Monastery of John the Baptist in Moscow. Schedule of services, Hoop. Address, how to get there by metro, car

The Little Prince, who came from the pages of Exupery, loved to repeat that without the participation of the heart, the most important thing in the world around us cannot be discerned. And indeed: just think how often we do not notice real treasures in everyday things! Thus, a modest schoolgirl hides the sparkling gift of a poet in her heart, in a forgotten grandmother’s box there are jewelry carefully wrapped in rags, and an unremarkable small church keeps under its vaults paintings made by Viktor Vasnetsov himself. This doesn’t happen, you say? Gentlemen skeptics, welcome to Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Krasnaya Presnya!

History of the monastery

At the end of the 15th century, a convent settled in the deserted and abandoned grand-ducal estates. Its emergence is mainly associated with the birth of the royal first-born and heir to the throne, when Grand Duchess Elena Glinskaya gave birth on August 25 to the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible, named in honor of the holy Forerunner of the Baptist of the Lord.

The Monastery of John the Baptist was built in honor of the birth of Ivan the Terrible

The proximity to the royal house left a certain imprint on the entire history of the monastery. Festive services and solemn religious processions with representatives of the ruling dynasty attracted generous alms from the state treasury and from famous boyar families, which made it possible to build new and rich churches.

The Monastery of John the Baptist in Moscow was on the verge of complete disappearance several times:

• At the beginning of the 17th century it was plundered by Polish invaders.
• In the second half of the 18th century there were two devastating fires.

But each time, through the diligence and generosity of pious parishioners and God-loving persons of the royal family, the monastery was restored. The wife of the founder of the Romanov dynasty, Queen Evdokia, who had many children, became famous for her special closeness and generous gifts, who treated the blessed schema-nun Martha with great reverence, often visiting and asking for her holy prayers.

It was often used as a prison for holding state criminals and imprisoning royal persons.

History, attractions and shrines of the temple

• The Church of the Baptist traces its history back to the end of the 16th century, when the first wooden church bearing this name was erected. Less than a hundred years later, it was replaced by a new temple in stone.
• The end of the 19th century, or more precisely the 1890s, was significant for the temple, when the workshop of the famous artist Viktor Vasnetsov . They say that the great master also had a hand in the painting of the temple itself: art historians claim that the authorship of Vasnetsov belongs to the frescoes “God the Word”, “Fatherland”, “Entombment”. And the fact that Vasnetsov’s students, under the strict guidance of their mentor, were engaged in decorating the temple walls is beyond doubt: the artist’s intervention is revealed by the numerous glass mosaics so beloved by Vasnetsov. Look under the arch of the main temple - and you will literally drown in its silvery depths! True, the unique temple decor still requires a helping hand from a skilled restorer: let’s hope that such a person will be found, and together with a sponsor.
• In the 20th century, the temple did not stop its activities for a single day, largely thanks to its rector, Father Alexy . Of course, almost all the valuables were confiscated from the church (and, judging by the reports of the security officers involved in the temple, there were a lot of them - silver, gold, rubies, pearls and even diamonds), but in the post-war years, the temple that was once outlying and not particularly revered became one of the most visited in Moscow.
• Among the icons of the main iconostasis of the temple, parishioners and clergy highlight with particular trepidation the image of the Savior and the icon of the Rudny Mother of God . Not a single holiday is complete without paying homage to the temple icon of St. John the Baptist, painted by Efim Ivanov at the end of the 17th century. This shrine is located in a separate icon case (an icon case is a special glazed box for icons). The “Angel of the Desert” (which is exactly how John the Baptist is called in this canon) is holding a scroll in his hands, testifying to the preaching activity of the saint.

Iconostasis of the Church of John the Baptist on Presnya.

19th century

In Moscow, during the French invasion of Napoleonic army and fire, the monastery of John the Baptist was burned and destroyed.

All buildings burned down except the cathedral church. The nuns managed to hide in advance and send part of the church treasures to Vologda. But still, the monastery suffered such irreparable damage that it was abolished for more than half a century and ceased to exist. Its main cathedral church has been given parish status.

In 1860, the restoration of the monastery began and the reconstruction of the main monastery cathedral, based on the design of Mikhail Bykovsky, in the image of the Italian basilica in Florence. Construction lasted more than 20 years with money from the will of Lieutenant Colonel Elizaveta Mazurina with the personal participation and guardianship of Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov).

1880

St. John the Baptist Convent was reopened at the end of the 19th century as the only monastery in Moscow, and Abbess Raphaila became its first abbess. The monastery was quickly settled by sisters, rebuilt and began to flourish, becoming a famous and attractive place for pilgrims from all over the country.

