Sretensky Convent. Assistance to the information department of the diocese. Travel company "Baikal Goryachinsk Tour"

Sretensky Convent is located in the valley of the Itantsa River among picturesque hills, 100 km from Lake Baikal. The monastery was founded in the spring of 2000 by Bishop Evstafiy (Evdokimov) of Chita and Transbaikal. Before this, the usual parish church of the Presentation of the Lord operated in the village of Baturino. The church was built with donations from parishioners and “willing donors” in 1836. After the revolution, the temple was closed and fell into disrepair. The dilapidated church was restored by the Pruidze family in the late 90s. They also erected several buildings nearby (nowadays the prosphora, refectory and cell houses of the monastery).

Construction is underway at the monastery, a vegetable garden is being cultivated, and there is a small farm (cow barn, chicken coop). The sisters conduct excursions and organize Christmas trees for children from nearby villages. On one of the hills surrounding the monastery, there is a large worship cross.

Pilgrims from Buryatia, Chita and Irkutsk regions come here to pray and work at monastic obediences. On Patronal Feasts: Presentation of the Lord (February 15) and Memorial Day of St. Vmch. St. George the Victorious (May 6) the sisters receive up to 300 pilgrims. However, the monastery hotels can currently accommodate only about 30 people.

Shrines of the monastery

The monastery has several revered shrines: a particle of the Honorable Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, particles of relics: St. Vmch. George the Victorious, St. Great Martyr Panteleimon, Rev. Varlaam Chikoisky (founder of the St. John the Baptist Monastery in the Chikoi Mountains on the border with Mongolia).

Address of the Sretensky Convent

Republic of Buryatia, Pribaikalsky district, village. Baturino
Details on the website: http://baturino.ru

Sretensky Monastery in Baturino today it continues to be the first and only women's monastery in the Republic of Buryatia. It is located approximately 60 kilometers from the administrative city of Ulan-Ude and approximately 100 kilometers from Lake Baikal, in a picturesque area in the Itantsa River valley.

The Baturinsky Monastery was opened in 2000 on the basis of the ancient Sretensky Church, which is already about two hundred years old.

True, the history of the first temple began a century earlier - it was built in 1713-1736. In 1813-1836, a new Sretenskaya Church was erected from stone - in honor of this holiday, the throne of the lower church was consecrated, and the upper one in the name of St. George the Victorious. Soon the temple began to play an important educational role - in 1843, one of the few schools in the Baikal region was founded there.

The temple was closed by the atheistic authorities in 1935. They did not destroy it, but used it as a clubhouse, and the crosses and domes were removed from the structure. Later, the historical building was taken under state guardianship as an architectural monument, and in 1999 the shrine was returned to believers - at that time it was in a dilapidated state. A year after the opening of the convent, the Sretenskaya Church, which became the cathedral church of the monastery, was thoroughly restored. At the same time, several buildings were built next to the church, which now serve as a prosphora, a refectory and sisters’ cells. At the end of 2000, the first monastic tonsure took place in the monastery.

The Sretensky Monastery is home to 30 nuns (2015), who, in addition to performing liturgical obediences, cultivate a vegetable garden and run a small household. Many pilgrims come to the monastery to work. On the patronal holidays, February 15 (Candlemas) and May 6 (St. George), about three hundred pilgrims come to Baturino. There is a small hotel for the needs of visitors. In 2017, a hotel for families and men, a woodworking workshop, etc. are being built in the monastery.

Shrines. In the Baturinsky Monastery there are: parts of the tree of the Cross of the Lord and the belt of the Virgin Mary, as well as parts of the relics of more than seventy saints of God, among whom are St. George the Victorious, Panteleimon the Healer, Theodore Ushakov, Matrona of Moscow, Alexy Yuzhinsky, and the Diveyevo holy wives.

Diocese: Ulan-Ude (Buryat Metropolis).

Address: Russia, Rep. Buryatia, Pribaikalsky district, village. Baturino.

Baturinsky Sretensky Convent updated: September 25, 2017 by: Alexander

Orthodox Church in Buryatia

The official date of the annexation of Siberia to Russia is Russian historiography

his process dragged on for almost another century. It was during this period that it was

Transbaikalia was annexed to Russia. For the Cossack explorers it

was of interest as a place for fur mining, exploration and development of gold and

silver ores, and most importantly - as a territory for laying trade routes in

China and other eastern countries.

By the time the Russians arrived, Western and Eastern Transbaikalia were inhabited

Buryat tribes consolidating into a single ethnic complex, and

various groups of Tungus (Evenks), among which in the steppes the dominant

the place was occupied by the so-called mounted Evenks, and in the south there was a strong

tribal group of Mongol-speaking tabunuts, which later became part of

composition of the Buryat people. Khorin Buryats and Tabunuts lived mainly

in Western Transbaikalia, where they were engaged in nomadic grazing cattle breeding. Their

numbers in the 1640s was about 60,000 people1. According to

According to most researchers, the Buryats at the time in question were in

stages of patriarchal-feudal relations2.

The annexation of Transbaikalia to the Russian state began in the second

half of the 40s XVII century IN 1646 g . Cossack ataman Vasily Kolesnikov

placed at the mouth of the lake flowing from the north. Baikal r. Upper Angara fort

and began to explain to the local Tungus population. In a short time it was

4 forty 35 sables were collected. However, due to the “scarcity of grain”, V. Kolesnikov

was forced to release 40 servicemen and walkers (runaways, staggering, homeless

and nameless) people from his prison to the Yenisei prison. In view of this, in

in the same year, the Yenisei governor F. Uvarov sent a boyar’s son to help him

Ivan Pokhabov with servicemen and willing people, and most importantly - with 200 pounds

rye flour. September 29 1647 g . V. Kolesnikov himself arrived in Yenisei

prison and brought with him 11 forty 7 yasak sables, valued at 951 rubles.

The ataman reported to the governor that he had sent three servicemen from the Angarsk fort

people led by Kostka Ivanov Moskvitin with Tungus guides

down the Barguzin and Selenga rivers “to the Mungal land” to search for new

tribute people and information about silver ore. These Cossacks were the first Russians

1647 g . the headquarters of the Mongolian prince Turukhai-tabun, who roamed with 20 thousand

their subjects between the right tributaries of the Selenga - the Chika and Khilok rivers.

The prince kindly accepted the Russians and their gifts: beaver skins, otter skins,

lynx, a couple of sables and “blue top cloth”. Turukhai-tabun conveyed with

serving people presented the Tsar with a golden “cut” and a silver cup, and V.

Kolesnikov - a silver plate. As a sign of his submission to the Russian Tsar

the prince granted the Cossacks the right to collect yasak from 2 thousand of his ulus people,

who contributed 50 sables3.

In the autumn of 1648 . 40 versts from the mouth of the river flowing into Baikal from the east.

Barguzin Yenisei boyar son Ivan Galkin founded the Barguzin fort,

which became one of the main strongholds of the Russian Cossacks. Started from here

send new military expeditions to all ends of Transbaikalia and to the Far

East. In 1652 . Yakov Pokhabov built the Bauntovsky fort, in 1658

Voivode Pashkov founded near the lake. Telemba is a fort of the same name, and several

years later - Yeravninsky fort near the Yeravninsky lakes. IN 1665 on Selenga,

against the mouth of the river Chika, the Selenginsky fort was founded, which whole

served as the administrative center of Transbaikalia for a century, and in 1666 at the mouth of the river

Uda - Udinsk winter quarters, which soon became a prison, and then the city of Verkhneudinsk

(now Ulan-Ude is the capital of the Republic of Buryatia). IN 1689 were built

Itantsinsky, Ilyinsky and Kabansky forts. Inside them were located

main government buildings: office and customs huts, government barns,

voivode's yard, church4, prison. Selenga Cossacks led by

Pentecostal G. Lovtsov in 1666 g . wrote that they put in 1665

“under the Daurian land on the borders for the expansion of land near the Selenga River there is a fort

yes, four towers, and covered that fort, and the upper and lower battlements

they paved it, and erected pillars near the fort, and a church with three altars

built, and placed 29 huts in the fort and behind the fort”5. Thus, in

churches were erected in forts under construction or newly built ones.

Unfortunately, church archives from the 17th century have not survived. All of them

begin in the 1720s or 1730s. and later. However, according to some

According to sources, the original history of some churches is available. So, from the archives

materials we know the name of the first priest of the Barguzin Church -

Ioanna Voronkina. Still not far from the village. Barguzin area available

"Voronkovo".

