Diveevo. Holy Groove

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It probably happened historically that the Diveyevo land is considered a special, holy land. She was chosen by the Queen of Heaven for Her last Fourth Destiny. It should be noted that the beginning of the fourth Lot of the Mother of God was laid in the city of Kyiv. This happened in 1758.

Today, the Seraphim Diveevo Convent is one of the most revered churches. Pilgrims from all over the world come here to pray and bow before the icons and saints that are in the temple.

History of the Diveyevo Monastery

The chronicle of the Seraphim Diveyevo Monastery contains the entire history of the existence of the temple, from the moment of its creation. It states that in 1760, the widow of Colonel Agafya Semenova was traveling from Kyiv to Sarov. Driving through the village of Diveevo, a woman decided to stop to rest. She chose a local church as a stopping place.

Here, during a dream, the Mother of God appeared to Agafya. She told her that the woman should remain in the village of Diveevo forever and at the same time build a stone church at which a women’s community would be founded. According to the Bible, it was here in Diveevo that the Heavenly Queen decided to arrange her last lot, after Athos, Kyiv and Iveria.

At that time, the village looked not like a populated area, but like a workers’ settlement. There was no spiritual atmosphere in the village, so Agafya and her daughter first settled nearby near the village. Some time later, Agafya's daughter became very ill and died. But despite all her experiences, the woman decided to fulfill her vow and began building the church.

To do this, she decides to go home and sell all her property. And with the proceeds from the sale, build a temple. It was built in honor of the Kazan Mother of God. After the construction was completed, Agafya began arranging the community. But for this it was necessary to allocate land somewhere.

They could not find a suitable site for a very long time, but in 1780 a miracle happened - the Diveyevo landowner Zhdanov donated the land that was located next to the church for the convent. On it, with the blessing of the Vladimir diocesan authorities, Agafya built three cells and surrounded them with a fence. In one she lived herself, in the other the novice lived, and in the third it was intended for welcoming guests. Agafya often visited the church and took advice from the clergy. She made quite large contributions to the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the Sarov Monastery.

The father of the monastery, Pachomius, took spiritual leadership over the sisters and agreed to provide their newfound community with food from the monastery. The sisters, in turn, did needlework and sewed clothes for the monks. Soon Agafya became seriously ill. She died at 55.

It should be noted that the first mention of the Diveyevo Monastery of Seraphim of Sarov was in 1808. When Anastasia Kirillovna became the abbess of the monastery, the requirements for nuns became much stricter. She strove for a strict lifestyle. She adhered to the strict rules of the monastery, and demanded the same from its other residents.

After some time, Seraphim of Sarov asked Ksenia to slightly soften the rules for the monasteries of the Holy Trinity Seraphim Diveyevo Monastery. But despite Seraphim’s requests, Ksenia refused him. After which the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and indicated that a new monastery should be created. Moreover, she also pointed out the sisters who should join her.

And so it happened. Since then, there have been two women's communities in the village. Moreover, both were under strict police control. They were monitored for the reason that none of the communities were officially registered. They were officially registered only in 1839.

And in 1942 they were united into one community and began to be called “Holy Trinity Seraphim Diveevo Convent.”

Saints Seraphim of the Diveyevo Monastery

There are a large number of saints in the monastery. But one of the most revered saints, to whom pilgrims come from all over the world, is the relic of Saint Seraphim. Quite a lot of people tell about the miracles that happened after worship and prayer.

One of the stories was shared by a woman from Samara, who was cured after visiting the Trinity Seraphim Diveevsky Monastery. One day the woman began to feel unwell. Her left leg began to go numb, and after a while the entire left half of her body became numb. Doctors, after conducting a series of examinations and MRI results, discovered several intervertebral hernias. Doctors immediately warned the woman that she would need to have surgery.