Revived shrines: Church of the Baptist near the walls of the Novodevichy Convent

Today in Moscow the ancient Church of the Beheading of the Holy Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord John on the Maiden Field has been restored. This temple is a contemporary of the Novodevichy Convent. Like the entire monastery, its construction was the fulfillment of the Grand Duke’s vow for the annexation of Smolensk, the ancient homeland of the Russian princes.

CONCEPT OF REVIVAL OF THE TEMPLE OF JOHN THE PRESENTER

In 1525, the temple was built in wood for the residents of the monastery settlement, who were baptized, married and buried there. In the second half of the 16th century, on the site of the wooden church, a new one was built of brick about 35 m high. It was tented, like the Church of St. Nikita the Martyr in the village of Elizarovo and the Church of the Nativity of Christ in the village of Besedy. At the end of the 17th century, due to the increased number of parishioners, a chapel was built next to the brick tented church - a small five-domed church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The temple ensemble existed until 1812.

During the French occupation of Moscow, the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist with the chapel of St. Nicholas became one of the few Moscow churches blown up by order of Napoleon. In 1816, a new church was built on another site for the residents of the settlement near Devichye Pole, consecrated in the name of the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, who are commemorated on the day when Napoleon’s troops left Moscow. In the 1930s, this temple was also destroyed, but by order of the godless government.

For two centuries, the empty site of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist remained a wound inflicted on Moscow by the invasion of the “twelve tongues.” In 2012, in the year of the 200th anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' blessed the restoration of the church as a temple-monument to the feat of the Russian people, who liberated Europe from a tyrant.

However, there were no scientific and methodological grounds for a literal restoration of the appearance of the blown up church, since before 1812 there were no, and could not have been, recording drawings. Without having information about profiling, about exact elevation marks, about the relationship of parts, it was only possible to create an average likeness of the lost work of hipped-roof architecture, which does not have its individual characteristics, which remain unknown to us. Therefore, the authors of the project abandoned attempts to literally reproduce the forms of the blown up building. Despite all the fragmentation of data on the appearance of the temple destroyed in 1812, its typological affiliation was not in doubt. Therefore, the authors justifiably chose the type of tent temple. Thus, a continuity connection with the previous structure is established. The site of the lost temple is located in the buffer zone of the UNESCO site, and therefore the new building should not have changed the value characteristics of the urban surroundings of the monastery ensemble, which made it necessary to limit its height to 19 meters. Another difficulty was that the park laid out on the site of the church is a cultural heritage site. It was necessary to fit the new building into the boundaries of the territory free from tree plantings of the park. The layout of the park and the general urban planning situation made it preferable to locate the new church along the north-east axis, i.e., parallel to the highway and the walls of the monastery. This practice was well known in Moscow, where churches erected on sites along existing streets were often placed in accordance with their orientation.

So, at the temple of the Alexievsky Monastery and, after it, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the axis of the altar is directed along the road and river, to the northeast, and so at many churches on the Tsaritsyna (B. Pirogovskaya) street, for example, at the temple of St. Demetrius of Prilutsky . The Church of the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, closest to the Novodevichy Convent, had a similar orientation (even documents have been preserved in which the ktitor of the renewed temple asked permission to build a new church in the direction of the spring-summer east).

As a result, unlike the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in the 1560s, which stood near the walls of the monastery on a vast field, the new temple with the same dedication had to be restored under different conditions, with the already existing city route along the eastern wall of the Novodevichy Convent. Therefore, it was decided to place it along the north-east axis, adhering to the direction of the Kremlin, in accordance with the old Moscow tradition.

Before the start of construction, in 2013 and 2015, the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, within the framework of the program of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow, conducted scientific excavations at a selected site. The southwestern corner and the site of the southern apse of the 16th-century temple, part of the refectory wall and the foundations of the 17th-century bell tower were revealed. Although the foundations of the temple walls were entirely chosen back in the late 1810s for the construction of the Church of the Fathers of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, archaeologists confidently reconstructed the plan based on the traces of ditches and spots of piles driven into their bottom. All finds, including an excellent collection of tombstones with the names of famous and unknown parishioners of the temple from the mid-16th to 17th centuries, were carefully studied and prepared for display in the future museum of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist.

