Trinity Gledensky Monastery Church of the Assumption. Trinity Cathedral

Trinity - Gledensky Monastery is located at a distance from Veliky Ustyug, near the village of Morozovitsa, on a high hill at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yuga rivers. The monastery ensemble is available for external inspection all year round; the Trinity Cathedral is open to visitors only in the summer.

In ancient times, the city of Gleden stood here, founded by Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest in the last quarter of the 12th century. Around the same time, a monastery in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity was founded near the city, which is rightfully considered one of the oldest in the Russian North.

Very little information has been preserved about the city itself. Its history is covered in legends and traditions, in which Gleden appears to be a rich and glorious city. He was killed by the supposedly evil Tatars, who were flattered by the gold of the Ustyug people. It is known for certain that it was destroyed in the middle of the 15th century as a result of brutal internecine wars of the Russian princes. The city was not restored, but the Trinity-Gleden Monastery was rebuilt by the Ustyug residents.

The ensemble of the monastery was formed at the end of the 17th - first half of the 18th century, when, at the expense of wealthy Ustyug merchants, first the Trinity Cathedral was dressed in stone, then the warm Tikhvin Church with a refectory, the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God and the hospital ward. A little later, the Tikhvin Church was connected to the Trinity Cathedral by a covered gallery and the construction of a stone fence began, which remained unfinished due to lack of money. It is noteworthy that almost all the stone buildings of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery were not subject to later alterations and retained their original forms unchanged, which gives the complex a special charm. Art historians classify it as one of the most advanced monastic ensembles in the Russian North.

The main attraction of the monastery is the magnificent carved gilded iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral, one of the most beautiful in Ustyug. Its construction lasted eight years (from 1776 to 1784) with donations from Ustyug residents.

Totem masters, brothers Nikolai and Timofey Bogdanov, were invited to carry out the carving work. Using traditional 18th-century motifs (garlands, volutes, rocailles, curls, etc.), they decorated the iconostasis with carvings that were striking in their richness and rare variety of shapes.

The icons, distinguished by their grace, precision of design, and rich color palette, were painted by Ustyug icon painters and merchants A.V. Kolmogorov, E.A. Shergin and Archpriest of the Ustyug Assumption Cathedral V.A. Alenev. The compositions of the icons deviate from traditional canons, since they were painted from printed sheets (Western European engravings), and are more reminiscent of secular painting.

A large number of wooden sculptures give the iconostasis a special charm. The figures of the four evangelists are located on the royal doors, with hosts hovering above them in the clouds. The sculptures of angels and cherub heads standing at the Crucifixion, organically combined with carvings and iconography, form a single whole with them. Unfortunately, the names of the carvers of the figures remained unknown, but they, without a doubt, were unusually talented people with extraordinary skill and subtle taste.

The iconostasis, of rare beauty, revived in the 70s of the twentieth century by Moscow restorers, evokes the admiration of everyone who comes to the Trinity - Gledensky Monastery.

A defunct Orthodox monastery 4 km from Veliky Ustyug. Its buildings are under the jurisdiction of the Veliky Ustyug Museum-Reserve.

Very little information has been preserved about the city itself. Its history is covered in legends and traditions, in which Gleden appears as a rich and glorious city. He was killed by the supposedly evil Tatars, who were flattered by the gold of the Ustyug people. It is known for certain that it was destroyed in the middle of the 15th century as a result of brutal internecine wars of the Russian princes. The city was not restored, but the Trinity-Gleden Monastery was rebuilt by the Ustyug residents.

Returning from Opok, we decided to stop by Morozovitsa. I was there before, but somehow I couldn’t get into the monastery. Either closed or undergoing restoration.

Let's go and admire the sky)

Strange buildings. I think grain dryers.

What a brand new house!

Granny went out for a walk...

Eh, roads...

We are driving along a more or less decent road. Road to the temple.

And here artists work on every corner, just like in V-Ustyug

A chapel is being built

We arrived

The Trinity-Gledensky Monastery is located far from Veliky Ustyug, near the village of Morozovitsa, on a high hill at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yuga rivers.
The monastery ensemble is available for external inspection all year round; the Trinity Cathedral is open to visitors only in the summer.

In ancient times, the city of Gleden stood here, founded by Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest in the last quarter of the 12th century. Around the same time, a monastery in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity was founded near the city, which is rightfully considered one of the oldest in the Russian North.

The confluence of the Sukhona and Yuga rivers.

