the site of the destroyed Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in the thirties, decorated with figures of plaster bears. By this time, the sanatorium "Svoboda" was located here., and after the Great Patriotic War, a vocational school was organized in the surviving monastery buildings.
The fate of the repressed clergy and brethren of the monastery
Abbot of the monastery 1918 by 1919 Mr. Mr. was Archimandrite Barnabas. 31 October 1919 of the year, accompanying the icon "The Sign of Kursk Korennaya" he leaves the monastery. Archimandrite Barnabas spends the rest of his life in Serbia, where to 1944 year was the icon "Sign". His place of service is not known., as well as the place of burial.
Hieromonk Innocent (Grishin) in connection with the departure of Abbot Barnabas with the icon of the "Sign" of kursk Korennaya abroad, was appointed acting abbot of the monastery 5 June 1920 Mr. S 1922 of the year was appointed rector of the Nativity of the Theotokos Root Hermitage in the rank of Archimandrite. Died 4 June 1928 Mr.