Miraculous icon, picturesque banks of the Dnieper and unshakable spirit of faith - go to Barkolabovsky monastery

The history of this Orthodox monastery is inextricably linked with the miraculous icon of the Virgin, from which Christians of different denominations have been asking for help and intercession for many centuries.

St. Voznesensky convent was founded in 1641 on the lands belonging to Bogdan Statkevich. The representative of the ancient noble family was not only rich, but also truly wise. Unlike other magnates of his time, he sought to leave a mark on history not with luxurious palaces, but with monasteries. Bogdan Statkevich, together with his wife Elena, transferred generous donations to the construction of Orthodox monasteries in Buinichy, Orsha, Mstislavl. There are evidences that even before the death of his wife, the patron planned to erect a “Ponensky monastery” in the Barkolabovsky estates for the glory of God. But, alas, he carried out the plan already in memory of his beloved: he donated the Borok tract near Barkolabov to the construction of a women's monastery, at the same time endowed the future monastery with lands, a mill, the right to fish in Rekt and Dnieper "for eternal hours, irrevocably and irrevocably.".

The first inhabitants came to Barkolabovo from the Kuteinsky Assumption Women's Monastery in Orsha.

Since the gift certificate was compiled on July 7, on the Nativity of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, the first temple was erected in his honor. By 1648, a church was built in honor of the Ascension of the Lord. Over time, the monastery complex was replenished with a residential building, farm buildings, the territory was surrounded by a high fence.

Its main shrine - the miraculous icon of the Virgin, which later became known as Barkolabovskaya - the monastery acquired in the XVII century. In fact, she chose her own place.

According to legend, when the Russian Prince Simeon Pozharsky passed by the monastery, his horses suddenly stopped abruptly. And neither the stick nor the carrot could force them to go on. Then the young prince, who was carrying an icon in a carriage, decided that this was a sign from above. He turned to Abbess Photinia with the words: “Take the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, for Mother of God wants to stay here.” That's how I found my home.

Miracles did not keep themselves waiting, and the rumor about the icon went through the cities and villages. People always turned to the Mother of God at the Barkolabov shrine with prayers for healing from serious diseases and giving children. Sincere requests invariably resonate today.

It is surprising that no war has disturbed the peaceful life of the monastery for several centuries, although the armies of the enemy have repeatedly passed by. Apparently, the icon protected the monastery from this misfortune. But in 1924, the trouble did not come from strangers: Soviet power, driven by the ideas of atheism, closed the monastery.

Fortunately, the miraculous image was hidden and preserved. Since the 1950s he was in the temple of the Life-giving Trinity in Bykhov.

It is symbolic that when the revival of the Barkolabovsky Holy Ascension Monastery began in 2008, the nuns again arrived from Orsha. Two years later, a miraculous icon was returned to the church in honor of the Nativity of John the Forerunner.

Despite the fact that in our time the monastery had to be restored almost from scratch, the spirit of this place remained unchanged. All the same fast waters of the Dnieper, all the same unshakable faith of the nuns, all the same image of the Virgin.

Today, the monastery is rightfully considered one of the important spiritual centers in the Mogilev region. As before, it attracts many pilgrims. Tourists also come here, for example, to admire the paintings of the temple walls in the Byzantine style by Anton Belsky. For this work, the monumentalist artist was awarded a special Presidential Prize.

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