History of the monastery.

The idea of ​​​​creating something similar to the shrines of Palestine on the Moscow region belongs to Patriarch Nikon (1605-1681), and he tried to bring it to life. On his instructions, the learned hieromonk of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery Arseny Sukhanov went to the Holy Land, who, upon returning from the trip, delivered to the Patriarch drawings, plans and an exact model of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, as well as drawings of the Bethlehem Church. Under the personal supervision of Patriarch Nikon (he lived in a monastery, the building of which has survived to this day), work began to bring his grandiose plan to life. 60 km from Moscow, in front of the eyes of amazed contemporaries, “ New Jerusalem" is an architectural and landscape icon that combines images of many Palestinian shrines.

In the center of the ensemble is the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which is a fairly accurate likeness of the famous temple in Jerusalem. Nearby is the Church of the Nativity - a reminder of Bethlehem, the birthplace of the Savior. To the north of the monastery is the village of Skudelnichye (Mikulino), to the northwest are Mount Tabor and Ermon. At the walls of the monastery - Birch Grove, called the Garden of Gethsemane. Patriarch Nikon renamed the Istra River Jordan, and the small stream flowing at the foot of the monastery hill - the Kidron Stream. Nikon did not have time to see his plan completed. He was condemned by the Moscow Council in 1666 and exiled to the North, to the distant Ferapontov Monastery. The construction of the New Jerusalem was suspended for a long time. Resumed work in 1679 by Tsar Feodor Alekseevich. He also brought Nikon back from exile, but the Patriarch died on the way to Moscow. His body was taken to New Jerusalem and buried in the John the Baptist chapel of the Resurrection Church. Construction of the monastery was completed only under Empress Elisaveta Petrovna. At the same time, the monastery buildings were treated in the Baroque style. XVIII-XIX centuries. Outstanding architects worked on the creation of the ensemble: Rastrelli, Blank, Kazakov, Voronikhin, Vit6erg.

In 1919, the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery was closed and the monastic community was abolished. In 1920, on the basis of the monastery, an Art and History Museum was created, the collection of which was put together with expropriated and nationalized valuables from the sacristy of the monastery. Great damage the architectural ensemble was inflicted during the Great Patriotic War. On December 10, 1941, retreating German troops blew up the Resurrection Cathedral and its bell tower, the Damascus and Elizabeth towers, the holy gates of the monastery, and burned other buildings. In the post-war years, through the work of domestic restorers, the complex of buildings as a whole was restored.

In 1994, the Resurrection New Jerusalem stauropegial was resumed monastery. In 1995, the Resurrection Cathedral with the earthen church of Saints Constantine and Helen, the Church of the Nativity of Christ, the monastery of Patriarch Nikon, and the eastern fraternal building were returned to the Church. The church of Saints Constantine and Helena was renovated in the monastery, the chapel of the Archangel Michael and All the Bodiless Powers, the Beheading of the Baptist John the Baptist, which were consecrated with a small rite, were restored.

The rite of great consecration His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow of All Rus' consecrated the restored cathedral Church of the Nativity of Christ in 1997 and the chapel of the Assumption Holy Mother of God in 1999, the Edicule was opened with the chapel of an Angel, as in Jerusalem. It contains exact copies of the Stone of Anointing and the Holy Sepulcher.

Shrines of the monastery

The tomb of Patriarch Nikon is located in the active chapel of John the Baptist. And in our time there are cases of healings from the tomb of the saint according to the faith of his admirers.

The Patriarch set an example of piety throughout his life. It is enough to visit the monastery of Patriarch Nikon, look at the stone bed that served as his bed, and hold his chains (weighing about 6 kg) in his hands to understand how strict he was with himself.

In the same chapel there is a miraculous copy of the Tikhvin icon Mother of God. Once before the revolution, the Resurrection Monastery kept miraculous icon Mother of God "Three-handed". In the current Assumption chapel there are the relics of the holy martyr Tatiana.

Holy springs Treasure "Life-Giving Spring"

To the south of the side-chapel of the Hieromartyr Kyriakos is the Place of the Finding Life-giving Cross with a well called the Life-Giving Spring.

Initially, the vault of the aisle was blank. The oval hole above the storehouse dates back to the 18th century, when at the top: a “tent” was built in the form of a high tetrahedral lantern. Nowadays a wooden Cross has been restored here in the measure of the Cross of the Lord.

