Zilantov convent. History of the Zilantov Monastery: How the Kremlin grew on a snake mountain

Here you won’t see crowds of tourists with cameras at the ready, or run into an old friend while passing by. This place seems to be so close to the Kazan Kremlin - just across the river, it seems you just have to stretch out your hand from hill to hill - and at the same time so far away. When I get into a taxi and call “Zilantov Monastery,” the driver always asks where it is and how to get there. Few people know that this is one of the oldest Orthodox monasteries in the entire Volga region. His story is amazing and tragic.

Surprising - because today one of the oldest Orthodox monasteries has been almost completely rebuilt; by the end of the 90s, only ruins remained on Zilantova Mountain. Tragic - because these ruins and the ground are covered in the blood of innocent people. I'll try to tell the story briefly.

The Holy Dormition Monastery was founded by Ivan the Terrible himself on the day of the capture of Kazan - October 15, 1552 - to perpetuate the memory of the fallen soldiers. Initially, the wooden monastery was rebuilt in a lowland, on the site of a mass grave of fallen soldiers, where the Temple of the Holy Image of Christ the Savior now stands. I have already written about this temple and its dungeon.

The location turned out to be not the most successful - during the flood the buildings were flooded - and already in 1560 the monastery was moved to Zilantova Mountain, which is nearby. Zhilan tau in Tatar means snake mountain, it was named after the legendary dragon that supposedly lived on the mountain (Zilant is still depicted on the coat of arms of Kazan today). On the mountain, the life of the monastery improved. Initially wooden, it soon acquired the first stone buildings (Assumption Cathedral 1625, All Saints Church 1681).

XVII-XVIII centuries - the heyday of the monastery. The Kazanka River then flowed right here, under the mountain (the river bed changed in the 1950s after the creation of the Kuibyshev reservoir), and all ships going to Kazan from the Volga passed by the monastery. The monastery had its own lands and lands, warehouses and piers on the river, and even conducted active trade. This is what it looked like in the 19th century (lithograph from 1832, taken from Wikipedia):

The 20th century brought unprecedented wars and strife, and Zilantova Mountain became the site of one of the bloody dramas of those years.

In 1917, the new government took away the land from the monastery, and many novices were drafted into the army. In August 1918, Kazan was occupied by the White Czechs, who liked the location of the monastery: on Zilantovaya Mountain, against the will of the monks, guns were installed to fire at the Red troops. The Red Army soldiers stormed into the city in September. Enraged, without trial or investigation, they shot ten monks of the Zilantov Monastery, led by Archimandrite Sergius (Zaitsev), on charges of shooting Red Guards. Today, at the site of the execution stands the Church of St. Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles (on the right).

The monastery cemetery, where many eminent citizens were buried, was razed to the ground in the 1930s. Today there are only a few fresh graves and preserved remains of tombstones from past centuries.

A memorial cross was erected in memory of the cemetery.

During the Soviet years, a children's colony, warehouses and even communal apartments were located on the territory of the monastery. All buildings were destroyed almost to the ground; only the Rector's building and three walls of the Church of All Saints survived. In 1998, the monastery was transferred to the Kazan diocese, and it was revived as the Holy Dormition Zilantov Monastery for women. Almost all the buildings of the ancient monastery were rebuilt. The Cathedral of All Saints was restored.

They built the rector's and sister's buildings with the house church of Adrian and Natalia.

A small bell tower was erected.

The Trinity Cathedral was rebuilt, which is an exact copy of the Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra of the same name (on the right).

The monastery was literally restored from ruins; today there is a pilgrimage house, a church shop, a refectory, a library, a Sunday school, and nuns live here.

There is also an Orthodox Center for the Protection of Motherhood and Childhood, located in the basement of the Trinity Cathedral. Today he actively helps not only the needy families of Kazan and the republic, but also refugees from Ukraine. These bags have already been sorted, warm clothes will go to the regions.

We met Valentina, who came to Kazan from the Lugansk region in August 2014 with her husband and small child. Their bus was shot at the border; the driver was unable to take passengers to their destination. Valentina and her family had to look for options on their own where to live and how to get there. Now the girl works at the Maternity Protection Center at the monastery and is engaged in helping people who find themselves in similar life situations.

The center is always in need of diapers, baby food, hygiene products and food. For many single mothers, this is the only option.

While work is in full swing in the basement, the street is still quiet. A silent nun will pass, a monastery cat will run by and that’s it, again not a sound. It’s impossible to talk loudly, and it seems that time has stood still here.

Only the snow creaks quietly underfoot. And you immediately think about what ancient land you are walking on. Despite the fact that almost everything around is new buildings that are not even twenty years old, the state of awe does not leave. This land remembers everything.

In 2014, a project for the reconstruction of the Admiralteyskaya Sloboda was approved in Kazan - this is precisely the area around the monastery. They want to restore the old bed of the Kazanka as a system of ponds, lay out parks around it, build embankments and new bridges. It would be great if all this were brought to life. But with the arrival of tourists, the monastery will no longer be quiet, like a forgotten monastery. Make sure to visit here to remember the history and listen to the silence.

