So picturesque Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery , framed by Lake Nero, we saw from the embankment of Rostov the Great in the evening on a cloudy day.
We arrived at the monastery the next morning. The sun generously bestowed its rays on this beautiful architectural ensemble, making it even more majestic and elegant.
According to the monastic chronicle, around 1390 the monastery was founded by St. Jacob. Its first temple was a wooden church in honor of the Conception of St. Anne, in which the founder was buried in 1392.
The ancient life of the saint has not survived. However, before his loss, the book “Description of the Rostov Spaso-Yakovlevsky-Dimitrievsky Monastery” was written, published in 1849, and which used information from the life of Jacob. It is known that he was born in the Rostov region and at a young age accepted monasticism. Under Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus' Pimen (d. 1389) and Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy (1350-1389) becomes Bishop of Rostov. But events in which Jacob essentially repeated the act of Christ led to his expulsion from this position. A woman accused of adultery and sentenced to death came to him and begged for help. The bishop saved her from death and sent her to repentance. The act did not please the Rostov citizens and their prince. The good shepherd was excommunicated from the pulpit. Then he came to the lake, put his mantle on the water, crossed himself, stood on it and swam away from the city.
Having seen such a miracle, people admitted the error of their decision, but the saint, having forgiven them, refused to return. One and a half miles from Rostov, he went ashore, where he built himself a hut and stayed to live in it. Soon admirers began to flock to Jacob. The new brothers began to build cells. The Conception Church was erected. In the future, the monastery enjoyed prosperity and well-being, primarily thanks to another saint - Demetrius of Rostov, who will be discussed later.
There are quite a lot of visitors to the Spaso-Yakovlevskaya Monastery - pilgrims, tourists, local parishioners. But due to the vast territory, people do not cluster together, but disperse among the churches, walk among the colorful vegetation, and admire the surrounding landscapes from the observation deck located on the monastery fence. The atmosphere here is very pleasant.
Everywhere you can find stands where believers and those simply interested are introduced to the history of the monastery, its modern life, as well as personalities who played a significant role in the development of the monastery.
We walk along the central path. On the left we see united into a single architectural ensemble Cathedral in honor of the Conception of St. Anne , built in 1686-1687, and St. John's Church .
Ancient paintings have been fragmentarily preserved in the semicircular pediments. The Trinity is depicted above the entrance to the cathedral. On the right is the image of St. Demetrius, on the left is St. James. The iconostasis created in 1761-1779 has survived in the interior.
Each of the two churches is crowned with five domes with gilded crosses. The domes of the Conception Church are more elegant. Four of them are decorated with gold stars on a blue background.
In 1794, in the northeastern part of the Yakovlevsky monastery, they began to erect Cathedral in honor of Demetrius of Rostov , which will become the most majestic building of the monastery complex and one of the best examples of Russian provincial classicism.
The building is being erected within 5 years using money philanthropist and philanthropist Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetyev(1751-1809), who donated 55 thousand rubles for the construction of the temple and 10 thousand for its decoration. The count was a great connoisseur of architecture. With his participation, the cultural space of Russia was enriched with such outstanding buildings as the theater and palace complex in Ostankino, the Fountain House in St. Petersburg, the Church of the Sign of the Virgin Mary in the Novospassky Monastery, the Trinity Church at the Hospice House in Moscow, etc.
The consecration of the new cathedral took place on October 27, 1801, on the day of memory of Demetrius of Rostov. On the 300th anniversary of the death of the saint, parishioners presented the temple with a luxurious shrine for his relics. A real work of art made of gold and silver, decorated with enamel miniatures, was created by craftsmen from Rostov the Great.
In 1804, two chapels were built in the church refectory: the right one - in honor of St. Nicholas, the heavenly patron of Count Sheremetyev, and the left one - in the name of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica.
The temple is crowned with five domes with massive drums, with a belvedere above the central one.
