Orthodox monasteries have always been considered the stronghold of Christian piety. Many modern monastic communities have a whole complex consisting of several temples and monastic buildings. Each monastery has its own abbot.
The abbots of Orthodox monasteries are honored and experienced hegumen or archimandrites. These clerics have a spiritual teaching experience. Abbots and archimandrites are priests who at one time took upon themselves monastic tonsure. The abbot of the monastery is considered the head of a particular monastic community.
The abbots of the monasteries are elected at the discretion of the ruling bishop of that diocese (church region), which is in charge of the monastic community. Sometimes the hieromonk can become the ruler of an Orthodox monastery. However, upon assuming office, the priest is automatically given the rank of abbot. Over the years of service, the abbot has already become an archimandrite.
In Hritsianism, there are also convents that do not remain without their steward. Abbesses of women's communities are considered abbess. The Mother Superior takes an administrative position, she can choose the charter of the monastic community at her discretion. However, the abbess does not take part in the priesthood, because a woman cannot be an Orthodox priest. Male priests, called hieromonks or abbesses, serve in convents (in this case, the position of abbot was given to an ejeromonom for merit or length of service). The Mother Superior does not accept the ordinances of ordination to the priesthood. In Orthodoxy there is a separate order of delivery to the abbess. The bishop of the diocese appoints these posts.
In addition, the ruling bishops of the diocese or even the patriarch himself can be considered as rectors of some especially large monasteries (laurels). Monasteries in which the head priest is considered the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church are called stauropegial. That is why the patriarch of Moscow and all Russia can be called a holy archimandrite. For example, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Patriarch Kirill is a holy archimandrite.
It is known from the history of the founding of some monasteries that the first abbots of monastic cloisters were holy people. For example, Sergius of Radonezh, Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, the Monk Sava the Consecrated and many others.
