The Kurilovsky Holy Tikhvin Women's Monastery was founded near the Erzya villages of Stara and Novaya Kurilovka, which were located in the Saransk district of the Penza province, now the Romodanovsky district of the Republic of Mordovia. The "List of Settlements in the Penza Province" from 1869 mentions that in Novaya Kurilovka, in addition to peasant lands, there were estates owned by two noble families, the Savinovs and the Teplovs. The latter owned estates in several districts, manors in Saransk, and a house in Penza. African Vasilyevich Teplov, one of the representatives of this family, was known for his piety and often visited the Sarov Monastery, where he met with St. Seraphim, who blessed him to establish a women's community. In 1860, the Bishop of Penza, Varlaam, granted permission to build accommodations for the nuns in the newly established Seraphim-Kurilov community. In 1890, the Holy Synod officially recognized the community as a monastery in the name of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, a miraculous copy of which was located in the monastery. The first abbess, nun Angelina, built several buildings, a guest house, dug two ponds, organized the economy, increased the land allotment, and planted a fruit garden over 15 years. The second abbess, nun Evstolia, reconstructed the church built by Teplov in the 1830s and expanded the economy through livestock farming. Abbess Rafaila laid the foundation for a new Exaltation of the Holy Cross Cathedral, consecrated in 1895, built three stone buildings, and a dependency in Saransk. After her death in 1897, nun Serafima became abbess, who erected a three-tiered bell tower, two stone buildings, and numerous outbuildings, as well as installed a water supply to the monastery. The layout of the monastery was unique: most of the territory remained free from utilitarian buildings, with two churches visible, unobstructed by any structures except for a decorative wall and arched gates. From the gates, an alley lined with fir trees led deeper into the monastery, circling around the cells and the abbess's chambers, forming a second perimeter. To the right of the alley was a temple ensemble, which is now lost. The first church in the monastery was laid by the Teplovs in the year of St. Seraphim's death and consecrated in 1835. The church was built in the cross-dome style of late provincial classicism. In 1851, 1857, and 1858, it was expanded with chapels consecrated in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God and the Heavenly Powers. The second church, in the name of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, was built from 1890 with funds from the monastery and was consecrated five years later. Its design was inspired by the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The cathedral housed relics, including personal belongings of St. Seraphim and the miraculous Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Of all the venerated images, only the Tikhvin Icon has survived to this day, returning to the monastery in 1996. Before the revolution, the Kurilovsky Monastery was known for its relics and solemn worship. There was a large guesthouse, which has survived to this day. Many pilgrims visited the monastery on the church holiday of July 25-26, the day of the appearance of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, when a procession circled the village. A surge of pilgrims was also observed on September 14 and November 8. In 1895, there were 30 nuns and 133 novices in the monastery, and by 1910, there were 260 nuns, although the number of nuns did not exceed 45. The monastery had 306 desyatinas of land, a garden, a farm, a mill, fish ponds, and workshops. In 1918, 418 desyatinas of land and 22 buildings were confiscated from the nuns, leaving 40 buildings. Soon, the abbess's building and the guesthouse were confiscated. In 1922, the community was transformed into an agricultural partnership. In 1924, nuns from the Chufarovsky Monastery were transferred to Kurilovo, and in 1926, the monastery was destroyed. During the years of Soviet power, both stone churches, the bell tower, and all service buildings were destroyed. A children's home and a state farm were established in the monastery. In 1995, the first residents appeared, and by 1997, there were more than 20 of them. A wooden church was moved from the village of Sabanovo, which was consecrated on November 2, 1997. Today, the Kurilovsky Monastery is actively developing and restoring the remaining buildings. Nearby, there is a revered spring with a chapel.