Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dmitriev Monastery. City of Rostov the Great. Photo Monastery in the 18th century

Traveling independently through the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia, we unexpectedly took an amazing excursion to the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitrievsky Monastery in Rostov the Great, Yaroslavl region.

The men's monastery is located not far from the Rostov Kremlin, on the shore of Lake Nero. This is a very unusual body of water: despite its large size, its average depth is only 1.5 meters. But at the bottom there is a 20-30 cm layer of silt, which is called sapropel.

This is an excellent fertilizer for gardens and vegetable gardens. But this makes it difficult to swim in Lake Nero: there are no sandy beaches here.

Even Peter 1 refused to build his amusing flotilla on Nero, although he initially planned this very place. Having written a cacophonous review with his own hand: “And Rostov Lake is a dirty puddle,” he left for Pereslavl, where he already founded his flotilla on Lake Pleshcheyevo.

This ancient monastery was founded back in the 14th century by Bishop Yakov (Jacob), who was expelled from the city by the decision of the prince and townspeople for saving a criminal from execution. Then the saint went outside the city, came to the shore of the lake, took off his mantle, crossed it and laid it on the water. And he stood on it, and it floated under him like a boat.

Saint Jacob performed this miracle in order to show people that the salvation of the criminal, the choice of the place for the holy monastery, and all his actions were performed not by the will of man, but by the will of God, with the help of Divine instructions.

At the designated place, Yakov built a wooden church in honor of the Conception of Righteous Anna the Blessed Virgin Mary and placed his cell nearby. This happened at the end of the 14th century.

It so happened that next to the built Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery there was already a male Spaso-Pesotsky Monastery built in the 13th century, 150 years earlier. It was also called “Spasky on the Sands”.

In 1271 it was founded by Princess Maria of Rostov. After the death of her husband in a battle with the Tatar invaders, she herself ruled the Rostov principality. Scientists believe that she was the only woman who wrote chronicles in Rus'.

So the two monasteries stood side by side for almost 400 years. But then, by decree of Catherine 2, they merged into one. They took “Spaso” from the name of one, “Yakovlevsky” from the other, and also added “Dimitriev” - the name of the saint who glorified this temple. At the same time, Svyato-Pesotsky, although he was the richest and older, was assigned to the Yakovlev Monastery.

Nowadays, only the Holy Transfiguration Church has survived from this ancient monastery, which is located a little separately next to the Yakovlevsky monastery.

It is reliably known that the royal persons did not ignore the Rostov Monastery. For example, in addition to numerous charters for land ownership, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1652 made a valuable gift to the monastery: a 60-kilogram bell, which was kept in the temple until the 20th century.

The history of the canonization of Metropolitan Demetrius

Thus, by the end of the 17th century, a stone Trinity Church stood on the territory of the monastery, a little later renamed Zachatyevsky. It had a bell tower, a stone refectory and wooden cells. Around this time, Metropolitan Demetrius was buried here, according to his will, but contrary to the custom according to which such a high rank as a metropolitan should be buried in the city's cathedral.

This event was of great importance for the future fate of the Rostov Monastery, as it changed its status in the eyes of the powers that be. Demetrius of Rostov was greatly revered by the reigning persons, and after his burial the monastery generally became untouchable. After 50 years, the relics of the saint were found incorrupt. And it happened like this.

When, during repair work in the temple, they opened the coffin of Demetrius, they saw his incorruptible relics. Miraculous healings immediately began to occur, rumors of which spread throughout Russia. The fact is that before Demetrius there were no cases of canonization in Russia for more than 100 years. Therefore, this amazing fact reached all the way to the queen herself!

And she, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, presented a silver shrine and clothes made of gold brocade for the relics of St. Demetrius. The Rostov Museum contains a real book that describes more than 300 amazing, doctor-proven facts of healing people from the incorruptible relics of St. Metropolitan Dmitry.

After the 1917 revolution, the shrine with relics was transferred to the Rostov Kremlin Museum. And in 1991, the holy remains were returned to the Yakovlevsky Monastery with a religious procession. But for now they are not in the Conception Church, where they were found, but in Dmitrievsky.

Great, holy Rus'!

The news of the new saint quickly spread throughout the Orthodox world. Russian people firmly believe in miracles. Residents of the Temernitsk fortress, in honor of the new saint, decided to rename their fortress settlement and name it in honor of St. Demetrius of Rostov.

The settlement around this fortress began to be called Rostov. And later, the city of Rostov arose there. And to avoid confusion with the names of cities, they began to add “on the Don” to its name. This is how Rostov-on-Don arose. And in the center of the city there is a monument to St. Demetrius.

This is how two cities with the same name appeared in Russia. And what’s interesting is that more than 1 million people now live in the second city, which is located on the Don. While in the more ancient Rostov the Great there are only a little more than 30 thousand.

And on the territory of the monastery, stone construction and landscaping continued. At the beginning of the 20th century, the amazing bell ringing of the Yakovlevsky Monastery was created by 22 bells. The largest of them weighed about 13 tons, and was considered one of the three heaviest bells of Rostov the Great.

There was also a magnificent garden with fruit trees. To care for the plants, they hired a gardener who received 10 rubles a year! It was a lot of money back then...

After the revolution, life in the monastery changed radically

After the revolution, the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery lost its special position, its inviolability. In the cells for the monks there were living rooms for workers and warehouses. There was also an orphanage here. There was an infirmary where doctors and employees of the institution lived.

There is even written evidence that there was a prison, colony and concentration camp for “bourgeois prisoners” on the monastery lands. During the post-revolutionary period, the monastery lost 888 kg of silver and 2 kg of gold. Everything was turned upside down, but... that was the time!

But even here the monastery was lucky: its architectural ensemble was completely preserved, none of the monastery buildings were destroyed. And in the 80s of the 20th century, as a branch of the Rostov Museum, it began to host excursion groups. But this state did not last long, and in the early 90s the monastery became active again.

Modern territory of the monastery

The greatness of the temple in honor of St. Demetrius of Rostov

A large, majestic temple with columns in honor of Demetrius of Rostov was erected in 1801 at the expense of the famous Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetyev. The construction itself cost 55,000 rubles and the interior decoration cost 10,000.

Currently, the holy relics of Demetrius of Rostov are kept in the temple, and next to it is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Consolation and Consolation” - this is the saint’s cell icon.

The story of how it was written is amazing. The original of the shrine is located on Mount Athos, in the Vatopedi monastery. But here the artist mixed things up a little: and the list is written exactly the opposite, in a mirror image. What a story!

