The first monastery in Russian history for women only. It is also the oldest, founded in 1360. The Conception Monastery is located in Moscow and is known as a place where prayer brings childbearing. At all times, high-ranking persons came here, who for a long time could not conceive children. And after visiting the monastery, the women miraculously became pregnant and carried babies.
History
The date of foundation of the religious institution is precisely known - 1360. Despite the fact that the monastery is historically considered the first female abode, before that, similar monasteries also existed, but in all cases only with male cloisters. The monastery was founded by the Grand Duke of Kievan Rus Yaroslav the Wise, and his first tonsured nun was the granddaughter of the prince - Anna (also known as Yanka).
The construction of the wooden building of the temple was carried out with the permission of the Metropolitan of Moscow, whose name was Alexy. And at first the sisters settled in the monastery, their name was Abbess Juliana, nun Eupraxia. The construction was dedicated to the Monk Alexis, due to which later the monastery began to be called Alekseevskaya. It introduced and applied a special charter for the cohabitation of nuns.
A century later, in 1514, Vasily the Third ordered the architect Aleviz Fryazin from Italy to design a cathedral dedicated to the Conception of St. Anna.
In 1547, a misfortune happened, and a great fire razed the Alekseevsky monastery to the ground.
Then Ivan the Terrible ordered the burned down convent to be moved to other lands - in Chertolye. Here it was safely erected and operated until the 19th century. Today, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior rises on a historical plot of land under the burned-down Alekseevsky Monastery. But in those tragic years, some nuns did not leave the old prayer place, stayed to live in the burned down building and persistently pray for its revival. The monastery was restored and began to be called the Conception abode.
Even in those distant times in this monastery they began to ask God mainly for the birth of children.
In 1584, by order of Fyodor Ioannovich Godunov, the construction and restoration of the monastery in the old place began. Then the Cathedral of the Conception of St. Anne was erected from stone and with it a church dedicated to the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos.
However, troubled times again led to the loss of the monastery, which was nevertheless rebuilt soon after. In 1696, with the financial support of the steward A. L. Rimsky-Korsakov, the Church of the Savior Image Not Made by Hands was erected. Its architectural style was dominated by the Baroque. And since the steward was the owner of all the surrounding lands, the Church of the Savior was a home church for him and received parishioners.
From 1766 to 1768 near the stone tent on the graves of the women who founded the monastery (who were greatly revered and remembered by the believers), a small temple was erected, named after the icon of the Mother of God. A century later, it was qualitatively rebuilt and greatly expanded, and the church entered the complex of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.
After 40 years, the monastery was badly dilapidated, and it was dismantled to the foundation. On this site, by 1807, the majestic Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, and with it a monastery, arose. The building of the latter was consecrated in 1813. The architects, the Kazakov brothers, gave it a neo-Gothic style (according to the documents, the authorship of the architects has not been confirmed to this day).
The Patriotic War of 1812 began, by the end of which the monastery was completely ruined. But by the power of believers, it was restored again. By 1850, an almshouse was built at the monastery, and a temple of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was erected nearby.
20th century
In 1918, with the advent of Soviet power, the infamous decree on the nationalization of real estate and land belonging to churches began to be applied. This monastery was also closed, and most of the nuns were sentenced to exile in Siberia. Some of the sisters were simply kicked out of the monastery walls without providing housing.
The Bolsheviks in 1922 completely plundered the legendary nunnery, but they failed to take the faith away from the nuns, and the monastery remained in operation. It is known that on March 16, 1925, it was here with the last service in his life that Patriarch of All Russia Tikhon served, 9 days after which he died.
By 1927, the monastery was closed, and its premises and land were given over to various state institutions, among which there was a prison, as well as a children's colony. By 1934, everything related to the nunnery was leveled, and the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was completely rebuilt into a school building. All valuable icons and other relics (including the miraculous image of the Mother of God) were transported to the temple of the Prophet Elijah, located in Moscow in Obydensky lane. A small community of nuns moved to the same church.
Finally, in the 1960s, the church was declared an architectural monument and was completely restored. And only by 1991 began the revival of the monastery.
In 1995, the monastery again began to be stauropegic, which means direct subordination to the Patriarch of All Russia.
In 2001-2005. installed the dome of the temple of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. During the same period, the mayor's office of the capital ordered to demolish all buildings of the Soviet era and carry out archaeological research in search of historical finds.
The construction of the Conception Monastery began in 2005, November 25. On this day, Patriarch Alexy II solemnly and with prayer laid the first stone of the temple. For the construction in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the architectural project of A. N. Obolensky. The construction was carried out at the expense of businessman D. E. Rybolovlev. And only in 2010 the cathedral was consecrated by Patriarch Kirill.
And according to her, the most ancient Conception Monastery continues to be restored and rebuilt. An almshouse has already been erected, an orphanage operates at the monastery, a sewing workshop and a bakery have been organized. The work of the library and its own publishing house has also been launched. A service is held daily in the temple.
How to issue a demand
It is allowed to issue the requirements in several ways:
- directly in the monastery, going to the chapel of St. Alexis
- behind candle boxes in any of the temples of the monastery
- childless spouses can contact us by email. mail [email protected]
How to get to the Conception Monastery
Geographically, it is located in Moscow, at an equal distance from two metro stations. So you can get off the Moscow metro both at Kropotkinskaya and Park Kultury. When traveling by private car, only on weekends can you find parking nearby, on weekdays there are very few parking spaces.
- Address: Moscow, per. 2nd Zachatievsky, building 2
- Phone: +7 (495) 695-16-91
- Email address: [email protected]
- Opening hours: every day from 7-00 to 20-00 h.
Lane Zachatyevsky is considered one of the central streets of the capital. In the building on Zachatievsky there is a functioning monastery of nuns. The pilgrimage of believing Christians takes place to this place. Tourists can be guided by the tips of the locals and the navigation of the electronic guides.
To reach the monastery on foot, you should get off at the metro station. "Park Kultury", move along Ostozhenka Street in the direction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, then turn right into the alley. You will run into an Orthodox monastery at the very end of the alley.
The religious institution is intended for the prayers of believers. In the monastery, they turn to the founders - Saints Juliana and Eupraxia - for help. Here it is necessary to leave a donation to the temple for further restoration of the complex. Taking photographs on the grounds and inside the monastery is possible with the permission of the abbess, and the rules of conduct should also be followed, as in all church institutions.