How to get there:

The number 1 indicates the Zilantov Monastery,
2 - Temple in honor of the soldiers who died during the capture of Kazan (the place where the monastery was originally located),
3 - tram and bus stop "Rechnoy Tekhnikum".

You can get to the “Rechnoy Tekhnikum” stop from the railway station by buses No. 10a, 53, 63, 72, tram No. 5, or walk across the Kirov Dam.

The shrine on Zilantovaya Mountain was founded by Ivan the Terrible in Kazan in 1552. Its appearance marked the capture of the city by Russian troops. Initially, it was located near the mass grave of Russian soldiers who died during the capture of the city, but due to the fact that the place was flooded with water every year, seven years later the shrine was moved to its current territory. There is a version that the temple began to be rebuilt where St. John of Kazan died, suffering from the Tatars for refusing to convert to Islam.

Zilantova Mountain, or Zhilantau in Tatar, is named after the dragon who, according to legend, lived on it. Now his image is on the city's coat of arms.

An ancient legend says that once upon a time in these places there lived a monster from the Tatar epic with wings named Zilant. At first, the seal of the Kazan Khan was equipped with an image of this mythological creature, and only then it appeared on the coat of arms of the Kazan province. Later, a crowned black dragon with scarlet wings was transferred to the coat of arms of Kazan.

The ensemble of the monastery was formed during the 17th - 18th centuries. It included the Assumption Cathedral, the Church of Metropolitan Alexy, the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands over the grave of fallen soldiers, residential and outbuildings. For some time, the Kazan Theological Seminary was located on the territory of the monastery.

After the revolution, the monks and the abbot were shot, and the shrine itself fell into disrepair, all buildings were almost completely destroyed. Only the Cathedral of All Saints (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and the Rector's Corps (19th century) have survived. Most of the buildings were erected after the revival of the monastery, at the turn of the 20th - 21st centuries. This is the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity (about 2000), the Church of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir (about 2004) and several other buildings. Before the Zilantov revolution, the temple was for men, now it is for women.

Story

Being the oldest shrine not only of Tatarstan, but also of the entire Volga region, the Zilantov monastery attracts a huge number of visitors. The place is unique and original; it also has a multi-faceted, centuries-old history.

In the fall of 1552, Ivan the Terrible was on another campaign against the main city of the Kazan Khanate with the aim of increasing the borders of the Russian state and opening the Volga trade route, which would subsequently help him expand trade with different countries.

Thanks to careful planning of the campaign and good preparation, the matter ended with the final victory of the Russian troops and the complete conquest of the city of Kazan. In memory of the huge number of victims, Ivan the Terrible founded the Holy Dormition Monastery for men on the site of the royal camp tent and a small church.

Seven years later, the Volga overflowed its banks and began to pose a threat to the wooden walls of the monastery; then, in order to save the religious shrine, it was decided to move it to an elevated place and build a stone wall around it. This is how the monastery began its second life on Zilantova Mountain.

In 1732, a theological seminary began to function in the shrine, and later a school began operating. At that time, the architectural ensemble already included four churches made of stone, and a beautiful garden was laid out on the territory nearby.

After a century, another memorial building with a monastery in the name of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was erected on the site. A new building rose over the graves of soldiers who fell near Kazan.

During the years of Soviet power, the place, like many other shrines, was closed. The abbot and 10 monks were found guilty of opening fire on the Red Guards without any justification; they were shot during the assault on the city, which began from Zilantova Mountain.

After these sad events, for a long time there were communal apartments on the site of the shrine, then a prison and warehouses were located here, and finally the place became a refuge for a colony. After some time, an Orthodox community was organized there, which existed until 1928, then it was liquidated.

The place became empty. For many years, the abandoned shrine served as a garbage dump, and the walls of the temple were practically destroyed.

Now

In 1998, the monastery was returned to the church, at which point its revival began as the Assumption Zilantov Convent of the city. Today, the building is the only women’s monastery on the territory of the Kazan diocese.

Now the place is very beautiful: several new churches and buildings for nuns have been erected, the area next to the buildings is landscaped and well-groomed.

To get to the monastery, tourists must climb a small hill on which the bell tower of the shrine stands. On both sides of the central gate, guests are greeted by icons of the Heavenly Archangels: Michael and Gabriel, while the bell tower is home to the St. Michael’s Gate Church.

Once on the territory of the Zilantievskaya monastery, you first of all come across beautiful bells placed on a pedestal. The territory of the convent includes several churches; currently the Vladimir Shrine, which was consecrated in 2004, is active. The building has a sky-blue dome and is located to the left of the entrance to the monastery. Here Christians pray and light candles. Behind the church you can find a memorial cross dedicated to the soldiers who gave their lives for Orthodoxy and the Motherland.

In the center stands the dazzling white Trinity Church; it was consecrated in 2006. The place exactly repeated the cathedral of the same name, rebuilt in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. There is an impressive square in front of the cathedral; on weekdays it is empty, but on holidays it becomes crowded.

