Why do people go to Ostashkov? Why do they take so long to drive a car, or even a bus? There are no mountains, no sea, no picturesque sand dunes. Well then, maybe there is extraordinary shopping or restaurants with Michelin stars? Not even that. But there is a surprisingly preserved and indescribable atmosphere of a provincial town of the 19th century, unique architectural monuments, the fabulous banks of Seliger and the focus of the spirit of Orthodoxy in the Nile Hermitage. The Nilo-Stolobenskaya hermitage is the main attraction of Ostashkov.
What is a desert?
Everyone knows about deserts - it’s hot there, the soil is stone, gravel or sand, sparse vegetation, little water... Such an area has nothing in common with the fertile lands of Seliger.
The concept of desert in the Orthodox tradition has nothing in common with the concept of desert as a natural zone in the science of geography. In Orthodoxy, a hermitage is a place of solitary residence for one or more monks.
Venerable Neil Stolobensky and his life
Almost nothing is known about the first half of the life of the Monk Neil of Stolobensky: no information has been preserved about when and where he was born, what name he bore in the world, it is forgotten who his parents were.
The time of his birth can only be designated as follows: the end of the 15th century. The first more or less reliable information about him dates back to 1515, when he took monastic vows in the Krypetsky Monastery near Pskov. From then on, the future saint began to bear the name Neil.
No one knows what everyday storms and sufferings he left behind him, but putting on a monastic robe, he began to live as a hermit, communicating only with the Lord God. 13 years of lonely ascetic life flew by. During this time people heard about him. They began to come: some for advice, some to be curious, some to repent of their sins; there were also those who came in the hope of profiting from something.
And one day in a dream the monk heard a voice from above that ordered Nile to go and live on the island of Stolobny, or as it is also called, Stolbny. In ancient times, on this Seliger island, in the vicinity of Ostashkov, there was a pagan temple with an idol pillar in the center.
In 1528, when an amazing hermit monk settled on it, the island was covered with dense forest and completely deserted.
The monk Nil Stolobensky began to be called by the name of the island. And the Lord endowed him with the ability to discern the thoughts of people, their actions, and to direct the lost to the true path. He could also heal and save those traveling by land and water from imminent death. And again people began to flock to the ascetic.
While in labor and prayer, during short rest, the monk never, even for the smallest minute, lay down or sat down. When his legs could no longer support him at all, the exhausted righteous man leaned on wooden crutches driven into the wall. I slept in the same way.
27 years of his life on Stolobny have passed, the extraordinary monk has grown old. And when his time came, the saint, who had fallen asleep in eternal sleep, was found hanging helplessly on the supports.
What do they pray for and what does Saint Nil of Stolobensky help with?
The church says that the miracles of St. Neil of Stolobensky continued at his grave.
Over the past five centuries, people's requests have not become more original. They, as during the life of the righteous, are concerned about health problems; they lack peace of mind and confidence in the future. They come to ask for the well-being of their families, to enlist the support of the saint before a long and difficult journey.
Believers come here to the relics of the monk and pray to him each for their own reasons - for he is our intercessor before the Lord. They say they are getting help.
The Nilova Pustyn Monastery is a property of Russia
At the end of the 16th century, on the site of the ascetic cell of the monk, a monastery arose, called the Nilova Hermitage. This time is the period of formation and then strengthening of a centralized state in Rus'. The church plays a huge role in supporting the Moscow kings. Therefore, new monasteries are created in places that are far from random.
So is this one: one of the significant trade routes of that time passes through Seliger, the new monastery of Nilova Pustyn on Stolobny Island occupies an extremely advantageous location in economic terms. This is for the benefit of the church and indirectly strengthens Moscow’s position in the north-west.
If at the beginning of its existence the monastery was a wooden fortress with a single modest church, then by the end of the 19th century it became an entire island city. Everything in it is made of stone - five churches and 25 other buildings. Nilova Pustyn, along with its historical value, now acquires the significance of a cultural heritage.
Its magnificent buildings are the creations of the Russian architect from St. Petersburg Joseph Charlemagne, a native of Lausanne Angelo Botany and architects from Tver. The architecture of the Tver region is associated with the names of two talented namesakes of the Lvovs - Ivan Fedorovich and Nikolai Alexandrovich. Ivan Lvov and other Tver residents contributed to the construction of the monastery - “architectural students” Yegor Svinkin and the Ananyin brothers.
The Nilo-Stolobenskaya hermitage has always been revered as one of the greatest Orthodox shrines in Russia. Before the revolution, tens of thousands of pilgrims flocked here every year to the miraculous relics of St. Neil of Stolobensky.
What we did last summer
Last summer we were drawn to Seliger. Friends enticed me. We were going there for the first time, so on the way to the planned point we decided to stop first in the small town of Ostashkov, and then see Nilova Pustyn - an unforgettable landmark of this region.
You can read about Seliger Venice - the city of Ostashkov and impressions of it.
Ostashkov – Nilova Pustyn How to get there?
From Ostashkov to the Orthodox monastery of Nilova Pustyn there are two roads: one by boat on the lake, about ten kilometers, and the second by land. A road passes through the city of Ostashkov, encircling the entire Lake Seliger. However, I don’t know what it is, since we drove along it only 25 kilometers to the Svetlitsa Peninsula. It is connected to Stolobny Island by a narrow dam. The holy monastery owns a piece of the peninsula and the entire island.
Our valiant Toyota avoided potholes and ruts. Buses crawled slowly ahead. There was no way to overtake them. The speed was simply crazy - fifty kilometers per hour. At first this was terribly annoying, but suddenly the snail's pace had its advantages: hillocks, pine glades and other beauties of Russian nature no longer flashed, merging into a stripe, but allowed one to admire them in detail.
And perhaps this is good; smooth asphalt would only ruin everything. Jumping up casually, with your head immersed in vanity, is wrong. You need to approach a holy place with an elevated attitude.
Where do bears with candy come from?
