Mother of God Nativity Stauropegic Convent. Bobrenev Mother of God-Nativity Monastery Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Nativity Monastery
Monastery in Naydenov's album, 1882
Mother of God Nativity Convent- one of the oldest convents in Moscow. Located at the intersection of Rozhdestvenka Street and Rozhdestvensky Boulevard, to which he gave his name.
Pre-Petrine time
The monastery was founded in 1386 by the wife of Prince Andrei Serpukhovsky and the mother of Prince Vladimir the Brave - Princess Maria Konstaninovna, who became a nun here before her death in 1389 under the name of Martha. At first it was located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin and bore the name Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on the Moat. There is also a version that from the moment of its foundation the monastery was located on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, near Kuchkov Field, in the possession of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky.
In the 1430s, Princess Elena Olgerdovna, the wife of Prince Vladimir the Brave, was tonsured at the monastery under the name Eupraxia; she was buried, according to her will, in the monastery cemetery in 1452. Princess Elena donated monasteries to villages and villages.
The single-domed stone Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected in 1501-1505 in the traditions of early Moscow architecture. . After the fire of 1547, for 150 years it was surrounded by extensions that distorted the original appearance.
On November 25, 1525, in the Nativity Monastery, Solomonia Saburova, the wife of Vasily the Third, was forcibly tonsured under the name Sofia. She lived in the monastery before being transferred to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery.
In the summer of 1547, during a severe Moscow fire, the buildings of the monastery burned down and the stone cathedral was damaged. It was soon restored according to the vow of Tsarina Anastasia Romanovna, the wife of Ivan the Terrible. By order of the Tsar himself, the St. Nicholas Chapel was created in the southern altar apse.
In the 70s of the 17th century, the Nativity Monastery became the burial place of the Lobanov-Rostov princes: their tomb was attached to the cathedral from the east. In the 19th century, it received a second floor, which housed the monastery sacristy.
In 1676-1687, at the expense of Princess Photinia Ivanovna Lobanova-Rostovskaya, a stone church of St. John Chrysostom with a refectory and chapels of St. Nicholas, Righteous Philaret the Merciful and St. Demetrius of Rostov was erected. At her expense, in 1671, a stone fence with four towers was built.
Monastery in the XIX-XX centuries
In 1835-1836, a bell tower with the church of the Holy Martyr Eugene, Bishop of Kherson was built above the Holy Gates (project by N. I. Kozlovsky, the church was built at the expense of S. I. Shterich).
At the beginning of the 20th century, three-story cell buildings were built to house classrooms of the parochial school. In 1903-1904, according to the design of the architect P. A. Vinogradov, the Church of St. John Chrysostom was reconstructed and the refectory of the monastery was erected. In 1904-1906, Vinogradov built the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with a new refectory. The monastery operated a shelter for orphan girls and a parochial school.
In 1922, the monastery was closed, the silver vestments from the icons were removed (a total of 17 pounds of silver were taken out), some of the icons were initially moved to the Church of St. Nicholas in Zvonary, and later to the Church of the Sign in Pereyaslavskaya Sloboda. The monastery housed office, scientific and educational establishments. Communal apartments were set up in the cells. Some of the nuns were allowed to remain in the former monastery; two nuns lived on the territory of the monastery until the late 1970s. The monastery cemetery, along with the grave of the founder of the monastery, Princess Maria Andreevna, was destroyed, part of the walls were demolished. In 1974, by decision of the Moscow City Council, the Nativity Monastery was transferred to the Moscow Architectural Institute for the organization of a museum-reserve of ancient Russian art and architecture. After restoration, the archives of one of the research institutes were kept in the Nativity Cathedral.
Modernity
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was returned to the church in 1992, and services there resumed on May 14, 1992. The monastery was granted stauropegia.
The monastery was revived on July 16, 1993, and restoration work is underway. There is a Sunday school at the monastery for children aged 4-17 years. In 2010, a free three-year women's church singing school was opened in the monastery. Its curriculum includes the study of catechism, liturgics, liturgical regulations, solfeggio, church singing and choral class. In 2011, the schools in the monastery created their own library.
Since 1999, the monastery’s courtyard has been the Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” located in the village of Fedorovskoye, Volokolamsk district, Moscow region.
Refectory Church (1904-06)
Church of John Chrysostom (1676-78)
Bobrenev Mother of God Nativity Monastery (Russia) - description, history, location. The exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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Mother of God-Rozhdestvensky monastery Kolomny, also known as Bobrenev, is a chamber, bright and very quiet monastery, located a few kilometers from the city, on opposite bank Moscow River. Its history is closely connected with one of the most revered Orthodox saints - Sergius of Radonezh and Dmitry Donskoy: St. Sergius blessed the holy noble prince to build a monastery in gratitude to the Mother of God for the victory over Mamai. For more than 600 years of history, the monastery has known ups and downs, and today it is only being revived from oblivion during the years of Soviet power. Despite the fact that restoration work is still underway, you can visit main temple in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary with amazing acoustics and venerate the miraculous Theodore Icon of the Mother of God, especially revered by Russian sovereigns.
A little history
The Bobrenev Monastery is one of the oldest on Russian soil: it was founded in 1381 according to the vow of Dmitry Donskoy in honor of the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo. According to one version, the construction was carried out at the expense of the closest associate of the blessed prince - governor Bobrok-Volynets, whose name the monastery received; according to another, the repentant robber Bobrenya took monastic vows here.
In the 18th century, the monastery lost its former significance and became very dilapidated; its lands were assigned to the Trinity Novo-Golutvin Monastery, and the brethren also moved there. A century later, restoration work begins here: utility buildings and walls are erected, a temple is built in honor of the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God, and a magnificent three-tiered gilded iconostasis is built. During the years of Soviet power, the monastery was closed and used as a warehouse for fertilizers. Its restoration began in 1991 and continues to this day.
What to see
The Mother of God Nativity Monastery is located on the gentle bank of the Moscow River, in the heart of the free fields of Kolomshchina. Its graceful buildings - pseudo-Gothic walls, the openwork bell tower of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and the sky-blue Feodorovskaya Church - are reflected in the quiet river surface and give an amazing feeling of peace.
Entering the territory of the monastery through the Holy Gate, crowned with the image of the Star of Bethlehem, you will find yourself in a cozy courtyard, and right in front of you will rise the Feodorovskaya Church, which houses the main shrine of the monastery - a copy of the miraculous Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. This image of the Virgin Mary, according to legend, was captured by the Evangelist Luke.
Since 1613, the icon has been considered the patroness of the imperial house of Romanov, and it is because of this that all foreign brides of Russian sovereigns, when converting to Orthodoxy, took the patronymic name Fedorovna.
The main cathedral of the monastery is a snow-white church in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Restoration work here is in full swing, but tourists can stop by and appreciate its inspiring heights.
The acoustics of the temple are unique - when one singer sings on the choir, it seems as if there is a whole choir.
Among other shrines of the monastery are a cross with a particle of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, a particle of the relics of St. George the Victorious, the slippers of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky and an icon with a particle of his relics, as well as a life-size icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
Practical information
Address: Moscow region, Kolomna district, village of Staroye Bobrenevo. It is convenient to get from Kolomna by car or on foot through the Pyatnitsky Gate, then along a straight road and across the pontoon bridge. Web site .
Opening hours: the monastery is open to visitors every day, from early morning until the end of the evening service.
Admission is free, donations are welcome.
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles
1501 - 1505
It was built in the traditional Moscow style of the 16th century on the site of the previous one, the existence of which is evidenced by the remains of more ancient white stone masonry preserved in the eastern part of the foundation. The cathedral building was badly damaged by a fire in 1547, but by 1550 it was completely restored. At the same time, a chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built in the southern apse of the temple, for which part of the brick altar barrier, which by that time had already been almost completely dismantled, was preserved here. The similarity of the cathedral with the Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery in Moscow is noticeable.
The four-pillar, three-apse Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was originally crowned with one helmet-shaped dome. With the construction of the St. Nicholas chapel, the cathedral received another small dome in the southeastern part. The cathedral is pyramidal in structure. With a wide arrangement of four pillars, its lateral divisions are significantly narrower than the middle one. Cross vaults rest on the pillars: the center of the articulation of the vaults is cut through the circumference of a light drum. Outside, the light drum is surrounded by several tiers of keel-shaped kokoshniks (false zakomaras), arranged end-to-end. The roof of the cathedral, separated by a cornice from the main wall, follows the contours of the vaults. Inside, the light drum is supported by powerful arch steps. The bases of the drum and altar shells (conch) are surrounded by cornices. Special processing of the arches turns the projections into pilasters. The dome was folded in such a way that the curved rows of bricks placed “at the corner” formed a concentric pattern. This dome laying had a theological explanation: it signified the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. In the icon cases above the portals there used to be frescoes (fragments of one of them are preserved on the northern façade, facing the chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit).
It is possible that the portals themselves were originally painted, as evidenced by the remains of the coloring of the northern portal, whose painting in given time resumed. There was a belfry above the southwestern corner of the cathedral. Starting from the second half of the 16th century, the architectural appearance of the cathedral was transformed. The refectory extension, adjacent to the St. Nicholas chapel, was subsequently extended and covered the southern façade of the cathedral. Instead of the dismantled belfry, a hipped bell tower was added to the southwestern division of the temple. Later, the St. Nicholas chapel was moved to the Church of St. John Chrysostom: in memory of him, the south-eastern part of the vault is crowned with a preserved small dome. In the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the remains of the original brick altar barrier have been preserved to this day. In the refectory of the temple, at the level of the window sills, there are white stone tombstones over burials of the 17th–18th centuries. Among those who died here are the names of Paraskeva Feodorovna, daughter of Prince Dolgorukov, and Prince Mikhail Feodorovich Dolgorukov. By the end of the 18th century, a covered porch was erected on the north side of the cathedral, in which in 1814 the chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was built. In the southern, elongated extension of the cathedral in 1820, a chapel appeared in the name of St. Demetrius of Rostov, which was later transferred to the Church of St. John Chrysostom.
Around 1835, the hipped bell tower, damaged by a lightning strike, was dismantled. At the end of the seventies of the nineteenth century, the iconostases, iconostasis cases, gilding and wall paintings were renewed in the cathedral. The photographs depicting the appearance of the monastery churches at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries show paintings - images of saints on a light drum and inside the cathedral's zakomar. At the beginning of the twentieth century, according to the design of the famous architect F.O. Shekhtel, a porch was added to the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, designed in the architectural style of the 17th century. The porch united the temple itself, its chapels and the refectory, creating a certain unity between the ancient cathedral and the later extensions.
IN Soviet time Everything was done to ensure that the temples of the monastery were destroyed as quickly as possible, for which the drainage systems were blocked, and the influx and conservation of water in the foundations was ensured. And although in the 60s of the twentieth century, under public pressure, the cathedral was recognized as an architectural monument and placed under state protection, it continued to collapse. Currently, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and its chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit are operational, but a number of internal and external restoration works are planned.
Gate temple sschmch. Eugene, Bishop of Chersonesos
1835 - 1836
Bell tower with gate temple sschmch. Eugene, Bishop of Chersonesos, was erected above the entrance to the monastery (the Holy Gates) at the expense of the Privy Councilor (widow of the Privy Councilor) Serafima Ivanovna Shterich, who made a contribution to the eternal commemoration of her deceased son, the youth Eugene.
Hieromartyr Eugene, Bishop of Chersonesos, one of the seven Hieromartyrs of Chersonesos (IV century), was the heavenly patron of the youth Eugene.
There is evidence that His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, as Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna, visited the territory of the closed Mother of God Nativity monastery. Some sisters of the monastery managed to remain in the monastery as residents. Among them was the nun Claudia, who was considered one of the best craftswomen in Moscow in sewing priestly vestments, and Metropolitan Pimen placed orders for her. Also on the territory of the monastery lived the Taratunin family, whom His Holiness Patriarch Pimen knew and visited several times.
Since 2012, the shchmch temple. Eugene of Chersonesos is active: it hosts sisterhood and divine services, in which students of the monastery singing school and youth organizations at the monastery take part.
Refectory Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
1904 - 1906
T The rapez building with the temple was built in the Russian-Byzantine style. Having impressive dimensions (length 36 meters, width 15 meters, height 17 meters), the temple building could accommodate more than three hundred people at a time. The vaults and walls of the temple are painted in the style of the Russian art school of the 19th century. Among the paintings there are copies of paintings by G.I. Semiradsky: “Christ and the Samaritan Woman”, “Christ with Martha and Mary”.
Temple of St. John Chrysostom with the chapels of St. Nicholas, St. rights. Philaret the Merciful, St. Demetrius of Rostov (additional throne)
It was originally made of wood. In 1676–1687, on the site of a wooden church, a stone refectory church was erected in the style of townsman churches of the 17th century. It was warm, five-domed and pillarless, with dull drums of the chapters placed directly on the vault. A hundred years after its construction, in the seventies of the 18th century, the temple was damaged by fire and was restored during the same period.
From the 17th century, complex brick cornices, arcatures on the drums of the domes, zakomaras, and elegant platbands have been partially preserved. In 1792, an extension was made to the temple (according to some information, it existed since the end of the 17th century and was renewed), into which the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was moved from the cathedral. In 1812, the chapel of the holy righteous Philaret the Merciful was built. At the same time, the temple from a refectory becomes a cathedral.
In connection with the emergence of chapels, wide arches were built in the southern and northern walls of the quadrangle. The decoration of the aisles was stylized to resemble ancient Russian patterns. At the end of the 60s of the nineteenth century they were rebuilt, maintaining the same style and architectural features. In the 70s of the 19th century, a new painting appeared in the temple, but underneath it a part of the 17th century painting with the date of construction of the temple was preserved.
In 1903–1904, the temple was completely reconstructed: the old openings in the walls were expanded and new ones were created, making the temple more spacious and capacious. The chapel of St. Demetrius of Rostov was moved from the cathedral to the temple. After the revolution, the temple suffered the common fate of churches. In the 1960s, the external renovation of the temple was carried out, but everything inside remained unchanged. For many decades, the temple building was in disrepair.
The temple is currently being restored.
The Mother of God Nativity Convent is one of the oldest convents in Moscow. Located at the intersection of Rozhdestvenka Street and Rozhdestvensky Boulevard, to which he gave his name. Address: st. Rozhdestvenka, 20.
This is one of my least favorite monasteries. Firstly, there is almost nothing to photograph here - from the outside it is visible only from two sides, and you cannot go anywhere on its territory - there are fences everywhere. And secondly, it has a rather boring story and there isn't much to tell about it. But we need to illuminate all the monasteries of the capital, and there are only a few left.
The Nativity Monastery in Moscow was founded in the 1380s by Princess Maria Keistutyevna, the wife of Prince Andrei Serpukhovsky and the mother of Prince Vladimir the Brave, the hero of the Battle of Kulikovo. She herself took monastic vows in this monastery before her death in 1389. At least this version is widespread among historians.
But the location of the founding of the monastery is still not entirely clear. It is believed that at first the monastery was located on the territory of the Kremlin and was called “what’s on the Moat”. If we adhere to this assumption, then the monastery existed in the Kremlin until 1484, and during the radical restructuring of the Kremlin, initiated by Ivan III, the monastery was moved to Trubnaya Square, where it is located in our time.
But this assumption is considered unlikely. Most likely, from the very beginning the monastery was located in its current location - on the left bank of the Neglinnaya River. This area was the property of Serpukhov Prince Vladimir Andreevich; nearby was his country house, in which Princess Maria Alekseevna lived.
According to the legend that has come down to us, the remains of Dmitry Donskoy’s daughters-in-law: Maria and Elena rested in the Nativity Cathedral - this suggests that the monastery existed long before 1484.
In addition to Princess Maria, Prince Vladimir’s wife, Elena Olgerdovna, who helped in arranging the monastery, also took monastic vows at the Nativity Monastery. Both founders of the monastery were buried on the territory of the monastery after their death.
The first nuns of this monastery were the widows of soldiers who died in the Battle of Kulikovo; within the walls of the monastery all those whom this battle left without breadwinners received shelter. There is a legend that in memory of the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo, monastery crosses were placed on top of crescents.
The Nativity Monastery became the third women's monastery in Moscow, in which a strict cenobitic charter was introduced, and which was completely independent of the abbots of male monasteries.
The monastery was located in a place where the ancient road from the Kremlin to Kuchkovo Field ran. Part of the road to the monastery turned into Rozhdestvenka Street. This Moscow street was famous for the ringing of bells; it was also often called church street because of the several churches located on it, as well as the settlement of bell ringers and watchmen of the Kremlin cathedrals.
The Nativity Monastery was located on the northern approaches to Moscow, and was one of the guard monasteries that served as protection from the enemy. When the wall was built 100 years later White City, there was an arch “pipe” made in it through which Neglinka flowed, which was not yet hidden underground. This is where the name Trubnaya Square and the new unofficial name of the Nativity Monastery came from - “what’s on the Truba”.
