Among the monastery's principal shrines is the miracle-working Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. The monastery's patronal feast is celebrated on 25 February — the day of special veneration of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, commemorating the discovery of the icon on the Holy Mountain of Athos; on that day the divine services are held in the monastery's Dormition Church.[1] Also venerated are a particle of the relics of the Venerable Barnabas of Gethsemane, particles of the relics of Peter and Fevronia of Murom, of Saint Nicholas, of Saint Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky), of the Optina Elders, of Simeon of Verkhoturye, and of the Venerable Theodore of Sanaksar.

The monastery venerates the holy martyrs of Puzovo — Eudokia Sheykova, Daria Timagina, Daria Ulybina, and Maria (surname unknown) — whose relics are kept in the Dormition Church of the village of Suvorovo in Diveevsky District; the names of these saints are given to novices at the time of monastic tonsure in the monastery.[2] The monastery also publishes a monthly newspaper, Iverskiy Listok, with a print run of 998 copies, and is assembling a museum of the monastery's history. An Orthodox kindergarten called Kolokol'chik ("Little Bell") operates on the monastery's grounds.[3][4]


Vyksunsky Iversky Women's Monastery. Founded in 1864 by the Venerable Barnabas of Gethsemane. The community began as an almshouse; the site chosen by the Elder Barnabas of Gethsemane had long been regarded by local people as holy — according to tradition, the sound of church bells was repeatedly heard there at night and burning candles were seen; among the first twelve residents, the almshouse was administered by Neonilla Chestnova, who held that position for about ten years. In 1887 the Iveron community was elevated to the rank of a third-class monastery, and its abbess, Hegumenia Mitrofania (Kryukova), was consecrated to the rank of hegumenia; on 17 August 1897 the foundation stone was laid for a magnificent cathedral dedicated to the Life-Giving Trinity, whose exterior resembled the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow; the largest bell in the monastery's bell tower weighed 1,076 poods, and the interiors of the churches were painted by artists from the famous Safonov workshop in Palekh.[4] The monastery was closed in 1919.[5] In 1927 the bell tower was blown up and the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity was destroyed; according to local tradition, the schema-nuns who refused to leave the monastery at the time of the explosion were buried alive in the cave cells.[4] The monastery was reopened in 1996. A monument to the monastery's founder, the Venerable Barnabas of Gethsemane, has been erected near the Iversky Monastery.[3] The monastery was formally reopened on 26 October 1996, and in 2012 the bell tower was restored.

During the Soviet period the Dormition Church was converted to secular use; after the monastery was reopened, its restoration was carried out with the direct involvement of Bishop Varnava, who took personal part in the construction work.[6] On 9 February 2016 the Great Consecration of the restored Dormition Church was performed at the monastery, led by Bishop Varnava of Vyksa and Pavlovo; the subsequent Divine Liturgy was co-celebrated by Bishop Iliya of Balakhna and Bishop Siluan of Lyskovo and Lukoyanov; as Hegumenia Antonia (Mironova) noted at the celebration, the Dormition Church had first been consecrated in 1887 — 129 years before its re-consecration.[6]

On November 27, 2003, Bishop George of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas consecrated a side chapel of the Trinity Cathedral, which was then under restoration, dedicating it to the Venerable Barnabas of Gethsemane — the founder of the convent. The feast day of the founder, the Venerable Barnabas of Gethsemane, falls on March 2; in years when this date coincides with the first week of Great Lent, the celebration is moved to the nearest suitable day.[7][5][5] As of 2021, the monastery was part of the Vyksunsky Diocese; services at the convent were led by Bishop Barnabas of Vyksa and Pavlovo.[1] The convent has 12 residents. In February 2021, three icons that had belonged to the convent before its closure and had been taken away in the 1920s by the last abbess — Abbess Margarita (Soldatkina) — were returned to the convent.[1] In 1935, Abbess Margarita was arrested in Murom and executed; materials are being prepared for her canonization.[5] Abbess: nun Antonia (Mironova).

As of 2019, she held the rank of abbess. Abbess Antonia (Mironova) passed away in July 2020 after a prolonged illness; on January 29, 2021, the day of the six-month memorial, Bishop Barnabas of Vyksa and Pavlovo led a memorial service at her graveside in the convent's necropolis.[8][2] Address: 607030, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Vyksa. Tel.: (83177) 3-38-79, 3-62-50.


Links

Sources

  1. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  2. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  3. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  4. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  5. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  6. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  7. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  8. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  9. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  10. nne.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia (archive)
  11. monasterium.ru — Monastery of the Venerable Varnava (archive)