Attractions / 21.09.2023

Novodevichy Convent scheme. Novodevichy Convent. Tour of the Novodevichy cemetery

Walks around Moscow:: Novodevichy Convent and Novodevichy Cemetery April 20th, 2013

Yesterday we accidentally ended up in the Novodevichy area.

Model of the Novodevichy Convent

Novodevichy Cemetery- one of the most famous burial places for the dead in Moscow. It appeared in 1898 near the southern wall of the Novodevichy Convent. Located in the southwestern part of the Central Administrative District, in Khamovniki (Luzhnetsky proezd, 2)
The Novodevichy Cemetery is included in the list of many travel companies as a historical and cultural monument of the Russian capital. The cemetery is rich in tombstones made by famous sculptors, and many graves and urns with ashes are cultural heritage monuments of regional and federal significance

Plan diagram burials ()

And list, buried at Novodevichy Cemetery

Nikulin, Yuri Vladimirovich(1921-1997) - circus performer, film actor, director of the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, People's Artist of the USSR; author of the monument A.I. Rukavishnikov; 5 lessons Row 23 near the Central Alley.

Moiseev, Igor Alexandrovich(1906-2007) - choreographer, choreographer, ballet dancer.

Monument to the heroes of the defense of Moscow in 1941 - Lev Mikhailovich Dovator, Viktor Vasilievich Talalikhin, Ivan Vasilievich Panfilov.- Reburied in 1959.

Govorov, Vladimir Leonidovich(1924-2006) - Chairman of the War Veterans Committee, Army General, Hero of the Soviet Union; son of Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov.

Tikhonov Vyacheslav Vasilievich(1928-2009) - a most brilliant actor.

Gurchenko, Lyudmila Markovna(1935-2011) - People's Artist of the USSR, singer, director.

Luchko, Klara Stepanovna(1925-2005) - film actress, People's Artist of the USSR.

Borovik Artyom Genrikhovich(1960 - 2000) - journalist.

Markov Dmitry Sergeevich(1905-1992) - Soviet aircraft designer, since 1949 - chief designer of the Tupolev Design Bureau.

Papanov, Anatoly Dmitrievich(1922-1987) - actor of the Satire Theater, film actor, People's Artist of the USSR; the author of the monument is D.I. Naroditsky.

Kapitsa Sergey Petrovich(1928-2012) - Soviet and Russian physicist, TV presenter, editor-in-chief of the magazine “In the World of Science.” Since 1973, he has continuously hosted the popular science television program “Obvious - Incredible.” Son of Nobel Prize laureate Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa.

Margelov, Vasily Filippovich(1908-1990) - commander of the Airborne Forces, army general, Hero of the Soviet Union.

Popkov Vitaly Ivanovich(1922-2010) - Lieutenant General of Aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.
Vitaly Ivanovich is the prototype of commander Titarenko (“Maestro”) and lieutenant Alexandrov (“Grasshopper”) from Leonid Bykov’s film Only “old men” go to battle

Oops... I won’t tell you exactly who it is... I really liked the face, but I didn’t look at the name...
But I will try to rehabilitate myself and think logically...

Judging by the tombstones in the background, some of which I “know by sight” well, this sculpture is located in the 11th section, in the 3rd row, exactly with its back to the monument to Air Marshal Alexander Petrovich Silantiev.

But alas, there is no clear diagram of all the burials on the Internet, and even the plan that is available at the entrance to the cemetery has gaps... entire rows are missing, so this information is clearly not enough....

Judging by the insignia, which is very clearly visible, namely the shoulder straps of an army general of the 1974-1994 model, and also by the fact that the outline of the drawing on the general’s desk is very reminiscent of the territory of the former GDR... I dare to assume that this is a monument Ivanovsky Evgeniy Filippovich- Soviet military leader, Hero of the Soviet Union, army general, who from July 1972 to December 1980 was the Commander-in-Chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany.

If I'm wrong, please correct me, I will be grateful.

Maresyev, Alexey Petrovich(1916-2001) - pilot, colonel, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Due to severe wounds during the Great Patriotic War, both legs were amputated. However, despite his disability, the pilot returned to the skies and flew with prosthetics.
Maresyev is the prototype of the hero of Boris Polevoy’s story “The Tale of a Real Man.”

Gilyarov Mercury Sergeevich(1912-1985) - Russian, Soviet zoologist, entomologist, founder of soil zoology, evolutionary biologist, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences

Levitan, Yuri Borisovich(1914-1983) - announcer of the All-Union Radio, People's Artist of the USSR.

Kasatonov, Vladimir Afanasyevich(1910-1989) - Admiral of the Fleet, Hero of the Soviet Union
Bondarenko, Grigory Alekseevich(1921-1988) - Admiral (1972), Hero of Socialist Labor (1985)
Gorshkov, Sergey Georgievich(1910-1988) - Commander of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

Pokryshkin, Alexander Ivanovich(1913-1985) - pilot, Marshal of Aviation, first three times Hero of the Soviet Union.

Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeevich(1894-1971) - First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR; the author of the monument is Ernst Neizvestny.

