Novodevichy Convent
Novodevichy Stavropigial Convent is one of the most famous monasteries in Russia, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that has preserved a unique architectural ensemble of the XVI-XVII centuries. It was founded in 1524 by Grand Duke Vasily III in honour of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God in memory of the return of Smolensk to the Moscow Principality. The first and main temple of the monastery was the Smolensky Cathedral, built on the model of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. In the XVI-XVII centuries, the monastery was fortified with walls and towers, which gave it the appearance of a fortress. The monastery became a place of residence for princesses and boyars, including Princess Sophia, the sister of Peter the Great, who was imprisoned here after the Streletsky rebellion of 1698. Evdokia Lopukhina, Peter I`s first wife, also lived here. In the 17th century, the monastery became an important religious and cultural centre. Valuable icons, manuscripts and objects of church art were kept in its walls. In 1812, during the invasion of Napoleon, the monastery miraculously escaped destruction. In 1922, the monastery was closed, and in 1934 it became a branch of the State Historical Museum. During the Great Patriotic War, a hospital was located here. In 1945, the church in honour of the Dormition of the Mother of God was transferred to the Church, which marked the beginning of the restoration of the monastery. In 1994, the women`s monastic community was restored. In 2004, the monastery was included in the UNESCO list of Cultural and Natural Heritage sites. In 2010, it was transferred to the indefinite use of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2012, the Church was returned the oldest list of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which had been in the monastery since 1654. Today it is an active monastery, an important spiritual and cultural centre of Moscow. Divine services are held here, architectural and artistic monuments are preserved, and pilgrimage tours regularly take place, attracting believers and tourists from all over the world. The monastery carefully preserves unique icons, ancient manuscripts and church utensils. The picturesque location on the banks of the Moskva River, an ensemble of white stone walls and towers, as well as the famous Novodevichy cemetery, where prominent figures of Russian history and culture are buried, make the monastery one of the main attractions of the capital.
Address: Moscow, Novodevichy passage, 1
