Once upon a time, on the site of the Iversky Monastery in the steppe in the vicinity of Odessa, there was a female St. Michael's Skete, which was closed at the end of the 19th century. Only the skete church remained active, in which a few residents of the surrounding farms gathered.
In the first years of the 20th century, the "Odessa Aeroclub" was opened in Odessa. By personal order of Emperor Nicholas II, the Odessa flying club was given a piece of land of the former Mikhailovsky Skete, on which a flying school was eventually created, and later an airfield was located, which received the name "School". Despite the purely technical purpose of the territory of the flight school, the aviators decided not to transfer the inherited temple to another place, but to leave it for their spiritual needs.
This church was destroyed during the years of Soviet power; neither its photographs nor descriptions have been preserved. It is only known that it was small in size and next to it there was a stream with clear water, which flowed into the sea in the area of the 10th station of B. Fontana.
On May 19, at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, it was decided to open a new monastery in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God in Odessa.
On October 26 of the year, on the day of the 350th anniversary of the arrival of the exact list of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow, a festive Divine Liturgy was held in the Holy Iberian Odessa Monastery, led by Metropolitan Agafangel (Savvin) of Odessa and Izmail. On this memorable day, Vladyka consecrated the throne in the monastery. At the same time, the metropolitan, as rector of the monastery, donated church utensils and icons from his personal collection to the young monastery.
At the end of the spring of the year, a well of beautiful water “Iversky Source” was opened in the monastery, which, in terms of its chemical composition, has no analogues in the entire Odessa region.
In July of the year, an exact copy of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, written specifically for the Odessa Monastery, was delivered to the monastery from Athos. The icon was placed in the monastery chapel.
At present, the monastery is developing intensively: the monastery is often visited by great shrines, a temple is being built in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov, a hotel for pilgrims has been built. The monastery has an icon-painting and sewing workshop, a church shop, carpentry, candle and coal workshops.
The monastery has a Sunday school, open for a year, which fruitfully influences the hearts of the younger generation with its enlightenment. Classes are held every Saturday and Sunday after the Divine Liturgy at 12.00. At school, children are taught: the Law of God, Liturgy, Church History, Church singing, Drawing and needlework.
Holy Iberian convent is one of the most famous and popular sacred places among all Christian believers of our Motherland. Its origin and existence in the world is quite diverse and mysterious. Throughout its history, the monastery has experienced many difficulties, but despite all the misfortunes that have befallen it, in our time they serve liturgies and offer fervent prayers in the monastery. This monastery is recommended to honor each of the Christian people with a visit. This monastery fascinates with its amazing view and holiness of the place.
The emergence of the monastery
In the old days, somewhere at the beginning of the nineteenth century, a wealthy merchant from Rostov made a generous donation to the Yekaterinoslav Church, he presented a plot of land. Which was located near the settlement of Nakhichevan. The purpose of this construction was determined immediately, the monastery was built for the women nuns of the beginning. The reason for making such a generous donation was explained simply: the young heiress of the merchant decided to leave worldly life and devote her life to serving the Lord.
And literally immediately having issued everything according to the law, they began to lay the foundation of the monastery. From history it remains a mystery whether the young heiress of the merchant fulfilled her intention or whether she found a husband and gave birth to grandchildren to her father, however, regardless of this, the Iberian convent in Rostov-on-Don was erected and operates in our time. At first, the monastery was called Fedorovskaya, in the name of the name of its creator. It is noteworthy that it was the creator who brought especially for the monastery a catalog with the miraculous Iberian holy face of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, in whose honor the monastery was soon named.
During the first world confrontation, the nuns of the monastery showed real Orthodox good-heartedness. The abbesses expressed their desire to give to the orphaned girls who were brought from occupied Poland. The girls not only received the love and care of the nuns, but they were also given the right to study at an educational institution.
During the difficult and troubled years of the seventeenth year, during which all churches and monasteries were closed by order of the state authorities, the monastery remained open for another ten years, and this was the merit of the nun's ingenuity. He was retrained as an agricultural artel. Pretty soon the abbesses created their own yard for livestock and birds. In addition, a bakery, an apiary and planted fruit trees were opened in the courtyard of the monastery. However, despite the rather lucrative business at the end of the twenties, the monastery was taken away. All the sisters were expelled, and their nuns were executed.
After a couple of years, absolutely all the buildings and affairs that were built and conducted independently by the nuns of the monastery were completely destroyed. And only in 1989, the Orthodox Church submitted petitions to the state administration with an appeal for the return of the land of the monastery along with its farmstead. The state allowed to begin restoration work and return the monastery to the diocese. All works on the restoration of the monastery were completed in 1999.
