The Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky TOUR TO THE HOLY DORMITION PSKOV- CAVES MONASTERY INSTYLE TOUR ONLINE
Pskov-Caves monastery is located on the historically Russian land, 50 kilometers to the west of the city of Pskov, near the very border of Estonia and 340 kilometers from St. Petersburg.TOUR ONLINE
The date of the monastery’s foundation is considered to be August, 15/28,1473. It was on that day that the monastery’s founder, St. Jonah (Shesnik) consecrated the church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God — a church which was built into the hillside. But the monastic life had actually begun there much earlier. When a few hermits, seeking solitude, came to live in the caves. E
The holy relics of one of them, St. Mark the desert-dweller, still rest in the caves and many people come to venerate them. The monastery’s chronicle relates that “the Most Pure Virgin herself chose this site in the valley of the Kamenets spring, blessed it, exalted it through her chosen people and has been protecting it ever since. Five centuries have passed. The monastery has seen both glory and tragedy. But never have the holy lampadas gone out, nor prayer ceased in this blessed place.
The monastery gradually grew in size and reputation. The 16th century was the time of its flourishing, when under Abbot Cornelius the Annunciation and St. Nicholas Churches were erected as well as the stone belfry and the monastery was fortified around by a stone wall with bastions. The brethren numbered up to 200. Abbot Cornelius collected a rich library, established chronicling and founded an icon-painting workshop. The monastery became an important missionary center. And stronghold of Orthodoxy on the western border of Russia. Tradition has it that, slandered by envious people, Abbot Cornelius was beheaded by Tsar Ivan the Terrible on the 20th of February, 1570 and now numbers among the hosts of holy martyrs.
In 2013 the monastery marked the 540th anniversary of its existence and salvific work in the Orthodox Church. The years pass, governments and empires rise and fall, but the monastery ever remains a firm stronghold of Orthodoxy in a restless world.
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