View of Veliky Ustyug from the Trinity – Gledensky Monastery

Admiring the beauty

Monastery watchtower(1759-1763)

Waist-deep grass)

Holy and Northern (economic) gates

It is noteworthy that almost all the stone buildings of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery were not subject to later alterations and retained their original forms unchanged, which gives the complex a special charm.

The monastery is not active, so the appearance of the monastery courtyard is very different from the courtyard of an active monastery. There is a watchman living on the premises here, but the yard looks somehow unsightly, not like a monastery.

The main attraction of the monastery is the magnificent carved gilded iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral

Its construction lasted eight years (1776 - 1784) with donations from Ustyug residents.

Using traditional 18th-century motifs (garlands, volutes, rocailles, curls, etc.), they decorated the iconostasis with carvings that were striking in their richness and rare variety of shapes.

The iconostasis, of rare beauty, revived in the 70s of the twentieth century by Moscow restorers, evokes the admiration of everyone who comes to the Trinity - Gledensky Monastery...

The general impression of the richness of the iconostasis is enhanced by the gilding done by the artel of P.A. Labzin using a complex double technique with continuous digits (figured impressions on wet gesso).

Totem masters, brothers Nikolai and Timofey Bogdanov, were invited to carry out the carving work.

The compositions of the icons deviate from traditional canons, since they were painted from printed sheets (Western European engravings), and are more reminiscent of secular painting.

The icons, distinguished by their grace, precision of design, and rich color palette, were painted by Ustyug icon painters and merchants A.V. Kolmogorov, E.A. Shergin and Archpriest of the Ustyug Assumption Cathedral V.A. Alenev.

It existed for several more centuries, witnessing many events that took place in these places. It survived both the reforms of Peter I and the secularization of church properties during the reign of Catherine II, was abolished in 1841, reopened in 1912 as a convent and was finally closed in 1925. After this, the monastery buildings were used as a colony for street children, an orphanage-isolator, a transit point for the dispossessed, and a home for the elderly. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the architectural complex of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery has been a branch of the museum.
The ensemble of the monastery was formed at the end of the 17th - first half of the 18th century, when, at the expense of wealthy Ustyug merchants, first the Trinity Cathedral was dressed in stone, then the warm Tikhvin Church with a refectory, the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God and the hospital ward. A little later, the Tikhvin Church was connected to the Trinity Cathedral by a covered gallery and the construction of a stone fence began, which remained unfinished due to lack of money. It is noteworthy that almost all the stone buildings of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery were not subject to later alterations and retained their original forms unchanged, which gives the complex a special charm. Art historians consider it one of the most perfect monastic ensembles of the Russian North...

And we leave the cathedral and go to Veliky Ustyug.

We pass the village of Morozovitsa again.

And ahead are water meadows

Wide and free
You, native country!
How bright are your rivers,
Your lakes are deep!
How vast are the fields?
And the earth is abundant,
How much strength she hides!

Water meadows of Red Island

Our future. And it’s so nice to look at these kids!!! And they admire the open spaces!

The Shardenga river flows between the bushes

Approaching the bridge over the Sukhona

View of V-Ustyug (before entering the bridge)

DYMKOVO. (opposite V-Ustyug) VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE over the Sukhona

One of the most ancient monasteries in northern Russia is the monastery in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, located near the city of Gleden. This city was founded at the end of the 12th century by Prince Vsevolod. It was located on a hill, near the crossroads of river routes. Around the same time, a monastery was built near the city.

From the place where the Gledensky Monastery was located you can see how the Sukhona and Yug rivers connect their waters. In ancient times, twenty kilometers from this place ran the main road of the Russian North. The city of Ustyug is located on the Sukhona. The name of the city comes precisely from its location: Ust-Yug. Due to its location, at the crossroads of all routes, it was once one of the main cities of Russia.

But Gleden's story is more complicated and mysterious. Little information has been preserved about this city. Traditions and legends present Gleden as a glorious and rich city. They say that he was destroyed by the Tatars, who were flattered by the gold and wealth of the Ustyug people. Surviving documents indicate that it was destroyed in the mid-15th century as a result of brutal civil strife and wars between Russian princes. After this, the city was never restored, but the Trinity-Gledensky monastery was restored by the Ustyugans. He was literally resurrected from the ashes.

It existed for a long time, and over the course of several centuries it witnessed many more events that took place in these places: the reforms of Peter I, secularization under Catherine II, etc. In 1841 the monastery was abolished, and in 1912 it was reopened as a convent. The final closure occurred in 1925. After closure, the monastery buildings were used by the colony for street children, then an orphanage-isolator was set up here. There was also a transit point in the monastery buildings, where dispossessed people were kept, and a nursing home.

