St. Nicholas Belogorsky Monastery- Orthodox missionary men's cenobitic monastery on Belaya Gora.

The emergence of the Belogorsk Monastery is associated with the struggle of the Russian Orthodox Church against the schism. Belogorye was one of the centers of the Old Believers. On the spurs of the Ural Mountains, covered with dense forests and surrounded by impenetrable swamps, both a runaway serf and a schismatic could hide from persecution. The Old Believer population of Kungursky, Osinsky, Okhansky, Krasnoufimsky, Yekaterinburg counties, as well as Yugo-Knaufsky and Bymovsky factories, prevailed over the parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On June 9, 1890, Father Stefan Lukanin, rector of the Annunciation Cathedral, visited Belaya Gora, who at that time was at the Bymovsky plant with missionary affairs. Stefan Lukanin believed that in order to attract the Old Believers into the bosom of the Orthodox Church, it was necessary to arrange a temple somewhere in the center of the schism, in which divine services would be performed with the exact statutory rite of the Orthodox Greco-Russian Church. Having visited White Mountain, he decided that this place was created for a missionary monastery. A small wooden cross was placed on the mountain, which marked the beginning of the creation of the Belogorsk monastery.

On April 29, 1891, during a trip to Japan, an assassination attempt was made on Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (future emperor). The Tsarevich survived. In honor of the miraculous salvation of Nikolai Alexandrovich, a wooden eight-pointed cross 5 sazhens (10.65 meters) high, soldered with tinplate, was erected on White Mountain, popularly nicknamed "Royal". On June 16, 1891, at the initiative of Father Stefan Lukanin and with the blessing of the Bishop of Perm and Solikamsk Vladimir, on the week of All Saints, the cross was consecrated during the procession. Together with the Orthodox and fellow believers, the Old Believers participated in the procession.

On June 18, 1893, a place for laying the temple was consecrated on White Mountain. In September 1893, the bells brought from Moscow, the first rows of log cabins of the chapel under construction and two wells - "The Holy Key" and "Jordan" were consecrated, the holy icons were brought as a gift to the future monastery: "The Life-Giving Spring" and the most ancient image of St. Nicholas.

In November 1893, a construction committee for the construction of the Belogorsk Monastery was created, Father Stefan Lukanin was appointed head of the committee. In February 1894, the construction of the first wooden St. Nicholas Church was completed; on February 22, 1894, its solemn consecration took place.

On June 12, 1894, the laying of the upper, Iversky temple was consecrated, and a year later, on May 30, 1895, gilded crosses were erected on the temple. At the beginning of the summer of 1895, the Iberian Church was completely built and on June 29 was solemnly consecrated in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God by Bishop Peter of Perm. In July 1894, work began on the expansion of the Nikolsky Church, in November the construction of the rector's and fraternal buildings began. In the same period, a school for orphans was opened. On October 1, 1896, the lower church of the monastery was solemnly consecrated in the name of All Saints in memory of the engagement of Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich.

On September 16, 1897, a religious procession arrived at the Belogorsk Monastery. 5 holy icons were delivered from and as a gift to the monastery: the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the icon of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, painted by the monks of the Valaam Monastery, the icon of the holy noble prince, the icon of the Mother of God "quick to hearken".

On November 16, 1897, the wooden St. Nicholas Church was completely destroyed by fire. In the same year, the construction of a stone two-story building for the elder brethren began.

In August 1898, the Governor of Perm, D. G. Arseniev, delivered the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God “The Goalkeeper” from Mount Athos to the Belogorsk Monastery. In 1899, the courtyard of the Belogorsky Monastery with a church in the name of St. John Chrysostom was opened.

On April 23, 1901, during a strong storm, the "Royal" cross was demolished. A new gilded metal cross with an artistic image of the Crucifixion was made at the expense of the merchant of the largest benefactor of the Belogorsk monastery at that time, Pavel Stepanovich Zhirnov, according to the sketch of the famous icon painter A. N. Zelenin. This cross was consecrated on September 14, 1901 and stood until 1918.

