The first stauropegial monastery in Rus' appeared even before gaining autocephaly - in 1383 it became the Moscow Simonov Monastery, directly subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople, who stayed there during visits to Moscow. The institution of stavropegy within the Russian Orthodox Church was first introduced by Patriarch Nikon, who founded and took control of the New Jerusalem, Valdai Iversky and Kiysky Cross monasteries.

This tradition continued both under subsequent patriarchs and in the synodal era. As a result, by the end of the 19th century, in addition to four laurels, the following seven monasteries were stauropegial: Simonov, Donskoy, Novospassky and Zaikonospassky (all in Moscow), New Jerusalem (Moscow Region), Spaso-Yakovlevsky (Rostov Veliky) and Solovetsky. These monasteries were under the direct control of the Moscow Synodal Office (Moscow stauropegial monasteries) or the Holy Synod and were removed from the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishops.

Now in the Russian Orthodox Church there are 27 stavropegial monasteries - 14 male and 13 female. Ten of them are located in Moscow (Danilovsky, Intercession, Mother of God-Rozhdestvensky, Donskoy, Zachatievsky, Novospassky, Sretensky, John the Baptist (formerly Ivanovsky), Vysoko-Petrovsky and Zaikonospassky monasteries), eight - in the Moscow region (Pokrovsky Khotkov, Borisoglebsky Anosin , Savvino-Storozhevsky, Resurrection New Jerusalem, Joseph-Volotsky, Nikolo-Ugreshsky, Holy Cross Exaltation, as well as the Trinity-Sergius Lavra); four monasteries are located in the north of Russia (Savior-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky and Valaamsky, Nikolsky Vyazhishchsky in Novgorod and Ioannovsky in St. Petersburg), two in the Kaluga diocese (the deserts of St. Makhrishchi Monastery) and two in the Near Abroad (Koretsky Holy Trinity Monastery in Ukraine and the Dormition Pyukhtitsky Monastery in Estonia).

Ioannovsky monastery received the status of stauropegial in 1992.

Every Lavra is a monastery. But not every monastery is a Lavra. Let's say there are about eight hundred monasteries in Russia. And there are only two laurels. It is not at all difficult to name them - Trinity-Sergius (in Sergiev Posad) and Alexander Nevsky (in St. Petersburg).

Lavra is certainly a large, male, outstanding monastery. Outstanding, first of all, for its significance in the history and spiritual life of the country. Lavra is a huge responsibility, a stronghold, the Grace of the Lord.

And in order for the monastery to grow into a Lavra, it is necessary, first of all, the will of God. Then the understanding will come among the church hierarchs, and among the laity, and among the secular authorities, they say, here, not just one of the monasteries, there is something more ... Lavra!

For example, the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra has existed for centuries. How many spiritual deeds there are, how many souls are saved, the deeds of St. Sergius of Radonezh alone are worth something. And the status of a monastery came to the monastery only in 1742. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna signed a corresponding decree. But only two years later came the approval of the Holy Synod.

Or take the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. It emerged as a monastery at the beginning of the 18th century. Peter the First passionately revered the blessed holy prince Alexander Nevsky and ordered a monastery to be organized in his honor. The relics of the saint from Vladimir were also transported here. And the monastery became a monastery only in 1797, by decree of Paul the First. Often the Lord chooses unexpected instruments to carry out his will.

But that’s all if we talk about Russia within its current borders. There are three more laurels on the territory of modern Ukraine.

The oldest of the laurels of the Russian Orthodox Church, of course, is the Kiev-Pechersk. The monastery on the slopes of the Dnieper appeared back in the 11th century. But the status of the Lavra was received by him in 1688.

The Pochaev Lavra (bearing this title since 1833) is the fourth in the Russian Empire. It is located in the modern Ternopil region. A stronghold of Orthodoxy in lands that are constantly encroached upon by Catholics, Uniates, and various sects.

The youngest of the laurels is the Holy Dormition Svyatogorskaya, located on the picturesque bank of the Seversky Donets. The Lavra belongs to the Donetsk diocese; it received its status in 2004 with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'.

All the mentioned monasteries, as already mentioned, are for men. That's how it happened historically. There is one convent, which, according to the prophecy of St. Seraphim of Sarov, will become the first women's monastery - Seraphim-Diveevo. True, this will happen only before the very end of the world.

Orthodox churches and monasteries are an essential asset of Slavic culture. They attract not only pilgrims who truly believe, but also tourists. The latter is interested in architecture, interior decoration of temples, the history of their existence.

General concept and meaning

The concept of "monastery" came along with Christianity to Kievan Rus from Byzantium. This state arose on the basis of Greek culture. From the Greek "monastery" is a "secluded dwelling".

