St Elisabeth Convent, Minsk

St Elisabeth Convent

Свята-Елісавецінскі манастыр
Monastery information
Established	1999
Diocese	Diocese of Minsk (Belarusian Orthodox Church)
Site
Public access	Accessible
Website	http://obitel-minsk.org

St Elisabeth Convent (Template:Lang-be, Template:Lang-ru) is a Russian Orthodox convent on the outskirts of Minsk, Belarus, founded on 7 December 1996 with the blessing of Metropolitan Philaret, and consecrated in the name of the holy martyr Elisaveta Fyodorovna Romanova. Currently, it is the only functioning monastery in the city.

Convent Churches

• Church of the Reigning Icon of the Mother of God: consecrated on October 18, 2008 by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow. Serves as the Convent's Katholikon. Patronal feast: March 15, New Style.
• Church of the Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth Romanov: consecrated on January 2, 2005 and mainly used for everyday services. Patronal feast: July 18, New Style.
• Church of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco: built on the territory of the National Mental Health Center and consecrated on June 2, 2019. Patronal feast: July 2, New Style.
• Crypt Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: the first of the Convent's churches. Consecrated on January 10, 1999. Patronal feast: May 22 and December 19, New Style
• Church of the Holy Royal Martyrs: consecrated on October 13, 2012. Used for weekday services once a week and serves as a Baptistery. Patronal feast: July 17, New Style.
• Church of the "Inexhaustible Chalice" Icon of the Mother of God: built on the Convent farm in the village of Lysaya Gora, Minsk region and consecrated on January 3, 2010. Patronal east: May 18, New Style.
• Church of the Resurrection of the Righteous Lazarus "of the Four Days in the Tomb": located at the Northern Cemetery in Minsk. Consecrated on May 10, 2005. Patronal feast: Lazarus Saturday.
• Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh: located on the Convent farm near the village of Nelidovichi. Patronal feast: October 8, New Style.
• House Church of the Holy Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg: located on the territory of residential care facility No. 3 for the elderly and the disabled in Minsk. Consecrated on February 6, 1998. Patronal feast: February 6, New Style.
• Church of St. Nektarios of Aegina: located on the territory of the boarding home for mentally and physically disabled children with special needs in Novinki (Minsk). Patronal feast: November 22, New Style.
• House Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith Hope and Love and Their Mother Sophia: located in the building of the St Elisabeth Convent Sunday school. Patronal feast: September 30, New Style
• House Church of the Kykkos (Merciful) Icon of the Mother of God: Patronal feast: November 25, New Style.

Community Life

Community life at St. Elisabeth Convent is structured around spiritual and service-oriented activities, defined by the involvement of the Orthodox Sisterhood of Mercy, monastic routines, and a schedule of divine services.

Orthodox Sisterhood of Mercy

According to its statute, the Orthodox Sisterhood of Mercy, integral to St. Elisabeth Convent and established in 1994, embodies a dual mission: to cultivate Christian virtue as taught by the Orthodox Church and to actively support the Church and those in need. Known as the “Sisters of Mercy,” these lay members, distinct from the monastics by their white attire, engage alongside the monastic sisters in the community’s outreach ministries, particularly serving marginalised individuals at various institutions including the National Centre for Mental Health, Minsk City Clinical Hospital #2, and the convent’s own Rehabilitative Farm Communities. Their ministry extends beyond practical aid; they offer spiritual and emotional support through discussions, shared spiritual readings, and preparation for sacraments. Additionally, the sisters manage church shops across the city, providing guidance about Orthodoxy and inspiring spiritual engagement among the community.

Monastic Structure and Daily Routines

Community life at St. Elisabeth Convent is inspired by the examples of the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy in Moscow and St John the Baptist Monastery in Essex, and guided by its patroness, the Venerable Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna. The Mother Superior addresses the monastery’s day-to-day matters, while the spiritual life revolves around weekly monastic and sisterhood meetings where members share experiences, discuss spiritual matters, and pray for unity using the prayer of Schema-archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov).

