Diveevskaya groove. A prayer that is read on the holy groove in Diveevo. So what is the Canal of the Virgin in Diveevo
October 29th, 2013
Original taken from pamsik in Diveyevo. Groove of the Blessed Virgin
From the story "Diveevo - Russian Promised Land".
It is difficult to write about Diveyevo. Before coming here, I read different reviews about him and was always surprised at their ascetic style of storytelling. I love, and I myself have a penchant, for flowery presentation, for details and details, and such stinginess of words and feelings puzzled me. But now, having returned from this truly wondrous place, I myself do not know where to start, nor how to write about what we saw and felt there - it is very difficult to find the right words. I will try.
Diveyevo is a special land. This is a special piece of our planet where a person has the opportunity to purify his soul.
Diveyevo is not just beautiful nature and a beautiful monastery. Diveevo is very strong energetically and stripping from everything extra soul a place.
About the monastery: Our impressions. Groove of the virgin.
The Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery itself occupies a fairly large area, but even it seems to be small - there are a lot of pilgrims and people who come here. There are several entrances to the monastery in the monastery fence from Oktyabrskaya Street. We completely accidentally went the right way - through the Bell Tower... Correct - because it turns out more solemnly, do not just jump out somewhere on the side of the territory, namely go through the arch of the bell tower, see Trinity Cathedral light greenthrough openwork cast-iron gates, a large cobbled square, bright flower beds, behind them a majestic Transfiguration Cathedral kipenno- white , almost a copy of the first, only with more rounded shapes. The domes on this cathedral and the bell tower do not just burn with gold, but shine dazzlingly, like full-fledged additional suns to the main luminary. There is a lot of gold in the sky. That's very beautiful .
On the territory of the monastery, for some reason, it was clearly felt that Trinity Cathedral (there are the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov) - masculine, and the Transfiguration - female... Although, in reality, of course, there is no such division. Maybe it seems so, based on their appearance: Troitsky is tall, slightly angular, green, steel-gray domes, and Preobrazhensky is slender, soft, whiter than snow and golden domes.
Diveyevo. Trinity and Transfiguration Cathedrals
Diveyevo. Trinity Cathedral
We went to the Trinity Cathedral... The service was going on and there were a lot of people inside, so we stood for a while, went out and began to go around it. On the left I saw a large queue. She stood at the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the entrance to which is separate... We didn't stand there. I don't know how to honestly explain why, let's just say - we felt we didn't have the right to turn to him in the state in which we were then. Of course, it is very insulting that we have done this ridiculously. But on the other hand, his invisible presence in Diveyevo is almost tangible materially. They say that the nuns often meet the gray-bearded old man at the Holy Canal, and the builders saw him in the church, and the children whom he especially loved often tell their parents about the kind grandfather who talked to them. In the Trinity Cathedral, you can also see some things that belonged to Father Seraphim: a robe, a pectoral cross, an epitrachelion, leather mittens, shoes and a cast iron. This cathedral also houses the beloved icon of Father Seraphim "Our Lady of Tenderness".
We walk around the territory, look closely, orient ourselves, listen to the numerous guides who lead the groups. It's very interesting to listen, especially since we are in no hurry, unlike tour groups, so we listen to how several guides talk about the same thing, but in different ways. There is a small necropolis behind the Trinity Cathedral. The abbess, several blessed eldresses from the monastery, and monks found their last refuge here. We've never seen anything like this. I'll talk about them below. Graves - velvet green mounds all in flowers are revered as holy places. People come here specially to communicate mentally with the blessed, to ask their help.
Then we go to the Transfiguration Cathedral. There is also a line inside to venerate the relics of the three Diveyevo blessed (I'll tell you about them separately). Here in the cathedral I learn about holy oil, about biscuits from the saint's iron pot, and about a piece of land from Kanavka (details will be below, I don't want to be distracted now). But we have no time for that now. We leave the Cathedral and ask where the Groove is. It starts right behind the Transfiguration Cathedral, slightly to the right, but also ends approximately behind him, but already to the left.
I prepared for it in advance... You can, of course, walk along the groove and just like that, but somehow I doubt that this will succeed. This is a very prayed and strong place, and when you go behind the forged gate, where its Beginning is, and enter this high path on the crest of the rampart, and below you there is a high slope and a narrow groove, it’s like passing from gravity in the absence of gravity. There is a completely different air here, even a completely different line of thought - the old one was left behind the gate.
Groove Start Holy Mother of God
The Holy Canal must be traversed by reading a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos or Archangel's greeting(with these words the Archangel Gabriel greeted the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation): “Virgin Mary, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with Thee; blessed are you in wives and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as you gave birth to our souls ”. Father Seraphim said: “This groove is the little piles of the Mother of God. Whoever passes the Canal with prayer, and reads one and a half hundred "Theotokos", everything is here: Athos, and Jerusalem, and Kiev. "
Groove. We begin our journey
I have a rosary in my hands, however, I confess, they are Buddhist, souvenir and they have 108 pea beads, and the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos must be read 150 times, so at home I marked the necessary bead with a red ribbon. The rosary is very convenient to use, they are needed in order not to lose count. The people who walk along the Kanavka are certainly all very different, and there are very, very peculiar. When someone reads a prayer out loud in a chanting voice, it is, of course, inconvenient, but tolerable, but there is also a bullet-proof contingent who in front of you casually and selflessly discusses "Nadya's behavior with Lenka" - this is beyond my understanding.