At first, Siberian Christians, both Russians and a few baptized foreigners,

with its clergy, with its churches and monasteries, and according to the church

management, depended directly on the Moscow Patriarch: patriarch (and

sometimes the sovereign himself, as can be seen from the letters of that time) now and then

another bishop, for example Rostov, Kazan, and more often Vologda

ordered to send one or more priests for those being built in

Siberian cities and forts, as well as send for the consecration of one or another

built Siberian Church of the Holy Myrrh, give a certificate for consecration, etc.

or made this or that order himself6. But this order is extremely

remote church administration and the influx of people walking into Siberia had

the consequence was terrible unrest in the administration of their Siberian clergy

duties and extreme licentiousness of morals of Siberian Christians7. Having learned about

these sad phenomena in the country conquered and inhabited by Russians and about

that Christianity is almost not spreading among the Siberian peoples

or if it spreads, it is very weak, and after consulting with your son

by his Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich and with his Consecrated Council, Patriarch

Filaret in September 1620 g . established a special diocese in Siberia with a see in

Tobolsk. Cyprian became the first Archbishop of Siberia and Tobolsk

(Starorusennikov). Soon after his arrival, he called the survivors to him

Ermak’s comrades in order to collect information from them about the campaign in Siberia, and ordered

write down this information (they formed the basis for subsequent Siberian chronicles,

but they didn’t reach us). Archbishop Cyprian recorded in the synodik of Tobolsk

cathedral the names of Ermak’s companions who fell in battle and ordered them to be commemorated in

churches annually on “Collection Sunday,” or Sunday of the first week

Great Lent, when the memory of the first conquerors of Siberia was proclaimed (before

changes in 1869 . Holy Synod of the Triumph of Orthodoxy). IN

The Cherepanov Chronicle contains the following passage with the names of the conquerors

Siberia: “Remember, Lord, those who suffered in Your holy name and blood

who poured out their piety, who defeated the godless Tsar Kuchum in Siberia,

atamans: Ermolai, John, Nikita, Jacob, Matthew and their squads: Sergius,

John 3, Andrew 3, Timothy 2, Joachim, Gregory, Alexy, Nikon, Michael,

Titus, Theodore 2, John 2, Artemy, Login, Jacob, Savva, Peter 2 and others

their squad, and you, Lord, weigh their names.”

Archbishop Cyprian did not rule the diocese for long: in 1624 g . he was appointed

Metropolitan of Sarsk and Podonsk, and then Metropolitan of Novgorod and

Velikolutsky - with 1626 g . to the day of his death 1634 After him

the archbishops of the Siberian and Tobolsk diocese were Macarius (Kuchin),

Nektary (Telyashin), Gerasim (Kremlev), Simeon, Cornelius, archbishop from 1664

In 1668 . the Siberian and Tobolsk Metropolis and Archbishop were established

Korniliy was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of the reigning city of Tobolsk and all

Siberia. The new metropolis was the fourth - after Novgorod, Kazan and

Astrakhan. The Metropolitan was given a sakkos, a white hood and trikiria for

autumn. On the week of Vai, or Palm Sunday, a holiday reminiscent of

the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (in Moscow on this day, according to custom,

the patriarch solemnly sat on the donkey, and the king himself led the donkey by the bridle), he

sat on a donkey, which was led by the first governors of the city of Tobolsk, but the ritual

this one was canceled in 1677 g . Metropolitan Cornelius died in Tobolsk on 23

December 1677, having adopted schema 8.

From 1678 to 1692 . Metropolitan of Siberia and Tobolsk was Pavel,

who showed special concern for the construction of churches of God in Eastern Siberia.

It was under him in 1681 . by order of Tsar Feodor Alekseevich and by

With the blessing of Patriarch Joachim (Savelov), the church council decided: “In

distant cities, to the Lena in Daury, to send spiritual people, archimandrites,

abbots or priests, good and teaching, for the enlightenment of unbelievers

was from Moscow to Tobolsk the first full mission in the history of Siberia

the superiors of the abbot of the Temnikovsky Sretensky Monastery (Tambov

diocese) Feodosia, consisting of 12 brethren, including

Hieromonk Macarius, Hierodeacon Misail, elders Jonah, Tikhon, Theodosius, Philaret

and others. Metropolitan Pavel of Siberia and Tobolsk, having met them, gave them

instructions which they were to adhere to in the holy work of preaching

Gospel: “Having arrived in Daur, in Selenga and other Daur cities and

prisons of all kinds of infidels... to the true Orthodox Christian faith

call, teaching from the Divine Scriptures with all care and diligence,

lazily, and baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and lead them to

to the holy and Godly work of the Gentiles, without vanity and pride, with

with a virtuous intention, without any bitterness... so that from what words

You can’t excommunicate obstinate foreigners, and you can’t turn away a holy cause”10, and

“wherever they find it, build a monastery in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity on

Selenga River, and in other Daurian cities and forts, to call and baptize in

the Orthodox faith of foreigners..."11 The abbot and his brethren received money,

church utensils and set off on a long, difficult journey.

The Trinity Selenga Monastery was intended to serve as an official

religious center in the newly annexed Russian state

wooded mountain ridges, on a fairly flat and elevated place, on the shore

the mill river Piyanaya (so named for its winding course) missionaries

found an old monastery building with St. Nicholas Church, built

Nerchinsk service people back in 1675 g . This is where they decided to settle.

With the royal salary taken from Moscow and supplemented in Yeniseisk from

Siberian income, they rebuilt the Selenginsky monastery with the main

temple in the name of the Holy Trinity. In the same, 1681 g . construction began

the first church - Trinity, which laid the foundation for the monastery. "The first cathedral

1684 January 31, second in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker 1685 May 9

the numbers of His Sovereign treasury were built to perfection and many infidels

baptized"12. In description 1732 g . it was said about Trinity Church that it “with

a meal on the western and northern sides, with a porch" has a "top

tetrahedral on cross barrels about one head, the cross is upholstered in white

iron. And the head is upholstered with a scaly ploughshare, and on that church from the north

side image of the Lord of hosts. And to that church there is an altar near the altar

five-walled"13. Trinity Church was remarkable for its time thanks to

the wealth of contributions made for him by Tsar Feodor Alekseevich and

Tobolsk governor and steward Feodor Golovin, who was in it in

August 1687 . during the passage of the Russian embassy Golovin to

Selenginsk14. Thus, one of the vestments, embroidered with gold, brocade and silver, was

presented to the founder of the monastery Theodosius by the wife of Tsar Theodore Alekseevich,

Tsarina Martha Matfeevna, when sending a mission to Siberia. "Royal Doors"

were decorated with elaborate carvings, gilded and silver plated

crowns. In addition to a large number of icons and paintings painted on boards and on

“paintings on canvas”, the church contained many utensils and attributes

worship services. Some of them were examples of minted and

jewelry art, very fine work of the 17th-18th centuries. For example, on

On a special stand lay the Feast Gospel on Alexandrian paper.

The covers and tucks were made of hammered silver with gilding. Several sheets per

The middle of this book with brocade and color engravings were also silver.

The silver weight of this unique edition was one pound 30 spools

(537 grams)"15.

In the same year, 1687 . Abbot Theodosius on Lake Baikal, on those allocated to the monastery

lands, built a shelter and deserts for the monks to live on Posolsky Cape,

at the place where he was killed on October 7 1650 g . Moscow Ambassador Erofey

Zablotsky with his son and companions. (Later over their graves there was

a stone chapel was erected.) “In 159 October, on the 7th day, the son of a boyar

Yarofey Zablotskaya with his son Kiril, and clerks Vasily Chaplin, yes

Cossacks Vaska Beznoskov, Trenka Sosnin, Ofonka Sergeev, Yakunka

Skorokhodov, and industrial man Sergushka Mikhailov, 8 people in total,

came out of the plank, and walked away about a hundred fathoms, lit a fire, and by the fire

warmed up. And the interpreter Panfilko Semenov and the Mugal ambassador Sedik and industrial

12 people from Yarofey and their companions remained with the sovereign's treasury in the ship.

And the same day, Yarofey and his fellow brothers came upon Yarofey, and Tarukay's herd

yasak people, about a hundred unknown people, and Yarofey Zablotsky, and his son

Kiril, and the clerk Vasily Chaplin, and the Cossacks Vaska Beznoskov with

comrades, and an industrial man was beaten to death and robbed, and a gun that

with them, they caught them, and Panfilk and his companions approached the ship, and from

They shot at them with bows on the plank. And the interpreter Panfilko from those thieves in the plank

served time, and the sovereign's salary that was sent with them to Tsysan-kan and his son-in-law

Turukai-herd was saved”16.

