Alexeev-Akatov Nunnery

Alexeev-Akatov Monastery is one of the oldest monastic monasteries in the Voronezh region. Originally a male monastery, after many years of neglect during the Soviet period it is now revived as a female monastery.

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Highlights

The glade on which the monastery stands is called Akatova (or Okatova). The architectural ensemble of the monastery is made in Byzantine-Russian style. Nowadays, the residence of the Voronezh bishop adjoins the monastery, including the house church in honor of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Vvedenskaya Church.

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At the Akatov Monastery is the residence of the diocese, moved from the Pokrovsky Cathedral because of the construction of the building of the Academic Drama Theater named after A. V. Koltsov. The residence was designed by Stanislav Gilev, is made of red brick and is located on Osvobozdaniya Truda Street. Metropolitan Sergius (Fomin) of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk resides in the residence. At the residence there is also a house church in the name of the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God.

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History

The monastery was named after the first saint of the Russian Orthodox Church – Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow. In 1620, attacks of Lithuanians and Cherkasses were repulsed on the Voronezh land. In honor of this event laid Alexeyevsky church. The name of the saint was not chosen by chance. It is on the day of the victory over the enemies on the Orthodox calendar the memory of St. Alexis is accomplished.

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Place for the construction of the temple chose a deserted, overgrown with trees, two versts from Voronezh. Initially here they wanted to move annually flooded in floods Assumption Church. Initially the monastery was founded as a hermitage and was called “the new hermitage of Alexei Metropolitan of Moscow Wonderworker” (according to an ancient document called the tale of Theodosia).

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In 1700 Alexeev-Akatov Monastery was united with the Dormition Monastery, so it became the only male monastery of Voronezh. It gradually grew richer, gained importance in the city and under Catherine the Great became a state monastery, that is, it received maintenance at the expense of the state.

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During the years of Soviet power, all valuables were removed from the monastery. Despite this, in the mid-1920s Alexeyevsky Church of the monastery became the center of religious life in Voronezh. The monastery existed until 1931, its inhabitants were regularly arrested.

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In the 1960s workshops of Voronezh artists opened in the monastery, in 1970 the monastery buildings were transferred to the local history museum. The monastery was returned to the church in 1989. In 1990 it was reopened as a women’s monastery.

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Monastery cemetery

On the south side of the churchyard was an ancient cemetery. Monks and wealthy townspeople were buried there. In 1772 it was forbidden to bury at parish churches, and the cemetery of the Akatov monastery began to grow rapidly. In the “Synodnik” chroniclers Eliseevs lead obituary of buried from 1770 to 1800. In the cemetery of Akatov monastery in 1773 was buried the governor of Voronezh region. The inscription on the monument has been preserved: “1773 February 25 day on this day the servant of God, Lieutenant General and cavalier and Voronezh Governor of Voronezh Governor Mr. Alexei Mikhailovich Maslov presented himself, and this same February 28, he was buried with great ceremony by His Grace Bishop Tikhon with Archimandrite Samsonius and all the parish priests, and buried in the Alexeevsky Akatovsky Monastery, the coffin was covered with crimson pleather, covered with coffee brocade”. Great honor was given to the burial of the seminary teacher Fr. Palladius: “1784, May 6 day, the servant of God teacher Hieromonk Fr. Palladius and was buried in the Alexeevsky Monastery by Father Hegumen Samuel. There was a ceremony in seeing off the body: in all the churches there was a chime for the dead, and as the body was carried, there was also a bell, first the students of small stature, two in a row with untied hair, then of medium stature, and after them the big ones, two in a row, then all the teachers: and then the priests, and then Abbot Samuel; the coffin and the lid were covered with coffee brocade”. In general, Archimandrites Sampsonius, Gervasius, and Hegumen Samuel were often present at the funerals of nobles, including burials in other cemeteries.

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The cemetery was also used in the 19th century and early 20th century. In particular, there were buried former provincial leader N. I. Tulinov (1810-1854), the secretary of the zemstvo I. M. Labzin (1830-1854). M. Labzin (1830-1895), scientist M. S. Tsvet (1872-1919).

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In the early 1990s, a symbolic necropolis was created to replace the cemetery demolished in Soviet times.

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Shrines of the monastery

One of the most revered icons of the monastery is the icon of the “Life-bearing Spring”, which depicts the Virgin Mary emerging from the water, with Jesus in her arms. In 1991 this image was transferred from the Intercession Cathedral of Voronezh. On September 7, 1992, on the eve of the feast of the Purification of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, the icon began to myrrh for the first time. The myrrh appeared from the staff of the Mother of God and from the scroll of the Child.

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The icon of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon (of Athos), which began to thaw in 1997, is considered to be healing and miracle-working.

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In the same year of 1997 there was a miraculous renewal of the icon of St. Pitirim of Tambov (spiritual friend of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh), written in the 1st decade of the XX century and donated to Akatov Monastery on the day of its opening from the village parish church. Due to improper storage of the icon was gray, the letters were barely legible, the face was poorly visible. One evening after the service it was noticed that the image had brightened up, the colors on it began to play, the letters became golden and the background became blue. During the Divine Liturgy of the next day, the image began to myrotochize.

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Another icon of the Akatov Monastery has been exuding myrrh since 1997. It is an icon of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh and St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, also accepted as a gift from the village parish church. In 2002 the image was restored, after which it began to myrrh again. The myrrh comes from the panagia of St. Tikhon and the rod of St. Mitrophan.

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The icon of the Mother of God “In sorrows and sorrows Consolation” is a copy of the ancient wonderworking icon of Mount Athos, the Russian St. Andrew’s Skete. The icon has a troparion and kondak: “This icon was written and consecrated on the holy Mount Athos in the Russian monastery of St. John Chrysostom in 1905 under the rector Hieroschimonk Kirill”. In June 1999, the icon began to exude myrrh. For two days streams of myrrh flowed from the eyes of the image. Later, the icon myrrh flowed, but not so abundantly.

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The Kasperovskaya icon of the Blessed Virgin also exudes myrrh. On February 27, 2002, nine streams of myrrh flowed from the hand of the Virgin, the scroll and the head of Jesus.

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In the church there are icons with parts of the relics of the Holy Martyr Peter (Zverev), St. Khariton the Confessor, an ark with parts of the relics of St. Mitrophan and Tikhon of Voronezh and St. Cyril and Mary of Radonezh, in the sacristy is kept a shroud from the coffin of St. Mitrophan. In 2000 Peter (Zverev) was elevated to the countenance of saints. On February 7, 2004 the icon of the martyr Peter (Zverev) with a particle of relics was transferred to the Alexievo-Akatov Monastery. In 2000 Peter (Zverev) was ranked among the saints. At this event Metropolitan Sergius remarked: “Today St. Peter solemnly entered his residence – the Alexievo-Akatov Monastery. And we believe that he will also help us in our efforts to govern the Voronezh Diocese: the fathers – in their parish ministry, the sisters of the monastery – in their monastic work, all the faithful – in their service to God and neighbors and in their striving for salvation. By the example of St. Peter,” Vladyka emphasized, “we must learn the most important thing that is necessary for us – faith in God, standing in the Truth even unto death – and nowhere be afraid to confess Christ and the Orthodox faith.”

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Schedule of Divine Services

  • Summer: daily at 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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  • Winter: daily 4:00 p.m. in the winter.
  • Holidays and Sundays: at 6.30 and 8.30.
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How to get there

To get to Alexeyevo-Akatov Monastery you can walk along Massalitinov Embankment, take a bus to the stop “Osvobozdaniya Truda Street”.

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