Groove
The groove is very long, it has a broken path, it is curved in different ways, surrounded by flowers... In the spring here on the slopes (I see) lilies of the valley bloom, in the summer - different flowers, there are even very well-groomed gardens along it.
Almost finished
Walking around Kanavka, we saw a huge tree not far behind the monastery fencewhich was decorated with something and caught our attention. Then we went there. It turned out - this ishuge larch of Tsarevich Alexei... This tree was planted in honor of the first anniversary of the birth of the Tsarevich - that is, in 1905. The bark of this larch on the cut has the color of caked blood, and so does the resin. No other similar trees have been found in nature. It is fenced off with a small fence, there is a stand next to it, and a photograph of him hangs. Icons of the royal family are hung on the larch and the fence, and prayer services are served. 
Tsarevich Alexei's larch
Favorite icon of Seraphim of Sarov.
This is the Mother of God "Tenderness". 
Before this icon, Father Seraphim always prayed and died on bended knee. 
The Mother of God is depicted without the baby Jesus, with her arms crossed on her chest and a gentle, barely noticeable smile. This icon captures the moment of the Annunciation, when the Blessed Virgin answers the Archangel Gabriel to the news about the future birth of her son: "Behold the servant of the Lord, wake Me according to your verb." Seraphim of Sarov loved this image very much and called it "Joy of all the joys." Nicholas II presented for this icon a very rich golden robe, adorned with jewels - a halo, in the form of shining rays, consists of precious stones and pearls. When they fall on the icon sun rays, it shines in an unusual way: the face of the Mother of God became alive, the colors - delicate, and the jewelry painted in oil was difficult to distinguish from real precious stones. Many copies were made from the icon, some of them also became miraculous. A list is now hanging in the Trinity Cathedral in Diveyevo, and the original is in Moscow, in the Patriarchate.
Father Seraphim left a commandment to the sisters of the monastery - on Sundays to perform a special prayer singing to the Most Holy Theotokos according to the charter Mount Athos - Paraclis. “And if you fulfill this commandment of mine, then all will be well with you, and the Queen of Heaven will not leave you. If you do not fulfill it, then you will make trouble without trouble. " This commandment is sacredly fulfilled in the monastery.
What to bring from Diveyevo.
Icons, of course.
As well as butter and crackers of Saint Seraphim, and earth from the Holy Canal.
The bags for them are small transparent - I highly recommend taking them with you. Otherwise, you will stand in a long line behind them at the church shop at the entrance (narthex) to the Transfiguration Cathedral, and they may not yet be. Oil bottles are sold here. Opposite this shop there is a window where oil will be poured into them, consecrated on the relics of the Monk Seraphim, as well as on the relics of the blessed saints - the Diveyevo mothers.
Crackers (a handful) will be poured into a bag for you in a log chapel named after Father Seraphim(where the Holy Groove ends) - in the summer, or in the vestibule of the Preobrazhensky Sobora (where oil is poured) - in winter. It is believed that you need to literally drop a drop of such oil into an ordinary bottle, and all the oil will acquire beneficial properties.
Croutons - small pieces of rye bread... When I stood in line for them in the chapel, I read on wooden boardthat “in the Diveyevo monastery after the death of the great elder, a tradition arose to hand out crackers in memory of the monk and as his blessing. Father Seraphim gave many of those who came to him as a blessing croutons - some a handful, and some a large burden. Today these crackers are consecrated in Father Seraphim's iron pot., in which the elder cooked himself meager food, and then gave it to the Diveyevo sisters for church needs (coal was kept in the altar in it). Many pilgrims take these croutons to different countries and then they write about miraculous healings and unusual cases connected with them. " Crackers are handed out by the nun for free, but you can leave your reward of any size in a nearby donation box.
A chapel where crackers are distributed. And the crackers themselves from Diveevo
Land from the Holy Groove has the power to cleanse "premises and territory from demons." A very small part of this little piece of land can be mixed with river sand or ordinary clean soil in any proportion, and this mixture will be fertile and will preserve all the properties of the land from the Holy Canal. A whole mound of this piece of land is located behind the chapel where crackers are distributed. This is the place where the very first monastery Mill used to be. The monastery asks to take a handful of it, no more so that everyone can get it.
Here in the monastery there is also a unique book “ Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery". Its author is Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov). We saw her, but did not buy, because we knew nothing about her. Only later did they read about Diveyevo in little books.
About the Diveyevo mothers.
When we entered the Rozhdestvensky and Preobrazhensky cathedrals, there were always queues inside them to the relics of the Diveyevo blessed women, and behind the first cathedral in the necropolis, the guides lead the groups to the green velvet mounds and also talk about them. Who is it? It turns out that several blessed old women chose Diveevo as their place.... Father Seraphim greeted them with all his heart.
