essential property of Slavic culture are Orthodox churches and monasteries.They attract not only pilgrims who truly believe, but also tourists.The last interesting architecture, the interior of the temples, the history of their existence.
general concept and importance
term "monastery" came with Christianity in Kievan Rus from Byzantium.This state has arisen on the basis of the Greek culture.From the Greek "monastery" - a "hermitage".
It monks observe a single charter.However, not everyone who came to the monastery, became a monk.First, he passes the test.If it was successful, the person receives vows.According to the rules established in the Ecumenical Council, regardless of the moral of the former way of life, a person can start to fix the monk (salvation) of the soul.
meaning of the word "monastery" for many people today is just the community of monks.
first Christian monasteries
Monastery - a certain place with his way of life.The first monasteries arose in Egypt and Palestine (4-5 century AD).Over time, the monastic dwellings started to appear in Constantinople (the capital of the Byzantine Empire), which is in Russian chronicles referred to as Constantinople.
the founders of monasticism in Russia are considered to Anthony and Theodosius, who created the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery.
Types Christian monasteries
In Christianity, there is a division into male and female monastery.What this means - easy to understand.The name depends on the female or male community lives and operates at a church temple.Mixed monasteries in Christianity does not exist.
Different types of monastic dwellings:
Abbey.It is found in the Catholic (Western) direction.Managed by the abbot in the male community and abbess in the female.Reports to the bishop, and sometimes the Pope personally.
Lavra.It is the largest Orthodox monastic dwelling (east) direction.This kind of monastic dwellings suitable only for men's communities.
kin.Cenobitic monastery.This means that the organization has obschezhitsky charter, which governs all of its members.
Compound.It is remote from the monastery housing, which is located in a city or village.It is used to collect donations, receiving pilgrims farming.
desert.Residence, created in the tradition of Russian Orthodoxy, his erect in a secluded place away from the monastery.
Skeet.It is a place to live a monk who wanted to become a hermit.
Most of the monastic dwellings is running diocesan bishops.These monasteries are called diocesan.Certain Orthodox monasteries can have the status stavropegic.
Stavropegic Monastery
What does it mean, will return to learn the Greek language.With literally "stavropegic" means "the installation of the cross."It is assigned not only the monasteries, but also the cathedral, the spiritual schools.
This status means that the monastery is directly subordinate to the patriarch or synod.Stavropegic Monastery - a sanctuary in which the cross put up with his own patriarch.This is the highest status.
Due to the fact that the diocese of the Orthodox Church was divided into several branches, there are different lists stavropegic temples.Depending on the submission, they may relate to the Orthodox Church in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and so on.There are shrines and other countries, such as Estonia, Italy, USA, Germany.
Modern stavropegic monasteries
greatest number of such monastic dwellings represented in Moscow and the Moscow region.
List of men's homes in Moscow:
- St. Andrew;
- Vysokopetrovsky;
- Danilov;
- Don;
- Zaikonospassky;
- Novospasskiy;
- Candlemas.
List female housing in Moscow:
- Alexis;
- Nativity;
- Zachatievsky;
- John the Baptist;
- Pokrovsky;
- Troitsk-Odigitrievsky deserts.
When and where you need to open a new stauropegic monastery?What does it mean?The decision on such an issue receives Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia alone.
forms of organization of monasticism
Monastery - a place of life of the monks.Depending on what form of organization they have chosen, the monastery can be a obschezhitskim statute or in the form of asceticism.
Christians seclusion - a fairly advanced form of monasticism.Even by Jesus Christ spent in the desert for 40 days.
first hermits went into the desert, driven by the Roman authorities as early as the 3rd century.Later this form of spread from Egypt to Palestine, Armenia, Gaul and Europe.In Western Christianity hermit disappeared; it remained only in the Orthodox way.Among the hermits who dedicated themselves to asceticism and fervent prayer, there are men and women.The most famous is the hermit Mary of Egypt from Palestine, who lived in the 6th century.
Another form of monastic organization called Kin.
Charter kin
With Greek word meaning "life together", that is a hostel.
founder is considered to be the first Kin St. Pachomius, who created it in the year 318 in southern Egypt.As for the Russian Orthodox Church, the first church was built obschezhitny Theodosius.
In general statute monks take on the Kin everything necessary for their existence.For example, food, clothing, shoes.They worked for free, and all the results of their work belongs to Kin.Monk, including the rector and are not eligible for any personal property, they can not commit acts of donation or inherit anything.They have no property rights.
Rules of Conduct in the monastery for lay
Monastery - is a special world.To understand all the intricacies of the monastic dormitory, it takes time.By the transgression of pilgrims, as a rule, are tolerant, but some of the rules is better to know when visiting the monastic dwellings.
What to look for in the behavior:
- coming pilgrim, you need to ask for blessings for all;
- can not leave without the blessing of the monastery;
- all worldly sinful addictions need to leave behind the walls of the monastery (alcohol, tobacco, profanity);
- necessary to conduct talks only about the spiritual and major in communication are the words "I'm sorry", "bless";
- eat food can only be a common meal;
- sitting at the table for a meal, you must comply with the order of precedence, to sit quietly and listen to the reading.
to plunge into the world of calm and harmony, which is in the monastery does not necessarily know all the rules of the monastic order.Enough to stick to the usual rules of conduct, compliance with which is included respect for elders, restraint.