The three cathedral facades are decorated with porticoes, white stone details, sculptures and multi-figure bas-reliefs.
The territory of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky monastery is very well-groomed and brightly blooming.
Literally immersed in lush greenery chapel over the spring of St. James . It was consecrated on December 10, 1996, on the day of remembrance of the founder of the monastery.
This is what the chapel looks like inside.
In a high three-tier bell tower Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery there used to be a holy gate. A striking clock was placed under the dome.
The 15 bells had different sizes. The oldest of them, weighing 71 pounds, was moved in 1765 from the abolished Spassky Monastery on Peski, which stood next door. Another 4-pound bell is noteworthy - it has an inscription that in 1652 it was given as a gift by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676).
The towers fit harmoniously into the architectural complex of the Yakovlevsky monastery and are its decoration.
They look especially beautiful Water Gate monastery fence. The name probably comes from the expanse of Lake Nero that opens up behind them.
In an ancient photograph, the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II with his family and retinue enters the territory of the monastery through these gates. The event took place on May 22, 1913.
The Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery enjoyed the constant attention of royalty. From the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, all the emperors, as well as many great princes and princesses from the Romanov dynasty, came here on pilgrimage. Active visits to the monastery by representatives of the royal family were primarily associated with the canonization and glorification of Demetrius of Rostov.
Regular visits of distinguished guests, which began in the second half of the 18th century, raised the importance of this spiritual place.
From the Water Gate we turn left and walk along the wall, studying the information on the stands installed along the path. They talk about prominent people who were associated with the monastery. The most important of them Metropolitan Dimitry of Rostov(1651-1709), who first visited the Spaso-Yakovlevskaya monastery in 1701 and chose it as the place of his burial. After the death of the bishop in 1709, he was buried in the southwestern corner of the Conception Church. In 1752, the relics of Demetrius were discovered, and in 1757 they were recognized as saints. The suffering were healed at his tomb and the monastery became a center of pilgrimage.
Objects of worship also included a miter kept in the monastery sacristy, taken from the saint’s tomb during the discovery of his relics, satin vestments and a towel sent to the Rostov saint from Jerusalem.
Catherine II deeply revered Saint Demetrius. By decree of the Empress, the Yakovlevsky Monastery receives the highest status - it becomes stauropegial and passes into the department of the Holy Synod. In the same period, it was joined by the neighboring Spasskaya Monastery on Peski.
The monastery is thriving. The main source of funding was donations from admirers of St. Demetrius, among whom were many of the richest and most influential people in the country. In addition, he is supported by the state and has solid church income.
In 1834 the monastery received a first class degree. And two years later the name of St. Demetrius became part of the name of the monastery.
IN corner tower There is a church shop, and tickets are sold here that give the opportunity to visit the monastery wall.
On Southwest Tower An observation deck has been built.
We go up the stairs.
On the second level we look into the gazebo of the southwestern tower, connecting the galleries of the monastery walls on both sides.
There are loopholes in the walls. Previously, they were necessary for protection from the enemy.
Now through them you can look at serene landscapes.
We rise higher to observation deck.
From the southwestern tower there is a beautiful view of the Conception Church and the Cathedral of Demetrius of Rostov. Closer to us we can see the dome of the chapel over the source of St. James. On the left is the Water Gate.
To better orientate ourselves in the surrounding space, let’s take a look at the diagram of the monastery territory.
Cathedral of Demetrius of Rostov.
View of cells and abbot's buildings , erected in O second half of the 18th century. At the same time, the monastery fence, towers and bell tower were rebuilt in stone.
The white stone looks unusually harmonious against the background of a blue sky with gray clouds (exactly the color of the domes). Transfiguration Cathedral the former Spassky Monastery on Peski. The monastery was founded in 1230-1240. In 1765 it was abolished and, as mentioned above, it was assigned to the Yakovlevsky Monastery. Nowadays, only this temple has survived from the architectural ensemble. And next to it there are now buildings in which the local brethren run their households.
