Donskoy Monastery in Moscow - history, photo and description

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

One of the oldest and most beautiful architectural monuments of the 16th-19th centuries is located in the capital. This is the Donskoy Monastery. Everyone in Moscow probably knows him. But for the guests of the city, information about what it is and how to get here will be interesting and useful.

Where is it?

The history of the creation and development of the monument is very interesting. And where is the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow? The address is as follows: Donskaya Square, 1-3. If you go here by public transport, then it would be more rational to get by metro: along the Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line to the Shabolovskaya station. Then you should exit and, turning right, go along Shabolovka Street to the first T-shaped intersection (intersection with 1st Donskoy passage). Then again to the right and, without turning anywhere, go along the monastery walls. The main entrance of the monastery is located from Donskaya Square.

1. Great Cathedral.

2. Small Cathedral.

3. Belfry with the Church of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

4. Tikhvin Church.

5. Kitchen (XVIII century).

6. ChurchSt. John Chrysostom.

7. Archimandrite chambers (XVIII century).

8. Church of Tikhon.

9. Church of St. Alexander Svirsky.

10. Church of St. John of the Ladder.

11. Cells.

12. Theological Seminary (XVIII century).

13. Chambers.

14. Fraternal cells (XVIII century).

15. Chapel.

16. Church of the Archangel Michael.

17. Hospital cells.

18. Household building.

19. Household building.

20. Monastery fence.

21. Tomb of Levchenko.

22. Church of St. George the Great Martyr the Victorious.

23. Church of Alexander Nevsky.

24. Tomb of the Prostyakovs.

25. Fence tower.

26, 27. Wall towers.

28. Fence tower.

29, 30. Wall towers.

31. Fence tower.

32, 33. Wall towers.

34. Fence tower.

35, 36. Wall towers.

37. Museum of military equipment.

38. High reliefs from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

39. Gazebo.

40. Mosaic icon.

41. Obelisk, road sign.

History of construction

It is not known exactly when the Donskoy Monastery was founded. Most historians are inclined to believe that it was founded in 1591. Other experts believe that this happened a little later: in 1592-93. The legend about the circumstances of this charitable deed four hundred years ago has survived to this day. At the end of the 16th century, a mobile fortification of Russian troops was located here, or, as it was then called, “walk-city”. ATthis nomadic hail wagon train had its own camp church, founded in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The main shrine in it was the Don Icon of the Mother of God, the one, according to legend, with which the great elder blessed Prince Dimitri Ivanovich for the battle with the Tatar-Mongols, which went down in history under the name of the Battle of Kulikovo. Later, she gave the name of the monastery built here by Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich in 1593 in honor of saving the city from the Crimean Khan of Gaza II Giray.

The icon of the Mother of God of the Don has survived to this day. It is located in the Tretyakov Gallery. Since Khan Giray was expelled from the city walls in disgrace, our capital has never been attacked by the Tatars again. And the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow became the final link in the defensive ring of the city, along with the Novodevichy and Danilov monasteries.

Ancient Abode

This monastery has an interesting fate. There were years of desolation in his life, there was also a time of prosperity, when he became one of the richest and privileged monasteries of Russia. In the era of the Great Troubles, it was captured and plundered by the Polish troops, led by Hetman Chodkiewicz. Over the next few years, desolation reigned here. The monastery was restored by the Romanovs: Tsars Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich. Since that time, the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow has become a favorite place of prayer for sovereigns. His address is well known to all Orthodox people. This is where the processions take place. The lands of the monastery are expanding. New stone buildings are being erected. Abodebecomes one of the largest, richest and most revered in the country. In 1698, on the vow of the sister of Tsar Peter I, a new beautiful cathedral was erected here in honor of the Don Icon, which is now called the Bolshoi.

