Mgarsky bell. Mharsky monastery - the heart of Poltava region Mgarsky bell

Today, people are leaving the Church who sincerely stayed in it for many years, participated in the sacraments, submitting to traditional discipline. How is the Christian freedom of an adult realized in practice, can a layman preach, and how to answer people's questions that require dialogue?

Archpriest Pavel Velikanov: “There is no need to be afraid of pain and a crisis of faith”

When people come to the Church, at first it seems to them that a huge road of spiritual growth is spreading before them, but in reality, after a while, they fall into such a “squirrel wheel”. It takes a lot of strength and energy to rotate, but the person stands still. Not surprisingly, this leads to exhaustion. Every day is the same, every year is the same. Instead of opening to meet God, we are increasingly closing ourselves, closing ourselves in.

Only those who live by Christ can reveal God

Artyom Perlik answers questions about eldership

An elder is a sanctified person, living so fully according to the will of the Lord that he helps people to enter into this will, to join in joy. According to the words of Simeon the New Theologian, “not a drop of tears is hidden from Him, not even a part of this drop.” The elder brings us into this atmosphere of need. We suddenly begin to understand that for God we are significant, that for Him we are not monsters, not a bunch of sinners, but a planet of children dear to his heart. After all, only when you feel your own need can you begin to live and do good.

I and not I, or the Soul is not a measure, but an excess

Man is strikingly unequal to himself. And all kinds of different things are mixed in it in abundance, and this excess itself is somehow strange, incomprehensible, even, it seems at times, unnecessary - superfluous ... Everything is missing something, something is needed and, as a rule, something that no, and it can’t be - except in daydreams ... Either he wants happiness, or love ... And what should a normal pragmatist do with all this - in our time? .. I remember that Y. Moritz had the exact one, but all the same, an incomprehensible, because poetic, statement: “The soul is not a measure, but an excess” ...

Confession is a risk zone for a pastor

Confession is the main and sometimes the only place and time of a meeting between a priest and a penitent person. It is here that the art of dialogue, hearing and listening, understanding and compassion is in demand more than ever. A priest needs a sober and experienced mind, knowledge of psychology and an understanding of the spiritual foundations of a person's life in order to preserve his own peace of mind and help his neighbor.

Embrace the unfortunate like gold

The wretched and the sick are doubly poor. For the healthy of the poor go from door to door, walk among the rich; sitting at the crossroads, they call out to all those passing by. These same ones, bound by illness, imprisoned in cramped dwellings and in cramped corners, like Daniel in the ditch, are waiting for you, God-fearing and needy, like Habakkuk.

Lack of Churchness. How Not to Get Stuck in Ritual Piety

People already have a negative experience of contact with priests. They came with their questions and received such answers, after which they no longer had any desire to continue the conversation. Moreover, these people are in the Church and do not want to leave it anywhere.

Salt of life, or What do we know about mercy?

We think of ourselves that we are moderately kind: we feel sorry for suffering people and it seems that we would like to help them - if we could. Again, in moderation. Although none of us really knows what this measure is. We theorize more than we practice, and you can only know your measure by acting.

An ungrateful person is always sad

If we do not perceive the blessings that God gives us and grumble, then trials come that make us shrink into a ball. I tell you seriously, whoever has such manners, who constantly grumbles and grumbles, let him know that he will receive a slap in the face from God in order to pay off at least part of his debt in this life. And if there is no slap in the face, then this is even worse, then he will have to pay for everything at once, immediately in the future life ...

August 2002

Story

The first issue of the magazine was published in October 2002. The magazine appealed to a wide audience - from churchgoers to those who were just looking at the Church, from young to old people. The editors of the journal tried to acquaint readers with the best materials written by Orthodox publicists and theologians, keep them informed of all important events, and help them to correctly navigate the problematic issues of church and social life. According to the executive editor of the publication Svetlana Koppel-Kovtun: “We are making a magazine for ourselves, for people like us who are thirsty and aspiring, seeking God and God. We ourselves yearn for genuine life in Christ, we ourselves look for its glimpses, its manifestations in people and texts, and then we share the treasures we have found with our fellow readers.

