Optina Pustyn, Eastern Orthodox monastery in Kozelsk, Russia
Optina Pustyn is an Eastern Orthodox monastery in Kozelsky District, near the town of Kozelsk. The complex includes several churches, among them the large Kazan Cathedral and the Church of Saint Hilarion the Great, along with residential buildings for monks and pilgrims.
A repentant robber named Opta founded the monastery in the early 15th century after becoming a monk. The first written mention of the site dates from the reign of Boris Godunov.
The monastery influenced Russian literature as Fyodor Dostoevsky incorporated details from his visit into The Brothers Karamazov, basing the character of Elder Zosima on a monk.
Regular bus services run multiple times daily between the monastery and Moscow, with the complete journey taking around five hours. Visitors should wear appropriate clothing as this is an active religious site.
Fyodor Dostoevsky visited the monastery and incorporated impressions from this trip into his novel The Brothers Karamazov. The character of Elder Zosima is based on a monk the writer met there.
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