Monastic life is also characterised by collective decision-making in work matters and the spiritual development of each sister, who lives in shared cells, regularly consults with a confessor, and maintains a diary for spiritual reflection. The sisters' duties encompass a range of responsibilities from managing daily monastery operations to engaging in outreach activities. Labour obedience generally occupies about seven hours a day, with additional time spent on urgent tasks or visiting the sick.

The community continually welcomes new members, with many of the senior nuns originally part of the sisterhood of mercy. Admission is open to all, regardless of age or physical ability, as long as the individual demonstrates a commitment to overcoming personal challenges for spiritual growth and service. As of 2024, the monastery is home to 120 nuns, with nearly 105 having taken monastic vows in the Rassophore or Lesser Schema.

Prayer Life and Services

The daily cycle of divine services forms the cornerstone of spiritual life at St. Elisabeth Convent. Weekdays from Tuesday to Friday begin with the midnight service at 05:45 AM, followed by the office of the hours and confession at 06:30, and Divine Liturgy at 7:00 AM. The sisters' schedule includes breakfast, lunch at 12:30, and dinner at 17:15, with the evening service starting at 17:45, encompassing the ninth hour, vespers, matins, and the first hour, and concluding with a daily procession and the rite of forgiveness.

The weekend schedule varies, with midnight service on Saturdays at 7:00 AM, followed by a vigil and confession at 7:50, and Liturgy at 08:10. Sundays and the eves of the twelve Great Feasts feature an All-Night Vigil at 18:00, with Sunday Liturgies held at 07:00, 08:30, and 10:00. Special services include weekly Akathist readings and prayer services for various saints and icons throughout the week.

Lent introduces changes to the routine with services beginning at 04:00 from Monday to Friday, incorporating the midnight office, Matins, Hours, Typica, and Vespers, along with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Each sister actively participates in the services and maintains a private prayer rule tailored to her duties and spiritual needs. The convent emphasises frequent communion and the importance of personal prayer, prescribing specific prayers and readings according to each sister's monastic rank, ranging from novices to fully professed nuns. This structured prayer life is aimed to ensure continuous spiritual engagement and growth within the monastic community.

Community Outreach

St. Elisabeth Convent actively engages in a broad spectrum of charitable activities, aimed at providing care, support, and spiritual guidance through diverse initiatives including services for individuals with disabilities, hospital ministry, therapeutic community farms, and a visiting nurse service.

Serving People with Disabilities

St. Elisabeth Convent collaborates with state-run care facilities to support individuals with disabilities, providing daily assistance, occupational therapy, and spiritual care. The convent's sisters and volunteers dedicate their efforts to enriching the lives of over 500 residents, including children with developmental challenges and adults with mental disabilities, across multiple institutions in and around Minsk.

This includes organizing worship services, sacraments, and classes in arts and crafts, enhancing the residents' quality of life. The establishment of chapels within these institutions facilitates regular Divine Liturgy services, ensuring that spiritual needs are met alongside physical and emotional care.

Hospital Ministry

The Hospital Ministry at St. Elisabeth Convent was inspired by Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev), who emphasised the importance of serving the sick as a conduit for God's work. This principle guides the lay sisters and volunteers as they extend their care to patients across several medical institutions, including the National Mental Health Centre and the Minsk City Centre for Rehabilitation of Children with Mental Diseases, among others.

The team, while not medically trained, offers comfort and spiritual support to the ill, sharing insights into the Mysteries and introducing them to the Church's Sacraments. Their efforts, motivated by the belief that illness can awaken one’s spiritual search, introduce those pondering life’s deeper meanings to the Holy Sacraments.

Rehabilitative Farm Communities

Supportive Living Communities initiative by St. Elisabeth Convent provides crucial support for individuals facing challenging life circumstances, offering them shelter, work, and spiritual guidance. Located near Minsk, the convent has established separate farmsteads for men and women, creating environments where residents can meet their basic needs and embark on paths of personal and spiritual growth.

