Translated material
The lost world
Few people heard the name of the Reconian deserts and even fewer those who were there. We are used to the gilded dome of the capital's churches and the well -groomed fences of ancient monasteries - but we do not know at all that it was once no less magnificent ...
In the depths of the Novgorod swamps, on the hill, two sides of the river stands ... Eh, I did not think that someday I would write about the monastery.
The ancient fortress is a monastery, with towers, a bell tower, temples and chapels. She sprinkled with young trees, she was covered with foliage, there is no road to her - but she stands and does not give up!
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I want to tell you about how the story comes to life before our eyes - it’s not in the book, not on the TV and not on the words of the preacher. She is born in us. This is exactly the story that no one knows, but it is she who is real.
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So, to get there ...
... you have to want to. It is not enough to buy a bus ticket, buses do not go there. The Reconian desert is located in Lyubotinsky district of the Novgorod region, more than 7 kilometers from the nearest village. And then you need to go through the forest and swamp for a long time. There are no roads to deserts for a long time, except in winter.
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This is the road to the Recon. And this is a bear, he also walks on her.
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In the middle of the journey on the hillock, a halt awaits you. Barks and a memorial sign in honor of the old man Amphilochia, who in the 19th century played a huge role in the first restoration and development of the monastery, built in the century 17.
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The river River winds along your path. It is on it that the monastery stands.
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The old border of possessions. Apparently, the territory was huge - the village, estates, arable land. Everything has grown with trees.
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I can not help but recall M.Yu. Lermontov
.... where they merged noise, hugging, like two sisters, jets of aragva and chickens
There was a monastery, and now the pedestrian sees traces of the collapsed gate ...
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And after a long road, the world blooms with colors and the miracle of architecture rises in front of you.
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Let's go to history with dry encyclopedic words:
The monastery was founded in 1680, since 1685 he was listed as the Tikhvinsky Assumption Monastery until abolished in 1764 during the church reform of Catherine II.
At the beginning of the XIX century, it is revived thanks to Andrei Shaposhnikov, who took monasticism, San, and then a schema with the name of amphilochia.
At the end of the 19th century, the Trinity Cathedral with the bell tower, the church in the name of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is being built.
After the October Revolution, a collective farm was organized in the desert and it gradually fell into decay.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Wehrmacht troops placed the headquarters on the territory of the monastery. Then the Soviet troops placed their medical unit, they burned and bombed it.
Now the monastery is not valid. In it, the elder-monk about. Simeon, and the group of enthusiasts, is trying to restore it, led by the young intelligent local historian Vitaly (although he is with a gun - to see, the people come different). He is a monastery headman. Communication with this person gives great pleasure. But there are few of them, they are not rich and do what they can.
- We will get a salary with the guys, we’ll throw ourselves up, we’ll buy boards ...
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And the gun, by the way, deserves special attention!
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They have a simple life here - a canopy, a wooden house, another for about. Simeon. Bank. Chainsaw. Generator. That's all. There is no road - everyone is imported by winter house, and in warm times or GAZ -66 or on foot. There is a wolfhound. The bear comes to visit them, the one whose trace you saw. He is not angry, Mishka has his own affairs - in the evenings he catches frogs behind the bath. Grinkling and busy - used to it.
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This is on the other side. Once the monastery was surrounded by a wall and a strong bridge was made on the other side. In the photo, the second bell tower and another entrance gate - everything is completely overgrown there. There was a pond with carpas ...
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The second temple.
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What remains of the fortress wall
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And the churchyard
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View of the main temple and bell tower from the other side
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The monastery was founded in 1680, in the place where hunters (or warriors) - this is in different sources in different ways, found an icon lying on a stone by the river.
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Forest, he is everywhere.
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White Tower
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It was once very beautiful inside the main temple. Light!
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This is an amazing masterpiece of engineering thought
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And he dies in front of his eyes. Several volunteers do not have time to return what water and wind are taking.
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The remains of the domes.
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You feel incredible sensations there. This is a story, it is alive and you are in it.
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There were terrible battles in the 40s. Bronists and fragments are lying on the territory. And the monastery is standing.
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Almost...
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A little more and that's it ...
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The main temple.
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The altar was built inside
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The grave of the old man amphilochia
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You know, this is a fairy tale, this is one of the most beautiful and living places where I was.
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You know, I do not believe in God. Materialist. But I felt a touch on eternity here, and eternity is our story. And while we are told fairy tales about spiritual reproaches, they build concrete mass churches in sleeping areas and introduce laws on insulting feelings - our history, our culture, and the faith of our people, too. Such a place is not one, this word here does not mean only the Reconian deserts - but it is a symbol. A monument of history, culture, architecture, religion - dies. He is trying to save a dozen Tikhvin guys and the old monk, but they do not have enough strength. No, not so. Not enough! I hope that there is not enough ...
Who cares to know everything about this place, go to the site http://vitalii-tixvin.narod.ru - this is the Vitaly website, there is comprehensive information about the Reconian desert.