But there is a huge risk. If a nerve is touched, she will remain recumbent for the rest of her worldly days. Despite severe back pain, the woman decided to go on a pilgrimage tour to Diveevo. The queue to the saint's relics was not very long. After the evening service at the relics of St. Seraphim, one of the priests lightly tapped the parishioners’ sore spots with the priest’s hoe.

The woman approached the priest and said that she did not want back surgery and told her story. He tapped her sore back in a cross pattern. For unknown reasons, she did not want to leave the church, and she decided to go again and bow to the relics. The road home, according to the woman, was easy.

At home and at work, everyone was surprised that after the trip she felt much better. And the doctors were most surprised. After all, there was no trace of the disease.

It should be noted that people pray for:

health,
healing from serious illnesses,
solving everyday problems,
multiplication of love,
strengthening faith.

It must also be said that prayers to the miracle worker had an incredible healing effect not only after the death of the elder, but also during his lifetime.

Text of the prayer to Saint Seraphim:

O wonderful Father Seraphim, great Sarov wonderworker, quick and obedient helper to all who come running to you! During the days of your earthly life, no one left you weary and inconsolable, but everyone was blessed by the vision of your face and the benevolent voice of your words. Moreover, the gift of healing, the gift of insight, the gift of healing for weak souls has appeared abundantly in you. When God called you from earthly labors to heavenly rest, your love ceased from us, and it is impossible to count your miracles, which multiplied like the stars of heaven: for throughout the ends of our earth you appeared to the people of God and granted them healing.
In the same way, we cry out to you: O most quiet and meek servant of God, daring man of prayer to Him, denying no one who calls you, offer up your powerful prayer for us to the Lord of hosts, may He strengthen our power, may He grant us all that is useful in this life and all that is spiritual useful to salvation, may he protect us from the falls of sin and teach us true repentance, so that we can enter without stumbling into the eternal Heavenly Kingdom, where you now shine in unfathomable glory, and there sing with all the saints the Life-Giving Trinity until the end of the age. Amen

Where is the Diveyevo Monastery located?

The Diveyevo Monastery of Seraphim of Sarov is located in the south of the Nizhny Novgorod region. As can be seen from the name itself, it is located in the village of Diveevo, which is located on the banks of the Vichkinza River. In order to get to the monastery you will need to cover a short distance and make several transfers.

And so information for pilgrims and Orthodox believers who wish to bow to the relics and offer prayer to Seraphim of Sarov:

The most convenient way to get to the monastery will be to the city of Arzamas. From there, public buses run from the Arzamas station - 1 (2) to the monastery itself. The trip from the station to the temple will take no more than an hour and a half.
If you are traveling by car from Moscow, then you need to go through Balashikha. Before reaching Vladimir, turn onto Murom. And then follow the signs through cities such as Navashino and Ardatov to the village of Diveevo.

The Lord is always with you!

Watch also the video about the Diveyevo Monastery:

450 km from Moscow, 180 km from Nizhny Novgorod. Village of Diveevo.
The village is ancient, mentioned in documents since 1559. The village is famous for the fact that the Seraphim-Diveevo convent is located here. I have long heard about Diveevo, I heard that it is a very beautiful place, especially revered by the Orthodox people. But I didn’t expect it to be so good here. Some kind of unimaginable splendor in a simple village, far from Moscow and big cities.

1. The weather on the day I arrived in Diveevo was feverish; sometimes the whole sky was covered with clouds, sometimes the sun would appear for a few minutes, sometimes there would be light rain. That's why all my photos came out with different lighting.

Here in the photo in the center is the bell tower of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. The height (with the cross) is 70.3 m. For comparison, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is only 56.7 m. I remembered the Leaning Tower of Pisa because the Diveyevo Bell Tower is also leaning. And this, too, as in Pisa, was discovered at the construction stage, and was completed taking into account this feature. True, I didn’t notice in which direction the bell tower falls.

2. The monastery is active, more than 400 nuns and novices live here. The monastery was founded in the second half of the 18th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, 270 nuns and about 1,500 novices lived here, despite the fact that the entire population of the village was 520 people.

