An exhibition dedicated to the images of St. Nicholas opens at the New Jerusalem Museum. Let's pray together

It has a rich history, which is closely interconnected with the memory of its founding father - Patriarch Nikon. His Holiness loved this monastery very much and lived here for about eight years after he was removed from Moscow. The monk directed all his strength to realize his own plan: a monastery was to be created in the Moscow region, which would become an exact copy of the famous Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, located in Jerusalem. In the cathedral, the sacred likenesses of the cave of the tomb of Golgotha, the place of burial and the Resurrection of Christ were fully reproduced. The Patriarch wanted Orthodox people contemplated the monastery as a place of holy passions.

Features of the territory

According to the architects, the toponomics, topography, structures of the monastery itself and the surrounding territory, which stretches for several tens of kilometers, were supposed to recreate the image of the Holy Land and the main Christian shrines of Palestine. In the center of the enclosed space a monastery was founded - a city-temple. The towers of the monastery acquired symbolic names - Gethsemane, Entry into Jerusalem. A fast and winding river flows through Russian Palestine. It complements and beautifies the surrounding area New Jerusalem Monastery. Istra is not the only water body on the territory. A cedar-bearing stream also flows around the monastery hill.

The construction of the New Jerusalem Monastery began in 1656, when Nikon was still on friendly terms with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. With his assistance, construction proceeded quickly, but stopped for fourteen years after the patriarch’s exile. Thanks to the zeal of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, the good deed was resumed. During his reign, the wish of His Holiness himself came true - to return to his beloved abode. He received permission from the king to return to New Jerusalem, but died on his way out of exile and was buried.

After Nikon's death, construction continued, and in 1685 the cathedral was consecrated. The sacrament was performed by Patriarch Joachim. A year later, the sovereign ktitors of the Resurrection Cathedral decided to grant the temple an “eternally approved charter” for all lands and estates.

IN early XIX century, the New Jerusalem Monastery was one of the most popular pilgrimage centers in the country. When a railroad track was built nearby, the number of parishioners increased even more. In 1913, about 35 thousand people visited the monastery. With funds allocated by the monastery, it was erected hospice for poor pilgrims and hotels. Even members of the royal family made rich contributions to the sacristy.

Historical research

In the 19th century, scientific study of the stages of development of the monastery began. The largest historian of the temple was Archimandrite Leonid, who created a truly fundamental work, “Historical Description of the Resurrection Monastery.” The manuscript was published in 1874 and contained not only historical essay, but also the publication of many documents of scientific value, which are now completely lost. In addition, the archimandrite founded a museum in which personal items of Patriarch Nikon, icons, books, paintings, and fabrics from the monastery’s collection were exhibited. To this day, the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery is famous for its museum.

Closing of the monastery during the revolution

In times of troubles for Russia, by decision of the local district congress of councils, the New Jerusalem Monastery was closed. The property of the monastery, in accordance with the instructions, was arrested and nationalized. To this day, a memorial plaque is displayed in the collections of the existing historical museum “New Jerusalem”. There is an inscription engraved on it that the Great Russian Revolution eliminated the “cult” Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery and handed it over to the people. The cathedral ceased to serve. A little later, the most valuable items were removed from the sacristy and moved to the Armory.

Monastic Affairs and the Great Patriotic War

In 1941, the monastery found itself in the midst of fierce battles for Moscow. Most of the buildings and buildings of the monastery were very badly damaged, some of them were completely destroyed. Information about this even appeared on Nuremberg trials. After the war, closer to the 50s, the architectural complex of the monastery began to be raised from the ruins. Then work was carried out to restore the interior decoration of the cathedral. By the grace of the Lord, the New Jerusalem Monastery came to life, and the Istra River still flows through its territory, emphasizing the peace and splendor of the area.

Cathedral and modern history

In 1994, the Russian Orthodox Church announced the resumption of the activities of Russian Palestine. The New Jerusalem Monastery, the restoration of which had not yet begun, received a new head. The second appointed the abbot of the monastery - Archimandrite Nikita.

Since mid-2008, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church approved the dean abbot Theophylact as head. In the same year, the patriarch himself visited the monastery, accompanied by the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. They got acquainted with the buildings and agreed that a lot had to be done to restore the former splendor of Russian Palestine. It was then that the monastery’s charitable foundation was created.

In 2009, the President signed a decree, thanks to which measures were taken to recreate the historical appearance of the territory. From federal budget subsidies are allocated for the restoration of the monastery. According to the architects, the entire area should take on its historical features, for which the New Jerusalem Monastery is so famous. When the restoration is completed, the doors of the monastery will open wide to all pilgrims and parishioners.

Monastery Museum

The art and historical-architectural museum of the monastery was founded in 1920. Today it is one of the largest and oldest state museums located in the Moscow region. During its existence, it has experienced many upheavals and transformations. In 1941, the building was practically destroyed by the Nazi invaders. Despite such severe damage, the memorial site was revived and is still actively developing to this day.

The modern museum has become a home for more than 180 thousand exhibits, where close attention Unique collections of foreign and domestic paintings, weapons, porcelain, rare printed and handwritten publications deserve. You can get acquainted with collections of works of decorative and applied art, graphics and paintings of the twentieth century. In the park area, right in the open air, there is a wooden architecture department. Any tourist or pilgrim can see the historical monuments of the 19th century: a mill, a chapel, peasant huts.

