Photo: temples and places of worship, abbeys and monasteries, other places, The Nilovo-Stolbensky desert, Tver

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Nilovo-Stolbensky desert: a monastery on the island

Temples and places of worship • Abbeys and Monasteries • Other places

Nilov Monastery is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Russia. It is located 200 kilometers far from Tver, near the town of Ostashkov. Since 1528 St. Nil Stolobensky lived in seclusion on Stolobny Island in Lake Seliger. He spent 27 years alone there: first in the dugout, and later in the cell, which he himself had built. Before his death, he bequeathed to build a monastery on the island. Founded in 1594, the monastery was named after him.

Over 450 years the Nilov Monastery experienced both prosperity and a fall. Throughout the twentieth century, the premises of the monastery were occupied by the labor commune, a colony for juvenile offenders, a camp for war prisoners and a hospital. But now it is again a revered shrine, where pilgrims come year round. The main cathedral of the monastery is Epiphany Cathedral. It was built on the site of the former temple. This building is a relatively new one - dated in 1833. From the bell tower, on which one can climb, a fabulous view of the monastery and the picturesque lake Seliger opens.

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