The life-giving spring was consecrated after the resumption of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery on January 5/18, 1994, on the Eve of Epiphany.

Samaritan Woman's Treasure

There is another spring on the northern slope of the monastery hill. It is called the Samaritan woman’s well, recalling the Gospel event - the conversation of Jesus Christ at the well with a woman from Samaria, to whom the Lord said: “Everyone drinking water this, if he thirsts again, otherwise he will drink the water that I will give him, and he will never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

There was also a monastery chapel above this source, which was demolished during the years of militant atheism.

While collecting water from the well of the Samaritan woman, pilgrims sing hymns from the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.

Siloam Spring

From Jordan we will go to the Siloam spring, located at the foot of the monastery hill on the northwestern side. The name of the source brings to mind
events of Sacred history associated with the famous Pool of Siloam near Jerusalem. According to legend, in the 5th century BC. E. King Manasiah ordered the holy prophet Isaiah to be subjected to terrible torture in the royal gardens of Siloam. The prophet's body was cut with a saw; he suffered from pain and thirst. And then, to give the martyr something to drink, a spring splashed out from under the rock.

The spring received its name because many sick people, having bathed in it, were healed of their ailments, just like those who plunged into the reservoir of Siloam, at which there was a pool of Siloam. Above the Spring of Siloam in New Jerusalem there was a wooden chapel called the “Pool of Siloam.” It was built in 1845. Every year on the feast of Mid-Pentecost, a pilgrimage was made from the Resurrection Monastery to the Pool of Siloam. procession for the blessing of water. Inside the chapel there was a stone well, along the walls there were icons, in front of which there were candlesticks. Metal buckets with long handles curved at the end hung along the edge of the well. The water for the pilgrims was drawn and poured by the monk who was serving in the chapel.

The Siloam Chapel was demolished in the 1930s. However, it was not possible to destroy the source, although until the 1990s. By order of the local authorities, a dump truck loaded to the top from time to time drove up to the spring and poured earth or sand into the water.

The first consecration of the Siloam source after the resumption of the Resurrection Monastery was performed on Epiphany Eve on January 5/18, 1994. Since then, the consecration of the water in the source has been performed annually on the feast of the Epiphany.

In our workshop you can buy an icon of the Mother of God, Savior and others saints V silver frames . And also order exclusive gift yourself and your loved ones.

For the first time in history, on May 21, the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were brought to Moscow from the Italian city of Bari to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Access to worship the shrine is open for believers from May 22 to July 12. By coincidence, on the same day, last Sunday, May 21, a piece of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in a specially made ark was installed in Serpukhov in the St. George Church of the Presentation of the Lord convent. The relics were placed in the area of ​​this much revered saint.

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A piece of the relics was also brought to Serpukhov from Bari, but it will remain in the women’s monastery forever. Members of the monastery’s Board of Trustees did a tremendous amount of work to ensure that this shrine ended up in the Serpukhov monastery. And first of all, this is the abbess of the monastery, Abbess Alexia, and deputy of the Moscow Regional Duma, Roman Vladimirovich Gorbunov. Nikolai Nikolaevich Pushkin, a deputy of the city Council of Deputies, also provided invaluable assistance in this good cause. By the way, on May 21, on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, when a prayer service was held in the Vladychny Monastery before a particle of the delivered relics, the family of Nicholas Pushkin had another holiday - the birthday of their son, and also Nicholas.
It should be noted that Orthodox Serpukhovites and pilgrims reacted with trepidation to such an event in the women’s monastery. Many stayed after morning service to venerate the holy relics, and many came to the monastery specifically for this. Almost all members of the Board of Trustees, chaired by Oleg Valentinovich Kuznetsov, also gathered for the prayer service. Chairman of the Chamber of Control and Accounts of the city of Serpukhov, Mikhail Pavlovich Sheludyakov, also came to venerate the relics.
Now access to the ark in the St. George's Church is always open. And soon restoration work on painting the border of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker will begin here.
It is worth noting that in Serpukhov you can also venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Trinity Cathedral on Cathedral Hill.
Saint Nicholas is one of the most revered saints. Veneration of his memory unites Orthodox and Catholics.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, became famous as a great saint of God.
From childhood, Nikolai excelled in the study of Divine Scripture; During the day he did not leave the temple, and at night he prayed and read books, creating within himself a worthy dwelling of the Holy Spirit. His uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patara, rejoicing at the spiritual success and high piety of his nephew, made him a reader, and then elevated Nicholas to the rank of priest, making him his assistant and instructing him to speak instructions to the flock. While serving the Lord, the young man was burning in spirit, and in his experience in matters of faith he was like an old man, which aroused the surprise and deep respect of the believers.
The name of the great saint of God, Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas, a quick helper and man of prayer for all who flock to him, has become glorified in all corners of the earth, in many countries and peoples. In Rus', many cathedrals, monasteries and churches are dedicated to his holy name. There is, perhaps, not a single city without St. Nicholas Church. Located in Serpukhov Cathedral Nikola Bely.