The composition of the new temple is based on the design traditional for tented churches of the mid-second half of the 16th century - a quadrangle, the transition from which to an octagon is decorated with kokoshniks. The ribs of the tent, resting on a quadrangle, are highlighted in edges. The tent is crowned with a round drum with a small onion-shaped head. The constructive scheme of the transition from the quadrangle to the octagon is revealed in the interior of the temple. Adjacent to the quadrangle from the west is a small vestibule on which a single-span belfry is built. The apse of the church has a faceted shape. Under the entire church building there is a basement intended to house an archaeological museum. The authors of the project created a new look for the tented temple of the early 21st century, designed to recall the image of the 16th century temple, blown up in 1812. Therefore, the iconostasis in the newly built church is associated with the appearance of the tyablo iconostases of the 16th century, but at the same time represents a new work, stylistically linked to the entire building. The new icon painting follows the medieval tradition, but the icon painters did not copy well-known examples, adhering to the iconography and stylistic features of Russian art of the 16th century. The icons in the local row of the iconostasis are associated with the memory of the dedication of thrones in the blown up temple, as well as the events of the Patriotic War of 1812. Thus, the local image of St. Nicholas was built in memory of the dedication of the throne of the blown up St. Nicholas chapel, and the image of the “Triumph of Orthodoxy”, associated with the acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, in memory of the day of the expulsion of Napoleon’s troops from Moscow, as well as the temple built in memory of this event . The image of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky is associated with the memory of Emperor Alexander the Blessed, who prayed to his patron saint to expel the enemy from the borders of the Russian state. The local image of the Savior - “Savior of Smolensk” - recalls both the miracle of the expulsion of Magmet-Girey’s troops from Moscow in 1521, and the capture of Smolensk in 1524 - the event that caused the creation of the Novodevichy Convent.

A.L. Batalov, prof., doctor. arts

CHRONICLE OF THE TEMPLE REVIVAL

The decision to recreate the temple was made by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, the elected President of Russia V.V. Putin and His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill on May 6, 2012, when they participated in the ceremony of returning to the Novodevichy Convent from the State Historical Museum of Iverskaya icons of the Mother of God.

The revival of the temple was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the victory over the French conquerors.

Chronicles date the appearance of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist to the time of the founding of the Novodevichy Monastery, i.e. to 1525 “in the summer of 7033... The same spring, when the New Devich Monastery was erected near the city of Moscow behind the suburb near the monastery of St. Sava, and in it the Church of the Most Pure Mother of God Odegetria to The origin of the honorable cross, and Prokhor, and Nikanor, and Timon, and Parmena, and the warm church of Saint Ambrose of Mediolam, and outside the monastery the Church of the Beheading of Ivan the Baptist.” The temple was built with a tent, five domes, and brick. It was located near the eastern wall of the Novodevichy Convent. In 1812, the temple was blown up by the French during their retreat from Moscow.

* * *

On June 8, 2012, a meeting was held at the Moscow Novodevichy Convent on the issue of restoration reconstruction of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist of the Moscow Novodevichy Convent.

The meeting on the reconstruction of the temple was attended by Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna, Prefect of the Central Administrative District S. L. Baidakov, Head of the Moscow City Heritage Department A. V. Kibovsky, Abbess of the Novodevichy Convent Margarita (Feoktistova), Secretary of the Moscow Diocesan Administration Archpriest Alexander Ganaba, economist Moscow Diocesan Administration Priest Mikhail Konyukhov, Deputy Director of the Charitable Foundation of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church for the restoration of the en-semble of the Novodevichy Convent S. V. Marants, Deputy Head of the Department of Moscow Mountain Heritage L. V. Kondrashov, Deputy Head of the Department of Interregional Cooperation, National Policy and Relations with religious organizations of the city of Moscow K. L. Blazhenov and his employees V. A. Zenina and T. A. Nasetkina, deputy prefect of the Central Administrative District A. V. Litoshin, from the construction and reconstruction department - A. M. Chapaev, from the housing and communal services department - A L. Shvetsov, head of the Khamovniki district administration V. G. Azarov, from the General Directorate for the repair and operation of roads, improvement and landscaping of the territory of the Central Administrative District - G. A. Aralova, from the Moskomarkhitektura - I. N. Voskresensky, head of the department of culture S A. Polovinkin, from the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences - L. A. Belyaev, from the Prefecture of the Central Administrative District - N. N. Radetskaya.

At the meeting it was decided to create a working group. The timing and procedure for carrying out preliminary work on archaeological research were considered, those responsible for the collection of archival documents were appointed, the preliminary procedure and sources of financing for design work and work on the reconstruction of the temple were determined, the issues of carrying out all upcoming work in the conditions of designated zones for the protection of a historical and cultural monument were discussed, date of laying the stone at the site of the temple.

* * *

On September 11, 2012, on the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', at the eastern wall of the Novodevichy Convent, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsa and Kolomna consecrated the foundation stone of the restored Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist.

Before the start of the prayer service, addressing high government officials, clergy, monastics and pilgrims, Metropolitan Yuvenaly said: “Today we will witness an event of historical and spiritual significance. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the foundation stone of the restored temple in honor of the Beheading of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John will be consecrated. As archaeological excavations have shown, it was located exactly in this place.

