Moscow, November 27, 2024
Photo: novodev.msk.ru
This year marks both the 500th anniversary of the foundation of and the 30th anniversary of the revival of Moscow’s Novodevichy Convent, which was decided upon by the Russian Holy Synod on November 24, 1994.
And on Sunday, November 24, the latter anniversary was festively celebrated at the monastery.
The Divine Liturgy in the monastery’s Church of St. Ambrose was led by His Grace Bishop Tikhon of Vidnoye, vicar of the Patriarch and abbot of the St. Catherine’s Monastery for men in southern Moscow, Novodevichy reports.
In his archpastoral address after the service, Bp. Tikhon, as a witness to the events connected with the revival of the Novodevichy Monastery, recalled the period when the Russian Orthodox Church, having celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’, began reviving its ancient holy sites.
Photo: novodev.msk.ru
His Grace congratulated Abbess Margarita and the sisters of the monastery on the celebration, wishing them God’s help in their continued work of building monastic life.
Afterward, the bishop, together with Abbess Margarita, the sisters, and faithful, proceeded to the Holy Dormition Church, where a memorial litiya was served at the grave of Abbess Seraphima (Chernaya), who spearheaded the monastery’s revival in 1994.
The anniversary celebration continued with a monastery meal, accompanied by readings from the life of St. Theodore the Studite, after which the bishop addressed the sisters with an edifying word.
In conclusion, Mother Abbess Margarita thanked the bishop and presented him with an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Hodegetria painted at the monastery, and a commemorative medal in honor of the 500th anniversary of the monastery.
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Photo: novodev.msk.ru
Novodevichy Monastery was founded in 1524 by Grand Prince Vasily III to commemorate his successful recapture of Smolensk from Lithuania. Under its first abbess, St. Elena from Suzdal’s Holy Protection Monastery, the convent established a reputation for strict communal monastic life that would define its character for centuries to come.
The monastery’s prominence grew significantly in the late 16th and 17th centuries, becoming deeply intertwined with Russia’s royal dynasties. A pivotal moment came in 1598 when Tsarina Irina Godunova took the veil there as nun Alexandra. Her brother, Boris Godunov, was proclaimed Tsar within the monastery’s walls and subsequently strengthened its fortifications, transforming it into both a spiritual center and a formidable fortress. Through periods of political turmoil and the regency of Princess Sophia, the monastery maintained its status as a sanctuary for royal women.
One of the monastery’s most dramatic moments came during Napoleon’s invasion of 1812, when quick-thinking nuns saved it from destruction by extinguishing fuses that had been set to detonate powder kegs placed by retreating French forces. This miraculous preservation ensured that the monastery’s architectural and spiritual legacy would survive into the modern era. However, the monastery faced its greatest challenges during the Soviet period. Between 1918 and 1922, it was gradually closed by Soviet authorities and converted into a museum, with its last abbess, Vera (Pobedimskaya), arrested and five nuns later martyred in 1938.
The monastery was reopened for services in 1944 and became the residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna. However, monastic life wasn’t restored until 1994 under Abbess Seraphima (Chernaya).
The monastery’s historical and cultural significance was formally recognized in 2004 when it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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