For the monks who lived there, Abbot Theodosius erected a wooden

chapel in the name of St. Nicholas. In the letter of the Metropolitan of Siberia and

Tobolsky Pavel from 1687 g . Abbot Theodosius was entrusted with “being in charge of church

dogmas and spiritual affairs”, among other places, and in the Nikolaev Zaimka. So

Thus, she already had a brotherhood and laity. Then it was attached to the chapel

altar, and in 1700 . the first church on the shores of the lake. Baikal - Posolskaya -

was consecrated by the blessed letter of Metropolitan Ignatius

(Rimsky-Korsakov)17. According to the same charter, a church in Beijing was consecrated

for the Russians, during the ruin of Albazin, captured with a priest

Maxim Leontyev, to whom Metropolitan Ignatius wrote consolation: “Yes, no

is embarrassed, let your soul and all those captive with you be offended because of your

In such a case, who can resist God’s will? But your captivity is not

without benefit to the Chinese people, for Christ’s Orthodox faith is your light

it is revealed, and your spiritual salvation and heavenly rewards are multiplied.”18 This same

Saint Ignatius produced in 1700 g . to the rank of archimandrite rector

Trinity-Selenginsky Monastery Misail19 and blessed him to perform

priestly service with the right to wear a legguard, a club, and then a miter.

The Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya Cathedral Church was built later, by the “Kupchina”

Beijing caravan" by Grigory Afanasyevich Oskolkov, who arranged the entire

monastery, and subsequently the Ambassadorial Monastery began to be called after it

Spaso-Preobrazhensky.

The Trinity-Selenginsky and Posolsky monasteries initially used

privileges of the government and the patriarch. Soon after its founding they were given

large estates, settlements and fishing grounds. In addition to government awards

monasteries expanded their possessions at the expense of lands and property of private individuals -

depositors. Letters of admission and withdrawal gave them the opportunity to obtain households,

land plots, mills, estates of some residents of Irkutsk,

Selenginsk, Kyakhta, Verkhneudinsk and other places.

Most of the allocated lands were intended for newly baptized Buryats. So

how the initial development of Transbaikalia was carried out by Russian Cossacks

detachments and “walking” people, then after a while, resigning,

many “serving and leisurely” people “married newly baptized applied and

bought girls and women”, built houses “and settled on those lands in

peasantry"20. There were also cases of Buryat women being kidnapped or fleeing

Buryats to Russian villages. The monastery clergy did not interfere

this, understanding how important the “female element” is in strengthening the settled way of life and

housekeeping, and married women with their kidnappers21. The very fact of baptism

cut off the Buryat woman's way back. December 1757 . Khorinsky Buryat

Khazuy Banbaraev complained to the board of border affairs about his wife Mokui:

“It’s unknown on what occasion... at night she ran away from my yurt and stole one horse,

and she took with her a woman’s sheepskin coat, one new rug coat,

woman’s saddle”, etc. On the fourth day, the old husband found a young fugitive in

the house of the monastic peasant of the Khilotsk estate, Ivan Lazarev. Myself

the victim, apparently knowing the consequences of baptism, wrote in the petition: “And

Khazui asked her to find this wife and her holder Ivan Lazarev, and

if that woman has not been baptized to this day, then it will be done according to the decrees, and if

baptized, then the horse she led away and her scarf should be collected by him, Khazuya,

return." In the end, having learned from the monastery priest that her

baptized, the offended husband was satisfied with the returned “shkarb”22. Shel

mutual process of both Russification of the Buryat population and Buryatization

Russian. According to census books 1710 g ., Russian population in Transbaikalia

was 6964 people23, and the Buryat population at the beginning of the 18th century. - near

40,000 people24.

Missionary work brought significant benefits to the state, since under its

educational influence in the XVII-XVIII centuries. entire villages were formed and

parishes of new Christians in different places of Transbaikalia, mainly in

monastic possessions, for example, the villages of Baikalo-Kudara, Treskovo, Timlyui,

Podlopatki, Elan, Karymsk, Maly Kunaley and many others. And these processes

mixtures of the population, little studied by science, are clearly visible on the faces

many Russians and Buryats beyond Baikal, called here Karyms or

guranami25. Gradual settlement of Transbaikalia by Streltsy, Cossacks and others

groups of Russian people, on the one hand, and on the other - the conversion of part of the Buryats

and the Evenks converted to Orthodoxy and multiplied the number of parishes and churches. To the moment

creation of the Irkutsk and Nerchinsk vicariates under the Siberian and Tobolsk

metropolis (1707 .) on the territory of Buryatia there were 14 churches and 2

monastery These are the churches: Barguzinskaya Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya, Verkhneudinskaya

Bogoroditsa-Vladimirskaya, Verkhneudinskaya Spasskaya, Staro-Selenginskaya

Pokrovskaya and Staro-Selenginskaya Spasskaya, Ilyinskaya Bogoyavlenskaya,

Kabanskaya Nativity of Christ, Itantsinskaya Spasskaya, Khilokskaya

Theotokos-Vladimirskaya, Kolesnikovskaya Theotokos-Kazanskaya, Treskovskaya

Mikhailo-Arkhangelskaya, Kudarinskaya Blagoveshchenskaya, Chikoyskaya

Petro-Pavlovskaya, Tunkinskaya Pokrovskaya and two monasteries - Selenginsky

Holy Trinity and Ambassadorial Spaso-Preobrazhensky. All churches and monasteries

were wooden.

By the time of the founding of the Transbaikal monasteries Sibirskaya and Tobolskaya

The metropolis occupied an area from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean. Was it possible

the metropolitan to properly supervise the clergy subordinate to him,

to fill idle vacancies in churches, “is it also an easy matter to survey

him, at least occasionally, such a diocese, especially for the purpose of appealing to

faith among those who do not believe and admonish those who are mistaken about

faith and sometimes become violent as a result of their errors?!”26. Higher

The spiritual authorities understood the need to increase the number of dioceses in Siberia.

In 1682 . Patriarch Joachim intended to give the Tobolsk Metropolitan 4

suffragan bishops - for Tyumen, Verkhoturye, Yeniseisk and Transbaikalia, but not

was able to do this due to lack of funds.

In 1702 . The Tobolsk See was headed by Saint Philotheus (Leshchinsky,

1650-1727). It was Philotheus, according to Bishop Philaret27, who primarily

belongs to the name of the enlightener of Siberia. He baptized up to 40,000 “foreigners” and

built up to 37 churches. Churches in the region were established using government money and

partly donated by Saint Philotheus himself and the then

Governor Prince Gagarin. To establish Christian teaching, Vladyka

took children from the Ostyaks to teach Russian literacy and the Law of God to schools

missionaries, and sent the best of his students to the Tobolsk Slavic-Latin

school. In 1705 . he sent the first spiritual mission to Kamchatka under

the superiors of Archimandrite Martinian, whom he brought with him from Kyiv,

around 1707 . - the first spiritual mission to Mongolia. WITH 1711 at rest, in

schema with the name Theodore.

In 1707 . at the insistence of Saint Philotheus at the Siberian and Tobolsk

The metropolis opened the Irkutsk and Nerchinsk vicariates. Vicar

consecrated the Tikhvin wooden church in Irkutsk, founded a year before his

arrival in 1710 ., before leaving for Moscow, consecrated beyond Baikal in

Selenga Trinity Monastery wooden church in the name of All Saints above

western gate. With his blessing, after his departure, she was consecrated

Irkutsk's first stone church is Spasskaya. His undoubted merit

ministry in Eastern Siberia is that through his ordination he provided her with

priests.

After leaving in 1710 . His Eminence Varlaam from Irkutsk to Moscow

Christians of Eastern Siberia with their clergy, with their churches and

monasteries again became part of the Siberian and Tobolsk Metropolis. After

Saint Philotheus, John (Maksimovich) came to the Tobolsk See. Previously, from

1697 to 1711 ., he was the Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversk and in

1702 g . founded the first school of higher spiritual sciences in Russia. Managed

the first spiritual mission to China under the leadership of Archimandrite Hilarion

(Lezhaisky). He sent the Irkutsk flock a list with the miraculous Abalatskaya

icon of the Mother of God with the appendix of her syllabic verses:

The Most Pure Virgin is coming from Abalak,

In the miraculous icon she is merciful to everyone,

Brings blessing to the city of Irkutsk.