The men's community, allocated by the Minsk regional government in 1998, spans 120 hectares and houses about 180 men. Many of these residents have faced homelessness, substance abuse, and other difficulties. They are provided with essentials and opportunities to engage in various forms of work, including agriculture, animal husbandry, and maintenance, promoting self-reliance and rehabilitation.

Similarly, the women's centre, founded in 2011 near the village of Nelidavichy, offers shelter and support to women in need. With over 30 residents, it focuses on teaching valuable skills and crafts, from gardening to sewing, helping women to rebuild their lives and find new purposes.

At both communities, work is seen not only as a means of sustenance but also as a form of therapy and spiritual development. Residents participate in daily tasks suited to their skills and interests, fostering a sense of community and responsibility. Central to life at the farmsteads is the emphasis on spiritual growth. Regular prayer, worship, and the opportunity to participate in the Sacraments, including the Eucharist, are integral to the healing process. The presence of a spiritual father for guidance and confession reinforces the foundation of faith as the cornerstone of rebuilding lives.

Caregiving and Visiting Nurse Service

Launched in 2014 by St. Elisabeth Convent, the Visiting Nurse Service offers holistic care to bedridden elderly patients, combining spiritual guidance with psychological support and practical assistance. The team, composed of lay brothers and sisters skilled in nursing, performs essential tasks like hygiene maintenance, medication management, and home cleaning, and educates families on caregiving.

In addition to addressing physical needs, the service provides vital mental and spiritual support, recognising the profound impact of companionship and faith-based discussions on patients' wellbeing. The nurses facilitate access to sacraments for those expressing a desire to deepen their spiritual lives.

History

Significant milestones in the convent’s history include:

• 1996, 7 December: Establishment of the Sisterhood in honour of the Venerable Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth, blessed by Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk.
• 1997, 7 December: Foundation of the first monastery church laid on St. Catherine the Great Martyr’s feast day.
• 1998: Sister Elena Sysun becomes the first abbess after her monastic tonsure, adopting the name Elisabeth. The first service at St. Nicholas Church is celebrated on Palm Sunday, marking the start of regular Divine Liturgy on the grounds.
• 1999, 22 August: Official birthday of the monastery, with Metropolitan Philaret performing the Rassophore tonsure of the first novices.
• 2000: Metropolitan Philaret lays a capsule in the future church’s foundation dedicated to the Reigning icon of the Mother of God; first monastic cells consecrated.
• 2004: Completion of the Holy Righteous Lazarus church and start of construction for the residential and church buildings at the Lysaya Gora farmstead.
• 2008, 25 October: Patriarch Alexy II visits, consecrating the church of the Reigning icon of the Mother of God.
• 2010, 22 November: First Divine Liturgy in the church of St. Nectarius of Aegina at a boarding home for disabled children.
• 2011: First Divine Liturgy in the crypt church dedicated to the Royal Passion-Bearers; establishment of the Rehabilitative Farm Community near Nelidovichi.
• 2014: Opening of "Ichthys Kindergarten and secondary school" and establishment of the Caregiving and Visiting Nurse Service.
• 2015, 7–8 October: First daily cycle of divine services at the Nelidovichi farmstead’s church under construction, dedicated to the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh.
• 2018, Spring: Launch of the Good Works Centre at the convent for social rehabilitation.
• 2022, November: Opening of "Noah's Ark" Convention Centre for various events.

Other Activities

The convent has its beginning in the activities of the Sisterhood in honour St. Elisabeth Romanova, established in 1996. The sisters were permitted to wear the white robes of the Sisters of Mercy, including for the collection of donations in the streets and selling religious items and items associated with monastic activities (honey, soft drinks, herbs, balms, and the like).