Holy Iberian face
When the restoration work was completed, he consecrated the altar on the first floor of the monastery. On this floor, they began to hang up the schedule of the clergy, and the schedule was resumed at the Iberian convent in Rostov-on-Don. When a new nun was appointed, the entire reconstruction of the monastery was officially completed. Then they brought the most important relic of the monastery, the Iberian face of the Most Pure Mother of God.
Prayers are offered before him in such situations:
Pray for protection from stupid thoughts,
From healing from pernicious passions,
Prayer petitions are submitted for a person who is lost and turned off the true path,
They ask for deliverance from various ailments.
In addition to all this, this icon can help in finding the right solution to money problems. The holy face is also considered the strongest protection of the home from fire, enemies, hurricanes and other human problems.
Worship schedule
In order to go to the monastery not only for tourist reasons, but also to submit prayer petitions and honor the miraculous face, you need to learn more about the schedule of services in the Iberian monastery.
The monastery is open for believers from seven in the morning until nine in the evening. Services are held in the cathedrals from Monday to Friday from seven to nine in the morning and from six in the evening to eight.
Brotherly prayer at seven in the morning
At half past eight confession,
Service at eight
And at nine, the Liturgy for the Dead.
Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9 to 12 and from 6 to 9 in the evening
At nine confession
Service at ten
Fifteen minutes to eleven, communion for newborns,
Half past twelve, prayer before the Iberian image of the Virgin Mary,
Sunday dinner at twelve.
The rite of baptism takes place from Monday to Friday, on holidays and Sunday at one o'clock in the afternoon. The sacrament of the wedding is held according to the divine calendar at two o'clock, prayers, the consecration of cars are carried out by order in the temple shop.
How to get to the Holy Iberian Monastery?
Monastery address: 344064, Rostov-on-Don, st. Neklinovskaya, 4
You can get from the Main Bazaar along Budennovskaya Street by bus number 83 to the Sovkhoz stop. Or from the central railway station by bus to Budennovsky Avenue, then by minibus number 83 to the Sovkhoz stop.
This microdistrict of Odessa is popularly called the “School Airfield”. Here, at the beginning of the 20th century, young people, keen on aeronautics, united in the "New Scientific and Sports Society "Odessa Flying Club"". On March 21, 1908, the first meeting of the members of the society took place in Odessa. And despite the fact that the society actually existed since January 1908, this date was declared the day of the founding of the Odessa flying club - the first in the Russian Empire. A piece of land for pilots was allocated even before the revolution of 1917 on the personal order of Emperor Nicholas II.
In 2012 Odessa flying club celebrates its 104th anniversary
On April 27, 1911, the first Russian airplane, the Farman-IV airplane, built at the Odessa Aircraft Building Plant, took off into the Odessa sky. In the same year, the first pilot school in Tsarist Russia was opened on the basis of the flying club, and later an airfield was located, which received the name "School". This was the land on which the Mikhailovsky Skete once stood.
In the Odessa sky, the first in Russia airplane "Farman-IV"
Almost nothing is known about the history of the female St. Michael's Skete, since the monastery was not rich, located in the distance, the nuns lived by hard work and fervent prayer. But over time, this zeal began to decline, and at the end of the 19th century the monastery was closed. Only the monastery church remained active, which was visited by residents of the surrounding farms on holidays. The aviators who settled on the former skete lands did not close the temple and did not move it to another place, but left it for their spiritual needs, because they were believers, convinced that every deed should be sanctified by prayer, asking God's blessings on it. Leaving for the sky, fraught with many dangers, they believed and hoped not only for their own strength and skill, but also for the help of God and His Archangel Michael. It all started with prayer.
The famous Russian pilot Sergei Isaevich Utochkin played a significant role in the life of the Odessa flying club. St. Michael's Church was even popularly called the "Church of Utochkin". During his stay in Odessa, the flying club and the church attached to it were visited by Emperor Nicholas II. Unfortunately, neither photographs nor any other images of St. Michael's Church have been preserved. It is known that it was small, and a stream flowed nearby, flowing into the sea in the area of the 10th station of the Big Fountain. This stream still flows here along an artificial underground channel.
The revolutionary storm of 1917 destroyed the ancient foundations of the Russian state, most of the churches were closed. The temples of the Odessa land, in particular St. Michael's Church, did not escape this fate. The godless authorities appreciated all the strategic advantages of aviation. On the territory of the former flying club, a military unit was located at the already existing airfield. And St. Michael's Church suffered the sad fate of destruction and almost complete oblivion.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the armed forces of independent Ukraine could no longer cope with the Soviet military legacy. The military unit, at the very least, continued to exist, but it was already difficult for her to keep such a large territory in order. By the end of the 90s, a significant part of the buildings of the military unit at the School Airfield was simply abandoned.