During the years of Soviet power, the family of a priest kept it in their house, then they transferred it to the monastery. Now the relics of Dmitry of Rostov are in the main cathedral of the Yakovlev Monastery. On the right side of the altar, on a raised platform under a marble canopy, there is a reliquary, and next to it on the wall hangs the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Consolation and Consolation”.

The iconostasis of the temple in honor of St. Demetrius of Rostov has the shape of a triumphal arch. Such options are quite rare in Russian churches.

In addition to the huge icons of St. James and St. Demetrius, there are also other shrines here: icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the first saint of the Yaroslavl land - St. Leontius, who lived in the 11th century. These two icons are unusual in that they are executed directly on canvas; they do not have a solid base.

The floor, laid with pre-revolutionary tiles, is amazing. I can’t even believe that all this could have been preserved in this quality for more than 100 years!

The space under the dome is very beautifully designed, the walls are decorated with stucco. Another element of the palace architecture is an elegant balcony intended for the church choir.

Our small excursion group was allowed to go through a secret door and climb an ancient spiral staircase, which is located inside the temple wall, almost to the very top: under the dome.

Having passed through the attic space, we found ourselves on this beautiful balcony, where the church choir used to be and now is located during Divine services.

It was a little scary from such a height and proximity to the church dome. But the entire cathedral was so beautifully visible from here. And the acoustics are simply wonderful!

Temple of St. James of Rostov and Conception Cathedral

These two churches are located close to each other. The one with the green dome is consecrated in honor of St. James of Rostov, while the cathedral in honor of the Conception of the righteous Anna of the Blessed Virgin Mary is under 5 domes: a central gold one, which is surrounded by 4 blue ones with stars.

The temple in honor of St. James (the founder of the monastery) was built in 1836. It was built adjacent to the northern wall of the Conception Cathedral.

But in fact there are even 3 churches here! In 1912, an underground church with elements of some temples in Palestine was still consecrated under the Yakovlevsky Temple. It is consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of the Lord. Unfortunately, it is currently not operational due to moisture problems because it is located below ground level.

In the church in honor of St. Jacob, the founder of the monastery, his relics are carefully kept under wraps, as well as a particle of the relics of St. Abraham, the founder of another monastery in the city of Rostov - Epiphany. An interesting fact is that this monastery was built on the site of a pagan temple.

On the site of a wooden church in honor of the Conception of Righteous Anna the Blessed Virgin Mary, a majestic stone cathedral was built in 1686 by Rostov Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich, who built the Kremlin in Rostov.

The iconostasis of the Church of the Conception is amazing - the icons here were painted by artists directly on the stone wall. Such iconostases are rarely found in Russia, but in Rostov the Great it is the other way around.

An inscription was found on one of the walls of the temple, left by the first artists who painted this cathedral. Modern icon painters were very surprised by the decoding. It turned out that the cathedral was painted by 6 Yaroslavl artists, who painted the church in just 2 months and 1 week.

The church contains a marble pedestal on the site where St. Demetrius of Rostov was originally buried in 1709 and where his incorrupt relics were found 42 years after his death.

The Church of the Conception has one design feature that is not found in any other Russian church: the arches are thrown from all sides: they go from the walls to the pillars, between them, from the pillars to the iconostasis. That is, it turns out to be an intermediate arched tier, and the vaults and ceiling are even higher.

They also told us an original story that when designing the temple, Iona Sysoevich forgot that there could be people on these arches. Therefore, a staircase was built right in the stone wall of the cathedral, along which one could climb up.

When Emperor Nicholas II visited this church in 1913, he was allowed to climb it. Ordinary people, including modern pilgrims, are not given such an honor. 🙂

The main temple icon depicting the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary is Saints Joachim and Anna. Believers pray in front of this image for a happy family life, for the health and well-being of children. But most often, people who really want to become a happy mom or dad turn to her. There are many known cases when a prayer was answered and the family was filled with children's laughter!

Protection of the monastery

The monastery is surrounded by a fortress wall, built in the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries. Observation towers are installed on 4 corners. At the top is the Defender Weathervane: the trumpeting Angel.

There are also towers for various purposes built along the wall. The entrance to the monastery passes under the Holy Gate.

Once on the territory of the monastery, your gaze immediately falls on the opposite Water Tower, similar to the entrance one.

Another building in the wall is the bell tower.

And below, in convenient niches of the fortress walls, supplies of firewood for the winter are very well stored. 🙂

True, as our guide explained to us, the boiler room in the monastery is modern: automatic boilers run on natural gas. But the local monastery bathhouse is traditionally heated with wood.

Observation deck

An observation deck is equipped in the southwestern corner tower of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.

To climb it, you need to climb several flights of very steep and unstable wooden stairs. But it's worth it! From here you have a beautiful view of the shallow but very beautiful Lake Nero.

And the monastery itself is clearly visible. In the rays of the setting sun it appears in all its glory.

From here there is a passage to the monastery walls, you can walk along them a little.

True, a very small gap is open, but even this allows you to feel the full power of the ancient structure and better view the monastery buildings from above.

Realities of monastic life

The monastery has its own extensive library, a sacristy, an icon-painting workshop, a carpentry shop, a prosphora service, its own bakery, extensive vegetable gardens and a barnyard. There is a magnificent apple orchard, a pond has been cleaned and arranged, and the entire area is decorated with flower beds and flower beds.

In the center of the courtyard there is a spring, over which a wooden chapel is built, surrounded by flowers.

The water there is mineral with a slightly increased iron content. The water is cool, you can drink and wash.

There is a Theological School here, where future pastors of Orthodox churches study. The brethren of the monastery consists of 20 people.

Many pilgrims visit the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitrievsky Monastery every day. And if someone has a desire, he can stay there, live for a while and help in the arrangement of the monastery with his work.

Excursion program

We decided to book an individual excursion, during which the local priest took us around the temples for an hour and very interestingly talked about the history of this place and the human destinies associated with it.

We also visited the attic of one of the churches, which is rarely allowed anywhere. More precisely, this was the place where the church choir was located, almost under the very dome. Those temples that were currently closed to other pilgrims were also opened for us.

The duration of the excursion was about 1 hour. We really enjoyed! Without our guide and his interesting story, we would not have been able to know and love this wonderful place so deeply.

You can book an excursion when you arrive at the monastery. Cost per group is 500 rubles. Here at the entrance you can purchase tickets to the observation deck. Their price is 50 rubles per person.