The blessed are special people... Bliss is very difficult to explain in words to a materialistic person, because it is not an innate quality, but an acquired one. In the books they write that this is "one of the most difficult feats of Christianity", that the holy fools are "people who seemed to be devoid of reason." For what? - In order to overcome pride, so that, speaking in allegorical language, to more strongly influence people past whom ordinary words pass by.
But this is not a completely clear explanation: it turns out that some kind of acting or any extravagance can also be called bliss. And this is a misunderstanding.
The blessed are half-sleeping people. You and I also sleep, and we see dreams, and we know that a dream is always a different, different reality. Especially this border is clearly felt when we wake up - where are we - there or here? Blessed people are more There than Here. But their other reality is always bright. There - they see God very closely. There - they talk with God, and not with dark entities. Therefore, they are clairvoyant, so they say the right things, although they behave differently - play with dolls, mimic, figure out figuratively, and snot, dirt, rags may also be present here, i.e. all that set that frightens off ordinary people and inspires (can inspire) fear, contempt, disgust. But the blessed do not care about the artificial rules of our everyday life. They are bright people, they are grown-up children. And here we are, ordinary normal peoplehaving a sober mind and a sound memory, being in this reality and speaking beautiful words, we often do terrible nasty things.
Here is another interesting understanding of bliss: “ At some point in Russia they began to believe that the holy fool is an intelligent person pretending to be a fool. The humility of a proud mind may be a very great feat, but still, first of all, it is just a pretense. Real foolishness is by no means a pretense, not an imitation of stupidity, but - genuine stupidity. Which, however, does not at all negate the true mind. You just fall into a state when the ordinary mind (the ability to navigate in the conventions of the world) suddenly flies off, and something else comes in its place: wisdom, which no longer cares about stupid conventions».
And another strange thought came to my mind (after all, Diveevo): the blessed are surprised people. Surprised by God.
In the necropolis (behind the Nativity Cathedral), besides other priests, blessed are buried - Pelagia (in the center), Paraskeva (on right), Natalia (left).
Blessed Pelagia(Pelagia Ivanovna Serebryannikova, lived in the monastery until 1884) - "crazy Palaga", "fool" for some people and "great lamp of light", "spiritual mother", "second Seraphim" for the father himself and others. She was married, had children, but her soul yearned for something else. Father Seraphim loved her very much. When Pelageya and her husband arrived in Sarov (in 1828), Seraphim talked with her for six hours alone. Seeing her off, he publicly bowed to the ground and told her to go to the Diveyevo monastery as soon as possible.
Blessed Paraskeva - Pasha of Sarov(Paraskeva Ivanovna, lived in the monastery until 1915) - “the third Seraphim”. She had a very difficult fate. She is a serf. The landowner found fault with her, made a lie because of the alleged "theft", gave her, an honest wife, to drunken soldiers. Paraskeva then went to the Kiev Lavra and there she accepted the schema, which is practically inaccessible for women. For 30 years she lived in the forest, where her beggar was, robbers also robbed, just like Saint Seraphim, and in addition they cut off her ear. She came to Diveyevo, to the monastery and stayed here. Blessed Pasha lived in a small house-cell, which she called "hermitage." She played with dolls, behind her changeable mood, allegorical conversations and actions, the highest love, humility and compassion were hidden. People were streaming towards her. She welcomed everyone and did not single out anyone according to rank, regalia, or rank. Only the blessed ones can do this. Nicholas II and his wife came to see her. And Pasha predicted everything to him: the revolution, the death of the dynasty ... She even showed the boy's doll and said: "This is yours." But the Empress showed a misunderstanding: I do not believe it. Then the blessed one handed her a piece of red salmon: “This is for your little son's pants. You will believe when he is born. "
Here, on the territory of the monastery, there is her blue house, the very "desert", and now it houses her museum and pilgrimage center.
Blessed Natalia(Natalya Dmitrievna, lived in the monastery until 1900). She also possessed the gift of counsel.
As strange as it sounds, in soviet time at the place of their burial there was ... a beer stall. There, among the local drunks, these blessed old women often appeared and sat on a bench - Pelageya, Pasha and Maria, whose place was trampled by a stall. The stall was especially embarrassed at the sight of these three blessed old women who had come from nowhere.
Entrance to the Transfiguration Cathedral
Where to eat in Diveevo.
…You can have a snack on the territory of the monastery... There, firstly, there is a large refectory... We even read somewhere that it is free for pilgrims. Then there there are several tents selling delicious monastery pies... And still there there are tiny pancake cafes "Monastyrskaya refeznaya". But the people there, especially at lunchtime, are much more than the pancakes themselves. Therefore, you need to either be patient and stand in line, or go somewhere, for a more thorough snack.
There are delicious pancakes
We got to the pancake shop successfully, no one was there, because the girls left for a new portion of pancakes. We waited only 5 minutes, a tail had already lined up behind us, and the pancakes somehow arrived quickly. Very tasty, with different fillings, but unusual. The dough, apparently, is rather short, so a little rubbery.
