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Church of the Life-Giving Spring

Церковь Живоносного источника

On the lower tier of the monastery, closest to the river, is the Church of the Life-Giving Spring, built on the site of the spring with healing waters, found under the icon. It was built in 1713 at the expense of Field War Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev, a hero of the Northern War, commemorating the victories of the Russian army. The church is right by the water itself, and stays cool in the summer. Don't miss its unique altar, made of materials resistant to cold and moisture, faience and porcelain. In 1835, the church was connected to the monastery square via a gallery-passage, which with its steep stone vaults of eight stone ledges resembles the descent into the caves of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the gallery of the Athos monasteries. A steep iron staircase (with benches for breaks) leads from the monastery square to the lower tier.

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Svoboda, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Main wellspring
Главный источник
The main source of the spring is decorated in the style of elm roots. Next to it are well-maintained baths, and a little to the right there is an open spot for swimming. It will save you from the queue at the pool, and at the same time will allow you to take in the waters from all sources that flow directly into the river. The course of the water here is quite fast, but the river itself is shallow, about to the waist. The clean and cool water is quite refreshingǃ Away from the main source, along the riverbank, there are several smaller wellsprings with wooden chapels: the Kazan Icon, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Panteleimon the Healer and the farthest - Seraphim of Sarov. Another wellspring is located near the source of St. Nicholas. It usually has few people, but it can be closed. All these sources are located along a windbreak, and a path leads to them from the church. If you do not have containers for bringing water home, you can buy it at a kiosk at the Church of the Life-Giving Spring or at the gates of the monastery.
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Monument to Saint Seraphim of Sarov
The monument to Seraphim Sarovsky, born in Kursk, was unveiled in 1998 near the walls of the Cathedral of the Nativity (at that time, not yet restored). The author of the sculpture is the same Vyacheslav Klykov. Eight years earlier, a similar sculpture by the same author was installed in Sarov. According to legend, nine-year-old Prokhor Moshnin (future Seraphim of Sarov) was cured by kissing the Kursk Root Icon during the procession. Later, Seraphim repeatedly visited the monastery, and in memory of this a chapel was built over one of the wellsprings. Near the monument is an observation deck with the best views of the surrounding landscapes in the monastery.
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Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Собор Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы
The main cathedral of the monastery is located just below the bell tower on the monastery square, which is centered on the "Reunion" monument. The current form of the cathedral, with its crossed-dome plan, was erected in 1860 on the site of the wooden chapel erected by hunters in 1295, right where the spring emerged after they removed the icon from the roots. It was destroyed by the Bolsheviks - the church you see today was built on the remaining foundation. A little past the cathedral is a monument to Saint Seraphim of Sarov as well as an observation deck, which offers a picturesque view of the Tuskar river valley and the lower buildings of the monastery.
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Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Храм Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы
On the main square to the left of the cathedral, this church was erected in 1819, originally as the All Saints Church, which was used as the main winter church. A long refectory for the brethren of the monastery is built into the building.