ALBAZIN SPASSKY MONASTERY: MAJOR MILESTONES IN HISTORY AND RESEARCH RESULTS

2021 marks 350 years since the founding of the Albazin Spassky Monastery, the first Orthodox monastery in the Far East. The emergence of the monastery was the result of the movement of Russians to the Amur River, as well as acute social and moral conflicts among the Russian population of Eastern Siberia. The activity of this monastery was an important stage in the spread of Orthodoxy on the eastern borders of Russia. Many aspects of the history of the monastery remain a subject of discussion. The purpose of the article is to systematize the most reliable information about the circumstances of the emergence and activities of the Albazin Spassky Monastery, as well as its use. Documents of the 17th century include a few information about the monastery. The most fully reflected activity in the documents is the economic one. The monastery conducted a successful economic activity, actively carried out the construction of religious and other structures (mills, smithy, etc.). Other aspects of the monastery's activities are hardly reflected in the documents. The location of the Spassky Monastery remains controversial. According to the written and cartographic sources, the most probable location of the monastery is 2 km from the fortress up the Amur River in the area of the ravine - the former stream course - and the adjoining upland.