Ferapontov Monastery in the Vologda region: opening hours, schedule of services, address and photo. Ferapontov Belozersk Mother of God Nativity Monastery

Ferapontov Monastery, located in Vologda region, for about four centuries was the center of education in the Belozersky region. Today it is not active, but pilgrims still visit the monastery to venerate the relics of the saints. There are also tourists here who want to admire the monastery ensemble and see the amazing frescoes created by the Orthodox icon painter and artist Dionysius. A museum of his frescoes is also open here. The monastery ensemble is included in the list of objects cultural heritage UNESCO.

Ferapontov Monastery - where is this monastery located?

How to get to the monastery

• The most convenient way to get here is by car: if you are coming from Vologda, move north along P5, and from Cherepovets - north along P6, passing Belozersk, Ivanov Bor, Kirillov.
• From or you can come to or Cherepovets by train, and then take the bus to Vytegra or Lipin Bor. They walk along the road, which is located two kilometers from Ferapontovo, and stop on request.
• If you don’t want to walk, you can get to Ferapontovo from Kirillov, from where people go to this village twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays Shuttle Buses.

Visit to the monastery, opening hours

Since the monastery is not currently in operation, you can venerate the relics at any convenient time.

But tourists who want to visit the Museum of Dionysian Frescoes, which is located on the territory of the Ferapontov Monastery, should take into account that from the beginning of May to the end of September the exhibitions are open daily, but the rest of the time you cannot get here on Mondays.

Opening hours: from the beginning of May to the eighth of September - from 9.00 to 18.00, the rest of the time - until 17.00.

Schedule of services

Divine services are held in the gate church of this monastery.

Where to stay nearby

It is most convenient for pilgrims to stay in the village of Ferapontovo, where there is a hotel with thirty rooms.

In summer it is better to reserve a place in advance by calling 4-92-81.

You can also rent accommodation from local residents– “green tourism” is actively developing here.
For those who plan to admire not only the ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery, but also visit Vologda and other cities nearby, the easiest way is to book a hotel in Vologda itself.

Architectural and cultural monuments of the monastery

The monastery was founded at the end of the 14th century, when Ferapont, an associate of Kirill Belozersky, moved away from his teacher, settling in these parts. Ferapont did not live long in the monastery he created - a few years later he went to Mozhaisk, where he founded the Luzhetsky Ferapont Monastery.
From the middle of the 15th century, the monastery became quite famous, so many eminent nobles donated considerable sums to it. With this money, the Church of the Annunciation, the refectory, the state chamber, and the bell tower are built.
Today the complex has not been completely preserved: outbuildings and wooden cells have not survived.

• Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary- it's not only " business card» Ferapontov Monastery, but also the oldest of the stone northern Russian churches. Its main attraction is the painting done by Dionysius and his sons, decorating the entire internal surface, as well as creating two external works.
• Annunciation Church and refectory chambers were built with funds allocated by Vasily III on the occasion of the birth of his son. Today there are museum exhibitions in the refectory.
• Temple-tomb of Martinian– the museum added icons here (part of the original iconostasis was not preserved), but the temple was also transformed.
• Holy gates. The architecture of the gate churches has been completely preserved; Some icons have been restored.
• Treasury Chamber Today it serves as a library and museum fund, and an exhibition is located on its first floor. The building is distinguished by its non-cultic architecture, and there is a stone staircase in the western wall.
• Bell tower with clock tower, the restoration of which is ongoing. Today, a set of seventeen bells is again installed in it, but only six of them are ancient.

  Did you know? The museum houses not only exhibits dating back to the 14th-17th centuries, but also the pagan idol of Yarina, which symbolizes fertility and dates back to the 9th century.

• Deserves special attention frescoes of Dionysius: Of all the works of the icon painter, only the painting in the Ferapontov Monastery does not raise disputes about authorship. The artist completed the work with his two sons, and completed it in thirty-four days. Since then, the temples have not been rebuilt, the frescoes have not been restored, but even today they amaze with their thin lines, skillfully selected colors and the illusion of movement: looking at them, it seems that the scenes are constantly changing, smoothly flowing from one to another.

Shrines

Although the monastery is not active today, the relics of saints are kept here, as well as an icon Mother of God"Quick to Hear." It was painted at the beginning of the last century by icon painters from Mount Athos and did it specifically for the restored monastery.

• Relics of Martinian Belozersky are kept in the church named after this saint.
• Relics of Archbishop Joasaph and St. Galaktion of Belozersky are kept in the same temple.
• This is also where the Felony of John of Kronstadt, sacristan of the Monk Martinian.

Ferapontov Monastery in the photo

• The unique painting of the Ferapontov Monastery is worth admiring for hours.
• Externally, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary looks impressive and even a little strict.
  


• Fragments of frescoes have been preserved near the tomb of St. Martinian.
  
• The monastery is located on a hill between the lakes.
  

Ferapontov Monastery - video

The Ferapontov Monastery is not only a monastery, prayed to by monks for many centuries, but also a beautiful architectural ensemble, located in a quiet and very cozy place. Elegant frescoes by Dionysius, high vaults of temples, a special atmosphere that makes you think about the eternal - all this is worth seeing and feeling.