Health to all citizens, multiplication of blessings

Metropolitan John of Tobolsk wishes,

He never ceases to pray to the Most Pure Virgin:

ABOUT! All-sung Mother, save the city and the people,

Like the apple of the eye of all living dishes,

Grant many years to all citizens,

Preserve and protect from the evil of slander,

Make every wish come true,

May everyone have a safe stay,

Vouchsafe the sinful city to visit them,

This will never happen, please keep them

In safe and good health,

Grant them to live in the Kingdom of Heaven29.

This icon was located in the Irkutsk Cathedral (old) Cathedral, in the chapel

All Saints, on the left side of the Royal Doors.

Transbaikalia in the 18th - mid-19th centuries saw and hospitably welcomed

four saints.

After the death of Metropolitan John, the administration of Siberian and Tobolsk

the metropolis, by decree of Peter I, was again entrusted to St. Theodore

(Philofey), despite his advanced years and schema. In April-May

1719 g . Saint Theodore visited Transbaikalia: Verkhneudinsk, Selenginsk,

Nerchinsk. In Verkhneudinsk, at the request of the parishioners of the Savior Church, he ordained

Archimandrite Hilarion (Lezhaisky) and Metropolitan Theodore died in Beijing

wrote from Transbaikalia on April 4 1719 g . Siberian Governor Prince M.P.

Gagarin, who was then in St. Petersburg: “And henceforth there is hope (for

glorification of the name of God among the Chinese), if Your Excellency accept

Bose jealousy and with the Reverend Stefan (Yavorsky) advised, report

His Royal Majesty and, having chosen a good and wise man, there to

You will send the kingdom (of China) without delay. And even at least with the rank of bishop,

honor as archbishop and send 15 people with him to the clergy; anyway they

The Chinese understand that His Royal Majesty to strengthen eternal peace

will send such people”30. This thought of the saint found the full approval of Peter.

I, because he had long been planning to enlighten China with Orthodoxy. WITH

with the appearance of an Orthodox bishop in Beijing, it was possible to begin

spread and establishment of the Orthodox faith in the heavenly state

through initiation into clergy and worthy persons from among themselves

Chinese, but this began to be implemented only after more than 160 years - from 1882

“To serve this great and difficult task - “preaching the word of God and

propagation of Orthodox Christian Eastern piety of faith" in China

cathedral hieromonk Innokenty (Kulchinsky) was elected (or, as

usually wrote, Kulchitsky). According to the legend of the Irkutsk chronicler

Pezhemsky, he was summoned from the south of Russia among other “benevolent”

monastics to replenish the then newly founded Nevsky Lavra.

Here he was soon appointed naval chief hieromonk. And since

naval regulations, inscribed by the hand of Peter himself, lay on the chief hieromonk

duty to visit each ship within a week, manage the ships

hieromonks and resolve their perplexities, then for this alone Father Innocent

could not but be well known to the transformer of Russia”31.

He was consecrated Bishop of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky by the Holy Synod. 19

April 1721 . Bishop Innocent with his retinue (two hieromonks, two

hierodeacon, five choristers, two ministers and one cook) left

St. Petersburg, more than 11 months later, March 5 1722 g . arrived in Irkutsk and 7

March moved to Baikal, “settled in the Selenga Trinity Monastery,

where he began to await the decision of the Chinese authorities to allow the mission to Beijing. This

the wait dragged on for five years, since the Chinese authorities, under different

they used pretexts to delay the decision to allow the mission to China in every possible way.”32 In these

for years the archpastor lived in the Selenginsky monastery, communicating with

Archimandrite Misail, then in Staro-Selenginsk, where until the middle of the 19th century.

legends persisted about how he skillfully painted icons, then on

monastery castle on the river. Khilok, where he preached Orthodoxy among the Buryats,

studied their life and customs33.

In 1725 . was sent to China for extraordinary and plenipotentiary negotiations

Envoy Minister Savva Lukich Vladislavich-Raguzinsky regarding the permit

several controversial articles of the Nerchinsk Treaty, delimitation of border

points. During his conversation with Chinese ministers, it became clear that

“The Bogdykhan will never order such a great person to be received: because they

the great lord is called their father or kutukhta. And what about it (Sava)

diligence... maybe the archimandrite and priests have been accepted to Beijing again

will be, but the bishop will never be allowed”34. So the bishop

Innocent seemed to be out of work. This circumstance prompted His Holiness

The Synod will once again return to the unrealized idea of ​​​​forming an independent

dioceses with the center in Irkutsk.

on the formation of the Irkutsk diocese and the appointment of St. Innocent

(Kulchinsky) Bishop of Irkutsk, Nerchinsk and Yakutsk. To Irkutsk on

service he arrived from Transbaikalia on August 26 1727 g . Then in the diocese there was:

Irkutsk - 8 churches and 2 monasteries; in Irkutsk district - 13 churches, 1

monastery and 1 hermitage; in the Selenga district - 13 churches and 2 monasteries;

in the Nerchinsky district - 7 churches and 1 monastery. They served in them

priestly, monastic and clerical ranks 286 people, of whom in

Buryatia - 113. Saint Innocent served at the see for a short time; he died

Holy Synod of December 1 1804 . commemoration was established

St. Innocent November 26. February 9th 1805 . rescheduled

relics of the saint from the cave to the cathedral church. In January 1921 they were opened

militant atheists, put it on public display, and then took it away

from Irkutsk. For a long time the relics were in Yaroslavl

returned to Irkutsk. Currently they rest in Znamensky

Cathedral of the city of Irkutsk.

By the middle of the 18th century, the missionary activity of the Orthodox Church in

Buryatia began to weaken. This was facilitated, in our opinion, by a number of reasons.

One of them came from the center, from St. Petersburg. According to Ambrose Yushkevich

and Dimitri Sechenov, “the reign of Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740) was the most

a difficult period for preaching. Having taken all power into their hands, the Germans

in the expression of contemporaries, “piety and faith have been attacked.” Insulting

humiliating and blaming the “Orthodox priesthood,” the Germans completely suppressed and

weakened the church sermon and “terrified everyone so much that even the most

the shepherds, the very preachers of the word of God, were silent and could not speak

piety open. In an Orthodox state one speaks about one's faith

it was dangerous to open: immediately expect troubles and persecution.”35 Then it's not true

Christ reigned, but truth sat on guard; and the word of God was knitted,

and the path to the Kingdom of Heaven was; true dogmas leading to life

eternal, did not obey, and temptations and vomiting on the Orthodox Church in

the destruction of many was glorified everywhere; the shepherds were silent; preachers

were afraid"36.

Other reasons for the weakening of Orthodox preaching in Transbaikalia were

local - the death of the 112-year-old missionary elder Archimandrite Misail in 1742

g., one of the 12 members of the first Daurian spiritual mission and an eyewitness

missionary labors of St. Innocent (Kolchitsky), and the death of the first

energetic preachers of Christianity, as well as secularization in 1764

when the monasteries lost their estates and lands. All the efforts of the subsequent

years to strengthen missionary work due to lack of funds and the ability to lead fruitfully

the holy deed remained in vain.

In addition, the mission now has strong opponents: 1756 from Mogilevskaya

and Chernigov provinces in Transbaikalia, Old Believers were exiled, who

settled throughout its territory.

A dangerous opponent and competitor, not without the help of the tsarist government,

became Buddhism, or rather, its variety - Lamaism. Prisoners with China

general treaty signed on the Russian side by S.L.

Vladislavich-Raguzinsky, allowed the missionary activities of Mongolian

and Tibetan lamas in Transbaikalia. There were 5-6 of them then. In my

turn, the Chinese guaranteed the unhindered action of the Russian

Orthodox mission in Beijing and were allowed to send from Russia for study

local dialects six students. Later, in 1734 g ., Russian government

“prohibited the missionary activity of the Orthodox Church in Transbaikalia,

fearing complications in relations with China”37. "Russian officials informed

government about the arrival here (in the 1730s - A.Zh.) 50 Tibetan and 100

Mongolian lamas. In the 1740s. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna approved the staff

at 150 lam. They were freed from all taxes and duties... From this

great privileges and benefits. This led to an increase in the number of Huwaraks and

wide dissemination of the Lamaist religion"38.

drawing up a new regulation on the various religions admitted in

Russia. The chief bandida was included in the council as a Buddhist deputy

Hambo Lama Zayagin. After being introduced to Catherine II, he was granted

an annual allowance of 50 rubles and “the permission granted to him to freely

professing one’s religion.”39 At the request of the Buddhist clergy, Russian

the government began to persecute those Buryats who performed shamanic

rituals.

