The town of Pechory is situated at the distance of 55 kilometers
to the west of the town of Pskov, close to the border with Estonia. One can observe the historical buildings,
monuments of traditional defense and civil architecture and traditional homesteads there as as well the
monastery which has been functioning without interruption for over 500 years.
The Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky (Pskov-Caves) Monastery is considered to have been founded in
August 1473. On August 15/28 1473 the founder of the Monastery, St. Jonah (Shesnik) consecrated the church of the Dormition
of the Most Holy Mother of God.
Pechory Monastery started to grow and
soon became very rich and famous among people in Russia. The 16th century was the time of its flourishing, when under
Abbot Cornelius the Annunciation and St. Nicholas Churches were built as well as the stone belfry, and
the Monastery was surrounded by a stone wall with towers. There was a big library, created by Abbot
Cornelius, as well as an icon-painting workshop. The Monastery became an important missionary center
and stronghold of Orthodoxy at the western border of Russia.
In the 16th and 17th centuries Pechory Monastery, like many other places on the western border of Russia,
suffered from numerous attacks by Poland, Lithuania, Sweden and Germany.
The most serious attack took place in 1581 when the Polish King Stephan Batory wanted to invade the northwestern
part of Russia.
In 1920 the town of Pechory, according to the Tartu Agreement, was given to Estonia, and the Monastery
found itself outside the Soviet Union.
After WWII, in the 50's, the revival of the monastery began, and Archimandrite Alipi contributed greatly to
reviving the monastery.
It was under his abbacy that all the churches were repaired as well as the stone wall with towers was restored.
Nowadays there are ten churches in the monastery. Currently the monastic community comes to over 90 people.
The brethren have daily morning and evening services, perform perpetual psalter reading and spiritually guide a
large number of people seeking their wise spiritual counsel.
There are an icon-painting and an icon-restoration workshops in the monastery. There is a beautiful
garden with different species of plants and trees in the inner yard of the Monastery.
In 2003 the Monastery celebrated its 530th anniversary.
You can find a tour to Pechory Monastery in our selection of Pskov Tours.