And the forests here are surprisingly good. The rugged shores of the lake are overgrown with centuries-old pine trees. They stand under the sun, all dressed in gold, like generals on parade. The air is infused with the aroma of pine needles. The artist Ivan Shishkin wrote sketches here for “Morning in a Pine Forest” with textbook bears.
The fish splashes in the water. Grasshoppers chirp in the grass. The bird choir performs works by local feathered composers. Fairy tale…
But the Ozik navigator says that there is nothing left to the Nile Desert. And then, in the gap between the pines, domes flashed - she. We drive up the hill past the tourist complex and the endless expanse of Seliger with its white and yellow monastery looking like St. Petersburg opens up before us. Turrets, columns, granite embankments reinforcing the banks.
We parked. We go to the monastery past trade tents, boats, then a few tens of meters along a wooden bridge. Entrance is through the passage arch of the Svetlitskaya Tower. The tower was built relatively recently - in 1863. It has always served as an access gate, and now the appearance of visitors coming to the monastery is controlled here.
But she had another important role - she served as a saving beacon in bad weather. During a storm or blizzard, a lantern was lit on its spire.
This is great!
The road goes uphill. The first to greet us is a sculptural image of St. Nile, the founder of the Nilo-Stolobensky monastery.
In the surrounding villages, skillful peasants started making wooden sculptures of the monk as a business. They cut figures large, as tall as a person, and small, as big as the palm of your hand. Large images of the saint were used to decorate churches, and miniature figurines of the Nile were reverently taken home by pilgrims as souvenirs.
Look at the photo - from above, the monastery looks like a huge castle that emerged from the blue waters of Seliger. From here it can be clearly distinguished that the buildings on its territory form three courtyards:
- The front door, which serves as the center of the monastery’s composition.
- Wide Gostiny Dvor.
- A courtyard with service buildings, which is called Konyushenny.
Do you see how big the bell tower is at the Epiphany Cathedral? Square, four tiers... The height to which you can rise is 36 meters!
From there, every morning at half past four, a deep and thick sounding bell floats over the lake - the monastic day begins with the sounds of the cathedral bell. You can climb the bell tower and, even if not from heaven, still take in all the surroundings from a considerable height.
Of course we climbed. Here we walked several flights of narrow wooden stairs. It’s scary... The ancient steps creak and tremble... The wood of the railing is polished by thousands of visitors’ hands... We step even higher - to the very top.
And here we are on the balcony that runs along the perimeter of the bell tower. Sanya takes photographs, and I look at the peninsula with the wonderful name Svetlitsa, at the surrounding villages, Ostashkov blue in the distance, forests, islands - the incomparable Seliger expanses.
I turn around - far below, a boat with passengers is slowly sailing around the monastery. “We should also go on a boat,” I say to Sanya. Because what would a trip to Seliger be without a walk along the reaches of the lake! And the local boat business needs to be supported! “Hmm,” comes the answer. Sanya is busy, he needs to correctly shoot the composition of the monastery clock, peninsula and horizon.
The blue of the water, the dazzling sun, the blue-blue sky, against which the domes are burning with fire... The camera clicks, clicks again...
Nilova Pustyn map
In the front yard of the monastery
The current splendor of the monastery is the result of reconstruction in the 18th-19th centuries. More ancient buildings have not survived.
Once the only one, and now - for especially honored guests, the entrance to the monastery began from a wide staircase from the Bishop's pier.
Through the arch of the Holy Gate of the Gate Church of St. Neil (built in 1755), visitors entered the first courtyard. It is interesting that this and the second gate church, consecrated in the name of Peter and Paul in 1765, are very similar.
The courtyard is surrounded on three sides by two-story bishop's cells, grandiose fraternal buildings, abbot's chambers and a refectory. The guests, turning their heads, walked almost across the entire courtyard to the entrance to the cathedral.
The heart of the ensemble of the Nilo-Stolobenskaya hermitage is the bulk of the Epiphany Cathedral with white columns, porticoes, six domes and a bell tower. The domes of the cathedral were covered with copper sheets, gilded by heating the amalgam applied to them. Amalgam is a mixture of gold and mercury. Gilding with it is an old and unsafe method. Master gilders received a lot of money for their work, but they didn’t live long - they died from mercury poisoning.
But from the fire gilding of the domes, they shone especially - with divine light, reflecting the falling rays in sheaves. During the crazy years of perestroika, the gilded copper from the domes disappeared to God knows where, only recently, with the help of benefactors, the domes began to shine with gold again. However, now they are covered with small sheets of gold leaf, a fraction of a micron thick. This gilding technology protects the health of the craftsmen.
Want to know how much it costs to gild a dome? One square meter of gilding is estimated at an average of 80,000 rubles. If the dome area is 5 sq. meters, then you need to prepare to pay 400 thousand.
In the monastery courtyard, I could not find the Church of All Saints (1701), until I realized that the inconspicuous squat building a little to the right of the Church of Peter and Paul was that oldest church. Resembling a cube, covered with scaffolding and wrapped in film, it is preserved and awaits restoration sometime in the future.
We went down from the bell tower and went into the Epiphany Cathedral. We looked at the temple, the shrine with holy relics, and bought an icon. It was not possible to see the remaining buildings; they were undergoing restoration.
We walked along the granite embankment and along the bishop's pier. The pier is a small terrace with steps going into the water, I go down them to stroke the blue skin of the softened Seliger sparkling in the hot sun - now he is kind and affectionate. The water splashes right at your feet - inviting you to swim.
An elegant and rich monastery, well, the word “desert” does not suit it at all...
Gostiny Dvor Nilo-Stolobenskaya Pustyn
An arched passage leads to the second courtyard through the high tiered tower of the Church of Peter and Paul.
It houses, among other things, a monastery hotel for three hundred people. For a donation, pilgrims find shelter there and can dine at the monastery for free if they wish. But the thing with the menu is this: the monks don’t eat meat and don’t offer it to others, and all the monastery residents fast three days a week.
However, I read from one blogger who took advantage of the hospitality of the Nilova Hermitage that he had never had a tastier meal in any of the monasteries. The hosts offer the pilgrims rich fish borscht, porridge, mashed potatoes, fried fish, pickles, salads, adjika, fragrant bread, honey cookies...