Emperor Alexander Pavlovich on July 22 1822 . (articles concerning

Department of Foreigners of Eastern Siberia) was again confirmed and resolved

free practice and active spread of the Buddhist religion.

During the time of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich “he was specially sent to the Eastern

Siberia for the purpose of drawing up regulations on Buddhists, a valid civil

advisor and holder of various orders, Baron Schilling von Kanstadt. His

Excellency arrived and toured all the local Buddhist datsans and

each locality and carried out an audit. The Buddhist religion was recognized

the right to distribute it. Von Canstadt compiled a new one regarding this

provision of 281 articles, where, in particular, it was noted that the Buddhist

the population of Eastern Siberia is supposed to have a large number of lamas”40. IN

as a result of such support from the tsarist government to 1741 in Eastern

Siberia had 11 datsans and 150 lamas, to 1846 . — 34 datsans, 144 small churches and

4546 lamas, according to other sources, 5545 lamas.

During the decline of the Transbaikal Orthodox Mission in 1818

an English spiritual mission appeared, sent by the London Missionary

society for preaching Christianity among the Buryats. Her appearance was

associated with the establishment in 1804 . in England British and Foreign

Bible Society, whose goal was to reproduce the Bible and books

Holy Scriptures in all languages ​​and spreading their reading throughout the world.

In December 1812 . St. Petersburg arose on the British model

Bible Society (Moscow was then occupied by Napoleon’s troops),

headed by President Prince A.N. Golitsyn, Minister of Spiritual Affairs and

public education. Thanks to the favor of Emperor Alexander I,

who ordered Golitsyn to provide “special protection” to the Irkutsk

civil governor N.I. Treskin to the envoys of the London Missionary

society - pastors Cornelius Ramn and Eduard Stalibras (1795-1884), they

were met upon arrival in Irkutsk (in March 1818 .) benevolently. And in

end of 1819 . the Irkutsk branch of the St. Petersburg

Bible Society. Its directors were Bishop Mikhail (Burdukov) and

Siberian Governor-General M.M. Speransky41. Ramn soon left

Eastern Siberia, and Stalibras in June 1820 . went beyond Baikal to found

mission in Selenginsk. In the end of January 1820 . arrived from London to Irkutsk

two more missionaries - Robert Yuille (1786-1861) and William Swan (1791-1866).

They founded three camps - one on the left bank of the Selenga opposite the city

Staro-Selenginsk and two in the department of the Khorinsk Steppe Duma - on the river. Kodun and

R. She. The English missionaries had solid learning, enormous

material resources that provided them with ample opportunities. Yes, y

they had large houses, schools, and a printing house. They collected a rare composition

library in European and oriental languages ​​and opened a large pharmacy.

We started teaching literacy and some crafts to Buryat children,

healing the local population. We intensively studied Mongolian, Tibetan,

Manchu languages, Buryat dialects. Translated Christian books into

“Mongol-Buryat language” and prepared these translations for publication for

their distribution among the Buryats42. But despite all the education

English missionaries, their successes were insignificant. During the period from 1820 to 1841

they christened no more than three Buryats. The reasons for this phenomenon are seen in the fact that

missionaries tried not to convert the Buryats to Christianity, but to first raise and

expand their mental horizons, but through their activities - teaching and

providing medical care - they taught the Buryats to look at them as

teachers and doctors, and not as preachers. Translated by them into

Mongolian language and distributed in several thousand copies to the Buryats

The Bible served little missionary purpose. Copies of it were diligently taken from

drilled lamas and betrayed them to complete destruction.

From 1753 to 1771 . Bishop of Irkutsk, Nerchinsk and Yarkutsk was Sophrony

(Kristalevsky)43. May 27 1770 g . they consecrated the winter church in honor

Epiphany of the Lord (on the first floor) of the Verkhneudinsk building

Odigitrievsky Cathedral. This was the first stone temple in Buryatia. His

construction started in 1741 g . and lasted for more than 40 years. Church on

its second floor, in honor of the Hodegetria icon of the Mother of God, was consecrated 3

May 1785 . Bishop Mikhail (Mitkevich).

The name of St. Innocent is also associated with the Odigitrievsky Cathedral

(Veniaminova)44.

In the “Irkutsk Diocesan Gazette” we find the following message:

“The Most Reverend Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna,

greeted by citizens with bread and salt. Stopped at A.A. Tretyakov and

together with his retinue, which, however, is very small and all consists only

of two persons, including Annunciation Archpriest Gabriel Veniaminov and

in the same cathedral, the distinguished guest deigned to listen to the Divine Liturgy, which

performed by the distinguished priest A. Argentov, and gave a lesson to the people

to Irkutsk. Priest A. Arg.”45. Waiting for the crossing of Lake Baikal, the saint

Innocent lived for 13 days in the Posolsky Monastery, communicating with the bishop

Veniamin (Blagonravov), head of the Transbaikal spiritual mission.

Still, to talk about the complete inaction of the Orthodox mission in Buryatia would be

wrong. So, in 1821 . His Eminence Archbishop Mikhail (Burdukov)

prescribed to the priest of the Kul Church Alexander Ilyin Bobrovnikov

preach the Gospel among the Khorin Buryats; to help him

sent the baptized Buryat Mikhail Speransky, to whom for his labors

subsequently His Eminence Michael blessed to wear

priestly robe.

In total, in Buryatia at that time there were three Orthodox missionaries who performed

besides, there are parish responsibilities, so talking about big

the effectiveness of their activities is not possible. Moreover, as has already happened

It is said that the number of Buddhist lamas by that time was about 5,000.

He did a lot to prepare the opening of the second Transbaikal spiritual mission

His Eminence Neil (Isakovich)46. He was convinced that the preaching of Christianity

among the Buryats and Evenks can be successful only when the missionary

will become spiritually close to them, will understand their language and will speak heartily himself

in this language, preaching the word of God, and most importantly, he will not pursue

the number of converts, but the quality of the soul of the converted Christian. He

put a lot of effort into preparing a new regulation on Eastern Buddhists

Siberia, published on May 13 1853 ., in which the government determined

285 full-time lamas, and together with student huvaraks - 320 lamas. The rest of the lamas

was ordered to be transferred to a secular state. Reverend Neil also

sought to destroy the oath upon taking office as a Hambo Lama,

by which he obliged the Russian government to support and distribute

lama faith in Russia (the oath was canceled only in 1862 .). However, these measures

in our opinion, they turned out to be late. By that time the Buryat population

believed that the Buddhist religion is primordial and traditional for the Buryats, and

Orthodox is traditional for Russians, the Buryats actively believe in this belief

supported by lamas.

Appointment in 1862 . head of the Transbaikal spiritual mission of the bishop

Veniamin (Blagonravova) marked the beginning of a new stage in her activities.

Energetic Bishop Benjamin, later Archbishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk

and Yakutsky, revived and restored the spirit of missionary work, expanding the circle of influence

missions. He tried to ensure that this circle embraced everything in the main points.

Buryat and Evenki departments and places inhabited by them. Invited

experienced workers in the field of apostolic ministry, who went with love to

the work of preaching Christian teaching. The mission included 11 missionaries:

8 novices and 3 clerics. In addition, they carried out missionary missions

duties of 4 parish priests. 12 missionary missions were established

Stans: Baikal-Kudarinsky in 1862 .; Aginsky at the Agin Steppe Duma in

1862 .; Selenginsky at the Selenginsky Steppe Duma, near

Gusino-Ozersky datsan, in 1864 .; Tsagan-Usunsky on the border of Mongolia;

Ust-Kiransky; Aninsky at the Khorin Steppe Duma in 1864; Bauntovsky

in the center of the Evenki nomads in 1864 .; Ononsky and Goloustensky in the western

coast of Baikal; Ulyunsky at the Barguzin Steppe Duma; Irgensky on

Lake Irgen; Guzhirsky Troitsky at the Tunkin Steppe Duma after 1864

At the residence of the Right Reverend Veniamin, in the Posolsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky

monastery, a missionary school was opened to train capable

Buryat boys for missionary service; the same preparation was carried out in

missionary camps. In total, in 12 countries students studied in 1868 23 boys, in

Embassy School - 20, from which they later left

clergy and teachers. At the Posolsky Monastery there was

missionary almshouse for 20 people. It housed the sick,

the elderly and poor of the newly baptized with full maintenance.