It should be taken into account that you can climb the southwestern tower and walk along the fortress wall every day from 10.00 to 17.00. By the way, when ordering an excursion, entrance to the observation deck is free, it is included in the price of the excursion program.

If you are unable to get to the monastery on your own, you can book an organized excursion in advance. Accompanied by professional guides, you will be able to see all the most important sights of Rostov the Great.

Spaso-Yakovslevsky Monastery is located in the city of Rostov, Yaroslavl region, at the address: Engels Street, building 44. On weekdays, morning services are held there at 7:30, and on holidays and weekends - at 9 o’clock. Evening services are held daily at 5:30 p.m.

There are no services in the Conception Cathedral now, as it is under restoration, but a prayer service is held here once a week. You can leave a note with the names of your relatives and friends so that they can also be prayed for during the service if you yourself cannot be present.

There is a small parking lot next to the monastery. Coordinates: 57.1753, 39.39296.

You can see the location of the monastery on the map (click “+” to zoom in on objects).

The city is called Rostov the Great, but it is small, only 32,000 people live there. But there are 5 active monasteries here and 2 more in the suburbs. Come, this place has been prayed for centuries, and you can feel it here!

Our trip to the Yakovlev Monastery took place on July 18, 2016. Other attractions of the Yaroslavl region, where I was able to visit, are on this map.

During a short independent trip to Rostov the Great, we managed to see a number of attractions, among which was the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. A visit to this place was especially fulfilling for us, because right on the spot we agreed with the guide about a tour of the monastery. Together with the guide, we climbed to the observation deck, descended into the underground church, and then climbed back up to the very dome of the cathedral.

Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery is one of the central attractions of Rostov the Great. This is an unusually beautiful monastery, which stands out among others for its amazing architecture and interesting history.

In Rostov the Great we stayed at the Tsarevna-Frog Hotel (which I wrote about here). In order to cover the maximum number of attractions in a day, I outlined a route around the city center. Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery was one of the first points of the program. According to the plan, we were supposed to visit it before the Kremlin.

From our hotel we wandered there along the main street, past restored merchant estates.

Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery is located away from the center, on the shores of Lake Nero. The day turned out to be sunny, so walking around the monastery was a pleasure. Once on the territory of the monastery, we looked into the gatehouse and found a tour desk there. The guide was free, and he took on the task of introducing us to the history of the monastery.

The monastery was founded in 1389 next to the Spaso-Pesotsky convent. Today, only one temple remains from this monastery, and on its territory there is a monastic household yard.

The founder of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery was the Rostov Metropolitan Jacob (Yakov), who saved a woman sentenced to death, believing that repentance was more important than punishment. But the residents of the city and the prince did not think so, so the metropolitan, who followed the commandments of Christ, was expelled. According to legend, the Monk Jacob spread his cloak on the water, stood on it like a raft, and sailed away. Not far from the city, on the shore of the lake near the Pesotsky Monastery, he set up a cell, cut down the Conception Church and began to live. Naturally, he could not live in the Pesotsky convent. But the townspeople, seeing this miracle, received their sight and many began to come to take the blessing from the monk. Some stayed, built cells in the neighborhood, and became monks. This is how the Spaso-Yakovlensky Monastery grew.

For a long time, the two monasteries existed side by side. It is interesting that the Pesotsky Monastery was richer and helped its “younger” brother. Very often, monasteries were destroyed during the Tatar-Mongol raids and the Polish-Lithuanian intervention, and then rebuilt.
In the middle of the 17th century, when the monastery was assigned to the Rostov bishopric and stone buildings began to be erected. The first such building was the Trinity Church, which was erected on the site of the old Zachatievsky. True, a hundred years later the Trinity Church again became the Cathedral of the Conception of St. Anne.

In 1709 he was buried in the monastery Dmitry Rostovsky, and this became a turning point for the monastery. It is worth telling about this legendary man separately.
He was one of the most educated people of his time. He was fluent in several languages ​​and was a very good preacher. But the main work of his life was writing and translating church books. During his life, he wrote more than fifty volumes of sermons, biographies and made several hundred translations. And his “Lives of the Saints” is still one of the most popular books in the Orthodox Church.
Forty years later, the relics of Dmitry of Rostov were recognized as saints, and the saint himself was canonized. This fact saved the monastery from abolition. After all, it was at this time that Catherine’s decree was issued, which abolished and even ruined many monasteries. This fate did not spare the Spaso-Pesotsky Monastery; it was abolished, and the territory was given over to the needs of the Yakovlevsky Monastery. All the former monastery buildings were dismantled, and only the Transfiguration Church, which stands a little to the side, has survived to this day.
But the Yakovlevsky Monastery received the honor of becoming stauropegial. That is, he left the subordination of the bishopric and entered the Synod. It is worth noting that not all monasteries were awarded this position, and what is noteworthy is that Yakovlevsky received this title at the same time as the famous Solovetsky monastery.

The turn of the 18th-19th centuries marked the beginning of prosperity for the monastery. All wooden buildings were replaced by stone ones, the territory of the monastery expanded, took on a square shape and was surrounded by a wall. The monastery was very famous and enjoyed the patronage of famous families. It is interesting that in the 19th century the monastery was visited by all representatives of the royal family. Count N.V. provided special patronage to the monastery. Sheremetyev. He donated a lot of money for the improvement of the monastery and even initiated the construction of the Demetrius Cathedral, which today is the hallmark of the monastery.
The twentieth century ended the rapid rise of the monastery with a decree that abolished all monasteries and their property was nationalized. But it is worth noting that the monastery was very lucky - the Bolsheviks did not destroy any beautiful churches or cells. During Soviet rule, military warehouses were located here, and only in 1996 monastic life was restored here.

Monastery architecture

It is interesting that all the monastery buildings seem to be divided into two halves. On one side is the entire temple complex, and on the other are cells and administrative buildings, and in the middle is a holy spring.
The oldest - Cathedral of the Conception of St. Anne, we went there with a guide.. It was built here in the 17th century. This is the first stone building of the monastery. The temple has five domes: the central dome is golden, and the other four are blue with gilded stars. The color blue in Christianity symbolizes the Mother of God, and therefore all churches and monasteries dedicated to her have blue domes.

The guide opened a church especially for us... which is located underground. This room is closed to believers due to the need to maintain the required level of humidity.

Inside, the walls of the cathedral are painted with frescoes, which are perfectly preserved to this day. Amazing atmosphere! The part under the dome is decorated in a very unusual way - such arches can only be seen in this cathedral.