The products produced by the monks go to the cafe and shop. These are bread, kvass, milk, cottage cheese and even yoghurts. We were able to try some of them and be convinced of their excellent quality. In the photo on the left you can see a yellow tent with a green roof where this food is sold.
The Church of the Transfiguration is a beautiful, five-domed, two-story building on a basement. It was erected as a cathedral during the period of the late 16th - early 17th centuries, when stone construction began in the monastery. In 1879 the building was reconstructed. The floor and vaults above the basement were updated, in which a temple was built in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
In 2009, the church was transformed again. The walls were whitewashed and a new floor was laid. The temple now has an elegant porch and a staircase leading to the second floor.
Unfortunately, we were unable to see the interior. According to descriptions from 1900, he was modest. Icons without frames, stone iconostasis with alfresco painting of the 17th century. Wall frescoes depicted scenes of the apocalypse.
From the outside of the monastery wall the views are no less beautiful.
Lake Nero , according to various versions, from 20 to 60 thousand years. This is an Ice Age lake. Its beautiful name does not particularly correspond to its meaning “swampy”, “muddy”.
Lake silt is an excellent fertilizer, which since ancient times has helped to obtain a rich harvest on Rostov lands. Since the 14th century, local peasants grew vegetables for the royal court.
We return to the territory of the monastery. The stairs, by the way, are very steep. You have to go down slowly, with caution.
We are heading to the Holy Gate. Next to them we drop into a cafe to refresh ourselves with monastery pies and fireweed.
I didn’t want to leave the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery at all, but I had to continue the journey.
After going around the monastery wall, you can approach Lake Nero.
This ended our pleasant stay at the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. In addition, I suggest that those interested watch a 50-minute documentary about St. Demetrius and the monastery, created by the brethren and posted on their website.
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery is an ancient monastic monastery in Rostov the Great, which houses the relics of the great Russian saint -.
The monastery was founded at the end of the 14th century by the Rostov bishop Jacob. For pardoning the criminal, the bishop was expelled from the city and settled in the south of it. He built a chapel in honor of the Conception Holy Mother of God, near which a monastery was soon formed. The first stone cathedral was consecrated first as the Trinity Cathedral, and then as the Conception Cathedral (XVII century). It was painted by Yaroslavl icon painters.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the monastery was patronized by St. Demetrius of Rostov. He was buried in the Trinity (Conception) Cathedral, which was done. Catherine II donated a luxurious shrine for his relics, and from 1763 until the revolution they were carried annually in processions to the Rostov Kremlin. During the 18th-19th centuries, the monastery was repeatedly visited by emperors and empresses.
In 1927, the monastery was closed, part of the property went to the Rostov Museum, some was looted. The monastery was reopened in 1994. Since then, its active revival has been going on.
Interesting facts about the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery
In the 18th century, the art of Rostov enamel flourished in the monastery. It was brought to the city by craftsmen invited to renovate the icons.
In honor of St. Demetrius of Rostov, the Dimitrievsky Cathedral was built in the monastery (1794-1802). Count Nikolai Sheremetyev, who donated his funds, hoped that the relics of the saint would be transferred to the new cathedral, but this did not happen. According to the count's will, a golden miter with precious stones was made for the saint's shrine.
The Rostov Museum contains a portrait of Elder Amphilochius, who lived in the 19th century and for 40 years continuously performed a special service at the relics of St. Demetrius.
The last abbot of the monastery was Bishop Joseph (Petrovykh) of Uglich, the future Metropolitan of Leningrad, who did not accept Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky)’s declaration of loyalty to Soviet power.
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 big sizes, 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 cathedral cities.
This event had great importance for the further fate of the Rostov Monastery, since it changed its status in the eyes powerful of the world this. 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 I went all the way to the queen!
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 are miraculous icon The Mother of God “Consolation and Consolation” 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. Interesting fact 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, 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 do not have the opportunity to get to the monastery on your own, you can order 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 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 here there are 5 active monasteries 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.
