Holy Diveyevo springs. A special place - the history of the Diveevsky Monastery and the Holy Kanavka

Diveevo is a famous village in Nizhny Novgorod region with an absolutely amazing atmosphere. Pilgrims from all over the world aspire here - to stay here for at least one day and touch the shrines with the intention of healing their soul and body. This settlement is visited primarily by believers, but even for those who are far from religion, it will be interesting to immerse yourself in the history of Diveevo, see the stunning architecture and enjoy the beauty of Russian nature.

Diveevo is famous primarily for its numerous temples and cathedrals. Serafimo-Diveevsky became one of the most favorite places for tourists convent. It is known as 4 "the earthly Lot of the Most Holy Theotokos." Seraphim of Sarov, a saint revered in Russian Orthodoxy, is considered the founder of the monastery. Diveevsky monastery is the oldest architectural monument Nizhny Novgorod region. It was founded back in the 18th century, and to this day, buildings of that time can be found on the territory of this attraction, for example, the Church of Our Lady of Kazan.

Arriving at the Diveevsky Monastery, one cannot help but look into its main cathedral - the Holy Trinity Cathedral, which was built with the participation of the famous architect A.I. Rezanov. Together with other temples of the monastery, this cathedral forms an architectural ensemble of stunning beauty.

When visiting this attraction Special attention they devote to the relics of Seraphim of Sarov, the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Tenderness" and the Holy Canal of the Queen of Heaven. The last place is especially significant for the pilgrimage. It represents the path along which, according to legend, she herself walked Holy Mother of God. Everyone who visits Diveevo tends to get to the Holy Kanavka and pass through it. It is believed that in this way a person receives a blessing, good luck will accompany him in business, and diseases will recede.

Another significant object of the village is the Transfiguration Cathedral, which is also located on the territory of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. This is one of the most beautiful temples in Diveevo, located at the beginning of the Holy Kanavka. It was built according to the project of the architect A.E. Antonov in 1917 and completely renovated in 1998. The cathedral was built in the neo-Russian style, has 5 golden-domed domes, and the walls of the temple are painted by the sisters of the Diveevsky monastery.

Diveevo sources

Diveevsky Monastery is by no means the only reason for the never-ending flow of tourists. Many also tend to look at the famous Diveevo springs. It is believed that the water in these springs has special healing properties, therefore, it is customary to look after the place where the source appeared especially carefully. The area around it is being ennobled, chapels are being erected nearby, baths are being built.

In the village of Diveevo, you can visit the following holy springs:

  • source of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov. This is one of the most famous and popular springs of the monastery village. As you know, earlier it was located in the city of Sarov, which is not far from Diveevo. However, due to the fact that Sarov became a military facility, it was closed, and the pilgrimage to these places stopped. However, according to legend, the saint himself appeared to people in order to indicate a new place he liked, where the source broke through. To date, in this place there is a lake of spring water, on which baths have been built;
  • The Kazan spring (Holy spring in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God) is the oldest of the Diveyevo springs. Next to it, in 1991, the Kazan Church was erected, as well as a bathhouse in which everyone can plunge into the feast of Epiphany. Every year on this holiday, a religious procession takes place here, during which the spring is consecrated. The source is located in the village of Severny, which is part of Diveevo;
  • source of St. Panteleimon. It is located very close to Kazan and is known for helping with joint pain. The key got its name in honor of the great martyr Panteleimon, who lived in the 4th century and was famous for his amazing healing abilities;
  • a source in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness", also located not far from the Kazan Diveevo spring. He made his way in that part of the village that separates Diveevo and the village of Severny. Those who want to get rid of problems with cardiovascular and nervous system. A building was erected on the site of the source, which includes 3 baths;
  • Iberian source. It is famous for helping to cure children from a variety of diseases. Near the holy spring there is a small chapel, which was built in the 19th century. A bathhouse was also built here.

When visiting Diveevo springs, certain rules should be observed. For example, women can bathe in spring waters only in underwear and a shirt. It is forbidden to make noise, smoke and drink alcoholic beverages at the source.

Where to stop on the way to Diveevo?

If you are going to see the sights of Diveevo, pay attention to 2 more settlements that are located near the village. The first of them is the city of Sarov, which is located just 12 km from Diveevo, the second is the city of Arzamas, 65 km from Diveevo.

Today, the city of Sarov is a closed facility: it houses the Nuclear Center of the Russian Federation and the State Research institute experimental physics. But you can still get into the city: from time to time tours are organized there for pilgrims and those who wish to visit the Museum of Nuclear Weapons and other attractions available to tourists.

For believers, this city is valuable primarily because it was here that Seraphim of Sarov lived and served in the church service, who later became known as the founder of the Diveevo Monastery. He began his journey in the Holy Dormition Monastery (it is also called the Sarov Hermitage). This monastery was built in early XVII century and has a very rich history. In 1927 the building was closed, and only in early XXI century, it was decided to resume the functioning of the monastery.