By the end of 1868 . the mission's activities were under threat of closure: ceased

funding from the Russian Council of the Missionary Society.

However, at the request of the Archbishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk, His Eminence

Parthenia (Popov) and Governor-General of Eastern Siberia Mikhail Semenovich

Karsakov, the Minister of State Property allocated 500 tithes to the mission

land and seven government-issued fisheries. Therefore the activity

the mission did not stop, but at the same time it could not expand and must

was limited to the number of missionaries that remained at the end of 1868

The companions of the Right Reverend Benjamin, small in number but strong in spirit, did not

became discouraged and worked in a difficult missionary field. Among them was

Kudarino missionary Hieromonk Platon (in the world Danilov Peter). Knowing

Buryat language, he managed to acquire such a disposition towards himself that he did not

only baptized Buryats, but also Lamaists turned to him for advice, and

often for benefits while in distress. stood out with his

labors and concerns for the spread of Christianity, Tungui missionary

Hieromonk Meletius (in the world Yakimov Mikhail), candidate of theology, later

Bishop of Selenga, head of the Transbaikal spiritual mission; Later

Bishop of Ryazan and Zaraisk. He believed that the main focus should be

addressed to the allocation of land to the newly baptized and the introduction of Orthodox-Russian

life in the Buryat environment. And he achieved the allocation of lands around his camp and

began to settle baptized Buryats on them. Currently this is a Russian village

Novospasovka in Mukhorshibirsky district.

Other associates of Bishop Benjamin contributed greatly to the work of the mission

(Dobronravova) - fathers Nikolai Blagoobrazov, Feodor Albitsky, Peter

Mitropolsky, Alexey Malkov, Innokenty Shastin, Paisy and Nektary.

In those years, the Right Reverend Benjamin wrote: “Many who have not experienced feats

missionary service, imagine that it is not worth the trouble to expose the absurdity

Lamaism, to convince the Lamaites to accept the true faith of Christ, but the nearest

acquaintance with the direction and superstitions of the pagans living within

Transbaikal region, convinced enough that Christianity is not easy

gets grafted onto them. The words of Christ: “No one can come to Me unless

the Father who sent Me will draw him” (John 6:44) - at almost every step

convince preachers of the faith of Christ how weak our strength is in the matter of conversion

Lamaites, unless the Lord Himself leads them to the right path and enlightens them

the light of His Divine teaching. Not everyone notices the phenomena of light

Christ's; He who only sees the light of this world, for him the vision of destinies is dark

God, manifesting itself in the spiritual world. Two hundred years before this distant

the Siberian Daurs were a land of paganism, but God commanded there to be light among

darkness of ignorance, and the light of the Holy Trinity became - the Christian faith became

ruling, cities and towns were adorned with holy temples of God, and in our

the days of the very desert of Transbaikalia are resounding with the teachings of Christ and even

they rejoice at the visit of grace and bloom like crênes.”47

In 1868 . Eminence Veniamin, at the request of the Eminence

Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, was transferred as bishop

Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian. His successors were the Eminences:

Martinian (in the world Mikhail Semenovich Muratovsky), Meletiy (Mikhail Kosmich

Yakimov) (with him in 1880 . the control center of the Transbaikal mission was

transferred to Chita), Macarius (Mikhail Fedorovich Darsky), Georgy (George

Polikarpovich Orlov), Methodius (Mavriky Lvovich Gerasimov), Efrem

(Kuznetsov). Between 1904-1909 head of the Transbaikal spiritual

The mission was a candidate of theology priest Epifaniy Kuznetsov. Through the efforts of everyone

mentioned, an increase in the number of missionary camps was achieved (at the beginning

XX century there were 41 of them), schools and missionaries (especially from among the Buryats). Trained

future missionaries at the school at the Posolsky Monastery, transferred

later in Chita, at the Irkutsk Theological Seminary and the Nerchinsk Theological

school. Senior personnel were trained at the Kazan Theological Academy, where

there was a special Mongol-Buryat department. In addition, there were

Women's religious institutions where Buryats studied: Irkutsk School for Girls

spiritual department, school at the Irkutsk Znamensky Monastery, Chitinskaya

The Mother of God women's community and the Transbaikal Diocesan Women's School.

Translation into Buryat language and publication of theological literature were carried out

for the purpose of conducting services in the Buryat language and distributing them in the uluses. TO

Buryats were widely involved in translation and publishing work (not only

clergy), who were fluent in Russian, Buryat and Mongolian

languages ​​that have mastered the Christian faith. First service on

Buryat language took place in August 1852 . at the consecration of Guzhirskaya

1854 . in the Irkutsk Cathedral a divine service was held for three

languages: priest G. Shastin read in Buryat, priest N. Kopylov - in

Yakut, and Bishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian Saint Innocent

- in Aleutian.

Almost two hundred years of persistent work of the Transbaikal spiritual mission,

who received some support from the authorities and the Holy Synod, brought

fruit. The Buryat Orthodox Church was opened, under whose influence

beginning of the twentieth century It turned out that there were 12-15 thousand Buryats. Total number of baptized Buryats

was about 85 thousand out of 300 thousand people living in Irkutsk

dioceses48.

Unfortunately, the exact number and names of all Buryat missionaries of the second half

XIX and early XX centuries. failed to install. So, for example, in 1886 V

The Transbaikal mission included 4 Buryat priests, 2 deacons, 5

psalm-readers, 1 teacher and 4 translators, not counting churchwardens and

trustees. According to our data, there were about 85 people. Among them

were: Father Alexey Norboev - dean of the III department and rector of Aginskaya

missionary church; Father Nikolai Nilov Dorzhiev - archpriest and translator,

subsequently a teacher of the Mongolian language at St. Petersburg

university; Father Afanasy Aleksandrovich Vinogradov - cathedral

archpriest, editor of the Irkutsk Diocesan Gazette, one of the biographers

Saint Innocent (Veniaminov), researcher of Aleut ethnography,

Chukchi, Kolosh and Yakuts; father Roman Tsyrenpilov - head of the Verkhneamursky

Manchu camp; Father Konstantin Stukov - archpriest, historian and

local historian; father Adrian Klyukin (his wife is “the first Transbaikal Buryat,

educated at a theological school, she was also the first teacher and

teacher of her fellow tribesmen"49), father Spiridon Nosyrev, fathers

Vasily and Innokenty Tarbaevs, father Nikolai Garmaev and others.

With the increase in the population of the region (in 1851 . there were already 183.1 Russians

50 thousand people and the number of churches grew. TO 1863 . on the territory of Buryatia

there were 42 churches and 3 monasteries - Posolsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky,

Selenginsky Holy Trinity and hermitages of St. Nile of Stolobensky.

The population growth was due to an increase in the number of people living there

peoples, and due to the migration of settlers, although not as large as

at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.

separated from the Irkutsk and Nerchinsk diocese (soon

renamed Irkutsk and Verkholenskaya), and became the tenth in a row in

Siberia.

If in 1894 . on the territory of this new diocese there were 200 churches, then in 1909

city ​​- 376, of which 186 parish, 143 ascribed, 3 brownie, 3 prison,

8 cemetery, 2 railway, 2 church-schools, 5 monastery schools.

Most of the churches (about 300) were wooden. They served in 23

archpriest, 207 priests, 61 deacons, 244 psalmists51. By 1920

there were 490 churches and houses of worship (in Buryatia - 194, in Chita

region - 296), 4 monasteries (2 men's and 2 women's), 3 men's monasteries, 2

women's courtyards. In the villages, villages and missionary camps there was

302 chapels were erected.

The Transbaikal diocese played a major role in the establishment of national

education in the region. Thus, out of 370 educational institutions in the Transbaikal region (in

it included Buryatia and the Chita region) The Church cared for 3 diocesan

schools, 122 parochial schools and 199 church literacy schools (87%

all educational institutions of the region).

In fact, the existence of the Transbaikal and Nerchinsk diocese ceased in

1921 ., after the departure of the ruling bishop Meletius (Zaborowski) to

Harbin52. Formally, the Transbaikal and Nerchinsk diocese was abolished in

1930

The Russian Orthodox Church, which at one time made the greatest contribution to

the formation of Russian culture and statehood, to the greatest extent

suffered from repressions of the Bolshevik regime, since it was the only

major denomination, main centers and material and financial resources

which were located on Russian territory.