In it, the monks observe a single charter. However, not everyone who came to For a start, he passes the test. If it ends successfully, the person is honored with tonsure. According to the rules established regardless of the previous moral way of life, a person can become a monk for the correction (salvation) of the soul.

The meaning of the word "monastery" for many today means directly the community of monastics.

The first Christian monasteries

A monastery is a certain place with its own way of life. The first monasteries arose in Egypt and Palestine (4th-5th centuries AD). Over time, monastic dwellings began to appear in Constantinople (the capital of Byzantium), which is referred to in Russian chronicles as Tsargrad.

The first founders of monasticism in Rus' are considered to be Anthony and Theodosius, who created the Kiev Caves Monastery.

Types of Christian monasteries

In Christianity there is a division into feminine and What this means is not difficult to understand. The name depends on whether the female or male community lives and carries out activities at the church church. There are no mixed monasteries in Christianity.

Different types of monastic dwellings:

Abbey. Found in the Catholic (western) direction. Ruled by the abbot in the men's community and the abbess in the women's community. Submits to the bishop, and sometimes to the Pope personally.

Lavra. This is the largest monastic dwelling of the Orthodox (Eastern) direction. This type of monastic dwelling is suitable exclusively for male communities.

Kinovia. Community monastery. This means that the organization has a communal charter to which all its members are subject.

Compound. This is a dwelling remote from the monastery, which is located in a city or village. It is used to collect donations, receive pilgrims, and conduct housekeeping.

Deserts. The dwelling, created in the traditions of Russian Orthodoxy, is being built in a secluded place away from the monastery itself.

According to the general charter, monks receive from the cinnamon everything necessary for their existence. For example, food, clothes, shoes. They work without compensation, and all the results of their work belong to the coenobia. The monk, including the abbot, do not have the right to have personal property, they cannot make acts of donation or inherit anything. They don't have ownership.

Rules of conduct in the monastery for a layman

The monastery is a special world. It takes time to understand all the intricacies of monastic life. Misdeeds by pilgrims are usually treated with patience, but it is better to know some rules when visiting a monastic home.

What to look for in behavior:

• When you come as a pilgrim, you need to ask for blessings for everything;
• You cannot leave the monastery without a blessing;
• all worldly sinful addictions must be left behind the walls of the monastery (alcohol, tobacco, foul language);
• conversations should only be about spiritual things, and the main words in communication are the words “forgive” and “bless”;
• You can eat food only at a common meal;
• When sitting down at the table for a meal, it is necessary to observe the order of precedence, sit silently and listen to the reading.

To plunge into the world of peace and harmony that exists in the monastery, you do not need to know all the rules of the monastic way of life. It is enough to adhere to the usual standards of behavior, which include restraint.

Most people who decide to devote their lives to serving God become monks. They live in communities where life is subject to strict rules and regulations. There are several types of monastic communities.

Types of Orthodox monastic communities

Monastic communities, in addition to monasteries, are represented by several other types of monasteries.

Depending on the source of funds for maintenance, monasteries are divided into two groups. Established monasteries receive their contents from the church treasury and can accept a strictly defined number of monks into their staff. Depending on the size of the funds allocated and their significance in the Orthodox world, established monasteries are divided into three classes. The prestigious first class included laurels and stauropegial cloisters.

What does stauropegia mean?

The word "stauropegia" in Greek means "hoisting the cross." This concept denotes the special status of Orthodox religious organizations, which are controlled directly by the Patriarch or the Synod.

Stauropegic status can have:

• monasteries, laurels and communities;
• churches and cathedrals;
• spiritual schools.

The administration of the stauropegia belongs to the patriarchy. The head of the Orthodox Church leads them through his governors: archimandrites and abbots.

Interesting! In the first stauropegial churches, the main cross was placed personally by the patriarch.

Patriarch Kirill manages stauropegial organizations in Russia

Patriarchal possessions in the history of Russia

Until the end of the 16th century, the stauropegic possessions located in Russian lands belonged to the Patriarch of Constantinople. For the first time, the Simonov Monastery in the capital received the status of stavropegic.

During the existence of the Patriarchate in the Russian state, the status of stauropegy belonged to 55 monastic communities. With the transfer of the highest church power into the hands of the Synod at the beginning of the 18th century, the stauropegic monasteries were subordinate to this church body.

By the beginning of the 20th century, this status belonged to six monasteries, most of which were located in Moscow (Novospassky, Zaikonospassky, Donskoy, Simonov). Under the control of the Synod was the New Jerusalem Monastery not far from Moscow and the Solovetsky Monastery in the Arkhangelsk province.

Modern patriarchal cloisters

Today, 33 monasteries are under the direct control of the patriarch.