Continued in the story "Diveevo - Russian Promised Land»
Every person interested in the history of Russia read about the village of Diveyevo, which is located not far from the Sarov desert. There is one unique monastery with a groove in it. What is this monastery and its groove famous for?
Holy places in Diveyevo
In this small village with an interesting name Diveevo, an unusual nunnery is located, around which a groove was dug, where the feet of the Most Holy Theotokos passed. It is believed that it is a barrier from evil dark forces, and those who walk along it, reading the prayer to the Mother of God, will be cured of various mental and physical ailments ...
Departing a little from the topic, I will say to myself: I walked along it, putting my crutches aside - with a cane - it hurt, it started raining, then snow, I prayed and passed, made a wish and it came true ...
Therefore, it is truly Holy places... There are so many saints in Russia about whom we know nothing at all or very little ...
Background
Agafya's vision is a story dedicated to Agafya Semyonovna Belokopytova. After her husband died, she left the village with a small child, giving herself and her earthly life to God. Her path was directed to Kiev, where already at that time there were many monasteries. In one thing, she decided to complete her journey, until one day she came to her Mother of God... She told Agafya that she was ordered to go to those lands that would be indicated to her, and to establish a women's monastery there, which would be her earthly lot.
After communicating with the elders, she nevertheless decides to set foot on a new path. Agafya walked around holy Russia for a long time, until 1760, until the Mother of God appeared to her again. In a dream, she said that she had found the future holy lands, and it was here that there would be a monastery, which had no equal on earth before. An event took place in Diveevo. After sleeping, she went to a village nearby, where she and her daughter found shelter. But, unfortunately, the daughter soon died. The woman was no longer restrained, and after the sale of the property in 1767, the construction of the great cathedral began.
When Agafya was 55 years old, suddenly her strength left her. Realizing that her end is near, she asks three monks to accept her confession. On that day, one of them was Seraphim. It was to him that she gave this divine mission over Diveevo.
Seraphim of Sarov. The Groove of the Virgin
The construction of the monastery was continued only in 1825, Seraphim Sarovsky ended his hermitage. Having accepted a responsible spiritual mission, the Mother of God also began to appear to him. She “walked around” the monastery in a circle and ordered to dig a groove along the outer circle that encloses the monastery. From now on groove of the virgin protect the monastery and its novices. After all, it was she who was supposed to become a protective line not only for the village, but for the whole of Russia.
The names of three servants who were required to dig a groove and plant gooseberries on the slopes were also named. The Mother of God also indicated the exact dimensions of the groove. They dug it for about three years, despite the weather and season, and, at the insistence of the Virgin, ONLY a WOMAN nun.
But no matter how hard the sisters tried over the miraculous structure, she could not become a ring around the monastery. 125 meters are missing, in their place the temple was supposed to be announced.
After the death of Sarov, black days came for the village. Ivan Tolstosheev called himself his follower, in fact it was not so, and in 1861 he was exposed. Despite the fact that the truth about the liar was revealed, he managed to do a lot of trouble. Change the charter of the monastery, demolish a couple of buildings and even make bridges and roads across the holy Kanavka. Thank God, he did not have time to fall asleep as he wished. In 1862, a new abbess came and everything went on the path of revival.
Holy lot of the Mother of God on earth
it holy place experienced many difficulties, atheism, and one day the time came when all the inhabitants of the monastery were ordered to leave the temple within 7 days. They did not leave the village and remained to live near the holy temple. In the 70s, a transformer substation and a boarding school were installed on the groove. Soon it continued here and ...
The gooseberries bloomed again, the groove was put in order, aligning all the grooves, since the sisters who laid it could not everywhere adhere to the proportions that the Mother of God spoke of. As for the icon from which the monastery originates, today it is located in the Fatima monastery. In Diveyevo, they are sure that the times will come when the healing miraculous icons will again see their native land.
How to get to the Diveyevo monastery
The village of Diveevo is easily accessible by any transport. The most convenient way is to get to Nizhny Novgorod. And from there, from the bus station, to the village itself.
The Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery is a special place located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Curious tourists who study the history of Russian lands as well as numerous pilgrims from Christian countries who humbly ask for the intercession of the Mother of God come here.
Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Convent
History of the monastery
The Diveyevo Convent was founded in the second half of the 18th century by Mother Alexandra (Melgunova). At the behest of the Mother of God, she went from Kiev to the north of the Russian lands. In the village of Diveyevo, the Virgin Mary appeared to the nun again and ordered to stay in this area.
In 1780, the first stone temple (Kazan Church) was consecrated, built at the expense of Mother Alexandra. Eight years later, a house was built on the lands adjacent to the Kazan Church, in which Alexandra and four novices settled.
In 1789, the monk Seraphim from the Sarov Monastery took custody of the community. In 1796, Ksenia Mikhailovna Kocheulova was elected the head of the monastic community, of whom Seraphim of Sarov spoke with great respect.
With the blessing of the trustee Seraphim, in 1827, not far from Kazanskaya, the Mill Community was founded, headed by a representative of the noble family of the Manturovs - nun Elena. With the money of Prince Mikhail Manturov, the Church of the Nativity of Christ was built.