This Saturday, my friends and I decided to leave Moscow for a one-day trip to Istra, walk around the area, and visit the New Jerusalem Monastery, which many have heard about, but few have visited. It was also interesting to see the museum wooden architecture. The summer of 2014 turned out to be cold and rainy, but this did not stop us from traveling.

Istra. New Jerusalem

New Jerusalem 2017: review of the trip to the monastery after restoration

On Saturday, despite the preparations the day before and the intention to leave at 9 am, we all overslept and got into the car only at 12. We started the navigator on our smartphone (it was enough to enter the official address of the monastery in Istra, Sovetskaya Street, 2) , he led us along the Novorizhskoe highway. You can get to Istra along the Volokolamsk highway, but there was a big traffic jam there. The journey by car took us about an hour, despite the fact that the distance from Moscow is small - only 60 km.

We arrived at the main entrance to the Monastery around 15-00. I must say that if you arrive here late, you won’t have time to see anything; the ticket office and main places to visit are open only until 16-30. The entrance to the territory of the New Jerusalem Monastery is open until 18-00.

There is free parking for cars in front of the monastery entrance. We were lucky - a place became available right before our arrival.

New Jerusalem. Square in front of the monastery

On the square in front of the monastery there was a brisk trade in all kinds of souvenirs, beggars hung out, but they were afraid to approach us on our hike.

Tour of the New Jerusalem Monastery

If you stand facing the monastery, then left hand there will be a small building with a sign “Excursion Bureau”. Having checked whether there were any available guides, we decided to book an individual excursion (cost 1,500 when viewing the full exhibition, 900 rubles when viewing only the territory of the monastery and the Ascension Cathedral). Entrance to the territory of the monastery itself is free. A fee is charged only for the ability to walk on the walls when they are open. In our case, the passage was closed due to restoration.

In addition to ordering excursions, here you could purchase tickets to visit the museum of wooden architecture, which is located behind the monastery. More precisely, visiting the territory itself is free, you only pay for the entrance directly to the Hut, where items of peasant everyday life are presented (50 rubles for entry, 150 rubles for photography). We still bought the ticket, although even in advance it was clear that there was a catch here.

Here at the tour desk we studied a map of the monastery and the area around it.

So, after 5 minutes our guide came out and led us to the territory of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Stauropigeal Monastery.

Entering the gate, we froze at the view of the main cathedral monastery - Resurrection Cathedral and bell tower. The spectacle was truly stunning: the gilded domes sparkled majestically against the background of a stormy sky.

Resurrection Cathedral

Here the guide began her story.

History of the New Jerusalem Monastery

The history of the monastery goes back to the distant 17th century, when Patriarch Nikon, together with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, decided to build an analogue of Palestine on Russian soil. The fact is that in those days the Holy Land was dominated by Ottoman Empire, and visiting Jerusalem for Christians was simply dangerous. The Istra lands were not chosen by chance - the landscape made it possible to recreate the holy land in miniature: the Istra River played the role of the Jordan River, the hills surrounding the monastery could serve as analogues of the hills surrounding Jerusalem, the park outside the walls of the monastery was renamed Gethsemane.

In 1649, Patriarch Pasius of Jerusalem brought a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to Moscow. This sculptural image was used in the construction of the Resurrection Cathedral, which is a copy of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (although the Cathedral is completely different in appearance).

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the New Jerusalem Monastery was the most visited place of pilgrimage; it played a vital role in spiritual development Russia. After the revolution in 1919, the Monastery was closed. Two museums were opened on the territory.