Today, the museum is housed in a modern building, which was erected specifically near the monastery. Thanks to this decision, visiting the New Jerusalem Monastery, the photo of which is presented below, has become more convenient.

Excursion programs

First of all, worthy of attention is the exclusive program, which is designed for winter time year. As part of this excursion, an inspection of the architectural ensemble of the Resurrection Monastery is carried out. Sightseeing includes visiting the central part of the cathedral, the underground church of Saints Helen and Constantine, chapels and much more. The program also includes horse riding and tea drinking with monastery cakes. Visiting is available for all age groups.

Excursion "Patriarch Nikon"

During the excursion, a museum worker talks about the fate of the founder of the monastery. His role in the Russian history XVII century. Walking around memorable places is carried out for adults and children. For a very nominal fee you can explore New Jerusalem monastery, the cathedral and surrounding areas.

The excursion about Orthodox churches and church art in general. Here you can find out useful information about the intricacies of the structure of Russian monasteries, church sacraments, objects and attributes of church art that are used during services. Visitors to the museum can take a real journey into the world of Russian icons, learning in detail about the saints revered in Orthodoxy, about the famous image of the “Savior Not Made by Hands,” about the formation of icon painting and the attitude towards icons in ancient times.

Restoration work

To date, all measures have been taken to revive the monastery as one of the most important spiritual centers in Russia. Thanks to extensive restoration work, the Museum of the Resurrection Monastery will become the main exhibition venue in the Moscow region. Everything will be recreated here necessary conditions for the restoration and storage of historical collections of the New Jerusalem Art Museum.

The museum will begin to function fully at the end of 2015. Its new building is almost three times larger than the old one. In addition to the exhibition area, the restoration project provides for the creation of modern storage facilities, museum shops and cafes, and many cultural and educational areas. Despite the renovation work, every parishioner or tourist can visit the New Jerusalem Monastery. Excursions are held regularly.

A publication is now being prepared for release, which will cover all stages of the rescue and implementation of restoration work of the architectural ensemble of the New Jerusalem Monastery. It will publish many memories of contemporaries, documents and photographs.

All reconstruction work that the New Jerusalem Monastery is undergoing is planned to be completed by the end of next year, the museum will be restored a little earlier. The monastery will be completely restored.

Resurrection Cathedral

Today he is the only monument Russian art, in which for interior decoration tiles were used in the interiors. The parapets of the galleries, ceramic friezes, and inscriptions fully correspond to the division of the temple space. The doorways are decorated with ceramic portals. In seven aisles, unique iconostases, which are also made of tiles, were preserved. Particularly impressive are the three-tiered iconostases, the height of which reaches eight meters. The Resurrection Monastery amazes with its beauty.

How to get to the monastery

The train departs from Moscow to the Istra or Novoirusalimskaya stations. Then you should change to a bus or minibus and get to the Monastyr stop. In addition, at the Tushino metro station there is a stop from where a regular bus to Istra departs. It is better to buy tickets in advance to avoid standing in tiresome queues.

If you intend to travel by car, you should take the Volokolamsk Highway. You need to move past Nakhabino, Krasnogorsk, Snegiri, Dedovsk, through the city of Istra, the highway just passes by the monastery. The territory provides special places, where you can leave your own vehicle.

Visiting monasteries and shrines has recently become increasingly popular not only among residents of our country, but also among tourists who come to visit us. Arriving in Moscow, tourists have questions: where is Sretensky Monastery how to get there by metro or any other transport.

History of origin

In the center of the capital, on Bolshaya Lubyanka, there is a great holy monastery. The history of its appearance dates back to 1395. This time is famous for the attacks of Khan Tamerlane and his horde on Russian state. After he captured several cities, Khan went to Moscow. The Metropolitan ordered the icon of the intercessor's mother to be taken to Vladimir, where it would be in complete safety. Along the entire route, Russian people stood and prayed for the salvation of the Russian land.

At the place where the meeting of Metropolitan Cyprian and the icon of the savior took place, later a monastery was built on Sretenka. Participants in these events said that on the night when the intercessor icon was transported to Vladimir, Tamerlane had a dream. In a dream, a mysterious woman came to him and commanded him to return home. After consulting with his sages, Khan walked around Moscow and went south.

From 1925 to 1991 the shrine was closed, and the cathedral became operational again. The modern monastery unites 40 monks - men who live in it. Throughout the day, the servants of the monastery pray, and on holidays, people flock here large number believers.

Considering how long ago it was built, the restoration of the shrine is ongoing, but this does not interfere with prayers and services. Since 1999, it has held seminars and lectures. On its territory live students who bring obedience lunch.

Sights and shrines

Considering that the 20th century is famous for destructive wars, few shrines have survived to this day, but those that have survived carefully kept by the servants of the monastery. Among the shrines preserved:

Service Schedule

Considering that this is a monastery, the monks are in constant prayer and pray for peace throughout the entire earth, for the people living in it. In addition, services are held that anyone can attend. Worship services are held according to the following schedule:

• Starting at 6:30 am, the Polunoshnitsa prayer service.
• The liturgy for believers begins at 8:00, and in the evening from 18:00.
• On holidays and weekends the service starts at 7:00 and 10:00

Information is constantly updated on the official website, so all changes can be found on the website by following the link: www.pravoslavie.ru/1107/a

How to get to the monastery

Sretensky Monastery, official website, how to get there, all these questions arise if a tourist comes to the city for the first time. It all depends on what type of transport you decide to do this with. If you did not come to Moscow with your own transport, you can use the metro.