Dionysius the Wise. With this definition, the name of this famous and one of the most revered artists of Rus' of the late 15th and early 16th centuries is written down on the pages of the history of icon painting.

The exact dates of the artist’s birth and death are not known: he was born into the family of a noble layman Kvashnin around 1450, and died around 1520. The founder of the family was Ivan Rodionovich, a boyar of Dmitry Donskoy, who died in 1390. Funeral entries in the Ferapont Synodik suggest that Dionysius’s wife, Maria, came from the family of clerk Elizar Tsypletev - “a descendant of the princely origin of the family of Belozersk patrimonial Monastyrevs.”

According to ancient Russian chronicles, the icon painter worked a lot, received orders from monasteries, churches, princes of such principalities as Vladimir, Rostov, Uglich, from the Moscow Tsar Ivan III. According to historical documents, we know the artist’s works in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Pafnutyevo-Borovsky Monastery (between 1467 and 1476), the Assumption (1480-1481) and Ascension (1482) cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin, the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Spaso-Kamenny Monastery (1481), the cathedrals of Joseph-Volokolamsk (after 1485), Chigasov (1480), Pavlo-Obnorsky (1500), Spaso-Prilutsky (1503), Kirillo-Belozersky (1497) and, of course, Ferapontov monasteries (1502).

Unfortunately, today the Master’s works have been preserved only in fragments or have been lost completely. But the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Ferapontov Monastery has such a treasure as authentic frescoes, almost unchanged by time and people.

The cathedral's murals are enormous - 600 square meters. meters! 300 plots and individual characters occupy the entire space! Outside, the paintings are located in the central part of the western wall above doorway and in the lower part of the southern wall above the burial place of St. Martinian.

And all this work was carried out in an incredibly short time - only 34 days! This is evidenced by the artist’s signature on the surface of the arch of the northern entrance: “In the summer of the 7010th month of August at 6, on the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ, the registration of this church began. And on the 2nd summer of the month of September, at 8 on the Nativity, our Most Holy Lady, Theotokos Mary, passed away. Under the Righteous Grand Duke Ivan Vasilievich of All Rus' and under the Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich of All Rus' and under Archbishop Tikhon. And scribe Deonisie the icon painter with his children. O Lord Christ, King of all, deliver them, O Lord, from eternal torment.”.

Art historians also agree that the cathedral was painted by Dionysius together with his sons, Theodosius and Vladimir - more than one hand is felt in the manner of painting. For example, on the slope of a cache, a more skilled artist made two drawings that helped the less skilled artist paint his hands. Under these drawings is written the letter “fita”, with which the name Theodosius begins.

The words of prayer at the end of the entry, as historians suggest, mean that the painting of the cathedral was done as a gift to the monastery, i.e. Dionysius did not take payment for this. Thus, he made a contribution to the monastery for the sake of his soul. This can be confirmed by the fact that the artist’s family is recorded in the monastery synodik. And not everyone received such an honor, but only those who made large donations.

The paintings were done from top to bottom, the compositions of each tier were most often combined common theme. Dionysius painted in mixed media - frescoes on wet plaster and tempera. According to legend, the artist partially used multi-colored minerals located in the vicinity of the Ferapontov Monastery to make paints. But restoration work, which has been carried out since 1981 and is partially ongoing to this day, has refuted this statement. As prosaic as it may seem, Dionysius wrote with imported paints. Most likely Italian and German. But the effect that he achieved, that amazing closeness of the palette of frescoes and nature - this is the great skill of the Artist!

The ancient icons from the cathedral also belong to the brushes of Dionysius. In the 1930s, the iconostasis was confiscated “due to its low artistic value.” And it’s fortunate that the icons were not destroyed, but transferred to museums - Tretyakov Gallery, Russian Museum, to the Museum of the Kirillo-Belozersky Reserve.

Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. Photography from the early 20th century.
The iconostasis consisted of four rows of icons - local, festive, Deesis and prophetic, inserted into a carved wooden frame built in the mid-18th century.

Now, let's go and see the extraordinary frescoes, this is a perfect decoration of the cathedral.

At the time of painting, the temple did not have a porch, and the portal composition took on its function - it helped to tune in to detachment from the daily bustle and prepare oneself for service, to think about the meaning of life.

The theme of the temple holiday is the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, and the main motif of the painting is dedicated to this event. From left to right, directly above the door, the artist depicted the first moments of Mary's life - Christmas, Bathing, Mary's Dream and Mary's Caress. On the sides of the entrance are depicted two angels - Michael, the head of the heavenly army and the punishing sword of the Lord, and Gabriel with an open scroll. At the top, in the medallion, the Savior is depicted with an open book
fate He is surrounded by the Mother of God, John the Baptist, archangels and apostles. This is a traditional rite of prayer for the human race.

The theme of the Virgin Mary runs deep inside the cathedral.