Built very close to Zatachevsky Yakovlevskaya Church. It was rebuilt several times, and what we see today is the result of the work of the masters of the mid-19th century. The temple was built in the classicist style, decorated with columns with exquisite rosettes and stepped porticoes. It is very easy to distinguish where the Conception Church ends and the Yakovlevsky Church begins: the blue domes are replaced by green ones.

The main relics of the monastery are kept in this temple. These are the relics of Abraham, the founder of one of the oldest monasteries in Russia, Avraamievsky, which is located here in Velikov Rostov. Also here is the tomb of St. Jacob of Rostov, the founder of the monastery.

The relics of Demetrius of Rostov are also kept here, who, according to his will, was buried and then canonized in the Yakovlevsky Monastery. Not far from the shrine with the relics is the Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God of Vatopedi. This icon was the cell image of Demetrius of Rostov, and remained here after his death. Patrons of the city donated a rich frame for the image and even a carved altar where it was kept.

The second name of this icon is “Joy”. It depicts the Mother of God with a kind, merciful look. And in her arms sits a baby with a menacing look, who is trying to close the Mother’s mouth. There is a legend about why this image exists:
The Vatopedi Monastery near Athos, where the original icon is kept, was once attacked by robbers, but the Mother of God interceded and prevented the massacre from happening. The next day, the Mother of God from the icon said to the abbot: “Do not open the doors, but go out onto the walls and disperse the robbers.” The baby became angry and tried to cover his mother’s mouth with his hand, but she gently pushed his hand away and repeated these words two more times. Since then, the Vatopedi Icon has been exactly like this: a formidable baby who reminds of the Last Judgment and the Mother of God, who consoles with her intercession.

By the way, we were lucky here - our guide took us along a secret staircase to the very top of the cathedral!

But let's move on. This cathedral was erected not far from the Yakovlevsky Church. This cathedral attracts attention and is the dominant feature of the entire architectural complex. Indeed, no matter where you are in the courtyard, this magnificent temple attracts your attention. The idea of ​​building this frame arose immediately after the death of St. Demetrius of Rostov. Count Sheremetyev donated the money, and he also sent the architects. The temple turned out to be very bright and majestic. In terms of style, it is reminiscent of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, although it was built several years earlier.

The style of the temple is mixed: Baroque, Classicism and Empire. The building attracts the eye with a luxurious façade, painted colonnade, carved porticoes in the ancient Greek style and decorated balustrades. In the niches you can see statues of archangels and saints, and on the walls there are bas-reliefs from the “Lives of the Saints”, which is not typical for Orthodox churches, and is the highlight of this monastery.

The bell tower of the monastery is built into the wall and, in comparison with cathedrals, looks modest, and it is not too high in height.

As I already said, in the middle of the monastery there is a small chapel above holy spring, which has been known to locals for a long time.
The monastery is surrounded on all sides by white stone walls with galleries, and in the corners there are low turrets.

To the south-west it is equipped Observation deck which offers a magnificent view of Lake Nero and, of course, the monastery. And, again, you can admire the magnificent Demetrius Cathedral, but from a different angle.

From the observation deck you can walk a short section of the wall.

The entire territory of the monastery is well-groomed. It can be seen that it is being restored: flower beds have been laid out, lawns have been sown, paths have been tiled, in general, the yard is very beautiful, matching the temples.

The abbot's house and the monastery cells are located a little to the side, also whitewashed and fit harmoniously into the complex.
Time flies here unnoticeably, and what is time in comparison with these ancient churches, ancient relics and eternal values ​​that the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery brings to the world.

Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery is located about one and a half kilometers south of the Rostov Kremlin. It rises above the waters of Lake Nero like the city of Kitezh.

The monastery was founded in 1389 by Bishop Jacob. According to legend, expelled from the city for pardoning a criminal awaiting execution, Jacob settled not far from Rostov, next to a spring. Here he cut down a small wooden church with his own hands and consecrated it in honor of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Over time, a community formed around this temple, and thus a new monastery was formed.
The Yakovlevsky monastery is named after its founder. After the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov were laid to rest in the local cathedral, the monastery began to be called “Dimitrievsky”.

Two Rostov saints - Demetrius and Jacob - are the spiritual pillars and heavenly patrons of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. The founder of the monastery was St. Jacob, but the real flourishing of the monastery is associated with the name of St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, who ruled the diocese at the beginning of the 18th century. The relics of St. Demetrius became the main monastery shrine.

Spaso-Yakovslevsky Dimitrievsky Monastery was a major spiritual center of Russia; it was visited many times by representatives of the reigning family and the highest nobility.

There are several majestic temples on the territory of the monastery. When entering the monastery on the left you see Cathedral of St. Dmitry of Rostov, which was built at the end of the 18th century with the money of Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetyev in the classicism style. On all sides, the facades of the temple are decorated with large multi-column porticoes of the Corinthian and Ionic order. The structure is crowned by a large dome with one dome.

Behind the cathedral stands a three-tiered bell tower with a spire, built around 1776-1786 and decorated with pairs of columns (pictured below, center).

Next you will see another impressive cathedral, which is actually two churches connected to each other - the Cathedral of the Conception of St. Anne (in the photo below it is on the right) was later added to the Church of St. James of Rostov (in the photo on the left).

Council in honor of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Righteous Anna- the oldest building of the monastery, it began to be built under Metropolitan Ion Sysoevich in 1686. This is a classic monastery cathedral for its time. The central dome is gold, and the small ones are blue (this is the color of the Virgin Mary) with gold stars. In 1689 - 1690, the temple was painted by masters from Yaroslavl, and its frescoes are considered magnificent examples of religious painting. The upper tier depicts the Old Testament story of Abraham and the appearance of the Holy Trinity to him, while the lower tier contains Gospel stories.
Yakovlevskaya Church of St. James of Rostov built close to the wall of the Conception Cathedral. The temple in the classicist style was built from 1824 to 1826 with donations from Princess A.A. Orlova-Chesmenskaya. Obviously, in order to recreate the symmetry of the monastery ensemble, the architect Pankov repeated elements of the neighboring Demetrius Church in the northern facade of the new church.

In the center of the monastery territory there is a small wooden Chapel over the spring of St. James. They say that the healing properties of this spring have been known for a long time.

The monastery is surrounded by stone walls with four towers and two entrance gates. In the corner southwest tower there is Observation deck, where pilgrims and tourists can climb. From here you can see the lake and the entire monastery. Every day from 10.00 to 17.00. For a nominal fee.

The residential and economic buildings of the monastery include the abbot's building, the refectory building and the monastic cell buildings.