In July 2005, "Mgarsky Bell" was awarded the "Golden Pen" award in the nomination "The Best Journal of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church".

On June 6, 2007, through the efforts of members of the editorial board Svetlana Koppel-Kovtun and Andrey Kovtun, the International Club of Orthodox Writers "Omilia" was organized under the auspices of the Sector of Spiritual and Educational Projects of the UOC. Participants of "Omilia" were printed on the pages of "Mgarsky bell".

In the summer of 2013, the publication of the magazine was discontinued. The last issue was for July. The materials of the issues from January 2007 to July 2013 are available on the unofficial website of the Mgar Monastery.

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Notes

Why an Orthodox pilgrim should visit the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery.

In Ukraine at the moment there are hundreds of Orthodox male and female monasteries, although until recently there were practically none. During the Soviet era, many buildings survived in varying degrees of destruction, but there was no longer any monastic life in them. Walls without prayers are just a memory of the past. How amazing it is to watch when a miracle of transformation of any monastery, temple and the Church as a whole takes place before your eyes. When beauty and strength appear out of nothing to participate in the creation of this beauty, eyes are opened to contemplate it. And when a living spirit glimmers among the stone buildings again, this cannot but inspire.

One of the best examples of such a transformation from oblivion into a new life is the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. After the execution of the last 17 monks with the abbot, monastic life in the monastery ceased. In the thirties, the children of “enemies of the people” were kept here. Although it is now clear that the enemies of the people were precisely those who tortured people, killed and destroyed everything sacred. Surprisingly, the monastery survived during the Second World War. Since 1937, a disciplinary battalion has been located here, and since 1946 - military depots. In 1985, the monastery was transferred to a pioneer camp. The restoration of the monastery began in 1993, and over these 23 years there have been tremendous changes in the reconstruction, arrangement and organization of life in the monastery.

The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery is located not far from the provincial, but very ancient city of Lubny, known from documents from 988 (the period of the Baptism of Rus'). To get to the monastery, you need to drive up to Mount Mgar. The name is unusual for the Slavic ear. It has been known since the time of the Tatar-Mongol invasions, and this word means in their language - parking.

The Mgarsky Monastery is the spiritual pearl of the Lubensky land - for many centuries it has been towering above the picturesque Sula River. The land here is so rich and beautiful that it is impossible to stop admiring and breathe. Not far from these places is Mirgorod with mineral waters and all other places from Gogol's stories. We can say that this is the heart of Ukraine and the nature of the Poltava land - a reflection of the best and most characteristic features of a real Ukrainian, in which there is physical beauty, melodiousness, philosophical calmness and slowness.

Monasteries are usually located in the most beautiful places, on a hill and at a distance from human settlements. Unfortunately, the Kyiv monasteries or the monasteries of the big cities have already lost this spirit of seclusion and aloofness, the big city influences the spirit of the monastery. Therefore, after visiting this monastery, the pilgrim receives an incredible boost of energy and enjoys the beauty of the monastery and the local tranquility. You need to make a path to the monastery that changes a person no less than visiting the shrine itself.

The views that open before your eyes on the bell tower of the Mgarsky Monastery are magnificent. Simply breathtaking. How beautiful our land is from above, although it is good below, but from a bird's eye view it is seen differently. Bright colors and various shades of green in trees and shrubs, curly hills, winding rivers, temples in the distance. Even arable land from above looks like patterns and patches of a living blanket of the Earth, to which a person had a hand. And the scale, expanded horizons, even at the physical level, this affects the consciousness and the course (flight) of thoughts.