During the Great Patriotic War the territory of the monastery was occupied by the Germans. Many buildings and structures were destroyed, the Resurrection Cathedral and the bell tower were blown up. This issue was particularly noted at the Nuremberg trials. In the period from the 1950s to the 1990s, restoration work was carried out, thanks to which the New Jerusalem Monastery was restored from the ashes, like a phoenix.

Even today you can see traces of shells, which were specially left by restorers to commemorate these times.

New Jerusalem. Traces of war

Today, grandiose work is underway on the territory of the monastery. In 2014, a bell tower “grew up” near the Cathedral, destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.

The main cathedral looks fresh and updated in appearance. The rest of the territory is covered with nets and forests. It is impossible to walk along the walls of the monastery today - they are closed due to work.

The number of workers carrying out the work is about 1,500 people. The completion of the restoration of the monastery is scheduled for 2016. The guide told us that the work is personally monitored by the President of the country, flying here in a blue helicopter, however, he does not show movies for free and does not congratulate you on your birthday.

Separately, it is worth noting the beautiful ceramic decor of the Ascension Cathedral; in some places, original decor from the 17th century has even been preserved.

Resurrection Cathedral. Decorative elements

Resurrection Cathedral. Tiles

Inspection of the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery

After an external inspection of the beautiful Resurrection Cathedral, we went inside. The inside of the building is very complex, so I recommend that you purchase a map from a kiosk before visiting it, or, like us, use the services of a guide.

I am posting the plan of the cathedral. Those who have been to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem can note that the structure of the Resurrection Cathedral, in terms of the arrangement of the main elements, completely coincides with the Resurrection Cathedral.

Resurrection Cathedral. Cathedral plan

The interiors of the cathedral contrast sharply with its appearance. The room is, of course, very majestic, but it is made in the Baroque style, with characteristic stucco molding, angels, bows, and so on. It’s immediately clear who the customer was interior decoration. It was Elizaveta Petrovna, who adored all these palace attributes. We were surprised how exterior decoration The cathedral, reminiscent of a Russian tower, is discordant with the interior palace decor. It’s as if these are completely different rooms, but each is chic in its own way.

New Jerusalem. Inside the Cathedral

The dome of the cathedral has already been painted by masters.

Resurrection Cathedral. Cathedral dome

The temple itself, despite the inclement weather, looks very bright and clean.

Grandiose work is also underway inside the cathedral. The huge iconostasis gapes with black holes instead of icons. Very soon they will take their places here.

New Jerusalem. Iconostasis

Now you can see above the iconostasis a figure of the Savior made of cardboard. The guide explained that this is one of the stages of restoration, when future sculptures are made from cardboard, the aesthetic appearance is agreed upon with government officials, and only then the real decor is made.

New Jerusalem. Figure of the Savior

The guide told us that the cathedral, in its size and location of the main churches, completely coincides with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. It didn’t fit in my head, because in size it may be similar, but in terms of the interior style, decoration and atmosphere it is a completely different place.

Resurrection Cathedral. Emperor's box

The guide showed us the way to the “calvary”, which, like in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, is located to the left of the main entrance to the Temple. It is not possible to go upstairs yet, as work is underway. As the guide continued her story, more and more people joined us. more people. So our small group of three grew to 15 people. Anyway.

New Jerusalem. Everyone is interested in listening to the tour

Inside the temple there is also the “Cave of the Holy Sepulcher”, where, according to the guide on Orthodox Easter healing blue fire descends here. To put it mildly, we were surprised.

Resurrection Cathedral. Cave of the Holy Sepulcher

Whoever wanted to venerate the Tomb. By the way, there is a rule here - you can leave the cave without turning your back to it.

After visiting the main church, we went to the Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where you can see real fragments of the design of that very first Church of the Resurrection. The author of the design of this chapel, by order of the emperor, was the famous Matvey Kazakov (1802).

Resurrection Cathedral. Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

What struck me most was the art of the tiles. I have never seen anything like this in any Orthodox church.

One of the symbols that was embodied in the tiles was the “pomegranate flower,” which symbolizes the blood of Christ - a symbol of the martyrdom of the savior. The drawing “near the peacock” symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ.

Resurrection Cathedral. Fragments of tiles

The guide also showed us another symbol encrypted in the tiles - a lion, meaning power on Earth.

Lion tile

Candles can be placed in the same aisle.
There are a few icons on the wall, for example a list with Athos icon"Our Lady of Three Hands." In the same chapel you can collect holy water.
A farewell look at the cathedral.