The easiest way to get there is probably by metro. You will bypass traffic jams, and you don’t need to think about where to park your car correctly.

If you are planning to visit the monastery, you will need an address. Sretensky Monastery address in Moscow, metro: st. Bolshaya Lubyanka 19, building 1. If you have questions, information can be obtained by calling the contact phone number 623−34−44 (Moscow code 495). Choose the metro station that is closest to you.

Nearest hotels and hostels

Arriving in Moscow on a tourist trip, you need to know where you can stay overnight. Moreover, it will take more than one day to examine everything inside, attend a service, and listen to the male choir sing.

Having visited the Sretensky Monastery, a person will see not only a beautifully built building, but also spiritual cleansing will occur.

Revelation of Patriarch Nikon.

The Resurrection Stavropegal New Jerusalem Monastery is not like any of the monasteries I know. He, in fact, is not so much Russian as a universal, worldwide and even supermundane image of something incomprehensible - great, unearthly. In our time, people are increasingly trying to penetrate into the secrets of the New Jerusalem Monastery. more people.
The monastery is beautiful on a fine day, when the Moscow sun burns with an unearthly fire in the dome of the main Church of the Resurrection. In the reflected glow it is brighter. Is this not the image of the Eternal Sun of Truth, illuminating Heavenly Jerusalem with its never-setting rays?
Everything here is permeated eternal meaning and everything is special, no coincidence. We approach the eastern gate through which Christ entered Jerusalem on a warm April evening, dusk was gathering. Opposite the southern wall of the monastery, in the distance, the glow of a fire was blazing, heavy blows were heard, I remembered Palestine, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem besieged by Israeli tanks, and the fires of the Middle Eastern wars.
For three hundred and fifty years, as if a moment of eternity flashed over the New Jerusalem, Russia has hardly become closer to Christ. Then, in the middle of the 17th century, the original Orthodox civilization faced almost insurmountable obstacles on its already rather long historical path. The only heir of the Orthodox Byzantine Emperors, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich the Quiet, recognized himself as the sovereign Patron and protector of all Orthodox Christians. In the royal palaces, plans were made for the conquest of Constantinople and Jerusalem, the liberation of Byzantium and the Holy Land from the infidels.