3. The Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery is considered in the Orthodox world to be the fourth (after Iberia, Athos and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra) earthly Destiny of the Most Holy Theotokos. Therefore, there are always many pilgrims of different ages and nationalities from all over the world.

4. One of the streets in Diveevo. It is immediately obvious that this is a special village, a religious one.

5. Of course, not all houses in Diveevo have church domes and golden crosses. There are streets like this.

And there are areas where wonderful modern cottages have been built. Many rich, famous and religious people build or buy homes here. In Diveevo there is the house of the singer Elena Kamburova, and there is the house of the oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who, they say, donates a lot to restore the monastery.

6. Local resident.

7. Seller of souvenirs and church paraphernalia. She saw that I was photographing a colorful bearded man (in the previous photo), and asked me to photograph her too, as a local resident.

8. There are six holy springs in Diveevo. In the photo is the source of the Kazan Mother of God.

9. A wooden chapel and bathhouse were built near the source. The author of the project is Arzamas architect and restorer A. Petryashin (I talked about him in the material ""). Here in the photo he critically examines his creation; he doesn’t like the fact that the chapel and bathhouse were painted, and the paint on the wooden dome of the chapel is already peeling off.

10. It turns out that there are strict rules for bathing in a holy spring, I didn’t know this.

11. Kazan Church - the first stone cathedral of the monastery.

12. The Holy Gate under the bell tower is the main entrance to the monastery. During Soviet times, from 1927 to 1991, the monastery was closed. A garage was built in the holy gates, and a television repeater was installed on the bell tower instead of a cross.

14. Mosaic above the entrance to the cathedral.

15. On Cathedral Square.

16. To the service.

17. Burial place of the former abbesses of the monastery.

16. Annunciation Cathedral. This is the newest building of the monastery; construction of the cathedral began in 2012.

17. Mosaic above the entrance to the Annunciation Cathedral.

18. The main cathedral of the monastery is Trinity. This cathedral houses the relics of Elder Seraphim of Sarov, the most revered Russian saint.

19. In 1825, the Mother of God appeared to Seraphim of Sarov and ordered him to dig a ditch that would protect the inhabitants of the monastery from the Antichrist.

20. On the right in the photo is the Holy Groove. And the path along it is the path along which the Virgin Mary walked.

21. The canal offers wonderful views of the monastery cathedrals.

22. View of the Refectory Church (left) and the Kazan Cathedral (right). And also pay attention to the flowerbed of bushes and stones in the foreground. How beautiful, neat and harmonious everything is here, even in the smallest details!

23. Monastic spring field work.

24. Random shot.

25.

26.

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I have been wanting to go to Diveevo, or, as it is often called, Divnoe Diveevo, for a long time. But somehow things didn’t work out. And so when my work colleague suggested that I go there, I didn’t think twice about it. Of course! Moreover, many talked about what wonderful changes happened to them after visiting this monastery. The trip to Diveevo took place in May 2013, during the big one.

The village of Diveevo is located 180 km from and 65 km from, almost on the border with Mordovia. It arose in 1559. According to one legend, its first owner was Murza Divey, from whom the name came. Ivan the Terrible, for his special services, granted Diveya a princely title and awarded him lands.

Diveevo turned out to be at the intersection of pilgrimage roads. In the second half of the 18th century, a wooden church was built here in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Archdeacon Stephen. Pilgrims and wanderers found shelter and shelter in it. In the 1760s, the wanderer Agafya Semenovna Melgunova (late 1720/early 1730 - 1789), née Belokopytova, the widow of a wealthy Vladimir landowner, came here. After the death of her husband, she took monastic vows under the name of Alexandra. She became the founder of the Diveevo monastery.