The compositions flow into one another, echoing each other, unfolding like a scroll with writing, from the eastern to the western pillars and then onto the walls. Researchers note that the order and arrangement of the scenes corresponds to the Akathist Saturday ritual. “Rejoice, Unbrided Bride!”

The icon was placed in the iconostasis to the left of the Royal Doors and played an important role in the interior of the cathedral, being one of key images the entire ensemble dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It seems to unite and concentrate the idea of ​​​​the picturesque design of the temple, the leading themes of which were those of the Akathist to the Mother of God.
The image of the Mother of God on the icon belongs to the Hodegetria type, which translated from Greek means “guide”.
The version of the image of the Mother of God Hodegetria presented on the icon has no direct analogies until the 17th century, when icons of similar iconography became widespread under the name Hodegetria of Sedmiezerskaya.
Kept in the Russian Museum

The use of the surfaces of the pillars, and not just the southern and northern walls for the Akathist scenes, has no analogues either in the paintings of Russian churches or churches outside Russia. Moreover, interesting fact is that the compositions of Dionysius themselves differ from all known Greek and Slavic ones.

Dionysius, as it turned out, was an innovator not only in the painting of the Akathist. For example, before him, the image of John the Baptist had never been seen on the altar, the paintings of churches did not depict Ecumenical Councils, and on the western wall, instead of the usual “Assumption”, a scene is depicted “ Last Judgment" But even here, in this menacing scene, Dionysius continues his hymn to the Mother of God. She acts as a protector of the human race.

The lunettes of the vaults (the wall field in the form of a semicircle) contain the largest and most spectacular compositions dedicated to the Mother of God. On the northern wall - Rejoices in You, on the southern wall - the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary and in the eastern part - the Intercession.

Above all this, in the dome, is a half-figure of Christ Pantocrator - a half-length image of Christ blessing him with a closed Gospel in his left hand. Around it, in the spaces between the windows, archangels are depicted, and at the base of the light drum - foremother Eve with the forefathers (Adam, Abel, Enoch, etc.)

The altar contains a half-figure of John the Baptist and the Procession of the Deacons,

and in the deacon there is an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and scenes from his life.

And again the Mother of God - now in the central asp. The archangels Michael and Gabriel kneel before her.

And one more, external, fresco, and again the hymn to the Mother of God - on the southern wall, above the burial place of the Monk Martinian! (Ferapontov Monastery. Church of Martinian of Belozersky)

Only thanks to an exceptional coincidence of circumstances, the frescoes created by Dionysius have survived to this day. The painting of the cathedral suffered severely in the 17th century, when the monks, caring for better illumination of the building, broke through new wide windows in the domed vestibule of the cathedral, expanded all the slit windows on the walls and made a new window on the western wall, thereby destroying the image of Jesus Christ from the composition of the Last Judgment . As a result of this, the cathedral slowly began to fall apart into four parts, and by the middle of the 18th century it had to be “tied together” with massive forged iron ties.

After the closure of the monastery in 1798, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was used as a parish church. And only at the beginning of the 20th century the architectural restoration of the cathedral and other buildings of the monastery was carried out. And in the first years Soviet power The cathedral was saved as a monument of national Russian art solely thanks to the efforts of the Vologda architectural inspector A.K. Kedrov.

Dionysius is unique in everything. It is unique even in the restoration of its murals. When examining the paintings, it was established that all previous attempts to strengthen the layers of frescoes using traditional methods led to new and varied destruction. And here, in the Ferapontov Monastery, it was first used unique technique strengthening painting. The main principle of using new preservatives was to bring them under the lagging paint layer without going onto its surface. The fact is that when they came into contact with the paint layer, the previously used preservatives changed the color of the paint. In addition, those areas of the painting that were still partially lost were strengthened with a special solution - the so-called. “wax nails,” but they did not paint them. This is especially noticeable in the painting of the dome, in the image of Christ Pantocrator.

But first it was necessary to clean the walls from the dirt and dust that had accumulated over so many centuries, without damaging the priceless frescoes. It was truly a titanic work! Cleaning was carried out by rolling the surface with cotton swabs and rollers through a polyamide mesh non-woven material! Manually!

The long-term restoration and strengthening of the cathedral's paintings have generally been completed. Currently, regular preventive work is being carried out here.

In 2000, the ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery with paintings by Dionysius was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In preparing the text, materials were used from the monastery’s website and from the report “Results of the Conservation of the Dionysius Mural” by GosNIIR.

When you arrive in Kirillov, Vologda region, do not miss the chance to see the unique frescoes of Dionysius, which are almost completely preserved in the Feropontov Monastery. I prefer to visit famous monasteries with a guide, so the day before we agreed with a local private guide, who agreed to show several interesting sights, and, of course, the monastery.

In the morning we met with the guide Lydia in the center of Kirillov and went in our car to travel around Kirillov. The drive from the city to the monastery took no more than half an hour, during which they listened to the history of the monastery and got acquainted with the museum’s exhibits in absentia from a book, because outside guides are not allowed to conduct excursions on the territory of the Ferapontov Monastery. Of course, we could take a guide on the spot, but then we wouldn’t have a full-fledged program.