Next to the eastern wall of the monastery, outside its walls there is another church - this Transfiguration Cathedral Spaso-Pesotskaya monastery, annexed to the Yakovlevsky monastery in 1765. The temple was founded by Princess Maria in memory of her deceased husband, Prince Vasilko. The existing building was built in the 17th century on the site of a former wooden church. It is known that the princess herself, her son Prince Gleb Belozersky, as well as Bishop Amphilochius of Uglich are buried here.

When visiting the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery, we, unfortunately, were limited in time. But, of course, I would recommend visiting this monastery with a tour. The excursion includes a visit to the Dimitrovsky Cathedral, Yakovlevsky Church, as well as the Conception Cathedral with inspection of frescoes of the 17th century; climbing the monastery tower and the balcony for singers, as well as visiting the underground Church of the Resurrection.

The main shrines of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery in Rostov the Great:

• relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov (1709),
• relics of St. James of Rostov (XIV century),
• the miraculous image of the Mother of God - the cell icon of St. Demetrius "Vatopedi" (or "Consolation and Consolation").

You might also be interested in:

Church of St. Demetrius of Rostov and Church of the Conception of St. Anna with a temple in honor of St. James of Rostov. year 2009.

Church of St. Demetrius of Rostov and Church of the Conception of St. Anna with a temple in honor of St. James of Rostov. 2011.

The Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery went through several stages in its development. For quite a long time it was a small little-known monastery, where even the cathedral church was wooden. Subsequently, the monastery became both a stauropegic monastery and the residence of a suffragan bishop.

In 1385, the abbot of the modest Kopyra monastery, Jacob, became the bishop of Rostov. His abbess was prosperous, but Bishop Jacob did not settle down at the Rostov see: in 1389 he left it due to the dissatisfaction of the Rostovites with the decision of the episcopal court. Expelled from the city, the saint retired to its surroundings and on the shores of Lake Nero built a wooden church in honor of the Conception of St. Anna. This was the beginning of the Yakovlev monastery.

The chronicles are silent about the first centuries of the monastery's existence. In fact, only a few events related to his history are reliably known: the burial and canonization of St. Jacob, the destruction of the monastery in 1408 by the army of Khan Edigei and - two hundred years later - its robbery by the Poles. Thus, we can conclude that at that time the monastery was not famous. It did not have stone buildings either.

A certain improvement in the financial situation of the Yakovlevsky Monastery occurred in the first half of the 17th century. In 1624, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich granted him estates and fishing grounds. And the “growth” of monastic lands does not stop there. By 1679, the monastery already owned eighteen wastelands. The time had come to think about the construction of a stone temple, which was carried out in 1686-87.

Of considerable importance for the monastery was its annexation to the Rostov bishop’s house, which took place in the 1650s “so that the relics of Bishop Jacob lie in that monastery.” All assigned monasteries were maintained at the expense of the department, and therefore from now on the welfare of the Yakovlevsky monastery constantly increased. By the end of the 17th century, it had not only a stone five-domed Trinity Church, but also a stone refectory. Cell buildings and other services, however, remained wooden for quite a long time. The monastery fence was also made of wood.

A turning point in the history of the monastery was the appointment of Metropolitan Demetrius (Tuptalo), who was later glorified by the Church in the host of saints, to the Rostov see. He arrived in Rostov on March 2, 1702 and almost immediately upon arrival - the first of all Rostov monasteries - visited the Yakovlevsky monastery. Entering the cathedral, the bishop pointed to its southwestern corner and said: “Behold my rest: here I will dwell forever and ever,” thus indicating the place of his burial. Metropolitan Dimitry, who died in 1709, became the second Rostov bishop to be buried not in the Assumption Cathedral, but in the Yakovlevsky Monastery. It should be noted that the Rostovites at first did not want to fulfill the wills of the deceased metropolitan, and only the friend of the late saint Stefan Yavorsky, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, insisted on his burial in the Yakovlevsky monastery, thereby serving the latter a good service.

In 1757, five years after the discovery of the incorruptible relics of St. Demetrius, his canonization took place. He was the first saint canonized during the synodal period, and the only one in the entire 18th century. The relics of St. Demetrius, which were revered as a great shrine not only by ordinary people, but also by the nobility (including members of the imperial family), became a special guarantee of the prosperity of the Yakovlevsky Monastery. The first contributions to the “holy house” were not long in coming: Empress Elizaveta Petrovna already donated a silver shrine for the relics of St. Dimitri. Subsequently, donations did not dry up.

Chronicle of the monastery.

Using materials from the magazine “Orthodox Monasteries. Travel to holy places, No. 15, 2009.”

Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery- Orthodox male monastery. Located on the shore of Lake Nero in the southwestern part of Rostov. From 1764 to 1888 he had the status of stauropegia.

History of the monastery

Medieval period

Founded in 1389 by the Rostov bishop St. Jacob († November 27, 1392; memory - November 27). Expelled from the city by his flock (for pardoning a criminal awaiting execution), Jacob settled south of Rostov, not far from the Church of the Archangel Michael (founded in the 11th century by St. Leonty of Rostov; the last building of this temple was demolished in the 1930s) , next to the source (now there is a chapel above it from 1996), where he cut down a small wooden temple with his own hands and consecrated it in honor of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Soon a small community of like-minded people of the exiled bishop forms near the church; This is how a new monastery was formed.

After the death of Bishop Jacob, his local veneration as a saint began; his burial was protected as a shrine. Church-wide glorification was carried out by the Makarievsky Cathedral in 1549. His relics rest hidden in the Church of the Conception of St. Anna.

The monastery was called Zachatievsky(named after the main temple dedicated to the Conception of Righteous Anna) or Iakovlevsky- named after the founder of the monastery. From the time of the founding of the monastery (XIV century) until the second half of the 17th century, all the buildings of the Conception Monastery were exclusively wooden (none of them have survived to this day).

The first stone building of the monastery was Trinity, later Conception Cathedral(1686), built on the site of a wooden church of the same name. The cathedral is five-domed, with three altar apses, without rich decorative decoration; at that time it had a hipped bell tower with six bells. The cathedral was consecrated by Rostov Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich. In 1689, the cathedral was painted by Yaroslavl masters. Over the tomb of St. A stone canopy was erected for Jacob.

