The village of
Arsaki is situated not far from the town of Alexandrov of Vladimir region. This
place attracts a lot of people who want to see the beautiful old monastery
situated here, St. Zosima’s Hermitage of The Virgin of Smolensk. The visitors
can see the monastery buildings of red brick surrounded by the thick wall like
one of the fortress.
The founder of the Hermitage was the elder monk Zosima, who left the Trinity
St. Sergius Laura and according to God’s order settled on that place in the
17-th century. The holy life of the elder and the miracles he worked attracted
the Christians, willing to live nearby. Thus, the monastery life began. A lot
of people, neven the members of the Royal family, came to Zosima to ask him for
advice.
After the death of the elder the monastery was closed several times. In 1866
the Trinity St. Sergius Laura possessed the land and in 1897 the building of
the cathedral of the Virgin of Smolensk and The Holy Gates was started. At the
end of the 19-th and the beginning of the 20-th century The Hermitage was the
center of spiritual life of Russia.
After the revolution of 1917 the
monastery was closed again and on its territory a cooperative was organized.
The monks were allowed to work there, but in 1923 it was also closed. The life
of the monastery stopped. The military unit housed the former monastery. The
ancient wall and the cathedral were partly destroyed.
In 1992 the revival of the monastery
restarted and in 1994 Zosima of Arsaki was recognized as a saint. Now the monks
and the servicemen co-exist peacefully. They restore the monastery together,
some soldiers sing in the monastery choir and are engaged in icon-painting.
Проскурина Валерия Владиславовна
МБОУ СОШ № 3 г. Александрова Владимирской области
Учащаяся 8 «в» класса, учитель английского языка - Ведь Г. А.
Статья опубликована на сайте "Просвещение" в разделе конкурса "Наша страна - наше наследие".
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