In Buryatia, as throughout Russia, churches were desecrated and desecrated, many

The clergy were repressed, some of them were shot. One of the first

martyrs of the Orthodox Church of Buryatia was the Bishop of Selenga, vicar

Transbaikal diocese Ephraim (Kuznetsov), participant of the Russian Council

the same year53.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War it was again allowed

activities of the Russian Orthodox Church, but in a limited number of parishes

Ulan-Ude Orthodox parish of the Holy Ascension Church, and a little later in

The city of Kyakhte is the parish of the Assumption Church, which is in 1962 . closed. They were

the only ones in the entire republic. At the end of the 1980s. was created in Ulan-Ude

Orthodox society "Salvation", which together with the Buryat branch

The All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments took up

restoration of the Holy Trinity Church and sale of church literature,

advocated the adoption of new legislation on freedom of conscience,

revival of the Orthodox Church.

In 1990 . The law “On Freedom of Religion” was adopted, and in March 1994

by decree of His Grace Vadim (Lazebny), Bishop of Irkutsk and

Chitinsky, the Buryat deanery was formed within the administrative framework

Republic of Buryatia, and in April 1994 . decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian

The Chita and Transbaikal diocese was created by the Orthodox Church, allocated

from the Irkutsk and Chita regions. The first bishop of Chita and

g., - Innokenty (Vasiliev), with residence in Chita.

There are 42 Orthodox parishes on the territory of the republic, in which

26 priests serve. The dean is Priest Oleg Matveev.

Recently, icons began to stream myrrh in the churches of Buryatia:

room of the Odigitrievsky parish in Ulan-Ude - temple icon of God

Mother "Hodegetria".

Hegumen Theodosius was the founder of the Trinity-Selenginsky Monastery; in 1692

g. went through Tobolsk to Moscow, but on the way in 1693 he died in

Arkhangelsk Monastery in Veliky Ustyug. Misail (born 1630),

being a hierodeacon, he arrived with Father Theodosius; from 1693 became

viceroy, and then abbot of the monastery. He was still in the rank of hierodeacon

ordering officer (dean) of the Daurian (Trans-Baikal) tithe, then in charge

and the Irkutsk tithe. In 1714, Metropolitan of Siberia Tobolsk John

(Maksimovich) appointed him as rector of the Irkutsk Voznesensky

monastery Died in 1742

20 NARB, f. 262, op. 1, d. 2, l. 111, 115.

21 See: Gurulev M. From the past of Transbaikalia // Russian antiquity. 1901. T. 106.

P. 215.

22 See: NARB, f. 262, op. 1, d. 92, l. 73-75.

23 See: Shmulevich. MM. Essays on the history of Western Transbaikalia. XVIII -

mid-19th century Novosibirsk, 1985. P. 43.

24 See: Khankharayev V.S. Changes in the number and settlement of the Buryats... P. 22.

25 See: Matsokin P.G. Metis of Transbaikalia. St. Petersburg, 1904. P. 5.

26 JEW. 1868. No. 46. P. 518.

27 See: Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. History of the Russian Church. Chernigov,

1862. Issue. 3, 4, 5.

28 Previously, he was a monk of the Mezhigorsk monastery in Kyiv, then until 1702 -

Viceroy of the Pustynno-Nikolaevsky Monastery. Brought to Tobolsk

Metropolitan Philotheus and ordained archimandrite. Ordained a bishop in

1707 in Moscow. But his management was short due to the hardships of life.

He lived in Irkutsk for only 2.5 years and left for Moscow without a decree. From 1714 to the end

1720 he was Bishop of Tver, from June 1720 to May 4, 1721 - Metropolitan

Smolensky. Died on May 4, 1721, his body rested in Smolensk Trinity

monastery, from the entrance on the right side of the main temple.

29 JEW. 1863. No. 9.

30 Ibid. No. 11.

31 IRDM. 1997. P. 86.

32 Naumova O.E. Irkutsk diocese. XVIII - first half of the XIX century. Irkutsk,

1996. P. 33.

33 In 1915, Archimandrite Ephraim, head of the Transbaikal spiritual mission,

visited the village of Poselye in the present Bichur district, where I found an ancient

the house in which the saint lived.

34 IRDM. 1997. P. 102.

36 Vertograd is intelligent. Handwritten book of the Irkutsk Theological Seminary //

IEV. 1871. No. 13. P. 171.

37 Naumova O.E. Irkutsk diocese... P. 45.

38 Lombotserenov D.-Zh. History of the Selenga Mongol-Buryats // Buryat

Chronicle / Comp. Sh.B. Chimitdorzhiev, Ts.P. Vanchikova (Purbueva). Ulan-Ude,

1995. P. 112.

39 Yumsunov V. History of the origin of eleven Khorin clans //

Buryat Chronicles / Comp. Sh.B. Chimitdorzhiev, Ts.P. Vanchikova (Purbueva).

Ulan-Ude, 1995. P. 44.

40 Ibid. P. 50.

41 Pezhemsky P.I., Krotov V.A. Irkutsk Chronicle // Proceedings of VSORGO /

Preface, ext. and note. I.I. Serebrennikova. Irkutsk, 1911. No. 5. P. 223.

42 “Somewhat earlier, even before the opening of the Irkutsk branch, in 1817.

The Bible Society made an attempt to translate the Bible into

Mongol-Buryat language. Then... the Khorin Buryats Badma were called to St. Petersburg

Morshunaev and Nomtu Ungaev, accompanied by an Irkutsk translator

provincial secretary V.M. Tataurova (Morshunaev and Ungaev did not know Russian

language, Tataurov translated for them). They worked on the translation until May 1826.

... They managed to translate the entire New Testament into the Mongol-Buryat language,

which was then printed in the printing house of the Bible Society with a circulation of 2000

copy Of these, 600 copies. The Synod sent to the Khorin Buryats, 150 to the Selenga and

150 copies - Transbaikal Buryats. At the same time in August 1827 to Irkutsk

5 copies were sent to Bishop Mikhail (Burdukov). to compare translations

with the Slavic text of the New Testament. The Archbishop involved in this work

Alexander Bobrovnikov, who came from a mixed Russian-Buryat family,

teacher of the Mongolian language at the seminary and archpriest of Irkutsk

Prokopievskaya Church; Xenophon Shangin, a graduate of the local seminary,

priest of the Irkutsk Spassky Church; hieromonk of Israel and hierodeacon

Dositheus from the Selenga Trinity Monastery, as well as the provincial

translator A.V. Igumnova. In 1829, the comparison of texts and their correction was

completed and corrected copies sent to St. Petersburg. Especially

A. Bobrovnikov worked successfully, correcting three books of the Gospel (from

Mark, Matthew and John)." (Naumova O.E. Irkutsk diocese... S.

166-167).

43 Sophrony - the son of a cleric, born on December 25, 1703 in the town of Berezan

Pereyaslavsky district, Poltava province. Studied at the Pereyaslavl spiritual

seminary in Latin. On April 23, 1730 he was tonsured a monk in

Krasnogorsk monastery, Poltava province and was named Sophrony, was there

13 years as rector. In 1745, by decree of the Holy Synod, he was in demand in

Moscow, to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, and for his piety and hard work

elected governor of this monastery. By decision of Empress Elizabeth

Petrovna Archimandrite Sophrony was in St. Petersburg on April 18, 1753

consecrated Bishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk. Arrived in Irkutsk on March 20

1754 Died on March 30, 1771, buried on October 9 in the left aisle

old cathedral. A resolution was adopted on the glorification of Saint Sophrony

His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon and the Holy Synod (April 10(23), 1918).

44 Saint Innocent was born on August 26, 1797 in Anginskaya Sloboda

Verkholensky district of Irkutsk province in the family of Evsevy Popov - a sexton

Church in the name of the holy prophet Elijah. At baptism he was named John. IN

1808, March 8, entered the Irkutsk Theological Seminary and became

be called Ivan Popov-Anginsky to distinguish him from the other Popovs. Was

renamed by the rector Ivan Veniaminov in memory of the deceased on July 8, 1814.

