Suzdal Intercession Monastery. Suzdal, Intercession Monastery: history, description, interesting facts

Far beyond the borders of our country, the ancient Russian city of Suzdal is famous for its historical sights. Each monument located on this land, without exaggeration, can be called a masterpiece of not only Russian, but also world architecture.

Today we want to invite you on a virtual tour of Suzdal. The Intercession Monastery is of great interest to tourists, so we will visit this monastery.

Location

The monastery is located on the banks of the picturesque river Kamenka, which carries its waters along Suzdal. Snow-white buildings, located on a flowering meadow, give the monastery some kind of unrealistic, fabulous look. Yes, and Kamenka itself is a very beautiful river, especially in June, when it is covered with flowering water lilies. We inform everyone who plans to visit the Intercession Monastery (Suzdal), the address of the monastery: st. Pokrovskaya, 76.

History of the monastery

The walls of this ancient building keep many secrets and interesting facts that are still of great interest to historians and researchers. The fact is that the Intercession Convent was not a monastery in the usual sense of the word: women of the upper class were serving a life-long exile here. Often they were exiled here not for some grave sins, but only because someone needed to get rid of them. Forced nuns whiled away the rest of their lives in wooden cells, their fate was a foregone conclusion, so the monastery had an underground crypt, where the unfortunate ended their earthly journey.

It is believed that the Holy Intercession Monastery (Suzdal) owes its appearance to a miracle. According to an ancient legend, Prince Andrei Konstantinovich was returning to his native city from Nizhny Novgorod when a storm of unprecedented strength began. The prince swore that if he survived, he would definitely build a monastic monastery in his native city. It should be assumed that the journey ended successfully, since in 1364 the Pokrovsky Monastery (Suzdal) began to be built in the lowland of the Kamenka River. The history of the monastery dates back to 1364.

The Holy Intercession Convent (Suzdal) reached its peak during the reign of Vasily III. At the beginning of the 16th century, he donated huge funds to the monastery, which were used to build the Holy Gates and the Intercession Cathedral that have survived to this day, as well as the fence and cells that have not survived.

Mysterious nuns

One of the first noble prisoners of the monastery was the wife of Vasily III Solomonia Saburova - the Grand Duchess. In 1525, Vasily III accused his wife, with whom he had lived for twenty years, of infertility. He forcibly tonsured her as a nun and sent her to the Intercession Monastery. In those days, divorce was unheard of, and in order to obtain permission from the spiritual authorities for another marriage, Vasily III allocated huge funds for the development of the monastery.

However, it soon became clear that Basil III's accusations of infertility were in vain. A few months passed after the tonsure, and Solomonia had a son, but, fearing wiles new wife ex-husband of Elena Glinskaya (the future mother of Tsar Ivan the Terrible), she was forced to report the death of the prince.

There is a version that Solomonia sent the baby to the Crimean Khan, who later played a role in history, becoming famous as the robber Kudeyar. After she was tonsured, Solomonia received the name Sophia, after her death she was canonized by the church as the Reverend. Later, she was considered the patroness of Suzdal.

Further history of the monastery

In 1551, when the one-year-old daughter of Ivan the Terrible died, by his decree, the Church of the Conception was rebuilt, which replaced a wooden building (XIV century) that had deteriorated by that time. The apse was added to it much later (XVII century). Around the same time, a kitchen appeared on the territory of the monastery and the construction of the fence, which had begun in the 16th century, continued.

Suzdal, Intercession Monastery in the XX century

Like most places of worship in Russia, the monastery was closed and looted in 1923. Since 1933, there was a military biological laboratory, the Special Purpose Bureau of the OGPU, an organization in which prisoners worked. They were experienced specialists of various specialties. All of them were engaged in the development of biological weapons. In 1935, prisoners B. Ya. Elbert and N. A. Gaisky created a vaccine against tularemia here. The laboratory worked on the territory of the monastery until 1936.

In the sixties of the last century, restoration work was carried out in the monastery buildings, and later museum expositions appeared in them. In the late eighties, a tourist complex was located here, which had a restaurant and a bar, and a concert hall was located in the magnificent Pokrovsky Cathedral. A hotel for tourists even appeared here, but we will talk about it a little later.

In the nineties, the changes taking place in the country also affected the city of Suzdal. The Intercession Monastery was returned to the church in 1992, and sedate monastic life was revived in it. Today it is a functioning monastery. He owns a cathedral, outbuildings, an almshouse building, huts-cells.

Architecture

The first buildings of the monastery were wooden. Today you can see later buildings, which experts attribute to the 16th century. White-stone walls, wonderful architecture, combining both ancient Russian and Western European elements, sophisticated decor.

