The history of Saint Nikolaev monastery

Cross-erection cathedral

Orthodox museum of the Saint Nikolaev monastery

 

Orthodox museum of the Saint Nikolaev monastery

Монашеский корпус в котором расположен Православный музей Свято-Николаевского монастыряIn 1989 the territory of the Piously-Nikolaev monastery which was a colony for minor criminals was given back to Orthodox Church. Hegumen Tihon the appointed prior of the monastery had the most complicated problem of restoration of the monastery, which for long years were exposed to destruction and desecration, and revival to its former spiritual traditions. Despite of the difficulties experienced in the first years of revival of the monastery, hegumen Tihon could find forces and time for studying history of the monastery and the organization of the first museum exhibitions.

Those hard years, the young prior of the monastery realized, that alongside with restoration of the destroyed temples, not less important problem was to give back original history of Native land to people.

The first exhibition organized by hegumen Tihon in Verhoture local lore museum was devoted to the 1000 anniversary of the Christening of Russia. The exhibition became the important event in the life of city. There were rare photos telling about pre-revolutionary history of Verhoture and lives of the Saint Nikolaev monastery, and also ancient icons and church utensils. Soon after photo-exhibition " Destruction of imperial family " added with material exhibits was organized. It gave to people the truth about the family of last Russian emperor who had deep spiritual connection with Verhoture monastery. The same time in the museum there was an exhibition, devoted to the heavenly patron of Urals Mountains and Siberia - Saint Simeon of Verhoture.

 

Photo-exhibition "Peter transformations in Verhoture "in a new fashion opened many pages of history of city of the beginning of XVIII century - time when Verhoture problems included the statement on the new, uninhabited Siberian grounds of the major attributes of Russian statehood and spiritual culture.
In 1995 hegumen Tihon has begun work on creation of an orthodox museum at the Saint-Nikolaev monastery. Originally the museum was placed in two small halls of the monastic case restored in that time.

In 1996 the museum opened the doors for the first visitors. Now, its constant exposition is placed in four small halls.

The exposition of the first hall, very capaciously and laconically contains in itself key marks 400 –years history of the monastery. In it the portraits recreating shape of its first priors, among which - the founder of a monastery - Saint the Ion are presented. Here it is possible to see the Gospel printed at tsar Michael Fedorovich and patriarch Philaret, and a number of other exhibits concerning to first years of the existence of the monastery.

The hall acquaints visitors with icons, church utensils and church clothes, and a number of other subjects, many of which, in literal sense by miracle were saved within persecutions on Orthodox Church. Among them - a part of the lattice stood near destroyed Simeon temple of village Merkushino, a fragment of the wooden monastic water pipe constructed by expense of archimandrite Gabriel and a number of other unique exhibits.

Among the rare books placed in one show-windows of a hall, pre-revolutionary editions of life Saint Simeon of Verhoture, and also the original of Verhoture Annals of man's monastery (published in 1910), written by V.S.Baranov.

Photos and documentary materials are of significant interest for the visitors of expositions. A part of them narrates about spiritual connection of Romanovs family with the Saint-Nikolaev monastery. Here it is possible to see the telegrams addressed to the priors of Verhoture monastery. One of them was sent in 1915 by Nikolay II and was addressed to archimandrite Ksenofont.

The exposition of the second hall of the museum is completely devoted to the history of Cross-erection cathedral. The photochronicle laconically narrates about the destiny of this majestic temple, which became symbolical for Russian history of XX century. You can see some moments of its consecration and religious procession from Yekaterinburg to Verhoture and … the interior of the cathedral profaned by dust and inscriptions, the prisoners of a children's colony left on its walls. The photos presented here tell about hard works of brotherhood of the monastery and many other people on revival of the cathedral. There are fragments of plates, piles and splinters of faience iconostasis Cross-erection cathedral in this hall.

The third hall of the museum is devoted to the history of the Yekaterinburg diocese since 1885 till 2000. There are portraits and photos of heads of Diocese, added by written stories about their lives.

The exposition of the fourth hall tells about today of Saint Nikolaev monastery.

Owing to diligence of the founder of a museum of hegumen Tihon and its manager, regional specialist Raisa Nikolaevna Ogarkova, the Orthodox museum of the Saint-Nikolaev monastery became the place which has rallied around of many fans of history and spiritual traditions of Urals Mountains. In 1995 the Society of Verhoture olden time fans was created. Since 1998, by its joint diligence with the monastery, the newspaper " Verhoture olden time ", and since 2003, the same illustrated magazine began to be published.

 

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