Mammoth Desert

Tambov region

The word "desert" means "a monastery in a remote desert area", and Mamontovoy it is named after the founder-elder Mamant. It was he, according to legend, who found here at three lindens a large full-length icon of St. Nicholas, which was the reason for the creation of the monastery
The monastery was founded in the 17th century and initially suffered greatly from poverty. But gradually the monastery filled up and began to flourish. This time was marked by the appearance here of amazing tall wooden sculptures - a unique monument of ancient Russian architecture. All of them were skillfully carved and covered with gold leaf. In the 20th century, scientists became very interested in these monuments and managed to take them out of the monastery literally 6 years before the destruction of the monastery by the Soviet authorities. Today the sculptures are kept in the Morshansk Art Museum. In 2003, the revival of the monastery began, building a temple, a chapel and a font for believers in its place. The fact is that the Holy Lake, on the banks of which the monastery stood, was considered healing.