With her own funds, she founded a temple in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with two chapels - St. Nicholas and the First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen. Venerable Seraphim of Sarov predicted:

The Kazan Church, my joy, this will be a temple like no other! At the end of the world, the whole earth will burn, my joy, and nothing will remain. Only three churches from all over the world will be taken completely undestroyed to heaven: one in the Kyiv Lavra, the other ... (forgotten by the sisters), and the third is yours in Kazan, mother. Wow, what a Kazan church you have!

In 1788, construction began on lands donated by the local landowner Zhdanova, near the Kazan Church. Mother Alexandra and four novices settled here. They were called the Kazan community and lived according to the strict Sarov charter. Also, with the blessing of Seraphim of Sarov, the Mill Community was established in 1826.

In 1842, both communities were united and became known as Serafimo-Diveevskaya. In 1861, the community received the status of a monastery, the first abbess of which was Mother Maria (Elizaveta Alekseevna Ushakova). In 1848, according to the design of architect A.I. Rezanov, construction began on the Trinity Cathedral, consecrated on July 28 (August 9), 1875.

By 1917, 270 nuns and 1,474 novices lived in the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery. After the revolution, difficult times came for the monastery, like other churches and monasteries throughout Russia. In 1919, a labor artel was registered on the basis of the monastery, and in 1927 the monastery was closed. In 1937, the Kazan Church was closed.

Since 1988, the revival of the monastery began. On July 31, 1991, the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov were transferred to the Holy Diveevsky Monastery.

Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery: photos and impressions of the visit

Village Diveevo

So, we arrived in Diveevo. The village itself, whose population is about 6.5 thousand people, seems to be all about pilgrims. Near the monastery there were traders, or rather, traders, selling what the pilgrim needed. Scarves and skirts are sold - in the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery this is strict; women must wear a skirt/dress and cover their heads.

Problem with parking near the monastery

There is parking for cars near the monastery. However, to our disappointment, there was a sign there that there was no room. Considering that I was driving a huge Mitsubishi L-200, this was somewhat disappointing. However, as it turned out, there were still places - our friends, who were driving the second car, parked calmly. It turned out that there were no places only for those who came overnight. But, seeing the inscription, it somehow didn’t occur to me to ask whether there were parking spaces or not. Having driven several circles around Diveevo and not finding any free ones (it was Saturday of Easter week, so there were a lot of people), I ended up parking the car with local residents near the house, right opposite the monastery. All the fun is 100 rubles. True, they helped us turn around in a bottleneck.

How to obtain permission to take photographs?

Next we had to get permission to take photographs. I was sent to a pilgrimage center. There was a line to the open window. The second window was open, but there was no one near it. However, there sat a stern nun who did not bother to answer whether permission could be obtained. As a result, after standing in line, I received permission to take photographs, paying either 30 or 50 rubles. Along the way, it turned out that I could do the same thing on the territory of the monastery, where the requirements are filled out.

Building on the territory of the monastery

Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity and Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in Diveevo

And here we are inside the monastery. In front of us are two huge cathedrals. The first one, green - Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity, built between 1848 and 1875 by Ton’s student A.I. Rezanov, who also took part in the construction in Moscow. In the Trinity Cathedral there is a shrine with the relics of Seraphim of Sarov.

A little further there is a beautiful white temple -. They began to build it before the revolution, but did not have time to consecrate it. During the Soviet years, it housed a shooting range, then a garage. It was completed in the 90s and consecrated on September 3, 1998. We were not able to see the Transfiguration Cathedral from the inside - it was closed for cleaning :)

There were many pilgrims and people inside the monastery - let me remind you, it was Saturday of Easter week.

We walked slowly to the side Holy Groove- one of the most famous places in Diveevo. But more about it below.

And now, finally, we are at the Holy Kanavka. Seraphim of Sarov spoke about her like this:

This groove is the piles of the Mother of God. Whoever walks the Kanavka with prayer and reads one and a half hundred “Mother of God”, everything is here: Mount Athos, Jerusalem, and Kyiv.

One hundred and fifty “Mother of God” is a prayer “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice, Most Gracious Mary, the Lord is with You. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls.”, which must be read 150 times.

