Pechersky Ascension Monastery

{{Infobox monastery

| name = Pechersky Ascension Monastery

| native_name = Печёрский Вознесенский монатырь

| native_name_lang = ru

| image = NN Pechersky Monastery 08-2016.jpg

| caption =

| full = Pechersky Ascension male Monastery

| order = Orthodox

| established = 1328

| disestablished =

| mother =

| diocese = Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas

| churches =

| founder = Dionysius

| architect =

| dedication =

| people =

| location = Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

| coordinates = {{coord|56|19|22|N|44|02|59|E|region:RU_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| map_type = Central Nizhny Novgorod

| oscoor =

| remains = church, cloister, inner court and earthworks

| public_access = yes

| other_info =

}}

Pechersky Ascension Monastery ({{langx|ru|Печёрский Вознесенский монастырь}}, Pechyorsky Vozensensky monastyr) is a monastery in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. It is the principal monastery of the Nizhny Novgorod Eparchy (diocese) and the seat of the Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas.

History

Pechersky Voznesensky Monastery is said to have

been founded ca. 1328-1330 by St. Dionysius, who came to Nizhny Novgorod from Kiev Pechersk Lavra (i.e., Kiev Monastery of the Caves, pechery meaning 'caves') with other monks, and dug a cave on the step Volga shore some 3 km southeast of the city. Later on, he founded at that site a monastery with a church of Resurrection of the Lord.

The monastery was destroyed by a landslide on June 18, 1597. The same year the monastery was rebuilt about 1 km upstream (north) of the old site. Although there are no caves in the modern monastery, the appellation Pechersky, linking it to the old Kiev cloister, has been preserved. The monastery was closed by the NKVD in 1924, and reopened in 1994.

Principal buildings

File:C0168-Pechersky-Ascension-refectory.JPG

The principal buildings of the monastery include:

  • Ascension Cathedral (Вознесенский собор)
  • The Church of Dormition of Our Lady (Успенская церковь)
  • The Church of Saint Venerable Euthimios of Suzdal (Надвратная церковь во имя св. преп. Евфимия Суздальского)
  • The Church of SS Peter and Paul (Церковь во имя св. апостолов Петра и Павла)

The belfry of the Ascension Cathedral (which also serves as a clock tower) is noticeably out of plumb. It has been leaning almost since the time it was originally constructed.

Holy relics