Theotokos of Tikhvin Monastery of Kerensk

The history of the monastery in Kerensk (now Vadinsk village) goes back to 1631, when the Theotokos of Tikhvin, one of the most revered icons in Orthodox Christianity, appeared here. Following two years, the nun community became a convent and took the name Tikhvin (one of several Tikhvin nunneries and monasteries in Russian Orthodox Church). The first wooden church was rebuilt in 1762, thanks to the donations of wealthy patrons.
It was a small four-sided stone building crowned with five domes. One church altar was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the other to the Theotokos of Tikhvin. Over the years, several other church buildings were added. In 1811, a smaller church dedicated to the Icon of the Mother of God ‘Holy Well’ was built over the sacred spring. In 1762 a gateway church dedicated to Saint Dmitry of Rostov was built and a belltower was added to it in 1853. There are more than 10 bells restored in the monastery, the main bell is the largest among the ecclesiastical establishments in Penza.
During the years when the convent was closed, some of the buildings had fallen into disrepair. The restoration began at the end of the 20thc, when a new monastery was opened here. The restoration works still continue. The museum of Orthodox Christianity, the only of this kind in the region, was also founded here.