Patriarch Nikon of Moscow and All Rus' became the Tsar’s assistant, comrade-in-arms, and “his personal friend.” The scope of his personality is unique. His Holiness Nikon was compared with Basil the Great, and with John Chrysostom, and with the Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. He told the Tsar (and only him) his universal plan: to create in Russia the canonical image of the Holy Land of Jerusalem. Just as an icon, when painted canonically, attracts the grace of the prototype, so the architectural “list” of Palestine will attract the grace of its shrines to Russia. And also... only the Tsar and the Patriarch knew about this: the New Jerusalem will be an icon of the Kingdom of Heaven, where the center of the universe is the mysterious God's Temple with the throne of Pantocrator and the Lamb. The Emperor understood the plan and supported it.
It was a brilliant culmination of a very short Russian symphony of Patriarchal and Tsarist power. His Holiness Nikon, erecting his New Jerusalem in Russia, acquired unprecedented and incomparable significance, in some ways even surpassing the significance of the four eastern Patriarchs and even... the Russian Tsar. The enemies of Russia were quick to take advantage of this. The Roman papal throne took a special part in the quarrel between the Tsar and the Patriarch. His Holiness Nikon was forced to leave Moscow, without renouncing the great Hierarchy, and settled for several years in New Jerusalem. The “signature” council of 1666 removed him from the pulpit and declared him a simple monk. Nikon was sent into exile to the North. The Patriarch said to the Tsar: “God is judging you, I learned even during my election that you, the Sovereign, should only be kind to me until I am six years old, and then be hated and tormented by me.”
I peered at the image of Patriarch Nikon against the backdrop of the New Jerusalem monastery with a scroll in right hand, on which the testimony of the Resurrection of Christ is inscribed with piercing truth: “Shine, shine, New Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you...” Perhaps this image, added to the icon, will someday become a shrine of the resurrected Rus'. And to him, His Holiness Nikon, the Russian people will be indebted to both the fact that they will overcome countless pro-Western “reforms”, from Peter’s to modern ones, and the fact that the Lord will resurrect the Russian Autocratic monarchy, which, as it turned out later, was helpless in the face of the elements of evil without the assistance of the Patriarchal government. And even that surge of Russianness, called the “golden age” of our culture in the 19th century, upon closer examination turns out to be only a pale secular shadow of the possible, but never-fulfilled spiritual and cultural flowering of Holy Rus'.
Nikon’s great projects: access to the Baltic and Black Seas, pro-Byzantine reforms of all aspects of Russian life and much more were carried out by Alexei Mikhailovich’s son Peter the Great, a pro-Western man and quite spiritually limited. Having dealt with the patriarchate in Russia, Peter I concentrated all his energy on the construction of European St. Petersburg, and not on the liberation of New Rome and Constantinople from the infidels, which was what his crowned father so dreamed of. And then to say, was it necessary to strive for Constantinople in order to plant on the Bosporus, instead of the power of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the same Holy One Governing Synod with its Censorship Committee, as on the banks of the Neva? And St. Petersburg eventually became a historical museum of the monarchy, which built its empire according to Latin, but not Byzantine, models.
The seventeenth century turned into the seventeenth year and a catastrophe that is still terrifying. And Nikon’s northern exile is a Solovetsky MOAN (MOAN - Solovetsky prison special purpose).
- Patriarch Nikon is terrible for historical Russia last centuries, - said this and looked at me point-blank, novice Victor (Schmidt), a resident of the New Jerusalem Monastery. - He is terrible both for you and for modern Russia.
- But why for us?
- Do you know what one young man, a student at the Theological Academy, said, who accidentally stopped by our monastery? “I don’t understand anything here and will never be able to understand...” No one probably understands the grandeur of the aspirations of Patriarch Nikon and the dramatic misunderstanding and rejection of him by educated Russian society, a significant part of it. And we are still not ready to accept it, the country is not ready. This is the key to terrible secrets Russian history. Although in all the largest monasteries in Russia he is revered as a saint. For example, in the prayerful invocation of the Kiev Pechersk elders, in the Solovetsky monastery. Last year, the Solovetsky Stavropegal Monastery submitted the “case” of Patriarch Nikon to the canonization commission chaired by His Eminence Yuvenaly, Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna. The “case” is postponed because it “has not been formed.” But there is more than enough evidence of the holiness of Patriarch Nikon. Even before the revolution, in 1912, a description of miracles at the tomb of His Holiness Nikon was published, the book was called “Medical deeds, but also perform healing miracles.” (The Patriarch healed people during his lifetime in exile). Last year the book was republished in Moscow with some additions under the title “The Way of the Cross of Patriarch Nikon.” And this year marks the 350th anniversary of his installation on the Patriarchal Throne. The 37th issue of “Theological Works” (published by the Moscow Patriarchate) is dedicated to this date. We hope that the collection “Patriarch Nikon: life and works. Strategy of the Russian Patriarchate". The legacy of Patriarch Nikon, oddly enough, is known more to foreigners than to his compatriots. Back in the middle of the 19th century, William Palmer, an English historian, translated into English language unpublished work of Saint Nikon “Tsar and Patriarch”.
There is no prophet without honor, except in his own Fatherland.
“An unshakable pillar of piety, a most skillful protector of the Divine and sacred canons, a paternal dogma, an ineffable zealot and most worthy intercessor of commands and traditions,” - from the letter of Patriarch Jacob of Constantinople dated May 5, 1682 about His Holiness Patriarch Nikon, a year after his death... Local Council The Russian Orthodox Church of 1917, which renewed the tradition of the Russian Patriarchate, began in the roar of a fratricidal war with a memorial service in New Jerusalem, at the tomb of Nikon. Patriarch-Confessor Tikhon, when installed at the cathedra, wore the mantle of his predecessor, Patriarch Nikon.
“He was unrestrained, rude, overly proud and also wanted secular power like a pope,” they say about Nikon. But this is complete nonsense of his envious people,” the employee sneers. pilgrimage service monastery Evgeniy Vasilievich Korshunov. - Patriarch Nikon voluntarily, for the sake of preserving peace in the country, left Moscow, renouncing the Patriarchate. And the Church was led to a schism by the same people who intrigued against Nikon and got the Tsar to put him on trial. They wrote all sorts of nonsense: “... in such a coming pompous Nikon, as he himself was consecrated as the patriarch of the New Jerusalem, having created the monastery, he called it the New Jerusalem, calling the holy tomb, Golgotha, Bethlehem...” The court intriguer, Metropolitan Paisius Ligarid (later was his connection with Catholics has been proven) in his hatred he went further than others: they say, Nikon had 80 sakkos and changed his clothes twenty times during the Liturgy, wanting to be like the Most High, combed his hair in the altar in front of the mirror, equated himself with the saints and, finally, did just that , that “having locked himself in, he counted gold, jewelry and Siberian furs.”
Yes, His Holiness took little into account the political situation of his era; he was direct, simple-minded, sometimes harsh, and the people loved him very much. And at the same time, he is a subtle, learned theologian, spiritual seer, prayer book, church architect, builder, wise statesman. It was not for nothing that Alexei Mikhailovich, at the best time of their friendship, granted Patriarch Nikon the royal title “Great Sovereign,” but His Holiness never sought this. He was not an ideologist in the narrow sense of the word; it is not at all easy to understand him in our ideologized and at the same time unprincipled age; he is too global a figure both for our ancestors and for us. We still can't accommodate him. A personality of Byzantine proportions, of course. Old Believers (Russian Protestants) sometimes come to us, you know, they snort, they say, this is vile, disgusting... It’s sad to listen to them. Come on, I'll show you around.

Following our guide, we enter the dilapidated inside of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. A huge, heavenly-sized altar with thrones for the invisible presence at the services of the five Ecumenical Patriarchs. Altar circumambulation, the prisons of Christ and John the Baptist. We go up to Golgotha ​​and read a prayer to the Holy Cross. Silence. Under Golgotha ​​is the tomb of His Holiness Nikon. An incredible number of angelic faces on earth under the powerful, highest arches and below, next to us, almost at the very ground. We are not abandoned by the angelic ranks. And it seems that in the dilapidated temple, in its unsolved silence, powerfully, without stopping for a minute, the solemnly invincible sound is heard: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts.” Easter will be celebrated right here, at this throne, on this universal scale, almost in Heaven. Christ is Risen! Along a narrow staircase we go down to the underground church of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen, the first Orthodox Byzantine Emperor and his Royal Mother, who received the Cross of the Lord in the Holy Land. Holy well at the site of the discovery of the Cross. His Holiness Nikon was happy when he learned that from under the Golgotha ​​of New Jerusalem a life-giving spring gushed out, a storehouse of resources, like at the ancient Golgotha. The Lord blessed the unprecedented plan of the Patriarch and gave this sign of His protection to New Jerusalem! “This way you will win!” - the Lord showed the sign of the cross in heaven to Constantine the Great, and the triumphant Tsar took the pagan old Rome that had fallen at his feet and changed the fate of the world! Will we be witnessing an inevitable triumph centuries later? What he transferred to the quiet land near Moscow is too grandiose, and too incredibly forgotten, or maybe simply hidden until the fullness of time?