But, of course, the central monument of this marvelous ensemble is the monastery in Suzdal. It was built in 1518 on the site of a wooden church. Unfortunately, the names of the masters have not been preserved in history. This is a massive four-pillared building, which has a high base and is surrounded by a two-story open gallery on three sides, to which two covered staircases lead.

From the river to the building adjoins the altar with tall windows located in deep niches. The apses are separated by smooth columns and are decorated with finely carved cornices. It is repeated in the design of light drums, which are crowned with helmet-shaped cupolas. The walls of the cathedral are divided into three parts by shoulder blades. They end with keeled zakomara.

The interior of the cathedral is quite strict: there are no traditional paintings on the white walls, the floor is lined with black tiles. The main decoration of the interior has always been magnificent icons and exquisite artistic embroidery. Some of these exhibits can be seen today in the museum of the monastery. The cathedral was rebuilt many times during its long history, but in 1962 its original appearance was restored.

1. The cathedral became the tomb for many noble nuns of the monastery.
2. During the celebration of the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty, Nicholas II visited the monastery and the temple.
3. In the spring of 1994, Archbishop Evlogii of Suzdal and Vladimir consecrated the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God. A few years later, a new four-tiered iconostasis was installed here, which is decorated with icons painted by nuns.

Bell tower

This building is immediately seen by everyone who comes to Suzdal. Pokrovsky Monastery has a very beautiful bell tower. It is located northwest of the cathedral. Its lower part is a pillar-shaped church built in 1515. It was an octagon crowned with a cupola. In the second half of the 17th century, an arched tier was built over the church, which was combined with a nearby fence and a high tent, decorated with three rows. dormer windows framed.

The covered gallery linking the bell tower and the cathedral is notable for its sophisticated decor: two original arched openings are ennobled with rustication, and the windows, framed with elegant architraves, are separated by rusticated pilasters.

holy gate

Another ancient monument of the monastery is the Holy Gate and the Gate Church. These structures also date back to 1515. The gates are unique, first of all, by the function assigned to them: at the same time they were a church and a powerful fortress tower.

The three-headed church is located in the upper part of the quadrangle, which is cut through by two arched openings, and the overall composition is very reminiscent of the outlines of the Intercession Cathedral. At the corners of the church there are two small chapels, which are crowned with light drums with helmet-shaped domes, and the central, more massive drum with narrow windows rests on two tiers of zakomar.

The exterior walls are decorated with intricate decorations that resemble wood carvings. The gate church was also rebuilt many times, but in 1958, restoration work, carried out according to the project of A. D. Varganov, returned the original appearance to the unique monument.

Refectory of the Intercession Monastery (Suzdal)

This building, located north of the Pokrovsky Cathedral, has more similarities with Polish than with Russian architecture. It was built in 1551. A very small Church of the Conception, which can be recognized by the small cupola, adjoins the strict two-story building of the refectory. The massive vaults of the refectory hall, located on the second floor, are supported by a pillar standing in the center.

The lower floor was reserved for utility rooms. The only decoration of this building can be called an ornament in the form of rhombuses made of red brick, enveloping the entire perimeter of the building. On the western side is a hexagonal belfry.

The refectory in the Intercession Monastery (Suzdal) used to be surrounded by several outbuildings. The one-story kitchen, which was used for cooking, was built in the 17th century. Today it has been restored and is a rare example of monastic architecture.

Command hut

In the southern part of the territory of the monastery, a monument of civil Russian architecture, the Prikaznaya hut, has been preserved. Its early 18th century interiors were restored in 1970. In the dungeon of this building is the so-called stone bag. It contained the prisoners of the monastery.

Fence

The very first stone fence of the monastery was built in the 16th century, later it was rebuilt several times, and in the 20th century AD Varganov restored it. A section of the old fence with hipped towers, devoid of decor, dates back to the 17th century. It is located in the northern part of the territory and forms a small enclosed courtyard. The towers (XVIII century), decorated with hemispherical domes, are very picturesque. Experts believe that, perhaps, in the beginning they also had a tented completion.

Pokrovskaya Hotel

Russian and foreign tourists admire ancient Suzdal. Intercession Monastery is included in the program of almost all excursion programs. Many travelers are surprised that at the entrance to the monastery they see neat wooden houses.

The thing is that in the dashing perestroika times, the Pokrovskaya Hotel, which was a stylized hut, was located in the monastery. They are very popular with foreign tourists. In 2008, the hotel stopped its work, and its owners donated the houses to the monastery. Now there is a shelter for girls, as well as monastic cells.

There are five monasteries in Suzdal.

The largest and best preserved is Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery. It was founded in 1352 by the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Boris Konstantinovich. At his request, the monk of the Nizhny Novgorod Caves Monastery, Euthymius ("companion and prayer book" of Sergius of Radonezh) chose a place for the monastery on the high bank of the Kamenka River.