Around the monastery you can admire Russian nature; I can imagine what a stunning picture it is here in the summer.

It is worth saying that visiting the Feropontov Monastery is not a cheap pleasure. Taking into account that we did not take a tour from the monastery guides, we paid about 800 rubles per person for entrance to the museum, watching a film and the right to look at the frescoes. We were the only visitors, and at the checkout our guide tried to very transparently hint that we shouldn’t be charged the full amount, but rules are rules. I was amazed by the fact that we had to check with the caretakers how long we could look at the frescoes. Usually they allow no more than 10 minutes (and this costs a lot of money), but we were lucky - they didn’t impose a time limit.

Frescoes of Dionysius

At the end of the 15th century, a stone Cathedral of the Nativity was erected on the territory of the monastery. Holy Mother of God, which, by the way, was seven years earlier than in the neighboring Belozersky Monastery, which was much richer.

The cathedral was painted by Dionysius, a famous master icon painter in Rus'. For example, his hand touched the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The master's style is easily recognizable thanks to its bright colors, elongated, light figures, and smooth lines. Dionysius is one of the most famous temple artists in Rus', along with Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. Thanks to the work of the master and the wonderful preservation of art, the monastery was included in the list World Heritage under the protection of UNESCO.

The paintings occupy an area of ​​more than 700 square meters. meters, and this is almost the entire internal surface of the cathedral. Only certain parts of the paintings that were damaged during the reconstruction of the iconostasis were not preserved. In general, the frescoes made the Ferapontov Monastery famous throughout the world, since it is the only one where the original frescoes of the early 16th century have been fully preserved.

Before entering you will be given a plan diagram of the frescoes, with the help of which the painting can be “read” even by a less-prepared person.

You can read about paints and painting technology before entering.

In addition to painting the temple in the Feropontov Monastery, you can watch an introductory film about the frescoes and visit the museum, which houses a number of interesting exhibits.

Ferapontov Monastery Museum

First we went to the museum, which is a large hall.

For example, here you can see a reconstruction of a monk’s cell according to the rules of Kirill Belozersky, which does not even have a bed.

In the cell, no one was allowed to have anything other than the most necessary things; they were not allowed to call anything theirs, but everything was shared. Even a piece of bread was not allowed to be kept in the cell, and there were also no drinks. If a monk wanted to eat or drink, he went to the refectory, where, with blessing, he could quench his hunger and thirst.

In the far corner is a sample of a fraternal refectory.

In the refectory, each novice sat in his place according to the rank of seniority with meekness and silence, and no one could be heard, only the reader. They were entitled to three dishes, except fast days, in which the monks either completely refused to eat or subsisted on bread and water.

Behind the glass windows you can find a copy of the Cathedral Code of 1649.

Here you can see the icon of Patriarch Nikon, who was in these parts during the period of exile.

This is supposedly a piece of tile from Nikon’s cell.

Of course, the exhibition shows the ceremonial attire of the priests.

And here is the Abbess’s workplace.

About the foundation of the monastery

Ferapontov Monastery was founded in 1398. The monastery was named after the founder Ferapont, who before staying here was a novice in the Simonov Moscow Monastery, and then even became one of the founders of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. To find greater solitude, Ferapont went further and settled on a small hill near Lake Borodavskoye.

Here Fepapont built a small wooden cell for himself and lived in solitude through his labors and prayers. But one day robbers came to him and demanded that he give them the treasure or leave this place (surprisingly, how similar this is to ordinary racketeering). True, the Monk Ferapont was not afraid of them and shamed them, so much so that the robbers left and no longer disturbed the elder.

People began to come to Ferapont and ask permission to settle nearby. This is how a small settlement arose, about ten people. But the Monk Ferapont refused to become hegumen and the newly created monastery was headed by another man, whose name history has not preserved. But Ferapont assigned himself the most menial jobs, since he called himself a “great sinner.” He carried water, chopped wood, and cleaned stoves. By the way, this is exactly how Sergius of Radonezh lived, who was the mentor of the Monk Ferapont.

Ten years later, a church was erected here, which was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It seemed that everything was turning out the way Elder Ferapont wanted: he lived in silence and repentance, prayed, worked, but soon he had to leave the monastery. The Mozhaisk prince wanted to found a similar monastery nearby and asked the Monk Ferapont to help him with this. The reverend elder did not want to start all over again, but humility is a virtue that Christians should have, so Ferapont humbled himself. But at that time he was already seventy years old. It is worth noting that the reverend elder stayed in the Luzhetsky Mozhaisk Monastery for another twenty years; there is a Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary here, as in Feropontovo, where the elder is buried. Despite the fact that Ferpont spent the last twenty years in another place, he is remembered and revered as the Belozersky elder. Around the monastery dear to his heart on Lake Borodavskoye a village was formed, which to this day is called Ferapontovo, part of Lake Ferapontovsky, and the monastery that grew up on the site of the first cells was named Ferapontovo.

It is interesting that the Ferapontovsky Monastery always remained in the shadows, as if in the background, but at the same time the monastery had a very large spiritual influence. There have been kings, princes, famous people and everyone found peace and answers to troubling questions here.