Sarov has always been known as a church city: it had a square on which temples and cathedrals were located, but with the advent of Bolshevik power, they were all destroyed. In modern Sarov, work is constantly underway to restore these architectural monuments, and there are already first results: in May 2012, a newly opened church was consecrated in the name of St. Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky.

The city of Sarov is also famous for its numerous healing springs, which opened on the banks of the Satis River, which flows near the village. The territory of the keys is ennobled, has baths and belongs to the category of specially protected objects.

It will be very interesting and informative to visit the Museum of Nuclear Weapons in the city of Sarov. it unique place, where you can plunge into the history of nuclear achievements of Russian scientists and see unique exhibits: models scientific inventions, experimental installations, weapons, computers and much more. More than 10 thousand people come here every year, including not only residents of the city, but also its guests - participants in various conferences, students of schools and institutes, as well as ordinary tourists interested in the history of the country.

What to see in the city of Arzamas?

The city of Arzamas is a large industrial and Cultural Center Nizhny Novgorod region. It is known as a church city: at the beginning of the 20th century it had 4 monasteries and 36 churches. Now the number of Orthodox sights has decreased, but even today there is something to see there.

The city keeps buildings of the XVIII-XIX centuries, which amaze with their architecture. These are real monuments of Russian architecture, majestic and beautiful. Among them:

  • The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, built according to the plan of the brilliant architect Mikhail of Corinth, is one of the most notable cultural objects of Arzamas. This is a monumental building with rich frescoes and large columns around the perimeter;
  • church Smolensk icon Mother of God. It is included in the state register of monuments of all-Russian significance, and tourists not only from Russia, but also from all over the world seek to visit it. It is in it that you can see the original work of the Spanish artist Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo;
  • Nikolsky women's monastery. It is located in the central part of the city, on Cathedral Square. This is one of the oldest cultural sites in Arzamas - it was founded at the end of the 16th century. In the 19th century, the nuns of the monastery began to engage in needlework, and the things made by them were worn by the townspeople with pleasure. In Arzamas, you can still buy knitted souvenirs;
  • Church of the Nativity, built in the middle of the XIX century - a snow-white temple in best traditions Russian architecture. This one is small but beautiful building especially loved by the locals.

Interesting sights of Arzamas do not end there. Those who have already visited the glorious Russian city are advised to visit museums dedicated to the life and work of two famous Russian writers - Arkady Gaidar and Maxim Gorky. In the warm season, you can stroll through the arboretum, which is set up in the vicinity of Arzamas.

Diveevo is an amazingly beautiful village with the rarest monuments of Russian culture. You can come there at any time of the year and even more than once, but it will still open for you only from the best side.

Trinity Cathedral. In 1848, Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod Iakov / Vecherkov / laid the first stone in the foundation of the Trinity Church with his own hands. The huge Trinity Cathedral took 27 years to build. The construction was carried out according to the project of architect A.I. The church was consecrated on July 28/August 9/1875 by Bishop Ioannikius of Nizhny Novgorod /Rudnev/

Source of Seraphim of Sarov

The source of Seraphim of Sarov is located in Diveevo, Nizhny Novgorod region in Russia. The most famous among the Diveevo springs, in our time, is the source on the banks of the Satis River, near the Khitry farm. Strictly speaking, this is not a Diveevsky, but a Sarov source, as it is located in the Sarov forest, consecrated by the deeds of St. Seraphim.

The story of the existing source of Father Seraphim is as follows. An old man in white appeared to the soldiers serving on the border of the protected zone in the forest, near Sarov. He was asked: "Grandfather, what are you doing here?" The elder did not answer and, striking the ground three times with his staff, left. In that place, water gushed out of three points. It happened in the 60s of the XX century on the banks of the river Satis. So Father Seraphim transferred his source from Sarov to a place accessible to all believers.

The flow of pilgrims to this spring is growing every year. Orthodox people come here to pray for the healing of mental and physical illnesses. The water in the spring is very cold, but people selflessly splash in the bath more than once. Numerous cases of God's help at the source of Seraphim of Sarov strengthen the faith of the people and attract more more suffering.

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Holy Groove

One of the many shrines of Diveevo is the Holy Canal of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery. The abbot of the monastery claims that the Queen of Heaven herself measured this place with a girdle and daily walks along the Kanavka, going around Her Allotments and blessing everyone in the area. That is why, having arrived in Diveevo, you must definitely stay overnight in order to receive the blessing of the Mother of God.

After the closing of the monastery, the Holy Kanavka was subject to acts of vandalism and suffered significant damage. It was partly filled in, its shaft was razed to the ground, and in some places various communications were cut. Restoration of the shrine began only in 1997. We can say that it was dug almost from scratch by the hands of the sisters, its depth and width are about 2.5 meters.