On June 24, 1902, Bishop John of Perm and Solikamsk solemnly consecrated the site of the foundation of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Cathedral in honor of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord with limits in the name of St. John the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas of Myra. The consecration was carried out by Bishop of Perm and Solikamsk John. E. I. Artemiev became the chief engineer of the project, building material was supplied by the monastery brick factory.

In 1907, a silver reliquary, donated by the Ecumenical Patriarch and Athos Elders, was delivered to the Belogorsky Monastery, with particles of the holy relics of the saints of God, including John the Baptist, Andrew the First-Called, St. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom and many others.

According to the report of the Belogorsk monastery for 1909, the total number of brethren was 401 people. The inhabitants of Belogorsk were engaged in arable farming, cattle breeding, gardening, beekeeping, and fishing. The monastery owned 580 acres of land, 9 ponds, the monastery had 40 cows.

In 1912, the Belogorsk monastery began to publish the Orthodox-patriotic magazine "Voice of Duty".

Holy Cross Cathedral

On June 7, 8 and 9, 1917, after 15 years of construction, the largest cathedral church of the Cross Exaltation in the Urals was solemnly consecrated. The ceremony was attended by about 30 thousand people, including about 2.5 thousand representatives of the clergy.

The Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral could accommodate up to 8,000 people. The dimensions of the cathedral: length - 60.2 m, width - 55.09 m, height - 58.4 m. On the roof of the cathedral there are five large domes and four small ones, placed above the porches of the cathedral from all sides. In the basement, a heating machine was arranged.

Belogorsky Cathedral, built in the Byzantine style, resembles in its architecture the Vladimir Church in Kyiv. Icons made in the icon-painting workshop of the monastery were used to decorate it. The most expensive icons placed in the iconostasis were estimated by contemporaries at a huge amount for that time - 3,000 rubles each. The temple was equipped with "the latest ventilation" and steam heating, the floor was lined with multi-colored metlakh tiles. Outside, the snow-white walls of the temple were decorated with various icons, painted on tin, also in the workshop of the monastery. Around the cathedral itself, a square filled with asphalt is arranged. The total cost of the temple was estimated at 230 thousand rubles.

Belogorsky Monastery in the Soviet period

By the summer of 1918, the activities of the Bolsheviks had reached Belaya Gora. Having invited, allegedly to a meeting, to the village of Yugo-Osokino (now), the Bolsheviks arrested the 60-year-old Archimandrite Varlaam. On August 12, 1918, he was brutally tortured by the Bolsheviks and thrown into the Kama River.

From August 1918 to January 1919, the Bolsheviks shot and tortured 34 monks of the Belogorsk Monastery. On October 10, 1918, Hieromonk Sergius was killed.

In 1941-1945, a rehabilitation center for the wounded and disabled of the war was located on Belaya Gora, and from 1946 to 1986. - the house of invalids of war, work and childhood. In the autumn of 1980, almost all the domes of the Holy Cross Cathedral were destroyed by a strong fire.

Revival of the Belogorsk Monastery in the 1990s

The revival of the monastery began in 1988 during the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. On December 24, 1990, the Perm Regional Executive Committee decided to transfer the former Belogorsky Monastery to the management of the Perm Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. On January 29, 1991, the Holy Synod granted the petition of Archbishop Athanasius of Perm and Solikamsk for a blessing for the opening of the St. Nicholas Monastery on White Mountain. Monastic life resumed in the monastery. On May 18, 1991, the buildings of the Belogorsky Monastery were transferred to the permanent use of the Russian Orthodox Church. On May 26, 1991, the first divine service was held in the upper church of the Holy Cross Cathedral.

In the autumn of 1993, a project for the restoration of the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral was developed. At the end of 1993, the laying of a road to the White Mountain began. In May 1995, crosses were installed on several domes of the cathedral, and in the same year, work began on its restoration. On September 27, 1998, the historical "Royal" cross, 10.66 m high, destroyed by the Bolsheviks, was consecrated and installed. At Christmas 2000, nine bells were installed in the temporary belfry near the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral, cast in the St. Shartomsky Monastery of the Ivanovo diocese.