In 1842, the Diveyevo communities united, and 20 years later they were given the status of a monastery. By the beginning of the 20th century, 1600 nuns permanently lived in the monastery.
The decline and restoration of the monastery in the XX century
After the Bolshevik revolution, the monastery continued to function until 1927. Some of the nuns settled in neighboring villages. Many were repressed. Religious buildings were placed at the disposal of administrative and educational institutions. But even in Soviet times, people came to the closed churches, held processions and services.
Lower Church of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Diveyevo Monastery
Late 80s monastic community began to function again. In the year of the celebration of the millennium of the baptism of Rus, the Diveyevo Orthodox community was registered. A year later, the Trinity Church was handed over to her. In 1991, the relics of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov were uncovered. In 1995, the monastery acquired the status of an architectural monument of federal significance.
The modern monastery is a place where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world come every year. On its territory there are several holy springs, many relics of Orthodox saints. But the main shrine of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Lavra is the Holy Canal of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Holy groove
The main shrine of the monastery appeared after the appearance of the Mother of God to Seraphim of Sarov. The Virgin Mary ordered to found a new monastery (Mill) and surround it with a moat and rampart. It was the duty of the nuns and novices of the monastery to dig a ditch in the indicated place. The labor of the villagers was used for auxiliary work. The ditch was completed in 1832.
Among the many shrines of Diveyevo, the Holy Canal occupies a special place
The groove consists of six sections with a total length of 777 meters. Its depth and width, as well as the height of the adjacent shaft, are 2.13 meters (3 cubits).
Believers claim that the holy groove is the fence of the fourth spiritual abode of the Mother of God on earth, through which even the Antichrist cannot cross. The Mother of God is invisibly present in her lot every day.
Interesting! Pilgrims and nuns are advised to come to the shrine from 3 to 4 am. They believe that at this time the Virgin Mary is walking there and is the chosen one.
Why go to Diveevo
Many argue that a tourist trip to the Diveyevo Monastery does not make sense. But the architecture of the monastery cannot leave anyone indifferent. It is the solemn and monumental appearance of the temples, the cleanliness and neatness of the territory that tune in to the thoughts necessary for humble prayer.
Diveyevo is a unique place worth visiting for spiritual cleansing and strengthening of the Faith. Coming here, people ask for the fulfillment of their deepest desires and thank the Mother of God for their fulfillment. According to tradition, believers during their journey along the Kanavka should offer the prayer of the Mother of God 150 times.
The Land of the Groove, flowers and herbs growing in it have healing properties. You can take the land from the Queen of Heaven's Groove with you in a specially equipped place.
It has many wonderful properties:
- The land from the Holy Canal in Diveyevo is used for protection from evil spirits and unkind thoughts. To do this, part of the miraculous earth is mixed with ordinary soil or sand and placed near front door or buried under the threshold of a private house.
- A handful of earth, wrapped in cloth, is applied to sick or injured parts of the body to speed up the healing process.
- The daily use of holy water, in which a small amount of soil is bred, contributes to the strengthening of physical health.
The main shrine of the Diveyevo monastery is the cancer with the holy relics of St. Seraphim
How to get to Diveyevo
The Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery is located in the village of Diveevo, Diveevsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Region. The nearest city to it, from which you can get to the Holy Monastery is Arzamas. Nizhny Novgorod is located 180 kilometers away.
Traveling by public transport
For people traveling by public transport, the method of arrival in Arzamas or Nizhny Novgorod should be chosen depending on the region of residence. Residents of Moscow should take a train leaving from the Kursk or Yaroslavl railway stations.
Having reached the station Arzamas-2, you should change to a bus to Diveevo. Buses leave at one hour intervals.
Tourists and pilgrims arriving in Nizhny Novgorod should get to the bus station on the street. Gagarin and take bus number 1645 to Diveevo. As an alternative route, you can consider a trip in the route taxi "Nizhny Novgorod - Sarov", which makes a stop in Diveyevo. This bus leaves from the bus station on the street. Lyadova.
Traveling by car
Based on the feedback from people who have repeatedly visited the monastery, a trip to the Diveyevo monastery by private car is the most economical and in a convenient way travel to the holy place. It will take an average of 7-8 hours to get to the place from the regions of Central Russia.
Transfiguration Cathedral in the Diveyevo Monastery
Motorists from Moscow need to move along the Gorkovskoe highway in the direction of Vladimir. At the roundabout in front of the city, turn towards Murom. Further, the path continues through Murom, Ardatov and Maevka. After about 270 km, travelers will arrive at Diveyevo.
Advice! To get to the Serafimo-Diveyevo Monastery, without thinking about the route scheme and accommodation problems, you can contact a travel agency. Many of them organize tourist and pilgrimage trips to the monastery.
Before the first trip to Diveyevo, you should study the history of this place, its shrines and unique relics. Without this information, the activities taking place in the monastery may be incomprehensible to tourists.
For female tourists and pilgrims, regardless of age, it is imperative to wear a long skirt and a headdress on the territory of the monastery. The monks who break this rule will be asked to leave.
When preparing for the trip, it will be useful to learn the prayer read on the Holy Canal. It contains only a few lines. A photography blessing can be purchased at the church shop, but many tourists take photos without it. The main thing is not to behave defiantly and respect the people around you.
