Novodevichy Convent

One of the most famous women's monasteries is located in Khamovniki, on Devichye Pole. It is a complex of eight temples and six residential and outbuildings. All buildings have changed little since their foundation in the 16th and 17th centuries, having successfully survived wars and revolutions. Today the monastery is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

History of the monastery

The founder of the Novodevichy Convent was Prince Vasily III. He ordered the construction of a monastery to mark the return of the Smolensk land. 

For many years, the monastery served as a place where objectionable female royals were sent to prison or a kind of exile. Among its inhabitants were Irina Godunova, Peter's sister Sofia and his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina. Later, under the shadow of the holy monastery, orphan girls were brought up. 

Under the Soviet regime, the monastery was closed, part of its buildings were transferred to the Historical Museum, the other part was given over to social needs.

Monastery today

Today the monastery belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church. On its territory, nuns now live and work, engaged in such traditional crafts as icon painting and gold embroidery.

In the temples of the monastery you can see frescoes and iconostasis of the 15th-16th centuries, particles of the relics of saints, ancient valuable icons. The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God — an exact list from the Athos image, the Smolensk Mother of God, named after the city where she stayed for many centuries. In the 13th century, the icon helped the inhabitants of Smolensk to withstand the Tatar-Mongol invaders. 

The most famous temples on the territory of the Novodevichy Convent are the Cathedral Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today, group and individual excursions are held on the territory of the monastery. In the church museum, the exhibits acquaint visitors with the history of the construction of churches. 

In 2024, it is planned to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the founding of the monastery.

Another remarkable place on the territory of the holy monastery is the Novodevichy cemetery. In the old days, nuns and Moscow nobles were buried here, and in Soviet times, the cemetery became the place of the last refuge for prominent party, state and cultural figures of the country. 

The most convenient way to get to the monastery is from the Sportivnaya metro station, from there you can take a bus or walk.