Resurrection Cathedral. New Jerusalem

At 4:00 pm we left the temple and continued exploring the area.

Walk around the monastery grounds

Opposite the entrance to the temple are the chambers of Tsarina Tatiana Mikhailovna (patron of the monastery), restored from old engravings.

Chambers of Tsarina Tatiana Mikhailovna (patron of the monastery)

Behind the Resurrection Cathedral is the Church of the Nativity of Christ, also open to the public. But since we had limited time (we wanted to make it to the museum of wooden architecture), we decided not to go inside.

Church of the Nativity

There is also a museum on the territory (in the Refectory and Hospital wards), which we also did not get to due to the fact that time was limited. I needed to sleep less.

You can look around the Resurrection Cathedral for a very long time, the tiles with which it is decorated on the outside are so beautiful. The pattern of tiles that decorate the cathedral is called “Peacock Eye”; it was created by the Belarusian master Stepan Polubes (apparently he was so nicknamed for his golden hands).

Resurrection Cathedral

Resurrection Cathedral

Resurrection Cathedral. Tiles

Resurrection Cathedral

The only thing that disappointed me was that during the reconstruction there was a beautiful multi-tiered dome of the Resurrection Cathedral. But never mind, very soon he will appear in all his glory.

At this point our excursion was completed, and we independently went to the museum of wooden architecture. To do this, we walked along a wooden corridor along the walls of the monastery. According to the plan of the monastery, this place was the “Garden of Gethsemane.”

You can read about our walk through the Museum of Wooden Architecture here.

How to get to the New Jerusalem Monastery

Address: Moscow region, Istra, Sovetskaya street, 2

Monastery opening hours: daily from 9-00 to 18-00.

By car you can get to the monastery along the Novorizhskoye or Volokolamsk highway (you will need to drive through the city of Istra). Distance approximately 45 km from MKAD

You can travel on your own by train from the Rizhsky station (you can also get on at the Tushinskaya station, not far from the metro station of the same name) to the Istra station or to the Novo-Ierusalimskaya station. From there it is recommended to take a bus to the Monastyr stop; you can also walk - about 20 minutes. Local taxi drivers can also take you to the monastery.

An alternative option is to take bus No. 372 from the Tushinskaya metro station. You will need to go to the “Pochta” stop. Here you will need to change trains and get to the Monastyr stop.

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. Nowadays, more and more people are trying to penetrate the secrets of the New Jerusalem Monastery.
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 imbued with 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 XVII century, the original Orthodox civilization faced almost insurmountable obstacles on its already quite 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 compared with Basil the Great, and with John Chrysostom, and with the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius. 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 the Patriarchs 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 XIX century, upon closer examination, turns out to be only a pale secular shadow of a 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 and spiritually quite limited man. 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 that is to say, was it necessary to strive for Constantinople in order to implant on the Bosphorus, instead of the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the same Holy Governing Synod with its Censorship Committee as on the banks of the Neva? And Petersburg eventually became historical museum a monarchy that 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 Solovetsky STON (STON - Solovetsky prison for special purposes).
“Patriarch Nikon is terrible for historical Russia in recent centuries,” said novice Victor (Schmidt), a resident of the New Jerusalem Monastery, and looked at me point-blank. - 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 the terrible secrets of Russian history. Although in all the largest monasteries in Russia he is revered as a saint. For example, in prayer invocation 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 Juvenaly, 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 in 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,” says Evgeniy Vasilyevich Korshunov, an employee of the monastery’s pilgrimage service, ironically. - 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 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, and 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 disgusting, 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, the oration stone, the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, the chapel of the Angel, a photograph of the explosion caused by the SS-Reich division retreating along the Volokolamsk highway from Moscow (the bell tower has not yet been restored after the explosion, all restoration work by the state was stopped at the very beginning of the 90s). 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 angelic ranks. And it seems that in the dilapidated temple, in its unsolved silence, powerfully, without stopping for a minute, the solemnly invincible sound sounds: “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 Golgotha ​​the New Jerusalem had been scored life-giving spring, a storehouse of finding, like on 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 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. Famous historian Church, 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 supposedly “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 denounces the vicious lowland modern society 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 lingers here for at least a couple of days reveals himself as he is, everything feigned, vain, unnecessary will fall 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. Workers of the historical-architectural and art museum“New Jerusalem” everyone is “in love” with it Holy place, “attached” to him. In the spring, on the day of the namesake of Patriarch Nikon, and in the fall, on the anniversary of his dormition, they hold scientific conferences in the monastery 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, he descended on the Holy Sepulcher in New Jerusalem Holy Fire.
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. It's like that. A little further away there is Olivet and... traces of desolation. Devastation and vandalism plagued the monastery. The monastery was never revived, either architecturally or spiritual sense. Once upon a time, in the 17th century, some services here were held only in Greek, which emphasized universal significance 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 black spring land in front of us 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 Paisiy 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.