Female stauropegial monastic communities

As of 2018, there are 18 female monastic communities in Russia under the direct control of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The most popular are:

Male stauropegial monastic communities

The number of male monastic communities under the direct control of the patriarch is slightly smaller than female ones. But they include some of the most popular and famous holy places not only in Russia, but also abroad.

These include:

Monasteries and temples that have the status of stauropegia are also located outside the Russian lands. These include:

• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallinn;
• the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine in Rome;
• St. Vladimir's Church in the American city of Jackson;
• the parish of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Manchester, England;
• parish church of All Saints in Strasbourg;
• Church of the Intercession in Düsseldorf.

Spiritual organizations that have received the status of stauropegy are governed directly by the patriarch through governors. Monastic communities, churches and theological schools under the control of the Patriarchate are considered the most significant and prestigious in the Russian Orthodox Church.

10 oldest monasteries in Russia

In almost all religions there are both laity (ordinary people) and clergy, whose representatives devoted their entire lives to serving God. One of the representatives of the clergy is monasticism: monks and nuns lead an ascetic lifestyle in accordance with this oath. They can live all alone(to be hermits) or in monasteries with the brethren.

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Classmates

Monasteries

A monastery is a community of monks that has a single charter and a complex of buildings in which the monks live, services are held and supplies are stored. The word is translated from Greek as “lonely.” This community is practically cut off from worldly life: its inhabitants fully provide for themselves: they run a household, have a vegetable garden and livestock, and engage in handicrafts, the sale of which allows them to make some profit. Also on the territory of the parish there are often miraculous icons to which pilgrims come.

are divided into several types:

1. An abbey is a Catholic monastery governed by an abbot and subject to a bishop or Pope;
2. Lavra - the largest Orthodox monasteries;
3. The metochion is a remote representation of the monastery. For example, in Moscow there were representations of Kolomna, Novgorod, Ryazan and other monasteries: the monks living here represented the interests of their monastery and collected money for them;
4. Pustyn is a settlement remote from a city or village. Usually these were small communities that allowed a solitary lifestyle and could then grow into large monasteries. In this case, the word “hermitage” was retained in the name, for example, Ascension David’s Hermitage;
5. A monastery is a secluded dwelling for one hermit.

There are also parishes:

1. Kinovia or hostel. In them, monks are not allowed to have personal property: they perform labor duties for the common benefit (“obedience”), receiving everything they need from the monastery. The abbots are elected by the monks themselves;
2. Idiorythms or non-dormitory. Monks differ in the presence of personal property - in fact, only the place and services are common. Monks can work and accumulate money, rectors are appointed by the diocesan bishop.

Another division concerns the receipt of content:

1. The regular ones receive money for their maintenance “from above” and can only support a certain number of monks. However, the size of the content is strictly limited. Established monasteries are also divided into 3 classes depending on the amounts given out and the opportunities provided to them. The first, privileged class, among others, includes laurels and stauropegic parishes;
2. Supernumerary: they are completely self-sufficient and can accept any number of monks - as many as they can support.

Stauropegial monasteries

Stavropegic monastery - what does it mean? The meaning of the Greek word "stauropegia" means "to set up a cross". Literally the translation means that the first and main cross was installed by the patriarch. This status is the highest, since stauropegic parishes were independent of local religious authorities and reported directly to the patriarch or synod. The management of the monastery itself was carried out by a governor with the rank of abbot or archimandrite.

The first monastery of this type- Simonov's monastery in Moscow - subordinated to the Patriarch of Constantinople. He stayed in it during his visits, pilgrims immediately stopped. In Russia, until the middle of the 15th century, stauropegic monasteries were subordinate to Constantinople, which was the primate of the Russian Church. From the end of the 16th century to the 20s of the 18th century, during the formation of the Russian Patriarchate, 55 monasteries received status - they were subordinate to the Patriarch. In the years 1700-1917, these monasteries were subordinate to the Holy Synod - at the end of the 19th century there were only 6 monasteries of this type.

In 1984, stauropegial status was granted to the Koretsky Monastery (city of Korets, Ukraine) due to a conflict between the abbot and Metropolitan Philaret.

In the 90s of the twentieth century, when the mass transfer of churches and monasteries to the clergy began, the most significant ones were introduced to this status - management is carried out by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Administration can be carried out by synodal institutions that have been blessed by the Patriarch.

On the territories of Ukraine and Belarus There are also several parishes and churches subordinate to the local Patriarchal Erzarch. The decision was made by the Holy Synod of States. Some cathedrals are located in other countries (England, Germany, Italy, USA, France and Estonia). Since 2009, these monasteries have been directly subordinate to the Russian Patriarch.