There is a myth that Patriarch Nikon allegedly contributed to the church schism. However, the facts say otherwise. The Patriarch not only did not prohibit old books, old church traditions, but, on the contrary, repeatedly expressed himself in the spirit that one can pray from both old and new books. But it’s still better to use new ones. Because this is a return to the Byzantine tradition. The famous Church historian Archpriest Lev Lebedev in his book “Patriarchal Moscow” convincingly proved that the schism occurred precisely because Patriarch Nikon was convicted and exiled. He would not have allowed a split. That is why the allegedly “offensive” nickname the Nikonians call us Old Believers is not at all offensive. Indeed, the modern Russian Church was largely generated by Nikon’s reforms. Unfinished reforms. But these were special reforms, aimed not at “progress”, but at a return to the ancient Byzantine tradition. The Old Believers did not understand this, and we are unlikely to fully understand it.
Almost every day, except for the happy, quiet day of the monastery - Monday, crowds of excursionists come to Jerusalem near Moscow. There are few real pilgrims here, since the monastery does not currently accept visitors, and there is no hotel in the town of Istra, which is nearby. Therefore, “barbarians” dressed in shorts, or even almost in bathing suits, are a more than usual phenomenon for these holy places, although it is impossible to get used to this, the mixture of styles is too striking: the great and the petty, the eternal and the newfangled, the Russian and pseudo-European. It’s funny to hear the enthusiastic vulgar jokes of some “smart” students on topics of Russian history. The majestic monastery sternly and silently emphasizes and exposes the vicious baseness of the modern society of consumption of pleasures. “Have fun, laugh,” the monastery walls seem to say, “woe to you who laugh now, for you will weep and weep!”
But it’s worth staying in the monastery a little longer than is customary among curious tourists, and everything falls into place. A person who stays here for at least a couple of days reveals himself as he is, everything feigned, vain, and unnecessary disappears from his soul. Here it’s clear in front of God, and in front of each other too, you just have to look closely and then... “And you believe and cry, and so easily, easily...”
Maybe this place is really closer than others on earth to the Kingdom of Heaven? In any case, it is invisibly illuminated by a bright stream of God’s grace from Heaven both day and night.
I don’t want to leave New Jerusalem. The workers of the historical, architectural and art museum “New Jerusalem” are all “in love” with this holy place, “attached” to him. In the spring, on the day of Patriarch Nikon’s name day, and in the fall, on the anniversary of his dormition, they gather in the monastery scientific conferences, dedicated to the life and work of the Patriarch. And this has been the case for more than one year. Everyone who had the opportunity to stay longer in New Jerusalem strives to come here again. Jerusalem syndrome? Breath of the Holy Spirit.
Even in childhood, the Lord sent visions to the Patriarch. Shortly before his death, according to legend, the Holy Fire descended on the Holy Sepulcher in New Jerusalem.
We entered the Garden of Gethsemane, located near the western walls of the monastery. Siloam spring, Kidron stream, Russian sun in the waters of the Jordan. That's it. A little further away there is Olivet and... traces of desolation. Devastation and vandalism plagued the monastery. The monastery was never revived, either in an architectural or spiritual sense. Once upon a time, in the 17th century, some services here were held only in Greek, which emphasized the universal significance of the monastery. There were up to five hundred brothers, but now there are only two. Father Superior Archimandrite Nikita (Latushko) greeted us:
- I bless you. Your publication is necessary. People must know the truth about their great Patriarch.
-Are miracles happening now at the tomb of His Holiness?
- Yes, they do happen, we have evidence of these miracles. However, let me keep silent about them for now. The time is near, but it has not yet come. In order to understand that Patriarch Nikon is a saint, what is already known is more than enough. He does not need canonization; we, Russia, and the whole world need his glorification.
It is not our business to know the times and deadlines.
At the tomb of His Holiness Nikon, under Golgotha, a mysterious, almost absolute silence reigned. The relics of His Holiness rest in secret. Museum workers say that in the thirties, when jewelry was taken away from the Church, they seemed to be looking for gold and diamonds in the coffin of His Holiness. However, the act of opening the tomb does not exist and, again, no one can say for sure whether this is true or not.
The soul of Patriarch Nikon settled forever where “the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them... And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, no more crying, no crying, no more sickness” (Revelation 21 , 3-4). His soul is where, through fiery universal trials, he, firmly, without limping, walked all his life and where he showed the shortest path to all of us.
A farewell look at the New Jerusalem. Photo for memory. On the black spring earth in front of us there is a stone equal to that which the Angel rolled away from the door of the Tomb, and even further away a 100-pound bell. When the SS men blew up the temple, this bell, cast by the New Jerusalem elders Paisius and Sergius Turchaninov, fell from the collapsed bell tower and... not only did not break, but now rings wonderfully, calling everyone to the Liturgy in New Jerusalem. Someday he will certainly be raised to a new bell tower (that’s why he didn’t crash), and he will announce Russia with some last unknown word. But this will be a different country, a different era. Isn’t it the very last one, in which for a short time the cross will flash with a farewell fire over the Sophia of Constantinople, over New Rome, just as the cross over the Resurrection Church of the New Jerusalem Monastery flashed for us at farewell?
It is not for us to answer this centuries-old question.