The monastery was built at the end of the 18th century. Then rich Ustyug merchants allocated funds for the reconstruction of the Trinity Cathedral, then the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God and the Tikhvin Church, the hospital ward, were rebuilt. Later, at the beginning of the 19th century, the Trinity Cathedral was connected by a covered gallery to the Tikhvin Church, and construction of a stone fence began. Unfortunately, due to lack of money, the fence was left unfinished. It should be noted that almost all the stone buildings of the monastery were not subjected to subsequent alterations, and therefore retained their original forms unchanged. This fact gives the complex special value and charm. Art historians unanimously classify it as one of the most advanced monastic ensembles in the Russian North.

The main attraction of the monastery is the delightful gilded carved iconostasis located in the Trinity Cathedral. The carvings of the iconostasis were carried out by Totem masters, brothers Nikolai and Timofey Bogdanov. In the design of the iconostasis they used traditional motifs of the 18th century: rocaille, curls, garlands, volutes, etc. The carvings made by them amaze with their richness and amazing variety of shapes.

The icons are distinguished by their grace and precision of design. They were painted by local artists and craftsmen and are distinguished by a rich and unusual color palette. Some of the icons were painted by V. A. Alenev, archpriest of the Assumption Cathedral. The composition of the faces differs from generally accepted canons. Due to the fact that they were copied from printed examples of Western European engravings, they are more reminiscent of secular painting. The gilded robe of the iconostasis gives it a particularly rich and elegant look. It was performed by a local team, using a very complex technique, and testifies to the high skill of the performers.

The wooden sculpture of the iconostasis depicts four evangelists standing in front of the royal doors, above which Hosts floats high in the clouds. The sculptural composition consists of the heads of cherubs and angels standing at the Crucifixion. Carvings, sculptures, icons and gilding are organically combined into one whole and represent a true work of art. It is safe to say that the craftsmen who made the iconostasis had subtle taste and extraordinary skill.

Trinity-Gledensky Monastery

(Morozovitsa village)

On the high bedrock bank above the floodplain meadows and old rivers formed at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yuga rivers, stands Mount Gleden. According to the chronicles, here in 1178 the Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod the Big Nest founded the oldest fortified settlement of the Ustyug people - Gleden, abandoned only in the 15th century. Today, the Trinity-Gledensky Monastery located on this hill is visible from everywhere. This is one of the oldest monasteries in the Russian North, the foundation of which, apparently, dates back to the 12th–13th centuries.

During its heyday, the number of monastics in the monastery reached four dozen. By Patriarchal decree of 1697, the abbots of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery received the rank of archimandrite. More than one and a half hundred Balti ministers worked for the monastery. In 1725, more than 1000 male souls lived in the 60 villages belonging to the monastery. At this time, the monastery owned 8 mills, more than a thousand heads of cattle, 187 horses; in Ustyug he owned a shop and a yard. The monastery conducted a profitable trade in salt and grain.

In 1764, during the secularization reform, the property of the monastery was transferred to the state, and in return the monastery, classified as third class, received funding according to the estimate.

During the flood of 1807, the Sukhona and Yug rivers, which once merged opposite the monastery, changed their courses and moved away from Mount Gleden, and the pier here ceased to exist. The monastery lost another source of its income. This event turned out to be a symbol of change. In other years there were from two to four monastics in the monastery. In 1841, the monastery, which had lost popularity, was abolished. In 1911, the monastery was revived as a convent and existed until its closure in 1918. Former nuns formed an agricultural labor commune headed by the former abbess of the monastery, and extended the existence of the monastery until 1925.

Today the monastery ensemble consists of stone buildings from the 17th–18th centuries. – the heyday of Veliky Ustyug and the Trinity-Gledensky Monastery. In the 19th century The buildings of the monastery were practically not reconstructed due to its difficult financial situation.

The oldest building of the monastery that has survived to this day is Trinity Cathedral. It was built at the expense of the Bosykhs, one of the largest Ustyug merchant families. The cathedral was founded in 1659, but construction was completed after a break only in the 1690s. The brilliant gilded iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral, built at the end of the 18th century, is imbued with a solemn and festive mood. The iconostasis was built from 1776 to 1784 by carvers from Totma - brothers Nikolai and Timofey Bogdanov. Icons for him in 1776–1781. wrote by Ustyug artists Alexey Vasilyevich Kolmogorov, Egor Aleksandrovich Shergin and father Vasily Alenev. The sculpture in the iconostasis was painted by Ustyug residents Prokopiy Andreevich Iznosov and Semyon Popov.