There are a lot of people walking along the Holy Kanavka. Someone reads a prayer, fingering a rosary in his hands. Some walk barefoot, stop after each prayer and cross themselves. Others are just walking, looking around, talking to each other.

View of the monastery buildings

When I walked along the Holy Kanavka, I was struck by the contrast: inside it there were monastery buildings and the construction of a large cathedral. On the other side there are ordinary houses and vegetable gardens.

The sky was gloomy, soaring - a thunderstorm was approaching (but it still never arrived, only a few drops fell, that’s all). The crows croaked deafeningly—there are many of them in Diveevo.

We are gradually approaching the end of the Kanavka.

And here is a description of the Annunciation Cathedral, which will be built on the territory of the monastery:

Photos of Diveevo

Against the backdrop of a stormy sky, the snow-white Transfiguration Cathedral looks especially impressive:

And then the sun came out and the cathedrals began to shine.

Impressions from a trip to Diveevo

Then we went to have lunch in one of the refectories. Food: lean cabbage soup and pilaf with mushrooms, generously seasoned with sunflower oil. The refectory workers are laborers, pilgrims. Unfortunately, they have not heard of such a word as politeness at all. Maybe there were too many people and fatigue took its toll. But this does not excuse them at all - in one of the bowls of soup they found... a cockroach :)

After lunch, when all the members of our group gathered again, it turned out that 2-year-old Sophie, Galina’s daughter, was kicked out of the temple when they were standing in line to see the relics of Seraphim of Sarov. The little girl's fault was that she pulled the scarf off her head - it was too hot and the child's head was soaked through with sweat. The mother tried to put the scarf on the girl again, but the child pulled it off again and again. The temple worker rudely pushed them away.

I left Diveevo with mixed feelings. On the one hand, yes, of course, a strong place associated with the name of Seraphim of Sarov. A very beautiful monastery, there are magnificent places all around. On the other hand, there is the notorious human factor. Then we went to, and then to.

Excursions to Diveevo

You can go to Diveevo either independently or with a guided tour. Both options have their pros and cons. Most likely, if you go on a tour, you will avoid the problems that we encountered. The guide or accompanying person will take care of all organizational aspects.

Excursions to Diveevo with departure from Moscow

Excursions to Diveevo with departure from Nizhny Novgorod

Where to stay in Diveevo

It is better to go to Diveevo for at least two days, so as not to rush anywhere. I think then the trip will give a completely different feeling. The Diveyevo Monastery is very beautiful in the evening illumination. It's worth going to the service. There are many places in Diveevo where you can spend the night, both in very modest and luxurious hotels. Prices start at about 1000 rubles, you can find cheaper ones. See the selection of hotels and apartments in Diveevo on Booking.com.

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Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery on the map

Coordinates: 55°2’26″N 43°14’44″E

The purpose of this guide article to Diveevo is to answer the questions of those who are just planning to go to the Diveevo Monastery: What is Diveevo? What to do here? How to behave? What is Holy Groove? And the most important question is why do they come to Diveevo at all?
You will also find out what important places and attractions there are in Diveevo and its surroundings, where you can stay overnight for those who come here for the night.
My first trip to Diveevo took place on May 11, 2013. The trip was short and quite chaotic. Even taking into account the considerable experience of traveling to very high-level monasteries (Optina Pustyn, Valaam Monastery, Trinity-Sergius and Pskov-Pechora Lavra), the Diveyevo Monastery seemed completely different to me. And I turned out to be completely unprepared for it.

In the article:

Diveevo is a place of mass pilgrimage. First of all, people come here to pray and ask the Lord for the most essential things for themselves at the moment. I think different people come - both deeply religious people for the purpose of pilgrimage, and tourists, travelers for educational purposes - to become familiar with Russian history.
It’s easier for pilgrims - they travel consciously and know why they came, where to go, what to do here. They also know all the special places of the Diveyevo Monastery, such as the Holy Kanavka.