After this, Rozhdestvenka ended at the gates of the monastery, and was considered a pilgrimage street. Besides. It was the shortest radial street in the city.
In 1525, Grand Duke Vasily III carried out a procedure unprecedented in Russian history. The fact is that for more than 20 years of marriage, the princely couple never had an heir, and the throne could pass to his brothers, appanage princes. The brothers threatened to start internecine wars for the Moscow throne, and Vasily did not want to allow this.
Divorce was out of the question at that time, and almost all high-ranking clergy opposed the prince's remarriage. His wife Solomonia Saburova refused to go to the monastery, after which they decided to bring charges of sorcery against her and she was forcibly tonsured in the Nativity Monastery under the name of Sophia. She spent some time in the Nativity Monastery, and then the former princess was exiled to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery, where she died 17 years later.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the Nativity Convent in Moscow was abolished. In 1922, more than 17 pounds of silver and 16 pounds of pearls were taken from here. The most revered icons were transferred first to the nearby Church of St. Nicholas in Zvonary, and then to the Church of the Sign in Pereyaslavskaya Sloboda.
The nuns were evicted, although some of them remained to live out their lives in cells, as in communal apartments, which, in fact, were built in monastery premises. At different times, various institutions were located on the territory of the monastery; there was even a correctional labor house.
In 1960, according to a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, the monastery buildings were taken under state protection, and slow restoration began at the Nativity monastery. Some losses were irreparable - the monastery cemetery was completely destroyed along with the grave of the founder of the monastery.
The communal apartments were resettled, but after the restoration the monastery buildings were again transferred to the institutions that were located here before. Only in 1974, by decision of the Moscow City Council, the Nativity Monastery was transferred to the Moscow Architectural Institute for the organization of a museum-reserve of ancient Russian art and architecture.
In 1993, the Nativity Monastery with all its buildings was returned to the church, and monastic life resumed here.
Near the monastery there are the famous “Sanduny”. Therefore, around her you can constantly see enterprising people selling brooms and other bath accessories.
Fais se que dois adviegne que peut.
Other monasteries:
The Mother of God Nativity Stauropegic Convent is one of the oldest convents in Moscow. Located in the center of Moscow, at the intersection of Rozhdestvenka Street and Rozhdestvensky Boulevard at st. Rozhdestvenka, 20. The Mother of God Nativity Convent is one of 56 cultural sites of national importance. The monastery was founded in the 1380s by the mother of the hero of the Battle of Kulikovo Vladimir Andreevich the Brave, Princess Maria Andreevna Serpukhovskaya (in schema - Martha). The first sisters of the monastery are widows and orphans of the soldiers who died on the Kulikovo field. The history of the monastery is closely connected with the history of Russia. The monastery was revived on July 16, 1993.
There are four temples on the territory of the monastery: 
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Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Built in 1501–1505 in the traditional Old Russian architectural style (divine services are held on weekdays):
Temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God(refectory) Built in 1904–1906 in the old Moscow style (services are held on weekends): 
Church of St. John Zatousta with gangwayinside and the side chapels of St. Nicholas, Righteous Philaret the Merciful and St. Demetrius of Rostov. Erected in the 17th century, on the site of the former wooden church of St. John Chrysostom. The temple is currently being restored.
Bell tower with the temple of the Holy Martyr Eugene of Kherson. A three-tier bell tower in the classical style was built in 1835–1836 on the site of the central entrance to the monastery: in its lower tier the main entrance of the monastery, the Holy Gate, was created.
Documentary film about the Mother of God Nativity Monastery:
Moscow. Myths and Legends (TK Capital, 2009), Mother of God - Rozhdestvensky Monastery, PART 1:
Moscow. Myths and Legends (TK Capital, 2009), Mother of God - Rozhdestvensky Monastery, PART 2:
The next film from the series “The Twelfth Feasts” tells how the gospel event of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary affected the lives of subsequent generations of people living in different countries, the film also mentions the history of the Mother of God Nativity Monastery in Moscow:
More detailed information on the official website of the Mother of God - Nativity Monastery: http://www.mbrsm.ru/
Abbess of the monastery: Victorina, abbess (Perminova Elena Pavlovna)
