Remote monastery blown up by Soviets restored by parachuters
(27 Jul 2019) LEAD IN:
A remote monastery on a tiny island in the middle of a Russian lake is being rebuilt by volunteers who parachute onto the island each year.
One of the oldest churches in northern Russia, the Spaso Kamenny Monastery was blown up by the Soviet Regime in the 1930's.
For the past decade the parachuters have been painstakingly restoring it to its former glory.
STORY-LINE
Kubensky Lake, northern Russia.
On this small island in the north of Russia, about 5 kilometres from the Vologda Oblast mainland, sits one of the oldest monasteries in the country, and one of the first to be built in stone.
Located in Kubensky lake the Spaso Kamenny Monastery - or 'Saviour on Stone' has weathered many storms during its 760 year history.
Apart from some outbuildings housing church equipment and a temporary eating area, the monastery is the sole occupant of this 120 by 70 metre island island.
A handful of visitors come during the summer months - either to visit this magnificent building or to attend services which restarted in 2010 - along with a restoration programme,
In 2010, when the 750th anniversary of the monastery was celebrated, a refectory church was built and the bell tower was restored, and the Liturgy began to be celebrated, says resident abbot, Father Dionisy Vozdvizhensky.
As legend has it, in 1260 the Prince of Belozersk was washed up onto the island's shore following a storm. At the time, the island was inhabited by hermits.
To show his gratitude, he ordered the construction of a wooden church.
It is a very famous monastery, very significant in a history, which had a large number of followers. Such a place can't be forgotten. Because holy patrons of the monastery didn't forget it, they pray for this place, explains Vozdvizhensky.
In 1774, a powerful fire destroyed almost all of the wooden buildings, after which the monastery remained closed until it was rebuilt in 1801.
In 1925, during the Soviet regime, the monastery was transformed into a prison, but 12 years later that too was closed down and the building was blown up.
Locals say it was done to get bricks for the construction of the local house of culture.
However, an attempt to remove the building material from the island was not successful. The wreckage of the old monastery lies to this day on the island.
Since 1991, a group of enthusiasts backed by heritage funding and under the guidance of a Vologda resident, Alexander (Sasha) Pligin began the restoration of the Spaso-Kamenny monastery.
The restoration continues to this day.
There were ruins because a long time ago someone blew it up (monastery) on the island, which was called Spas-Kamen. Sasha Pligin (a paratrooper and volunteer restoring the monastery) was coming and restoring it. I remember him and other men on tractors dragging some equipment there. The water was flooding everything and it was necessary to get onto the island, says Oleg Boikov, senior instructor of Vologda flying club.
Pligin was parachuter and in memory of his work a number of restorers and members of the local parachute club jump to the island every year to mark the opening of the restoration season.
The fact that we make a jump almost every year is a tribute. A tribute to the man who is associated with parachuting, and with our history. This is why we make these jumps. says Evgeniy Shpakovskiy, a member of Vologda flying club.
After Pilgin's death in 2014, his widow Nadezhda Aleksandrovna continued his work restoring the monastery.
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