It's more difficult for tourists. Now I am convinced that you need to prepare for your arrival in Diveevo in order to better understand what place you are in and what you see in front of you. Otherwise, everything makes no sense.

I thought for a long time about how to write about. A photo report, a chronological account of what we saw here? Why not. But that's not what will happen first.
I am making the first post about Diveevo for comrades like me - those who want to go here, but don’t know anything about the monastery. I'm correcting my late mistake.

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

So, I’ll tell you briefly about the history of the Diveyevo monastery and its main shrine - Kanavka.
In search of the peculiarity of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery over others, I came across information that this monastery is the fourth inheritance of the Holy Mother of God (the first three are Iveria, Athos and Kyiv), i.e. one of four places on Earth (and the only one in Russia!) under its special protection. I think this is where the special appeal of this place lies. Some come here to pray, to be spiritually cleansed, to be healed, while others, considering Diveevo a place of power, come to fulfill their desires, which they say come true here. The main thing is that everyone finds what they are looking for.

On November 25, 1823, the Mother of God appeared to Father Seraphim. The Mother of God showed him the place in Diveevo where he needed to build a monastery, and ordered him to surround it with a ditch and a rampart. It was thanks to this event that the Diveyevo Monastery was created.
It began with the construction of the Mill. By the beginning of 1833, a few days before the death of St. Seraphim, the Kanavka was built. Groove "is a heptagon with a length of 777 meters along the perimeter. During the life of Father Seraphim, six sides were excavated, and on the seventh side, according to the prophecy of the monk, a large cathedral in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” should be located.*

“Father Seraphim said many wonderful things about this Canal. That this Canal is the piles of the Mother of God! Here the Queen of Heaven Herself walked around it! This Canal is high to the skies! The Lady Most Pure Mother of God herself took this land as her inheritance! Here, father, I have Athos, and Kyiv, and Jerusalem! And when the Antichrist comes, he will pass everywhere, but he will not jump over this Canal!”"(Father Vasily Sadovsky).*

After the death of Seraphim of Sarov, hard times came for the Diveyevo monastery. Maintenance of the ditch was abandoned, the mill was moved, some of the buildings were broken down, and people began to walk through the ditch without properly respecting it. They even traveled along it in carriages. The construction of new buildings of the monastery began to be carried out outside Kanavka.

From the memoirs of a 20th century pilgrim: “Silent figures of nuns slowly moved along the Kanavka, fingering rosaries and quietly whispering prayers. The path ran along a well-compacted embankment, lined with trees. The slopes of the embankment were overgrown with grass and wildflowers, which were protected as a shrine.” At the same time, they read “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” one and a half hundred times, and at every ten times they read “Our Father” and commemorated the living and the dead.”*

Flowers, grass and soil from the Kanavka were considered medicinal. By the beginning of the 20th century, all of Russia knew about the Queen of Heaven’s Canal. Thousands of people came here, having heard about healings both on Kanavka, and at the Tenderness Icon, and in the Church of the Transfiguration. It’s interesting, but even now, in the 21st century, on Kanavka you will see the same thing that was a hundred or two years ago - a path on a hill, in the shape of a broken, open ring. Believers slowly wander along it, silently or very quietly reading a prayer. A fascinating sight for those who do not pray. People seem to be in a slight or not so slight trance.
What do those praying read? “O Mother of God, Virgin, rejoice. Gracious Mary, the Lord is with You. Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.”

In September 1927, the Diveyevo Monastery was closed, the sisters were sent to camps and settlements. Apartments were built in the monastery buildings and institutions were located.
During the years of Soviet power, the Holy Kanavka suffered greatly, and was even partially destroyed. But even during the years of persecution of the church, believers came to pray at Kanavka.
The revival of the monastery began in the late 80s of the 20th century, when the church was allowed to solemnly celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. In 1989, the Holy Trinity Church was returned to the church. And in the summer of 1991, the relics of Seraphim of Sarov were transferred to the monastery. Then for many years, almost until the end of the 2000s, Kanavka was restored.

