Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, New York) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Holy Trinity Monastery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Holy Trinity Cathedral, the main church of the Monastery
Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	1407 Robinson Road, Jordanville, New York
Area	750 acres (300 ha)
Architect	R.N. Verkovsky (Main Church), Dimitri Blachev (Chapel by the Lake)
NRHP reference No.	09000286
Added to NRHP	June 23, 2011

Holy Trinity Monastery is a special place for Russian Orthodox monks. It's located near Jordanville, New York. Two Russian immigrants started it in 1930. Over time, it became a very important center for Russian Orthodox faith in the Western world.

The monastery is famous for printing books and for its school, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary. This school has trained many religious leaders for the Orthodox Church. Because it's so close to the small town, people often just call the monastery and school "Jordanville." The monastery is named after the Holy Trinity. Its main celebration day is Pentecost. The monastery also has a museum that visitors can explore.

The Monastery's Story

Starting a New Life

In 1930, a monk named Panteleimon wanted to live a stricter monastic life. He had spent ten years at another monastery. He also wanted to stay with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). He shared this idea with Ivan Kolos, a choir director.

They decided to find a place for a "genuine monk's life." They traveled to Herkimer County, New York, in Upstate New York. There, they bought a farm near Jordanville. They paid $25 as a first payment. To pay off the rest, Panteleimon worked at the Sikorsky Airplane Factory. He was a wing mechanic. Ivan Kolos stayed at his church.

Early Days and Challenges

In the spring of 1930, Panteleimon moved to the farm. Ivan Kolos and another monk, Fr. James, worked at the factory. They worked until the land was fully paid for. Life was very hard at first. They lived in a small building. They had a horse and a cow. They even cooked their food using hot stones instead of a stove.

The monks worked the land and started a dairy farm. They also held daily church services. A new monk, Ilya, who was a carpenter, joined them. Together, they built a large house. It had a chapel and rooms for sixteen monks. This building was finished in 1935.

A Fire and New Beginnings

On June 17, 1935, the new building was blessed. But at the end of the church service, they smelled burning wood. The church was on fire! Everyone helped to get the people to safety. The building, worth $10,000, burned completely. It was not insured.

Even though they lost everything, the monks did not give up. They decided to build an even better place. The small group of monks soon bought another, larger house nearby. They also bought 200 more acres of land. They continued farming and dairy work. They also got a printing press. They started publishing religious books. They even held a concert at a local church.

Growth and New Arrivals

In 1946, fourteen new monks arrived at Jordanville. They were led by Bishop Seraphim. Among them was Laurus, who would later become a very important leader. This group had been living in a monastery in Czechoslovakia. They brought their printing press with them.

After a short stay in Germany, they joined the monks at Jordanville. This made Holy Trinity Monastery the largest Orthodox monastery in America. Until the Soviet Union fell, Holy Trinity Monastery was the only place in the world that could print books in Church Slavonic.

Building the Main Church

In 1944, they began building a new main church. Many of the bricks came from a demolished factory. The church was designed by Roman Verhovskoy. The first stone for the church was placed in 1947. The church was finished in 1951. The Governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey, even attended the dedication.

Almost 50 monks and workers joined the monastery after World War II. They helped a lot with the building. Among them was Archimandrite Cyprian. He and his assistant, Alypy, painted the inside of the church. They covered 700 square feet of walls with over 400 icons. New living quarters for the monks were built from 1954 to 1957. The monks also helped set up churches in other nearby cities.

Becoming a Historic Place

On December 3, 2011, the monastery became a national historic district. Government officials visited the monastery for a special ceremony. This means the monastery and its buildings are now protected as an important historical site. The district includes 41 important buildings and other historical features.

Leaders of the Monastery

• Archimandrite Panteleimon (1930–1946)
• Archbishop Seraphim (Ivanov) (1946–1948)
• Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) (1948–1960)
• Archbishop Averky (Taushev) (1960–1975)
• Metropolitan Laurus (Škurla) (1975–2008)
• Bishop Luke (Murianka) (2008–Present)

Monastery Cemetery

Cemetery with Chapel

The monastery has several cemeteries on its land. Together, they form one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cemeteries in the United States. The monks pray regularly for everyone buried there. Many important church leaders and people from ROCOR's history are buried at Jordanville.

In a special room under the main church, you can find the graves of Metropolitans Laurus and Philaret. Archbishop Averky and Archimandrite Cyprian, the famous icon painter, are also buried there.

Icon and Mounting Studio

The Holy Trinity Icon Mounting Studio creates high-quality printed icons. These icons are based on paintings by the monks and other icon artists. They have been making these for many years.

Publishing Books

A History of Printing

The monastery's strong publishing work started in Ukraine. There, Archimandrite Vitaly ran a large printing press. It had 150 monks working and 8 printing machines. But World War I and the Russian Revolution stopped their work.

Archimandrite Vitaly escaped to Czechoslovakia. He started a new group of monks there. They continued the printing work. This new group published many new books and magazines. These included Pravoslavnaia Rus and Pravoslavnyi Kalendar. These publications are still printed by Holy Trinity Monastery today. By 1934, this group was publishing three-quarters of all ROCOR books. These books were read in 45 countries.

Moving to Jordanville

In 1944, the group of monks had to flee Czechoslovakia because of the Soviet Army. Half of the monks, led by Archimandrite Seraphim, came to the United States. They joined the monks at Jordanville. The Jordanville monks had already been printing a few books.

At Jordanville, the monks continued their publishing work on a large scale. They printed church service books, books about the lives of the saints, and many other religious works. Publishing became a major way for the monastery to earn money. During the Cold War, the monastery was the biggest publisher of Russian religious books outside of the Soviet Union. Many people living behind the Iron Curtain remembered Jordanville as their only source of Orthodox books.

Modern Publishing

The monastery has now stopped printing books themselves due to costs. They send their books to outside printers. However, they still translate, edit, and publish new works. These are available in both print and digital formats. The monastery hopes to publish four to eight new books each year.

One recent book is the Psalter for Prayer. This is a new translation of the Psalter (a book of psalms) from Church Slavonic. It is written in a style similar to Myles Coverdale's translation in the Book of Common Prayer.

The monastery also has a bookstore. It opened in 1990 when the monastery building was expanded. The bookstore sells books published by the monastery. It also sells books and other items from Orthodox suppliers around the world. You can buy things both in the store and online.

Buildings at the Monastery

Image	Name	Built	Note
	Holy Trinity Cathedral	1945—1950	This is the main church. It was designed in a style similar to old churches in Northern Russia. Construction began in 1946. The lower church was finished by 1947. The entire church was completed in 1950.
	Monastic Dormitory	1952–1958, 1987—1988	This building is where the monks live. It was built from 1952 to 1958. It has a bakery, book storage, printing press, dining hall, and bookstore. The monks' living rooms are on the upper floors. It was made much bigger in 1987-1988.
	Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary building	1971	This building houses the seminary, which is the school for training priests. It has a library, an assembly hall, a museum, classrooms, and an archive.
	Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos	1968—1977	This church is located in the monastery cemetery. It was built to honor Nicholas II of Russia, his family, and others who fought against communism. It was blessed in 1977.
	Belltower with Holy Gates	1987—1988	This bell tower has two levels and golden domes. It has a special room for baptisms. In 2006, a mosaic artwork was added to the front.
	Saint John of Kronstadt and Saint John of Rila Chapel	1979—1998	This small chapel is in a quiet, wooded area by a lake. It is built from large, rough stones in a traditional style. It does not have heating or electricity. It is used for occasional services, mostly in warmer months.