After the Monk Ferapont left the monastery, Prince Mozhaisky sent the promised help here, but there was no confessor who could properly manage the funds received. Years passed, abbots changed, but the Ferapontov Monastery remained the same as during the life of its founder. But then the Monk Martinian, a disciple of Kirill Belozersky, abbot of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, came to the monastery. Reverend Martinian came to this Holy place a simple pilgrim, but his brothers persuaded him to stay here and become the abbot of the Ferapontov Monastery.

In the 15th century, bloody events took place, which, although they took place in Moscow five hundred kilometers away, were reflected in the Ferapontov Monastery. In Moscow there was a struggle for the grand-ducal throne and the then Prince Vasily II was overthrown by Dmitry Shemyaka. They took an oath on the cross from him that he would not oppose the new prince, and he was singled out. Vasily, who was nicknamed the Dark One because he was blind, came to bow and pray at the Ferapontov Monastery. Here the Monk Martinian freed Vasily from this oath and even blessed him to speak out against the invader, who illegally sat on the grand-ducal throne. The support of the church in those days was great importance, therefore, many supporters joined Vasily the Dark, which sealed Shemyaka’s fate; he had to flee urgently.

Venerable Martinian Grand Duke Vasily called to the capital and asked to take the abbess at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. And despite the fact that Martinian did not want to leave Ferapontovo, he, like his predecessor Ferapont, had to take the position of abbot in another monastery.

After some time, the Monk Martinian returned to his dear monastery in Ferapontovo and began to arrange the arrangement. And for the next twenty years, he arranged everything here so diligently that everyone was amazed. Here he rested in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Church of the Annunciation with a refectory was erected, which was built in honor of the birth of Tsarevich John, who went down in history as Ivan the Terrible. Around the same time, the Treasury Chamber was built - unique building civil buildings on the territory of the monastery. There were rooms for books, barns, and a hiding place for the monastery treasury.

In the Ferapontov Monastery you can see a lot of interesting and unique things, but before you enter the walls of the holy monastery, you will pass through the Holy Gate. It is worth noting that the stone walls, arches, gate churches of Ferapont and Epiphany, and even the windows, have not changed since the day of construction. The floors in the churches are covered with small tiles, the vaults are supported by oak beams that have already darkened with time, and black altars.

The fate of the Ferapontov Monastery is similar to many other monasteries that have experienced Soviet times, it was closed. But, fortunately, it did not suffer the fate of being a state farm; the Ferapontov Monastery was transferred to a museum and today it is under the protection of UNESCO. But prayers are still heard here - the Nikon Church is given over to the brethren for worship.

When you arrive in Kirillov, you will understand the connection between several holy places located around: Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery , Nillo-Sora desert , Feropontov Monastery and Goritsky convent, to which we headed further (read about it).

Address: Vologda region, Kirillovsky district, village of Ferapontovo, st. Kargopolskaya, 8.

Museum opening hours:

Ferapontov Belozersky Nativity of the Virgin Mary monastery founded at the turn of the 14th – 15th centuries, during the period of expansion of the political influence of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, for about 400 years it was one of the prominent cultural and religious educational centers in the Belozersky region.

The history of the Ferapontov Monastery at some key points comes into contact with important historical events era of the formation of the Russian centralized state, is closely connected with the main historical events that took place in Moscow in the 15th - XVII centuries: the captivity and blinding of Grand Duke Vasily II the Dark, the establishment of the power of the first “sovereign of all Rus'” Ivan III, the birth and reign of the first Russian Tsar Ivan IV, the formation of the Romanov dynasty, the exile of Patriarch Nikon.

Traditionally, the date of foundation of the Ferapont monastery is taken to be 1398. At this time, an associate of the Monk Ferapont settled separately on a hill between two lakes, Borodaevsky and Paskim. A few years later, obeying the insistence of the Belozersk prince Andrei Dmitrievich, he went near Moscow, to Mozhaisk, and founded his second monastery - Luzhetsky.

Ferapontov Monastery becomes widely known thanks to the activities of the disciple of Cyril of Belozersky, Venerable Martinian, confessor of Vasily II, who was in 1447 - 1455. abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.

In the second half of the 15th - early 16th centuries, the Ferapontov Monastery became a significant spiritual, cultural and ideological center of Belozerye, one of the famous Trans-Volga monasteries, whose elders had a serious influence on the politics of Moscow.

Along with the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, it becomes a traditional place of worship and contributions of many representatives of the Russian feudal nobility (Andrei and Mikhail Mozhaisky, Vasily III, Ivan IV and others). From its walls at the turn of the 15th – 16th centuries. Prominent hierarchs of the Russian Church emerged who actively participated in the internal life of the country - Archbishop of Rostov and Yaroslavl Joasaph (Obolensky), Bishop of Perm and Vologda Philotheus, Bishop of Suzdal Ferapont.

At the same time, major church figures who fought for the priority of church power in the state (Metropolitan Spiridon-Sava, Patriarch Nikon) were exiled here. Book writers Martinian, Spiridon, Philotheus, Paisius, Matthew, Efrosyn, and icon painter Dionysius worked here.

