A Tale of the Tverskoy Otroch Monastery
The great Tver prince Yaroslav Yaroslavich had a loyal servant, a boy named Gregory. The prince trusted him in everything, charging even to go to his villages and collect tribute. It happened once that servant was in the Volga village of Edimonove, that is from Tver in fourteen versts, and he stopped at the house of the local sexton Athanasius. The owner also had a daughter Xenia, the beauty of the unsung and the most friendly and pious nature. From early youth, the girl loved listening to the Holy Scripture, comprehending it not only with the mind, but also with the heart.
Gregory saw the girl and was stupefied: such a beauty! I fell in love at first sight and planned to marry. But how to persuade the prince how to get his consent? And he did not hide from the sexton, he told about his love. The sexton first became frightened and did not believe: “You are serving with such a noble prince, but we are simple and poor people.” But he told his wife and daughter, and his
Well, they agreed to be a wedding in that village and get married in the church of Demetrius of Thessalonica.
Having finished the business, Grigory hurried to Tver. He will remember the girl – and he is so light and joyful in his soul! And the girl, as he left, reassures his parents: “Do not be surprised, he thinks so, but God will do everything his own way.” This is not destined to become my husband, but to the other, to whom God will give to me. ” They were amazed at her speeches, but did not understand them.
Grigory, having waited for a convenient moment, fell to the prince’s feet, told of his persuasion and begged to give his consent. At first, the Grand Duke discouraged him: “If you’re thinking about getting married, get married, but choose a pair of boyar children for yourself.” Take the poor one-you’ll be ashamed of yourself and your parents, boyars and friends: you’ll hate everyone, then it will
Finally the prince gave his consent, ordered the barque to be prepared for the groom – Edimonovo stood on the Volga, – he himself promised to catch up on the day of the wedding, he came ashore, and went hunting. And before that in the night he dreams of a dream, like he was on the hunt, and then he let his favorite falcon, and he caught him a blueberry of unusual beauty. The prince thought for a long time what that dream meant (and Prince Yaroslav was still unmarried, only twenty years old).
The lad approached the river, came to shore and sent messengers to the village to say that they were in a hurry. The girl answered the messengers that everything was not ready, she would send the message herself. And his own says: “My Swat has arrived, and the bridegroom is still in the field.”
At night the prince sees the same dream again, but does not know how to understand it. The boy, seeing that time is running, hurries everyone. The young girl says to the boy: “Do not rush, I will still have an uninvited guest, better called!”.
The prince was hunting nearby, but he did not visit Edimonov and did not know where. And now he sees a swarm of swans on the Volga, he started hawks and falcons on them. Many swans were caught, and the favorite falcon played and flew to the village. The prince is behind him. The falcon sat on the church and cleanses the feathers. The prince asks, what kind of village and whose is it? He is answered – Yaroslav Yaroslavich, his, that is, and he has never been there and he will not be recognized: in hunting clothes, in road dust. They think that he knows horses, he has come to the groom.
Now the people are already going to the church to go, and the girl suddenly says: “Meet my betrothed.” Come on, look, and this is the prince! All forgiveness is asked that they did not meet, but the girl says to the boy: “Arise, give your place to the prince.” He is my fiance, and you were a matchmaker! ” The Grand Duke looked at her and froze-as if the rays from her face were shining, she was so beautiful! And the prince said to the young man: “Go, seek for another bride, and I take this.”
The prince took the girl by the hand and led him to church and on the same day he was married as expected. And there was a great joy in the prince, and he commanded everyone to treat all night long until morning. And when the prince left the church, his favorite falcon flew to his voice from the dome of the church and sat on his right hand, looking both at the prince and the princess, as if having fun.
The boy did not drink, did not eat, and at night, praying, he took off all the princely clothes and put on a simple and old dress that he bought from a peasant, and secretly left all of them into the woods, into the most desolate thickets, where the eyes look.
The next morning they missed him, but he did not. Search. Everyone went around – they found just the dress they had taken. The prince especially ordered to pass along the river, to look around the wells – he was afraid he betrayed himself to the soul: “I am guilty of his death.” The princess objected: “God wanted it so: it was not human desire that you, the Grand Duke, come to our poverty and take me.”
Then the young returned to Tver, they were joyfully greeted by the whole people “from young to old,” and feasting lasted three more days.
And the servant of God came to the river Tvertsu, in a remote forest place, and put a hut there. But one day people came to his dwelling, began to find out who he was, but from where, but who told him to settle here. The boy did not answer, and when they left, he went to look for a new place, in an even deaf forest, asking for visions from the Mother of God.
And one day in a dream he sees a clear field and a light shining. He woke up and thought about the vision for a long time. And the same night appeared to him in a dream of the Most Pure and commanded to erect a church in the name of the Assumption and indicated the place: “Go and do not be afraid, the prince will help you.” And when you put the monastery, you will live very little and go to heaven. “
The boy thought how to do what was commanded. In these thoughts, and caught him wading through the thickets of animal trappers. They recognized Grigory and were glad that, having lived in the wild forest for more than three years, he was alive and sound. They persuaded him to go to the prince, who was also glad, kissed Grigory and shed tears. The prince immediately ordered to bring his former clothes, but the boy objected: “I did not come for this”, and told everything about his life and about his visions.
And the prince gave him people, cleared the place, led the masters and set up the church. And when the church was consecrated in the name of the Assumption of the Virgin, then there were the prince and the princess, and the entire prince’s court. And they called that place the Otroch monastery and glorified the Lord and His Most Pure Mother. And the next day the young man was tonsured into a monastic order and was named Guriy. He lived a little after the tonsure, and was buried there in the same place. The monastery is still there.
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