Three days before the celebration of the centenary of the birth of St. Seraphim, the Holy Canal was dug and almost completely landscaped. The last section of the Kanavka was handed over to the monastery in the autumn of 2006, and on July 31 its restoration was officially completed. Since October 1995, there has been a tradition - after the liturgy, during the entire Easter week, to walk daily along the Holy Canal in a procession.

Serafimo-Diveevsky Convent Orthodox monastery, part of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in the village of Diveevo. Local Orthodox Churches he is revered as the fourth after Athos, Iberia and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Around 1758, Agafya Semyonovna Melgunova, a wealthy Ryazan landowner, arrived in Kyiv, who became a resident in the Florovsky Monastery and soon began to wander around Russia in order to find a place to found a new monastery. In 1760 she ended up in the village of Osinovka near Diveevo. It was here that in the second half of the 18th century the Serafimo-Diveevo convent arose.

One of the main local shrines is the Holy Kanavka. Great Father Seraphim himself began to dig it before the feast of the Holy Trinity in 1829. The height and depth of the groove should have been 3 arshins each. The work continued until the death of Seraphim and was completed in 1833 before the feast of the Nativity of Christ. This shrine attracts many pilgrims and tourists.

Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery

Trinity Cathedral. In 1848, Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod Jacob / Vecherkov / laid the first stone in the foundation of the Trinity Church with his own hands. The huge Trinity Cathedral took 27 years to build. The construction was carried out according to the project of the architect A.I. Nizhny Novgorod Ioanniky / Rudnev /

Transfiguration Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery

The Transfiguration Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery was built in the neo-Russian style, designed by architect A.E. Antonov. It was built on donations from the Artsybushev brothers, F.V. Dolgintsev and others. The cathedral was founded in 1907 and was mostly completed in 1916. From the inside, the walls were decorated with paintings. They did not manage to consecrate the cathedral before the revolution, after it began, it was not possible to consecrate the cathedral.

AT Soviet time the cathedral was abandoned. In 1991, it was handed over to the revived monastery, and the restoration of the cathedral continued for several years. In 1998, the main altar of the cathedral was consecrated, then the right aisle was consecrated in honor of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael of God and others heavenly forces incorporeal and the left chapel in honor of All Saints.

Source of the Holy Mother of God

This is the oldest of all the holy sources of Diveev, it was known back in the 18th century, under Mother Alexandra. The source is named after one of the most revered icons in the Russian people - the Kazan icon. Mother of God.

For a long time in Diveevo, a large chapel stood above the Kazan spring. Until 1939, prayer services were served in it. In the center of the chapel was a log-well - the source itself. A brook flowed out from under the wall, water was taken from it. When the chapel was demolished, a Diveyevo resident found under the ice of a frozen spring an icon of the Kazan Mother of God of a very ancient painting. In 1943 this icon was miraculously renewed. Long years it was kept by the schema-nun Domnika (Grashkina), who witnessed many miracles from the icon. Currently, the icon is in the Trinity Cathedral. A chapel and a bath were built on the site of the spring. As well as at the source of Mother Alexandra, people come here on holidays to bless the water with a procession.

The most popular attractions in Diveevo with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose best places for visiting famous places Diveevo on our website.

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Diveevo is an amazing place. Here are some of the most revered Orthodox shrines, tourists and pilgrims aspire here, dreaming of seeing with their own eyes the majestic temple buildings and even praying to the Mother of God. Where to go to Diveevo, knows Sutochno.ru.

On Sutochno.ru you can rent a daily allowance for vacations, business trips or weekends.

Photo: Anatoly Migov

Holy Groove

The most revered inheritance of the Mother of God on earth after Iberia, Athos and Kyiv is in the Seraphim-Diveevsky monastery. This is the Holy Canal, dug by the sisters of the monastery around the created Mill community.

Seraphim of Sarov told about the location of the groove, who had a vision of the Virgin on November 25, 1825. The Mother of God led him along the path, where a groove was supposed to appear to protect against the Antichrist.

Seraphim of Sarov himself began digging the Holy Kanavka in 1829, and a few years later the work was completed. AT Soviet period the groove was almost filled up, it was restored only in 2003, surrounded by slabs and a wrought-iron fence.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

The five-domed Holy Trinity Cathedral is the main one in the monastery community, it is in it that the relics of the Sarov elders and St. Seraphim of Sarov are kept. As was the case with the location of the Holy Kanavka, the place for the construction of the cathedral was indicated to Seraphim by the Mother of God herself in one of the visions. The elder bought the land for the construction of the temple with his own money.

The miraculous image of the Mother of God "Tenderness" is kept in the cathedral, before which Seraphim of Sarov prayed in the Sarov desert all his life.