Currently, 130 nuns live in the convent. Men's and women's farmsteads accept former drug addicts, alcoholics and the homeless for temporary stay. The convent has a large retail chain in Belarus and actively trades in Europe and North America. Workshops produce church utensils, vestments, lay clothes, souvenirs and food. It owns a movable collapsible structure transported to various places and countries to hold sales of religious goods and souvenirs and offer puppet theatre performances to children.

Controversies

Nationalism (2017)

The convent used its retail network to promote the ideas of Russian irredentism and its head priest supported the capture of Crimea by Russia. In 2017, Russian GRU lieutenant colonel Anton Manshin gave a talk at the convent describing his participation in the Russian army's Chechen, Ukrainian, and Syrian campaigns and promoting the ideas of the Russian world. The editor of the convent's website later said that Manshin's invitation was their mistake. In the same year, the convent hosted an exhibition dedicated to the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

The convent has refused to add the Belarusian language to its website. Among the many temples of the convent, there is not a single one dedicated to Belarusian saints.

Collecting signatures for prohibition of homosexual propaganda (2019)

In November 2019, the covent joined the campaign of collecting signatures in an appeal to President Alexander Lukashenko to prohibit "propaganda and public demonstration of homosexuality and other sexual perversions to minors", and make such propaganda and public demonstration a criminal offence. Earlier, this appeal was initiated by pro-life organizations. It was also supported by Roman Catholic Archbishop, Tadevuš Kandrusievič. Signatures for the appeal were collected in the convent and at its retail outlets.

The convent's priest confessor, Archpriest Andrei Lemyashonak, produced a video address in which he warned against the evils spreading across Europe: same-sex marriages and the adoption of children by same-sex couples. He referred to them as the beginning of the end of the world. He called to stop this evil — imposing itself on young people and spoiling their lives and destroying families — from spreading to Belarus.

Lemyashonak took part in a press conference presenting the results of the campaign. In his speech, he stated that LGBT are sick people whose souls need to be prayed for. He said, that "there is no mother, nor father, nor sacramental life, nor examples of love" in their unions.

Some Orthodox priests criticised the convent's involvement into the campaign. Sergy Lepin, a spokesperson for the Belarusian Orthodox Church, stressed that the collection of signatures was not the convent's initiative, though the convent joined it. He confirmed that the Orthodox Church did not supported the campaign. He referred to Lemyashonak's video appeal as a "personal initiative". According to Lepin, "there should be no private initiatives in this direction." Pavel Siardzyuk, chairperson of the Synodal Commission of the Belarusian Orthodox Church on Family, Protection of Motherhood and Childhood, described the petition as discriminatory. He emphasised that supporting the campaign was "an initiative of solely St Elisabeth's convent."

COVID-19 outbreak (2020-21)

In April 2020, Belarusian and foreign media published reports of an outbreak of coronavirus in St Elisabeth Convent. The Belarusian government did not declare quarantine allowing all churches in the country remain open.

At a press conference on 14 April, the Belarusian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Pavel, announced that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow had blessed the faithful to refrain from visiting churches. Metropolitan Pavel called on the Orthodox Christians of Belarus to adhere to the words of the Patriarch. He condemned the "pseudo-pastors" who called to ignore the Patriarch and to continue going to churches. He said all churches would remain open, but encouraged faithful to stay home during Holy Week and on Easter, and to follow services broadcast on television and online. He said the consecration of the dishes would take place in the open air.

Despite the warnings of the Patriarch and Metropolitan Pavel, the Easter services on 19 April were crowded, especially in the churches of St Elisabeth Convent, as evidenced by videos from the churches and confirmed by the convent's priest confessor, Archpriest Andrei Lemyashonak. Believers were given Communion with one spoon. On 23 April, Russian journalist Marina Akhmedova cited three nuns who reported that 970 people had received Communion with the same spoon in one of the convent's churches during the Easter service despite the cases of coronavirus had been registered in the convent. According to Akhmedova, 100 out of 130 nuns were in isolation, however she did not specify whether all the cases were due to the coronavirus infection.