The Diveyevo Monastery and its main shrine are a unique spiritual and architectural monument of Orthodox culture. On its territory, even non-believers feel peace, reverence for divine power and respect for the people who founded and revived the Holy Monastery.
Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery
What was the groove around the cynovia? It was created in last years life of the reverend. Seraphim. Father was in a great hurry with the construction of this groove, that is, the path along which the Queen of Heaven walked. Here is what Fr. Vasily Sadovsky in his notes: "Father Seraphim said a lot of wonderful things about this groove, that these are the little piles of the Mother of God. Then the Queen of Heaven bypassed her. This groove is high to heaven. This land was taken into the Lot by the Most Pure Mother of God herself.
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Here I have, said Father, Athos, Kiev, and Jerusalem. And as the Antichrist comes, he will pass everywhere, but he will not jump over this groove. The sisters dug this groove until the very death of Father, towards the end of his life, by his order, and in winter and summer without ceasing, fire sprayed from the ground when they cut it with an ax, but did not order to stop. "Staritsa Anna Alekseevna, one of the first sisters, says: “For six years I lived at the mill, where Father Seraphim chose us seven, where he placed us to live. Here I was the self-visionary of the next miracle. Once one of us, the next, came out of the cells and saw: Father Seraphim in a white robe began to dig a groove himself. In fright and joy, not remembering herself, she runs into her cell and tells us all. All of us in indescribable joy, who was in what, rushed to that place and, seeing Father Seraphim, threw ourselves at his feet, but, getting up, did not find him, only a spatula and a hoe lay in front of us on the dug-up earth. "Evdokia Efremovna (nun Eupraxia) also confirms this story.Elena Vasilyevna Manturova, despite the fact that she was considered the head of the mill monastery, worked on an equal basis with others and dug a groove.In the post of 1829, an order came about the sacrifice of three acres of land at the request of Father Seraphim.Father Vasily testifies that the father was in such admiration and joy that it cannot be said, and there was a great celebration, everyone stocked up pebbles and began to put them between the hammered pegs. ], Father Vasily and the elder sisters. The earth was plowed by stones placed in advance. Father Seraphim ordered the dug earth to be thrown inside the monastery, so that a shaft was formed. Also in three arshins. Father sent flower seeds to plant on the groove. Later, inside the grooves in the territory of the cynovia were planted beautiful trees, and in 1922 they were already powerful and beautiful and bent over the groove. When the groove was already clearly visible, the great Madame Diveevskaya schema-nun Martha died on August 21, 1829. Her memory falls on the day of Equal-Apostles. Mary Magdalene July 22, on the 4th day of memory of Father Seraphim. Shimonakhina Martha and Elena Vasilievna lived in Diveyevo at the same time. What a blessed feeling it was to walk along the groove with a rosary in hand, reciting the prayer "Virgin Mary, rejoice!" 150 times. Especially in the evening, when all day's anxiety subsides and complete silence sets in. The sky is somehow getting closer to the earth, praying slowly walk along the groove, as if this is not our hectic age, but the ancient Holy Russia, God knows which way it came here from the depths of centuries.
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Russia created a legend about Kitezh-city, and it was her eternal dream - to get away from the sinful world, but here was not a dream, but a true reality, here there was a true communion of heavenly beings with people. Here true visions of Father Seraphim and other saints and righteous people took place, here everyone lived a spiritual life and spiritual joys. Here the sky met the ground. Here "there was a battle with the spirits of evil in high places," which in every possible way frightened the ascetics and those who wanted to follow their path. Even the pilgrims were frightened in the dark by demonic manifestations, but everyone was protected by the grace of God, through the prayers of Father Seraphim and Mother Alexandra. Our dear brother once met a figure two stories tall on the groove and was horrified, but immediately the horror was replaced by complete peace of mind - Father Seraphim did not give anyone offense. The pilgrims walked along the groove, repeating the path of the Mother of God, nuns, priests and bishops walked, they walked pacified, having gained spiritual strength for a difficult life path at that terrible time. We walked with unforgettable impressions for a lifetime. Many took a handful of earth from the groove, and sometimes it protected them from enemy attacks. The groove was made in a quadrangle and at the corners we made, according to the ancient custom, beautiful carved turrets on the pillars with icons of the Mother of God inserted in them, walking along this groove - the turrets were removable and were removed at night by the sisters. Approaching them, the pilgrims were baptized - this was a visible reminder to them that the Queen of Heaven had walked along this path. How wonderful it all was!
On January 1, 1992, for the first time after a long break, the tradition of daily walking along the holy Canavka was renewed, when the sisters, together with the abbess, led by the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness", walk around the entire monastery.
Only six years later, work began on the site closest to the territory transferred to the monastery - from the beginning to the first turn. After the solemn prayer service on August 25, 1997, the first works began.