Under Catherine II, during the secularization of church property, the monastery lost its estates and peasants, the number of monks was reduced to 17.
Today the monastery is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a whole "museum city" - a complex that includes 10 expositions.

From the walls of the Spaso-Evfimiev monastery, the maiden Pokrovsky monastery is clearly visible.

It is located in the northwestern part of the city, in the lowland of the right bank of the Kamenka. Its ancient church buildings are surrounded by a stone monastery wall with nine towers.

The foundation of the monastery dates back to 1364 (this is the "youngest" of the Suzdal monasteries). As the legend tells, the reason for the founding of the monastery was the miraculous salvation from the death of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Andrew Konstantinovich. Once, when Andrey was sailing down the Volga from Lower Novgorod in Suzdal, a rising storm fell upon the prince's boat. In fervent prayer, Andrei made an oath promise to the Mother of God that, in case of salvation, he would build a nunnery in Suzdal. The storm subsided, and the grateful prince decorated Suzdal with a votive monastery in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God.

Two queens were kept within the walls of the monastery. The first is Solomonia Saburova, the first wife of Vasily III. After 21 years of a childless marriage, she was forcibly tonsured a nun and exiled to Suzdal, where, under the name Sophia, she became famous for her 17-year-old righteous life. In 1995, her relics were found. Memory of Rev. Sofia is celebrated on August 1 (14) and December 16 (29).

Three and a half centuries later, the first wife of Tsar Peter, Evdokia Lopukhina, settled in the walls of the monastery. Not getting along with his wife in character, Peter found his heartfelt consolation in love relationships from Anna Mons, the daughter of a wine merchant from the German settlement. And the unfortunate Dunya in 1698 was exiled to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery, where she was forcibly tonsured a nun under the name Elena.
The young woman did not reconcile herself to the "angelic life" imposed on her. In 1710, a major came to Suzdal to recruit recruits. Stepan Glebov. Out of curiosity and courtesy, he made a visit to the Pokrovsky Monastery, bringing furs and a luxurious fur coat to the unshorn queen. And it turned out that after that he began to visit Evdokia-Elena more and more often, and not only during the day, but also at night ...
Evdokia passionately fell in love with the handsome major. “Where are your thoughts, my father, there are mine, where are your desires, there are mine - I am all in your will,” she wrote to him. However, their happiness did not last long. Glebov soon lost interest in a secret love affair and broke up with Evdokia two years later.
Many years later, during the investigation into the case of Tsarevich Alexei, the truth about their relationship surfaced. Peter's revenge was cruel. In the bitter cold, Glebov was put on a stake, and in order to prolong his torment, they wrapped him in a warm fur coat. Thanks to the care of the executioners, he died only on the third day.
Empress Evdokia spent another 10 years in monasteries and prisons and received freedom only in 1730, shortly before her death. Her grave is in the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow.

The main monastic buildings, incl. the three-domed Intercession Cathedral, belong to 1510-1518.

In the Soviet years, the monastery was a place of "sharashka", where repressed microbology professors worked. The sisters were expelled, and the abbess, mother Maria, was shot in 1937.
In the 1950s the monastery was restored, the monastery ensemble was included in the UNESCO catalogs. The nuns settled in the cells again in 1992. Now there are about 30 of them.

Near the Pokrovsky Monastery, across the river, there is an ensemble of the Alexander Monastery.

This monastery, intended for widows and orphans and once titled Big Lavra, founded in 1240 by a prince Alexander

This is the oldest Suzdal monastery, founded in 1207. Glorified St. Euphrosyne (commemorated September 25/October 8). In the world her name was Theodulia. She was the daughter of the Chernigov prince St. Mikhail Vsevolodovich. She was sent to her fiancé, the boyar Mina, but along the way she learned of his death and was tonsured with the name Euphrosyne. Canonized in 1581

The oldest building is the Rizopolozhensky Cathedral (1520s).

The Reverend Bell Tower is the highest (72 m) building of both the monastery and the city as a whole.

On the bell tower - cellular antennas.
In 1923 the monastery was closed, a special division of the OGPU was located on its territory.
Now only a part of the monastery buildings has been handed over to the nuns, of whom there are now about a dozen.

And finally - the Vasilyevsky Monastery. It is believed that the monastery got its name because it owes its foundation to the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir himself, who, as you know, was baptized with the name Vasily. According to legend, in 990 he himself baptized Suzdal people at this place.
However, the first mention of the monastery dates back to 1253. Until the 17th century. the monastery was wooden. In 1662, the construction of the three-domed cathedral began, which lasted for 7 years due to the poverty of the monastery.

