Uleima Monastery

The Uleima Monastery of St. Nicholas is a seldom visited walled medieval monastery lost in the woods near Uglich, Russia. It is the only sizable monastery still controlled by the Old-Rite Church, or Old Believers.

The monastery takes its name from the Uleima River. It was established in the early 15th century by a Rostov monk who brought with him an icon of St Nicholas from the Italian city of Bari.

The monastery enjoyed the patronage of the ruling Princes of Uglich. As a key fortress on the highway between Rostov and Uglich, it was attacked by the invading Poles and Lithuanians on three occasions. Several thousand monks and peasants defended the monastery against Jan Sapieha, with many losing their lives after the main church had collapsed in flames.