Optina Monastery

The Optina Monastery (Russian Оптина пустынь ) is a Russian Orthodox monastery near the town of Kozelsk in the Kaluga Oblast. The monastery has produced a number of famous Elders and thus played a significant role in Russian cultural history.

Location and building

The monastery is situated about three kilometers northeast of Kozelsk on the eastern shore of the Schisdra. The monastery complex is located within a nearly square area, surrounded by a wall.

Currently located on the grounds of the monastery and the associated hermitage eight churches. The main church is the Cathedral Vvedenski. It was built from 1750 to 1771 and carries several onion -winning towers. Other churches include the Church in honor of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan, the church in honor of the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir and the church in honor of Saint Hilarion of Gaza. Only in 2007, the church was built in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

About 200 meters east of the main complex is located in the forest hermitage ( Skyte ). In the middle of the Hermitage, the Church is in honor of John the Baptist. The hermitage was the writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky as a template in his novel The Brothers Karamazov.

History

The history of the monastery dates back at least to the 16th century until the late 18th century suffered the monastery but under decay, also due to a monastery hostile policy of Empress Catherine II Metropolitan Platon of Moscow and his successor Paisius made ​​efforts to renewal and revival of the monastery. Already in the early 19th century, the monastery held a leading position in the Russian Orthodox Church, on the one hand due to the publication of spiritual texts, on the other hand, because of the spiritual fathers. The influence of the monastery led among other things to a further spread of the Jesus Prayer in the nation, which was reflected among other things in the sincere stories of a Russian pilgrim.

As a result of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the monastery was officially disbanded in January 1918, but could be some time be operated as an agricultural cooperative on. Over time, many of the monks disappeared from the monastery and died in part of a violent death, some monks took to continue, despite great danger their role as spiritual fathers was. 1987 was opened the monastery again.

Elders of Optina Pustyn

• Lew Nagolkin (1768-1841)
• Makari Ivanov (1788-1860)
• Moise Putilov (1782-1862)
• Antoni Putilov (1795-1865)
• Hilarion Ponomarev (1805-1873)
• Amwrosi Grenkow (1812-1891)
• Anatoli Serzalow (1824-1894)
• Isaaki Antimonow (1810-1894)
• Iosif Litovkin (1837-1911)
• Warsonofi Plichankow (1845-1913)
• Anatoly Potapov (1855-1922)
• Nectarines Optinski (1853-1928)
• Nikon Belyaev (1888-1931)
• Isaac Borbakow (1865-1938)
• Ili Nosdrin (* 1932), spiritual father of the Moscow Patriarch Kirill I