The Vladimir Skete of the monastery of St.Tikhon Deserts is located on the site where one of the most important events in the history of Russia took place: Standing on the Ugra River. In October 1480, the troops of Prince Ivan III of Moscow and Khan Akhmat of the Horde stood on different banks of the Ugra River. The khan did not dare to attack the army of Ivan III and after the onset of cold weather went back to the Golden Horde.
Thus ended the 250-year period, which in Russian history is called the "Mongol-Tatar yoke". A century earlier, in 1380, Russian troops defeated the army of Khan Mamai on Kulikovo Field. However, the campaign of Khan Toshtamysh that followed in 1382 restored Russia`s vassal dependence on the Horde. It was only in 1480 that Prince Ivan III was able to liberate Russia completely.
In Russian history there is an expression "Three Battlefields". We are talking about the three most important battles that determined the development of Russia: the Battle of Kulikovo Field (1380), the Battle of Borodino Field (1812) and the Battle of Prokhorovsky field (1943). There was no battle while Standing on the Ugra River in 1480, but the importance of this place for Russia is no less than that of these three Battlefields.
Considering the historical importance, the Vladimir Skete was founded in 2007 on the site of the Ugra River, on the initiative of the abbot of the monastery of St. Tikhonov Deserts. In 2012, a Museum-Diorama of the Great Standing on the Ugra River was created there. The monastery of St. Tikhon Deserts itself is located 3 kilometers east of the bank of the Ugra River.
St. Tikhon Desert was founded in the middle of the 15th century by St. Tikhon of Kaluga. He blessed the army of Prince Ivan III for the battle with Khan Akhmat, as a century earlier, in 1380, Sergius of Radonezh blessed the army of Dmitry Donskoy for the Kulikovo battle with Khan Mamai.
In the center of the Vladimir Skete there is a monument to Ivan III, and next to it the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Virgin Mary was built. The Cross of Worship, where the headquarters of Prince Ivan III was located, is located 800 meters from the Vladimir Skete. A little further there is a Memorial stone. There was a ford where Khan Akhmat`s army tried to cross the river. Many tourists visit the Skete and the bank of the Ugra River with excursions to the Ugra National Park.