Since the groove in many places was almost covered with debris and was poorly distinguished, its location was clarified by several cross sections. In the sections, one could clearly see the profile of the original Kanavka, the layers that filled it as a result of sagging of the edges in the first hundred years of Kanavka's existence, and the backfill layer in Soviet times. In one of the cuts, it was possible to find the beginning of the holy Kanavka. It is remarkable that at a depth of three arshins (2.15 m), a layer of sand begins, into which water went, so that Kanavka remained dry after the rains.
Three days before the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the glorification of the Monk Seraphim, the Kanavka was dug almost completely and landscaped. The last section of Kanavka was transferred to the monastery in 2006, and its restoration was completed on July 31.
On April 27, 1995, the tradition was resumed after the late Liturgy during Easter week, daily and on Sundays before Easter, to pass along the Holy Canal in a procession with the cross. Religious processions along it are also celebrated on the feast of memory of the Monk Seraphim on January 2/15; on the feast of the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" on July 28 / August 10; for the burial of the Mother of God on August 16/30; on the holiday of the founding of the Mill Convent on December 9/22; 1/14 January at midnight on the days of the Circumcision of the Lord and St. Basil the Great with the singing of a prayer service for the new year.
For almost two centuries, people have been walking and walking in a continuous stream along the Holy Canal, following the behest of the Monk after the Queen of Heaven, in Her footsteps.
Publishing group
Holy Trinity-Seraphim-Diveevsky
nunnery.
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Holy groove
Among the many shrines of Diveyevo, a special place is occupied by the Holy Canal. Venerable Seraphim said that the Queen of Heaven herself measured with her belt and every day walks along the groove, bypassing her lot and blessing everyone. That is why it is imperative to stay in Diveyevo for a day, be sure to spend the night in order to receive this blessing of the Mother of God, who passes along the Kanavka at night. Hieromartyr Seraphim, Bishop of Dmitrovsky (Zvezdinsky), who lived at one time in the Diveyevo monastery, was honored on February 2, 1927 with a vision of the Mother of God walking along the Kanavka. His cell attendant Anna testifies that Vladyka was in his cell after the evening service and suddenly rushed to the window with incessant prayer exclamations, then to another window: “The Most Pure Theotokos is walking along the Canal! I cannot see Her wonderful beauty! " - Vladyka Seraphim said with tears.
This groove is high up to Heaven. The monk said: "Whoever passes the Canal with prayer, reads to one and a half hundred of the Theotokos, everything is here: Athos, Jerusalem, and Kiev!" instead of gold! " Every day, all the sisters walk along the Kanavka in the evening, after the evening meal, carrying in front the icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness. The Monk Seraphim said that the Antichrist will not cross the Groove. Many understand this spiritually (in particular, Vladyka Seraphim (Zvezdinsky) thought so) - whoever reads the Theotokos rule with reverence, the antichrist will not overcome his soul.
After the closure of the Diveyevo monastery, the Holy Canal suffered great damage. In many places it was filled up, the shaft was leveled, in some places it was cut by various communications. It began to be restored in 1997.
The Holy Canal was built at the behest of the Heavenly Queen herself, like everything else in Diveyevo. The groove with the shaft was supposed to surround the Mill Community and had to be dug by the hands of the sisters themselves. The groove had to be dug three arshins deep and three arshins wide, the earth had to be thrown inside the monastery in order to form a rampart also three arshins high. To strengthen the rampart, the Monk ordered to plant gooseberries. First, the Monk ordered that all the sisters go around the earth and then eat honey with soft bread. The sisters hesitated to start digging due to the excessively hard work. And so, one day, one night, another sister came out of the cell at night and saw that the Father Eraphim in a white robe began to dig the groove himself. In fright and joy, she runs into the cell and tells all the sisters this. Everyone ran out to this place, and, seeing Father, bowed at his feet, but, getting up, did not find him. Only the shovel and the hoe were on the ground. The groove had already been dug from the yard. The other sister had visited Father in Sarov the night before and spent the night in his desert. And in the morning he sends her: "Come, mother, tell the girls, let them start digging a groove today, I was there and started it myself." She walked and wondered, how did Father go to Diveevo? She comes to the monastery, and there the sisters vying with each other tell her how they saw Batiushka. And she told them hers. The sisters, amazed by such a miracle, began to work without delay. They dug for three years and finished it by the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, and soon, on January 2 (15), Saint Seraphim departed to the Lord.
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It is difficult to write about Diveyevo. Before coming here, I read different reviews about him and was always surprised at their ascetic style of storytelling. I love, and I myself have a penchant, for flowery presentation, for details and details, and such stinginess of words and feelings puzzled me. But now, having returned from this truly wondrous place, I myself do not know where to start, nor how to write about what we saw and felt there - it is very difficult to find the right words. I will try.
Diveevo is a special land. This is a special piece of our planet where a person has the opportunity to cleanse his soul.
I'm in and 
ABOUT THE MONASTERY: OUR EXPERIENCES. GROOVE OF THE MOTHER
The Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery itself occupies a fairly large area, but even it seems to be small - there are a lot of pilgrims and people who come here. In the monastery fence from Oktyabrskaya Street there are several entrances to the monastery. We quite accidentally went the right way - through the Bell Tower. Correct - because it turns out so more solemnly, not just jump out somewhere on the side of the territory, namely, go through the arch of the bell tower, see Trinity Cathedral light green color through the openwork cast-iron gates, a large paved square, bright flower beds, behind them a majestic Transfiguration Cathedral boiled white, almost a copy of the first, only with more rounded shapes. The domes on this cathedral and the bell tower do not just burn with gold, but shine dazzlingly, like full-fledged additional suns to the main luminary. There is a lot of gold in the sky. That's very beautiful.