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery (Russia) - description, history, location. The exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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In addition to the main attraction of Rostov the Great, the city has many places worth visiting. One of these is the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. Here in the Conception Cathedral the relics of Demetrius of Rostov and St. James are kept. Yakovlevskaya Church with an elegant refectory, Dimitrievskaya Church, built at the expense of Count Sheremetev, and a slender three-tier bell tower make up the ensemble of the monastery. The area is small, but well-groomed, there is a spring with holy water. The monastery is surrounded by stone walls with four octagonal towers, one of which you can climb to enjoy the views of the monastery itself, the lake and the city surroundings.
The Empress Catherine II, Emperors Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, Nicholas II, and members of the August Family prayed at the monastery.
Once poor, the monastery of St. James already in the 18th century became one of the richest monasteries in Russia. In ancient times, the monastery was called Zachatievsky - after the name of the main and then only temple dedicated to the Conception righteous Anna Holy Mother of God.
In 1923, the monastery was closed, and five years later there was a ban on worship in all churches. The monks were expelled, some of the monastic property went to the museum, but most of it was looted or destroyed. All subsequent years the monastery was desolate, its buildings were destroyed.
Nowadays, the monastery has a monastery library, a sacristy, an icon-painting and restoration workshop, a sewing workshop (for sewing clothes for the brethren), a bakery, a prosphora maker, a carpentry workshop, a vehicle repair shop, and a garage. There is a bathhouse and laundry. The monastery conducts subsistence farming.
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery
Helpful information
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery is located on the outskirts of Rostov the Great, on the shores of Lake Nero, 10-15 minutes. walk from the Kremlin towards Moscow
Address: Rostov Veliky, st. Engelsa, 44.
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. Later the monastery was visited by stauropegic monastery, and the residence of the 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. And the “growth” of monastic lands does not stop there. By 1679, the monastery already owned eighteen wastelands. It's time to think about construction stone temple, which was carried out in 1686-87.
Church of the Conception of St. Anna with a temple in honor of St. James of Rostov.
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.
Bell tower of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.
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 considered a great shrine not only simple people, but also 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.
Corner tower of the monastery.
Chronicle of the monastery.
OK. 1390. Founding of the monastery by Saint James, Bishop of Rostov.1392. Death of St. Jacob.
1408. Looting of the monastery by the troops of Khan Edigei.
1609. The monastery was robbed by the Poles.
1654. The monastery was assigned to the Rostov bishop's house.
1686. Construction of the first stone church in the monastery.
1709. Burial of St. Demetrius of Rostov in the Cathedral of the Yakovlevsky Monastery.
1752. Discovery of the incorruptible relics of St. Dimitri.
1764. The monastery was classified as a non-staff monastery, with the right to have 15 people as monasteries.
1765. The monastery becomes stauropegial and is included in the second class of regular monasteries. The abolished Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery was assigned to it, and from that moment on it was called the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery.
1777. The construction of a bell tower and a fence with towers began in the monastery.
1801. Consecration of a newly built church in the name of St. Dimitri.
1822. The Synod, by its definition, equalized the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery in terms of the number of brethren with first-class monasteries.
1834. The monastery becomes a first class monastery.
1836. The Holy Synod assigns the name “Savior-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery” to the monastery.
1882. A water supply system was installed in the monastery.
1888. The monastery is transferred from synodal subordination to the diocesan department and becomes the residence of the vicar of the diocesan bishop.
1913. Visit to the monastery by the imperial family.
1919. The buildings of the monastery were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Museum Department of the People's Commissariat for Education.
1928. Closing of the monastery churches.
1991. Transfer of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery to the Russian Orthodox Church. The Rostov Museum returns to the monastery the relics of St. Dimitri.
Using materials from the magazine “Orthodox Monasteries. Travel to holy places, No. 15, 2009.”