A trip to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior from Yaroslavl

+ New Jerusalem Monastery

The cost of the trip is 1600 rubles.

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When is the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker celebrated?

More than one holiday is dedicated to St. Nicholas in the Orthodox church calendar. On December 19, according to the new style, the day of the saint’s death is remembered, and on August 11, his birth. People called these two holidays St. Nicholas Winter and St. Nicholas Autumn. On May 22, believers remember the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari, which took place in 1087. In Rus', this day was called Nikola Veshny (that is, spring), or Nikola Summer. All these holidays are permanent, that is, their dates are fixed.

How does St. Nicholas the Wonderworker help?

Saint Nicholas is called a miracle worker. Such saints are especially revered for the miracles that occur through prayers to them. Since ancient times, Nicholas the Wonderworker was revered as an ambulance to sailors and other travelers, merchants, unjustly convicted people and children. In Western folk Christianity, his image was combined with the image of a folklore character - “Christmas grandfather” - and transformed into Santa Claus ( Santa Claus translated from English - Saint Nicholas). Santa Claus gives children gifts for Christmas.

Life (biography) of Nicholas the Wonderworker

Nicholas the Pleasant was born in 270 in the town of Patara, which was located in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor and was a Greek colony. The parents of the future archbishop were very wealthy people, but at the same time they believed in Christ and actively helped the poor. As his life says, from childhood the saint completely devoted himself to the faith and spent a lot of time in church. Having matured, he became a reader, and then a priest in the church, where his uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patarsky, served as rector.

After the death of his parents, Nicholas the Wonderworker distributed all his inheritance to the poor and continued his church service. During the years when the attitude of the Roman emperors towards Christians became more tolerant, but persecution nevertheless continued, he ascended the episcopal throne in Myra. Now this town is called Demre, it is located in the Antalya province of Turkey.

People loved the new archbishop very much: he was kind, meek, fair, sympathetic - not a single request to him went unanswered. With all this, Nicholas was remembered by his contemporaries as an irreconcilable fighter against paganism - he destroyed idols and temples, and a defender of Christianity - he denounced heretics.

During his lifetime the saint became famous for many miracles. He saved the city of Myra from a terrible famine with his fervent prayer to Christ. He prayed and thereby helped drowning sailors on ships, and brought unjustly convicted people out of captivity in prisons.

Nikolai Ugodnik lived to see old age and died around 345-351 - exact date unknown.

Relics of St. Nicholas

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker reposed in the Lord in the years 345-351 - the exact date is unknown. His relics were incorruptible. At first they rested in the cathedral church of the city of Myra in Lycia, where he served as archbishop. They streamed myrrh, and the myrrh healed believers from various ailments.

In 1087, part of the saint’s relics was transferred to the Italian city of Bari, to the Church of St. Stephen. A year after the rescue of the relics, a basilica was erected there in the name of St. Nicholas. Now everyone can pray at the relics of the saint - the ark with them is still kept in this basilica. A few years later, the remaining part of the relics was transported to Venice, and a small particle remained in Myra.

In honor of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, a special holiday has been established, which in the Russian Orthodox Church is celebrated on May 22 in the new style.

• The grandiose project of Patriarch Nikon (1605-1681), aimed at recreating the revered places of the Holy Land.
• The layout of the monastery is reminiscent of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
• An interesting architectural monument of the 17th-18th centuries, built and reconstructed by the best architects, including B. Rastrelli.

The Stavropegic Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery is one of the most famous in the Moscow region. This is a unique holy place, amazing both in its design and in its implementation, in which famous architects from several eras participated. It reproduces the location of the main shrines of Jerusalem: the Church of the Resurrection - an analogue of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher with chapels, the underground Church of Constantine and Helena - an analogue of the Palestinian cave church, the Nativity Refectory Church. The natural relief of the area bears biblical names: mountains (hills) Tabor, Hermon, Sinai, Olivet, the Jordan River (Istra), the Garden of Gethsemane.

The monastery was founded in the 17th century by Patriarch Nikon, and some of the surviving shrines (the tomb and the monastery) are associated with his name. This is, and excursions are held here, it works Sunday school for children and adults, there is a hotel for pilgrims. A small museum and exhibition complex has been opened at the monastery, the permanent exhibition of which is dedicated to Russian church art, as well as archeology and history of the Moscow region. In the park of the New Jerusalem Monastery complex, there is an open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture.