Abandoned territory of the military unit
During the Great Lent of 1998, a small brethren, consisting of only four people, settled in the dilapidated walls of the former military unit. By Easter, the building was brought into a decent appearance, and on the night of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, for the first time in many years of oblivion, the Divine Liturgy was served on the site of the former St. Michael's Skete.
This is how the current monastery got to the monks
But the official history of the Odessa Holy Iberian Monastery begins on May 19, 1998, when by decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church a blessing was given for the creation of this monastery. It is symbolic that such a decision was made on May 19, on the birthday of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, who by his decision allocated this piece of land to the flying club and subsequently visited the temple preserved by the first Odessa pilots.
And the brethren of the new monastery continued to work, cleaning the abandoned buildings and bringing the territory of the monastery, as they say, into the Divine form. Old-timers-parishioners remember the huge parade ground in front of the church of the Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. They say that his revenge was a special obedience, somewhat akin along with the only difference being that it was done for the glory of God. Very quickly, joyfully, the monastery rose from the ashes of desolation.
The same platform
Just six months after the official opening, on October 23, 1998, the first dome of the monastery's temple was built. And there were still few parishioners, and the brethren too - in total 11 people gathered together with the workers. But their reward was a new dome, and a rainbow over it, and a snow-white cloud that suddenly appeared - clear signs of God's grace and the Most High blessing of the new monastery. And just a few days later, on October 26, on the day of the 350th anniversary of the arrival in Moscow of the exact list of the Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Eminence Agafangel, Metropolitan of Odessa and Izmail, celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the consecration of the Throne and the monastery in the newly formed monastery. Vladyka also donated church utensils and icons from his personal collection to the brethren.
Odessa Holy Iberian Monastery today
So, the prayer grain of St. Michael's Skete and the "Utochkin Church", thrown into the fertile Odessa land, sprouted and gave a plentiful ear - the St. Iberian Monastery. Now it is one of the spiritual centers of the city, which is visited daily by hundreds of parishioners. There is a Sunday school, a pilgrimage hotel, a sewing workshop, a church shop - one of the best in Odessa. Also, on the territory of the monastery, the production of mineral table water “Iversky Source” is opened, which both believers and non-believers, and non-believers, and non-believers are happy to purchase - it is sold both here, in the courtyard of the monastery, and in Odessa supermarkets. And this is not surprising: water is extracted from a special well, and in terms of its composition it has no analogues. And besides this, the monastery provides assistance to the department for newborns and premature babies of the Odessa Children's Hospital No. 1, the orphanage boarding school No. 9, the orphanage for children with mental retardation, located in the Odessa region. The monastery has an Orthodox center for legal assistance.
Miraculous Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos
But, of course, the main place of visit by pilgrims is a wooden chapel, in which the miraculous Iberian image of the Most Holy Theotokos resides, written on Mount Athos especially for the Holy Iveron Odessa Monastery and brought to the city by the procession.
Photo of the procession with the icon that arrived from Athos
In July 2000, the long-awaited icon arrived at the monastery. Back in 1999, before Great Lent, with the blessing of His Eminence Agafangel, Metropolitan of Odessa and Ishmael, the inhabitants of the monastery went to Mount Athos to order a list from the miraculous Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. In the Beloezersk cell, Elder Arseny set to work. Prayer and fasting, common in such obedience, were accompanied by strong temptations: they changed the board three times, shifted the gold twice, but prayer and fasting overcame everything. The image was completed by Great Lent. “It will be seen that this image will be of great benefit,” said the elder Arseny to the brethren of the cell. And I wasn't wrong.
This is what the icon looks like in a chapel specially built for it.
The doors of the chapel, which houses the Iberian miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos, are open around the clock. And day and night, a penitent sinner, sick in body or soul, in confusion, or vice versa, striving to thank the Lord and His Most Pure Mother, a person can fall to the holy image and offer his prayers to the Queen of Heaven and earth. And every Sunday evening, a prayer service with an akathist is served before the miraculous image. Parishioners and clergy gather in front of the entrance to the chapel on the former parade ground. Now the second temple of the monastery in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov has been erected on this site.
Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov under construction
There are a lot of pilgrims gathering. After all, there is a military town around, a residential microdistrict, and it is convenient to get from other districts of Odessa. Thanks to the special care of the father-abbot of the monastery, the route of city buses was extended to the very gates of the monastery. Previously, one had to walk for a long time along winding lanes, guided by signs on the buildings of the military unit with the inscription "Monastery". On holidays, three Divine Liturgies are served here - for all biorhythms and for any employment of potential parishioners.
February 25 in the monastery is a patronal feast - the day of the celebration of the Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Divine services in the monastery will be led by its rector and archimandrite of the monastery, Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail. Today, from here, as before, prayers are raised to Heaven. Let us also mentally enter the Holy Iversky Odessa Monastery and turn to the Most Holy Theotokos in the miraculous image of Her Iberian: “Rejoice, good Goalkeeper, who opens the doors of paradise to the faithful!”
