Serpukhov, Moscow Province, Russia, September 24, 2024
visotskymonastir.ru
On Sunday, September 22, the Vsotsky Monastery in Serpukhov (65 miles south of Moscow) celebrated the 650th anniversary of its foundation.
The monastery is one of nine founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh. The Sunday Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Theognost of Kashira, reports the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, which he heads.
His Eminence was concelebrated by His Grace Bishop Roman of Serpukhov, abbot of the monastery, His Grace Bishop Methodiy of Yegorievsk, abbot of the St. Nicholas-Ugresh Monastery in Moscow, and Abbot Alexei (Gorlichev) of the St. Nicholas-Peshnosha Monastery in Lugovoi, Moscow Province, and the ordained brethren of the monastery.
The service was chanted by the monastery choir.
At the end of the service, Met. Theognost read out the congratulations from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
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monasterium.ru
The Vysotsky Monastery in Serpukhov is among the nine monasteries founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh. At that time, Serpukhov was ruled by Prince Vladimir Andreevich the Brave of Serpukhov, a cousin of the holy blessed Prince Dmitry Donskoy. He wished to adorn his capital city with a holy monastery and asked for help in this godly deed from his spiritual father, St. Sergius.
Despite his advanced age and the winter season, the great ascetic responded to the request and, on foot, accompanied by his beloved disciple Athanasy, came to Serpukhov. The site for the monastery was chosen on the bank of the Nara River, not far from its confluence with the Oka, on one of the hills. The name Vysotsky means “High.”
The prince expressed a desire to dedicate the monastery to the Conception of the Mother of God by Righteous Anna. The holy elder read a prayer for the foundation of the monastery, which the brethren still offer daily during the Divine service. Thus, on December 2, 1374, the Serpukhov Monastery for men was founded.
The first abbot of the monastery was St. Athanasy the Elder. Even in the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, Athanasy had gained fame as a scholar and scribe, working hard to revive the succession of the Byzantine spiritual tradition lost in Russia during the years of Tatar captivity. Thanks to similar works of the ascetic in the Vysotsky Monastery, the abode gained significance as a center of Byzantinism in Russia. In 1374, St. Nikon of Radonezh became the first tonsured monk of the monastery.
The monastery was closed by the godless authorities in 1931. It was revived on April 10, 1991.
The monastery has six functioning churches today, while restoration work continues in another three. There are currently 10 monks laboring there.
The monastery houses many sacred treasures, reverently venerated by believers, including about 300 particles of the relics of God’s saints. A special place is occupied by the miraculous icon of the Mother of God The Inexhaustible Cup, which has a small reliquary inserted containing a particle of the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. The icon is renowned for many miracles and healings, mainly from the passions of alcoholism, drug addiction, and tobacco smoking. In the same church rest the holy relics of St. Athanasy the Younger of Vysotsky.
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