Pskov Monastery of the Caves

[Austrvegr]

Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery or The Pskovo-Pechersky Dormition Monastery or Pskov-Caves Dormition Monastery (Russian: Ïñêî́âî-Ïå÷́åðñêèé Óñïǻíñêèé ìîíàñòû́ðü, Estonian: Petseri klooster) is a Russian Orthodox male monastery, located in Pechory, Pskov Oblast in Russia, just a few kilometers from the Estonian border.

The monastery was founded in the mid-15th century, when the first hermits settled in local caves. The first cave Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos (öåðêîâü Óñïåíèÿ Áîãîðîäèöû) was built in 1473 (its modern facade was constructed in the 18th century).

After the monastery had been destroyed by Livonians, it was rebuilt by a Pskovian dyak Mikhail Munekhin-Misyur in 1519. A posad (settlement) was built next to the monastery, which would later grow into a town. In the 1550s-1560s, Pskovo-Pechorsky Monastery and its posad were surrounded by a wall with towers (eventually, these fortifications were rebuilt in 1701).

The monastery became an important outpost for defending the western border of Russia. In 1581–1582, it withstood the siege laid by Stefan Batory’s army. In 1611–1616, the monastery repelled the attack of the Polish army led by Jan Karol Chodkiewicz and Aleksander Józef Lisowski and Swedish army led by Gustav II Adolf.

Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery lost its importance after the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. In 1920–1945, Pskovo-Pechorsky Monastery belonged to Estonia. The monastery was one of the few acting male monasteries in the USSR, having been saved from destruction by Pechory being Estonian territory before World War II. In Soviet times, famous Russian mystic Sampson Sievers briefly lived and served in the monastery.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union the monastery has flourished. Currently the monastic community numbers over 90. In 2003 the monastery marked the 530th anniversary of its existence.

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