Belogorsky Monastery in Perm (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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Belaya Gora, located near Perm, is a place very popular among travelers. It offers breathtaking panoramas of the natural beauties of the Urals. But many are amazed not only by the views and the fact that most of the year there is snow here (hence the name - White Mountain), but the reigning atmosphere of peace and tranquility - the Belogorsky Monastery stands at the top. Believers often make pilgrimages here and tourists come from all over Russia. Often this monastery is called the Ural Athos.

Already in the 18th century there were settlements of Old Believer monks in the area of ​​today's monastery. But officially the history of the temple begins in 1891, when a huge cross was erected on the mountain in honor of the rescue of Tsarevich Nicholas from an assassination attempt during his stay in Japan. A little later, the construction of the Belogorsk St. Nicholas Monastery began. By 1894, a wooden church had been erected here, after which the construction of the rector's and fraternal buildings began. An orphan school was also opened, and 3 years later, shrines were brought from the capital - 5 especially revered icons.

In 1897 there was a fire, and the temple was completely burned down. Only the Royal Cross remained, but it was later knocked down by a strong storm. The construction of the stone temple began only in 1902 and lasted about 15 years.

With the beginning of the October Revolution, persecution of church ministers began, the Royal Cross was overthrown, and by 1923 the temple itself was closed. First, the building was used for bullying the dispossessed and repressed, and then as a home for the disabled. In 1980, the church was again destroyed by fire, and restoration began only in the 1990s. Under Gorbachev, the temple was returned to believers. Today it has been completely restored and functions properly.

What to see

The main shrine and pride of the monastery is the Holy Cross Cathedral - a monumental building made in the Russian-Byzantine style. It is considered the largest cathedral in the diocese and can accommodate more than 5 thousand people at a time. The temple has the shape of a cross inscribed in a cube, and the base is traditionally Russian five-domed.

Among other shrines, it is worth noting the image of the first rector - the Martyr Varlaam, unique icons of the pre-revolutionary period, the relics of saints dating back to the first centuries of Christianity, and the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Divine services are regularly held in the temple. There are also guided tours around the monastery. A hotel has been opened for pilgrims. And in the middle of summer, in the nearby city of Kungur, the “Celestial Fair of the Urals” is held - a ballooning festival.

Practical information

To get to the place, you first need to take a bus to Perm (departs from the bus station) and get to the village of Kalinino. Arriving in the village, at the bus station you need to transfer to a fixed-route taxi, following to the monastery.

Opening hours: for pilgrims - every day and around the clock.

The Belogorsky Monastery is the largest monastery in the Perm Territory, one of the spiritual centers of the Urals. The Belogorsky Monastery is located in a very picturesque place: on the White Mountain, from where a stunning view of the surroundings opens. The full name of the monastery is Belogorsk St. Nicholas Missionary Monastery.

General view of the Belogorsky Monastery

The main temple of the Belogorsk Monastery is the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross, which was built in the neo-Byzantine style characteristic of the early 20th century. Its construction lasted 15 years - from 1902 to 1917. The solemn consecration of the temple took place on June 7-9. The architecture of the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral of the Belogorsky Monastery resembles in Osa, which was built according to the project of Alexander Bovenaturovich Turchevich. Perhaps the architectural office of the most talented Architect of Perm made efforts to build the Holy Cross Cathedral.

View of the surroundings from the monastery

The buildings of the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral is the largest religious building in the Perm region. Being at the top, the cathedral impresses with its size and dazzling whiteness. The dome of the temple is the largest among the temples of Perm and the region. Cultural significance not only for the Urals, but for the whole of Russia is emphasized by the fact that the Central Bank issued a commemorative coin "Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral of the Belogorsk St. Nicholas Monastery, Perm Territory" with a face value of 3 rubles, from the series "Architectural Monuments of Russia". This is the first architectural monument of the Perm region minted in a coin. The Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral of the Belogorsky Monastery, along with those in Solikamsk and Perm, is one of the most significant architectural monuments of the Kama region.