Procession to the chapel with the main shrine of the monastery - the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God
Iversky Women's Monastery - a women's monastery in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. The history of the monastery began in 1903, when, by the decision of the Holy Governing Synod, it was decided to establish a women's community on a plot of land donated by the merchant Samuil Fedorov, near the city of Nakhichevan. The site was located twelve miles from Rostov, on its territory there was a spring, which soon became known for its healing properties. There is a legend that the merchant built the monastery for the sake of his sixteen-year-old daughter, who wished to retire from worldly life. The first abbess of this monastery was Abbess Anastasia, under her leadership, about fifty sisters lived in the monastery. A few years later, a wooden chapel was erected on the territory of the monastery - a chapel and cells, which were later replaced by stone ones. A chapel was built over the healing spring, next to it was the abbess's house. In 1908, the construction of the temple was completed and it was consecrated in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. During the First World War, the premises of the monastery were used as a shelter for orphan girls aged 9-11 from occupied Poland.
In 1919, Abbess Anastasia, due to the threat of closing the church, re-registered it as an agricultural artel. Nevertheless, in 1929 the temple was closed, and the abbess and several sisters were sent to Siberia, transferring the property of the temple to the state. The revival of the destroyed temple happened only after the collapse of the USSR. Cells were gradually rebuilt, the source was cleaned and landscaped. By the end of 1995, the monastery church was restored.
Shrines:
- The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, painted in the cell of Nicholas Burazeri on Mount Athos;
- Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos with a particle from the tomb of the Mother of God from Gethsemane;
- Icon of St. Nicholas with holy ointment from the relics of the saint from the Italian city of Bari;
- Ark with particles of the relics of the venerable elders of Optina.
Baptism in the monastery church:
Staged photo
Staged shot
Reading the Gospel before baptism
Ceremonial parental portrait
Preparing for Baptism
Baptism through total immersion
Anointing with Peace
Chrismation
tonsure
laying on the cross
Wearing a white shirt
The history of the Holy Iberian Convent began in 1903, when, at the request of the nuns of the Black Sea Monastery, Ekaterina and Alexandra, the Rostov Administration allotted a plot of two acres of land 20 versts from the city of Rostov for the construction of a convent. Merchant S.I. Fedorov became the trustee of the monastery, so the monastery received the name "Fedorovsky" among the people. A legend has been preserved that the merchant built a monastery for his sixteen-year-old daughter, who wished to retire from the world. A few years later, a wooden chapel and cells rose on the monastery land, which were later replaced with stone ones. A chapel was erected over the healing spring, next to it was the abbess's house. They broke the monastery garden, dug out a pond. In 1095, by order of S. I. Fedorov, the famous architect N. M. Sokolov completed the project of a small stone monastery church. The construction was completed in 1908. The temple was consecrated in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, a copy of which was presented to the monastery by its benefactor, the merchant Fedorov. During the First World War, the monastery housed a shelter for orphan girls brought to Rostov from occupied Poland. They lived and studied here until the early 1920s. After the October Revolution, the monastery was threatened with closure. Abbess Anastasia found a wise decision to register the community as an agricultural artel, which allowed her to save the monastic life during the years of persecution from the godless authorities.
Everything ended in 1929. The monastery was closed, the property was transferred to the ownership of the state, the novices and nuns were expelled, and the seventy-year-old abbess with several sisters was put on trial and sent to Siberia. After the closing of the monastery, a club of a pig-fatting state farm was placed in the building of the temple, in the private building - first an orphanage, then workshops, then warehouses. The beautiful monastery garden was cut down, the apiary perished, the chapel and the abbot's house were dismantled into stone. The pond turned into a swamp, the holy spring was polluted. The abomination of desolation reigned over everything. Only more than half a century later, the revival of the Holy Iberian Monastery began. During the period of archpastorship on the Don land of Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) of Kiev and All Ukraine, by a resolution of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991, the Holy Iberian Convent was established in the Rostov diocese. In the same year, services were resumed in the lower church in honor of St. Dimitri Rostovsky. From June 1993 to August 1996, the nun Neonila (Sergienko Nina Sergeevna, released for health reasons) was the abbess of the monastery. During this time, the upper church in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God and the bell tower were restored. In 1996, nun Rakhil (Kovaleva) was appointed abbess of the monastery. During the seven-year period of Mother Rakhil’s rectorship, the cupolas of the temple and the bell tower were dressed with gilding, the iconostases of the upper and lower temples of the monastery were painted, the gate chapel was built, the cell building was landscaped, flower beds were laid out, stone walls were erected around the monastery, and the monastery economy was established. Now there are more than 30 nuns in the monastery. They daily perform divine services in the monastery church, work in the garden, on the farm, in prosphora, and perform other monastic obediences.