Excursion for guests from Southeast Asia. For a very long time they discussed something in a language unknown to us at the grave of Nikita Sergeevich :)

Cariophylli, Georgy Spiridonovich(1901-1971) - Colonel General of Artillery.

Ilyushin, Sergey Vladimirovich(1894-1977) - aircraft designer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, colonel general, laureate of the Lenin and eight USSR State Prizes; the author of the monument is D.I. Naroditsky.

Monument to the Tu-144 crew, which crashed at the Le Bourget air show in 1973.

On Sunday, June 3, 1973, at the 30th Le Bourget International Air Show (near Paris, France), the first ever crash of a supersonic airliner occurred. The Soviet Tu-144S was performing a demonstration flight when, in front of 250-350 thousand spectators, it suddenly went into a dive, and a few seconds later it broke up in the air and fell on the residential areas located below it. A total of 14 people died in the disaster.

Amet-Khan, Sultan(1920-1971) - military pilot, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

Ptushko Alexander Lukich(1900 - 1973) - Soviet film director, cameraman, animator, screenwriter, artist, master of the fairy-tale genre in cinema. People's Artist of the USSR. It was thanks to him that “Sadko”, “Ilya Muromets”, “Scarlet Sails”, “The Tale of Lost Time”, “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila” and many, many other films appeared.

Tupolev, Andrey Nikolaevich(1888-1972) - aircraft designer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, colonel general, laureate of the Lenin and five State Prizes of the USSR).

Lebed, Alexander Ivanovich(1950-2002) - Russian military leader, lieutenant general, candidate for President of the Russian Federation, governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Gorbacheva, Raisa Maksimovna(1932-1999) - Soviet and Russian public figure; wife of M. S. Gorbachev.

Monument to the Soviet military delegation and the crew of the Il-18 aircraft(Aeroflot), who died in a plane crash in Yugoslavia on October 19, 1964.
When landing at Belgrade airport, the Il-18 collided with Mount Avala 180 meters from its peak and exploded. As a result of the disaster, the Soviet military delegation flying to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade from the German occupiers and all members of the Il-18 crew were killed.

Grachev, Pavel Sergeevich(1948-2012) - Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation (1992-1996), Army General (1992), Hero of the Soviet Union.

Novodevichy is the oldest and most beautiful active convent in Moscow.

It is located in a bend of the Moscow River on the Devichye Pole - in these places, according to legend, during the Mongol-Tatar yoke, Russian girls were selected for the Golden Horde.

The monastery was founded in 1524 by Grand Duke Vasily the Third after the capture of Smolensk in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria”. Historians also associate the founding of Novodevichy with the dissolution of the marriage of Vasily the Third - it was here that he wanted to exile his wife, Grand Duchess Solomonia.

Subsequently, persons of the royal family often appeared at the monastery, and the royal daughters and sisters took monastic vows. Ivan the Terrible assigned his relatives here - the widow of his younger brother and the widow of his eldest son Ivan. Tsarina Irina Godunova lived here with her brother Boris Godunov. There were many novices from noble princely and boyar families.

Not all women came here of their own free will. By order of Peter the Great, in 1689, his sister Princess Sofya Alekseevna was imprisoned here and forcibly tonsured as a nun after the Streletsky uprising. Opposite the monastery, her supporters were executed, and the heads of the archers were strung on the battlements of the monastery wall.

Another famous nun is the first wife of Peter the Great, Tsarina Evdokia Lopukhina.

The Novodevichy Convent is a real fortress: high impregnable walls, towers with loopholes, built of brick with white stone trim. The main buildings were erected in the second half of the 17th century in the Moscow Baroque style.

Above the main entrance is the elegant Gate Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord:

In the center of the monastery stands the five-domed Smolensk Cathedral, built in 1525 in the likeness of the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin. The temple preserves a 5-tier carved gilded iconostasis made by masters of the Armory Chamber. Here are icons donated by many Russian tsars, including Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov, and the main shrine of the monastery - the miraculous icon of the Smolensk Mother of God.

Not far from the cathedral there is a Bell Tower with white stone lace. At one time, it was the second tallest in Rus' after the bell tower of Ivan the Great and was famous for its unique ringing. The oldest bell in the bell tower was cast under Ivan the Terrible.

The Assumption Church with a refectory chamber, built at the behest of Princess Sophia. Here is another shrine - the ancient miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.

The monastery complex also includes the white-stone St. Ambrose Church, combined with a refectory, the Filatievsky School, where orphan girls, by order of Peter the Great, were taught weaving Dutch lace, a hospital for veterans of the Russian army, an almshouse and numerous chambers: the chambers of Irina Godunova, Evdokia Lopukhina, Evdokia Miloslavskaya , Treasury and Cellar Chambers.

Singing chambers with cells for nuns:

Mariinsky Chambers, named after the sister of Peter the Great, Maria Alekseevna, who lived here. To the right of the chambers is the Gate Church of the Intercession of the Virgin.

Naprudnaya tower with Streltsy guards and the chambers of Princess Sophia:

It is believed that if you touch the Naprudnaya Tower, where Princess Sophia was imprisoned, and make a wish, it will definitely come true.