A photo: matveevmmm

House of Blessed Pasha of Sarov

Blessed Pasha Sarovskaya predicted death royal family Romanovs. She prayed for the salvation of the human race, wove yarn, and also gave advice to believers who came to her for help.

The house of Blessed Pasha of Sarovskaya is open to pilgrims even now. It contains icons, dolls, furniture of the pre-revolutionary period, there are separate room dedicated to Seraphim of Sarov.

Kazan church

The Kazan Church was consecrated in 1780. It was from her that the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery originated. The community was organized by Mother Alexandra, who at one time noticed the monk Seraphim, apparently sensing in him a true man of God.


Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo convent is one of the main shrines of the Orthodox world. She, along with Athos, Iveria and Kyiv, is considered one of the four earthly portions of the Mother of God.

Here is the Holy Kanavka, dug in the place of the path, which the Mother of God herself walked around the holy monastery chosen by Her. Also here lie the relics of the famous holy miracle worker - the Monk Seraphim of Sarov and the relics of the holy founders of the convent he nourishes.

Many Orthodox Christians dream of visiting this place, touching its shrines, walking through the Holy Canal with a prayer and bathing in the local holy springs. Where are these holy places located? How to get here? What exactly is worth seeing here and how is it more convenient to do it in order to be in time everywhere?

How to properly worship the shrines? Where is it better to stay in Diveevo and how to arrange it in advance? Where can you eat in the monastery? What shrines and important sights located near Diveevo would also be worth visiting? All these questions of a pious pilgrim are precisely what our small guide is intended to answer.

Diveevo: a bit of local history and geography

The Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo convent is located in the very center of the village of Diveevo, founded in 1559 and located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The village is located 180 kilometers southwest of Nizhny Novgorod and 60 kilometers southwest of Arzamas. On the this moment about 6,500 people live in the regional center Diveevo. In addition to the monastery in the village, there is another significant institution - the Diveevo poultry farm, which also employs many local residents.

The monastery itself was founded much later than the village by Agafya Semyonovna Melgunova (Alexandra in monasticism), a noblewoman by birth, who received a revelation from God about the need to build a temple and organize a maiden community in the place indicated to her. This place turned out to be Diveevo, near which Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky, who later became the spiritual mentor of the sisters of the monastery. The monastery began to be built with the construction of the Kazan Church, which was founded in 1767.

Now the Serafimo-Diveevo monastery is one of the largest and most important convents in Russia. There is a prediction of St. Seraphim that one day it will become the world's first female monastic monastery.

Before coming to Diveevo, you should definitely read the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov and, preferably, at least a brief Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery. A lot of interesting information about the history of these places and information useful for pilgrims can be found on the Divnoye Diveevo portal.

There are several routes to get to the Diveevo Convent.

The easiest of them is to take the train to Arzamas. In the city itself, take bus number 1 to Cathedral Square, go down 50 meters from it to the Arzamas bus station, and from there leave for the village by regular bus. The bus "Arzamas-Diveevo" runs all day until late at night with an interval of one hour and will cost about 150 rubles per person.

You can also fly by plane or take the train to Nizhny Novgorod, and from there get to Arzamas by train or bus and then follow the above route.

There is also a third version of the main route. If you book a hotel, apartment or house in Diveevo in advance, you can often arrange with the owners to be picked up from the Arzamas station by car.

In addition to the route through Arzamas, there is also a route from Moscow. There you can take a bus to Sarov, which stops in Diveevo. In this case, you will have to spend at least nine and a half hours on the road. The intercity bus will cost about 1000 rubles.

Where to stay in Diveevo, how much, and how to arrange it in advance?

Most The best way tested on personal experience– stay with friends you have stayed with before. However, suppose you are on a pilgrimage to this Holy place for the first time.

Then it is best to use the Booking.com service, where you can not only pre-book your accommodation for the dates you need without any prepayments and penalties, but also find offers for different tastes and incomes - and rooms in guest houses (hotels), both apartments and private houses. For one person or for several. A good apartment on the site can be found for about 600-700 rubles per day per person.

You can also book accommodation in one of the many thematic groups on VKontakte or on the Divnoye Diveevo portal. But this option is less convenient than the first one. You can rent a house or an apartment, or a room in one of the many guest houses in the village. The guest houses offer a variety of additional services, food, but the rooms there cost about twice as much (1000-1200 rubles per day) than the average housing in the city (500-600 rubles per day).

Finally, you can contact the pilgrimage center of the monastery. In advance or upon arrival at the monastery. Here you will find shelter only in group rooms from four people and more. And it will cost you only a little cheaper than in the village (500-600 rubles per day). At the same time, you will be strictly tied to the order of the monastery, and no one will vouch for the safety of your belongings. But you can pray all together and find yourself new friends ...

Where and what can you eat here?

So: you got to the holy monastery and found an overnight stay in the village or in the monastery fence ... But before considering the shrines themselves, let's touch on one more important question- a matter of nutrition.