Monastery in the 18th century

In 1702-1709, the monastery was under the special care of the Rostov Metropolitan Dimitry of Rostov. Arriving in Rostov on March 1, 1702 at the behest of Peter the Great, he was solemnly welcomed at the Yakovlevsky Monastery and immediately served a thanksgiving prayer service in the Trinity (future Conception) Cathedral. According to legend, on the same day he indicated the place of his future burial - in the southwestern corner of the temple.

Demetrius of Rostov was buried on November 25, 1709 in the Trinity (future Conception) Church. A wooden tomb was built over the place of his burial with epitaph poems written by the friend of the deceased - the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Stefan (Yavorsky) of Ryazan. In addition, according to the will of the deceased, two icons of the Mother of God arrived at the monastery: the Bogolyubskaya cell icon with the Rostov saints and the especially revered Vatopedi icon.

In 1725, by order of the Rostov Bishop Georgy (Dashkov), the northern one was added to the Trinity Cathedral Zachatievsky chapel, rebuilt into a separate temple in the 19th century. In 1754, by decree of Arseny (Matseevich), the cathedral was renamed Zachatyevsky (the same as its wooden predecessor was called; the name remains to this day), and the chapel was renamed in honor of Jacob of Rostov.

On September 21, 1752, during the repair of the church floor, the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov were discovered; According to the hagiography, the relics and clothes of the saint, untouched by decay, were examined three times by church hierarchs. On April 22, 1757, the canonization of St. Dmitry Rostovsky. The number of pilgrims to the monastery immediately increased significantly. In the same year, a guest courtyard for pilgrims was built near the western wall. On the instructions of Metropolitan Arseny (Matseevich), the monastery housekeeper started a notebook where pilgrims could write down their stories about miraculous healings at the saint’s tomb. The resulting large handwritten book, which covers events from 1753 to 1764 and contains descriptions of 288 healings, is now kept in the Archives of the Rostov Museum.

In 1758, from silver mined at the Kolyvan mines, by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, a shrine was created for the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov. The epitaph of St. was engraved on the silver. Dimitri, composed by Mikhailo Lomonosov. On May 25, 1763, the first religious procession took place from the Assumption Cathedral of the Rostov Bishop's House to the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery, which since then was held annually (until the revolution).

Several inventories of the monastery dating back to the middle of the 18th century have been preserved: a wooden chopped fence with a gate in each wall (both the fence and the gate were covered with planks). The main - Holy - gate, decorated with paintings, was located on the eastern side. The remaining three gates were drive-in, and next to each there was a small entrance gate. Near the western wall there were the abbot's chambers - wooden, with four rooms and a vestibule, from which a staircase led to the small room. On the south side there were stone fraternal cells, in the north-eastern corner there were several wooden cell buildings. On the eastern side there were wooden outbuildings: a barn, a stable, a barn, two stone cellars; near the Holy Gate there was a bread chamber with a kitchen; in the southeast corner there is a stone cookhouse and brewery. Behind the eastern wall of the fence there was a monastery courtyard, on which there were three huts, and behind the western wall there was a guest courtyard for pilgrims.

From 1764, according to the manifesto of Catherine the Second, until 1888 the monastery was considered stauropegial, that is, subordinate directly to the Holy Synod.

In the same year, the buildings of the abolished Spaso-Pesotsky Monastery, which stood nearby, were assigned to the monastery, including the monumental Transfiguration Cathedral XVII century (this is the only building of the Spaso-Pesotsky Monastery that has survived to this day). For this reason, in 1765-1836 the monastery was officially called Spaso-Iakovlevsky Conception Monastery.

In the 1760s, a wooden carved iconostasis made by carvers S. Sholomotov and S. Bocharov was placed in the Conception Cathedral. In 1780, icons were painted specifically for this iconostasis by the Kharkov icon painter V. Vedersky.

In the second half of the 18th century, the wooden walls of the monastery were replaced stone fence. Beautiful towers with light openwork silhouettes appeared at the corners and above the gates, and a high three-tier bell tower appeared above the eastern gate. In the monastery courtyard, two-story monastic cells and an abbot's building were built.

At the end of the 18th century, the art of enamel icons flourished in the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. The emergence of this craft in Rostov is associated with the name of Metropolitan Arseny (Matseevich), who invited icon painters to Rostov who worked in styles that were modern for that time, to renew ancient icons and paint new ones. Among them were masters of enamel icons. Initially, the center of the enamel industry was the Rostov Bishop's House, and after the transfer of the Bishop's House to the Yaroslavl Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, which had been abolished by that time, the main customer for enamel icons became the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery, where they were bought by pilgrims as a souvenir of their visit to the monastery.

In 1794-1802 was erected at the expense of Count N.P. Sheremetev Demetrius Cathedral. This rich temple in the classicist style was designed by the Moscow architect Nazarov and the serf architects Dushkin and Mironov. Sheremetev wanted to create a temple worthy of the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov, which, as the count expected, would be moved here immediately after construction was completed. However, the highest clergy of the Yaroslavl diocese, taking into account the will of Dimitri himself, did not bless the transfer of the relics from the Conception Cathedral to Dimitrievsky. Count N.P. Sheremetev was the largest benefactor in the entire history of the monastery: in addition to the construction of the cathedral, he donated vestments, gold and silver church utensils to the monastery. Even after Sheremetev’s death (1809), the monastery received a gold miter with precious stones on the shrine containing the relics of St. Demetrius, executed in St. Petersburg according to the will of the count. In memory of Sheremetev, the Demetrius Cathedral is often called Sheremetevsky.

Monastery in the 19th - early 20th centuries

At the beginning of the 19th century, the “grave elder” Amphilochius labored in the monastery, who for 40 years stood for many hours every day in front of the shrine with the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov. After the death of the elder, local veneration for him was established in Rostov.

In 1836, on the site of the old Jacob's chapel of the Conception Cathedral of 1754, it was built Church of St. Jacob of Rostov. The construction of the church was carried out with the active participation of Archimandrite Innokenty at the expense of the monastery's benefactor - Countess A. A. Orlova-Chesmenskaya (who had participated in the restoration and reconstruction of the Novgorod Yuriev Monastery a little earlier). The paintings were done by Timofey Medvedev (not preserved to this day).

In 1836, the porch of the Conception Cathedral was erected. On the porch there are tombs in the form of sarcophagi, including the grave hieromonk Amphilochius (d. 1824) and Archimadrite Innocent (d. 1847), on the right - Mikhail Mikhailovich Polezhaevs (d. 1876) and Vera Leonidovna (d. 1885).

In the 1860s, the main iconostasis of the Demetrius Cathedral was rebuilt. Now it was a triumphal arch made of artificial marble (design by K. A. Dokuchievsky).