In the 18th century In the monastery, under the leadership of the Yaroslavl master Mikhail Borisov, a number of stone buildings were built. In 1738, a warm one was laid. Its construction was completed in the 1740s. In the 1750s. the cathedral and the refectory were connected by covered stone passages. Near the northern gate along the line of the walls in the 1730s–1740s. a small stone building was built Assumption Hospital Church. In the 18th century on the west and north of the monastery a low stone fence with two gates. From the east and south the fence remained wooden.

Since the closure of the monastery, the Trinity Cathedral has been under the jurisdiction of the museum. In the remaining buildings from 1925 to 1983, a colony for street children, an orphanage, a transit point for the dispossessed, a home for the disabled, and a nursing home were located in succession, far from the tasks of preserving the monastery and piety. Since the 1970s Restoration of the buildings and iconostasis of the cathedral is underway. Nowadays all the buildings of the monastery are used by the Veliky Ustyug State Museum-Reserve.

The central buildings of the monastery are the Trinity Cathedral and the Tikhvin Church with a refectory. They form the basis of the planning structure of the monastery and determine its volumetric-spatial composition. The Assumption Church is located in the northwestern corner of the fenced territory of the monastery. The stone monastery fence has been preserved from the west and north. To the northeast of the Trinity Cathedral there is a corner tower of the fence, opposite its western facade is the main gate of the monastery.

The largest building of the monastery is located on a high basement Trinity Cathedral, which, apparently, was built on the model of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael Monastery. Trinity Cathedral gives the impression of austerity due to its restrained decor. The tented bell tower, decorated with numerous flies and cornices, looks especially elegant. The cathedral preserves one of the best gilded five-tiered iconostasis in Veliky Ustyug, carved from wood, made in the Elizabethan Baroque style. The iconostasis displays more than four dozen expressive examples of three-dimensional sculpture.

Tikhvin Church with refectory is a building traditional for monasteries, designed in the architectural forms of the mid-17th century. The high lower basement floor served for household needs. The western part of the second floor is occupied by a large refectory. Inside it is a characteristic spacious dining hall with a mighty square pillar in the center supporting the vaults.

Assumption Hospital Church– traditional for the turn of the 17th–18th centuries. a temple of the “octagon-on-quadrangle” type, formerly crowned with a small dome. Adjacent to the church from the west is a low, one-story building of hospital wards and fraternal cells, forming a single whole with it.

The monastery is surrounded by a low stone fence with two gates on the north and west sides and a small two-story tower on the north-east corner. The Holy Gate, made in the form of a single-span arch with an attic, with icons in frames, attracts attention. The frame of these gates resembles the perspective portals of churches of the 16th–17th centuries.

Initially, the open galleries of the Trinity Cathedral were laid out. The stone passages connecting the cathedral and the refectory have not survived to this day. In 1898, the second floor of the corner tower of the fence, surrounded by a gallery, was built on. In the 20th century The wooden southern and eastern parts of the monastery fence and outbuildings were lost. The corner tower of the fence is currently being restored. Tikhvin and Assumption churches in the 20th century. were deprived of the domes, now the completion has been restored on the Tikhvin Church. On the territory of the monastery in the 20th century. household and residential buildings not related to the monastery were erected.

Michael the Archangel Monastery. Early 20th century postcard View of the ensemble of the Trinity-Gledensky Monastery from the north. Photo by I.B. Voronin, 2005 Western gate of the fence of the Archangel Michael Monastery. Photo by A.I. Menshikov, 2009 Trinity Cathedral. View from the west. Photo by I.B. Voronin, 2005
Trinity Cathedral. View from the northwest. Photo by A.A. Bobkov, 2008. Trinity Cathedral. View from the northeast. Photo by I.B. Voronin, 2005 Portal of the western entrance of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.V. Suvorov, 2013 Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Photo by A.A. Bobkov, 2013
Northern corner tower of the fence. Photo by A.A. Bobkova, 2013 Iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.V. Suvorov, 2013 Carved sculpture of the Evangelist John on the Royal Doors of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.A. Bobkov, 2013 Carved sculpture of the Evangelist Luke on the Royal Doors of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.A. Bobkov, 2013
Carved sculpture of the Evangelist Matthew on the Royal Doors of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.A. Bobkov, 2013 The Royal Doors of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.V. Suvorov, 2013 Lord of Hosts. Carved sculpture of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.A. Bobkov, 2013 Carved sculptures of angels on the royal doors of the Trinity Cathedral. Photo by A.V. Suvorov, 2013