Address: Russia, Moscow region, Istra, Sovetskaya street, 2
Date of foundation: 1656
Main attractions: Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (1685), Church of the Nativity (1692), Gate Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (1697), Church of Constantine and Helen (1690)
Shrines: fragment of the omophorion of Patriarch Nikon (1597), Tabernacle from the chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles, icon of the Lord Pantocrator with the reclining Saint Philip and His Holiness Patriarch Nikon (1657)
Coordinates: 55°55"17.3"N 36°50"43.2"E
An object cultural heritage Russian Federation

The New Jerusalem Monastery is also known under another name - the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery. The Orthodox men's monastery was founded in 1656 near the city of Istra in the Moscow region. It owes its appearance to Patriarch Nikon, who wished to establish the residence of the patriarchs in this place. Nikon himself stopped here for the night many times, because he often had to visit the Iversky Monastery (he traveled along the old Volokolamsk road). By building a new monastery, the patriarch wanted to achieve the arrangement of the center Orthodox world on Moscow soil. At the same time, it was planned that the grandiose structure would topographically represent the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, located in Jerusalem.

Bird's eye view of the monastery

The foundation of the monastery was carried out on a hill with the Palestinian name Zion. On the eastern side, the Hill of Olives was adjacent to the monastery, its northern “neighbor” was the Tabor Hill, and the local Istra River received a new name - Jordan.

Due to the persecution of Nikon and his exile, construction work was interrupted for 14 years. Thus, they took place in 2 stages. The first period of construction occurred between 1656 and 1666. At this time, wooden walls were installed, stone services were built, and the construction of the main temple was almost completed. The same period of time saw the construction of the Nikon monastery, which was later called the Waste Hermitage, and the Chapel of Olives.

View of the monastery from the village of Nikulino

Since 1679, the interrupted work has been resumed - Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich issued a corresponding decree on their continuation. In addition, by a new decree, the ruler assigned two dozen more different monasteries with peasant households to the New Jerusalem Monastery, total number which amounted to 1630 buildings. Together, they formed a huge possession and made the stauropegial monastery one of the richest shrines in Russia.

Nikon's plan was fully realized, and ultimately it amazed with its scope. The complex called “New Jerusalem” maximally reflected the Holy Lands, parts of which the entire area of ​​Istra received new names - Galilee, Bethlehem, Olivet. When studying old maps, it is clear that the new building with its surrounding environs is a smaller copy of its true prototype. Unfortunately, the founder of the monastery did not wait for the completion of construction - he died in 1681. Subsequently, the ensemble was completed under the leadership of Archimandrite Nikanor and with the participation of the master foundry hieromonk Sergius Turchaninov.

View of the main entrance to the monastery

In the winter of 1941, the Resurrection Cathedral at New Jerusalem Monastery was destroyed by German troops. As a result of the explosion, the bell tower, the central chapter, and the rotunda tent were damaged. Many years later, already in 1985, the cathedral finally found its lost chapter. As for the collapsed tent, it was restored in the early 90s of the 20th century. But its basis was now a metal structure.

Since 1995, the entire architectural ensemble of the Resurrection Monastery has become part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Since then, two institutions have peacefully coexisted here - the stauropegic monastery itself and the New Jerusalem Museum, recognized as a historical, architectural and artistic monument.

View of the Gate Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem from the monastery

Sacred landmark of Russian Palestine - Resurrection Cathedral

According to the construction plan, the Resurrection Cathedral was supposed to exactly copy the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, functioning in Jerusalem. Reflecting its prototype as much as possible, the grandiose three-part building appearance conveys all the main Christian shrines, namely: Golgotha ​​as the place of the crucifixion of Christ and 2 more places - burial and Life-Giving Resurrection.

