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Donskoy Monastery

Donskoy Monastery

Donskoy Monastery Naturally, in the capital of Russia there are not many quiet and peaceful places for solitude with yourself and reflection on something great. Unfortunately, the Moscow that residents and tourists know about today has a significant impact on car noise, the work of social and industrial infrastructure, as well as crazy work traffic.

However, such quiet places still remain: Donskoy Monastery – one of them. The beautiful Orthodox shrine is surrounded by old linden alleys, a picturesque garden and a small cemetery. It is here that a person finds, albeit temporary, but peace.

Rise of the monastery

Legends say that the temple arose in the XVI – m century. At that time, to the capital – Moscow began to approach the troops of the Crimean Khan.

The then Russian Tsar, believing in God's intercession over Russia, ordered his servants to surround the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos around the entire perimeter of the defense.

Hopes came true: already in the morning, the Russian army saw the Tatars who had fled from the gates of the city.

The similar salvation of Moscow was explained by one – protection of the Mother of God over the capital.
 
In honor of this event, 2 years later, a stone church was put forward in Moscow – it is in our time the Donskoy Monastery. But already the current form, for which tourists know the shrine, the monastery acquired one century later: the big cathedral was laid by Princess Sophia, and Peter I continued the construction.

Architecture, view of the monastery The Donskoy Monastery consists of the Big and the Small Cathedral

The Great Cathedral is one of the earliest attempts of Russian building science to create a cruciform structure. For a long time, the Great Cathedral kept within its walls a relic of the monastery – The Don Icon of the Mother of God, with which the legend of the salvation of Moscow is connected. At the moment, the icon as a work of art has been officially transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery for permanent storage, from where it is traditionally delivered by special transport to the Holy Liturgy at the Donskoy Monastery every September 1st. The Small Cathedral is the first building of two buildings. Often it is also called old. In the Russian tradition, the Small Cathedral – a unique example of an engineering solution of that time, as it is a single-domed temple with a groin vault.

How to get there

Using the subway, you can get to the nearest station to the monument of architecture – station "Shabolovskaya". After getting off at this stop, you should turn right on Shabolovka Street and walk to the first Donskoy passage. From this place, the side dome of the monastery will already be visible.

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