Description of the attraction
The Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery near Zvenigorod was founded by Saint Savva, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh in the 14th century. In the 17th century, the Tsar made it his residence. Alexey Mikhailovich … He built powerful fortifications here, new temples, a palace for himself and his wife. Now there is a functioning monastery, one of the most beautiful in the Moscow region, and a museum telling about the life of the royal family in the 17th century and about the history of this region.
Savva Storozhevsky
The Monk Savva is one of the closest disciples Sergius of Radonezh … He was the confessor of Sergius himself and the entire Trinity monastery, instructed the family Dmitry Donskoy: was the confessor of his widow Evdokia and his son, Prince Yuri of Zvenigorod. At the request of the prince, he moved here from the Trinity Monastery and founded his own. This was in 1398.
The monastery is called Storozhevsky by the name of the Storozhi mountain, on which it was built. Initially, the monastery was small and wooden, but after a successful campaign against Bulgaria, which took place with the blessing of hegumen Savva, Prince Yuri allocated money for the construction of a stone church. From those times preserved Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin … In the monastery you can see excavations - the open foundations of the first monastery gates and the refectory of the 15th century.
History of the monastery
During the Time of Troubles, the monastery was severely ruined, and all the brethren, together with the abbot, were killed by the Poles. They began to rebuild already under the first Romanovs. In 1647 the canonization of Saint Sava took place, and in 1650 his relics were “found” in the monastery.
Alexei Mikhailovich believed that he owed his life to the saint: while hunting in the Zvenigorod forests, a huge bear attacked him. The king was already preparing to say goodbye to life. But then a monk came out of the forest and pacified the bear. He called himself Savva, and soon the king realized that the saint himself had appeared to him. In the same year Alexey Mikhailovich donated money for new big construction. Brick factories arose around the monastery and thousands of workers gathered here. The Tsar actually made this place his summer residence, declared it a laurel and equated in status with the Trinity-Sergieva.
In the 18th century, the monastery gradually loses its significance, although the royal people still come here. Since the middle of the 18th century, a seminary has been located within its walls. In the 19th century, Pushkin repeatedly visited here - the estate of his grandmother, Zakharovo, is located nearby. The monastery is loved and honored by the Moscow metropolitan Filaret Drozdov.
After the revolution, the monastery was closed. The relics of St. The Savvas were opened and confiscated, only a part of them remained in the family of one of the believers. The first attempt to uncover the relics provoked a stormy protest and came to the point of killing the commissars, but the "Zvenigorod rebellion" was suppressed by force. The property from the monastery sacristy is placed in the museum. Buildings are used as sanatorium and club, part of the territory is transferred to the military unit.
The revival of the monastery began in 1995, and in 1998 the 600th anniversary was magnificently celebrated. Then the miraculously survived part of the relics of Saint Sava was returned to the monastery and a large-scale restoration began. The restoration is still going on, but the main part of the buildings has already been put in order. In 2007, a monument to its founder appears in front of the monastery.
What to see
During the grandiose construction of 1650, the monastery was surrounded stone wall … After the war, the Moscow state urgently strengthened its borders and this place became the main fortress that defended Zvenigorod. Now the keys to the city were kept here, there were powder stores, and under the walls of the monastery is located military garrison with guns … The height of the walls is about nine meters, the thickness is about three. It has come down to this day six towers (initially there were seven). Now part of the wall and towers is accessible for inspection - you can climb the wall.
The main cathedral of the monastery was consecrated in honor of Nativity of the Virgin … This is both an Orthodox holiday - and the day of victory on the Kulikovo field. Almost all the disciples of St. Sergius of Radonezh created their monasteries with just such a dedication. The white-stone cathedral dates back to 1405 and is one of the most ancient monuments of Russian architecture in the Moscow region. In the XVI, a separate border was added to it, dedicated to St. Savva. The burial place of the saint is revered here, separately - the old shrine with relics, which was once opened by the red commissars, and separately - a new cancer with a particle of relics. The frescoes of the cathedral are unique. Painted it Andrey Rublev and some of this painting has survived. The next layer of painting refers to the 17th century - the cathedral was re-painted under Alexei Mikhailovich by painters Stepan Ryazanets and Vasily Ilyin … These murals were revealed during the museum restoration of the 60s of the XX century. The high five-tiered iconostasis of the cathedral was also made during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich - it was under the jurisdiction of the museum and therefore is almost completely preserved.
The tallest building of the monastery - multi-tiered belfry 1650 Once upon a time there hung a huge bell weighing thirty-five tons - it was called Big Evangelist … The bell ringing of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery was considered the most beautiful and cleanest in Russia. New bells appeared here in 1998. The largest of them weighs two tons more than the Big Evangelist. A chapel was attached to the belfry, in which the Smolensk military trophies - clocks and bells - were kept.
Under Alexei Mikhailovich was built gate church of st. Sergius of Radonezh … This is a small tent-roofed church in the tradition of Moscow architecture of that time. When the family of Alexei Mikhailovich came here, it became the home church where they prayed. In the 19th century, a refectory was added to it. The surviving paintings date back to the mid-19th century.
Transfiguration Church built at the very end of the 17th century. According to one version, it was built by Princess Sophia. During the streltsy revolt, she and her younger brothers Ivan and Peter - the future Tsar Peter the Great - took refuge here. The platbands of the church are decorated with tiles and state double-headed eagles.
The main secular structure of the monastery is a pearl of 17th century architecture. it stone palace of Alexei Mikhailovich … Initially, it was one-story and each member of the royal family was provided with their own chambers. Then it was altered and decorated by the children of Alexei Mikhailovich - Tsar Fyodor and Tsarevna Sophia … Sophia added a second floor to it in a trendy European style with Dutch tiled stoves. At one time there was a seminary here, and then the apartments of the abbots were located and, as before, members of the royal family who came here on pilgrimages were accommodated here. In the ceremonial halls a gallery was set up with portraits of all the abbots of the monastery and all the reigning persons. Now there are shops, a pilgrimage service and a library.
Second palace of the 17th century - one-story tsarina's chambersbuilt for Maria Miloslavskaya, wife of Alexei Mikhailovich. They are smaller, but more elegant and elegant than the chambers of her husband, decorated with rich carvings and three eagles - two Russian two-headed and one one-headed Polish, because the Miloslavskys were from Poland.
The monastery keeps reliquaries with particles of relics many of the most revered saints in Orthodoxy. These are the relics of Matrona of Moscow, John of Kronstadt and many others. There is an icon of St. Panteleimon the healer with a particle of his relics, icons of Seraphim of Sarov and Sergius of Radonezh - also with relics.
Not far from the monastery is skete of St. Savvas … Once upon a time there was a cave in a ravine, where the saint went to pray in solitude. In the middle of the 19th century, the church of St. Sava, and then a whole small monastery-skete grew up, with two churches, a fence and outbuildings. In the Soviet years, there was a sanatorium here, and now the skete is functioning again. St. Sava was restored and now every year a procession of the cross goes from the monastery to her.
In the old village cemetery there is a revered the grave of the elder Simeon … He was a local holy fool of the peasants, he lived in the 18th century, and already in the 19th century, the inhabitants of the surrounding villages venerated him as a saint and believed that he helps and heals.
Museum
On the territory of the monastery is located Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum … It is to his staff that the monastery is obliged to preserve the main values and restore the unique frescoes of the Nativity Cathedral.
The museum's collections include not only things related to the monastery. In the 20s of the XX century, many things from the surrounding estates were brought here, and in the 70s it began to form painting collection … Nearby was the dacha of the artist B. N. Yakovlev. He donated more than two hundred of his works to the museum.
The main exposition of the monastery is located in the Tsaritsa Chambers. It is divided into three parts. One is dedicated to temporary exhibitions from museum funds, one tells about the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery itself, the third is called “ Noblewoman's chambers ”And tells about the life and family life of the 17th century.
Interesting Facts
- One of the most famous episodes in the life of the monastery in 1812 is the story that happened to Napoleon's closest relative, Prince Eugene de Beauharnais. When the French troops occupied the monastery and began to ravage the monastery, Savva Storozhevsky appeared to him in a dream and promised that if the French did not plunder the monastery, he would return to his homeland safe and sound. And so it happened.
- In the monastery, several new martyrs are venerated as saints, whose names are associated with this monastery. These are Archimandrite Dmitry Dobroserdov, who was the abbot here for some time, executed in 1937, Hieromartyrs Iona Lazarev and Vladimir Medvedyuk, who were once monks here, and others.
- Kvass made in this monastery is considered the most delicious in the Moscow region.
On a note
- Location: Moscow region, mountains. Zvenigorod, Ratekhinskoe highway, 8.
- How to get there: by electric train of the Belarusian direction to the station "Zvenigorod" (or by a regular bus from the stations "Tushinskaya", "Kuntsevskaya" and "Strogino"), then by buses No. 23; 51. to the stop. "Rest House of the Ministry of Defense".
- The official website of the monastery:
- The official website of the museum:
- The cost of visiting the museum: adult ticket - 280 rubles, school ticket - 160 rubles.
- Museum working hours: 10: 00-18: 00, Monday - closed.
