Vyazhischsky monastery

St. Nicholas of Vyazhischi Stavropegial Convent (Russian: Николо-Вяжищский Ставропигиальный Женский Монастырь) is a Russian Orthodox convent located in the village of Vyazhischi, 7 miles (12 km) from Novgorod, Russia. Founded as a men's monastery by the monks Evfrosiny, Ignaty, and Galaktion and the hieromonk Pimen at the end of the fourteenth century (a charter from 1391 mentiones it), with Pimen becoming the first hegumen of the monastery. It was first mentioned in the chronicle under the year 1411. The monastery was patronized by Archbishop Evfimy II, who was hegumen of the monastery before his election as archbishop of Novgorod in 1429, and was buried there (he is known as St. Evfimy of Vyazhischi). The monastery was one of the greatest landowners in the Novgorodian land, holding in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, some 2,000 hectares of land. Much of its lands were confiscated in 18th century during secularization under Catherine II (1762-1796), at which time it was classified a 2nd Class Monastery. There are four churches: St. Evfimy, St. Nicholas, St. John the Divine and The Church of the Ascension.