The entire 16th century was the heyday of the monastery. This is evidenced by the surviving deposits and letters of grant from the secular and spiritual authorities, primarily Ivan IV. Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya, Ivan IV come to the monastery on pilgrimage. The deposit book of the monastery, begun in 1534, names among the contributors “princes Staritsky, Kubensky, Lykov, Belsky, Shuisky, Vorotynsky... Godunov, Sheremetev” and others. The rulers of Siberia, Rostov, Vologda, Belozersk, and Novgorod are also mentioned here.

With the discovery of the relics of St. Martinian and his subsequent canonization, attention to the monastery increases, contributing to the growth of deposits and income.

To the richest patrimonial landowner of Belozerye - the Ferapontov Monastery in early XVII V. belonged to several villages, about 60 villages, 100 wastelands, more than 300 peasants.

In 1490, with the construction of the first stone church of Belozerye, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, by Rostov craftsmen, the formation of the stone ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery of the 15th - 17th centuries began.

In the 16th century In the monastery, monumental buildings with a refectory and service buildings were built - a stone drying room, a guest chamber, a cook's chamber. Having recovered from the Lithuanian devastation, in the middle of the 17th century. the monastery is being built.

In 1798, the Ferapontov Monastery was abolished by decree of the Synod.

In the 19th century, during the parish period, the narrowed monastic territory was enclosed.

In 1904, the monastery was reopened as a convent and closed again in 1924.

Currently, the monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery house the Museum of Frescoes of Dionysius, which has the status of a historical, architectural and art museum-reserve. The museum, which arose at the beginning of the 20th century, protected the monuments with the help of only one guard throughout the 1930s-1960s. Since 1975, the formation began modern museum, which has turned into a research and educational center disseminating knowledge about unique monuments ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery through various forms of museum work. At the end of 2000, the ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery with paintings by Dionysius was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery

The complex of monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery with paintings by Dionysius is a rare example of the preservation and stylistic unity of the Russian northern monastic ensemble of the 15th – 17th centuries, revealing the typical features of the architecture of the time of the formation of the Russian centralized state. Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery – shining example harmonious unity with the natural surrounding landscape, practically unchanged since the 17th century, emphasizing the special spiritual structure of northern monasticism, while at the same time revealing the peculiarities of the economic structure of the northern peasantry.

The buildings of the monastery, perhaps the only ones in the Russian North, have preserved everything characteristics decor and interiors.

It is located on a hill near Ferapontovskoye Lake, visible from afar, but due to its modest size and light, elegant style, it does not overwhelm, unlike the one located nearby in the city of Kirillov, on the shores of Siverskoye Lake, which I will definitely tell you about. But my long-standing dream was to get to the Ferapontov Monastery, to the frescoes of Dionysius, and one day the dream came true...

Founded in 1397 by Saint Ferapont, who brought St. Cyril to this region, the monastery was one of the leading cultural and religious educational centers of northern Rus'. It is still a monument of world significance: the UNESCO session included the Ferapontov Monastery in the World Heritage List in 2000. He was awarded this honor thanks to the frescoes in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (1490). These are the only surviving and never updated frescoes by the icon painter Dionysius, which he and his sons completed in August-September 1502.

History of the monastery

Ferapontov Belozersky Nativity of the Virgin Monastery was founded at the turn of the 14th – 15th centuries, during the period of expansion of the political influence of the Moscow Grand Duchy, for about 400 years it was one of the prominent cultural and religious educational centers in the Belozersky region. The history of the Ferapontov Monastery is connected with some historical events in the formation of the Russian state. Traditionally, 1397 is taken as the date of foundation of the Ferapontov Monastery. At this time, on a hill between two lakes, Borodaevsky and Paskim, Ferapont, an associate of St. Kirill of Belozersky, settled separately. A few years later, having obeyed the insistence of the Belozersk prince Andrei, Dmitrievich Ferapont went near Moscow, to Mozhaisk, and founded his second monastery - Luzhetsky.

The Ferapontov Monastery becomes widely known thanks to the activities of the disciple of Kirill of Belozersky, the Venerable Martinian, the confessor of Vasily II, who was the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery in 1447 - 1455. In the second half of the 15th - early 16th centuries, the Ferapontov Monastery became a significant spiritual, cultural and ideological center of Belozerye, one of the famous Trans-Volga monasteries, whose elders had a serious influence on the politics of Moscow. Along with the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, it becomes a traditional place of worship and contributions of many representatives of the Russian feudal nobility (Andrei and Mikhail Mozhaisky, Vasily III, Ivan IV and others). From its walls at the turn of the 15th – 16th centuries. Prominent hierarchs of the Russian Church emerged who actively participated in the internal life of the country - Archbishop of Rostov and Yaroslavl Joasaph (Obolensky), Bishop of Perm and Vologda Philotheus, Bishop of Suzdal Ferapont.