On 20 April, a statement published on the convent's website denied the coronavirus cases among the convent's clerics and nuns and called the reports of such cases fake.

Sergy Lepin, a spokesperson for the Belarusian Orthodox Church, acknowledged that the safety of the St Elisabeth Convent's nuns and visitors had not been ensured.

On 30 April, the head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Pavel, addressed the clergy, monks, nuns and all laity, noting that not all of them followed the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the Church's authorities with due attention and obedience. He called for the observance of the decrees of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod, and all previous instructions. He pointed out that negligence and deliberate disregard for sanitary norms, and calls to ignore the instructions of the Church's authorities during the epidemic were not evidence of faith, but rather "a crime against one's neighbor and therefore against God."

On the same day, 30 April, an article by Archpriest Lemyashonak was published on the St Elisabeth Convent's website. He urged the readers "not to shut oneself off from one's neighbor, but on the contrary, to come together and ask together for help with this disease. [...] If a person is destined to be infected, he will be infected. Sooner or later we will all leave this passing world."

On 21 May, the head of the polyclinic serving the convent told a journalist that in late April there were 59 positive tests for coronavirus among the convent's residents. Most cases were mild or asymptomatic. Several nuns were hospitalized and discharged by the time of the interview.

Vaccination scepticism

In the video shared on 6 June 2021, the convent's priest confessor, Archpriest Andrei Lemyashonak, announced that he would follow the country President's advice not to get vaccinated against Covid. He said that "neither illness is a random incident, nor death is random [...] all life — yours and mine — is in God's hands. Whether we get vaccinated or whatever else we do, we won't live a single additional minute on this earth."

Politically-motivated dismissals (2020)

The Christian Vision Working Group of the Coordination Council of Belarus reported about cases of political pressure on the clergy and staff of the convent during the socio-political crisis in Belarus after the presidential election in August 2020. At the general meeting of the convent on 18 August 2020, the convent's priest confessor Andrei Lemyashonak spoke in support of Alexander Lukashenko. He explained that the protests in the country were due to the conspiracy against the Russian Orthodox Church and warned that under Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya there would be gay prides and same-sex marriages in Belarus. He stated that the people associated with the convent have univocal view on the events in Belarus, and those who do not like it should not feel obliged to stay. According to those reports, a significant number of employees were dismissed or left their posts within a few months of the meeting. In particular, a supply management specialist, Vitaly Leonovich, was fired.

The convent ceased collaboration with actor Alyaksandr Zhdanovich after he was detained by riot police and arrested for nine days. Zhdanovich was detained after appealing to the officer not to shout at the woman on the street; Zhdanovich was holding a small wooden cross in his hands. The actor was a longtime member of the convent parish. The convent denied reports of politically motivated dismissals, including the cessation of collaboration with Alyaksandr Zhdanovich.

Support of the Russian aggression against Ukraine (2022-2023)

The Convent has been supporting the Russian military aggression in Ukraine in a number of ways. The convent's priest confessor, Archpriest Andrei Lemyashonak, regularly speaks on the topics of politics and war in his sermons, at general meetings of the Convent, and during public events, such as concerts, exhibitions, etc. The second way is to support and raise funds for the Russian army. Fundraising is coordinated by nun Alexandra (civil name – Liudmila Liakhova). Blessed by Fr Lemeshonok, she created a group Help to Brothers. By August 2023, the Convent purchased seven cars for the Russian army; in September 2023, there were already nine cars; there were also cases of delivering drones for the Russian army.

Finances

In March 2024, the Buro Media investigation into the finances of the Convent was published. According to the investigation, the Convent understates the tax burden, disguises income as donations, and accepts payments mainly in cash. The authors of the investigation describe the Convent as an 'Orthodox business holding'.

See also

• Testimonies of former novices and employees of the monastery (in Russian)
• St Elisabeth Convent of Minsk: Unveiling the Truth