Personality of Patriarch Nikon

The founder of the monastery, Patriarch Nikon (1605-1681), left a controversial mark on history. In the Orthodox community, not everyone accepted his church reform, which began in 1653 and in many ways brought the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Constantinople. The Old Believers saw this as an infringement of the original Russian Church. Resistance to Nikon's reform led to tragedy: the Old Believers were not only not listened to, they were persecuted en masse and executed.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich initially warmly supported Nikon. However, after the Russian-Polish and Russian-Swedish wars, during which the patriarch was engaged in a peculiar way internal politics Instead of the sovereign being busy with military actions, Nikon was forced to abdicate the patriarchal throne. Nikon was subjected to disgrace and exiled to the separated Ferapontov monastery, where he spent 15 years. After the death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the new Tsar - Fyodor Alekseevich - allowed Nikon to return to his beloved New Jerusalem Monastery. On the way, Nikon died and was buried according to the rites of the patriarch in this monastery, under Golgotha.

History of the construction of the monastery

Patriarch Nikon himself chose the place to build the monastery. He often visited the large Iversky Monastery in the city of Valdai, stopping along the way to rest in the village of Voskresenskoye (now the city of Istra). The topography of this area prompted him to come up with a grand plan. The monastery near Istra was to become a symbol of the Third Rome: military and political influence Russia grew in both the West and the East, and its center of influence was in Orthodox world also moved to Moscow.

In 1656, Nikon began buying up land, renaming the areas in accordance with his plan. A year later, the wooden Resurrection Church was built on Mount Eleon, in memory of the consecration of which, together with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the Patriarch erected a Worship Cross (restored in 2006). The monastery itself was founded west of the Hill of Olives, on the hill of Zion. To the north is Tabor Hill. The Istra River was renamed Jordan. At the entrance to the city there was a small convent, called Bethany. Thus, the topography of Palestine was completely reproduced and the New Jerusalem Monastery arose.

Before his exile, Patriarch Nikon did not have time to complete the monastery. In 1685, under the regency of Princess Sophia, sister of the future, significant improvements were made to the monastery. Peter I, on the contrary, did not favor monasteries: under him, the staff of monks and the income of the monastery sharply decreased; in addition, in 1726 the monastery was almost completely destroyed by fire. And only 20 years later, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna undertook to restore the monastery, appointing Karl Ivanovich Blank and (Bartholomew Varfolomeevich) Rastrelli as architects of the project.

Architecture of the New Jerusalem Monastery

Forms of the main temple of the monastery - Resurrection Cathedral- were inspired not only by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, but also, possibly, by descriptions of the Temple of Solomon, drawn from the Bible, as well as the Church of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. The architects had an idea of ​​the Jerusalem temple from a wooden model brought from Palestine. Averky Mokeev was appointed the main architect of the temple, who also participated in Nikon’s construction of two other large monasteries - the Cross Monastery on Kiy Island and the Iversky Monastery on Valdai.

The Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery consists of three parts: a large rotunda with a tent, a four-pillar temple and an underground church of Constantine and Helena. In addition, the cathedral originally housed the chapels of the Beheading of John the Baptist, the Assumption of the Mother of God and the upper Calvary chapel church. During subsequent restorations, the number of side chapels increased. Particularly striking in the overall multi-component silhouette of the temple is the huge hipped roof of the rotunda. In the rotunda there is a cuvuklia - the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher. Many are surprised at the completion of the rotunda: after all, Patriarch Nikon subsequently banned the construction of hipped roofs in churches. Probably, the patriarch did not want the temple to be repeated, since in this case the sacred significance of the Resurrection Cathedral would be reduced: in Rus' there could only be one analogue of the Holy Sepulcher.

Although the cathedral was built during the Russian Middle Ages, it still appeals to order forms, which Russian masters learned from books and engravings brought from Western Europe. Tiles are wonderful examples of Russian art itself. They were worked, in particular, by the famous master Stepan Polubes, who decorated many Moscow churches with tiles. Even ceramic iconostases were created under Nikon.

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, during the restoration of the monastery, the dominant style changed: it became baroque. The heavy stone tent of the Church of the Resurrection was replaced by a wooden one, with a large number of lucarnes, thanks to which the rotunda became illuminated.

Adjacent to the Resurrection Cathedral from the east underground church of Constantine and Helena, consecrated in honor of the Emperor of Constantinople and his mother. The church is underground: this is how the craftsmen tried to reproduce an analogue of the Church of Constantine and Helena in Palestine, which was carved into the rock. In the 18th century, the church acquired additional domes and a ditch around it to protect it from groundwater.

The high strong wall of the monastery is decorated with towers: Gethsemane, Zion, House of David, Gate Elizabeth, Innotribal, Farukh, Ephraim and Damascus (clockwise). The towers are similar to each other, but have some differences in decor, the width of window openings and the shape of architectural volumes. The towers have undergone significant changes since Nikon's time. Elizavetinskaya “got it” the most.

In addition to the towers, the wall is decorated Entrance to Jerusalem Gate Church, built under the leadership of the architect Yakov Bukhvostov. This church has the shape of an octagon on a quadrangle, while the lower volume is decorated with semicircles of vestibules. Despite the complex silhouette and general upward direction, the gate church does not block the rotunda of the Resurrection Church, which is the main dominant feature of the ensemble.

In the western part of the monastery there are mainly outbuildings, built mostly at the end of the 17th century by order of the princesses Sophia and Tatiana. This refectory with the Church of the Nativity, hospital wards, archimandrite’s chambers, chambers of “monastic children”. Almost all buildings have undergone significant alterations and restorations. The exception is Tatyana Mikhailovna's chambers, malt and blacksmith chambers. The first ones were built much more elegantly - decorated with order platbands and pilasters.