The decree of 1764 left the monastery without estates. In 1899, the monastery was assigned to the Rizopolozhensky Monastery, turning it into a women's one.
Here, in particular, the famous Suzdal doctor D.P.Morenkov (died in 1830) is buried - "a friend of suffering humanity", as it was written on the chapel above his grave, demolished in the 20th century.
Closed in 1923, the monastery was turned into a household. yard, but in the 1950s. restored. The fraternal community was registered again in 1995. There are 10 inhabitants of the monastery. However, some of the buildings are still occupied by the townspeople.

The address: Russia, Vladimir region, Suzdal, Pokrovskaya street
Foundation date: 1364
Main attractions: Pokrovsky Cathedral, Tent Bell Tower, Holy Gates and Gateway Church of the Annunciation, Conception Refectory Church, Command Hut
Coordinates: 56°25"45.9"N 40°26"13.7"E
An object cultural heritage Russian Federation

The Pokrovsky Monastery owes its appearance to a miracle. According to legend, the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Andrei Konstantinovich sailed from Nizhny Novgorod to Suzdal, and a terrible storm hit his boat.

The prince swore that if he survived, he would build a monastic monastery in Suzdal. Andrei Konstantinovich kept his promise: in 1364, in the lowland of the right bank of the Kamenka River, the Intercession Convent was founded. The original wooden buildings of the monastery have not been preserved. The current ensemble was formed in the 16th century, when the monastery turned into a place of imprisonment for the disgraced wives of Russian tsars.

One of his first prisoners was the wife of Vasily III Solomoniya Saburova. The Grand Duke married Solomonia in 1505, choosing her from among 500 brides presented to the court for this purpose. The couple lived in peace and harmony for 20 years, but Saburova never gave birth to an heir to the throne. Accusing his wife of infertility, Vasily III decided to get married (that is, divorce) and enter into a new marriage with the Lithuanian beauty Elena Glinskaya. In 1525, at the behest of Vasily III, Solomonia was forcibly tonsured a monk under the name of the old woman Sophia and exiled to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery. Solomonia resisted, wept and screamed, and when the monastic cockle was brought to her, she began to trample it with her feet. One of the boyars even hit the princess with a whip, exclaiming: “How dare you oppose the will of the sovereign!”. Saburova replied that she did not want to be tonsured, and that God sees everything and will take revenge on her persecutor. All the ecumenical patriarchs condemned the divorce of the Grand Duke. Angered, Vasily III deprived Metropolitan Varlaam of his spiritual dignity, which happened for the first time in Russian history. And the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mark, predicted to the prince that if he marries a second time, then "he will have an evil child" who will amaze the world with his cruelty. The prediction came true: Ivan the Terrible was born from the marriage of Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya. Several months passed, and suddenly rumors spread throughout Russia that Solomonia was already pregnant at the time of tonsure and gave birth to Tsarevich George in the Intercession Monastery. According to legend, the boy was secretly brought up in forest hermitages, and, having matured, became the famous robber Kudeyar. Solomonia, fearing the killers who could be sent by Vasily's second wife, announced that the newborn had died, and staged a funeral. 400 years later, in 1934, during the reconstruction of the Intercession Monastery, a tombstone was discovered, under which lay a rag doll dressed in a shirt embroidered with pearls.

Intercession Convent

Today, this find is kept in the historical exposition of the Suzdal Museum. According to some researchers, the vest is indirect evidence that Saburova still had a child. But nothing is known about the real fate of the elder brother of Ivan the Terrible, the legitimate heir to the throne. Saburova, monastic sister Sophia, died 17 years after taking the tonsure and was buried in the basement of the Intercession Cathedral. Ivan the Terrible himself allegedly laid a veil sewn by his wife Anastasia on Sophia's coffin. Already under Tsar Theodore Ivanovich, the son of the Terrible, Sophia was revered as a saint. To this day, pilgrims come to the Intercession Monastery to venerate the relics of Sophia of Suzdal, asking the saint for healing and giving children. Following the example of Vasily III, the princes and boyars also exiled their wives to the Intercession Monastery. The wife of Ivan the Terrible Anna Vasilchikova, the wife of Peter I Evdokia Lopukhina, the first wife of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Staritsky and other noble women found eternal rest in the tomb of the Pokrovsky Cathedral.

The architectural ensemble of the Intercession Monastery

1. Intercession Cathedral

The panorama of the main temple of the Intercession Monastery appears before the viewer in all its glory from the opposite left bank of the Kamenka River. The construction of a stone cathedral in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God began in 1510 at the behest of Vasily III on the site of an older wooden church.

Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin (Pokrovsky Cathedral)

By 1518, a new cathedral had risen among the low monastic cells, standing on a high basement floor. The monumental, four-pillar temple is surrounded on three sides by a two-story open gallery, to which two porches lead from the northwest and southwest. From the east, a three-apse altar part with narrow high slotted windows adjoins the building. The apses are separated by smooth columns and are surrounded by a carved cornice with a small pattern. The walls of the cathedral, decorated with an arcade-columnar belt, are completed with keel-shaped zakomars, from which three powerful drums grow, topped with helmet-shaped gilded cupolas. The interior of the Cathedral of the Intercession was originally characterized by ascetic decoration: the white walls, which had no paintings, created a striking contrast with the floor, paved with black ceramic tiles.

Icons and works of artistic sewing made by nuns served as decoration of the interior. At the bottom of the walls there are small niches intended for storing church books, icons and other items of church worship. Currently, especially valuable icons of the Intercession Cathedral are kept in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

2. Hip bell tower

Hip bell tower

The hipped bell tower, adjoining the Pokrovsky Cathedral from the southwest, is connected to it by a covered gallery. The lower plastic, powerful part of the bell tower with wide angled blades was built in 1515. This wide octagonal pillar, once crowned with a cupola, was used as a church in the name of the "Origin of the honest trees of the cross." In the 17th century, an arched tier of ringing and a slender tent completed with three rows of auditory openings were built over the temple. The covered gallery connecting the belfry and the cathedral is richly decorated with rustication and windows with elegant architraves. The bell of 1589, granted by the nobleman Demid Cheremisin to the Intercession Monastery, has been preserved in the belfry.

3. Holy gates with the Annunciation gate church

In the southern wall of the fence was the main entrance to the Intercession Monastery - the Holy Gate with the Church of the Annunciation above them, built around 1515 by order of Vasily III. The holy gates combine elements of fortress and religious architecture. The lower part of the building, made in the form of a tower, has a passage arch. The upper part of the massive quadrangle is occupied by a three-domed church, reminiscent of the Pokrovsky Cathedral in decor.

Gateway Church of the Annunciation

Its facades are covered with a pattern consisting of rollers, curbs and widths. different sizes. The central dome of the church rests on a massive drum raised on a tier of kokoshniks. At the corners of the temple there are two miniature chapels crowned with drums with helmet-shaped domes. According to legend, the chapel of the Grand Duchess Saburova was located in the southeastern aisle. With its main facade, the church faces Stromynka, the main Moscow road. On this road, high-ranking guests from Moscow came to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery, including Ivan the Terrible, who brought valuable gifts to the monastery.

4. Conception refectory church

To the north of the Intercession Cathedral is the Church of the Conception refectory, originally consecrated in the name of the conception of St. Anna. In 1551, on the site of a wooden church, Ivan the Terrible erected a stone church in memory of his deceased daughter Anna..

Conception Refectory Church

The Conception Church resembles a civil building: its basis is a rectangular refectory hall covered with a gable roof. From the southwest, a hexagonal clock belfry adjoins the refectory chambers, and from the east - the actual volume of the church, indicated by a small cupola. The building is decorated with a diamond-shaped ornament made of small bricks, which is more characteristic of Polish than Russian architecture. Perhaps the architect of the Church of the Conception was a Polish master invited by Elena Glinskaya. On the second floor of the building there is a spacious refectory with powerful vaults resting on a single pillar. The lower floor is occupied by a bakery, a cookery and other utility rooms.

5. Command hut, or judgment house

Command hut, or judgment house

In the southwestern part of the Suzdal Intercession Monastery there is a command hut. The elongated rectangular building consisted of three rooms: the northern one was occupied by the archive, the central one - by the patrimonial office, and in the extreme southern room the interrogations of delinquent nuns and peasants brought here for arrears were carried out. The patrimonial office was headed by a clerk who managed the monastery economy. Today, the building houses an exposition recreating the interior of a command hut of the late 17th century.. Under the command hut there is a basement - a prison "bag" measuring 2x4 meters, where the prisoners were kept.

History of the Intercession Monastery

According to legend, when Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich was on his way to Suzdal from Nizhny Novgorod, his boat hit strong storm. Praying for salvation, he promised to build a monastic monastery if he survived. The prince kept his word, laying the foundation of the Intercession Monastery in 1364. All buildings were made of wood and subsequently remodeled several times.

Life in the monastery revived when, in the 15th century, a road to Moscow was laid not far from its walls. current architectural ensemble developed in the 16th century. This period is associated with dramatic events in the family of Tsar Vasily III, who decided to commit an unprecedented violation of church rules and divorce his wife Solomonia Saburova, accusing her of infertility. Selected from 500 brides, a representative of an ancient boyar family did not give birth to children for 20 years of marriage, for which she was exiled to the walls of the Intercession Monastery.

In 1551, the Conception Church on the territory of the temple complex was rebuilt in stone. The work was financed by Ivan the Terrible, who decided to honor the memory of Anna's daughter in this way. In the 17th century, an apse and a kitchen were added here, and the construction of the fence, which had been laid back in the 16th century, was continued.

In 1923, in connection with the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the wealth of the Intercession Monastery was stolen, and the temple complex itself was closed. In 1933-1936, a secret prison-type laboratory worked on the territory of the monastery, which was popularly called "sharashka". Here, disgraced scientists worked on the development of biological weapons. Already in 1934, the object was transferred to the Institute of Biochemistry of the Red Army. In 1935, microbiologists B. Ya. Elbert and N. A. Nagaisky, imprisoned here, created the first effective serum against tularemia.

In the period of 1950-1960s, the Intercession Monastery underwent a major restoration, which returned it to the appearance of the 16th century, and turned into a museum. But already in the 1970s-1980s, the monastery was converted into a hotel complex, having built separate wooden houses for guests. A restaurant and a bar were opened in the buildings of the monastery, and the main temple was converted into a concert hall.

Spiritual life was revived in the monastery only in 1992. The last buildings were transferred to the temple complex recently as a gift from a private individual. 11 wooden huts were used for a long time for renting to tourists (“Pokrovskaya Hotel”), but in 2008 they were converted into cells for nuns and a shelter for girls.

Today, all the buildings of the Intercession Monastery are protected by UNESCO. It is interesting that the pond, which is located on the right side of the entrance to the monastery, gained fame thanks to the film "Balzaminov's Marriage".

Solomonia Saburova - the first prisoner of the Intercession Monastery

The loudest story associated with the Intercession Monastery in Suzdal was the imprisonment of Solomonia Saburova here. This incident marked the beginning of a cruel tradition of exile to the monastery of objectionable wives and daughters, who, by the will of fate, were involved in political intrigues.

Intending to marry the Lithuanian princess Elena Glinskaya, Vasily III began to finance the monastery, preparing a place for the life imprisonment of his first wife. With his money, the wooden cathedral and the Holy Gates were rebuilt in stone, a fence and cells were erected, which have not survived to this day. According to the legends, the queen resisted her husband's decision and even trampled under her feet the monastic doll brought to her, exclaiming that God would not leave such injustice without retribution.

In 1505, Solomonia Saburova was placed in the Intercession Monastery under the name of nun Sophia. This decision aroused the indignation of the patriarchs, who condemned the act of the king. Vasily III managed to settle the situation only by intrigues and large donations. So, at his will, Metropolitan Varlaam was defrocked, which was an unprecedented event in the history of Russia.

The Jerusalem Patriarch Mark said that the injustice of the ruler would be avenged - in a new marriage, an "evil child" would be born, surpassing the previous rulers in cruelty. We can say that the prediction came true, because after 4 years Elena Glinskaya became the mother of Ivan IV, who received the nickname the Terrible.

It is believed that at the time of her imprisonment, Solomoniya Saburova was already pregnant and gave birth to her son George in the Intercession Monastery. Fearing for the life of the prince, she staged the death and burial of the child in front of the Moscow clerks, who came to check the news of the newborn. According to legend, the boy given up for education later became the famous robber Kudeyar.

This version is supported by the results of archaeological research by A. D. Varganov. In 1935, the scientist opened the alleged grave of the royal heir in the monastery, but found only a rag doll dressed in a children's silk shirt, richly embroidered with pearls. It is possible that with the help of a fake funeral, the queen wanted to prove her ability to have children and shame her cruel husband, but this secret remained unsolved. An exposition dedicated to this topic is presented in the Suzdal Kremlin.

Solomonia was buried here. Cancer with its relics is installed in the Church of the Intercession to the right of the entrance. In 1650, the queen was canonized and since then she has been revered as Sophia of Suzdal, the patroness of the city, to whom pilgrims pray for the healing of children, a cure for infertility. Thanks to this, hundreds of believers come to the Intercession Monastery every year, which ensures the prosperity of the monastery for centuries. They say that Ivan the Terrible himself specially came to Suzdal in order to lay a veil sewn by his wife Anastasia on the coffin of Saburova.

In the tomb of the monastery there are the remains of other noble residents of the monastery, including: Anna Vasilchikova (wife of Ivan the Terrible), Evdokia Lopukhina (wife of Peter I), Evpraksia Pozharskaya, Evdokia Nagaya (wife of Vladimir Staritsky) and many others. The names and places of rest can be seen in a large crypt arranged in basement main temple.

The main shrines of the Intercession Monastery

• Relics of Sophia of Suzdal.
• Icon of the healer Panteleimon.
• Face of Saints Peter and Fevronia.
• Icon of Luke of Crimea.
• Face of Nicholas the Wonderworker.
• Icon of the Matrona of Moscow.