Entrance to the monastery
On the territory of the monastery, for some reason, it was clearly felt that the Trinity Cathedral (there are the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov) is masculine, and the Preobrazhensky is feminine. Although, in reality, of course, there is no such division. Perhaps it seems so, based on their appearance: Troitsky is tall, slightly angular, green, steel-gray domes, and Preobrazhensky is slender, soft, whiter than snow and golden domes.
Trinity Cathedral 
Transfiguration Cathedral
We went to the Trinity Cathedral. The service was going on and there were a lot of people inside, so we stood for a while, went out and began to go around it. On the left I saw a large queue. She stood at the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, to which there is a separate entrance. We didn't stand there. I don’t know how to honestly explain why, let's just say - we felt inappropriate to contact him in the state in which we were then. Of course, it is very offensive that we have done this ridiculously. But on the other hand, his invisible presence in Diveyevo is almost tangible materially.
They say that the nuns often meet the gray-bearded old man at the Holy Canal, and the builders saw him in the church, and the children whom he especially loved often tell their parents about the kind grandfather who talked to them. In the Trinity Cathedral, you can also see some things that belonged to Father Seraphim: a robe, a pectoral cross, an epitrachelion, leather gloves, shoes and a cast iron. This cathedral also houses the favorite icon of Father Seraphim, "Our Lady of Tenderness." 
We walk around the territory, look closely, orient ourselves, listen to the numerous guides who lead the groups. It is very interesting to listen to, especially since we are in no hurry, unlike tour groups, so we listen to how several guides talk about the same thing, but in different ways.
Behind Troitsky cathedral there is a small necropolis. The abbess, several blessed eldresses from the monastery, and monks found their last refuge here. We've never seen anything like this. I'll talk about them below. Graves - velvet green mounds all in flowers are revered as holy places. People come here specially to communicate mentally with the blessed, to ask their help. 
Then we go to Transfiguration Cathedral... There is also a line inside to venerate the relics of the three Diveyevo blessed ones (I will also tell about them separately). Here in the cathedral I learn about holy oil, about biscuits from the saint's iron pot, and about a piece of land from Kanavka (details will be below, I don't want to be distracted now). But we have no time for that now. 
We leave the Cathedral and ask where Groove... It begins immediately behind the Transfiguration Cathedral, slightly to the right, and ends also approximately behind it, but already to the left. I prepared for it in advance.
You can, of course, walk along the groove and just like that, but somehow I doubt that this will succeed. This is a very prayed and strong place, and when you go behind the forged gate, where its Beginning is, and enter this high path on the crest of the rampart, and below you there is a high slope and a narrow groove, it’s like passing from gravity in the absence of gravity. There is a completely different air here, even a completely different line of thought - the old one was left behind the gate. 
The Holy Canal must be traversed by reading the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos or the Archangel's greeting (with these words the Archangel Gabriel greeted the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation): “Virgin Mary, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with Thee; blessed are you in wives and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as you gave birth to our souls ”.
Father Seraphim spoke like this: “This groove is the piles of the Mother of God. Whoever passes the groove with prayer, and reads one and a half hundred "Theotokos", everything is here: Athos, Jerusalem, and Kiev. "
I have a rosary in my hands, however, I confess, they are Buddhist, souvenir and they have 108 pea beads, and the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos must be read 150 times, so at home I marked the necessary bead with a red ribbon. The rosary is very convenient to use, they are needed in order not to lose count.
The people who walk along the Kanavka are certainly all very different, and there are very, very peculiar. When someone reads a prayer out loud in a chanting voice, it is, of course, inconvenient, but tolerable, but there is also a bulletproof contingent who in front of you casually and selflessly discusses "Nadya's behavior with Lenka" - this is beyond my understanding. 
The groove is very long, it has a broken path, it is curved in different ways, surrounded by flowers. In the spring here on the slopes (I see) lilies of the valley bloom, in the summer there are different flowers, there are even very well-groomed vegetable gardens along it.
You need to start reading the prayer as soon as you step on it, otherwise you will not have time to read it 150 times. Its length and the number of prayers were thought out by the holy elder Seraphim himself. 
Walking around Kanavka, we saw a huge tree not far away behind the monastery fence, which was decorated with something and attracted our attention. Then we went there. It turned out to be huge larch of Tsarevich Alexei... This tree was planted in honor of the first anniversary of the birth of the Tsarevich - that is, in 1905. The bark of this larch on the cut has the color of caked blood, and so does the resin. No other similar trees have been found in nature. It is fenced off by a low picket fence, there is a stand next to it, and a photograph of him hangs. Icons of the royal family are hung on the larch and the fence, and prayer services are served. 
Stories about the trip to Murom and Diveevo