The list of works for the construction of the Resurrection Cathedral was also carried out in stages. Until 1666, it was possible not only to bring the building to the roof, but also to attach a bell tower to it, and also to prepare a place for the construction of an underground church. Named in memory of Saints Constantine and Helen, it served as a repository for the place where the Holy Cross was found. But let's get back to admiring the cathedral. Outside and inside it is decorated with ceramic belts, decorated with portals and platbands, and hung with strict and majestic iconostases. 15 ringing bells were cast especially for its bell tower. Of the largest cast items, only one remains to this day - this is the stopudov bell, made back in 1666.

In the foreground is the Church of Constantine and Helena with the Resurrection Cathedral in the background.

The second stage of construction of the main cathedral of the New Jerusalem complex occurred between 1679 and 1685. Then a dome appeared over the central part of the building, and the master covered the rotunda with an impressive brick tent, the diametrical value of which reached 22 m. In 1690, a ceremony was held to consecrate the underground church.

Despite the fact that the Resurrection Cathedral serves only as a miniature of its prototype, through its appearance and decor it very accurately conveys all the theological content and does not deviate from the old Russian traditions of architecture and art. This trend can be seen very clearly in the appearance of the eastern facade of the temple. Its multi-domed composition, reminiscent of a pyramid in shape, was built by combining parts independent of each other into a whole indivisible structure.

From left to right: Resurrection Cathedral, Church of Constantine and Helena

Chambers of the "New Jerusalem"

The western part of the ensemble is represented by the chambers - the Refectory, the Archimandrite's and the Hospital. Initially they were built as separate buildings (from 1685 to 1698), but at the end of the 18th century the decision was made to unite them into a single integral building. The foundation of the Refectory Chambers were old stone services laid before 1666. Three chambers were located against the backdrop of the western part of the wall and stood perpendicular to the building of the Church of the Nativity, located not far from them in the east. The chambers are decorated with white stone platbands, refreshing the huge semi-circular windows.

Hospital wards

The wards with the name “Hospital”, located near the Church of the Three Saints, look quite modest both in size and in decor. Adjacent to them from the north are the Rector's chambers. Despite their apparent simplicity, these chambers are not lost against the background of the other buildings of the New Jerusalem monastery - they only favorably emphasize the Refectory Chambers, hinting at their dominant position.

The Church at the Hospital Wards was consecrated in 1698. As a result of a fire that engulfed the monastery courtyard in the 18th century, it burned down, but was not subject to restoration work. The premises of this shrine were simply moved to the second floor of the Royal Apartments - the result of the work of the architect Kazakov, who erected them above the hospital rooms at the end of the same century. The staircase leading to the Royal Apartments is decorated with an elegant arcade. As a decorative detail, it organically complemented the composition of the eastern facade.

Inner courtyard of the monastery

The Skete of Patriarch Nikon is a valuable monument of Russian Palestine

The monastery for solitary prayers of Patriarch Nikon was built in 1657 - 1662. (the building is located on the banks of the Istra River). Of all the architectural monuments located behind the walled fence of Russian Palestine, only this monastery has survived. Its two lower floors were used as service and utility rooms. On the third floor there was a reception room for the clergy and the Church of the Epiphany. The flat roof of the monastery became suitable place locations for such significant buildings as the octagonal church of the apostles Peter and Paul, a miniature belfry and a small cell with a seat made of stone.

View of the western side of the Resurrection Cathedral

The fortress wall and the Holy Gates are the “defenders” of the territory of the New Jerusalem Monastery

It took 4 years to build a solid stone wall to replace the original wooden fence. It was built from 1690 to 1694 according to the rules of serf architecture. The result of the work led by architect Bukhvostov was a large-scale fence with the following characteristics:

• height – about 9 m;
• thickness – 3 m;
• total length – 920 m.

View of the monastery walls with towers

It is noteworthy that the corners and breaks of the fence were not empty - their ugliness was brightened up by seven towers of the same type. In the courtyard of the tower there was also an eighth tower - the Elizavetinskaya. The tall structure simply decorated the western gate. It is interesting that all the tiered towers belonging to the New Jerusalem complex do not play any defensive role. Although they are a common element of Russian fences, they are not defensive, but rather artistic function. Their designs with round extensions for spiral staircases are similar to the rotunda and tent at the top of the Resurrection Cathedral.