Most shrines contain particles of the relics of the righteous.

The main elements of the temple complex

The Holy Intercession Convent gives the impression of a clean, bright, blissful place. Both ancient Russian and Western European elements found their place in the architecture of the white-stone complex.

Intercession Cathedral

Intercession Cathedral is the main building of the monastery, built in the period 1510-1514 on the site of an older wooden church. A massive building, corresponding to the architectural canons of that time, is the center of the temple complex. The four-pillar cathedral was erected on a high ground floor and is surrounded by a two-story gallery. From the northwest and southwest there are two wide porches with covered stairs.

On the eastern side, the altar part was added into three apses, which are separated by smooth columns with a complex carved pattern. An additional decoration is high narrow windows that visually stretch the building. The walls of the church are surrounded by keeled vaults, and the three main drums are decorated with helmet-shaped gilded hemispheres. An additional decorative detail is deep portals with bright carved melons.

Initially, the interior of the cathedral was ascetic: white walls, black ceramic floor. This spectacular contrast was complemented by icons and artistic sewing by local nuns. In the lower part of the walls there are niches of “pechura”, in which church utensils, literature, and other items necessary for the service were previously stored. The most valuable exhibits of the Intercession Monastery are today placed in the exposition of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. In the basement of the building there is a tomb, open to tourists and pilgrims.

The cathedral was rebuilt many times, its interior and exterior decoration changed, but during the restoration of 1962 under the leadership of I. A. Stoletov, the building was given a look that was as close as possible to the model of the 16th century. The church is decorated in the style of the Nativity Church of the Suzdal Kremlin.

Hip bell tower

From the northwest, the Pokrovsky Cathedral is connected by a gallery with the Tent Bell Tower. It was built in 1515, but only the lower part of the building of that period remains. It was a high octagonal church with a bell and a throne of the Origin of honest trees, decorated with a brick vault.

In the 17th century, the tower received an arched tier and a sharp elongated tent with three rows of dormer windows (lucarnes). In the same century, the main cathedral and the bell tower were connected by a gallery closed type on the arched foot. The corridor windows are decorated with luxurious architraves and rusticated pilasters. In the belfry, an old bell has been preserved, which was granted to the temple by the nobleman Demid Cheremisin in 1589.

Holy gate with gate church

The holy gate with the gate church was erected in 1515. They simultaneously served as a temple and a powerful defensive fortification. The overall composition resembles the main cathedral: between the two arches for transport and pedestrians there is a massive quadrangle, in the upper part of which there is a small church. Both aisles are crowned with shining golden domes, and the central turret is decorated with narrow windows and rests on a double row of keeled vaults.

The facade is decorated with a small pattern that looks like skillful woodcarving. This element of the architectural composition was rebuilt many times, but it acquired its original appearance only after the restoration in 1958 under the leadership of A. D. Varganov. The church is turned towards "Stromynka" - the road to Moscow.

Church of the Conception

Previously, there was a wooden temple on this site, consecrated in honor of the conception of the daughter of Ivan the Terrible, but after 1551 and the death of the girl, it was replaced with a stone structure. Interestingly, the Intercession Monastery received the right to import duty-free stone for the construction of this part of the complex. A large building with one dome stands out stylistically from the background of the surrounding architecture.

The church has unusual decor in the form of red rhombuses, and the walls and the dome are made of small bricks in the Polish technique. Some researchers believe that the architect was a foreign master invited by Elena Glinskaya.

The basis of the building is the refectory, located on the second floor. The main decoration was the impressive internal vaults, based on a single pillar. The hexagonal bell tower was completed from the southwest, and the church itself is located from the east and is indicated by a miniature dome. The lower floor and adjacent buildings are reserved for a bakery, a glacier, and other utility rooms. The restored kitchen of the 17th century is a unique example of Russian architecture.

Judgment hut (order chamber)

The office building was erected in the 17th century, and today it has been converted into a museum with historical interiors. The northern room housed the monastery archives, the central room was occupied by the office, and the southern part was reserved for inquiries of guilty peasants and nuns. The head of the clerk's chamber was the clerk, the head of the household of the shrine. In the basement of the building there is a stone punishment cell 2x4 meters where the prisoners were kept.

Towers and fence

The stone fence with towers is a separate work of art. In the northern part of the monastery complex, a fragment of the walls of the 17th century has been preserved. Towers with rounded domes, divided into tiers, form an isolated courtyard. Perhaps, earlier they had tented tops and looked more elegant. The first major restoration of the fence took place only in the 20th century.

Tourists

Entrance to the territory of the Pokrovsky Monastery is free, excursions are held on donations. To visit the shrine, it is advisable to leave a request on the official website of the monastery. Most of the territory is open for inspection, except for outbuildings and cells of servants.