At the same time, major church figures who fought for the priority of church power in the state (Metropolitan Spiridon-Sava, Patriarch Nikon) were exiled here. Book writers Martinian, Spiridon, Philotheus, Paisius, Matthew, Efrosyn, and icon painter Dionysius worked here. The entire 16th century was the heyday of the monastery. This is evidenced by the surviving deposits and letters of grant from the secular and spiritual authorities, primarily Ivan IV. Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya, Ivan IV come to the monastery on pilgrimage. The deposit book of the monastery, begun in 1534, names among the contributors “princes Staritsky, Kubensky, Lykov, Belsky, Shuisky, Vorotynsky... Godunov, Sheremetev” and others. The rulers of Siberia, Rostov, Vologda, Belozersk, and Novgorod are also mentioned here.
With the discovery of the relics of St. Martinian and his subsequent canonization, attention to the monastery increases, contributing to the growth of deposits and income. To the richest patrimonial landowner of Belozerye - the Ferapontov Monastery at the beginning of the 17th century. belonged to several villages, about 60 villages, 100 wastelands, more than 300 peasants. In 1490 from construction Rostov craftsmen The first stone church of Belozerye, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, began the formation of the stone ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery of the 15th - 17th centuries.

In the 16th century, the monumental Church of the Annunciation with a refectory, a state chamber, service buildings - a stone drying room, a guest chamber, a cook's chamber - were built in the monastery. Having recovered from the Lithuanian devastation, in the mid-17th century. the monastery erects gate churches on the Holy Gates, the Church of St. Martinian, and a bell tower.

In 1798, the Ferapontov Monastery was abolished by decree of the Synod. In the 19th century, during the parish period, the narrowed monastic territory was surrounded by a stone fence. In 1904, the monastery was reopened as a convent and closed again in 1924.

Currently, the monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery house the Museum of Frescoes of Dionysius, which has the status of a historical, architectural and art museum-reserve. The museum, which arose at the beginning of the 20th century, protected the monuments with the help of only one guard throughout the 1930s-1960s. Since 1975, the formation of a modern museum began, which has turned into a research and educational center, disseminating knowledge about the unique monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery ensemble through various forms of museum work.

The complex of monuments of the Ferapontov Monastery with paintings by Dionysius is a rare example of the preservation and stylistic unity of the Russian northern monastic ensemble of the 15th – 17th centuries, revealing the typical features of the architecture of the time of the formation of the Russian centralized state. The ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is a vivid example of harmonious unity with the natural surrounding landscape, practically unchanged since the 17th century, emphasizing the special spiritual structure of northern monasticism and at the same time, revealing the peculiarities of the economic structure of the northern peasantry.

Frescoes

The frescoes of Dionysius in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary represent the only mural painting by the master that has survived to this day.

At the very beginning of the 16th century, a team of painters appeared within the walls of the Ferapontov Monastery, painting the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. For more than four hundred years, the stone walls patiently preserved the colors of the frescoes, inscriptions and the memory of the masters who created them. One of them is Dionysius, whose name was read by scientists in the early 20th century. Due to its geographical location, the cathedral was a wayside temple. At a time when, with the fall of Constantinople, a new trade route was established in Russian state, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Ferapontov Monastery was precisely on this great path that passed through the White Sea along Onega and Sheksna. It was the first stone cathedral on this route and was quite suitable for fresco painting. Kargopol, located on the same Onega, was still a completely logged city, and there were no stone churches yet in the Solovetsky Monastery. The team of masters and apprentices completed all the work assigned to them in just over two years.

The paintings, numbering almost 300 scenes and individual characters, occupy almost all surfaces of the walls, vaults, pillars (except for the eastern ones - behind the iconostasis and the altar partition), window and door slopes, and outside - the central part of the western wall above the doorway and the lower part of the southern wall over the burial place of Saint Martinian.

The iconography of the frescoes of the Ferapont Cathedral in many ways has no precedent in the wall paintings of Russian churches. Never before, for example, has there been an image of John the Baptist on the altar, there have been no images of Ecumenical Councils and much more. Some believe that the akathist to the Mother of God also appeared for the first time in Ferapontovo. In Greek and South Slavic churches, the entire life of Mary was usually depicted, starting from the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” and ending with her “Assumption.” Dionysius creates a painting glorifying Mary, a painting similar to the chants that were composed in her honor. Of course, Dionysius did not arbitrarily introduce into the frescoes many subjects that had not been depicted before him. To take such a bold step, he had to see the previous paintings, and not just hear about them, and he could only see them on Athos. But Dionysius’s solution to many gospel stories also differs from those at Athos. At that time there were no strict canons, and Dionysius could take advantage of this circumstance. For example, he independently tried to comprehend some of the provisions of Christianity, in particular, about the life of the Mother of God. What was the main goal for previous painters became a secondary goal for Dionysius. the main task for him it is an akathist to the Mother of God, her glorification, therefore the entire large cycle of paintings in the Nativity Church seems to be a single hymn: “Rejoice!” The central asp depicts the Mother of God Hodegetria sitting on a throne with angels kneeling before her.