Corps of the Belogorsky Monastery

The Belogorsky Monastery is interesting to visit at any time of the year. It will be interesting for both pilgrims and tourists to visit here and touch the hidden pulse of time. After visiting such places, a person begins to look at his life differently and notice much more good things next to him.

Holy Cross Cathedral of the Belogorsky Monastery

How to get to the Belogorsky Monastery

You can get to the Belogorsky Monastery along the P 242 Perm - Yekaterinburg highway. At the village of Ergach, we turn at the sign for Belaya Gora. We reach the village of Kalinino, where there is a pointer to Belaya Gora by the pond. Further the road will lead you directly to the monastery.

One of the most famous cultural and historical sights of the Perm Territory - Belogorsky monastery. He is often called Ural Athos. This place will be interesting not only for the Orthodox, but also for tourists.

The monastery got its name from the mountain on which it arose. She was nicknamed White because the snow does not melt here for a long time. Yes, and in winter, in frosts, it is white-white from the kitchen, which covers trees and buildings.

History of the monastery

It is known that as early as the 18th century Old Believer sketes were located in this area. The modern "Orthodox" history of this place began in 1891, when in memory of the rescue of Tsarevich Nicholas from an assassination attempt in Japan, a cross over 10 meters high. The people dubbed him "Royal".

Then the project of building a large monastery on the mountain was born. June 18, 1893 consecrated the site of future construction. The first wooden temple was built by the end of the winter of the following year. They also built the rector's and fraternal buildings, opened a school for orphans.

The Belogorsk Monastery lived in prosperity. He owned 580 acres of land. The monks were engaged in arable farming, raised cattle, fished, kept bees.

However, only three years after the church was built, on November 16, 1897, it was swallowed up by a merciless fire. Wooden churches in those days burned often.

Later, on April 23, 1901, another tragedy struck. A strong hurricane hit White Mountain. A powerful wind knocked down even the Royal Cross. Of course, it was soon restored, and it stood until the change of regime.

On June 24, 1902, a solemn ceremony of laying a new stone Holy Cross Cathedral. It was decided to build it in the Byzantine style. According to the project, it was supposed to accommodate 8,000 pilgrims. The huge temple was built for a long time - for a decade and a half. Bricks for construction were made independently at a brick factory belonging to the monastery. It is interesting that an underground passage was built from the temple to the fraternal building.

On July 7-9, 1917, a festive opening of the new cathedral took place. The celebration was attended by 30 thousand pilgrims from different parts.

However, soon the power in the country changed. If the tsarist regime favored the church as one of the pillars of power that helped govern the people, then with the advent of the Bolsheviks, dark times came for the church.

The rich monastery could not fail to attract the attention of the Bolsheviks. In August 1918, they brutally tortured and then drowned in the Kama River Archimandrite Varlaam from the Belogorsk Monastery (read more about this sad story in Vladimir Gladyshev's article "The Island of the Dead"). A similar fate was shared with him by many ordinary monks.

In 1923 the monastery was finally closed. First, the repressed and dispossessed were placed here, then the premises were given to the home for the disabled.

After the fall of the Communists and with the advent of the Democrats, the church again received its property. In the 1990s, work began on the restoration of the monastery and the Holy Cross Cathedral. Today, it again pleases the eye with its beauty.

Belogorsky monastery today

Now the Belogorsk St. Nicholas Monastery attracts not only pilgrims, but also numerous tourists. Both individual tourists come here, and numerous commercial tours are organized from different cities of the Urals.

It is best to go here in the winter frosts, when it is the most beautiful! Everything around is covered with impressive frost, giving a special charm. However, it's not bad here in the summer either. The mountain offers a beautiful view of the surroundings for tens of kilometers around.