If you have settled in guest house, then you will have two options: include food in the price of the room or buy something for yourself in the store. You can also do it if you rent a house or apartment.

If you settled in a monastery hotel, then most likely you will go to eat in the refectory for pilgrims - paid or free (however, you can use these options even while living in the village).

There are two pieces of advice here. First: in no case do not dine in a paid refectory! Expensive and tasteless. Second: be sure to eat at least once in the free refectory of the monastery. The food there is without any frills, but surprisingly, just incredibly tasty. Apparently because they cook it on holy water and with a prayer ... In general, go there for sure!

The free refectory is located in the Alexander Nevsky Church of the monastery. If you don’t want to eat there just like that, you can work off your porridge and ask for some obedience needed by the monastery.

If you plan to go to a free refectory for dinner or lunch, it is better to come there immediately after the service. After the liturgy - from 11.00 to 13.00, after the all-night vigil - from 19.00 to 20.00.

What shrines can be visited in the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery

First of all, this is the Holy Ditch. A groove 777 meters long goes around the Annunciation Cathedral of the monastery and the monastery hospital. A shaft with railings and a tiled walkway was erected above the Kanavka. The Monk Seraphim advised to walk along the Canal, which the Queen of Heaven herself marked with her steps, reciting the prayer “Our Lady, Virgin, rejoice…” 150 times.

“The Mother of God herself measured this groove with her girdle ... Then the piles of the Virgin passed ... Whoever walks the groove with a prayer and reads one and a half hundred“ Mother of God ”then everything is here and Athos, and Jerusalem, and Kyiv,” the saint used to say.

If you go from the main gate deep into the monastery, then at first there will be the Kazan Cathedral on your right, in the lower tier of which there is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, and on the right - the monastery hotel and the pilgrimage center of the monastery. Then you will pass under the multi-tiered bell tower of the monastery, and in front of you, just in the center of the monastery, there will be a green temple with silver domes - a cathedral in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity.

To the right of the Trinity Cathedral you can see the yellow building of the refectory church in the name of Alexander Nevsky, and from back side you will see the largest cathedral of the monastery - Preobrazhensky.

The snow-white Transfiguration Cathedral is crowned with five gilded domes. Between the Trinity and Transfiguration Cathedrals, a small area is reserved for the monastery cemetery, where people are buried who are most significant for the history of the monastery: Hieromonk Vladimir (Shikin), Abbess Maria (Ushakova), the creator of the temple Fyodor Dolgintsev, assistant to St. Seraphim Nikolai Motovilov and others.

The Last Cathedral women's laurels, Annunciation, is located on the left behind the Cathedral in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. He, as mentioned above, is almost completely surrounded by the Holy Groove, immediately after which the territory of the monastery ends.

In the lower church of the Kazan Cathedral, consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, the relics of the holy mothers-founders of the monastery are exhibited for pilgrimage: nun Alexandra (Melgunova), schema-nun Martha (Milyukova) and nun Elena (Manturova). In the Kazan temple itself, the relics of four more Diveyevo holy wives rest: the venerable confessor Matrona (Vlasova) and the blessed Paraskeva (Pasha) of Sarov, Pelageya and Maria. And in the Trinity Cathedral of the monastery, you can bow to the relics of the most reverend Seraphim of Sarov.

Liturgy in the monastery is most often served in the Transfiguration Cathedral. At the end of it, the pilgrims are also given small portions of consecrated butter and crackers cooked in Father Seraphim's cauldron. The All-Night Vigil is also most often performed in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

After the end of the evening service (at about 19.00), life in the monastery gradually fades and everything closes. So it is better to come to the shrines before this time. If you don’t plan to go to bed early, it is recommended to dedicate the next evening to a trip to one or more holy springs in order to pray nearby, swim in healing waters and take holy water with you. Many locals and pilgrims, while living in Diveevo, do this every evening and cook all their food in holy water.

There are five holy springs, only in Diveevo itself. The Iberian spring and the spring of Mother Alexanra are located not far from the main entrance to the monastery (for more details, see the diagram near the main gate). If you go from it to the bus station - to the left and down from the main road. The territory of the springs is equipped with closed baths, wells for collecting water, funnels and benches. A small stream flows nearby, where you can feed beautiful ducks in spring.

Three more sources are also located near the main entrance to the monastery and are marked on its diagram. To reach them, you will have to turn in the direction opposite to the bus station and, having passed along the main road, also turn left and pass the bridge. The springs are dedicated to St. Panteleimon and two icons of the Mother of God - "Kazan" and "Tenderness".

How to properly worship the shrines

As mentioned above, before coming to a shrine or to the relics of a saint, it is worth reading what is written about her or about him. In addition, you do not need to take with you on a pilgrimage a lot various devices, often go online and call someone, watch TV in the evenings. All business and entertainment should stay at home ... You need to get away from the hustle and bustle.

Another important aspect of the pilgrimage is the liturgical life. In Diveevo, it is worth attending services more often and taking communion. Don't treat this place like a landmark - soak up its sacredness with your whole life here. Drink holy water, venerate the relics of saints and miraculous icons, walk with a prayer on the groove.

The time spent in Diveevo is worth devoting to contemplation. Contemplation of the beauty of the world created by God, contemplation of the depths of one's soul. To bring repentance for the sins committed, to think about how to correct your life.

Finally, prayer for loved ones. Do not forget that your family and friends would also like to visit Diveevo. Be sure to submit notes for them, put candles, buy them small souvenirs. For your care, the Lord will surely bless you!

Nearby shrines worth seeing too

First of all, there are several more holy springs around Diveevo that you can visit. All of them are located relatively close to the monastery and you can visit them with other believers on the buses of the monastery pilgrimage center or by agreeing with private traders. It all depends on the route. One source can be visited for about 200-400 rubles per person.

Near the village of Tsyganovka there is a spring of St. Seraphim. According to legend, it was formed in the 20th century after the reverend himself appeared here, when the Diveyevo sources were inaccessible due to the policy of the Bolshevik authorities. Many note that this key is very cold, but at the same time very healing.

A kilometer from the village of Kremenki is the “Appeared” source of the Mother of God, which arose here as early as 1670. Near the village of Avtodeevo there is a spring in the name of the Holy Trinity, and near the village of Maevka - in the name of the Archangel Michael.

Also, a few tens of kilometers from the Serafimo-Diveevo monastery there are holy places that can be visited with an excursion from the pilgrimage center of the monastery or by agreement with the locals. True, going to them will already be noticeably more expensive - 700-1500 rubles per person. These are Sarov, Sanaksar Monastery and Murom.

And don't forget Arzamas! On the Cathedral Square of this wonderful city there is a number of beautiful churches, among which the Transfiguration Cathedral, a monument to the heroes Patriotic War 1812. And in winter cathedral in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring" in the left aisle there is a rare icon of the Mother of God, which is prayed for the gift of children.

In Sarov, you can get to the Sacred Assumption Desert of Sarov, where St. Seraphim began his feat. In the Soviet years, the desert was devastated and closed, but is now being actively restored. Not far from Sarov are the Near and Far Hermitages of Father Seraphim. In the Far Hermitage, the saint performed the most famous of his deeds - a thousand-day prayer on a stone. The pilgrims had long ago crushed the first stone and carried it home like a shrine, but instead of it they installed a new, similar one, which can be seen there.

In the forests of Mordovia, Sanaksarsky hid monastery. In this monastery, in a unique wooden shrine, reminiscent of a ship's hull and elements of its rigging and spars, the relics of the holy righteous Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov, Admiral Russian fleet, which many times brought loud victories to our country. There you can also bow to the relics of the admiral's uncle, St. Theodore of Sanaksar and the relics of Alexander of Sanaksar, one of the abbots of the monastery.

Until recently, Elder Jerome (Verendyakin) labored in Sanaksar, who had many spiritual children throughout Russia. Now he is buried within the walls of the monastery, many pilgrims visit his grave, and books with his instructions are distributed throughout the country in huge numbers.

The Sanaksar monastery is located away from the main roads in a very picturesque place on the shore of the lake and will delight the eye of connoisseurs of architecture. The only disadvantage of traveling here is very poor quality Mordovian roads ...

Finally, from Diveevo you can go to Murom - the homeland of the Reverend Bogatyr Elijah of Muromets.

Here pilgrims will find the patron saints of the marriage of Peter and Fevronia of Murom, in front of whose relics they will be able to pray in the Holy Trinity Convent. And in the Murom Nikolo-Embankment Church, located on the banks of the Oka River, it is worth bowing to the relics of another patroness of marriage - St. Juliana of Lazarevskaya.

Opposite the Holy Trinity Convent there is a male Annunciation Monastery. It was founded by Ivan the Terrible after the capture of Kazan in 1552, at the burial place of Prince Konstantin and his family, canonized for the spread of Christianity in Murom.

The architecture of ancient Murom will be of interest to connoisseurs of antiquity. There are many beautiful temples built there four, five and even six centuries ago.

Three museums worth visiting when going to Diveevo

In Diveevo itself there are two museums connected with the history of the monastery, which will be interesting for a pious pilgrim to visit. The first Museum is dedicated to the history of the Seraphim-Diveevo monastery in the 20th century, and the second is the house of Blessed Paraskeva of Diveevskaya (Pasha Sarovskaya) with an authentic setting. You should try to visit them before 15.00, as they close early.

Another wonderful museum that everyone needs to visit is located in Arzamas. This is the museum of the patriarchate, the only one in Russia. It is located on Cathedral Square in the three-hundred-year-old building of the Arzamas City Hall. This museum exhibits the personal belongings of the patriarchs and created expositions dedicated to them.

Not everyone knows that the fates of at least four of the sixteen patriarchs are connected with the Nizhny Novgorod land. Patriarch Alexy I and Patriarch Kirill have relatives from here, and Patriarchs Nikon and Sergius (Stragorodsky) themselves were born in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

Also in the Museum of the Patriarchate there are exhibitions dedicated to the history of Arzamas itself and the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov. From experienced local guides, you will definitely learn a lot historical facts associated with the First Hierarchs of the Russian Church, who were not previously known. I recommend. The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10.00 to 17.00, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 to 19.00. The ticket price will be 80 rubles.

I hope that the guide I have compiled will be useful to you when you decide to go to Diveevo to visit St. Seraphim. I wish the soul of each of our readers to make this pious path at least once. Believe me, you will remember this pilgrimage for a lifetime!

Andrey Segeda

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The small town of Diveevo, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, is known throughout the country as a large spiritual center Russian Orthodoxy, as well as a place with rich history and unique attractions. Its popularity is mainly associated with the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky located here. convent, which is visited annually by thousands of pilgrims from all over the country.
The Diveevo settlement arose in 1559 on the banks of the Vichkenza River. It was founded by the Tatar Murza Divey, who received the right to rule over these lands from Ivan the Terrible himself. The settlement was named after its founder. The peculiarity of Diveevo was that the village was located at the intersection of several pilgrimage routes and gave shelter to travelers who were tired from the road. Soon, a temple dedicated to St. Nicholas was erected on the territory of the village, which was the main temple of the settlement until the 18th century. At the end of the 18th century, a convent was founded here. In honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov, who took care of the nuns, the monastery was named after him. Despite the ordeals that befell the monastery in the Soviet era, today the Diveevo monastery is an important spiritual center and annually receives thousands of believers from different parts of Russia and abroad.

Sights of Diveevo with a description and photo

Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Convent

Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Convent

The Diveevo monastery is considered the fourth inheritance on Earth, which is patronized by the Mother of God herself. The monastery has a rich and interesting story. As the legend says, in 1767 in Diveevo, on her way to the Sarov Monastery, the pilgrim Agafya Melgunova stopped. Here, in a dream, the Mother of God appeared to her and ordered to build a convent in Diveevo. Already in 1772, a temple was erected in the village in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and a women's religious community was founded. In 1788, the temple was granted a plot of land for the construction of cells. The monastery was actively developed and expanded for 150 years. In 1825, the Reverend Seraphim of Sarov took custody of the nuns, who by that time had completed his 55-year-old seclusion. Here he received everyone who needed him spiritual guidance. As the legend says, once in a dream the Mother of God appeared to the monk, who, having bypassed the monastery, ordered to enclose it with a rampart and dig a groove around it. This was to forever protect the holy place from devilish manifestations and other troubles. The nuns dug the trench for about four years. Seeing the work done, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov said to the nuns: “Here you have Athos, and Jerusalem, and Kyiv.” There is a belief that the Mother of God will surely hear the prayer of the one who makes a move along the groove and reads the prayer to the Mother of God 150 times.
During the Soviet era, the monastery went through hard times. The temples were closed, the earthen rampart was dug up, the holy groove was almost completely covered up. Labor artel and warehouses were placed in the premises of the monastery. Later, this place was completely closed, and the monastery began to slowly fall into disrepair. However, in the 80s of the last century, the monastery began to be slowly restored. The temples were returned to the churches and restored, the holy groove, which had fallen into disrepair, was again dug and equipped. In 2012, the construction of a new church, Blagoveshchensky, began, which was conceived by Seraphim of Sarov. The saint even indicated the place where he should be placed. Today Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery is considered one of the main pilgrimage centers Russian Federation, annually hosting thousands of believers from all over the world.

Temples of Diveev

Holy Trinity Cathedral


Holy Trinity Cathedral

This place is the main temple of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. The relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov and many reverend Sarov elders are kept here. According to legend, the place for the construction of the cathedral was indicated to Seraphim of Sarov by the Mother of God herself. The monk bought the specified piece of land at his own expense, and ordered the bill of sale for the land to be kept in the monastery until the time was right for the construction of the church. The laying of the temple was done in 1865, and its construction lasted 10 years. Initially, the cathedral was supposed to be a place for summer services. The interior of the cathedral is unique - all the paintings inside the temple are not made on the walls, but on large canvases. The main icon of the cathedral and one of the most important relics of the Diveevo Monastery is the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness”, brought here from the Sarov desert after the death of Seraphim of Sarov, who prayed all his life before this miraculous image.

