Many Orthodox people and even more so pilgrimsare interested in the question of where is one of the most beautiful holy monasteries - the Mammoth Desert. The Tambov region keeps in its history the emergence of this most ancient place, because it is closely connected with the spread and strengthening of Orthodoxy in this region. The desert is located 70 versts from the city of Tambov, in the village of Mamontovo (Sosnovsky district). The village, like the monastery, bears the name of Monk Mamont, his founder. The journey time is 1 hour 30 minutes. Many people are interested in the Mammoth Desert (Tambov region). How to get there by car? It is worth saying that it will be easiest to get there on the route from Tambov to Morshansk and then stop in the village of Otyasy of Sosnovsky district, and there it remains 4 km to Mamontovo.
The history of the Mammoth desert tells us that in1629, the elder Mamont, on the orders of Martha Ivanovna Nun, the local landowner, opened the desert in honor of St. Nicholas on a meadow called Nikolskaya. At first the monastery was very poor and miserable. The Diploma of 1634 was even given the prohibition to take the tax from 30 quarters of the monastic grounds, since the elder lived alone, he fed on Christ's name, he had no assistants and peasants, he had no profit from anywhere.
But gradually, the bondedpeasants, free men and women from the Ryazan region, Narovchat and Zvenigorod uyezd. All of them were very happy, there was a lot of free territory, but the hands of the workers did not suffice to cultivate the land. So the foundations of the culture of landowning began to be laid here, which were later transferred to newcomers.
In the scribe books of 1677 there are indications thatthen the Mammoth Desert (Tambov region) had two churches: the first and the main, in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the second - the ultimate, in honor of Alexy God's man, with icons, all utensils and bell-tower, which were in the same building. The first builder of the desert was the elder Mamont himself. A refectory and a porch were added to the church, a five-walled altar was chopped separately, and Alexeyevsky chapel was built on the right. The domes were decorated with scales and crosses.
The church was consecrated in the name of Alexis,because it was during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich that the monastery received the greatest number of deposits. By the end of the XVII century the monastery began to quickly enrich itself, and by that time he had numerous yards with cows, poultry and an apiary. In each such village, monasteries and managing monks were appointed as monasteries.
In 1764, the deserts were officially abolished, but the temple and farm buildings remained for a very long time monastic.
The one-sided new Nikolaevsky church was builtin 1768-1775 years, according to the reading and writing of Bishop Theodosius (Golosnitsky). It was a solid and beautiful structure, which stood until the beginning of the XX century. This temple was rebuilt from the frame of a pine forest on a small hill near the lake Glubokoe.
In the new chopped chapels in 1865housed sacristy and the Intercession Church, the iconostases were decorated with abundantly gilded twisted columns. It would be incomplete to describe the interior of the church without mentioning that the temple was still decorated with wooden statues. Above the iconostasis there was a carved crucifixion, on the sides - images of the Virgin and John the Theologian. In the lower tier above the local icons - cherubs, skillfully carved from wood and covered with sheet gold. Part of the royal doors adorn the wooden figures of the evangelists in growth.
After the abolition of the monastery active activitiespriest Alexei Ivanovich Krinov in place of the monastery on the basis of the almshouse, a new sister community was organized, in which in 1912 there were 20 peasant widows.
By May 1912 in Mamontovo, with fundspriest A. Krinov and parishioners was built the first stone church, it was consecrated in 1915, and the most important sacred thing was the most ancient icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in a silver setting (oklad), executed on a fake board for those times in two arshins. The prelate was depicted in full bishop's vestments with golden crosses, all the way up. His head was adorned with crowns, in one hand he held a steel sword, in another hand - a tabernacle. On the reverse side of the icon was the inscription "Nikola Mozhaisky".
A local legend says that the elder monk Mammothfound this icon near the three limes, it was in that sacred place where later he built his first monastery temple. Of these same limes, all the church utensils were later made, which for centuries was kept in the Nicholas Church of the village.
Unknown Morshansk craftsmen of carved works created magnificent works that adorned all the churches of this district.
In 1924 the carved statues were transported toMorshansk Museum of Local History, among them there were more than 10 statues of Christ with thorns and chains, figures of angels and saints. But for 70 years of atheistic policy, Orthodox culture over time lost unique works for its descendants.
However, the people's path to the desert is not overgrown, inSosnovsky district of the village of Mamontov from all over Russia gathers people to pray and be healed of various ailments, and also to plunge the Holy Lake. On May 22, many pilgrims and guests from neighboring regions come to the St. Nicholas patronal celebration. Since 2003, the Mammoth desert began to revive, then the bathing-place on the Holy Lake was built, the nursery building, the chapel and the temple were being built.
Mammoth Desert (Tambov region) todaystill known for the fact that near the temple of the monastery is a sculpture of Sergei Isakov "Nicholas the Wonderworker." It almost exactly resembles the ancient icon of the temple. In his right hand he holds the sword, and in the other - the restored temple.
This place today is very famous andpopular in the Tambov region. Many pilgrims come here, not only from Russia, but also from abroad, to enjoy the Russian Orthodox spirit. Especially a lot of people here on May 22, on the Day of Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Today many people are attracted to the Mammoth desert.Tambov region reviews receive the most favorable. After all, there is clean air, a lake and magnificent nature, literally everything acts in the health of the soul and body and just pacifies. Nobody leaves indifferent here.
It simply captivates with its beauty the Mammoth Deserts (Tambov region). Opening hours of her can be found, unfortunately, only getting to the place, and the official site is still only in the development stage.
