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Only
in 1994 the Ploschansky Hermitage was given back to monks. When
they came here they saw ugly ruins instead of the once beautiful
monastery. They lived in a small house, former prosphora-bakery,
with a leaking roof. Soon local Christians brought to the monastery
the first and second copies of the Kazan icon as well as other
icons and service books which they had saved in the Soviet period.
Services were resumed, more and more people attended them. Bells
were installed in the heavily damaged bell tower. In the past
the ringing of the monastery bells had been heard even in Sevsk,
70 km away from here. In due course the brotherhood bought eight
cows, a horse and hens and began to grow vegetables and fruit.
In a very large fruit garden owned the monastery there is an
apiary with 40 hives. The brothers are always glad to treat
pilgrims with monastery honey.
In
1996 the monks got back part of the school building, former
cell house, while in the other part children had lessons until
1998, when the school moved to another building. In 1997 a graceful
wooden chapel of St Nicholas was put up over the holy spring
of the same name close to Ploschansky Lake.
In the same year part of the abbot's house was restored. Its
basement is used by joiner's and other workshops.
The brotherhood consists mostly of well-educated monks who had
graduated from universities or colleges. Each of them has his
own life-story, has been led by the Divine Providence to monasticism
by his own, individual path. Not everyone who came stayed at
the monastery. Some found such strictly disciplined life hard
and left. But those who had vocation remained.
Services are held here three times a day - in the morning, evening
and at midnight. They are much longer than in churches for laymen.
After the morning service till dinner and after dinner till
the evening service brothers are busy with their "obediences"
- some sort of work assigned to everyone. In the evening they
study the Holy Scripture and read other Christian books. No
one can quit his job or leave the monastery territory without
the abbot's blessing. Not many people choose this way of life
which seems severe and not easy. Nevertheless there are more
than 40 brothers in the hermitage, among them 14 hieromonks,
one hegumen and one archimandrite.
In 1995 the former house of elder Herman was completely restored
and several brothers were accommodated in it. In August 1998
the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God was rebuilt.
Restored at the same time was a refectory with a kitchen. In
1999 the house of the monastery treasurer was constructed and
the monks started building a garage, farm and other auxiliary
structures.
In 2000 a hostel for pilgrims was put up near the restored southern
monastery wall and in 2001 the southern gate was renovated and
the gateway Church of All Saints was put up in 2002.
In 1999 the foundation of the destroyed Kazan Cathedral was
excavated. In 2001 the remains of the last abbot of the monastery
in the pre-revolutionary period hegumen Nicodemus (Spiridonov)
who led the brotherhood in the 1920s were translated to the
hermitage from the Athanasyevsky Cemetery of Orel. In 2002 the
eastern wall and two towers in the corners with the eastern
gate were erected.
The April of 2002 was marked by an important event - uncovering
of the relics of the famous elder Vasily Kishkin. In accordance
with the blessing of the bishop his canonization is being prepared
now.
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