The main holiday of the cloister

Sisters with flowers

Are there many citizens in Ekaterinburg who know the ninth of July to be the main holiday of the sole women's cloister in the Ural region? Not that we are aware of. As opposed to it, before the Revolution this day was really meaninful not only for the monastery, but for the whole city as well: there were hundreds of faithful townsmen and numerous pilgrims from the neighbouring villages coming to the monastery. This tradition sprang thanks to the founder of the Novo-Tikhvin monastery Mother Superior Taisiya. After the foundation of the monastery she ordered an exact copy of the miraculous icon to be painted for the monastery. It arrived in Ekaterinburg on the very day of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God — June 26, 1811. Her venerable image in the presence of all Ekaterinburg clergy and Orthdox believers was brought into the cloister with the religious procession.

The religious procession on July 9, 1994

Since then every year when celebrating the Tikhvin icon the religious procession is held in the monastery. Specially for this patronal festival there were the so called Tikhvin trade fairs known far beyond the bounds of the Ural land organized on the day of the wonder-working icon celebration. Nowadays in the monastery cathedral in honor of Saint Alexander Nevskiy one can find the reverend icon of the Mother of God, which was transferred to the monastery during its restoration in 1994. The origin of the icon is not known for certain. There exists an assumption it was painted by the sisters of the monastery at the end of the nineteenth — beginning of the twentieth century. This icon is known to give a blessed assist for those who pray in the face of it. People healed of various diseases out of a feeling of gratitude to the Holy Mother adorned Her holy image.

The Tikhvin icon

At present by the regenerated tradition after the festive liturgy the religious procession accompanied by the joyous tolling of bells is held, the sisters of the cloister being in advance of it. The sisters are followed  clergy with Archbishop of Ekaterinburg and Verkhoturye Vikenty at the head of them. The priests carry the two most important monastery objects — the Tikhvin image of the Mother of God and shrine with the relics of 25 Saints. Flowers are strewn by the sisters all over the way.

Fortunately, lately the monastery began to gradually restore its historic territory, which is now occupied with a district hospital. Of course, it is especially important for the monastery to get back its cathedrals — they were 6 in the cloister. Our sisters hope some day they will be able to celebrate the Tikhvin icon in the Uspenskiy cathedral which is the oldest of all the cloister temples. It is the very church where in the eighteenth century the founder of the monastery prayed along with her few sisters. Their prayers were heard, and the Uspenskiy cathedral afterwards became the first temple of the Novo-Tikhvin cloister.

Also look:
— Album with the photos of the religious procession on the day of the Tihvin icon of the Mother of God

Also read:
— Our Heavenly Abbess