The frescoes created by Dionysius should be considered as integral part architecture of the Nativity Cathedral itself. All of him inner space- from the dome to the base - filled with shining paintings. “The Marriage in Cana of Galilee,” for example, appears to him as a joyful feast. The cathedrals and towers that frame numerous painting scenes remind the viewer architectural monuments Moscow and Vladimir.

According to many researchers, this image resembles Pantocrator from St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, however, this connection is felt purely externally - in the arrangement of hands and the Gospel. The essence of Ferapont's Christ the Pantocrator is very different from Novgorod's. In Ferapontovo, Christ the Pantocrator does not have that formidable and unyielding will, like the Novgorod Pantocrator.

On the north side of the cathedral, the Virgin Mary sits on a throne, surrounded by archangels, and at the foot of the throne crowds of mortals are crowded, chanting the “Queen of Peace.” On the south side, hosts of singers glorify the Virgin Mary.

On the western side, instead of the “Assumption”, more usual for South Slavic churches, the composition of the “Last Judgment” is depicted, in which the Virgin Mary is glorified as the intercessor of the entire human race. In the eastern lunette of the temple, the Mother of God is depicted in a purely Russian, national spirit - as the patroness and defender of the Russian state. She stands with a “veil” in her hands against the backdrop of the walls of ancient Vladimir, which in those years was a symbol of the religious and political unity of Rus'. The Virgin Mary is no longer surrounded by singers or saints, but by Russian people. The cathedral was painted by Dionysius and his comrades not only inside, but partly also outside. On the western facade there is a well-preserved fresco that greeted those entering the temple and gave the right direction to his thoughts and feelings .

The painting is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and consists of three belts: the upper one is the Deesis, the middle one is the scenes of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the Caress of Mary by Joachim and Anna, the lower one is the archangels. To the right of the portal is Gabriel holding a scroll on which is written “The angel of the Lord will write the names of those entering the temple.”

The portal fresco is a kind of prelude to the painting of the cathedral, because the akathist to the Virgin Mary begins here. Before Dionysius, other artists interpreted the plot of “The Nativity of the Virgin Mary” as a purely family scene in the house of Joachim and Anna, Mary’s parents. Dionysius also left genre details dictated by the very content of the painting, and at the same time, his frescoes differ sharply from the works of his predecessors. In the middle tier of the paintings, Dionysius placed not scenes from the life of Mary, but illustrations to the twenty-four songs of the akathist to the Mother of God. Here the artist was least bound by canons, and from under his brush came images that were absolutely original. He did not show the violent movements of the human soul; the artist is drawn to reflection, to an original interpretation of traditional gospel themes.

For example, Anna and the elderly Joachim, who learned that his wife was expecting a baby. Joachim in the fresco knows about the “immaculate” conception, he reverently bows before the newborn Mary, extending his hand to her and repeating the gesture usual for “immaculate” births. Anna, full of dignity and humble grace, sits on the bed, and the woman standing behind the bed not only does not help Anna get up, but does not even dare to touch the cover of the one who gave birth. expectant mother Christ. The woman to the right of the bed does not just hand Anna a bowl of food, but solemnly offers it. And this golden cup, receiving a special semantic meaning, becomes the center of the entire composition. Dionysius shows the viewer that what is before him is not the usual everyday vanity that accompanies the birth of a child, but the fulfillment of a sacred sacrament. The images of all the characters from the life of Mary are filled by Dionysius with extraordinary spiritual delicacy. Their movements are smooth, gestures are only outlined, but not completed, participants in many scenes only indicate touching, but do not touch each other. This applies, for example, to the scene "Mary's Bathing". The compositional center of this part of the fresco is the golden font. Women bathing a newborn do not dare to touch her, and the one who brought Anna a gift holds it carefully, like a vessel with incense.

Another one of distinctive features The frescoes of Dionysius are soft colors and elegance. The images are dominated by white, sky blue, yellow, pink, cherry and light green tones. For the background, the icon painter used mainly bright blue color. The paints were presumably delivered to the artist from Moscow. The richest in terms of color scheme The medallions under the drum and on the spring arches are painted. When performing them, both pure colors and mixtures were used.

It must be said that the soft rounded contours of one form are repeated in another, all the figures are painted lightly and picturesquely, as if they were weightless and hovering above the ground. The frescoes of the cathedral are distinguished by their tenderness, muted and lightened colors, soft color transitions, they lack contrasts and sharp comparisons. In the vault of the southwestern pillar of the Nativity Cathedral there is a composition depicting Jesus Christ and the Moscow Metropolitans Peter and Alexei. Below them, near a pond, are a gray-haired old man, an elderly woman and two young men. Perhaps Dionysius depicted himself and his family here, because his two sons, Vladimir and Theodosius, worked with him in Ferapontovo.

The wall paintings of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary can confidently be called the pinnacle of Dionysius’s creativity.

The monastery buildings are perhaps the only ones in the Russian North that have retained all the characteristic features of their decor and interiors.

I have returned here more than once, and the impression from the monastery was like the first time...

Address: Vologda region, Kirillovsky district, Ferapontovo village.