The construction was financed from the royal treasury. The walls of the temple were richly decorated. They were painted by the famous Italian Antonio Claudio. To this day, a large carved 8-tiered iconostasis with icons painted in the style of “Fryazhsky writing” has been preserved. On August 21 of the same year, the cathedral was consecrated by Metropolitan Tikhon. At the same time, a wall with twelve towers was being built here, outwardly resembling the fence of the Novodevichy Convent. In 1712, the Church of the Presentation of the Lord was consecrated under the altar of the Great Cathedral. Funds for its construction were donated by the king of one of the regions of Georgia, Archil, who was later buried here together with his sons. Since that time, this church has become a burial place for many Georgian cultural and political figures. In addition, the Donskoy Monastery maintains contact with Ukraine. Thus, at this time the monastery becomes not only a spiritual unifying center, but also a political one. The 18th century was an era of prosperity for the monastery. It becomes a rich feudal economy, in charge of vast lands and many serf souls. New buildings are coming up. A majestic architectural ensemble is being formed, which can be seen in our time. The Necropolis is under construction. The monastery becomes the resting place of many celebrities of our time. Looking ahead, it is worth mentioning that at different times it became a placeburial places of Georgian kings David, Matvey and Alexander, philosopher P. Chaadaev, poets M. Kheraskov and A. Sumarokov, writer V. Odoevsky, historian V. Klyuchevsky, architect O. Bove, artist V Perov, writer I. Shmelev, philosopher I. A. Ilyin and General A. I. Denikin. Here, in 2008, the famous Russian writer A. Solzhenitsyn was buried. And the cemetery of the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow appeared in 1591. Now it is divided into Old and New. This will be discussed below.

Tragedy during the Plague Riot

In 1771, one of the most widely known dark events of that time took place here. We are talking about the murder within the walls of the monastery of Archbishop Ambrose. It was a terrible time - a plague riot in the country. A monstrous epidemic raged, claiming thousands of lives. There is an opinion that the plague was brought to Moscow from the Black Sea countries during the Russian-Turkish war. The disease developed rapidly, covering more and more new territories and houses of the capital. The death rate increased every day. People were in a panic. There weren't enough coffins. On the streets of Moscow one could see the sick, the he althy, and the dead. Moreover, the corpses were often simply thrown out of the houses. They were right on the street. Under such conditions, the plague quickly conquered new territories. Doctors often did nothing to help the sick. People sought salvation in faith in the Lord. The people gathered daily at the Varvarsky Gates in Kitai-Gorod near the miraculous Icon of the Bogolyubskaya Mother of God. Both the sick and the he althy kissed the shrine, contributing to the spread of the epidemic. Archbishop Ambrose, realizing this, forbade prayers, and herselfordered to remove the icon. The raging crowd the next morning after that went to smash the Chudov Monastery in the Kremlin. And soon the rebels reached the Donskoy Monastery, in whose walls Ambrose took refuge.

The rebels killed the archbishop, and then began to destroy the houses of the nobility and quarantine outposts. Three days later, the popular uprising was crushed. By order of Catherine II, the murderers of Ambrose were executed by hanging on Red Square. The plague has claimed nearly 57,000 lives.

Changes in the 19th century

Recall that since 1764 the monastery received the status of stauropegial. This means that from now on he was subordinate to the Holy Synod and had the right to independently choose the archimandrite. In the 19th century, the fate of the monastery changed dramatically more than once. The history of the Donskoy Monastery is making a new turn. In Moscow in 1812, desolation reigned. Many residents had left the capital by this time. The French, led by Napoleon, were advancing. It was obvious to everyone that the enemies would occupy the city. Soon this happened. The Don monastery was plundered by the French. The fire that raged in Moscow in 1812 destroyed many houses and cultural monuments. But soon the restoration of the city began. The monastery was also reconstructed. At the beginning of the century, the Spiritual and Censorship Committee was located in the monastery, later moved to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Since 1834, there has been a theological school, which prepared candidates for seminarians, and since 1909, a school for training novices. Also in the monastery at this time there is an icon-painting chamber named after. Seleznev. Cooking herepainters, perform work on orders. On the territory of the monastery, the Church of the Archangel Michael and the Church of St. John Chrysostom are being built. Every year on August 19, in this era, the day of the Don Icon is celebrated. On this day, a religious procession to the monastery from the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin is made. Currently, there is a gold embroidery workshop. People who want to learn the art of embroidery with gold threads tend to get to the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow. Reviews of tourists say that the beauty of the products of local craftswomen is simply amazing. The courses in the studio will help you master the ancient technique of facial and gold embroidery, which has been used since ancient times for painting church utensils.

After the October Revolution of 1917

The 20th century brought many challenges to the community. The revolution in October 1917 contributed to the fact that the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow was officially closed. However, services in the temples continued here for some time. Further, various Soviet institutions are located here, and later - a children's labor colony. It is known that the people who seized power in the country at that time not only did not favor the clergy, but also organized severe persecution of believers. In the 1920s, anti-religious exhibitions were held within the walls of the monastery. A little later, the so-called Anti-Religious Museum of Art was even opened here. In May 1922, Patriarch Tikhon was brought here as a prisoner. Here he spent most of the time of his imprisonment. Despite constant arrests and psychological pressure from the Soviet authorities, Tikhon managed the Church in this difficultperiod for her. He managed to do a lot for the unity of the Russian people. The Patriarch sharply condemned the seizure of church valuables by the state, urged the faithful to stand up for the desecrated and “now oppressed holy mother of ours.” In December 1924, an assassination attempt was made on Tikhon, who lived in a cell in the Donskoy Monastery. Two intruders entered here with the aim of killing the Holy One. The door was opened for them by their cell-attendant Yakov Polozov. He was killed by the intruders. In 1925, Tikhon fell ill and died in March on the Annunciation. The burial of the saint took place in the Small Cathedral. Looking ahead, it is worth noting that in 1989 Tikhon was canonized as a saint. In 1964, to the branch of the Research Museum of Architecture. Shchusev, the Donskoy Monastery was turned. In Moscow, its main link was located on Vozdvizhenka. In 1946 services were resumed in the Small Cathedral. In 1991, the monastery was transferred to the Moscow Patriarchate. At the same time, an attacker set fire to the Small Cathedral. During the repair work during the excavations, the relics of St. Tikhon were discovered. They were placed in a gilded shrine and moved to the Great Cathedral, where they are kept to this day.

Architectural ensemble

Here we can highlight the following:

• Big cathedral. Created in 1686-1698 in honor of the Don Icon of the Mother of God. It has a unique architecture. It has five domes with a large gallery around the perimeter.

• Small Cathedral. Built in 1591-1593 in honor of the Don Icon of the Mother of God. Made in the style of one-domed temple Russian architecture of the XVI century.

• Church of St. Alexander Svirsky. Located to the east of the Great Cathedral. It was built in 1796-98 at the expense of Count N. A. Zubov over the grave of his father, who was a senator during his lifetime. It is a temple-tomb of the Zubov family. It is made in the style of classicism, like many buildings that now make up the Donskoy Monastery. In Moscow, photos of this rotunda can be seen at exhibitions of famous photo artists.

• Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Built in 1713-14. It is located above the northern gate of the monastery.

• Church of the Archangel Michael. Year of construction - 1714. It is located in the corner of the southern part of the territory of the monastery. It is the ancestral tomb of the Golitsyn family.

• Church of St. John Chrysostom. It was built by V. P. Gavrilov, V. D. Sher and M. P. Ivanov according to the project of the architect A. G. Vincent in 1888-1891. Made in the Byzantine style. It is the tomb of the Pervushins. Located in the northern part of the monastery, the one that is closed to access.

• Gate bell tower. Years of construction - 1730-53. Located above the western gate.

• Church of St. Tikhon. Created in 1997. It stands on the site of the former gardens of novices. The lower temple is the tomb of the Shevchenko family.

• Church of Prince Alexander Nevsky. This is a modern building. Built in 2006.

• Water-consecrated well. Today it is not used due to the unsuitability of water for drinking.

• Chapel. Created at the end of the 19th century in honor of the miraculous salvationroyal family during a train accident on October 17, 1888. It was located outside the monastery. Unfortunately, it has not survived to this day.

Everything that now makes up this monastery is sacred to us. The Donskoy Monastery in Moscow is our cultural and spiritual heritage that needs to be protected.

Monastic Necropolis

This building occupies most of the territory of the monastery. It originated at the end of the 17th century. N. M. Karamzin in his book “History of the Russian State” mentions that the cemetery of the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow in his time was the burial place of the noble elite and we althy merchants. On the monuments of the necropolis, you can find such high-profile famous names as Grushetsky, Vyazemsky, Golitsyn, Trubetskoy, Cherkassky and others.

Many famous writers, poets, politicians, scientists and architects have found their last refuge here. Among them are A. P. Sumarokov, P. Ya. Chaadaev, M. M. Kheraskov, V. I. Maikov, V. O. Klyuchevsky, and others. According to rumors, many famous figures of the White movement were buried in the necropolis (P. N. Krasnov, K. V. Rodzaevsky, G. M. Semenov and others). Here are the graves of Pushkin's relatives: uncle Vasily Lvovich, sister Sophia and brother Pavel, grandmother and aunts. During the period of repressions, the corpses of those who were executed or tortured at the Lubyanka were brought here on trucks. Here they were cremated. There is information, not documented, that the necropolis of the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow is the burial place of the ashes of M. N. Tukhachevsky, V. K. Blucher, A. V. Kosarev, M. N. Ryutin, V. Meyerhold andmany others. There are also new graves. So, in 2000, the ashes of the writer I. S. Shmelev were reburied here, in 2005, the ashes of the philosopher I. A. Ilyin and General A. I. Denikin. In 2007, the ashes of Lieutenant General of the White Movement V. O. Kappel were transferred here. In August 2008, the famous Russian public figure and writer A. I. Solzhenitsyn rested here. Everyone can pay tribute to the memory of these people by visiting their graves. Address: Moscow, Donskoy Monastery. How to get here was described above.