If you stand on the square, turning towards the Trinity Cathedral, on your left hand you will see the white church of the holy martyrs Adrian and Natalia, and on your right will be the incredibly beautiful Assumption Cathedral, which once bore the name of All Saints. Behind it rises the Small Bell Tower, surrounded by a huge number of flowers.

The entire monastery territory is clean and tidy. The temples and sister buildings are surrounded by flower beds, which, combined with the sky-golden shrines, looks simply magnificent.

Divine services

Believers revere the Zilant monastery, and almost every Christian wants to be in this peaceful and beautiful place. In addition to the services held here, on the territory of the temple you can see a reliquary containing particles of the relics of a large number of saints. There is also a church shop and a Sunday school here, and tourists can also visit the library and refectory.

On Saturdays, a memorial service is held, the deceased are remembered according to the ancient funeral synod. On Wednesdays, during the prayer service, the Akathist is read before the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Every month, the chapel becomes the site of a prayer service for the 14 thousand murdered babies in Bethlehem. Worship services are held every day.

How to get to the Holy Dormition Zilantov Monastery in Kazan

They get to the place by minibuses passing through the Kirovsky district; another option is the train, which goes to the Admiralteyskaya Sloboda station. Buses run to the stops "Linokombinat" and "1st May"

On Sundays there is a free bus that runs here from the Rechnoy Tekhnikum stop in the morning (08.15, 08.30 - departure, return - 10.50).

Those who want to travel in comfort should use local taxi services or call a car through the popular Yandex application. Taxi, Maxim, Gett or Uber.

Kazan. Zilantov monastery. From the series. The previous episode is called .

1.Kazan. Assumption Zilantov Monastery

3. Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity. Kazan. Zilantov Monastery
4.Church of Vladimir Equal to the Apostles
5. Zilantov monastery. Impressions from the visit
6.Kazan. Around the monument to the soldiers who fell during the capture of Kazan in 1552

Kazan. Assumption Zilantov Monastery

In the Zilantov Monastery they repeated the three-part plant-cross-shaped belt, exactly the same as in the Lavra.


We went inside the church and made sure that the murals were also copies of the original in the Sergius Lavra. There is even a miracle of the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos to Saint Sergius.

Zilantov monastery. Church of Vladimir Equal to the Apostles

The Vladimir Church is more like a chapel; it is quite small and very young - built in 2004.

We really liked the decoration of the door.

The blue canvas of the entrance seems to be entwined with grapevines.

Zilantov monastery. Impressions from the visit

At All Saints Cathedral we learned about the right to take photographs (that’s where our photographs came from). The nuns (or novices) explained to us that you can take as many photographs as you like on the street, but you can’t only take pictures in churches. We didn’t need anything else; we had our fill of taking panoramas of the monastery.


The territory of the monastery is well-kept, but not licked to a barracks gloss. Lots of greenery. The whole ensemble is marvelous and harmonious. It doesn’t even occur to you that you are walking between new buildings. Yes, the novelty is noticeable, but not striking. Although the territory of the monastery is small, there is space around each church; you can walk around them, you can view them from a distance, you can appreciate them individually and in the general architectural environment.






There is also enough space for my favorite beds and greenhouses, flower beds, flower beds and a cute decorative pond.


I stopped at an interesting coniferous tree. I think this is a pine tree?


Not without his father, the housekeeper. We have not seen a single monastery where a keen and stern eye did not keep an eye on order.


The situation with the needs in the Zilantov Monastery is very sad - six months is no more expensive than in ours, 500 rubles, and forty-one is more expensive than in Moscow - 350 rubles.

We really liked the monastery. And which of our monasteries evokes different feelings? I haven't seen anything like this yet. Even the crowds do not diminish the special reverent spirit and wonderful atmosphere. And what can we say about small hidden abodes and modest deserts? In this famous, but so calm place, you suddenly feel joy and warmth. Although we are not pilgrims, but curious tourists, we also “have an idea.”

Kazan. Around the monument to the soldiers who fell during the capture of Kazan in 1552

When crossing the bridge over the Kazanka River, the Chief suddenly wanted to stop at the monument of the temple-monument to the soldiers who fell during the capture of Kazan in 1552, it is also called the temple-monument in honor of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. Why didn't we think about this on the way to the monastery? Because the goal was different. And when the main thing is done, why not give yourself pleasure?
Travel tip: It’s better to stop at the bridge on the way to the Zilantov Monastery, it’s more convenient to park.
However, a reversal is close. The parking lot on the bridge is small, only about five cars can fit. We got a place, the rest of those interested were apparently fishermen.


The road to the monument is not developed. You have to walk on dirt and sand.




I wanted to come closer to the shore, but I didn’t calculate, I stepped into the wet sand, my foot got stuck in it, the trail quickly filled with water. But I still jumped out of the water.


We admired the city views.


They changed every minute. The sun only peeked out for a split second, only teasing. We barely had time to “click” the temple-monument, which shone in the short, deceptive rays of the sun.


This was the only success, no matter how much we waited, nothing else happened except this shot.