Klopsky monastery, Orthodox monastery in Novgorodsky District, Russia.
Klopsky Monastery stands on the Verjazha River where it flows into Lake Ilmen, about 20 km south of Veliky Novgorod. Its centre is the four-pillar Trinity Cathedral, built in the 1560s with three domes and later rebuilt in the early 19th century under abbot Gerasim (Gaydukov), who replaced the tent roof with a hipped one and added two more domes. Beside it lie the ruined refectory Church of St Nicholas, first recorded in 1581, and a wooden church dedicated to Michael Klopsky.
The monastery was founded in the 15th century and grew in prominence under Michael Klopsky, who led the community for approximately four decades beginning in the early 1400s. This period of leadership shaped the monastery's development and its role in regional spiritual life.
The monastery's name is explained by a local tradition: the river Veryazha and the unnamed stream around the site are said to trace the shape of a bedbug (klop). Pilgrims mark the memory of St. Michael of Klop on 24 January (11 January old style) and his arrival on 6 July (23 June old style).
The monastery stands on the Veryazha River where it flows into Lake Ilmen, about 20 km south of Veliky Novgorod. The Trinity Cathedral was consolidated in the 1960s, but the Nikolsky refectory church, destroyed in the Second World War, is still a ruin, so expect scaffolding and rubble beside the restored buildings. Restoration has been under way since the site was returned to the Novgorod eparchy in 2005.
Michael Klopsky earned a reputation for making prophecies about major events in Russian history, giving the monastery additional spiritual prestige in the region. His visions attracted the attention of powerful figures who sought his counsel.
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