The bell tower in the Church is not just a belfry, but also a magnificent observation platform. A special place where you feel the height, you get closer to the sky in the literal and figurative sense. Swallows and other birds fly around, and next to them you feel inspired at a high altitude. People below become so tiny, tiny, just as Golokhvastov said in the famous comedy "Chasing Two Hares" about the Lavra Bell Tower in Kyiv. Above only the cross of the bell tower itself, above only the clouds.

People are allowed to climb the bell tower of the Mgarsky Monastery only once a year, during the Easter week, then you can beat the bell even for those who do not know the chimes. And since the bell tower is closed to visitors, an exception can be made, but perhaps for the sake of pilgrimage groups or if you agree with the monks.

The territory of the monastery is very well maintained. Park area, flower beds, gazebos, pond with rare turtles. A special place is occupied by the monastery poultry house with eagles and owls, as well as walking peacocks, storks, turkeys. As in any monastery, there are dogs and cats here, but not every monastery has its own poultry house with parrots, golden eagles, black crows, and owls. Of course, this is not the most important advantage of this wonderful place of a monastic hostel in the Poltava region, but it is of some interest not only for children, but also for adults. Some birds roam freely around the territory; on the central path, pilgrims and tourists are met immediately at the entrance by guinea fowl, ducks, and an important turkey. Peacocks roam the lawns with turkeys.

Which of us has seen storks near? Here you can also see two storks up close. They walk near the aviary, but, unlike other rare birds, outside the cage. Beautiful, you can even touch them. Although they are not limited by anything in space, they most likely cannot fly. One of the young storks had some kind of defect with one of the wings. The good-natured elderly monk who cleaned the cages said that these were wounded animals, that is, they were picked up already with problems. The stork is a symbol of peace and beauty; at the entrance of the monastery gates on the water tower, the stork made a nest, which is the best fit for the image of peaceful working monks.

The number of brethren is 25 people. The attitude towards pilgrims is calm and friendly. I would like to thank Hieromonk Herman, who was able to conduct a tour of the monastery for a pilgrimage group of the community of the Kyiv Cathedral under construction, told the story of the monastery, the main temple, and led to the bell tower.

The history of the ancient monastery is very interesting, sometimes surprising, sometimes tragic. It was founded in 1619. The population of the monastery consisted mainly of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks who became monks. In 1663, under the monastic name Gideon, the son of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Yuriy stayed here. In general, due to a firm position in the struggle against the expansion of the union on Ukrainian lands, the monastery quickly gained popularity and support among the Cossacks. The monastery enjoyed the support of Ukrainian hetmans and Russian tsars, it was visited by I. Mazepa, Peter I, T. Shevchenko, A. Pushkin. According to legend, the place of construction of the monastery was suggested by angels to the first monks. This legend is mentioned in T. Shevchenko's story "Twins".

In 1692, on the site of a previously built wooden church, at the expense of hetmans Samoilovich and Mazepa, a stone Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior was built (architect Johann Baptist Sauer, author of the Trinity Cathedral in Chernihiv). He was assisted by Martin Tomashevsky, and after the death of I. Baptist, master A. Piryatinsky completed the work. The carpentry work was carried out by the "tesel master" D. Vorona. The well-known Ukrainian artist Ivan Maksimovich took part in the painting of the monastery walls. The appearance of the temple combines the old Ukrainian style of the 11th-12th centuries. with baroque-renaissance architecture of Western Europe. The complex also includes a baroque bell tower.

The temple is magnificent not only in form, but also stands out for its unique stucco, which is a rarity in the Orthodox churches of the Slavs. Sometimes this is called non-canonical decor, but it fits quite organically into the architecture of the Mgarsky monastery. On the white walls there are unique images of Angels, flowers, various ornaments and even... cows. The black dots on the temple are swallows' nests. The entire building around the perimeter is plastered with them, but the flight of birds around the cathedral pacifies. The green domes of the temple are with stars. Once the cathedral was seven-domed, but in 1728 the central dome of the cathedral collapsed. After restoration in 1754, the cathedral became five-domed.