A visit to the Belogorsky Monastery can be combined with an acquaintance with the sights of Kungur and Suksun, you can also visit the Kungur Ice Cave, the Yermak stone on the Sylva River, the Plakun waterfall.

How to get to the Belogorsky Monastery?

The Belogorsk St. Nicholas Monastery is located in the Kungursky district of the Perm Territory: 120 kilometers from Perm or 330 kilometers from Yekaterinburg. By car, you need to drive along the Yekaterinburg-Perm highway. It is better to go to the monastery along the road that is closer to Perm (the road starting from the Kungur interchange is in poor condition). To do this, turn at the sign for the village of Kalinino and the Belogorsky Monastery. In Kalinino, turn towards the sign for the monastery. At the same time, it is worth seeing the sights of the village of Kalinino (by the way, the building of the former church, transported from the White Mountain in Soviet times, has been preserved in this village). On the way, you can stop by Troelga and Bym. The map below will help you navigate. GPS coordinates of the Belogorsky Monastery: N 57° 23.537´; E 56° 13.818´.

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The Holy Belogorsky Monastery is one of the greatest buildings of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is distinguished by its rigor and dedication. Ural Athos. That is what this holy place is called. And this gives it even greater significance and importance among Christians around the world.

History of the Belogorsk Monastery

The history of the erection of the monastery has come a long and difficult way - from 1891 to 1917, starting from the establishment of the seven-foot Royal Cross on the White Mountain and until the very opening.

The laying of the monastery began in 1893. The first temple was built in 1894. At the same time, the construction of other buildings was resumed and a school for orphans was opened, where 25 boys studied.

In 1897, five icons of saints were found in their place in the temple, which later became its main asset and pride:

• Likeness of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God;
• Rev. Sergius of Radonezh;
• Kazan Mother of God, painted by the icon painters of the Valaam Monastery;
• Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky;
• Mother of God "Novice".

But after three years after the erection, the wooden building burned to the ground. After that, the construction of a two-story stone building began, which was later called the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral. The construction took fifteen years. Upon completion of all the work, the cathedral could accommodate up to eight thousand people.

The temple was opened in 1917: its consecration took place in three days, and more than thirty thousand people attended the longest ceremony. Prior to this, not a single Orthodox building could be proud of such recognition.

No less complex and tragic was the history of the formation of the Belogorsky Monastery in the Perm Territory. Dramatic events overtook him already in 1918, when the Bolsheviks brought Archimandrite Varlaam to death, and then dealt with another 34 monks.

In 1919, it was completely destroyed and plundered by the Bolsheviks, who by that time had already captured the entire Perm Territory, and in 1923 it was completely closed.

Since 1930, a specialized camp for the politically repressed and a home for the disabled for veterans of the Great Patriotic War have been opened on the same White Mountain. But already in 1980, an ignition occurred in the cathedral, which severely damaged the structure: almost all of its majestic domes burned down completely.

The beginning of the revival of the monastery falls on 1988-1989, when the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' was celebrated all over the world. From 1993 to 2007 the temple was in the process of restoration. Today it functions freely, and it can be visited by all those who wish and honor Orthodoxy, parishioners, pilgrims.

How to get there

The cathedral is located on the very edge of the White Mountain in the Urals: 98 kilometers from the city of Perm and 40 from the city of Kungur. Address: Russia, Perm Territory, Kungursky district, Belaya Gora village, Monastyrskaya street, 1.

Opening hours

The temple begins its work at 7.30 and continues until 17.00. With regards to holidays, there is a schedule according to which the relevant services and other church events are held.

The Belogorsk Monastery is not just a building, it contains a truly great history of the formation of Russian Orthodoxy, the basis of which is the Christian faith that, having passed through the years and experienced many tragedies, remained faithful to the greatest creation - the Lord, his righteous Word and inexhaustible spiritual strength.

May the Lord keep you!

It will also be interesting for you to watch a video about the holy Belogorsk monastery: