Spaso-Voznesensky Convent of Smolensk Diocesan monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church

The Ascension Monastery was the third in the number of monasteries built in Moscow

The Ascension Monastery of the Moscow Kremlin was the third monastery in Moscow. The very first church of the monastery was wooden - the Cathedral of the Ascension of the Lord. As you know, it was founded by Evdokia Dmitrievna and built at the Spassky Gate.

Unfortunately, there is no portrait of Princess Evdokia, but there is a sculptural reconstruction made from the princess’s skull. This is the only way we can guess what she was like. According to her instructions, they began to build a monastery

Unfortunately, there is no exact date for the construction of the monastery, but according to the supposed version, this happened after the death of Dmitry Donskoy himself in 1386.

Near the place where they were going to build the temple, there was the palace of Dmitry Donskoy and the tower of Evdokia.

1407

this year the Grand Duchess widow Evdokia took monastic vows with the name Euphrosyne

In 1407, the widowed Grand Duchess Evdokia took monastic vows with the name Euphrosyne. By this time, the temple was already standing, and the grand ducal mansions were occupied by cells.

But in the same year, Evdokia ordered the foundation of a new stone Church of the Ascension. She lived as a monk for only a few weeks, after which she died and was buried in a new church under construction.

As the legend says, candles began to light up at her coffin and people were even healed. After Evdokia became the patroness of Moscow, she was even named Venerable Euphrosyne of Moscow.

The construction of the cathedral was continued by another princess, Sofya Vitovtovna. She was the wife of Vasily the First. The monastery took a very long time to build due to constant fires in Moscow. Unfortunately, the monastery was never completed.

In 1467, Princess Maria Yaroslavna, the widow of Prince Vasily II, ordered the temple to be dismantled and a new one built in its place.

The construction of the temple was entrusted to the Moscow merchant Vasily Ermolin. He preserved the building, but at the same time rebuilt the vaults and lined the walls with new bricks.

An accurate description of the temple itself has not survived to this day. But according to the supposed version, the temple was made of white stone with carved facade decoration.

The stone Ascension Cathedral was consecrated in honor of the Ascension of the Lord in 1468 by Metropolitan Philip of Moscow. The temple became a tomb for the Moscow queens.

The nuns of the monastery were engaged in needlework, and also sewed towels and lace.

The temple constantly suffered from fires, and in 1518 Vasily III began again the construction of a new stone cathedral.

Vasily III - Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow, sovereign of all Rus'. It was he who decided in 1518 to build a new stone Church of the Ascension

It was built on an existing foundation by Aleviz Fryazin, who by that time had already completed the construction of 11 churches.

1527

this year St. George's Church was built from the Ascension Cathedral

In 1527, the St. George Church was built from the Ascension Cathedral. The church was single-domed with three apses. But at the end of the 16th century, by order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, the cathedral was again dismantled due to its dilapidated condition.

The next one was built in the form of the Archangel Cathedral, which was built under Tsar Feodor. The monastery was decorated with new icons.

The photo shows the monastery after it was built in resemblance to the Archangel Cathedral by Vasily III

In 1613, Mikhail Fedorovich settled his mother, nun Martha, in the cathedral. She lived in her cell for 18 years. The coat of arms of the Russian kingdom was installed above the cell.

The monastery in the Moscow Kremlin became very famous; even the royal family paid special attention to the monastery. Kings and queens visited the tomb very often.

Ascension Monastery: shrines from the shadows of memory

The small southern extension to the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin has a rich history.

From the 15th to the 17th centuries it was occupied by one of the chambers of the Sovereign's state court. Then the Court of Judgment of the estates of the Archangel Cathedral sat here, which in turn gave way to the clergy house. Now under the high arches you can see a large fragment of the original wall of the Archangel Cathedral of 1475 - the only ancient element of this temple that has reached us. And yet, from now on, these stones are just “decoration”, nothing more than a historical background to a unique exhibition permanently housed here by the Moscow Kremlin Museums.

Three small display cases contain all the heritage that survived from the Ascension Convent, which was barbarically destroyed in 1929. Unique premieres According to Deputy General Director of the Moscow Kremlin Museums Andrei Batalov, the restoration of shrines, temple decorations and other exhibits took five years.

The vast majority of the monuments from the collection are being exhibited in public for the first time, and among them there are several undoubted sensations. Thematically, the entire exhibition is divided into three parts. The first is dedicated to the sacred space of the three churches of the Ascension Monastery: the main cathedral, the churches of St. Mikhail Malein (XVII century) and St. VMC. Catherine (beginning of the 19th century). Here it is impossible to take your eyes off the majestic altar cross with 14 ancient round reliquary icons from the cathedral altar, made in 1816 by Osip Ivanov Smirnov.

“It was used many times in religious processions,” says Tatyana Atamuratova, curator of the exhibition, researcher at the Moscow Kremlin Museums. — In general, this shrine appeared in gratitude to the Lord for the expulsion of the French from Moscow and for the victory in the Patriotic War. The monastery then, like the entire Kremlin, was devastated and desecrated, but then was actively and quickly recreated, for which the best craftsmen of that time were involved.

The altar cross was restored these days literally before the opening of the exhibition: it had to be assembled piece by piece.” Another unique premiere is eight icons from the festive and passionate rites of the six-tiered iconostasis of the Ascension Cathedral, dated 1679. “We rarely manage to demonstrate to visitors the wonderful work of the royal masters of the Armory so closely,” continues Atamuratova. — After the monastery was closed, the iconostasis was moved to the Kremlin Church of the Twelve Apostles. But it is smaller in size than the Ascension Cathedral, so two quartets of icons were forced to remain in storage.”

Here you can also see a temple icon in a precious frame of 1686 from Catherine’s Church and the golden crown of a temple icon of the monastery cathedral, made around the same time, as well as several carefully restored sacred vessels.

Royal deposits and the belt of St. Euphrosyne The most important part of the exhibition is the deposits of representatives of the most noble families of the Russian aristocracy. Having the official status of a tomb for empresses, the monastery enjoyed the special patronage of queens and princesses, princesses and hereditary noblewomen.

The museum exhibits several outstanding monuments of this kind. Thus, the mother of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, Elder Marfa Romanova, donated here in the 1630s the embroidered hanging shroud “Our Lady of Feodorovskaya”, Elder Feodosia Sitskaya in 1662 - a silver water-blessing cup, Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1730 - a silver kuteya dish. There are also gifts from the tsars themselves: Mikhail Fedorovich donated a cover with the image of the Calvary cross, his son Alexei Mikhailovich donated a golden chalice. And yet, towering over this row of relics is the pendant shroud “Our Lady Hodegetria” made of pearl-embroidered velvet and taffeta, presented in 1630 by Princess Domnika Mstislavskaya.

“Her husband Fyodor Mstislavsky is a famous statesman and military figure, who was offered several times to ascend the royal throne during the Time of Troubles,” adds Tatyana Atamuratova. “After his death, Domnika Mikhailovna entered the Ascension Monastery and, as a contribution, brought there a shroud under the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria,” which is now kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery.” But despite the importance of the listed shrines, they are by no means the ones that take precedence in the exhibition.

The central place is rightfully occupied by a modest leather belt, on which, through the glass window, you can barely make out the embossed icon of the Ascension of the Lord. This is the monastic belt of the founder of the monastery and the heavenly patroness of Moscow, the Venerable Euphrosyne. The story of its acquisition is truly wonderful.

“When in 1929 the authorities made the final decision to blow up the monastery, museum workers under the leadership of the head of the Kremlin monuments department, Nikolai Pomerantsev, managed to move the sarcophagi with burials to the basement of the State Prikaz, that is, to the room directly below this exhibition hall,” says the curator of the exhibition. “It happened very casually, with the help of literally one horsepower - on a horse-drawn cart. And in 2008, when we restored the chapel of the holy martyr Huar in the Archangel Cathedral, the hierarchy blessed the transfer of the relics of St. Euphrosyne there. During the transfer, this belt was discovered resting on the relics.”

Homework for architects Nearby are several exhibits telling about the everyday life and holidays of the monastery. Here you can see parts of vestments, a handwritten book from 1883 about tonsure as a monk, gifts for the monastery’s five-century anniversary, which was widely celebrated in 1907 (Gospels, embroidered icons, a memorial token given to members of the banner-bearing society who participated in the celebrations). On one of the icons there is an image of Euphrosyne of Moscow with a view of the Ascension Monastery. Near him, one could not help but wonder: to what extent are museum workers ready to assist in the future reconstruction of this monastery?

“The final decision on reconstruction has not yet been made,” Andrei Batalov said in response. “If the state agrees to do this, we will do everything we can.” But the work will be difficult, even difficult. The fact is that the Moscow churches “condemned” by the Soviet government underwent thorough measurement and photographic procedures before demolition. But in the Kremlin the situation was apparently more difficult.

Restorer Pyotr Maksimov only managed to measure the cathedral, and even then not completely. For the remaining churches and auxiliary buildings, only preliminary measurement data has survived. I would like to note that even these could not be preserved for the Chudov Monastery: the architects left the working sketches (hand-drawn rough sketches - editor's note) inside the temple on the eve of the demolition.

In addition, there are no earlier drawings of the Ascension Monastery. Therefore, if anything can be restored, it will be only the chronologically later ensemble that took shape by the beginning of the twentieth century. We also have not reached a single photograph of the interior decoration of the temples: we can only say approximately where and how exactly the shrines presented here were located.” But perhaps the situation is not so dire.

The editors have at their disposal electronic copies of detailed guides stored in the Presidential Library. B.N. Yeltsin in St. Petersburg. These are verbal descriptions of the interior decoration of the cathedrals of both mentioned monasteries, published about a century ago and designed for discerning and extremely inquisitive pilgrims of that time. Both these documents and the exhibition itself could serve as the basis for developing the concept of reconstructing the Ascension Monastery.

The exhibition is open every day except Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reference. The Ascension Monastery was located near the Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) tower of the Kremlin and was considered the oldest convent for women in the city. It was founded at the turn of the XIV - XV centuries. the wife of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, Grand Duchess Evdokia, who in 1407 founded the first white-stone cathedral of the monastery.

Soon Evdokia took monastic vows with the name Euphrosyne and after her death she was buried in this temple. From that moment on, in the Kremlin Ascension Cathedral until the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg, Russian empresses found their resting place. The wife of Ivan III, Sophia Paleolog, the first wife of Ivan IV the Terrible, Anastasia Romanovna, the wife of Tsar Feodor, Irina Godunova, and the mother of Peter I, Natalya Kirillovna, rested here.

The cathedral burned and was rebuilt several times, and took on its final appearance at the end of the 16th century. under Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. The Soviet government abolished the monastery in 1918 after the government moved to Moscow. In 1929 the monastery was demolished.

Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed the idea of ​​​​rebuilding the Ascension and Chudov monasteries at their historical locations.

Dmitry Anokhin

Under Mikhail Fedorovich, the Church of Mikhail Malein was built

Under Mikhail Fedorovich, the wooden church of Mikhail Malein was also built.

In the photo from the end of the 19th century you can see under the number 1 - the Ascension Monastery, 2 - the Catherine Church, and under the number 3 - the Temple of Mikhail Malein

It was rebuilt into a two-tier stone church with a chapel of Theodore of Perga. A church was built on the top floor, and two cells were located on the bottom floor.

On the western side of the church there was a refectory, above which rose a bell tower with 9 bells.

At the end of the 17th century, the monastery owned 2,128 households. And the annual monthly income received from the monastery was 3,270 rubles.

The monastery also owned estates and courtyards in different counties. The sacristy of the monastery contained royal gifts, as well as the golden cross of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and the golden vessels of Alexei Mikhailovich.

Alexei Mikhailovich is the second Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty. He was the son of Mikhail Fedorovich and his second wife Evdokia. Golden vessels from him were kept in the sacristy of the monastery

In 1724, new cells were erected and the old ones were repaired. In 1729, the cathedral began to be covered with iron.

Soon, in 1730, it was decided to make two chapels in the Ascension Cathedral. One is Uspensky, the second is in the name of the icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”

Exactly seven years later, the monastery was badly damaged in a fire, as a result of which the Church of Mikhail Malein and the bell tower adjacent to it burned out.

One of the schema-nuns prayed to the Mother of God in front of the icon, which was located at the tomb of her father. Then, miraculously, the icon ended up in the monastery. It was discovered only after the fire.

The restoration work was carried out by the then famous architect Ivan Michurin.

Spaso-Voznesensky Convent of Smolensk Diocesan monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church

According to legend, in the 1660s, the mother of Peter I, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, the daughter of Colonel Kirill Poluektovich Naryshkin, who was transferred to Smolensk, was raised in the monastery. This fact, first stated by the Smolensk local historian I. I. Orlovsky (1869-1909), is disputed by modern researchers. There is reason to believe that Natalya Naryshkina’s parents are buried in the cemetery at the Ascension Monastery (the grave has not survived). In 1692, construction began on the stone cathedral Church of the Ascension. In 1704, the cathedral, two-story temple was consecrated: the upper church in honor of the Ascension of the Lord, the lower one in the name of Sergius of Radonezh. In the second half of the 18th century. A church in honor of the Great Martyr Catherine is being built to the north of the cathedral church.

Until 1764 the monastery was a dormitory. In 1812, the monastery was destroyed by the French, but within a year it was restored. In 1830, in the eastern wall, through the diligence of the nuns, the princesses Shirinsky-Shikhmatovs, a church was built in the name of the Akhtyrka Icon of the Mother of God. In 1840, through the efforts of Abbess Olympiada (Lex), the monastery again became a communal monastery. The Monk Rachel of Borodino began her monastic life in the monastery in 1851. At the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries. At the monastery there was a parochial school for girls. The monastery was actively involved in cultural, educational and social activities, especially during the years of national disasters and wars. At the monastery there was a large cemetery where the famous local historian, student of V. O. Klyuchevsky, author of many books on the history of the region I. I. Orlovsky (1869-1909) was buried.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the monastery belonged to the category of third-class dormitories; one hundred and two nuns served in it (26 nuns and 76 novices). Since 1851, a women's theological school operated at the monastery.

The monastery was closed in 1929. It housed air defense courses and the City Council of OSO. In 1969, an exhibition hall was opened in the building of the Ascension Cathedral, which was located here until recently. And in the Church of the Akhtyrka Icon of the Mother of God there was a center for the protection of monuments.

In 2004, by decision of the Holy Synod, the Spaso-Voznesensky Convent was opened.

In 2006, the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine of the historical Ascension Monastery was transferred to the monastery. In 2009, the monastery was given the second floor of the Ascension Cathedral and the Church of the Akhtyrskaya Mother of God.

On October 6, 2010, by decision of the Holy Synod, nun Elisaveta (Kiseleva) was appointed to the position of abbess of the Spaso-Voznesensky Convent with the laying of a pectoral cross.

On August 21, 2011, nun Elisaveta (Kiselyova) was elevated to the rank of abbess and she was presented with the abbot's staff.

Currently, the monastery is being actively restored. On August 8, 2010, on the feast of All Saints who shone in the land of Smolensk, the ceremony of consecrating the belfry and raising the bells of the reviving Spaso-Voznesensky convent took place. The new belfry is currently the largest in the Smolensk diocese - it has 14 bells. The bells were cast in the best workshops of the Baltic Foundry. The largest bell weighs 5 tons, and the total weight of the belfry is more than 10 tons.

At the beginning of September 2010, the main domed cross of the Spaso-Voznesensky Convent, which is 4 meters high and 3 meters wide, was consecrated and installed.

Divine services are held in the monastery, and there is a diocesan sewing workshop and an icon-painting workshop at the monastery.

During the October Revolution, the walls and domes of churches were destroyed

In the fall of 1917, during the October Revolution, the walls and domes of the churches were destroyed.

Members of the sacred cathedral, after the shelling of the monastery, wrote about the destruction:

“First of all, on the way we stopped at the Ascension Convent for women.

There was already complete destruction here.

In the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr, the wall of the upper cornice and the upper arch of the temple were pierced through by an artillery shell.”

The nuns were ordered to leave the monastery and settle temporarily in the church of the Lefortovo hospital.

Some of the icons and jewelry were secretly removed from the monastery and hidden in the courtyard.

The valuables were still found and sent to the Armory.

Some valuables were transferred to the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles.

The cells of the monastery began to be used as a dormitory, in which Kremlin service personnel lived. A gymnasium was built in the church in the name of St. Catherine.

In 1918, a special Kremlin commission was established to preserve Kremlin buildings. Its leaders were architects Ivan Rylsky and I. I. Dumoulin.

In the Ascension Monastery, it was decided to repair all the damage, as well as update the domes and plaster.

But, unfortunately, there was not enough funding for this project. Therefore, the plan did not come true at all.

Only those places that were heavily damaged by shelling were restored.

In December 1918, one of the church valuables was removed from the monastery - the icon of the Church of Our Lady Hodegetria.

It was first transferred to the Peace Chamber of the Patriarchal Palace, then sent to the State Historical Museum and the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” from the first quarter of the 15th century. It was she who was saved during the shelling of the Ascension Monastery. She was rescued and in the end remained in the Tretyakov Gallery

In 1920, work to support and preserve the Kremlin buildings was restored.

Gradually, the condition of the building began to deteriorate, the soil in the monastery completely subsided and the walls of the buildings completely collapsed. But no restoration work was carried out.

Soon, at various meetings, questions were raised about the demolition of the monastery and the construction of a military school there.

Many were against this, but in 1929 the monastery was blown up. The sarcophagi with the remains from the tomb were transferred to the Archangel Cathedral. 4 icons were also rescued and taken away.

1929

this year the monastery was blown up, replaced by a military school

Unfortunately, during the demolition of the monastery, they were unable to establish the measurements according to which the temple was built.

A military school building was built on the site of the destroyed temple.

Moscow.org Moscow city portal

The Ascension Convent in the Kremlin was founded by Grand Duchess Evdokia, wife of Prince Dmitry Donskoy in the 14th century. This monastery is in third place in terms of age among the monasteries in Moscow. It was built in memory of the Battle of Kulikovo. The Ascension Monastery in Moscow also became one of the first women's monasteries.

For more than 20 years, Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy and Princess Evdokia lived in love and harmony, and after the death of her husband, in 1389, the princess decided to enter a monastery. The only thing that stopped Evdokia from fulfilling her decision was her husband’s covenant to raise her children to adulthood. The widowed princess faced a difficult ordeal. In 1395, Tamerlane’s troops marched on Moscow, and the princess ordered the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God to be transferred to Moscow. Together with the residents of Moscow, Evdokia met the icon on Kuchkovo Field; later the Sretensky Monastery was founded on this site. The ruler had a good reputation among the people: she helped the needy, rebuilt residential buildings after a fire, and sometimes beggars were buried at her expense.

Having begun the construction of the Ascension Monastery in Krmla, the princess intended to devote the rest of her days to God. Evdokia kept a strict fast, and spent her nights in prayer, secretly preparing for tonsure. To ensure that those around her would not know anything about her plans, the princess wore lush outfits in public that hid her thinness, and was cheerful and cheerful. This behavior often caused not only misunderstanding, but also condemnation - after all, not much time had passed since the death of her husband. As soon as she revealed her secret to her children, she made them promise to keep it.

The exact date of foundation of the Ascension Convent in Moscow has not been established. According to legend, the monastery appeared on the spot where the princess saw off her husband to the Battle of Kulikovo and greeted him with victory; Evdokia donated part of her chambers for the construction of the monastery. By the time Princess Evdokia was ready to take monastic vows, the monastery was already equipped: the cells were located in the former princely chambers, and the Cathedral of the Ascension of the Lord was built. In recent years, before her tonsure, the princess was seriously ill. There is a legend that at that time the Archangel Michael appeared to her, after which Evdokia miraculously recovered and then retired to a monastery.

Another legend says that on the way to the Ascension monastery the princess met a blind man, to whom Evdokia appeared in a dream the day before and promised healing. The blind man turned to Evdokia with this request, and she handed him her sleeve without stopping. The blind man applied it to his eyes and immediately regained his sight, like many ailments encountered on the princess’s path.

Princess Evdokia took monastic vows under the name of Euphrosyne, and in the very first days of her monasticism she ordered the construction of a stone Ascension Cathedral to begin to replace the wooden one. The monastic life of the nun Euphrosyne did not last long. A few weeks after her tonsure, in July 1407, Saint Eudokia died. They say that a candle lit up by itself at her coffin, and all those present witnessed this miracle. Saint Euphrosyne began to be revered as the patroness of Moscow, and the church celebrates her day on May 17/30 and July 7/20.

Since Evdokia failed to complete the construction of the Ascension Cathedral, it was continued by the princess’s daughter-in-law, Grand Duchess Sofya Vitovtovna, who married Vasily I. The Ascension Monastery often suffered from fires, so by the mid-15th century the cathedral was never completed. In 1467, Princess Maria Yaroslavna, the widow of Prince Vasily II, ordered the unfinished cathedral to be dismantled to the ground. And in its place, begin to build a new one. This task was entrusted to the talented and famous master Vasily Ermolin, who preserved the ancient building, only by rearranging the burnt vaults and covering the walls with new bricks. We can say that this was the first restoration in Rus'.

After this, the Ascension Cathedral stood for quite a long time. Only in 1518, Grand Duke Vasily III ordered his favorite architect Aleviz Fryazin to replace the old cathedral with a new one. Under Fyodor Ioannovich, the Ascension Cathedral was again rebuilt as an exact copy of the Archangel Cathedral. This was done for a reason, but with a certain meaning. The fact is that the sister of boyar Boris Godunov, Irina, was the wife of Fyodor Ioannovich, and Godunov in every possible way wanted to demonstrate his closeness to the royal family. The Arkhangelsk Cathedral was the tomb of the kings, and the Ascension Cathedral was the tomb of the queens, so the king’s brother-in-law ordered the women’s tomb to be built as a copy of the sovereign’s.

The interior decoration of the Ascension Cathedral has not survived to this day; only the iconostasis has survived, which after the 1917 revolution was moved to the Kremlin Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. The iconostasis was made in the Baroque style at the end of the 17th century, decorated with Flemish carvings symbolizing the Garden of Eden. The amazingly delicate carving represents fruits and flowers, which signify heavenly abundance, and the vine is a symbol of Christ. Among the shrines of the Ascension Cathedral was the ancient image of the Mother of God Hodegetria (Guide). It is believed that Princess Evdokia herself saved him from the fire during the invasion of Tokhtamysh in 1382. Now this icon is in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

In the 30s of the 18th century, the Assumption Chapel and the Chapel in the name of the icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow” were built in the Ascension Cathedral.

By the beginning of the 20th century, there were three temples in the Ascension Monastery: the Ascension Cathedral, the Church of St. Michael Malein and the temple in honor of the Great Martyr Catherine, which was built in the 17th century on the site of the ancient church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril (in honor of the marriage of Dmitry Donskoy and Evdokia).

The history of the Catherine Church is quite interesting. By the 19th century, it had become so dilapidated that they wanted to demolish it, and the then popular architect Egotov even drew up a design for a new temple. But in 1808, Emperor Alexander I ordered that the new Catherine Church be built by the Italian architect Carl Rossi, who had not previously enjoyed the emperor’s favor and worked in St. Petersburg. But the talent and universal recognition of this architect were so great that it was him who was chosen by the emperor to build a temple in honor of the heavenly patroness of his sister Ekaterina Pavlovna. Carl Rossi created a cathedral that was completely uncharacteristic for Moscow - in the Gothic style. The new temple was consecrated in 1817. The interior decoration was completed with funds provided by the emperor. It should be noted that throughout its existence the monastery was generously endowed; it was among the richest and most respected monasteries in Moscow.

Let us remember that the Ascension Monastery also served as a tomb for women of the royal family. Perhaps Princess Evdokia herself bequeathed that they should do this, because before her, the daughters and wives of the great princes were buried in the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor. And, perhaps, after Evdokia and her daughter-in-law Sophia were buried in the Ascension Cathedral, in view of the cramped space of the Spassky Cathedral, it was decided to bury the crowned women in this place. The appanage rulers related to the great princes also found their final refuge here. Depending on the lifetime status of the deceased, he was buried in one place or another of the cathedral. The most honorable part was the altar, then came the southern side, which was facing the Holy Land; the northern side was considered the least honorable.

The women's tomb was in many ways similar to the sovereign's in the Archangel Cathedral. Firstly, the status of the buried: in both tombs they buried not only rulers, but also appanage princes and princesses related to them, many of whom ended their lives in disgrace. Secondly, there were similarities in the order of the tombs. In the temple-tomb, the most honorable place of burial was the altar. It was followed by the southern side, facing the Holy Land. The northern side was considered the least honorable part of the tomb. They were buried in one or another part of the cathedral depending on the status of the deceased. In the Archangel Cathedral, the most honorable place in the altar was given to the tombs of Ivan the Terrible and his sons. But there was a rule according to which women were not buried in the altar, so for women the most honorable place was the southern side of the temple. It was at this wall that the relics of Saint Eudokia rested in a silver shrine; Maria Shuiskaya (the wife of the deposed Tsar Vasily Shuisky), who, according to historians, began her family line from Evdokia’s father, was buried here, as well as Anastasia Romanova, the first and most beloved wife of Ivan the Terrible and other famous women.

At the northern wall of the cathedral they buried disgraced princesses who fell out of favor through their own fault, or through the fault of their husbands and fathers. Such burials include the grave of Efrosinya Staritskaya from the Staritsky family, who competed with Ivan the Terrible for the Russian throne. As you know, Ivan the Terrible hated the Staritskys so much that they were ordered to be buried in aisles and without gravestones, so that those passing by would trample the graves underfoot.

Before important military campaigns, long journeys, before going on pilgrimage, the great princes worshiped the ashes of their fathers in the Archangel Cathedral, and mothers in the Ascension. On major church holidays it was also customary to visit these cathedrals.

Being under the patronage of the rulers, the Ascension Monastery was considered royal and its abbess had the privilege of entering the grand duchesses and queens without reporting. And some of the nuns themselves belonged to the royal family. Here Maria Nagaya (nun Martha), the last wife of Ivan the Terrible and mother of Tsarevich Dimitri, spent the rest of her days. The mother of the first tsar from the Romanov family, Martha, was also a nun of the Ascension Monastery; here the daughter of Boris Godunov, Princess Ksenia, was imprisoned by False Dmitry.

According to the tradition established in ancient times, the sovereign's brides after their betrothal were in the Ascension Monastery before the wedding. Marina Mnishek, the wife of False Dmitry I, also lived here for some time. The nuns of the Ascension Monastery sewed clothes for members of the royal family, embroidered napkins and towels for the royal household, wove lace and sometimes prepared the queens’ favorite dishes. In addition, at the monastery there was a school for girls from noble families, in which they were taught literacy, etiquette, and church singing. The nuns of the Ascension Monastery were also famous for making “decorated willow” - decorative willow branches with wax decorations, fruits, figurines and garlands.

During the Napoleonic invasion, the abbess of the Ascension Monastery managed to take the sacristy to Vologda, so the most important valuables avoided desecration and looting. Despite. Although the monastery was occupied by French soldiers, it was preserved better than other Moscow monasteries and was almost not damaged. The monastery priest Ivan Yakovlev even managed to hide here the relics of Saint Tsarevich Demetrius, which he found in the desecrated Archangel Cathedral.

In 1907, the Ascension Monastery celebrated the 500th anniversary of the death of its reverend founder. And after 1917, the fate of the monastery changed dramatically. In November 1917, during the battles for the Kremlin, many walls and domes of its churches were destroyed. In March, the new Bolshevik government moved into the Kremlin, and the nuns were ordered to leave the monastery. The nuns and the abbess temporarily stayed at the Lefortovo hospital. Leaving the monastery, they managed to secretly take out the Kazansuk icon of the Mother of God under their clothes, as well as some jewelry, hiding them in the Lavra courtyard. However, the authorities conducted a search, found the treasures and sent them to the Kremlin Armory. A gymnasium was equipped in the Church of St. Catherine.

In 1929, the Ascension Monastery was destroyed along with Chudov. On this territory it was decided to build a military school named after. All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Despite the active intercession of the director of the Lenin Library V.I. Nevsky, the monasteries were destroyed, and Nevsky himself was later shot. The little that scientists managed to save were the white stone coffins, which were transferred to the Archangel Cathedral. According to the stories, when they opened the coffin of Marfa Sobakina (the third wife of Ivan the Terrible), they saw a completely preserved body, which crumbled into dust as soon as the air touched it. It is believed that the condition of the remains is explained by the fact that the queen was poisoned with some kind of poison. The Ascension Monastery was completely blown up - not even St. Andrew's Church, the only creation of Russia in Moscow, remained.

In the 1990s of the 20th century, scientists began to study the surviving tombs with remains transported from the Ascension Monastery. The result of this research activity was a number of interesting discoveries, some of which radically changed the view of history. For example, it was found that Anastasia Romanova and Elena Glinskaya were poisoned - large quantities of mercury were found in their remains. In addition, data was discovered confirming the legality of the birth of Ivan the Terrible, which was subject to doubt. But the most important event was the discovery of the relics of the Grand Duchess Evdokia, the Venerable Euphrosyne of Moscow.

Historical reference:

14th century - the Ascension Convent was founded in the Kremlin July 1407 - the founder of the Ascension Monastery, Saint Evdokia, died 1467 - Princess Maria Yaroslavna, the widow of Prince Vasily II, ordered the renovation of the Ascension Cathedral 1518 - Grand Duke Vasily III ordered the architect Aleviz Fryazin replace the old cathedral with a new one 1817 - Karl Rossi built a new Catherine Cathedral on the territory of the monastery 1929 - Ascension Monastery was blown up 1990 - scientists began studying the surviving tombs with remains transported from the Ascension Monastery

In the 90s of the 20th century, work began to study the tombs of grand duchesses and queens

In the 1990s, work began on studying the tombs of the grand duchesses and queens.

As it became known, the first wife of Peter I, Sophia Paleologus, the wife of the Russian Prince Ivan III, as well as Princess Theodosia, the daughter of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, were buried in them. The wife of Vasily Shuisky is also buried.

2004

this year, burials were examined in the underground chamber next to the Archangel Cathedral

32 graves were examined, as a result of which data was obtained on the appearance of the buried and on the burial ritual. The clothes and shoes that were found in those sarcophagi were restored.

The photo shows the very tombs next to the Archangel Cathedral, according to which the clothes and shoes of the people of that time were created

In 2014, President Vladimir Putin proposed recreating the historical appearance of the Moscow Kremlin and restoring the Ascension Monastery.

UNESCO experts opposed this construction.

In May 2021, the director of the Moscow Kremlin Museum firmly stated that no buildings are planned. In 2021, the 14th building of the Kremlin was dismantled, and archaeological excavations were carried out at this site.

In May 2021, a square was laid out, and in the summer an exhibition dedicated to the Ascension Monastery was held in the Archangel Cathedral.

In December 2021, archaeological windows with found parts of the foundation of the Ascension Monastery appeared on Ivanovskaya Square.

Unfortunately, not one of the temples that once stood was restored. And we can observe the beauty of these monasteries and temples only from the pages of history.

This is what we can now see instead of that Ascension Monastery and the churches closest to it. 2021

Perhaps none of those passing by these places even thought that the famous third monastery in Moscow used to stand on this site.

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• Description

Description of the Ascension Monastery in Smolensk

Ascension Monastery 17 – beginning 19th century st. Konenkova, 9

The Cathedral of the Ascension Convent is the only monument of cultural architecture of the 17th century in Smolensk that has been preserved without significant alterations. Its large volume is easy to read even in modern buildings. The composition of the cathedral consists of the high volume of the church itself with three semicircular asps, an elongated refectory and a three-tier bell tower, which are located on the same axis. The cathedral ends with an octagonal drum with a helmet-shaped dome; the same completion, only of smaller size, is on the bell tower. This compositional type was brought to Smolensk by Moscow craftsmen who carried out stone construction in Smolensk in the second half of the 17th century. The building is two-story, in the 18th century. A stone side church adjoined it from the north.

The cathedral of the Ascension Monastery is associated with news widely spread in local literature that the future queen Natalya Naryshkina was brought up in the monastery, that the building was built according to the personal drawing of Peter I in connection with his pardon at the request of the abbess of the monastery of the Rydvan Olympics of the rebellious Smolensk archers. In serious works of the 19th century. There is no such information about the Russian monasteries of Denisov and Ratshina, just as there is no such information in the 17th century documents relating to the monastery, which are located in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts. Presenting this information in his work “Smolensk in the history of the House of Romanov,” I. I. Orlovsky mentions that they were first recorded “in 1774 from the words of the old lady of the Rydvanskaya monastery,” he does not name her. Note that in the middle of the 18th century, Olympiada Rydvanskaya was the abbess of the monastery, under her the cathedral was renovated, and in 1764 the side church of Catherine was erected; strangely, the time of its activity shifted to the 17th century. The Streltsy uprising, which was followed by the mass execution of Streltsy, occurred when the cathedral was already built; in addition, as is known, executions took place only in Moscow.

The history of the nunnery in Smolensk begins in 1665, when the elders headed by Abbess Iraida Kurakina were transferred here from the Orsha Kuteinsky Monastery. They were placed at the Church of the Ascension (the wooden church itself and the cells remained from the times of the Catholic monastery), they were given a very modest state allowance for food, rye and wheat from local reserves, a little money for wax, incense, and a salary for the priest. The monastery was poor, maintenance was given irregularly, one day the abbess complained that they were given rotten wheat, which the archers refused. In 1673, Abbess Iraida asked in a petition in the royal name for money to repair dilapidated buildings. In 1675, it was ordered to give her 107 rubles according to the estimate. 20 altyn. Nowhere in these documents is the name of Natalya Naryshkina mentioned, who had already been a queen for several years and gave birth to a son, although such a mention would certainly have been made if she had been related to this monastery.

Natalya's father, a Streltsy colonel, was in Smolensk in 1667 - 1670, transferred here from Polotsk. The military leaders had their own houses and servants in the city, so there was no need to send their daughter to a poor monastery. In addition, there was neither a school nor a boarding house in the monastery, and the practice of “ward girls” did not exist. If young Natalya was in Smolensk (which is known only from the evil statement of a contemporary), then for a very short time in the late 60s she was brought up in the house of Artamon Matveev, a tsar’s close associate, whose wife was her niece. By the 90s of the 17th century. The buildings of the monastery were completely dilapidated. And already another abbess Eupraxia asks for help. In April 1692, the royal order was received to build a stone cathedral church here, in June the Moscow architect Gura Vakhromeev arrived to draw up estimates for the repair of the fortress wall and the construction of this cathedral; as a model for drawing up the estimate, he took the gate church indicated by the abbess on Cathedral Hill, adding to her refectory. In May 1693, one of the largest architects of the late 17th century arrived to lay the foundation for the building. Osip Startsev, he brought a “drawing and sample” (probably a model) for construction. In the royal letter to the metropolitan it is said: “L. according to the drawing, which was done in Moscow, there will be a church in Smolensk...” (the dimensions are indicated below). Peter's name is nowhere to be found, it is obvious that the drawing was made by specialists from the Order of Stone Affairs.

The dimensions given in the document differ from the dimensions included in Vakhromeev’s estimate, and a chapel appeared.

Osip Startsev completed an important mission - he tied the cathedral to the area. He coped with this task superbly; even now the cathedral has not been lost in the development. On May 30 (according to the present day - June 9), under his leadership, “they began to dig ditches, and beat piles, and quarry.” Osip Startsev stayed in Smolensk for only two weeks - he went to Kiev, then to Lvov, and Danila Kalinin was sent to replace him; he was also there the following year, 1694, by the end of which season (they worked until the Intercession) the vaults of all volumes (except for the chapel) were completed , which was later dismantled), all that remained was to install the final figure of eight and finish the bell tower. The main work was carried out by an artel of Yaroslavl masons from peasants, led by Fyodor Artemyev, they were helped by Smolensk archers and soldiers, the peasants carried lime and white stone from Lipitsa.

In 1695-1696 Almost no work was carried out on the cathedral; the government devoted all its efforts to repairing the wall. In 1697, a clock was installed on the bell tower; all that remained was to cover the domes, make the porch, and decorate the interior. However, a hurricane swept over the city, severely damaging Smolensk churches and the wall. Only in 1701 did work on the cathedral resume, and the Moscow architect Kondrat Mymrin supervised them; he was the author of the cathedral’s spectacular porches. Smolensk blacksmiths forged elegant baroque crosses, and the archers performed carpentry work. In 1704, possibly on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the cathedral was consecrated.

The appearance of the cathedral reflected the severity of Peter the Great's time, the facades are devoid of patterns, the windows are in a strict stepped frame, located strictly regularly, only the 8-sided baroque windows somewhat enliven the building. The roof is hipped, originally covered with wooden shingles, in the 18th century. replaced by iron. The decoration of the new cathedral was the magnificent carved iconostasis of the upper Church of the Ascension. S. D. Shiryaev calls it the author of Mark Wartkin, but this is not so. The documents indicate that all the carving was done by a foreigner, Yuri Bek, and a complete description of the iconostasis of the remarkable work in the Baroque style has been preserved. An old iconostasis was installed in the lower church; two choir carpentry works were made by Krasnoye village carpenter Mark Borodavkin and his friend.

The icons were made by the archpriest of the Assumption Cathedral, Ignatius, “he painted that iconostasis with good craftsmanship and gilded it with red gold... except for the Snitsar carving.” Luka Galitsky with six comrades gilded the carvings and painted some icons, in particular in the lower church.

At the end of the 20s of our century, the cathedral building was given over to the printing house workers' club named after. Smirnova. The bells were used for the needs of industrialization; the fate of the iconostasis and the bell tower clock is unknown. During the Great Patriotic War, the cathedral was badly damaged and restored in 1968-1969. according to the project of G. M. Aptekin and V. V. Sheko, the interior is adapted for an exhibition hall according to the project of S. V. Shestopal. “Code of architectural monuments and monumental art of Russia. Smolensk region":

Located in the city center, on a high hill above the Dnieper. Originated in 1515. According to another version, the monastery was founded in the 1630s by the Jesuits. Until the end of the 17th century, all its buildings were wooden. According to legend, in the 1660s. The daughter of Streltsy Colonel Natalia Naryshkina, the future wife of Alexei Mikhailovich and the mother of Peter I, was raised here. In May 1693, “by decree of the great sovereigns John and Peter,” the architect Osip Startsev was sent to Smolensk, who was given a model and drawing for the construction of a new monastery Cathedral of the Ascension. Construction until 1694 was carried out by apprentice Danilo Kalinin. In 1697 it was interrupted by a hurricane, but by 1700 it was largely completed, although finishing work was carried out as early as 1704 and 1728. under the supervision of Kondraty Mymrin. The masons (from Yaroslavl peasants) were helped by Smolensk archers. In 1764-65. (according to other sources - in 1787), on the initiative of Abbess Olympiada Rydvanskaya, the Catherine Chapel was added to the Ascension Cathedral from the northeast. In 1827-30. according to the project of the provincial architect. Alshevsky, the Akhtyrskaya Church is being built at the gates of the monastery. Both nearby churches were heavily damaged in 1941-43, and in 1967-71. restored. The area they occupied at the bend of the street was formerly surrounded by a fence (only a few spindles and a gate near the Akhtyrskaya Church were restored).

The Cathedral of the Ascension is built of brick, the walls are whitewashed. The 2nd floor traditions are strong in the appearance of the single-domed, two-story church. 17th century: the location of the temple, refectory and bell tower, placed along one axis, a three-part apse with blades in recesses, asymmetry of the compositions of the facades, porches, strongly placed on the sides of the bell tower (originally there was a clock on it). The new principles of architecture of Peter the Great's time are reflected in the sharp simplification of the decor, in the regular placement of windows and the coincidence of axes. The upper tiers of the bell tower, the shape of the roof of the apse, the octagonal windows of the quadrangle belong to the already mature Baroque.

A tall quadrangle with a two-story second floor is hung with a small figure of eight (it was illuminated). The vault is hidden behind very high walls, which gives the quadrangle a heavy appearance. The altar, quadrangle and refectory are equal in width, and the planes of their walls merge (only on the first floor the quadrangle is separated by blades). The boundaries of the floors are marked by rods, the divisions of which resemble a classic entablature. All windows (square below, rectangular on the second floor, octagonal on the second floor) are recessed into the wall with the same frame profile; there are still supports near the slopes.

The four-tiered bell tower consists of two quadruplets and two octagonal tiers with open arches on each side (the arches of the upper tier are partially blocked). The corners of the bell tier are reinforced with short (to the openings) blades.

The vaults survived only on the second floor: above the temple there is a closed vault, in the refectory there is a half-tray vault, in the altar there is a monastery vault. The interior decoration contrasted with the ascetic exterior of the building. Until the 20th century, a magnificent iconostasis in Naryshkin Baroque forms was preserved in the upper church. The carver was a foreigner Yuri Bek. The structure of the iconostasis was revealed by columns with Corinthian capitals and loose entablatures. Directly below the capitals, the trunks of the columns were obliquely braided with carved ribbons; below were the heads of angels. The Royal Doors were surrounded by a three-bladed keel-shaped arch, which also included a pentagonal icon of the Last Supper. The icon of the Mother of God (local rank) was surrounded by round marks in one row vertically, and horizontally in two or even three rows. The entire composition of this icon with stamps was completed by a semicircular edge with a three-dimensional head of an angel at the top of the arch. The iconostasis in the lower church was moved from the wooden Church of the Ascension, and the choir was cut by a carpenter from the village. Red Mark Borodavkin with three assistants. The icons were painted by the archpriest of the Assumption Cathedral on Cathedral Hill Ignatius and Luke Galitsky with six comrades.

Catherine's chapel, in transitional forms from Baroque to early classicism, has the appearance of a small independent one-domed temple: it is a two-story quadrangle with a high tray roof; the lower altar and refectory are equal in width, and the main northern façade therefore appears solid. The cornices of the altar and refectory are laid on the plastered brick walls of the quadrangle. Light reinforcements highlight the central volume and the middle of its façade. The play of protruding and receding planes is enhanced by the rustication of the middle parts of the temple and the altar, as well as on the quadrangles released from under the pilasters. The northern façade is completed with a half dome.

The quadrangle is covered with a closed vault, the refectory with a box vault, and the altar with rounded corners with a monastery vault.

Source: https://www.admin-smolensk.ru/~pkns/pkns/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=187&Itemid=72&limit=1&limitstart=0

Holy Ascension Cathedral

Pre-revolutionary photo of the cathedral
The need for an Orthodox cathedral for the city of Verny was spoken of by the first rulers of the Turkestan diocese at the end of the 19th century; Correspondence was conducted on the issue, a project and an estimate were drawn up, but it was implemented only at the beginning of the 20th century. On September 26, 1903, Bishop of Turkestan and Tashkent Paisiy (Vinogradov) consecrated the foundation stone of the temple.

In 1904, construction of the temple began. In 1907, residents of Almaty were able to appreciate the unique architectural structure, which was erected from Tien Shan blue spruce wood.

The premises of the Ascension Cathedral withstood the tests of the terrible earthquake that occurred in 1911 safely: the corner of the bell tower sank a little and the glass was knocked out.[6]

The Turkestan St. Sophia Cathedral (later renamed the Holy Ascension) was built in 1904-1907 by engineer Andrei Zenkov[7][1] according to the design of the architect Konstantin Borisoglebsky[8]. The original designs of the high-rise building ensured the reliability of the structure during the 1910 earthquake. It was built entirely from wooden parts connected to each other with metal fasteners. “Despite its enormous height,” Zenkov wrote about the cathedral, “it was a very flexible structure. Its bell tower swayed and bent like the top of a tall tree and worked like a flexible beam.” Only the bent cross reminds us of the earthquake we experienced[9].

In May 1905, Eustathius Malakhovsky, a future martyr, served as priest in the cathedral.

The internal structure of the cathedral was made in art workshops in Moscow and Kyiv. The iconostasis was made by artist Nikolai Khludov. The temple was used for its intended purpose until 1927[10].

Since 1929, it was used as the building of the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan[1]. In the 1930s, the cathedral building also housed public organizations. The cathedral's bell tower was used as an antenna to organize the first radio broadcasts in Almaty. In 1976, the first restoration in the history of the building took place[10]. Since 1985, in connection with the move of the Central Museum of the Kazakh SSR to a new building, the cathedral has housed a concert and exhibition pavilion (according to other sources, the Almaty Museum of History and Restoration [1]).

The temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church by the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and after restoration work, services were resumed in the cathedral in May 1995[1]. Since July 2021, the cathedral has undergone a large-scale reconstruction[11], which ended on October 28, 2020[12].