And in conclusion, I want to voice the words of the Diveyevo priest, Priest Pavel Pavlikov: “It is known that in childhood a person feels and perceives the world around him in a special way. Over the years, the worldview changes and the unforgettable pictures of childhood leave you forever. What was so pleasing and comforting then, now no longer pleases or consoles. But when you go along the Canal of the Most Holy Theotokos, then childhood impressions return to your heart - not memories, but impressions. It’s as if you are becoming a child again - everything is perceived in a childish way. , thin. And I want this feeling to last longer, so that the soul comes to life and is comforted."*

For myself, I answered why people go and go to Diveevo. A person always expects a miracle - happiness, love, protection, healing, prosperity, mental peace and tranquility. If you believe those who come here every year for many years in a row (and there are a lot of such people!), then people find it here.

What to visit in Diveevo? Sights of Diveevo and the surrounding area:

Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery:

Holy Canal of the Queen of Heaven
Trinity Cathedral
Kazan Church
Transfiguration Cathedral
Blagoveshchensky cathedral
Bell tower
Chapel in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov
Mechanical water pump with a chapel
Refectory Church in the name of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky
House of Galaktionovs
Dolgintseva's house

Larch of Tsarevich Alexei

Source in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God Tenderness
Source of St. Panteleimon
Kazan source
Source of St. Alexandra Diveevskaya
Source in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God

Source of Seraphim of Sarov
1. For believers: I have already written above about the prayer that is read on Kanavka 150 times (an icon with this prayer can be bought at the monastery).
2. For motorists, free parking is available on the territory of the monastery. Feel free to drive up to the barrier. They will let you through.
3. For those who take pictures: photography is possible with a blessing, but we also took pictures without it. The main thing when taking photographs is to be invisible, behave modestly and not provocatively, and you will not be noticed. Many people take pictures from the monastery, I saw it myself.
4. Girls and women: take scarves and skirts with you, regardless of age. Without them, you can simply be rudely escorted out of the temple, even if you are a 2-year-old girl.
5. There are several churches, shrines and holy springs in Diveevo. If you want to visit and see everything, then plan a trip for more than one day. For a quick acquaintance with the monastery, 4 hours is enough.
6. Venerate the relics of Seraphim of Sarov in the Trinity Cathedral. How to venerate relics correctly? Two bows, kissed, another bow.
7. Don’t forget to stop by the spring of Seraphim of Sarov (14 km from Diveevo), get some holy water, and take a swim. Women need a nightgown for swimming. If you don’t have it with you, you can buy it inexpensively on the spot.
8. For those looking for cheap private accommodation: look in the group

Diveevo is a famous village in the Nizhny Novgorod region with an absolutely amazing atmosphere. Pilgrims from all over the world come 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 those who are far from religion will be interested in immersing themselves in the history of Diveevo, seeing the stunning architecture and enjoying the beauty of Russian nature.

Diveevo is famous primarily for its numerous temples and cathedrals. One of the most favorite places for tourists is the Seraphim-Diveevo Convent. It is known as the 4th “earthly Lot of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” The founder of the monastery is considered to be Seraphim of Sarov, a revered saint in Russian Orthodoxy. Diveevsky Monastery is the oldest architectural monument in the Nizhny Novgorod region. It was founded in the 18th century, and to this day, buildings from that time can be found on the territory of this attraction, for example, the Church of the Kazan Mother of God.

Arriving at the Diveevo Monastery, one cannot help but look into its main cathedral - the Holy Trinity, which was built with the participation of the famous architect A.I. Rezanova. Together with other churches of the monastery, this cathedral forms a stunningly beautiful architectural ensemble.

