Pskov Caves Monastery during the Great Patriotic war

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the role of the Pskov Caves Monastery during the Great Patriotic War, special attention is paid to the period of the German occupation (1941–1944). The paper analyzes the complex relationship of the monastery with the Soviet government, the Estonian administration and the German occupiers. Key events are considered, such as the monastery's transfer to the administration of Metropolitan Sergius (Voskresensky), the monastery's charitable activities, assistance to local residents, refugees and Soviet prisoners of war, as well as the export of monastic valuables to Germany. Special attention is paid to the personality of the monastery's vicar, Abbot Pavel (Gorshkov), who, despite the need for contacts with the occupation authorities, sought to preserve the monastery and its spiritual heritage. The article also highlights the repression against the
monastery's inhabitants after the liberation of Pskov by Soviet troops, including the arrest and conviction of Abbot Pavel.