In 1836, the Holy Synod, at the request of Archimandrite Innocent, approved the new official name of the monastery - Spaso-Iakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.

Catherine the Second, Alexander the First, Nicholas the First, Alexander the Second, and Nicholas the Second came to the monastery on pilgrimage.

The monastery preserved a huge collection of books and manuscripts, a valuable archive of music and historical documents.

In 1909, the tradition of transferring the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov from the Conception Cathedral to Dimitrievsky: from May 25 to October 28, the relics were annually in the Dimitrievsky Cathedral (as its builder, N.P. Sheremetev, wanted), the rest of the time - in the Conception Cathedral. The transfer of the relics was accompanied by a religious procession with a large crowd of people.

At the beginning of the 20th century, new churches were consecrated inside buildings that already existed by that time. A cave cave was opened in St. James Church in 1912 temple in honor of the Resurrection of Christ, and in 1916 - a chapel in honor of the Vatopedi Icon of the Mother of God (the latter was donated by S.P. Kolodkin “in eternal memory of the slain warrior Theodore”). In 1909, a temple in honor of the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God was opened in the southwestern tower - the home church of the abbot of the monastery. From this church, one could climb up the stairs to the observation deck of the tower, from where a panorama of the city opened up.

Abolition and revival of the monastery

From February 27, 1909 until the closure of the monastery, the rector was Bishop (later Metropolitan) Joseph (Petrovykh).

After 1917, services in the monastery were held only in the Yakovlevskaya Church.

In 1923, the monastery was finally closed. Residential apartments and workshops were located in the monastery buildings. The monks were expelled, the monastery property, books and manuscripts were partly transferred to the Rostov Museum, partly looted. In 1928, part of the manuscript collection of the former Spaso-Yakovslevsky Monastery was transported to Moscow (now to the RGADA).

In the 1980s, the carved baroque iconostasis of the 18th century from the Conception Church was dismantled. Currently, only its skeleton has survived.

On April 15, 1991, the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 7, 1991, according to the report of Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Platon (Udovenko), the monastery was reopened.

The relics of Rostov saints Abraham and Demetrius rest in the monastery. Here are the icons of the Vatopedi Mother of God and the cell of St. Demetrius of Rostov. The monastery necropolis has been partially preserved.

In 1996, a small wooden chapel was again built over the source (architect - M. Pankratov, Moscow), consecrated in honor of St. James, consecrated on December 10 by Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Micah (Kharkharov).

The modern appearance of the monastery

All three churches located on the territory of the monastery are built in a single line along the eastern wall of the monastery - this gives the appearance of the monastery a strict classical look.

Conception Cathedral

The modern building of the cathedral (originally consecrated in honor of the Trinity) was built in 1686 in a patterned style. The vaults are supported by four pillars. The altar is separated by a stone wall with an iconostasis. There are arches between the pillars and walls.

In the 19th century, the cathedral was surrounded by extensions. The northern stone Jacob's (originally Zachatievsky) chapel was built in 1725. The cathedral porch was erected in 1836. On the porch there are tombs in the form of sarcophagi: on the left are the grave hieromonk Amphilochius (d. 1824) and Archmadrite Innocent (d. 1847), on the right are the Polezhaevs Mikhail Mikhailovich (d. 1876) and Vera Leonidovna (d. 1885).

Ancient frescoes from 1689 have been preserved inside. On the altar wall (at the level of the local row of the iconostasis - in the right niche) there is an inscription in four rows:

The frescoes are designed in yellow, blue, and brown tones. In the wall niches on the sides of the iconostasis are depicted: on the right - righteous Joachim and Anna, on the left - St. James. The upper tier of wall paintings depicts Old Testament events associated with the forefather Abraham and the appearance of the Holy Trinity to him. The lower tier of the walls is painted with frescoes depicting evangelical events. The pillars depict martyred warriors.

Demetrius Cathedral

Demetrius Cathedral is often called Sheremetyevsky in honor of its builder, Count N.P. Sheremetev, as well as his son D.N. Sheremetev (who built a new iconostasis here in the 1869-1870s) and grandson S.D. Sheremetev (who also made several major contributions to the monastery) .

The cathedral was erected in 1795-1801 in a classicist spirit according to the design of the Moscow architect E. S. Nazarov and the serf architects Sheremetev Mironov and Dushkin. The temple is pillarless, the huge dome rests on strongly protruding pylons, decorated with two pairs of pilasters made of artificial marble. The cathedral is very light thanks to the chancel windows, high side windows and oblong drum windows.

In front of the entrance to the temple there is a refectory with vaulted ceilings that rest on two square pillars. In the refectory there are two chapels dedicated to St. Demetrius of Thessalonica and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

The Demetrius Church was built as cold; Only the aisles where services were held year-round were heated.

Initially, all the church iconostases were wooden, but in the 1860s the iconostasis of the main church was replaced with a new one - in the form of a triumphal arch made of artificial marble (design by K. A. Dokuchievsky).

The temple is decorated with stucco work by Ivan Fokht and G. Zamaraev. The main sculptural image of the temple - “The Finding of the Relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov” - is located on the pediment of the northern side.

The wall paintings were mostly done by the Rostov artist Porfiry Ryabov at the beginning of the 19th century. In the central dome the Holy Trinity is depicted, on twelve ovals - the apostles, on the sails - the evangelists, on the walls - the Martyr Alexandra, the Monk Hilarion, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Sergius of Radonezh, on the pillars - St. Leonty of Rostov, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the refectory - ornaments and scenes from the life of St. Demetrius of Rostov.

Yakovlevskaya Church

Church of St. Jacob of Rostov was built in 1836 on the site of the old Jacob's chapel of the Conception Cathedral. The construction of the cathedral was carried out with the active participation of Archimandrite Innokenty at the expense of Countess A. A. Orlova-Chesmenskaya.

The temple is built close to the Conception Cathedral and shares a common porch with it. The Yakovlevskaya Church was warm, heated all year round (unlike the summer Dimitrievsky Cathedral and the Conception Cathedral, which was irregularly heated in the 19th century).

The paintings done by Timofey Medvedev have not survived.

Bell tower

Built in the second half of the 18th century. Three-tiered, quite simple in architecture, it is somewhat lost against the background of the monastery churches. The decoration of the bell tower is laconic.

The number of bells changed over time: at the end of the 18th century there were 4 of them, by the beginning of the 20th century there were 22 of them, with the largest weighing 12.5 tons (about 3 thousand poods).