His Grace Veniamin, Bishop of Irkutsk, Nerchinsk and Yakutsk. IN

He graduated from the seminary in 1818 and was ordained a priest on May 18, 1821. May 7

1823 left for a new destination - to Russian America, to the island

Unalaska, Aleutian archipelago. In 1839 he was promoted to the rank of archpriest. 29

November 1840 he was tonsured a monk. John changed his name to his own

wish in the name of Innocent in honor of St. Innocent, the first bishop

Irkutsk. On November 30, 1840 he was awarded the rank of archimandrite. December 13, 1840

Saint Innocent was named Bishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and

Aleutsky. On January 5, 1868 he was appointed Metropolitan of Moscow and

Kolomensky. Died on March 31, 1879, on April 5 the body of St. Innocent

rested in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in the Church of St. Philaret

Merciful. In 1938-1940 an act of vandalism was committed: the church was demolished,

in the basement of which the remains of Metropolitans Philaret and Innocent rested. 6

October 1977 by determination of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church

Saint Innocent canonized: “Metropolitan of Ever Memorable

Innocent, Saint of Moscow, Apostle of America and Siberia, to recognize in

face of the saints, glorified by the grace of God" (St. Innocent,

Metropolitan of Moscow. Irkutsk pages // Taltsy. Irkutsk, 1999. No. 1. S.

5).

45 JEV. 1868. No. 11. P. 145-146.

46 Neil (Isakovic) was born in 1793; his father came from Cossacks

Chernigov province, mother was a baptized Buryat. Studied in Irkutsk

theological seminary. In March 1817 he married a baptized Buryat woman. IN

He was fluent in Mongolian and Buryat languages. Made a lot of translations

Christian books into Mongolian. Subsequently he was a teacher

Mongolian language at the Irkutsk Theological Seminary. Died in 1832 in

the rank of archpriest. Compiler of the first Mongolian grammar in Russian

Nerchinsky from April 23, 1838, archbishop from 1840 to December 24, 1853

One of the most educated Siberian hierarchs, he wrote the essay

“Buddhism, considered in relation to its followers living in

Siberia" and other materials relating to Siberia, published in "Diocesan

Vedomosti" and other various publications. Repeatedly visited Transbaikalia,

founded the Nilovskaya Hermitage in the Tunkinskaya Valley in the name of St. Nile

Stolobensky. He was the godfather of the former lama of the Kyrensky datsan, and

later a missionary, Archpriest Nikolai Nilov Dorzhiev. Having studied

Buryat language, Lord Nile with the help of N.N. Dorzhiev translated into Buryat

language liturgy, Vespers, Matins, all the hymns of everyday life, Book of Hours,

Sunday service, and later, already in Yaroslavl, 145 Sunday Gospels, 97

apostolic readings (Dobronravin K. Essays on the history of the Russian Church from the beginning

Christianity in Russia to the present day. St. Petersburg, 1863. P. 230).

He died as Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov in 1874.

In Rus' at all times, monasteries have been a reliable stronghold and protection of the Orthodox faith, cultural centers where, over many centuries, through the diligence of monks, priceless manuscripts and works of art were collected, in a word, everything that educated and characterized the very soul of the Russian people. Like travelers lost in the night, people of all classes and different material incomes sought to visit the monastery in the hope of finding peace and consolation there, at least for a while to join the high ascetic life, leaving everything worldly and vain, to cleanse their souls with prayer and repentance. In the monastery one could receive vital advice and guidance, and solve what seemed to be the most insoluble problem.

The Russian land is rich in holy monasteries, each of which has its own unique history. There are ancient monasteries, with centuries-old traditions and foundations, the history of such monasteries has captured many milestones in the life of Holy Rus', and there are also young monasteries that have recently appeared and are just beginning their spiritual life. Such young monasteries include the Sretensky Convent, located in the village of Baturin, Pribaikalsky district of the Republic of Buryatia.

The monastery is located in a picturesque place, in64 km from Ulan-Ude, near the Ust-Barguzin highway. This is the first monastery opened in the Chita-Transbaikal diocese after the beginning of the revival of church life in Russia at the end of the 20th century.

On the territory where the monastery is now located, there was a parish church in the village of Baturina. The wooden church on this site has been known since the 18th century. In 1811, at a meeting of parishioners of the volost, a decision was made: to build a new stone church on the site of the old wooden church. The construction and improvement of the new church was carried out exclusively at the expense of parishioners and voluntary donors. The foundation stone for the new church took place in the summer of 1813, and 16 years later, in September 1829, the lower warm church was solemnly consecrated in honor of the great feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ. And 7 years later, in August 1836, the upper church was consecrated in the name of the Great Martyr and Victorious George.

The new temple turned out to be very beautiful. Against the backdrop of the harsh Siberian taiga with its centuries-old trees, their mighty peaks reaching into the sky, the snow-white temple with a bell tower and emerald roofs looked like a fairy-tale ship that had sailed from an amazing country. The choice of place to build the church was also not accidental: located in the very center of the village, in a valley framed on all sides by high mountains, it was clearly visible from all points.

In Soviet atheistic times, this wonderful temple, like most others, was closed, and its premises were used as a village club. For almost 70 years, the once magnificent building deteriorated and gradually collapsed.

And so on May 14, 1999, in a pitiful, destroyed state, without domes, bells and crosses, the temple was finally returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Restoration required enormous financial costs. The question arose about where to get these funds. This is where the Lord sent good people to help - the Pruidze brothers - Georgiy, Gennady and Evgeniy. It was through their efforts that just a few months later the destroyed temple regained its former splendor. On November 28, 1999, the church was consecrated by the dean of the Buryat district of the Chita-Trans-Baikal diocese, Archpriest Oleg Matveev.

On one of his visits to Buryatia, Bishop Eustathius of Chita and Transbaikal, seeing the newly restored church, decided to found a women’s monastery in Baturin. The opening of the first monastery in the Chita-Transbaikal diocese took place on March 8, 2000, and coincided with the feast of the first and second finding of the venerable head of John the Baptist. As we know from Holy Tradition, throughout his long-suffering earthly life, John the Baptist preached repentance: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Meanwhile, it is precisely for repentance that people choose the feat of monastic life, leaving the world.

By the decision of the Holy Synod on April 19, 2000, the opening of the monastery was officially approved. From the first days of its foundation, the monastery has been under the constant guardianship and care of the ruling bishop of the Chita-Transbaikal diocese, Eustathius. Each visit of the archpastor to the monastery is a great joy for the nuns and the pilgrims who come to work for the glory of God. The Bishop carefully monitors the progress of construction work carried out in the monastery, provides financial assistance, and gives the necessary advice in a timely manner.

Today there are 13 nuns in the monastery, headed by the abbess. Each monastery lives its own special life, according to a special charter, this life is very different from the life of ordinary people in the world. Every morning in the monastery begins with a general prayer rule, after which everyone disperses for their obediences. The word “obedience” sounds unusual to the ears of an unchurched person. And precisely in this word one of the basic principles of monastic life is hidden - “be obedient”, do not do anything of your own free will. By obedience is meant any work that the abbess assigns to each sister to perform. Obediences in the monastery are very different. Some work on the farm, caring for cows and poultry, some work in the refectory, constantly making sure that all the inhabitants of the monastery are fed, some bake bread and prosphora, some sew monastic clothes in the sewing room. workshop, someone sings in the choir. It is impossible to list here all the obediences that exist in every monastery. Any monastery can be compared to a small state that fully provides for itself and also helps others. In the Sretensky Convent there is a sewing workshop, a bakery, a cheese factory, a huge vegetable garden, and a large barnyard. And this entire economy is thriving and multiplying, thanks to the hard work of the sisters. All monastic obediences are equally important, because no matter what a sister does, she, first of all, bears her obedience to God Himself and serves people, fulfilling the commandment to love one’s neighbor. Many people who have visited the monastery for the first time are sincerely perplexed as to why the monastery milk tastes better, and the monastery tomatoes are sweeter and more fragrant than those sold at the market? The answer is very simple: everything that is done in the monastery is done with prayer.

At the end of the morning obediences, all the sisters of the monastery gather in the refectory, where, after reading prayers before eating food, they all sit down together at the table. Since ancient times, in monasteries there has been a pious custom of reading aloud soul-saving literature during a common meal. After lunch, the Holy Scriptures are read in the monastery library, current monastic affairs are discussed, and then everyone again disperses to their obediences.

Since the founding of the Sretensky Monastery, it has become a custom to perform a daily religious procession around the walls of the monastery with the icon of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the patroness and intercessor of the Trans-Baikal land.

We can judge how the inner, hidden life of the nuns of the monastery proceeds from the words of the abbess: “In the monastery we get to know ourselves. A communal monastery is the most favorable place for this. Here we inevitably clash in character, rubbing against each other like pebbles with sharp corners, gradually becoming smooth and even. We learn to “see our own sins and not condemn our brother,” as they say in the Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. This is how truly invaluable spiritual experience is gained. It’s not for nothing that the monastery is called a theological academy.”

16 / 02 / 2007