To be sure, wishes are written on the wall of the tower. The most common requests are for love, health and wealth.

There are 12 towers in total: four are round, and the rest are square, all with very beautiful openwork “crowns”. There are similar towers in another Moscow monastery - in.

Corner Nikolskaya Tower:

On the territory of the monastery there are a number of burial places: the Volkonsky mausoleum, the graves of Denis Davydov, General A.A. Brusilova, M.I. Muravyov-Apostol, Sergei Trubetskoy. Grand Duchess Sofya Alekseevna and other representatives of the royal and princely families are buried in the Smolensk Cathedral.

Small Chapel-Tomb of the Prokhorovs, owners of the Trekhgornaya Manufactory:

Behind the monastery wall is the Novodevichy cemetery. The most famous people buried at the Novodevichy cemetery: A.P. Chekhov, N.V. Gogol, M.A. Bulgakov, M.N. Ermolova, I. Levitan, N. Rubinstein, A.N. Tolstoy, Andrei Bely, Vladimir Gilyarovsky, Samuil Marshak, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Vasily Shukshin, Svetlana Alliluyeva, Nikita Khrushchev, Boris Yeltsin and Raisa Gorbacheva.

During Soviet times, the monastery did not work; monastic life was resumed here in 1994. Nowadays, it is a functioning Orthodox convent and at the same time a museum. The architectural ensemble is a UNESCO cultural heritage site.

There is a picturesque park next to the monastery on the shore of the Bolshoi Novodevichy Pond.

From the paths of the park there are beautiful views of powerful walls and towers:

The park sculpture "Duck with Ducklings" was presented in 1991 "to the children of the Soviet Union from the children of the United States in the spirit of love and friendship." The idea for the sculpture is taken from the famous American fairy tale “Make Way for Ducklings.”

The place is beautiful - it just begs to be painted on canvas.

One of the most beautiful views of Moscow.

Layout of architectural ensemble objects (clickable):

In Sophia's and Irina's chambers there are museum exhibitions with ancient icons, unique frames and precious church utensils.

Currently undergoing restoration, many buildings are scaffolded and gridded. The restoration work is planned to be completed in 2023, on the 500th anniversary of the founding of the monastery.

How to get to the Novodevichy Convent

By public transport: Sportivnaya metro station, then about 5-7 minutes on foot. Address: Moscow, Novodevichy proezd, building 1.

Opening hours

You can enter the territory daily from 9-00 to 17-00.

The Smolensk Cathedral is open from May 15 to the end of September, services are held during patronal holidays. The Assumption Church is open all year round.

Museums are open from 10-00 to 16-30, closed on Tuesdays. The first Monday of every month is sanitary day.

Ticket prices

Ticket price for museums: adults - 300 rubles, schoolchildren, students and pensioners - 100 rubles.

Domes of the Smolensk Cathedral

The museum part of the Novodevichy Convent tells in detail about its history, famous personalities whose destinies at different times were connected with this place, and there is an excursion department. There are also daily services held here, which anyone can attend. In addition to visiting individual attractions, it is simply pleasant to take leisurely, contemplative walks through the shady territory of Novodevichy.

View of the Novodevichy Convent

There are several versions of the origin of the name of the monastery. The first says that the shrine got its name because of the place where it was built - the Maiden Field. According to legend, it was here that the most beautiful girls were chosen and sent as tribute to the Khan of the Golden Horde. The second version claims that the name comes from the surname of the first abbess - Elena Devochkina. The third is the most realistic and is most often used by historians. According to her, the monastery from the very beginning was created for women, that is, it was for girls. The prefix began to be used in order to distinguish the shrine from a similar one opened earlier in the Kremlin.

History of the Novodevichy Convent

Construction of the Novodevichy Convent. Miniature of the Front Chronicle. Second half of the 16th century.

In the 16th century, on Samsonov Meadow, which was also called the Maiden Field, Vasily III founded a monastery. When the Moscow prince set out to reconquer Smolensk occupied by the Lithuanians, he vowed that in case of victory he would build a shrine. Almost 10 years after the city was finally taken, Vasily III kept his promise. The place was not chosen by chance, because it was from Samson’s Meadow that the miraculous icon of Hodegetria was sent from the capital to recaptured Smolensk.

Princess Sofya Alekseevna in the Novodevichy Convent (1879), painting by Ilya Repin

Initially, the majestic complex of buildings, as well as the walls of its territory, were made of wood. Soon after the completion of construction, the first prisoner of royal blood appeared here, of which there would later be many. Vasily III was able to obtain a divorce from Princess Saburova, who, over the course of many years of marriage, was unable to give birth to an heir. The first wife of the Moscow prince was exiled to Novodevichy and lived within its walls until the end of her life.

After Boris Godunov came to power, most of the buildings were replaced with stone ones, modeled after the Kremlin monastery. But even the massive battlements could not prevent the terrible destruction that befell the shrine during the Time of Troubles. Then the monastery was turned into a fortress, it changed hands several times, and then was completely set on fire.

Panorama of the Novodevichy Convent

A new stage begins for the Novodevichy Convent with the coming to power of the Romanovs. During this period, land and jewelry are donated to the shrine. The monastery itself is highly respected in the royal family. Sofya Alekseevna, who came to power, made a huge contribution to the development of the shrine. Thanks to her, almost all the buildings were remodeled in the capital's Baroque style, and several new residential and religious buildings also appeared.

In 1689, the royal philanthropist became a prisoner within the walls of her beloved monastery; Peter I imprisoned her here. By the way, his first wife was also forced to end her life in this monastery. However, she ended up here by the grace of Peter II. However, this place was not only a prison; women from noble Russian dynasties often went here, voluntarily devoting themselves to serving God, donating their jewelry and other wealth when taking tonsure.

It was with difficulty that Novodevichy was saved after the retreat of Napoleon's troops, who were planning to blow up the shrine. After the October Revolution, the “Museum of Women’s Emancipation” was opened here. During the Soviet years, the monastery was not used for worship and was only returned to the church at the end of the 20th century.

Scheme of the Novodevichy Convent

Architecture of the shrine

Smolensk Cathedral, 1524-1525.

Several churches of the monastery are built in such a way that they form an Orthodox cross facing east. The central place in the ensemble is occupied by the Smolensk Cathedral. It is here that the oldest copy of the Iveron Mother of God icon is contained, which is considered the main and most revered relic of the Novodevichy Convent. The large five-domed cathedral has preserved unique frescoes from the 16th century and an iconostasis from the 17th century, which every visitor can admire today. The architectural ensemble mixed Moscow Baroque and the later style of the Middle Ages. This appearance took shape in the first centuries of the monastery’s existence and has hardly changed since then. Despite this combination, the temple composition looks very harmonious. The white and purple buildings of the monastery stand out beautifully against the background of the dense greenery growing on the territory of the shrine.

Bell tower, 1689-1690.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a refectory, 1685-1687.

It is believed that the main architect who participated in the creation of most of the buildings was the famous Moscow architect of that time, Pyotr Potapov. At least, it is his name that appears in the construction documents.

The monastery houses the second tallest Moscow bell tower after the Kremlin’s Ivan the Great. Its six levels rise to a height of 72 meters. The alternation of openwork and solid tiers looks very picturesque.

Mariinsky Chambers

Some rooms and buildings of the monastery are closed to the public for various reasons, but the most artistically valuable buildings are still available for inspection. At the Novodevichy Convent there is a cemetery of the same name, which became the final resting place of many famous figures of art, culture, and politics.

How to get there

- 360 degree aerial photography
Non-communal nunnery. Founded by the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III in 1525, the Novodevichy Convent today has become, as it were, a reflection of the history of the Russian state, and in particular Moscow and the Moscow Principality, since the 16th century. He was a witness and participant in events that shook the capitals. Its founding, according to legend, was preceded by events of the 14th - 15th centuries, which at first glance had nothing to do with it. a long time ago, or rather, in the fall of 1389, Sofya Vitovtovna arrived in the ancient Russian city of Smolensk together with her young husband Vasily Dmitrievich, who had just joined the “table” of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. At the same time, her father, the Lithuanian prince Vitovt, entered the city from the western side. The date was discussed in advance, therefore, when the daughter began to get ready for Moscow, her father, among other gifts, presented her with an icon of the Smolensk Most Holy Theotokos Hodegetria (Guide Girl)

In Moscow, the icon was placed in the iconostasis next to the royal doors of the Annunciation Grand Duke's House Church. Four years later, Vitovt became the Grand Duke of Lithuania and, despite family relations, 12 years later (1404) he captured Smolensk from his son-in-law. Another 57 years passed, and the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God made its way back to its hometown. Her return was facilitated by the urgent request of the Smolensk Bishop Mikhail, who arrived in Moscow with the embassy of Casimir IV Jagiellonczyk on the occasion of the coronation of the Kingdom of Poland. Vasily the Dark granted the bishop's request. And after nine years, when the copy was completed and remained in the Annunciation Cathedral, on July 28, 1456, the original left Moscow.

On this sunny day, after the solemn service, a numerous procession with icons and banners moved from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin, seeing off the icon of Smolensk Hodehydria, who had been staying in Moscow for more than half a century (67 years). The solemn procession stopped on the Maiden Field at the Metropolitan Savvina Monastery. Here it was handed over to the people of Smolensk.

This icon, since it had been in Smolensk since 1101, was attributed to the creation of the Apostle-Evangelist Luke. By the way, in the Moscow Resurrection Monastery on Tverskaya Street at that time there was also an icon of Hodegetria, which was burned in a fire in 1482. The significance of this icon was that before the fire it depicted the face of Our Lady of Smolensk, painted in ancient times. Consequently, during the period of Vitovt’s gift being in Moscow, her double was nearby. The day of seeing off the icon became the day of its holiday. Every year in Moscow a religious procession solemnly followed to the place of farewell to her.

Another 58 years had passed since the farewell of the icon, when in 1514 the great-grandson of Vasily I, Vasily III, decided to restore justice and return Smolensk to Russia. The assault on the city was scheduled for the first day after the feast of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, i.e. on July 29th. Naturally, on July 28, a large solemn prayer service was held with a request to Hodehydria to help the Russian army and grant victory over the Lithuanians. Vasily III then promised her that if Smolensk was taken, he would build a monastery and church in her honor on the spot where she said goodbye to Moscow.

For those times the assault was very powerful, but the city survived. And it was taken only when, after a many-day siege, its inhabitants rebelled in the city. It was they who opened the gates for Russian troops. Lithuanian soldiers surrendered to the mercy of the victors. There is no information about whether Vasily III fulfilled his promise to build a church in honor of Hodegetria, but he remembered his promise to build a monastery nine years later. When preparing to go on a campaign against Kazan, just in case, he indicated in his spiritual letter: “If by God’s will you have obtained for your fatherland the city of Smolensk and the lands of Smolensk, and then promised to build a maiden monastery in Moscow on the outskirts, and in it churches in the name of the Most Pure Ones.” , yes, the Origin of the Honorable Cross and other churches; and which churches to build in that monastery, and I ordered him to write a note to his deacon Trifan Tretyakov... And what God’s will will be done to me, but I won’t have time to build that monastery even in my life He ordered his treasurer and his people to build a monastery on that place, and from his villages from the palace to that monastery he ordered that a village or two be given in one field for a thousand quarters, and in two fields the same; and for the construction of that monastery our treasurers will give three thousand rubles money."

So, in 1523, the treasury received an order to finance the construction of the Maiden Monastery. By the way, there is information that 230 kilograms of silver were issued for its construction. If we take into account that the ruble in those days contained approximately 93 grams of silver and that the treasury actually issued 230 kilograms, it follows that either construction was cheaper, or the treasury saved almost a thousand rubles - 958 rubles. One way or another, this amount was for those times was enormous.

At the exchange rate of 1893, it was equal to 60 thousand rubles. Thus, almost 70 years after the return of the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God, a new monastery was founded in the place where it was given to the Smolensk people. And this place was called Samson’s Meadow, or, what was more common, the Maiden’s Field. Legends of distant years report that in this spacious meadow of sad memory, the Tatar Baskaks selected from the Moscow girls driven here those unfortunates who, in order to pay tribute, were to be taken as slaves to the Horde.

At that time, a branch from the Lithuanian road running through Smolensk passed along Samsonov Meadow, or Maiden Field. Somewhere far outside the city, the Kiev Road adjoined it. A branch of this road crossed the Moscow River ford, not far from the mouth of the Setun River, and went along the Babylon Stream to the Crimean Ford. Then, through the village of Kievets, it ran into the Chertolsky Gate, past the sovereign’s stables, through the Chertory stream and the Neglinnaya River, ending at the gate of the Borovitskaya tower of the Kremlin. From the Setunsky Ford the road led to the Savvinsky Monastery, from it to the Arbat and further to the Smolensk and Tverskaya roads. So, at this road junction, a new watchman’s monastery was built in the southwest of Moscow, the fourth after the Danilov, Simonov and Novospassky monasteries, which encircle the city from the southern and southeastern approaches. The monastery was founded on a slope that went south from the city to Luzhniki. The level of the base of the northern gate was 3.2 meters higher than the base of the southern gate. At the beginning of construction there was no northern gate. The place where the cathedral was erected was 10.7 meters above the water's edge at the Setun Ford. On the western side it was adjacent to a steep bank. Therefore, during the construction of the monastery, the site was planned by adding earth on the south side.

On the city plan of 1739, a block of residential buildings was designated to the south of the monastery, and along the western wall there was a stream, dammed in two places and flowing into the Moscow Hand almost opposite the mouth of the Setun. In the residential area there was a church in Malye Luzhniki. On the plan of 1767, to the north-west of the road and the Babylon stream, where Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street is now located, a continuous building is shown, broken by a vacant lot in front of the country palace of Prince Trubetskoy - now the territory of the Pioneer Park next to metro station "Frunzenskaya". Five small ponds are shown along the shore behind the Savvinsky Monastery. Between these buildings and the Novodevichy Convent stretched a huge field.

At the end of 1784, three ponds were formed on the side of its southern wall and two more near the western wall, that is, along the course of the stream that existed 17 years ago. The New Cemetery has now been laid out on this site, where the ashes of famous writers, artists, statesmen and military leaders of our Motherland rest. The area around the monastery became more elegant every year.

On this occasion, the poet Lazhechnikov, who rented an apartment nearby, wrote: “I live just like in a dacha. In front of me is the Maiden’s Field, bordered by pretty houses, and behind them all of Zamoskvorechye with the Donskoy Monastery, the Alexander Palace, the Neskuchny Garden, the dacha of Count Mamonov and the Vorobyovy Gory : here and there the golden heads of Ivan the Great, the Spassky Monastery, Simonov peek out... From my balcony I can’t stop admiring these views. Now, on the occasion of the feast of the Smolensk Mother of God, there is a procession to the Maiden Convent, the people have strewn the field, the clergy of the whole Moscow with banners stretches like a thread to the monastery, the path is strewn with flowers. The picture is beautiful! On red days, swarms of children, like bouquets of flowers, are scattered across the green meadows, cavalcades of beautiful Amazons gallop past my windows..."

The Smolensk Cathedral was built over the course of 14 months and was completed by the scheduled date - July 28, 1525, i.e. by the day of his patronal feast. Meanwhile, the name of the architect has not been precisely established. It is believed that it was Aleviz the New, but there is reason to believe that it was Nestor, who died among 56 masons during the collapse of the cathedral vaults in the early summer of 1525. Outwardly, Smolensk resembled both the Arkhangelsk and Assumption Cathedrals of the Kremlin. Unlike the facade of Arkhangelsk, its facade was divided along its length into four parts, and not into five. It differed from these cathedrals in the different radii of the windows, the facade, made almost without decorative design, the contours of a three-part apse, two tiers of windows with offset axes to each other on a small light drum: small ones on the top row and large slit-like ones on the bottom row, with a larger height basement. The cathedral was a monumental construction of strict lines inherent in ancient Russian architecture, and the originality of new solutions to the church of the Nikon era, which were distinguished by five domes.

At the base of the cathedral there is a high vaulted basement with pillars made of white stone. The width of the cathedral is 21.3 meters, length 25 meters. The long side is divided into four uneven parts - the second division from the altar is wider than the others. The eastern and western walls are divided into three parts, of which the middle one is equal in width to the widest division on the northern and southern sides. An apse is attached to the eastern wall, representing three vertical volumes, semicircular at the base. On the northern and southern walls, along the line of the end of the blades, there are slit-like windows, and below there are windows of greater width. In the northern and western walls there are arched doors framed by perspective portals. The vaults of the cathedral are supported by six quadrangular pillars - two at the altar and four in the hall. A large light drum is placed on the cross vault, and at the intersection of the small vaults there are small light drums with helmet-shaped domes.

During the reign of Boris Godunov, the monastery experienced a second phase of prosperity. During this time, stone walls were erected with a length of about 900 meters, an average height of 13 meters and a thickness of 3 meters. The walls with battlements had galleries for the upper battlements, machicolations, and loopholes for the middle and plantar battlements. The advantage was the dominant position of the monastery on a hill near a bend in the river with a wide field of view. At this time, in the monastery for its defense there were archers, Cossacks and other “warriors with arquebuses, spears, and without guns.” The perimeter of the walls formed a trapezoid with a non-parallel side facing the steep slope of the Moscow River.

In 1690, the construction of the monastery's pride was completed - a majestic bell tower with original white stone decorations on each of its five tiers. In the middle tier they built the Church of St. John the Theologian, below in the first tier - St. Varlaam. and Joseph the prince. These churches were built in 1686 - 1688, i.e. two years before the completion of the bell tower. They were updated in 1795.

According to the original plan, the bell tower should be eight-tiered and larger than the belfry of Ivan the Great. However, under Sophia they managed to build only five tiers. The sixth was completed under Abbess Palladia Durova and Peter I, who disliked all of Sophia’s affairs. With the completion of the sixth tier, the bell tower rose upward by more than 34 fathoms (73 m). A belfry was placed in two end-to-end tiers, the 3rd and 4th. Addresses were cast on some of the bells. On the small belfry, for example, there were bells with the inscriptions: “In the summer of 7059 (1551) during the reign of Tsar Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich of All Rus' and His Eminence Archbishop Macarius, Metropolitan of All Rus',” “In the summer of 7136 (1628) on May 3, this bell was given in the house of the Most Pure Mother of God of Smolensk in the Novodevichy Monastery, Prince Alexey Ivanovich Vorotynsky, after Princess Maria, Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Vorotynsky, after Princess Maria Petrovna, after his mother and after his parents,” on the remaining bells there are similar dedications, casting dates and weight “April 13, 1630”; the fourth bell was cast in 1673 in Deventer, the fifth - without indicating the date, the sixth - “1651 - 200 poods” (3200 kg), the seventh - “August 3, 1684 - 540 poods” (8640 kg). The bell, cast on December 1, 1688, was donated by princes John and Peter Alekseevich. On the large belfry hung a 6,200-kilogram bell, cast by master Ivan Matorin, who once made the Tsar Bell.

Unfortunately, the name of the architect of the bell tower has also not been preserved. When the architect V.I. Bazhenov saw her, he exclaimed that this was a wonderful creation, which had no equal in the world. Architect O. I. Bove wrote: “The bell tower of Ivan the Great is worthy of sight, but the bell tower of the Maiden Monastery... will more seduce the eyes of a person who has taste.”

The monastery was renovated both during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna and later. It was restored and repaired after the French left. In the Lopukhinsky Chambers on the northern side, the embrasures were cut out and turned into ordinary windows, and the porch was moved to the middle of the facade. In 1983, during extensive restoration work, they tried to return the cathedral to its original appearance, but the job was not completed.

There is a memorial plaque in the cathedral, which lists the work carried out from the 16th to the 20th centuries: “This temple in the name of the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God was founded in the summer of 1524 under the Grand Duke of All Russia Vasily Ivanovich + Painted and decorated in the summer of 1598 by order of the Tsar of All Russia Boris Fedorovich + Renewed in the summer of 1666 by order of the Tsar of All Russia Alexei Mikhailovich + In 1759, corrected and decorated at the behest of the Empress of All-Russia Elisaveta Petrovna + During the reign of the Emperor and Autocrat of All-Russia Nicholas II in the summer from 1898 to 1903, the temple and iconography were restored to their original form - under Metropolitan Vladimir of Moscow - the rector of this monastery, Abbess Antonina - the chairman of the committee for the restoration of this temple, Archimandrite Tovia - Archpriest N. M. Antipyev - the producer of the architect's works, Ser. Const. Radionov - a representative from the Imperial Moscow Archaeological Society, architect I. P. Menshikov".

It’s strange - there is not a word on this board about the heyday of the construction and decoration of the monastery during the time of Sophia.

Already in 1523, i.e. two years before the completion of construction and foundation of the monastery, Vasily III transferred into his possession land with residential buildings and peasants in the camps of Manatin, Bykov and Korovin of the Vyazemsky district of the Smolensk province and in the Gorstovsky camp of the Moscow district. The Grand Dukes Vasily III and John IV endowed it with several palace villages and villages, and granted them tarhan and non-judgmental charters. A large contribution to the monastery economy was made for the wife of brother John IV, Princess Ulyana Udelnaya. A little later, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich donated, through cellarsha Evdokia Meshcherskaya, the village of Smolenskoye with villages in Vereisky district. The monastery’s possessions were granted not only by grand ducal families, but also by wealthy investors, for example , noblewoman Morozova, and Prince Kubensky in 1571 granted the villages of Pochenki and Kubenskoye on the Setun River, and in 1592 - the village of Cherten, Kaluga province.

In the first tier of the Smolensk Cathedral along the southern wall there are three tombs of the sisters of Peter I (Miloslavsky): the first from the altar - Catherine (1718), then Evdokia (1712) and Sophia (1704). At the southern edge of the southwestern pillar stands the tomb of his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina (1731), mother of Alexei and Alexandra. The son of Peter I, Tsarevich Alexei, was executed by his father, and his daughter died in the Intercession Monastery in Suzdal. Evdokia Fedorovna died at the age of 62. First, her body was buried in the St. Sophia Church and later transferred to the Smolensk Cathedral.

Thousands of noble and honorable citizens of that time were buried around the Smolensk Cathedral and the Assumption Church. The cemetery territory was divided into 14 sections, which were divided into three categories. Burial in sites of the 1st category cost 1000 rubles, 2nd - 500, 3rd - 300 rubles. The cemetery was elite. Accordingly, tombstones were built, made of valuable types of marble, as well as bronze and cast iron according to the designs of famous sculptors.

According to the research of Professor D. M. Artamonov, 90 friends and acquaintances of A. S. Pushkin rest in the soil of the monastery. Of the monuments erected over their burials, 16 have survived: to I.M. Bodyansky (1835. Here and below the date of death is indicated. - Author) - historian, professor at Moscow University; D. M. Volkonsky (1835) - lieutenant general, senator; D. V. Davydov (1839) - partisan poet, hero of the Patriotic War; A. I. Turgenev (1845) - Privy Councilor, public figure and writer; A. A. Shakhovsky (1846) - prince, poet, playwright and theater figure; M. N. Zagoskin (1852) - writer, participant in the Patriotic War; P. Trubetskoy (1860) - prince, Decembrist; N. M. Orlov (1866) - general, Decembrist; E. N. Orlova (Raevskaya) - Orlov’s wife; I. I. Lazhechnikov (1869) - writer; N.V. Sushkov (1871) - writer; N. A. Milyutin (1872) - acting comrade minister of internal affairs; M. P. Pogodin (1875) - historian, publisher; A. S. Uvarov (1884) - prince, senator, archaeologist; M.I. Muravyov-Apostol (1886) - Decembrist; S. N. Krivtsova (1901) - the wife of the historian P. N. Batyushkov.

Monuments to S. A. Volkonsky, N. N. Vyazemskaya (Rimskaya-Korsakova), A. N. Muravyov, A. F. Pisemsky and E. P. Pisemskaya, A. N. Pleshcheev, N. V. Rukavishnikov, S. M. Solovyov, Vl. S. Solovyov, Sun. S. Solovyov, V. I. Timofeev, P. A. Chertkov, A. V. Yakushkin and others. In general, the cemetery contains monuments to 12 Decembrists and 25 participants in the Patriotic War of 1812.

The last to be buried in the cemetery was the legendary commander A. A. Brusilov, hero of the First World War and Soviet military leader (September 1, 1853 - March 17, 1926).