The iconostasis was completely destroyed after the revolution, now the monks are restoring it from photographs. Graceful decorative elements are all made of wood, linden. Works are performed by Poltava masters. Most of the frescoes were damaged. In memory of these events, the executed icon of St. Queen Alexandra. Bullet spots are visible on the face of the icon. In the temple there is a locally venerated Mgarskaya icon of the Mother of God.

In the courtyard of the monastery there is a beautiful icon of the Patriarch of Constantinople Athanasius, who is very revered in the monastery. The Patriarch of Tsaregrad during the journey stopped for some time in the monastery, and he died right there († 1654). His relics remained here, but then they were transferred to the Kharkov Cathedral. An interesting detail is that the relics are practically the only relics of this kind in the world, because ... they are seated. It is said that the saint's slippers are washed from time to time and changed, which symbolizes him traveling the world in prayers. In 1785, on the spot where Patriarch Athanasius of Constantinople liked to retire, a bell tower was built. The detached classicist bell tower was completed only in 1844. The views from it are amazing, just breathtaking. On the first floor of the bell tower, inscriptions from various eras have been preserved, people left scratched names on the walls, in the last century, during the Soviet era, there are rare inscriptions from the tsarist period.

Monastic cells of the 17th century have also been preserved. There is a building in the monastery where the famous comedy "Wedding in Malinovka" was filmed. Now here is the residence of Metropolitan Philip of Poltava and Mirgorod, who has been involved in the restoration of the monastery from the very first days.

It is impossible not to mention the monastery skete. The skete at the monasteries is usually located at some distance from the place of the monastic hostel, and older monks, schemamonks live there. A place of solitude and prayer.

The skete of the Mgarsky monastery itself is not so far away, eight minutes walk from the monastery. From afar, a prominent beautiful church in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is a very high mound in the monastery garden. According to legend, St. Athanasius, wonderworker of Lubensk, Patriarch of Constantinople, during his stay in the monastery, despite his then painful condition, often retired on this hill, where he spent whole hours in prayer and spiritual meditation. In this place there was first a wooden church, and then a stone church was built (1891). The church was built in the Byzantine style, of brick, with one dome. Together with the altar, the church has the shape of a cross. Before the revolution, the roof had a red color, and now it is covered with blue metal, which glistens in the sun and pleases the eye.

The territory of the skete is no less interesting than the monastery itself, in this place you can relax and admire the beautiful paradise place. It is noteworthy that the inhabitants did not meet there, and the feeling was as if they were in some kind of magical, mystical, but kind and peaceful place. The skete of the Mgarsky monastery is special. It is difficult to find such a comfortable place even in rich Kyiv monasteries. Everything here is furnished with love, from benches and paths to flower gardens and whimsical decorations cast from metal. There are unusual things, for example, all the paths in the skete are grassy, ​​you walk as if on a green and soft carpet. There is also landscape design here, gardeners have arranged a mini botanical garden here.

In the monastery there is a burial place of the Mgar martyrs, the last inhabitants of the monastery, who were killed by atheists. This is a tragic page in the history of the monastery. In 1919, on the night of August 5 (18) to August 6 (19), on the patronal feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Bolsheviks shot 17 Mgar monks, led by Abbot Ambrose.

The New Martyrs are buried behind the altar of the Skete Church of the Annunciation. The names of all seventeen martyrs have been preserved. There were more shots, seven monks were seriously injured, but they were lucky to survive, at first they were considered dead in the dark. The abbot begged to spare the brethren, but the request was rudely curtailed and he was shot point-blank. Then they shot the rest of the monks in groups. Some of the organizers of the execution were local people.

Near the skete there is an old oak tree. He is at least a hundred years old, and maybe it was about him that was mentioned in the old newspaper. The monastery was visited by many famous people, for example, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Felorovna, who also later became a martyr, was canonized by the Orthodox Church.