The hotel is also good: clean, tidy, hot water. True, the cells are mainly designed for groups of a dozen people and the amenities are, of course, shared, but there are enough for everyone.
At the Konyushenny yard
From Gostiny you can get to the Konyushenny Yard with its various service buildings.
Outside the courtyards there are warehouses, a pier, a dock, floating fish tanks and other outbuildings for various purposes.
The entire south of the island is reserved for orchards and a meadow with pasture for cows. Behind the courtyards between the monastery buildings are well-groomed vegetable gardens, where, through the labors of the holy fathers, everything grows, blooms and fills with juice.
On the cape itself, surrounded by water, stands the white, remarkably beautiful Church of the Exaltation of the Cross under a silver roof. Once upon a time there was a monastery cemetery next to it, but it has not survived.
Mysteries, there were legends of the Nile Desert
Seliger and the surrounding area of the Nile Desert are steeped in legends like no other place. Reality and fiction are mixed here in such a way that it is sometimes difficult to separate historical facts from folk fiction in legends.
Here, for example, is the story of the miraculous salvation of the monks from a cholera epidemic: in the area of the monastery, the disease was raging with might and main, sparing no one - neither old nor young. She reached the holy monastery. And then the monks brought out the miraculous icon and walked around the island with it.
This was the only medical, sanitary and quarantine measure used. But the attack that mercilessly mowed down people in the area suddenly retreated and not a single one of the monastery inhabitants was hurt, although the monastery did not close its doors from anyone...
The revolution at the beginning of the 20th century brought innumerable disasters to the monastery: the holy relics were opened, the monastery of Nile Stolobensky was closed by the new government, the fate of the monks who lived in it ended sadly, most of them perished in Stalin’s camps.
Church treasures accumulated over centuries - utensils, icons, gifts from Russian sovereigns, nobles and ordinary pilgrims - also disappeared.
According to legend, before the arrival of a detachment of Red Army soldiers, the monks managed to reliably hide some of their treasures somewhere on the territory of the monastery, but they could not convey their secret to anyone - the security officers shot everyone. But even without this, they raked in a lot: two pounds of jewelry and more than thirty pounds of silver.
From 1927-1939 there was a children's colony for delinquents here. They say that the boys were punished by forcing them to cut off frescoes with images of saints from the top of the walls and under the dome. So they knocked out the plaster and masonry there half a meter deep. Under the Epiphany Cathedral there was an ancient underground necropolis. Recently, the brethren cleared out the basements and discovered that the burials had been disturbed; apparently, young vandals were trying to find treasures among the bones of the abbots.
There is a legend that among these yesterday’s young bandits and street children, the son of the famous teacher Makarenko reformed and prepared for the subsequent normal life. But these are pure fairy tales: Anton Semenovich did not have his own children, but his wife Galina, yes, she had a son from her first marriage, but Leva Salko grew up as an exemplary boy... Perhaps the impetus for creating the legend was the fact that in Inmates of the colony lived according to Makarenko’s method.
In 1939-1940, World War II was just flaring up when Polish officers interned under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact found themselves in the former monastery of the Nilo-Stolobenskaya Hermitage.
This tragic secret of Stolobny Island was revealed in the nineties of the last century. More than 6 thousand Poles from here were sent to the basements of the NKVD in Kalinin, shot and buried near the village of Medny. The Catholic cross and memorial plaques that are installed at the entrance to the monastery remind us of this sad page of history.
During the war there was a hospital here, after the war it would again be a camp, but for our fellow citizens who were in fascist captivity.
In the sixties, almost all the buildings of the former monastery fell into disrepair and then a home for the disabled was built here. Then there was a decision to set up a camp site here, and in the 70s they began to do the corresponding work, which did more harm than good. And in 1990 all the churches were handed over and monastic life began again on Stolobny Island...
But recently there was another legend, the end of which naturally came in 2011. Many people noticed that the clock in the monastery bell tower is not real: a dial is painted on round tins, the hands of which show a quarter to twelve.
Legend said it was a reminder. Midnight is the time when dark forces triumph. Fifteen minutes is enough for a person to think about the past day, repent of his sins and read a prayer. But in July 2011, new chimes were consecrated on the bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral. Now the clock is ticking, and the harmless legend has received chimes.
It’s three kilometers from the monastery - by boat in summer, and on foot in winter - in general, it’s a stone’s throw to the wooded island of Gorodomlya, which was once part of the Nilova Hermitage. There also lived and still lives a mystery. In 1937, a secret facility was transferred here - the Institute of Microbiology, which worked for the needs of the army; after the war, they were engaged in no less secret work - rocket science. There is still a permit regime here...
Smoked goldfish
A golden smoked fish that glitters appetizingly on its sides and smells so deliciously that your mouth uncontrollably fills with saliva... Pike-perch, perch, pike, crucian carp, bream, tench, greenling, carp... Well-fed Seliger catfish turn brown. Separate from everyone else, the royal Seliger eel lies proudly - there is no fish equal to its taste. It’s impossible not to buy, even though the prices are steep.
All this deliciousness is sold on every corner of Seliger - both in villages and on the roads. Sellers look with honest eyes and assure potential buyers that the fish was just caught and smoked.
But, friends, be careful: firstly, there is a high probability of buying second-fresh fish. How many times have they written on the Internet that the fish bought the next day, or even that day, was swarming with worms.
And secondly, know that almost all the fish offered is imported. There is not and never has been a greenling in Seliger - this is a sea fish, catfish have long been hard to find in the lake during the day with fire, eels have increased in number, carp and carp are not found there.
But on the website of the Nilova Hermitage Monastery they honestly write that the monks themselves raise rainbow trout, carp and carp in fish cages, and specially buy cod, perch, mackerel and greenling for smoking. Bream and pike perch are actually still caught in Seliger. But the point is that the products produced by the monastery are all certified.
On the way out we stopped at the monastery grocery store. What's missing here! Pickles, jams, honey, bread, as well as smoked greenling. This fish is not uncommon on the highway; in the Western Dvina area, where we often go, they sell it at every kilometer. But this one was amazing, how good! The taste is incomparable, but, as you understand, we only found out about this in the evening, when, having swallowed it, we reproached ourselves for not taking at least a couple of fish.
But what the shop doesn’t have and never will have is eel. And here's why - according to the canons of the church, Orthodox Christians can only eat fish that have scales. That's it.
In March of this year
For the March weekend, it was decided to take a ride along several lakes in the Tver region, check out the forest off-road, and, at the same time, stop at the Nilova Hermitage along the way. Of course, the greenery of the trees and the blue of Seliger add beauty to this place, but in the summer there is no count of the crowds that arrive by car, bus, or boat.
We drove for a long time. Leningradskoe Highway is a federal highway, but, dear mother, how many cameras, traffic lights and cars are there! The road through Torzhok was under repair. The gray day had passed halfway through, and we were all driving around the factory districts of the city. Finally, having swallowed up to our ears in liquid Torzhokov mud, we got out onto the bypass road.
And then the city showed itself in all its glory, and we saw the light. It’s decided - in the summer we’ll take Katya and go to the wonderful city of Torzhok!
The road is asphalt, where there is snow or puddles... Shaking on potholes... Several turns, and we finally drove onto a familiar hill. Snow. Water trying to free itself from ice. The bridge and domes, and the shining sun peeks between them. Hello, Nilo-Stolobenskaya Hermitage!
It’s just strange that not a single person is visible... There are no trays near the bridge... We are approaching closer. Oops! What a disaster! It turns out that monks don’t live here in winter, the monastery is closed until May... Or rather, you can walk through the territory, but you can’t get into the buildings, and there is no coveted monastery food store!
We stood there, sipped a little, and went to take pictures of the sunset. The sun is hot, you don’t even need a jacket, a vest is enough. Spring is coming! Ice-covered Seliger looks like an ordinary large field; cars are cutting through it with might and main. While we found the right angle, the “golden hour” began - this is what photographers call the time when the shadows become longer, the lighting is softer, and everything is painted in rich colors.
But the March day is short. It's time for us to say goodbye to the Nile Desert and Seliger and hurry to the meeting place with friends.
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The Monk Nil Stolobensky was born at the end of the 15th century in one of the villages of Derevskaya Pyatina, Zhabensky churchyard in the Novgorod land (in some texts of the Life of the saint, the village of Zhabna itself, the center of the churchyard or volost, is called his homeland). Who the saint's parents were and what name he bore in the world is unknown. It is only known that his father and mother led a pious life and raised their son in the fear of God.
After their death, around 1505, the monk took monastic vows with the name in honor of the Monk Nile, the ascetic of Mount Sinai (November 12) at the monastery of the Monk Savva of Krypetsky (+1495; August 28, old style / September 10, old style). Having assumed the angelic image, the Monk Neil began to lead a high ascetic life, oppressing his flesh with strict abstinence. Diligently fulfilling all the obediences assigned to him, he unquestioningly obeyed the abbot. In all his actions, the Monk Neil showed humility, meekness and kindness. Having tamed his passions, humbled his flesh with fasting and vigil, and washed his soul with tears, he became the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit. Through his feat of fasting and obedience he earned the reverent attitude of his brethren. But, in order “not to accept respect from people like themselves,” the Monk Neil wished to go into solitude. Having received the blessing of the abbot, Neil left the Krypetsky monastery in 1515 to live in the desert. He found a deserted place near the Cheremkha River in Rzhev district. Having set up a small cell, the saint devoted himself to the feats of unceasing prayer and abstinence. There the Monk Neil lived for 13 years, eating herbs and acorns.
He spent all his time in constant prayer. Demons, in order to frighten the saint and drive him away from the desert, appeared to him in the form of ferocious beasts and reptiles. But the holy ascetic drove them away with prayer and the sign of the cross. Unable to drive the saint out of the desert, demons taught evil people to harm him. One day, robbers came to the holy hermit, thinking to find some treasures with him. Having learned about their arrival, the Monk Neil said a prayer and went out to meet them with an icon of the Mother of God in his hands. The robbers were frightened by the vision of many warriors behind the saint. They got scared and began to ask the saint for forgiveness. Saint Nile lovingly accepted their repentance and sent them away in peace.
Thirteen years later, by the arrangement of God’s Providence, the name of St. Neil became known in many surrounding villages. Many began to come to him for blessings, instructions and advice. The ascetic life of the holy hermit aroused worldly praise, and this extremely upset the humble monk. From that time on, he began to diligently pray to the Most Holy Theotokos to show him another place for desert exploits.
One day, half asleep, he heard a voice commanding him to go to Stolobnoye Island, which is on Lake Seliger, not far from the city of Ostashkov. The relocation of the Monk Neil to this deserted island took place in 1528. The monk found the indicated place. The saint lived his first winter in a cave he dug in the mountain. Then he built a small wooden chapel and a cell, in which he labored for 27 years, struggling with evil spirits. Here he intensified his feats of fasting and prayer. The saint never lay down to sleep, but rested, leaning on wooden hooks driven into the wall.
The enemy of the human race tried to expel the saint from this place, appearing to him and threatening him with troubles. He also taught the surrounding villagers to harm the ascetic. The previously unwanted island suddenly became necessary for the residents of the villages neighboring it, and they decided to cut down the forest on it and plow up the arable land. They set fire to the felled forest, hoping that the saint’s cell would burn along with it. But when the fire that was raging across the island approached the dwelling of the Monk Nile, through the prayer of the saint, the flame went out.
On Stolobny Island, through the prayers of St. Neil, a miracle again occurred from the icon of the Mother of God, which was in his cell and was the main treasure for the saint. As in the Serem desert, the Monk Nile was attacked by robbers, demanding treasures. The saint told them that all his treasure was in the corner of the cell - there stood an icon of the Mother of God.
Having rushed there, the robbers became blind. Having repented of their evil plans, they received their sight through the prayer of the saint.
After a long and intense struggle with passions and the devil, the Monk Neil was awarded by the Lord the gift of spiritual insight and reasoning. Thanks to the saint’s instructions, many people corrected their lives. Through the prayers of the saint, they received help from God and consolation, even the waves on Seliger were tamed, and fishermen caught in the storm were saved from death.
A tireless warrior with a world of passions, the Monk Neil was very sensitive to the beauty of God's world. The Life tells that, having come to the island of Stolobnoe, covered with pine forest and “all kinds of forest and buttocks,” the saint found it “velmily red” and rejoiced “at finding such a place and loving it dearly.” It is no coincidence that many of the miracles performed by the Monk Neil, both during his life and after his death, are associated with the “rebuke” of the rogue woodcutters who encroached on the protected forest. For many years, a carved image of the ascetic stood as a holy guardian of the source of the great Russian Volga River in a wooden chapel on the edge of the village of Volgoverkhovye.
The Monk Neil lived on Stolobnoye for 27 years, enduring all kinds of misfortunes, sorrows and hardships with great patience. Shortly before his repose, the Monk Nile dug a grave in the chapel he had built, “and set his coffin in the ground, and those who came and wept over him tenderly.” By the providence of God, and through the prayers of the Saint, before his blessed death, the abbot of the nearby Nikolo-Rozhkovsky monastery, Sergius, arrived with the Holy Gifts. The Monk Neil predicted to him that a monastery would be built on the island. After the repose of St. Nil (December 7, 1554), his holy relics were placed in the tomb by the abbot of one of the Novgorod monasteries, Anthony, and the monk of the Nikolo-Rozhkov monastery, German.
After the death of St. Neil, monks from various monasteries came to Stolobny Island, wandered to holy places, and lived in his cell for some time.
Around 1590, the monk Herman settled on the island where the wanderer Boris Kholmogorets lived at that time. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Novgorod (1576 - 1591), they built a wooden church in honor of the Epiphany with a chapel in the name of Blessed Basil, Christ for the Holy Fool, Moscow Wonderworker (+ 1557; commemorated August 2).
Soon a monastery with a communal charter arose, which was called the Nile Hermitage. Its first rector was Hieromonk Herman.
In 1595, the icon painter monks of the Tver Orshin Monastery of the Ascension, Job and Nifont, painted an image of the Monk Nile, which was placed on the tomb of the saint. Around 1598-1600, the monk of the Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Filofei Pirogov, compiled stichera and a canon for the saint and wrote his life.
In 1665, there was a fire in the monastery, all the wooden buildings, including the temple, burned down. A temporary wooden church was built for worship. While digging ditches for the temple, the earth crumbled, exposing the coffin; Thus, on May 27, 1667, the relics of St. Neil were found incorrupt and fragrant. With the blessing of Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod (at the Novgorod See from 1664 to 1672, then Patriarch of All Russia; +1673), on this day the annual celebration of the discovery of the holy relics of St. Neil was established. His miraculous relics were transferred to a new tomb and placed in the wooden Church of the Intercession. On October 30, 1669, in a new stone church built over the tomb of St. Neil, chapels were consecrated in the name of the holy Apostle John the Theologian and Blessed Basil, Christ for the Fool's sake. The holy relics of St. Neil were placed in the first aisle, and on April 9, 1671 they were transferred to the main Epiphany Church (after its consecration). From May 27, 1756, a solemn encircling of holy relics around the monastery began to take place annually, and later a religious procession from the city of Ostashkov. A description has been preserved of numerous healings that took place at the tomb of St. Nile through his holy prayers.
The veneration of St. Nile gradually spread beyond the Seliger region throughout Russia.
In 1845, a desert named after him was founded even in the Sayan Mountains, in the valley of the Ikhe-Ugun River.
Now the relics of the saint rest in the revived Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert.
Prayer to our Reverend Father Nil, Stolobensky Wonderworker
O great servant, glorious miracle worker, the cheerful shepherd of the flock of Christ gathered here for you, and the God-given ruler of this monastery, the all-blessed Nile! With your soul in Heaven, stand before the throne of God and enjoy the Trinity of glory, rest with your body on earth in this divine temple and from it, with the grace given from above, you will exude various miracles, look with a merciful eye on the people who are more honest than your race, and those who are strong in asking for your help. Behold, we have been defiled by their immeasurable sins, and ever wallowing in the mire of passions, the righteous wrath of God has been brought upon us, and we are unworthy of all mercy that has been created: in the same way, we do not dare to lift our hair to the heights of Heaven, to raise lower the voice of prayer, with a contrite heart and a humble spirit We call upon you for intercession and assistance. Therefore, as you have acquired boldness, lift up your venerable hand, as sometimes the wonderful Moses the God-seer told Amalek, and extend to the Lord the Creator of all and God your warm prayer for our people, and ask the insurmountable one against invisible and visible enemies, I will lead you, indestructible health, longevity of years, peace in their days, prosperity of the Church, prosperity of the air, fruitfulness of the earth. Deliver all those who come to God with undoubted faith and reverently venerate your multi-healing relics, from all mental and physical troubles, from all yearnings and excuses of the devil. Be a comforter to the sad, a physician to the sick, a helper to the afflicted, a patron to the naked, a protector to widows, a protector to the orphans, a nourisher to the infant, a strengthener to the old, a guide to the wandering, a helmsman to the sailing, and intercede for all your strong help who diligently demand all that is useful for salvation. As we instruct you through your prayers, we will complete the path on earth of our short life in comfort, we will find endless peace in Heaven, and together with you we will glorify all the good, the Giver of the One in the Trinity of the glorified God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever centuries. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4:
Like a lamp all bright, /
You appeared on the island of Lake Seliger, /
Reverend Father Nile, /
You have carried the cross of Christ from your youth on your frame, /
You followed this diligently, /
drawn close to the purity of God, /
It was from labor and miracles that you were enriched with the gift of miracles. /
Thus we too, flowing to the race of your relics, tenderly say: /
Reverend Father, /
pray to Christ God //
save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 8:
Fatherland, reverend, departed, /
Thou hast moved into the desert, /
and ascended to the island of Lake Seliger, /
You showed your life cruelly, /
and, surprising many with virtues, /
You have received the gift of miracles from Christ. /
Remember us, who honor your memory, /
let's call you: //
Rejoice, Nile, our father.
