According to local legend, the history of the world-famous landmark of the city of Tsivilsk, the Tikhvin Monastery, began long before its first foundation stone was laid. In those troubled times, there were peasant wars in Russia led by the legendary Cossack ataman Stepan Razin, whose troops were besieging Russian cities. The fortress of Tsivilsk was also supposed to fall at his feet. However, the residents did not surrender. The reason for such a brave act was the vision of a local woman, who saw the Mother of God of Tikhvin who asked to build a monastery after the end of the storm. And so it was - the troops retreated and a small wooden Tikhvin church was built at the place indicated by the Mother of God. It was in the second half of the 17th century, at the same time when a miraculous copy of the icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God in the Trinity Cathedral was painted.

Today, the Tikhvin Monastery is a very modest territory with two active churches - the white-stone cathedral of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God built in the Byzantine style by the famous architect Anikin, and the wooden church of the Holy Martyr Kharalampius. The monastic estate is still surrounded by restored stone walls and watchtowers. Outside the walls, there are monastic cells and outbuildings, as well as a marvelous monastery pond, but the main asset of the Tikhvin monastery is the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, dating back to the 14th century. Thousands of Orthodox pilgrims from all over the world visit the monastery every year to worship the image of the Mother of God, painted, according to an old legend, by Evangelist Luke and touched by Russian Tsar - Ivan the Terrible. Once a year, the monastery hosts a bright village fair celebrating the Day of the Icon, one of the most important relics of the Russian State.