Vyksa, Nizhny Novgorod Province, Russia, July 15, 2026
Photo: nne.ru
A Divine Liturgy was celebrated on July 14 in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Iveron Convent in Vyksa, Nizhny Novgorod Province—the first since the church was closed by Soviet authorities in 1923.
The service was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, concelebrated by five bishops and other clergy, reports the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolis.
The cathedral, a five-domed stone church, was built between 1897 and 1912 and could accommodate up to 4,000 worshippers. Its main benefactors included the merchant Vasily Muravyov—later glorified as St. Seraphim of Vyritsa—who donated generously to its construction before taking monastic vows.
The last service held in the cathedral before the Soviet closure took place on Pascha 1923. Church valuables were confiscated the previous year, and in 1927 the building was partially demolished by explosion, losing its domes, drums, vaults, arches, and pillars. The ruins stood for decades.
Photo: nne.ru
The convent itself, founded in 1864 by St. Barnabas of Gethsemane, was reopened in 1996. Restoration of the cathedral proceeded gradually over the following years, with major structural reinforcement completed by 2018, domes and crosses installed by 2021, and extensive work on the undercroft carried out in 2025. The central dome cross was consecrated and raised on September 24, 2025. Restoration work is ongoing.
After the Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Gedeon of Vyksa addressed those assembled:
We’ve gathered here to pray together to the Lord in this Holy Trinity Cathedral, which is being restored—healing its wounds. Even a year or two ago it seemed impossible, but what’s impossible for man is possible for God. If we pray and ask, we must believe that the Lord will send His mercy in answer to our requests and will set all things right. Four generations of people couldn’t pray here—for more than 100 years the Divine Liturgy was not celebrated. It seems that today the angel standing at this altar rejoiced together with all the Heavenly Powers that we have at last glorified the Lord here. This year also marks 30 years since the revival of this holy monastery, and today we remember all those who contributed to this blessed work, and all those who are now laboring over the restoration of the cathedral.
Photo: nne.ru
Met. Georgy in turn reflected on the cathedral’s significance and its ties to the saints associated with the convent:
We see what a magnificent cathedral was erected here by previous generations—it has become the spiritual pearl and adornment of the Vyksa land. Not every large city can boast of such a thing. We remember St. Barnabas of Gethsemane, his holy life and his spiritual care for the Iveron Convent. He was the spiritual guide of another great ascetic—St. Seraphim of Vyritsa, who before taking monastic vows generously donated funds toward the Holy Trinity Cathedral. And at last, we’ve been able to restore the Holy Trinity Cathedral to the point where the Divine Liturgy can now be celebrated here. Let us pray to the Lord for His blessing on our further labors in restoring the cathedral, that for many people it will become a spiritual beacon and help them find the path to the Lord. This is our common conciliar ministry.
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