The Monk Nil Stolobensky was born in the second half of the 15th century in one of the villages of Derevskaya Pyatina in the Zhabensky churchyard in the Novgorod land (in some texts of the Life of the Saint, the very village of Zhabna, the center of the churchyard or volost, is called his homeland). Pious parents raised him in the fear of God, in the love of prayer and reading soul-helping books. After their death, around 1505, the monk took monastic vows with the name in honor of the Venerable Nile of Sinai (November 12) at the monastery of the Venerable Savva of Krypetsky (+ 1495; August 28). After accepting monasticism, Saint Nil courageously armed himself against the inner passions of the devil. Diligently fulfilling all the obediences assigned to him, he unquestioningly obeyed the abbot. In all his actions, the Monk Neil showed humility, meekness and kindness. Having tamed his passions, humbled his flesh with fasting and vigil, and washed his soul with tears, he became the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit.
Reverend Neil Stolbensky. Icon, mid-19th century. The saint is depicted against the background of the buildings of the Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert, painted with cartographic precision. From above, the island monastery is overshadowed by the cell image of the saint - the Seliger-Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, supported by two Angels
To avoid worldly glory, the Monk Neil in 1515 asked for the blessing of the abbot and left the Krypetsky monastery to live in the desert. Relying on God's instructions, the monk passed through many uninhabited places and finally, arriving in the Rzhev land, chose a deserted wooded place near the Seremkha (or Cheremkha) River. Having set up a small cell, the saint devoted himself to the feats of unceasing prayer and abstinence. The food was acorns and other forest fruits. Demons, in order to frighten the saint and drive him away from the desert, appeared to him in the form of ferocious beasts and reptiles. They rushed at him with a piercing whistle and hiss, but the holy ascetic drove them away with prayer and the sign of the cross. Unable to drive the saint out of the desert, demons taught evil people to harm him. One day, robbers came to the holy hermit, thinking to find some treasures with him. Having learned about their arrival, the Monk Neil said a prayer and went out to meet them with an icon of the Mother of God in his hands. It seemed to the robbers that many armed people were walking with the monk. They got scared and began to ask the saint for forgiveness. Saint Nile lovingly accepted their repentance and sent them away in peace.
Thirteen years later, by the arrangement of God’s Providence, the name of St. Neil became known in many surrounding villages. Many began to come to him for blessings, instructions and advice. The ascetic life of the holy hermit aroused worldly praise, and this extremely upset the humble monk. In his nightly prayers, he tearfully asked the Most Holy Theotokos to guide him on the path of solitary exploits.
One day, in a subtle dream, the monk heard a command to go to Stolobny Island, located on Lake Seliger. The relocation of the Monk Neil to this deserted island took place in 1528. The saint lived the first winter in a cave he dug in the mountain, and then built a small wooden cell and chapel. The enemy of the human race tried to expel the saint from this place, appearing to him and threatening him with troubles. He also taught the surrounding villagers to harm the ascetic. The previously unwanted island suddenly became necessary for the residents of the villages neighboring it, and they decided to cut down the forest on it and plow up the arable land. They set fire to the felled forest, hoping that the saint’s cell would burn along with it. But when the fire raged across the island and approached the dwelling of the Monk Nile, through the prayer of the saint, the flame went out. As in the Serem desert, the Monk Nile was attacked by robbers, demanding treasures. The saint told them that his treasure was in the corner of the cell - there stood an icon of the Mother of God. Having rushed there, the robbers became blind. Having repented of their evil plans, they received their sight through the prayer of the saint.
After a long and intense struggle with passions and the devil, the Monk Neil was awarded by the Lord the gift of spiritual insight and reasoning. Thanks to the saint’s instructions, many people corrected their lives; through his prayers they received help from God and consolation. Through the prayers of the saint, the waves on Seliger were tamed and fishermen caught in a storm were saved from death. The Monk Nil lived on Stolobnoye for 27 years, enduring all sorts of misfortunes, sorrows and hardships with great patience. A special feat of Saint Nile was that he did not lie down to sleep, but slept sitting up, leaning on two large wooden hooks driven into the wall of his cell. Several years before his death, the Monk Neil dug a grave in the chapel and placed a coffin in it, to which he came every day and mourned his sins.
The time of his death was revealed to the Monk Nile - December 7, 1554. Shortly before that, the saint was visited by his confessor, hegumen of the Rakovsky Nikolaev Monastery, Sergius, and communed the Saint Nile with the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The monk predicted the emergence of a monastic monastery on the site of his exploits. Before his blessed death, he doused his cell, and then rested peacefully sitting, leaning on wooden hooks. When the brethren of the Rozhkov monastery arrived, they felt a fragrance in the saint’s cell, and the face of the deceased shone with an extraordinary light. He was buried in a coffin he had prepared.
Venerable Nil Stolobensky against the backdrop of the monastery. Icon, 17th century
After the death of St. Neil, monks from various monasteries came to Stolobny Island, wandered to holy places, and lived in his cell for some time. Abbot Anthony and monk Herman built a tomb over the grave of the monk, at which healings of the sick were performed even before the foundation of the monastery. Around 1590, the monk Herman settled on the island where the wanderer Boris Kholmogorets lived at that time. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Novgorod (1576-1591), they built a wooden church in honor of the Epiphany with a chapel in the name of Blessed Basil, Christ for the Holy Fool, Moscow Wonderworker (+ 1557; commemorated August 2).
Soon a monastery with a communal charter arose, which was called the Nile Hermitage. Its first rector was Hieromonk Herman.
In 1595, the icon painter monks of the Tver Orshin Monastery of the Ascension, Job and Nifont, painted an image of the Monk Nile, which was placed on the tomb of the saint. In 1598-1600, Filofei Pirogov, a monk of the Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, compiled stichera and a canon for the saint and wrote his life.