Stone fence

Brotherly cells

Abbot's corps

Overhead Chapel of St. James

It was built over a spring that has been known to local residents for a long time, is considered healing and, according to legend, is associated with the name of St. James (although there is no reliable evidence for this).

The wooden chapel was erected in 1996 (architect - M. Pankratov, Moscow).

Abbots of the monastery

About the first abbots of the Yakovlevsky Monastery, who ruled the monastery after the death of St. Jacob, no information has been preserved. In separate documents of the 17th century, the names of two abbots are mentioned - Paul (1624) and Joachim (1686).

More or less detailed information about the abbots of the monastery has been known since the first years of the 18th century:

XVIII century

• Abbot Nikodim (mentioned in 1701-1703)
• Abbot Jacob (1720-1734)
• Abbot Joseph (mentioned in 1734)
• Abbot Raphael (mentioned in 1735)
• Abbot Bogolep (mentioned in 1736)
• Abbot Parmen (1737-1740). Former hieromonk of the Rostov Bishop's House. Transferred to Rostov Petrovsky Monastery.
• Abbot Savvaty, (1740-1750). Transferred from Alexandrova Hermitage. Died in 1750.
• Abbot Serapion (1750-1753). Former hieromonk of the Yaroslavl Tolga Monastery, later transferred to the Poshekhonsky Nikolo-Tropsky Monastery.
• Abbot Gabriel (1753-1754). Transferred from the Resurrection Monastery to Karash.
• Abbot Cyprian (1754-1757). Former treasurer of the Rostov Bishop's House. Promoted to archimandrite and transferred to the Yaroslavl Tolga Monastery.
• Abbot Hilarion (1757-1758). Promoted to archimandrite and transferred to the Yaroslavl Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery.
• Archimandrite Boniface Boretsky (1758-1761). Former rector of the Rostov Spaso-Pesotsky Monastery.
• Hieroschemamonk Luke (1761-1763). Transferred from the Kuryazhsky Transfiguration Monastery near Kharkov. Removed from the leadership of the decree of the Synod, after which the Uglich Southern Dorotheev Hermitage.
• Abbot Pavel (1763-1764). Translated from the Yugskaya Dorotheevaya Hermitage. He received the rank of archimandrite and was transferred to the Uglich Resurrection Monastery.
• Hieromonk Jerome (1764-1765). Former cathedral vicar of the Rostov Bishop's House.
• Archimandrite Pavel (1765-1769). Transferred from the Holy Spiritual Jacob Borovichi Monastery. He died on November 17, 1769, and was buried on the western side of the Conception Cathedral.
• Hieromonk Herman (1769-1770). Former “cathedral hieromonk” of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
• Archimandrite Irinej Bratanovich (1770-1775). Transferred from Bryansk Peter and Paul Monastery. On April 26, 1775, he was consecrated to the rank of bishop and transferred to the Vologda diocese.
• Archimandrite Theoktist Mogulsky (1775-1776). Transferred from the Kyiv St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. Transferred to the Poltava Monastery of the Exaltation of the Cross, in 1787 he was consecrated Archbishop of Belgorod.
• Archimandrite Amfilochy Leontovich (1776-1786). Transferred from the Poltava Holy Cross Monastery, then transferred to the Mezhigorsky Monastery in Kiev. After some time, he became the bishop of Pereyaslavl and Borisopol.
• Archimandrite Abraham Florinsky (1786-1797). Transferred from the Epiphany Abraham Monastery. He died on April 30, 1797, and was buried behind the altar of the monastery’s Conception Cathedral.

19th century

• Archimandrite Melchizedek the Short (1797-1805). Transferred from the governors of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Subsequently, he was rector of the Arzamas Vysokogorsky and Spaso-Evfimievsky monasteries; he died in 1841 as a schema-monk at Optina Pustyn.
• Archimandrite Apolinarius Pulyashkin (1806-1818). Transferred from the Moscow Chrysostom Monastery. He died on April 28, 1818, and was buried on the south side of the monastery’s Conception Cathedral.
• Archimandrite Innokenty Poretsky (1818-1847), promoted to archimandrite from the hieromonks of the Yakovlevsky Monastery. He died on February 27, 1847, and was buried in the porch of the Conception Cathedral.
• Archimandrite Polikarp Tugarinov, (1847-1867), Transferred from the Pereslavl Trinity-Danilov Monastery. He was retired, died on November 18, 1868, and was buried near the southern wall of the Church of the Conception of St. Anna.
• Archimandrite Hilarion (1867-1888), November 4, 1867 transferred from the Spaso-Evfimievsky Monastery of the Suzdal diocese.
• Bishop Amfilohiy (Sergievsky-Kazantsev) (1888-1893), Vicar of the Yaroslavl diocese. He died on July 20, 1893, and was buried in the basement of the Spassky Church.
• Bishop Nikon (Epiphany) (1893-1895), from the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery was transferred by the diocesan bishop to Tashkent.
• Archimandrite Anthony (Florensov) (1895-1898), Of the Vologda bishops. He was transferred to retire to the Moscow St. Daniel Monastery.

XX century

• Archimandrite Jacob (1898-1906), From the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Transferred to abbot of the Moscow Donskoy Monastery.
• Archimandrite Anatoly (1906-1909). Died in 1912
• Bishop Joseph (Petrovykh) (1909-1923), from the abbots of the Yuriev Monastery of the Novgorod diocese, was consecrated Bishop of Uglich, vicar of the Yaroslavl diocese. In 1923 he was consecrated archbishop, and since 1926 - Metropolitan of Leningrad.
• Archimandrite Tikhon (Balyaev) (1928-1929).

After the resumption of the monastery’s activities in 1991, its abbots were the bishops of the Yaroslavl diocese:

• Archbishop Platon (Udovenko) (1991-1993)
• Archbishop Micah (Kharkharov) (1993-2002)
• Archbishop Kirill (Nakonechny) (2002-2011)
• Metropolitan Panteleimon (Dolganov) (since 2011)

• Archimandrite Evstafiy (Evdokimov) (1991-1999)
• Hieromonk Dimitry (Burov) (2000-2003)
• Hegumen Seraphim (Simonov) (March 7, 2003 - October 10, 2009)
• Abbot Savva (Mikheev) (October 10, 2009 - March 2011)
• Hegumen Augustin (Nevodnichek) (since May 30, 2011) and. O. from March 23, 2011

Monastery in cinema

• Cops and Thieves (film)
• Pilgrimage (film)
• Seven Old Men and One Girl (film)