Kazan Church of the Mother of God


Kazan Church of the Mother of God

The Kazan Church is the oldest on the territory of the Diveevsky Monastery. It was with its construction that the history of the local female monastic community began. The Kazan Church was consecrated in 1780. At that time it had two chapels dedicated to Saint Nicholas and Archdeacon Stephen. The women's Orthodox community under the leadership of Mother Alexandra was ruled by the elders of the Sarov Hermitage. According to Seraphim of Sarov, the Kazan Church is one of the three, "which from all over the world will be taken entirely undestroyed to heaven."

Transfiguration Cathedral

Another temple, which is part of the complex of buildings of the Diveevsky monastery, which Seraphim of Sarov bequeathed to build. It is located at the end of the Holy Canal, next to the Trinity Cathedral. On the site indicated by the reverend, a small Tikhvin church was erected from wood, which later burned down in a fire. The cathedral was founded on the side of the Holy Canal in 1907. Built in the neo-Russian style, it attracts the views of the guests of the monastery with the lightness of architectural forms. During the Soviet era, the temple premises were used as a garage and quickly fell into disrepair. Trees grew on the roof of the temple, which almost brought it down. However, the temple survived and was completely restored. Today it houses the holy relics of St. Martha of Diveevskaya and Blessed Pasha of Sarov.

holy springs

Source of Seraphim of Sarov


Source of Seraphim of Sarov

Built on the Satis River, the holy spring of Seraphim of Sarov in Diveevo is the most popular among believers visiting the monastery. Initially, the source belonged to the Sarov desert, but in last years it is increasingly ranked as a Diveevsky monastery. The history of the emergence of this healing source is noteworthy. This event took place in the 60s of the last century. According to legend, an old man in a white robe appeared in front of a soldier who was on guard duty at the border of the guarded perimeter in the forest. The soldier asked him: "What are you doing here?" Instead of answering, the elder struck the ground with his staff, and a clean spring gushed out in that place. Having learned about this story, the local authorities ordered to fill up the spring. However, the equipment that was adjusted for this constantly stalled and refused to work. An old man in white robes appeared to the tractor driver, who was supposed to fill up the source, and asked him not to do this. After that, the tractor driver flatly refused to fill up the source, and they left him alone.

Today, the Serafimovsky spring has been equipped and ennobled, and all visitors to the Diveevsky monastery come to it for healing water.

Mother Alexandra's Spring

This healing spring is located closest to the Diveevsky Monastery. During the days of church celebrations, religious processions take place here and the ritual of blessing the water takes place. The source of mother Alexandra is famous for cases of miraculous healing after bathing in it. Initially, the Alexander spring was located in a different place, but in the middle of the 20th century, after the construction of the dam, it was flooded. As a result, the name in honor of the first abbess of the monastery was transferred to this spring.


This building is one of the main holy places of the Diveevo Monastery. According to legend, the Mother of God herself, who appeared in a dream to Seraphim of Sarov, ordered to dig it. A prerequisite only the nuns of the Diveevo monastery had to dig it out. The monk indicated the location of the groove, focusing on the path along which the Mother of God walked in his vision. He himself began to dig a trench in the summer of 1829. The trench equipment took several years. During the Soviet era, the trench was buried in many places. Its restoration began in 1992. Now, during divine services, detours of the Holy Canal are often made, accompanied by prayers to the Mother of God.

House of Blessed Pasha of Sarov

Pilgrims visiting the Diveevo Monastery often come to this place to pray. A museum was opened here in 2010. Blessed Pasha Sarovskaya (Praskovya Ivanovna in the world) lived in this house. At one time, she predicted the death of the Romanov family and prayed every minute for all of humanity. Often came to her for advice. noble people that time. The museum consists of three rooms. The first exhibited an exposition recreating the interior of the room in which the blessed one lived. In the second hall, museum visitors can see dresses and monastic robes that belonged to both Praskovya Ivanovna herself and the first abbess of the monastery, mother Alexandra. The third hall is dedicated to St. Seraphim of Sarov - here you can see the furniture that the saint himself made, and other antique items.

What to see in Diveevo in one day?

There are not too many attractions in Diveevo, and they are located very compactly, so it is quite possible to see them all on your own in one day. For the best organization check out the following itinerary for your tour:

  • At the beginning of your tour, visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Once there, head to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral located nearby.
  • Next, go to the Kazan Church, and from there take a walk along the Holy Canal.
  • Visit the holy Seraphim and Alexander springs.
  • Finish your tour with a visit to the home of Blessed Praskovya Ivanovna.

Video overview of the sights of Diveevo

Diveevo will definitely appeal to fans . And after watching a video specially selected for you by us, you can make sure that it is a rather interesting and spiritual place.

Diveevo is a town closely associated with spirituality and religion. His visit will give you peace and joyful impressions that will be remembered for a long time.

Have you visited Diveevo? What are your impressions of this city? Tell us in the comments!

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