In 1665, there was a fire in the monastery, all the wooden buildings, including the temple, burned down. A temporary wooden church was built for worship, and on May 27, 1667, a new stone church was founded over the tomb of St. Neil. While digging ditches for the temple, the earth crumbled, exposing the coffin; In this way, the incorrupt and fragrant relics of the Monk Nile were discovered. With the blessing of Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod (at the Novgorod See from 1664 to 1672, then the All-Russian Patriarch; (1673), on this day the annual celebration of the discovery of the holy relics of St. Nile was established. His miraculous relics were transferred to a new tomb and placed in the wooden Church of the Intercession. On October 30, 1669, in the new stone church, chapels were consecrated in the name of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian and Blessed Basil, Christ for the Fool's sake.The holy relics of St. Neil were placed in the first chapel, and on April 9, 1671 they were transferred to the main Epiphany Church (after its consecration). From May 17, 1756, a solemn encircling of the holy relics began to take place annually around the monastery, and later a religious procession from the city of Ostashkov. A description of the numerous healings that took place at the tomb of St. Neil through his holy prayers has been preserved. Nowadays the holy relics of St. Neil rest in the Znamensky Church in the city Ostashkov, Tver diocese.
In 2015, the 530th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the current monastery, St. Neil, was celebrated here. And 510 years from the day he became a monk.
The future saint was born in Novgorod land. From childhood, his parents raised their son in the fear of God and instilled in him a love of prayer and reading soul-helping books. After their death, he took monastic vows at the monastery of St. Savva Krypetsky with the name Nil, in honor of St. Nile of Sinai. In the monastery, Neil showed himself to be a zealous monk, humble, meek and kind. During the ten years spent in the monastery, he achieved considerable spiritual gifts, however, in order to avoid worldly glory, with the blessing of the abbot, he left the Krypetsky monastery and went in search of a deserted place for solitary prayer. After passing through many uninhabited places, he finally found one near the Seremkha River in the Rzhev land. He built a cell in the forest and began to struggle in unceasing prayer and abstinence.
2015 marked the 530th anniversary of the birth of St. Neil.
One day, robbers came to him, hoping to find treasure. The saint prayed, took his only treasure in his hands - the icon of the Mother of God - and went out to meet the gang. The robbers were frightened; it seemed to them that many armed people were walking with Nile, and they began to ask for forgiveness. Neil lovingly released them.
On Seliger
Thirteen years have passed. The name of the forest hermit became known in many villages, and people began to come to him. Worldly glory upset the ascetic; at night he prayed with tears to the Mother of God for the possibility of solitary exploits. And one day I heard an order to go to Stolobny Island, on Seliger.
In 1528, Nile moved to this deserted island. He lived the first winter in a cave, then built a wooden cell and a chapel. At the demonic instigation, the surrounding villagers cut down the forest on the island and set it on fire in the hope that the saint’s cell would also burn down. But through his prayer, the raging fire, approaching the cell, went out. The trials didn't end there. Again the robbers came to the Nile: “Give us your treasures!” “My treasure is in the corner of the cell,” the elder humbly answered, pointing to the icon of the Mother of God. The robbers rushed there and became blind. Having realized that they were wrong, they repented, and through the prayer of St. Neil saw the light.
Before the revolution, over the shrine with the relics of St. Nile in the Epiphany Cathedral there was a miraculous icon of the Mother of God - Seliger-Vladimir. It was in front of her that the saint prayed. Nile, and the robbers mentioned in the life of the saint wanted to take her.
After the revolution, the monastery was completely plundered, not a single cross remained, and the icon was also considered lost.
But, as the editors of the Orthodox Pilgrim in the Nile Hermitage reported, on December 20, 2013, this icon was exhibited for the first time during the festive service of St. Neil Stolobensky. It turns out that all these years she was in the Resurrection (Znamenskaya) Church in Ostashkov.
When studying the archives of the deceased governor, Archimandrite Vassian, records were found from the 20-30s of the 20th century, where he described the events associated with the confiscation of church valuables and indicated the location of this shrine.
Currently, a special icon case is being prepared for the icon; as soon as it is made, the miraculous image will be placed next to the relics of the saint. Nila. In the meantime, the icon is taken out from the altar during divine services for the worship of believers.
The monk lived on Stolobny Island for 27 years. His special feat was that he never allowed himself to lie down; in case of extreme fatigue, he only leaned on wooden hooks driven into the wall, and in this position he rested a little.
The saint was rewarded from the Lord with spiritual gifts - insight and reasoning.
Through the prayers of St. Nile people received help from God, many corrected their lives. Even the waves on Seliger were tamed, and fishermen, caught in the storm, escaped death.
A few years before his death, Neil dug a grave for himself in the chapel, placed a coffin in it and came here every day to mourn his sins. The day of his death was revealed to him - December 7, 1554. Shortly before this, Nile was visited by his confessor - Father Sergius, abbot of the Rakovsky Nikolaevsky Monastery, who gave communion to his spiritual child. Before the death of St. Neil doused the cell with incense and, leaning on wooden hooks, peacefully departed to the Lord. When the monks of the neighboring monastery arrived, they felt a fragrance in the cell and saw that the face of the deceased was shining with an extraordinary light.
Abode
Neil Stolobensky predicted the appearance of a monastery on the site of his exploits. And so it happened. After his death, monks from different monasteries came to the island, making pilgrimages to holy places. For some time they lived in the saint’s cell. Around 1590, the monk Herman also settled on the island. Here he found the wanderer Boris Kholmogorets. Together they built a wooden church in honor of the Epiphany, and very soon a monastery with a cenobitic charter arose here, which was called the Nilova Hermitage. Hieromonk Herman became its first rector.
The monastery was of great importance for the development of the entire region; throughout its history it was the cultural and educational center of the Upper Volga region. In the inventory of the monastery for 1614, among other property, 32 books were listed, almost all handwritten. Gradually, a rich library was formed in the monastery - the first in this region.
