On December 10, Grachya Pogosyan visited the Pyukhtitsky Assumption Monastery, located in Estonia. The philanthropist was invited to the holy monastery by Metropolitan Eugene of Tallinn and All Estonia and Filareta, the Mother Superior of the Monastery, in appreciation of his good deeds carried out in Estonia.
It is not the first meeting for Grachya Pogosyan with the Metropolitan of Tallinn and all of Estonia. In 2017, he was also invited to meet and communicate with the Bishop, who was Metropolitan Korniliy that period, one of the oldest active Metropolitans of the Russian Orthodox Church. Unfortunately, a year ago, Bishop Korniliy died, but his successors are well aware of the benefactor and his affairs.

Metropolitan Eugene gladly received Grachya Misakovich on the territory of the Orthodox Pyukhtitsky stavropegial Holy Assumption Nunnery of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, where they were met by the Mother Superior of the Monastery, Filareta. In a hearty conversation, Metropolitan and Mother Superior led the guests to the main temple of the monastery  the five-domed Assumption Cathedral. It was built in 1910. St. Righteous John of Kronstadt was among the benefactors who donate for the construction.
 
A tour of the monastery was arranged for the benefactor. The nun Tikhona introduced the guest to the history of the monastery, its traditions and way of life. Together they visited the Holy Oak, where the icon of the Blessed Virgin was found, and the St. Nicholas Arsenievsky cemetery church with the graves of blessed aged nuns. Grachya Pogosyan was shown a special place  the museum of the monastery, which is divided into three parts. The first is dedicated to the holy righteous John of Kronstadt. The memory of him is sacred in the monastery. Father John has been here more than once, performing divine services in the churches of the monastery, giving communion to the nuns of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and giving them spiritual guidance. In the museum of the monastery there are many things that are truly sacred and are of extraordinary value.

The exhibits in the second part of the museum tell the visitors about the Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Alexy the Second, who cared about Pyukhtitsky monastery almost half a century. The monastery is indebted to him for its present existence. In the early 60s of the last century, monasteries were closed throughout the country. The Pyukhtitsky church in Tallinn was swept away from the face of the earth. The monastery on the Holy Mountain was also subject to closure. Patriarch Alexy the Second, then bishop of Tallinn and Estonia, made every effort to prevent this.
A story about Mother Superior, Abbess Barbara, who led the monastery for over forty years, was very interesting. And the third part of the museum is presented as a room where gifts to the monastery are collected and kept together with the unique works of the monastery nunners, made by the hands of the monastery’s craftswomen. 

Almost the whole day passed in a warm conversation and familiarization with the history of the monastery, which, at the invitation of Mother Superior Filareta, ended with a delicious dinner. Here, the participants discussed the current affairs of the monastery and the Estonian Orthodox Church as a whole. According to a good tradition, Grachya Pogosyan contributed to a creation of a documentary about the history of Pyukhtitsky monastery, and also promised to help in production of Orthodox crosses that will crown the domes of a new church on the territory of the holy monastery. The meeting turned out to be heartwarming and touching. In parting, the parties agreed on further communication and support of each other in their good deeds.

Reference information:
Pyukhtitsky Assumption Monastery is an Orthodox women's monastery of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. It was founded in 1891. It is located in the village of Kuremäe in the Illuka parish (Ida-Viru county of Estonia). It has the status of stauropegic since the 1990s.
The history of the monastery creation is connected with the image of the Assumption of the Mother of God: according to a legend, in the area where the monastery is now located, the Blessed Virgin appeared to the locals, and the Assumption icon of the Mother of God was found at the place of its appearance.

In the XVI century, local residents built a chapel for the previously acquired icon of the Mother of God. In 1885, the Pyukhtitsky Orthodox Parish was established. On August 15, 1891, His Grace Bishop Arseny made the grand opening of the Pyukhtitsky Assumption Women's Community. In 1910, the main Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God was built. There is the refectory church of St. right Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess, Temple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Church of St. Nicholas and St. Arseny the Great, Baptismal Temple of John the Baptist and Holy Martyr Isidore Yurievsky, Church House of St. Alexia and the Great Martyr Barbara.

One of the benefactors of the monastery is buried in the monastery  the Russian state, public and cultural figure, the governor of Estonia, Prince Sergei Vladimirovich Shakhovskoy.
This place is closely connected with the names of many saints and ascetics of the Russian Orthodox Church. For example, with such great names as St. John of Kronstadt and Patriarch Alexy II.
St. John of Kronstadt is one of the main regents and thoughtful persons of the monastery. Basically, the monastery formation began only after he gave his blessing for its dispensation to Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya and donated 200 rubles for this purpose. He often came to Pyukhtitsa and stayed here for a long time. Thanks to his wonderful vision, the Assumption Cathedral was erected. St. John of Kronstadt loved this monastery very much. He predicted: this monastery will stand indestructible, despite the fact that many Orthodox churches will be destroyed and desecrated.