Tours are held from 10.00 to 17.00 on all days except Wednesday, Thursday and the last Friday of the month. Pilgrims can visit the shrine from 7.00 until the end of the evening service. It will not work to stay until morning in the monastery - neither tourists nor pilgrims are accommodated for the night.

On the territory of the Holy Intercession Convent there is a church shop where you can buy icons, candles, spiritual and historical literature, crosses and other consecrated souvenirs. Here you can also order a prayer service, commemoration at the Liturgy, a memorial service, a magpie. On Saturdays and Sundays, a refectory is open for guests, where they will be offered to taste dishes that fully comply with the monastery charter.

How to get there

Address of the Intercession Monastery: Suzdal, Pokrovskaya street, 43-76.

It is easy to get from Moscow to Suzdal by a direct bus or a flight to Ivanovo with a subsequent transfer. The local bus station is located outside the city, so the monastery must be reached by public transport, taxi or on foot. The closest bus stop to the monastery is “Seltso Village”, from where you will have to walk a little, focusing on the snow-white temples.

Travelers by car should drive along the M-7 highway towards Vladimir, then turn onto Ivanovo, and after 12 kilometers turn left towards Suzdal. Trains also depart from the Kursk railway station in Moscow. There are direct flights to Vladimir, from the station of which buses leave for Suzdal every half an hour.

Vasilyevsky Monastery is located in the city of Suzdal, it is considered an Orthodox active monastery. Its construction began in the 13th century, it has a cuboid shape, and there are practically no decorations in it, only decorated gates.

A beautiful view of the monastery adds a shine to the cleanliness of the walls and a gilded dome.

Initially, the gates for defense were built, after which, already in 1662-1669, the main cathedral of the Vasilyevsky monastery was built. The cathedral is located old church, where Prince Vladimir conducted the baptism of local residents.

If you climb to the top, you will see an observation deck. The Stretenskaya church and the ancient fence with the Holy Gates are preserved in the Vasilyevsky Monastery, there is also a cemetery near it, where the tomb of Christ for the sake of the holy fool Evdokia is located.

In 1995, on January 31, the monastery was again renewed as a male monastery, and transferred to the board of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Monastery of Saint Euthymius

The Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery is a monastery located on the left bank of the Kamenka River, in the north of the city of Suzdal. Its foundation dates back to 1352, the founder was the Nizhny Novgorod prince Boris Konstantinovich.

Initially, the monastery was built as a fortress. It was intended to protect the city from both external and internal enemies. Then the monastery was simply called Spassky - Spaso-Evfimiev began to be called later, in honor of the first abbot of the monastery, St. Euthymius of Suzdal.

The first wooden buildings of the monastery, unfortunately, have not survived to this day. The monastery acquired its present appearance in the 16th-17th centuries. The buildings of that time were built with the money of the princely-boyar nobility. The monastery with all the buildings is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Alexander Monastery (Suzdal)

The Alexander Monastery is a nunnery located on the left bank of the Kamenka River in Suzdal. The historical chronicles say that this monastery was built by order of Alexander Nevsky in 1240.

Unfortunately, the original significant architectural monuments have not been preserved to this day. In 1695, a church with the bell tower of the Ascension of the Lord was erected on the territory of the monastery. It was built with the money of the mother of Peter I, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna. This church is of particular interest. Its windows are decorated with carved architraves, with simple columns in the first tier, and with figured columns in the second. High drums are decorated with the same carved columns. The monastery is surrounded by a low fence, which was made in the first half of the 18th century.

Rizopolozhensky Monastery

The Rizopolozhensky Monastery is one of the most ancient monasteries in Russia that have existed to this day. It was founded in 1207 and is located in the northern part of the city of Suzdal. Not far from it flows the river Kamenka and stands the old Kremlin. In the 16th century, the first stone buildings appeared in the monastery, but none of the oldest buildings have survived to this day. In ancient times, the monastery was outside the city protection, outside the fortifications and embankments.

In addition to buildings, lovers of beautiful architecture will definitely like the Holy Gates. They have two arches of different sizes, each of which is decorated with stone carvings and tiles.

Intercession Monastery (Suzdal)

In the northern part of the city of Suzdal, on the right bank of the Kamenka River, there is the Intercession Convent. It was founded in 1364 by Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich.

The appearance of the ensemble of the monastery, which has survived to this day, was given to it in the 16th century. In those days, representatives of aristocratic families who were tonsured as nuns were sent to confinement to the monastery. Many famous women, each of which contributed to the development of the history of Russia, took tonsure and were transferred to the Intercession Monastery.

Now it is active. The rich decoration and ancient buildings attract a large number of tourists who want to admire the beauty of the monastery.

Sights of Suzdal