"Poltava Diocesan Gazette". 1911:

“On August 22, the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna visited the Lubensky Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery ... Her Highness, with her retinue and honored guests, deigned to inspect the monastery. With a prayerful mood, she walked along the linden alley, planted by the hands of St. Iosaph of Belgorod, took a piece of St.

Around the monastery rampant greenery. It was thanks to the soil and good climate that the ancient monks were able to show their skills and glorify their monastery. After the destruction of the princely castle and the Catholic monastery by the rebels of Maxim Krivonos during the liberation war of 1648, the cultivation of medicinal plants and the practice of herbal medicine were inherited by the monks of the Mgarsky monastery. It is known that they were engaged in the collection, procurement, cultivation of medicinal plants, prepared medicines from them, which, along with prayers, were distributed among the parishioners. This activity of the brethren was so successful that at one time Peter I, returning to these places after the Battle of Poltava, ordered the first field pharmacy to be established here.

Now in church shops they sell the famous Mgar tea from herbs. The monastery also has its own monastic apiary. The monastery has a garden, pastures with cows and other farming. They even make their own organic ice cream here! Fortunately, there are no problems with milk here. The monks are working, and that's good.

Not far from the monastery is the Holodomor-33 memorial of people's grief. This is a bulk mound, a large bell is installed above it, which ends with a Cross. There is an inscription on the bell: “Holodomor-1933 - when one person leaves, the world dies with him. When millions go into the abyss, then the whole Galaxy dies.” During the revolution, the last monks who remained in the monastery were shot, the execution of seventeen people of God and the destruction of the monastery affected the future history of the people. Hunger, war, repression can be called a punishment for turning away from God and desecrating shrines. Once upon a time, Cain committed the first murder of a brother, and how many such murders have occurred over the millennia? The earth is covered in blood, and huge red poppies grow in the skete of the Mgarsky monastery as a reminder of the shed innocent blood in this place almost a hundred years ago.

For an Orthodox pilgrim today, the Mgar Monastery should be a must-see. Here, a believer in Christ finds not only the natural beauty and architectural sophistication of ancient churches, but also comes into contact with the history of his people, with the history of the Church in Rus'. Here a person rests with his soul, because this place is very fertile and the prayers of our worthy ancestors, saints fill this place with an invisible light, which everyone takes with him in his heart. Memories of the Mgar Monastery are always warm and joyful, I want to return to this holy place once again.

Andrey German

The first issue came out in October. The magazine appealed to a wide audience - from churchgoers to those who were just looking at the Church, from young to old people. The editors of the magazine tried to acquaint readers with the best materials written by Orthodox publicists and theologians, keep them informed of all the most important events, and help them to correctly orient themselves in the problematic issues of church and public life. The editors collaborated with the International Club of Orthodox Writers "Omilia", whose numerous authors enriched the issues with their works. According to the executive editor of the publication Svetlana Koppel-Kovtun:

"we make a magazine for ourselves, for people like us - thirsty and aspiring, seeking God and God. We ourselves crave true life in Christ, we ourselves are looking for glimpses of it, its manifestations in people and texts, and then we share the treasures we have found with our fellow readers" .

It was possible to subscribe to the magazine only in Ukraine. In the year "Mgarsky Bell" was awarded the "Golden Pen" prize in the nomination "The Best Journal of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church". In May of the year, the 100th issue was published, and in October of the following year, the jubilee issue in memory of the 10th anniversary of the publication.

In the summer of the year, the publication of the magazine was discontinued.

Used materials

• "Mgarsky bell. Ten years in the field of church education", website of the international club of Orthodox writers "Olympia", October 4, 2012:
• ""Mgarsky bell" - made with love! - the 100th, anniversary, issue of the edition was released", portal Orthodoxy in Ukraine, May 16, 2011: