From the market to the temple: Alexander Mozhaev on the new building on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard. Contacts Theotokos Christmas stauropegic convent
Years white-stone cathedral was consecrated. In the year he suffered during a fire, after which a new great consecration of the cathedral followed in the year.
The monastery was established at the cathedral soon after its construction. From the very beginning, the monastery occupied an important place in church and state life. Its rectors were participants in Moscow Councils and were mainly elected to various episcopal sees. Within the walls of the monastery at the beginning of the 13th century, the Kiev-Pechersk paterikon was compiled, over which the former abbot of the monastery and the first Vladimir Saint Simon worked. In those years, the future Vladyka of Vladimir, Hieromartyr Mitrofan, and the future Saint Cyril of Rostov were also the abbot of the monastery. Up to a year the monastery was ruled by abbots, after which a "great archimandry" was established here. In the year, during the invasion of Khan Batu, the monastery was destroyed, its abbot, Archimandrite Pakhomiy, with his brethren, accepted a martyr's death.
However, the monastery soon recovered and rose even more. The monastery began to be called "Lavra." From the middle of the XIII century it became the cathedral for the All-Russian metropolitans. On November 23, in the monastery church in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky was buried, in the schema Alexy.
After the separation of the Russian Church
The bishop's house had a library, most of the books in which date from the 17th century.
In the eastern part, on the first floor, the planning structure of the two-span ancient gates has been preserved. The former passage is covered with box-type vaults on supporting arches. In an increased volume (on the first floor), a large room at the eastern end and a room at the southern facade are covered with vaults along the beams, in the remaining rooms there are flat ceilings. The passageway in the middle part of the first floor of the western volume has a ceiling of vaults along beams, as well as an elongated room to the left of it. On the second floor, the eastern volume (there was a sacristy, and earlier - an old gateway church) is divided into four rooms, covered with domed vaults. The central volume is occupied by a large church hall with a mirrored vault. Here on the walls, large
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the side-altar of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles
1501 - 1505
It was built in the traditional Moscow style of the 16th century on the site of the former, the existence of which is evidenced by the remains of an older white-stone masonry preserved in the eastern part of the basement. The cathedral building was badly damaged by a fire in 1547, but by 1550 it was completely restored. At the same time, the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built in the southern apse of the church, for which part of the brick altar barrier was preserved here, which by that time had already been almost completely dismantled. The similarity of the cathedral with the Spassky cathedral of the Andronikov monastery in Moscow is noticeable.
The four-pillar, three-apse Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally topped with one helmet-shaped head. With the arrangement of the Nikolsky side-altar, another small dome appeared in the southeastern part of the cathedral. By its structure, the cathedral is pyramidal. With a wide arrangement of four pillars, its lateral articulations are much narrower than the average. The cross vaults rest on the pillars: the center of the articulation of the vaults is cut by the circumference of the light drum. Outside, the drum of light surrounds several tiers of keeled kokoshniks (false zakomars), located "in a cross". The zakomars of the cathedral roof, separated by the cornice from the main wall, follow the contours of the vaults. Inside, the light drum is supported by powerful steps of arches. The bases of the drum and the altar shells (conch) are surrounded by cornices. The special treatment of the arches turns the ledges into pilasters. The dome was folded in such a way that the curved rows of bricks placed "at an angle" formed a concentric pattern. Such masonry of the dome had a theological explanation: it signified the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. In the icon cases above the portals, there used to be frescoes (fragments of one of them have been preserved on the northern facade overlooking the chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit).
It is not excluded that the portals themselves were originally painted, as evidenced by the remains of the coloring of the northern portal, the painting of which has now been renewed. There was a belfry above the southwest corner of the cathedral. Since the second half of the 16th century, the architectural appearance of the cathedral has been changing. The refectory annex, adjoining the Nikolsky side-altar, was subsequently lengthened and covered the southern facade of the cathedral. Instead of the dismantled belfry, a tent-roofed bell tower was added to the southwestern division of the temple. Later, the Nikolsky side-altar was moved to the church of St. John Chrysostom: in memory of him, the southeastern part of the vault is crowned with a preserved small dome. In the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the remains of the original brick altar barrier have survived to this day. In the refectory of the church, at the level of the windowsills, there are white-stone tombstones over the burials of the 17th – 18th centuries. Among those who died here are the names of Paraskeva Feodorovna, daughter of Prince Dolgorukov, and Prince Mikhail Feodorovich Dolgorukov. By the end of the 18th century, a covered porch was erected on the north side of the cathedral, in which in 1814 the side-altar of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was arranged. In the southern, elongated annex of the cathedral, in 1820, a side-altar appeared in the name of St. Demetrius of Rostov, which was subsequently transferred to the temple of St. John Chrysostom.
Around 1835, the hipped-roof bell tower, damaged by a lightning strike, was dismantled. At the end of the seventies of the nineteenth century, iconostases, iconostases, gilding and wall paintings were renovated in the cathedral. The photographs that capture the view of the monastery churches at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries show paintings - images of saints on a light drum and inside the zakomar of the cathedral. At the beginning of the 20th century, according to the project of the famous architect F.O. Shekhtel, a porch was added to the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, sustained in the architectural style of the 17th century. The porch united the temple itself, its side-altars and the refectory, creating a kind of unity between the ancient cathedral and later annexes.
In Soviet times, everything was done to make the temples of the monastery more likely to be destroyed, for which drainage systems were blocked, the inflow and preservation of water in the foundations was ensured. And although in the 60s of the twentieth century, under public pressure, the cathedral was recognized as an architectural monument and placed under state protection, it continued to collapse. Currently, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and its chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit are active, but it is planned to carry out a number of internal and external restoration work in them.
Gate Church of the schmch. Eugene, Bishop of Chersonesos
1835 - 1836
The bell tower with the gate church of the schmch. Eugene, Bishop of Chersonesos, was erected over the entrance to the monastery (the Holy Gates) at the expense of the secret councilor (widow of the privy councilor) Serafima Ivanovna Shterich, who made a contribution to the eternal commemoration of her deceased son, the youth, Eugene.
Hieromartyr Eugene, Bishop of Chersonesos, one of the seven Hieromartyrs of Chersonesos (IV century), was the heavenly patron of the youth Eugene.
There is evidence that His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, being Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna, visited the territory of the closed Our Lady of the Nativity monastery. Some of the sisters of the monastery managed to stay in the monastery as residents. Among them was the nun Claudia, who was considered one of the best craftswomen in Moscow in sewing priestly vestments, and Metropolitan Pimen made orders for her. Also on the territory of the monastery lived the Taratunin family, whom His Holiness Patriarch Pimen knew and visited several times.
Since 2012, the temple of the schmch. Eugene of Chersonesos is active: the nursing rule and divine services are performed in it, in which students of the monastery singing school and youth organizations at the monastery take part.
Refectory Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
1904 - 1906
Tthe rapezny building with the temple was built in the Russian-Byzantine style. Having impressive dimensions (length 36 meters, width 15 meters, height 17 meters), the building of the temple could simultaneously accommodate more than three hundred people. The vaults and walls of the temple are painted in the style of the Russian art school of the 19th century. Among the murals there are copies of paintings by G.I. Semiradsky: "Christ and the Samaritan Woman", "Christ at Martha and Mary".
Church of St. John Chrysostom with the side-chapels of St. Nicholas, St. Philaret the Merciful, St. Dimitri of Rostov (accessory throne)
At first it was wooden. In 1676–1687, a stone refectory church was erected on the site of a wooden church in the style of the township churches of the 17th century. It was warm, five-headed and pillarless, with the muffled drums of the heads placed directly on the vault. A hundred years after its construction, in the seventies of the eighteenth century, the temple suffered from a fire and was restored in the same period.
Complex brick cornices, arcatures on the drums of the domes, zakomaras, ornate platbands have been partially preserved since the 17th century. In 1792, an extension was made to the church (according to some information, it existed from the end of the 17th century and was renewed), into which the side-chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was moved from the cathedral. In 1812 the chapel of the holy righteous Philaret the Merciful was built. At the same time, the temple from the refectory becomes cathedral.
In connection with the appearance of side-chapels in the southern and northern walls of the quadrangle, wide arches were arranged. The decoration of the side-chapels was stylized to resemble the Old Russian pattern. At the end of the 60s of the 19th century, they were rebuilt, keeping the same style and architectural features. In the 70s of the XIX century, a new painting appeared in the temple, but under it a part of the painting of the 17th century with the date of the temple's construction was preserved.
In 1903–1904, the temple was completely reconstructed: the old openings in the walls were expanded and new ones were created, thanks to which the temple became more spacious and spacious. The chapel of St. Demetrius of Rostov was moved to the temple from the cathedral. After the revolution, the temple underwent the common fate of the churches. In the 1960s, the exterior of the temple was renovated, but everything inside remained unchanged. For many decades, the building of the temple was in disrepair.
The temple is currently being restored.
The Theotokos-Rozhdestvensky stauropegic convent is one of the oldest convents in Moscow. Located in the center of Moscow, at the intersection of Rozhdestvenka Street and Rozhdestvensky Boulevard at ul. Rozhdestvenka, 20. The Mother of God Rozhdestvensky Convent is one of 56 cultural sites of national importance. The monastery was founded in the 1380s by the mother of the hero of the Battle of Kulikovo, Vladimir Andreevich the Brave, Princess Maria Andreevna Serpukhovskaya (in schema-Martha). The first sisters of the monastery are widows and orphans of the soldiers who died on the Kulikovo field. The history of the monastery is closely connected with the history of Russia. The monastery was revived on July 16, 1993.
There are four churches on the territory of the monastery: 
.
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Built in 1501–1505 in the traditional Old Russian architectural style (services are held on weekdays):
Temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (refectory) Built in 1904-1906 in the old Moscow style (services are held on weekends): 
Church of St. John Zatousta with ladderesoteric and chapels of St. Nicholas, Righteous Philaret the Merciful and St. Demetrius of Rostov. Built in the 17th century, on the site of the former wooden church of St. John Chrysostom. The temple is currently being restored.
Bell tower with the temple of the Holy Martyr Eugene of Kherson. The three-tiered bell tower in the classical style was built in 1835–1836 on the site of the central entrance to the monastery: in its lower tier, the main entrance of the monastery, the Holy Gates, was created.
A documentary about the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery:
Moscow. Myths and legends (TC Stolitsa, 2009), Theotokos - Rozhestvensky Monastery, PART 1:
Moscow. Myths and legends (TC Stolitsa, 2009), Theotokos - Rozhestvensky Monastery, PART 2:
The next film from the cycle "Twelve Feasts" tells how the gospel event of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos affected the lives of subsequent generations of people living in different countries, the film also mentions the history of the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery in Moscow:
More information on the official website of the Mother of God - Nativity Monastery: http://www.mbrsm.ru/
Abbess of the monastery: Quiz, abbess (Elena Pavlovna Perminova)
Address: Russia, Moscow, intersection of Rozhdestvenka streets and Rozhdestvensky boulevard
Foundation date: XIV century (1386)
Major attractions: Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy, the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the Church of St. John Chrysostom, the bell tower with the Church of Eugene of Kherson
Shrines: the icon of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, a particle of the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, a particle of the relics of St. George the Victorious, the Bogolyubskaya icon of the Mother of God, the icon of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
Coordinates: 55 ° 45 "56.7" N 37 ° 37 "28.8" E
In the very center of the city there is one of the oldest women's cloisters in Moscow, the chronicle of which begins at the end of the XIV century. The Orthodox monastery went through a period of prosperity and difficult years of oblivion. Today, its churches have been beautifully restored and are open to pilgrims and tourists.
General view of the Rozhdestvensky monastery
History of the monastery
In 1386, Maria Konstantinovna, the widow of Prince Andrei Ivanovich of Serpukhov, took monastic vows under the name Martha and established a new monastery. According to the main cathedral, they began to call it "The Nativity of the Virgin on the Moat." Fulfilling the princess's desire, Sergius of Radonezh took over the duties of the monastery's confessor.
Historians differ as to the place where the monastery was originally located. Some of them believe that he stood in the center of the Kremlin, while others are sure that the monastery was located near Kuchkov Field, on the steep left bank of the Neglinka River.
According to legend, Maria Konstantinovna decided to found a monastery in gratitude that her son returned alive after the bloody battle of Kulikovo. To perpetuate the memory of the fateful battle, crosses with crescents were erected on the temples, and the first inhabitants of the monastery were widows, mothers, sisters and daughters of soldiers who fell on the Kulikovo field.
In the 30s of the 15th century, the wife of Prince Vladimir the Brave, Elena, was tonsured here. Before that, she presented the monastery with the village of Kosino with the Holy Lake and several villages, and after her death, the nun was buried in the monastery cemetery.
View of the monastery from the side of Rozhdestvensky Boulevard
Under John III, a large-scale reconstruction of the Kremlin began. They decided to withdraw the nunnery from the grand-ducal residence, and in 1484 the monastery moved to the place where it is located today. The road passing along the monastery connected the Kremlin and Kuchkovo Pole, and soon the name Rozhdestvenka or "church" street was assigned to it.
At the beginning of the 16th century, a stone cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin appeared in the monastery. The beautiful one-domed church was built in the best traditions of early Moscow architecture and it became an architectural replica of one of the oldest Moscow churches - the Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery. It is known that in 1505 John III himself attended the consecration of the new church.
In the middle of the 16th century, Moscow experienced a terrible fire. The fire did not spare Rozhdestvenka and the women's monastery that stood here. The cathedral church was especially badly damaged. The money for it was allocated by the wife of John IV the Terrible - Tsarina Anastasia Romanovna, and by the decree of the tsar a stone Nikolsky side-chapel was attached to it. Due to numerous alterations, the cathedral began to look heavy and no longer resemble a candle directed upwards.
Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
In the 1670s, a tomb was built in the monastery for the Russian princes Lobanov-Rostovsky, who were very proud of the fact that they were descended from Rurik himself. At first, the building had one floor, and then it was completed with a second floor, and the monastery sacristy began to be kept there. Thanks to the contributions of the Lobanov-Rostovskys, the monastery acquired the Church of St. John Chrysostom, a hipped-roof bell tower and a fence with the Holy Gates and four towers.
In 1764, on the initiative of Empress Catherine II, a church reform took place in Russia. Like many other monasteries, Rozhdestvensky lost part of its lands, but began to receive money from the treasury for the maintenance of churches and the monastic community.
In 1812, before the arrival of the French, the abbess managed to hide what was kept in the monastery sacristy. Napoleonic soldiers broke into the monastery, but did not find the treasure and began to plunder the temples. One of the French generals settled in the monastery, and by his order the refectory was turned into a stable.
By the beginning of the last century, the convent flourished. On its territory there were four temples and three-storey stone buildings. There was a parish school at the monastery and an orphanage for girls.
Church of St. John Chrysostom
With the advent of Soviet power, the fate of all the monasteries in Moscow changed dramatically. In 1921, the Nativity monastery was closed. During the campaign to remove church valuables from the monastery, 17 pounds of silver were taken out - all the silver vestments and valuable liturgical utensils. Some of the icons were transferred to other Moscow churches, while others were simply thrown away.
In 1922, the sisters continued to live in the monastery, but they began to take rent from them. The empty buildings housed the All-Russian Committee for Aid to Soldiers and a concentration camp, and then the buildings were given to the police and cadets. The nuns were kicked out the following year. The Church of St. John Chrysostom was converted into a club, and the refectory of the Kazan church was turned into a dining room. In subsequent years, the monastery buildings were occupied by various organizations, scientific and educational institutions. The former cells were used as communal apartments.
In the early 1990s, the buildings were returned to believers. Two years later, the first divine services took place in the cathedral church, and a year later the convent was revived.
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Architectural monuments
The rectangular area is surrounded by a stone fence with towers. The central place on it is occupied by the old Nativity Cathedral, which was built in 1501-1505. During the restoration work carried out, researchers discovered an ancient white-stone masonry and came to the conclusion that the cathedral was erected on the foundations of an older stone church.
The four-pillar temple is crowned with a high drum with a helmet-shaped head. In the cathedral refectory, tombstones of the 17th-18th centuries have been preserved. On the southeast side, the building is adjoined by the old tomb of the Lobanov-Rostovskys.
To the south of the Nativity Cathedral there is a large church of St. John Chrysostom. The first temple on this site was made of wood, but in the 1670s-1680s it was rebuilt in stone. The warm church was built in the best traditions of the posad churches of the 17th century. It has five chapters and a spacious refectory. Today the temple has been well restored and is open to believers.
Bell tower with the church of Eugene of Kherson
To the north of the Nativity Cathedral, you can see a long three-story building, over which the five-domed temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God rises. This church was built at the beginning of the last century by the architect P.A.Vinogradov. The picturesque red-brick building is made in the tradition of retrospectivism and is decorated with intricate platbands, columns and beads. During the years of Soviet power, the domes of the temple were demolished, and students of the Moscow Architectural Institute studied inside.
The Church of Eugene Kherson is located under a three-tiered bell tower, which stands near the entrance gate, from the side of Rozhdestvenka Street. The first temple was built according to the project of the architect N.I. Kozlovsky in the 30s of the XIX century, however, 100 years later, by the decision of the authorities, it was destroyed. The church that can be seen today replaced the one that was lost in 2005.
The monastery today
The Convent is a functioning monastery in which the monastic community permanently resides, and church services are held twice a day at 7.00 and 17.00.
View of the monastery from Rozhdestvenka street
A church-singing school has been opened at the monastery, where women study the liturgical charter, catechism, liturgy, solfeggio and study in a choral class. Education in it is designed for three years. There is also a library and Sunday school classes. Nuns and novices are active in charitable work, collecting things for the poor, homeless and large families.
The icons of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, Nicholas the Wonderworker, John the Baptist, the healer Panteleimon, the Optina elders and Sophia of Suzdal are considered the shrines of the monastery. In addition, believers come to monastery churches to venerate the relics of the Great Martyr Barbara and George the Victorious.
Theotokos-Rozhdestvensky monastery
“The ensemble of the Rozhdestvensky monastery, early. XVI century, XVII - XVIII centuries and early. XIX century. " is a single complex of historical and cultural heritage transferred to the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church in accordance with the decree of the Moscow Government No. 657 dated 07/15/93 by the Office of the State Control for the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Moscow.
Address: Moscow, Rozhdestvenka street, 20
Mother Superior: since 1993 Abbess Quiz (Perminova)
Contractor: NP "Unified Customer Service of the Moscow Patriarchate" (2019-2017)
Technical supervision: PromStroyDesignProject LLC (2019)
Technical supervision: ANO "National Restoration Center to Promote the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Sites" (2018-2017)
RESTORATION
In 2019 within the framework of the Program for the provision of subsidies from the budget of the city of Moscow, restoration work was carried out at the cultural heritage site of federal significance “The Rozhdestvensky Monastery Ensemble, early 16th century, 17th-18th centuries. and the beginning of the 19th century. - Church of St. John Chrysostom, 1677". Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, d. 20/8, bld. 15. The facades (stage 2), brick and white-stone basement were restored, the drainage system and roofing were repaired, the stone facing of stairs and parapets was restored, doors and windows were replaced, metal gratings were repaired ... The work started in 2018 continued here.
Also, restoration work was carried out at the object of cultural heritage of federal significance “The Ensemble of the Rozhdestvensky Monastery, early 16th century, 17th-18th centuries. and the beginning of the 19th century: The surviving part of the monastery fence with towers (part of the wall), XVII-XVIII". Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, d. 20. Namely: restoration of brickwork, white-stone basement and decor, repair of metal covering, installation of shut-off waterproofing of walls and blind area.
In 2018 work was carried out at three sites.
Crypt of the Lobanov-Rostovsky, 1676-1677 (Tomb). Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, 20/8, p. 17. Restoration of facades, brick and white-stone socle, porches, installation of blind area, repair of drainage system, window bars.
Cathedral, 1501-1505 Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, 20/8, p. 14. Restoration of granite porches, drums and zakomars, repair of roofs, valances and crosses, window bars, drainage system, installation of blind area and drainage systems. The work started in 2017 continued here.
Church of St. John Chrysostom, 1677 Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, 20/8, p. 15. Restoration of brick and white stone socle, facades, blind area arrangement.
In 2017 work was carried out at two sites.
Bell tower, 1835 architect. N.I. Kozlovsky ". Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, 20/8, str. 16. Restoration of facades, including architectural stucco decoration, white stone basement, restoration of the drainage system.
The cultural heritage site of federal significance “The ensemble of the Rozhdestvensky Monastery, early 16th century, 17th-18th centuries. and the beginning of the XIX century: - The cathedral, 1501-1505 ". Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, d. 20/8, str. 14. Planned works: restoration of facades, white-stone basement, installation of blind area and drainage system.
In 2016 work was carried out at two sites.
The cultural heritage site of federal significance “The ensemble of the Rozhdestvensky Monastery, early 16th century, 17th-18th centuries. and the beginning of the 19th century. - Cells, XVIII century (Northwestern cells)". Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, 20. Works: restoration of facades; the device of the drainage system.
The cultural heritage site of federal significance “The ensemble of the Rozhdestvensky Monastery, early 16th century, 17th-18th centuries. and the beginning of the XIX century: - Bell tower, 1835 architect. N.I.Kozlovsky". Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, d. 20/8, str. 16. Works: installation of shut-off waterproofing; restoration of the white-stone basement and the facade of the first tier.
In 2015 within the framework of the Program for the provision of subsidies from the budget of the city of Moscow, repair and restoration work was carried out in the northwestern cells XVIII century (street Rozhdestvenka, d. 20/8, p. 3).
History
The Mother of God Christmas stauropegial convent was founded in 1386 by the wife of Prince Andrei Serpukhovsky and the mother of Prince Vladimir the Brave - Princess Maria Ivanovna, daughter of Prince Ivan Fedorovich of Galicia and Dmitrov, a descendant of Grand Duke Vsevolod the Big Nest.
According to the Trinity Chronicle and the Rogozhsky Chronicler, Princess Maria Andreeva (that is, the wife of Prince Andrei) tonsured into a schema with the name of Martha in the monastery she created, died on December 2 (15) and was buried in the monastery.
According to a number of historians, at first the monastery was located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin and was called: monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin on the Moat... Other experts believe that from the moment of its foundation the monastery was located on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, near the Kuchkov field, in the possession of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky.
In the 1430s, Princess Elena Olgerdovna, the wife of Prince Vladimir the Brave, took monastic vows at the monastery with the name of Eupraxia. Princess Elena donated the monastery to the village with villages. And she was buried, according to her will, in the monastery cemetery in 1452.
The one-domed stone cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos was built in 1501-1505 in the tradition of early Moscow architecture. After a fire in 1547, for 150 years, it was surrounded by annexes that changed their original appearance.
On November 25, 1525, in the Nativity monastery, the wife of Vasily the Third, Solomoniy Saburov, was forcibly tonsured under the name Sofia and lived in the monastery until she was transferred to the Suzdal Pokrovsky monastery.
In the summer of 1547, during a strong Moscow fire, the buildings of the monastery burned down, the stone cathedral was damaged. It was soon restored by the vow of Tsarina Anastasia Romanovna, the wife of Ivan the Terrible. By order of the tsar himself, the Nikolsky side-chapel was created in the southern altar apse.
In the 70s of the 17th century, the Nativity Monastery became the burial place of the Lobanov-Rostovsky princes: their tomb was added to the cathedral from the east. In the 19th century, it received the second floor, which housed the monastery sacristy.
In 1676-1687, at the expense of Princess Fotinia Ivanovna Lobanova-Rostovskaya, a stone church of St. John Chrysostom with a refectory and chapels of St. Nicholas, righteous Philaret the Merciful and St. Demetrius of Rostov was erected. At her own expense in 1671, a stone fence with four towers was built.
XIX-XX centuries
From September 5 to November 1812, the monastery was occupied by Napoleon's troops. In the monastery, a legend about a miracle from the icon of St. Nicholas has been preserved: an enemy soldier, trying to rip off the frame from the miraculous icon, was badly wounded, numb and could not budge, so that he was carried out of the church in his arms. The invaders did not harm any of the civilians hiding in the territory of the monastery, although they shot Muscovites suspected of arson behind the fence, near the northern wall.
During the invasion of Napoleon, the monastery was not damaged by fire. Only in the refectory chamber of the Nativity Cathedral did the invaders set up a stable. But in the church of St. John Chrysostom, services continued daily.
In 1812, the chapel of the holy righteous Philaret the Merciful was built in the church of St. John Chrysostom. In connection with the appearance of side-chapels in the southern and northern walls of the quadrangle, wide arches were arranged. At the end of the 60s of the nineteenth century, the side-altars were rebuilt, maintaining the same style and architectural features. The great consecration of the side-altar of the holy righteous Philaret the Merciful was accomplished in 1869 by Saint Innokenty (Veniaminov), Metropolitan of Moscow (see I.F.
The three-tiered bell tower with the Church of the Martyr Eugene of Chersonesos (architect N.I. Kozlovsky) was built in 1835-1836 in the classical style on the site of the central entrance to the monastery: the main entrance of the monastery, the Holy Gates, was created in its lower tier. Above the entrance was the gate church of the holy martyr Eugene of Chersonesos. There is a vaulted cellar under the bell tower. The round-shaped gate church inside had a superstructure (choirs) that still exists today, and a colonnade that was completely destroyed; the iconostasis has not survived.
In 1903-1904 the church of St. John Chrysostom was completely reconstructed: the old openings in the walls were expanded and new ones were created. The chapel of St. Demetrius of Rostov was moved from the cathedral (in the new church, the throne of St. Demetrius was attached).
In 1904-1906, according to the project of the architect P.A.Vinogradov, the church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with a new refectory was built. This church was erected during the first Russian revolution. The holy righteous John of Kronstadt served in the Kazan temple (the testimony of the schema-goumene Tamari (Mardzhanova), dated 1906, has been preserved about this).
There was a parish school at the monastery, from 1909 to 1917 it was headed by a priest of the monastery, Mitred Archpriest Sergiy Molchanov, a member of the Board of the Moscow Museum of Visual Teaching Materials for City Elementary Schools under the Moscow City Council (religious and moral section). His son Viktor Molchanov became a famous photo artist.
In 1922 the monastery was closed, the silver vestments were removed from the icons (a total of 17 poods of silver and 16 pounds of pearls were taken out), some of the icons were originally transferred to the Church of St. Nicholas in the Bells, and later to the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Sign" in Pereyaslavskaya Sloboda. It is known that for some time there was a corrective labor house on the territory of the closed monastery: according to the information of L.A. Golovkova, no later than 1920 a concentration camp was opened on the territory of the monastery.
Many sisters of the monastery were subjected to prison and camp imprisonment and exile.
The temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was first given for housing, in the basement there were the Administrative House, a kindergarten, and living quarters. Since the 1970s, this temple has housed one of the departments of the Moscow Architectural Institute.
The church of St. John Chrysostom and other monastic buildings for some period belonged to the militia, they also housed residential apartments, and later also housed office, scientific and educational institutions.
In the Church of St. John Chrysostom 1920-1930s
The monastery cemetery was destroyed. On the site of the cemetery, a mound was made, on which a school was built in 1935-1936. With blocked drainage systems, the inflow and retention of water in the foundations doomed the temples of the monastery to gradual destruction.
For almost the entire Soviet period, the buildings were not repaired, with the exception of partial restoration of the cathedral in the 60s and supporting cosmetic work in some buildings. Moreover, all buildings were in need of major repairs and restoration.
In 1974 (according to the data of the Museum of the Moscow Architectural Institute - in 1978), by the decision of the Moscow City Council, the Nativity Monastery was transferred to the Moscow Architectural Institute to organize a museum-reserve of ancient Russian art and architecture. Some of the nuns were allowed to stay in the former monastery, two nuns lived on the territory of the monastery until the late 1970s. On September 25, 1978, nun Varvara (Turusova), the treasurer of the monastery, was killed, and the monastery icons that she had kept were stolen.
The modern life of the monastery
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was returned to the Church in 1989.
The monastery was revived on July 19, 1993, on the day of the celebration of the Cathedral of Radonezh Saints. The monastery was given stauropegic status.
The abbess of the monastery since 1993 is Abbess Viktorina (Perminova) (elevated to the rank of abbess in 1998).
At present, the foundations of the temples have been completely "liberated" and cleared, the white-stone foundation and the facade of the active Nativity Cathedral (2002), the foundation and facade of the church of St. John Chrysostom (2007-2008). The bulk soil layers were removed (2000-2003), the school was demolished (2007), the embankment was completely liquidated (2006-2007), an ossuary was built, where the collected remains of those buried here were laid. On November 4, 2007, over the ossuary, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II performed the rite of consecration of the foundation stone in the foundation of the chapel in honor of All the Saints Who Shone in the Land of Russia.
Now there are 4 churches in the monastery, one (of St. John Chrysostom). The cathedral (its main and northern chapels) is in operation: on November 16, 1995, the great consecration of the chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles was performed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. On November 7, 2010, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia performed the great consecration of the refectory church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
On September 9, 2014, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the great consecration of the Church of the Holy Martyr Eugene of Chersonesos was performed by Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad.
There is a Sunday school at the monastery for children 4-17 years old. In 2010, a free three-year church singing school for women was opened in the monastery. Her curriculum includes the study of catechism, liturgy, liturgical regulations, solfeggio, church singing, and a choral class. Since 2010, with the advent of free space, the “Merciful Samaritan” social charitable center was created to help large families and homeless people; a library was created at the schools in the monastery. Since 2011, youth organizations have been operating in the monastery that have created the Fund for the Support and Spiritual and Moral Development of Youth; Sunday school for adults. Students of the singing school and participants in meetings of Orthodox youth undergo liturgical practice in one of the monastery churches.
Bell tower with the temple of the holy martyr Eugene of Chersonesos (architect N.I. Kozlovsky, 1835). The three-tiered bell tower in the classical style was built on the site of the central entrance to the monastery: in its lower tier, the main entrance of the monastery, the Holy Gates, was created. Above the entrance was the gate church of the holy martyr Eugene of Chersonesos. Under the bell tower there is a vaulted cellar. The round-shaped gate church inside had a superstructure (choirs) that still exists today, and a colonnade that was completely destroyed; the iconostasis has not survived either. Some of the wall paintings have survived quite well: from them you can get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe temple painting. The church was painted in a style that matched the architectural style of the entire building - late classicism. In Soviet times, the facades were restored to the lower tier in 1973 by the efforts of the All-Union Soyuzrestavratsiya, supporting cosmetic work was performed in 1991 by the Moscow Architectural Institute. After a series of supporting works carried out during the revival of the monastery, in 2009 the bell tower roof was restored, the built-up passage was cleared, the entrance was repaired. Since 2012, the church in the bell tower is active; a new iconostasis was installed in it, corresponding to the general style of the building.