The monastery cemetery within the monastery walls was destroyed in the 1930s. As of 1925, there were 2,811 burial sites with tombstones or monuments on its territory. The city fathers ordered to clear it of the burials of representatives of noble and merchant families, leaving the graves of only those who glorified themselves in the fight against tsarism, as well as figures of science, literature and art. As a result, after “weeding,” about a hundred monuments remained on the surface. It should be noted that the museum staff is making efforts to restore the burial places of the most famous and dear to the history of the Motherland citizens.

Many prominent writers, artists, government and party leaders, and military leaders are buried in another cemetery that was formed outside the monastery, behind its southern wall. The initiator of the creation of this cemetery was the monastery abbess at the end of the 19th century. It is known as Novodevichy.

The monastery ceased to exist at the beginning of 1920, and already in 1922 a museum was opened in it, which in 1934 became a branch of the State Historical Museum. In recent years, extensive restoration work has been carried out at the monastery. Many buildings were freed from various extensions and restored to their original form. The chest side of the walls was strengthened. In many rooms there are temporary and permanent exhibitions of ancient art and Russian weapons of past centuries. The restoration of the bell tower is being completed.

The Novodevichy Convent is one of the most attractive tourism sites. The monastery and its surroundings have become a favorite vacation spot for Muscovites and are a picturesque setting for numerous artists.

Since the end of 1945, the Assumption Church with its side chapels has been handed over to the local Orthodox community, and the residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna is located in the Lopukhinsky Chambers.

15. In 2004, the Novodevichy Convent turned 480 years old and its architectural ensemble was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. (Vyacheslav Lopatin / FT)

Plan of the Novodevichy Convent:

1. Smolensk Cathedral 1524 - 1525 2. Refectory and chambers of Irina Godunova 16th - 17th centuries. 3. St. Ambrose Church 16 -17 centuries. 4. Intercession Gate Church 1687 - 1688 5. Mariinsky Chambers 1687 - 1688 6. Assumption Church with a refectory chamber 7. Bell tower 1689 - 1690 8. Transfiguration Gate Church 1687 - 1688 9. Lopukhin chambers 1687 - 1688 10. Singing chambers. Starts 18 at 11. Treasury chambers. Late 18th century 12. Streletskaya guard at the Naprudnaya Tower. 17th century Chambers of Princess Sofia Alekseevna 13. Chambers of Princess Evdokia Miloslavskaya. Late 17th - early 18th centuries. 14. Filatievsky School. 19th century 15. Hospital. Late 17th century 16. Streletskaya guard at the Nikolskaya Tower, 17th century. 17. Streletskaya guard at the Chebotarny tower of the 17th century. 18. Setun Streltsy guard. 17th century 19. Cellar chambers. 17th century 20. Chapel of the Prokhorovs. Early 20th century 21. Volkonsky Mausoleum. 1st half of the 19th century. 22. Tsaritsyna Tower 23. Nikolskaya Tower 24. Iosaph Tower 25. Shvalnaya Tower 26. Chebotarnaya Tower 27. Pokrovskaya (Bogoroditskaya or Vorobyovskaya) Tower 28. Predtechinskaya (Irininskaya) Tower 29. Setunskaya Tower 30. Shabby Tower I 31. Savvinskaya Tower 32. Nadprudnaya Tower 33. Lopukhin Tower And now let's take a virtual flight over the monastery!

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The museum part of the monastery tells in detail about its history, famous personalities whose destinies at different times were connected with this place, and there is an excursion department. There are also daily services held here, which anyone can attend. In addition to visiting individual attractions, it is simply pleasant to take leisurely, contemplative walks through the shady territory of Novodevichy.

There are several versions of the origin of the name of the monastery. The first says that the shrine got its name because of the place where it was built - the Maiden's Field. According to legend, it was here that the most beautiful girls were chosen and sent as tribute to the Khan of the Golden Horde. The second version claims that the name comes from the surname of the first abbess - Elena Devochkina. The third is the most realistic and is most often used by historians. According to her, the monastery from the very beginning was created for women, that is, it was for girls. The prefix began to be used in order to distinguish the shrine from a similar one opened earlier in the Kremlin.

Video: Novodevichy Convent

History of creation

Princess Sofya Alekseevna in the Novodevichy Convent (1879), painting by Ilya Repin

Construction of the Novodevichy Convent. Miniature of the Front Chronicle. Second half of the 16th century.

Panorama of the Novodevichy Convent

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Architecture of the shrine

Novodevichy Convent, Smolensk Cathedral, 1524-1525. Several churches of the monastery are built in such a way that they form an Orthodox cross facing east. The central place in the ensemble is occupied by the Smolensk Cathedral. It is here that the oldest copy of the Iveron Mother of God icon is contained, which is considered the main and most revered relic of the Novodevichy Convent. The large five-domed cathedral has preserved unique frescoes from the 16th century and an iconostasis from the 17th century, which every visitor can admire today. The architectural ensemble mixed Moscow Baroque and the later style of the Middle Ages. This appearance took shape in the first centuries of the monastery’s existence and has hardly changed since then. Despite this combination, the temple composition looks very harmonious. The white and purple buildings of the monastery stand out beautifully against the background of the dense greenery growing on the territory of the shrine.

Smolensk Cathedral, 1524-1525.

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Novodevichy Cemetery

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