Speaking about the complex of the New Jerusalem Monastery, it is worth mentioning another building lying behind the Garden of Gethsemane - Skete of Patriarch Nikon. It was about him that he wrote (“The abandoned desert before me...”). Despite the minor mood of the poem, the building itself looks quite elegant: it is decorated with tiles and majolica and does not look at all like a monastic hermitage. However, inside it is very ascetic, like a true hermit’s dwelling.

During this time, the monastery, located in the combat zone, was almost completely destroyed. The very first reconstruction of the complex after the war began under the leadership of the legendary architect P. Baranovsky, who wanted to restore the cathedral mainly in its original forms of the 17th century. Restorations were carried out in the 1970s–1990s, but not everything planned was accomplished. The main controversy was caused by the covering over the rotunda, or more precisely, its height and material. The monastery’s website contains archival photographs that give an idea of ​​the monument after the explosion in 1941 and the stages of subsequent restoration. The latest restoration began in 2008 and is still ongoing.

The question of what style the monastery should be restored - medieval (as under Patriarch Nikon) or baroque (as under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna) - was discussed in detail. As a result, experts leaned towards the option of restoring the monastery according to the image that was created in the 18th century: much more reliable data and images have been preserved for this image, and the version of the famous architect Rastrelli is itself no less historical than the version of Nikon’s construction.

Shrines of the New Jerusalem Monastery

Main temple New Jerusalem Monastery - Resurrection. At the main entrance there is a stone chronicle of Archimandrite Nikanor, written in acrostic verse. It is believed that it renews itself, that is, it does not fade over the years, but on the contrary, it becomes brighter. The same thing, according to legend, happens with the epitaph on Nikon’s tomb. In the rotunda of the Resurrection Cathedral you can visit the cuvuklia - the chapel of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There is the holy shroud, which is in Good Friday They rely on the Stone of Confirmation. In Jerusalem, the body of the Savior taken from the cross was placed on such a stone. The shroud itself is an analogue of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

In the chapel of the Beheading of John the Baptist there is the tomb of Patriarch Nikon (in Jerusalem, in a similar place, the Old Testament king Melchizedek is buried). In 2013, it was opened, but it turned out to be empty, and it is unknown where and when the relics of the patriarch were transferred after his burial. Nevertheless, services are regularly held at the sarcophagus. There is also a 17th-century tiled iconostasis with modern windows. Rare tiled iconostases are also presented in the chapels of the Passion of Christ and the Archangel Michael. In the same chapel there is a copy of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God and the grave of John Shusherin, the associate and biographer of Patriarch Nikon.

Among the shrines directly related to Patriarch Nikon, in the monastery you can also see part of his omophorion and antimension. In the side chapel of Calvary Church, in which Nikon most loved to serve, there is an analogue of the Place of Execution, where Christ was crucified. There is a wooden Crucifix carved from cypress, and there is also a preserved iconostasis from the 18th century.

In the Resurrection Cathedral there is a chapel Prison Church, consecrated in honor of the Assumption Holy Mother of God. In Palestine, those sentenced to death were kept in the cliff of Mount Golgotha; there the Mother of God mourned Her Son. The monastery church does not look much like a dark cave - it is a well-lit small temple. In the Assumption Limit of the Resurrection Cathedral there is a reliquary with the relics of St. Tatiana, donated to the monastery in the 17th century by Princess Tatiana.

On the territory of the monastery you can draw water from the “Siloam” spring in the Garden of Gethsemane or from the well “ Life-giving spring"in the underground church of Constantine and Helena. In the Holy Land, it was in this place and at the same depth (6 m) that the Empress Helen of Constantinople found the Cross of the Lord. The approximate location of the Cross to Helen was indicated by a resident of Jerusalem, who was subsequently baptized with the name Cyriacus, was killed by Christian persecutors and is revered as a holy martyr. In connection with these events, the church has a chapel of the same name.

You can take a dip in the Jordan River (Istra). There are no convenient changing rooms or equipped access to the water yet, but this does not prevent hundreds of believers from plunging into the blessed water in the ice holes on the feast of Epiphany. According to legend, in Epiphany night- from January 18 to 19 - you can see a miracle happening on the Istra River: at 1.30 am the water stops, and the flow in the river is barely noticeable for five minutes.

Near the river, on Mount Eleon, there is a Worship Cross. This is a replica made in 2006. The original cross was installed in the 17th century as a sign of the consecration of the first church in the monastery. The inscription says that Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich “found the surrounding area beautiful, like Heavenly Jerusalem, so he named the area and the monastery under construction New Jerusalem.” This is how the history of the monastery began.

Holy topography

Probably the most important shrine of the monastery is the topography of Russian Palestine - a reproduction of holy places, partly created by nature itself.

The topography of the area that existed before the construction of the monastery surprisingly reminded Nikon of Palestinian shrines. An analogue of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the center of the entire ensemble was the former Church of the Resurrection in the estate of the boyar Boborykin. In the north there was the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the village of Buzharovo, in the East - the Church of the Ascension in the village of Aleksino. To the south and southeast of the Church of the Resurrection were the churches of Elijah the Prophet and the Nativity of Christ. If you focus on the toponymy of Palestine, then this place is Bethlehem, where the Savior was born, and nearby is the monastery of St. Elias of the 4th century. The town of Ramu near Jerusalem, where the prophet Samuel was born, corresponds to the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary with the chapel of the prophet Samuel. There is also a monastery of Savva the Illuminated in Palestine, and the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery is located next to Russian Palestine.