Memorial to White Warriors

The monument was unveiled on May 24, 2009. Many famous activists of the White movement are buried here: General A. I. Denikin with his wife, General V. O. Kappel and philosopher I. A. Ilyin with his wife. The initiative to create a monument belongs to the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin, who, having seen the uncomfortable burial places of white generals, ordered to make new tombstones. Further, Vladimir Vladimirovich personally supervised the work on the installation of the memorial, approving new sketches of the plates. It took only two weeks for specialists to build it. The monument is a small granite platform with five tombstones.

On the opening day, it was consecrated by Patriarch Kirill. The President delivered a speech at the ceremony on the unity of Ukraine and Russia. Thus, once again the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow became a unifying center between the fraternal peoples. A photo of the memorial is presented here.

Shrines of the Donskoy Monastery

There are many ancient monasteries in Moscow that attract us with their beauties. Whyis this one worth visiting? Here you can see the following shrines and worship them:

• The Don Icon of the Mother of God. It is a spiritual pearl, the main value of the monastery. According to legend, it was with her that Sergius of Radonezh blessed Prince Dmitry Donskoy to fight the Tatars. The first mention of it dates back to the middle of the 16th century. The image is currently stored in the Tretyakov Gallery. But every year on September 1, on a holiday, she is delivered to the Donskoy Monastery for worship.

• The holy relics of Tikhon kept in a gilded shrine here in the Great Cathedral.

• Icons of the Mother of God "Feodorovskaya" and "Sign". To bow to these shrines, many believers tend to visit the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow. These icons are considered miraculous.

• List of the Don image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These are letters from Simon Ushakov dated 1668, miraculously preserved during a fire in 1991. Decorated with a special canopy.

• Mosaic icon of St. Nicholas. Kept in the tomb of Levchenko.

• The grave of Yakov Polozov, a cell-attendant who served St. Tikhon. Located near the walls of the Small Cathedral. It was Yakov who opened the doors of the cell to the intruders who came to kill Archbishop Tikhon. As a result, Jacob died.

The temples of the monastery are active. Parish Trebs of the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow are performed regularly. Tours are also organized here.

Donskoye Cemetery "Old"

It originated in 1591. The cemetery is located in the southwest of Moscow. Its area is approximately 13 hectares. famous people were buried herepoliticians, scientists, writers, Decembrists, participants in the war of 1812. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was overcrowded. Therefore, it was necessary to enclose a large area behind the southern wall of the monastery in order to expand its boundaries. So there was a cemetery, which was called "New". It has its own separate entrance. At the eastern wall of the "Old" cemetery, you can see high reliefs that were removed from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and saved from destruction. Burials as such are not made here today. Anyone who wants to visit the monastery of Dmitry Donskoy in Moscow and the "Old" cemetery on its territory will be useful to know that it is open from 08.00 to 18.30 daily.

Donskoe cemetery "New"

It was formed, as mentioned above, at the end of the 19th century. Before the revolution in October 1917, the "New" cemetery of the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow was the burial place for mainly intellectuals: professors, scientists, and various officials. In 1927, the first columbarium and crematorium in the capital was equipped here. Documentary evidence has survived to this day that V. I. Lenin in 1918 ordered the purchase of equipment for cremation of corpses abroad. The next year, the most intense during the years of the civil war, the current government announced a competition for the best design of the crematorium. Soon this institution was built here. It is known that only the soldiers who died in hospitals during the Second World War were cremated at least 15,000. In the depths of the cemetery there is a stele in memory of alltortured and killed during the years of repression. The bodies of people from Lubyanka and Lefortovo were brought here by the hundreds on trucks for burning. Currently, traditional burials are carried out here, burials of urns in the ground, in an open and closed columbarium.

We got acquainted with the architectural buildings that make up the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow. A map of their location is also presented here.