In 1665, there was a fire in the monastery; all the wooden buildings, along with the temple, burned down. A temporary wooden church was built for worship, and on May 27, 1667, over the tomb of St. Nile laid the foundation for a new stone church, when they were digging a ditch, the earth crumbled, a coffin appeared - this is how the incorruptible relics of St. Nila. Since then, this event has been celebrated every year. From May 17, 1756, the holy relics began to be carried around the monastery every year, and later they began to organize a religious procession from the city of Ostashkov, where up to 90 thousand people came to celebrate.
Now the relics of St. Nila rests in the Epiphany Cathedral of the monastery. A description of numerous healings that took place at the tomb of the saint has been preserved.
Before its closure in the 20s of the last century, Nilova Hermitage was one of the most visited monasteries in Russia. The monastery had metochions in Ostashkov, Moscow, Novgorod and even Buryatia.
After the revolution
Already in 1919, the relics of St. Nile was taken out of the monastery and exhibited as a museum exhibit for anti-religious propaganda. Arrests of monks began. They were tried, tortured, deported, and shot. During the Soviet era, both a labor commune and a colony of juvenile delinquents were located on the territory of the monastery, one of whom, severely beaten, the Venerable Father himself appeared. Neil to console.
During the Great Patriotic War, a hospital was located on the island. Once one of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War came to the monastery and said that when he was in the hospital, he was healed by St. Nile. The severe wound to the abdominal cavity did not give doctors any hope that the patient would survive. But he really wanted to live, and the soldier began to pray. A monk came to him, moved his hand over his stomach, stroked it, said nothing and left. Everyone considered this to be the patient’s delirium, but he recovered!
In the 60s, the state took the monastery complex under protection as an architectural monument. Since 1971, the monastery came under the jurisdiction of the Central Council for Tourism and Excursions of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions, and the Rassvet tourist center was opened here.
By the end of the 80s, the monastery stood abandoned - the buildings could no longer be used. All that was left of temples and other buildings were bare walls with empty window sockets and piles of bricks.
Church utensils, veils, robes of clergy - all this was collected by the museum bit by bit
What 20 people can do, or “This is not ours”
As soon as the godless times began to pass, demands began to pour in from various authorities to return the Nilova hermitage to the Orthodox Church and revive the monastery. The freelance environmental department, created by the editors of the local newspaper “Zarya Komunizma” (since 1990 – “Seliger”), set itself the same task. It brought together twenty enthusiasts for the protection of the cultural and natural heritage of the region - representatives of the intelligentsia and workers of local enterprises. By that time, Mostransgaz had taken possession of the Nile Desert. Activists began with letters to various authorities - central newspapers, the Moscow Patriarchate. Deputies of the country's Supreme Council were involved and sent requests to the relevant authorities. At the request of ecologists, the famous writer Vladimir Soloukhin spoke in defense of the Nilova Desert in the central press. People's Deputy, priest Alexei Zlobin also supported the initiative. Several members of the environmental department were nominated to the local council. The then head of Gazprom, Viktor Chernomyrdin, also provided assistance. Having visited the Nilova Hermitage, he said: “This is not ours.” And then Mostransgaz was allocated several hectares of land for a recreation center on the opposite side of the lake.
Ecologists did not rest on this; they continued to fight for the preservation of the landscapes adjacent to the Nile Desert. And they succeeded in this too.
In the pilgrim's notebook:
Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert
Address: 172757, Russia, Tver region, Ostashkovsky district, p/o Svetlitsa
Tel. (8-48235) 5-08-04 – office
Tel. +7-909-267-24-73 – monastery hotel
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://nilostolobenskaja-pustyn.ru/
How to get there: By train from Leningradsky station in Moscow to Ostashkov. Then by bus along the route “Ostashkov city (bus station) – Svetlitsa village (Nilo-Stolobenskaya hermitage)”
Galina Digtyarenko,
photo by Mikhail Ignatiev and Oleg Serebryansky
And in the Cathedral of Tver Saints
Born into a peasant family in a small village of the Novgorod diocese. In the year he became a monk at the monastery of St. Savva of Krypetsky near Pskov.
After 10 years of ascetic life in Konovia, he retired to the Seremlya River, towards the city of Ostashkov, where for 13 years he led a strict ascetic life in continuous battle with the machinations of the devil, which were expressed in the appearance of ghosts - reptiles and wild animals. Many residents from the surrounding areas began to come to the monk for instructions, but he began to feel burdened by this and prayed to God to show him a place for the feat of silence. One day, after a long prayer, he heard a voice: “Nile! Go to Lake Seliger. There on Stolobensky Island you can be saved!” From the people who came to him, the Monk Neil learned where the lake was, and, having arrived there, he was amazed by its beauty. In the middle of the lake is an island covered with dense forest; on it the monk found a small mountain and dug a cave, and after some time he built a hut, in which he lived for 26 years. He accompanied the feats of strict fasting and silence with another, special feat - he never went to bed, but allowed himself only a light nap, leaning on hooks embedded in the wall of the cell.
The saint's godly life many times aroused the envy of the enemy, which manifested itself through the anger of the local residents. One day, someone set fire to the forest on the island where the saint’s hut stood, but the flames, reaching the mountain, miraculously died out. Another time, robbers broke into the hut. The monk told them: “All my treasure is in the corner of the cell.” There stood an icon of the Mother of God. The robbers began looking for money and went blind. Then, in tears of repentance, they began to pray to the saint for forgiveness. Many other miracles performed by the saint are also known. He silently refused offerings if those who came to him had an unclean conscience or were in bodily uncleanness.
After the death of St. Neil, monks from various monasteries came to Stolobny Island, wandered to holy places, and lived in his cell for some time. Abbot Anthony and monk Herman built a tomb over the grave of the monk, at which healings of the sick were performed even before the foundation of the monastery. For about a year, the monk German settled on the island where the wanderer Boris Kholmogorets lived at that time. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Novgorod (1576-1591), they built a wooden church in honor of the Epiphany with a chapel in the name of Blessed Basil, Christ for the Holy Fool, Moscow Wonderworker (+ 1557).
Soon a monastery with a communal charter arose, which received the name Nilova Hermitage. Its first rector was hieromonk