When visiting this attraction, special attention is paid 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 pilgrimage. It represents the path along which, according to legend, the Most Holy Theotokos herself walked. Everyone who visits Diveevo strives 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 illnesses 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 churches in Diveevo, located at the beginning of the Holy Kanavka. It was built according to the design of architect A.E. Antonov in 1917 and completely reconstructed in 1998. The cathedral was built in the neo-Russian style, has 5 golden-domed domes, and the walls of the temple were painted by the sisters of the Diveyevo monastery.

Diveyevo springs

The Diveyevo Monastery is by no means the only reason for the never-ending flow of tourists. Many people also want to look at the famous Diveyevo springs. It is believed that the water in these springs has special healing properties, so the place where the source appeared is usually looked after especially carefully. The area around it is being improved, chapels are being erected nearby, and baths are being built.

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

source of St. Seraphim of Sarov. This is one of the most famous and popular springs of the monastery village. As you know, it was previously 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 pilgrimage to these places stopped. However, according to legend, the saint himself appeared to people to indicate a new place he liked, where the source broke through. Today, 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 Epiphany holiday. Every year on this holiday a procession of the cross takes place here, during which the spring is consecrated. The source is located in the village of Severny, which is part of Diveevo;
St. Panteleimon's spring. It is located very close to Kazansky 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 spring in the name of the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness”, also located not far from the Kazan Diveyevo spring. He made his way to the part of the village that separates Diveevo and the village of Severny. Those who want to get rid of problems with the cardiovascular and nervous system come to the spring. On the site of the source, a building was erected, which includes 3 baths;
Iversky spring. It is famous for helping to cure children from a variety of diseases. Next to the holy spring there is a small chapel, which was built in the 19th century. A bathhouse was also built here.

When visiting the Diveyevo springs, you must follow certain rules. For example, women can swim in spring waters only in underwear and a shirt. It is prohibited to make noise, smoke or 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 only 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 of Experimental Physics. But you can still get to the city: from time to time, tours are organized there for pilgrims and those who want to visit the Nuclear Weapons Museum and other attractions accessible to tourists.

For believers, this city is valuable primarily because it was here that Seraphim of Sarov lived and attended church services, who later became known as the founder of the Diveyevo Monastery. He began his journey in the Holy Dormition Monastery (also called the Sarov Hermitage). This monastery was erected at the beginning of the 17th century and has a very rich history. In 1927, the building was closed, and only at the beginning of the 21st century was it decided to resume the functioning of the monastery.

Sarov has always been known as an ecclesiastical 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, the newly opened church in the name of St. Zosima and Savvaty Solovetsky was consecrated.

The city of Sarov is also famous for its numerous healing springs, which opened on the banks of the Satis River, which flows next to the settlement. The territory of the springs is landscaped, has baths and is classified as a specially protected site.

It will be very interesting and informative to visit the Nuclear Weapons Museum in Sarov. This is a unique place where you can plunge into the history of nuclear achievements of Russian scientists and see unique exhibits: models of scientific inventions, experimental installations, weapons, computer technology and much more. Over 10 thousand people come here every year, including not only city residents, 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 of the Nizhny Novgorod region. It is known as a church city: at the beginning of the 20th century there were 4 monasteries and 36 churches. Now the number of Orthodox attractions has decreased, but even today there is something to see there.

The city preserves buildings dating back to the 18th-19th 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. It is a monumental building with rich frescoes and large columns around the perimeter;
Church of the Smolensk Icon of the 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 strive to visit it. It is here that you can see the original work of the Spanish artist Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo;
Nikolsky Convent. 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 they made were worn with pleasure by the townspeople. In Arzamas you can still buy knitted souvenirs;
The Church of the Nativity of Christ, built in the mid-19th century, is a snow-white temple in the best traditions of Russian architecture. This small but beautiful building was especially loved by local residents.

The 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 take a walk through the arboretum, which is located in the vicinity of Arzamas.

Diveevo is a village of amazing beauty with rare monuments of Russian culture. You can come there at any time of the year and even more than once, but it will still open up for you only from the best side.