This church was erected in the 16th century and was actually the same age as the Novodevichy Convent. Therefore, we can rightfully speak of it as an integral part of the ensemble of the monastery, both in the spiritual and aesthetic sense. Evidence of this is the ancient images that have reached us, and one of the monastery towers is called Predtechenskaya.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, the Novodevichy Convent was occupied by the enemy army and subjected to desecration, since the invaders were obsessed with the ideology of godlessness and disliked Orthodoxy. The Temple of the Beheading was blown up. During the retreat, the French planned to destroy the Novodevichy Convent, but by a miracle of God this barbaric plan was foiled.

We thank God that today we can contribute to the restoration of the original historical appearance of the Novodevichy Convent, included by UNESCO in the list of world heritage, namely, the revival of the Temple of the Beheading of John the Baptist, our ancient shrine, which belonged to it.

It is deeply symbolic that the decision to recreate the Church of the Baptist was made in the year of the 200th anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. In the Russian Orthodox Church, on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist, the commemoration of soldiers who died on the battlefields is traditionally performed. It is not difficult to imagine that two centuries ago it was a day of unprecedented national grief and mourning. After all, just the day before, on the Borodino field, in a fierce battle, tens of thousands of the best sons of Russia sacrificed themselves for the salvation of their native land.

Speaking about the spiritual significance of today's event, I would like to point out that the construction of the temple destroyed by the evil will and the comprehensive resumption of monastic activity in the ancient monastery are related in meaning stages of the revival of the ancient Novodevichy Convent. We rejoice at what is happening, since these achievements are evidence of the much-needed spiritual revival for our people, a return to paternal traditions and the holy Orthodox faith.

I am sure that the sons and daughters of Russia, and especially Muscovites, will happily learn about today’s event and will not stand aside from the creation and beautification of the sacred monument to the piety of our ancestors.”

At the prayer service, His Eminence was co-served by Bishop Gregory of Mozhaisk, Bishop Nikolai of Balashikha, Secretary of the Moscow Diocesan Administration Archpriest Alexander Ganaba, clergy of the Novodevichy Convent and the Moscow Diocese. At the consecration, the prefect of the Central Administrative District of Moscow S.L. Baidakov and other officials prayed, Abbess Margarita (Feoktistova) with the sisters of the monastery and numerous parishioners, and the monastic choir of the monastery sang. At the end of the prayer service, eternal memory and statutory longevity were proclaimed to the leaders and soldiers killed on the battlefield.

* * *

On July 8, 2014, a press conference was held at the Novodevichy Convent on the topic “Restoring the Lost Temples of Moscow.” The conference discussed the issues of recreating the lost churches of Moscow: the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist at the Novodevichy Convent, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Preobrazhenskaya Square and the progress of the restoration of the Moscow Diocesan House with the Church of St. Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir.

The conference was attended by: Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation V. I. Resin, Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna Yuvenaly, Chief Specialist Expert of the Department of Control, Supervision and Licensing in the Field of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture of Russia N. V. Filatova, Assistant Advisor on Issues culture of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Tolstoy S.V. Popov, rector of the Orthodox St. Tikhon's Humanitarian University Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov, rector of the Church of Sophia, the Wisdom of God Archpriest Vladimir Volgin, Honored Architect of Russia A.N. Obolensky, abbess of the Mother of God of Smolensk Novodevichy Convent Abbess Margarita (Feoktistova), director of the Center for Traditional Russian Culture “Preobrazhenskoye” I.K. Rusakomsky and others.

Metropolitan Yuvenaly made a presentation on the restoration of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist. He said, in particular:

“The Church of the Baptist was included in the Synod of victims of the French occupation along with the cathedral belfries and towers of the Moscow Kremlin. However, unlike the Kremlin buildings blown up by the French and restored by order of Emperor Alexander I, our church was not raised from the ruins.

But at the request of its patron, a Moscow merchant, in 1816, a little further from the walls of the monastery, a new church was built for the residents of Novodevichya Sloboda in the name of the Holy Fathers of the VII Ecumenical Council, whose memory was celebrated in 1812 on the very day when Napoleon’s troops left Moscow. Literally all the stone and brick remaining from the blown-up Church of the Forerunner was used to lay the foundations of this church, and in the church itself a chapel of the Beheading of the Head of the Forerunner was built in his memory. In the 1930s, by order of the Soviet government, the majestic Seventh Ecumenical Temple was blown up in the same way as its “forerunner” by the French.

Currently, on the Maiden Field there are two gaping wounds inflicted on the Moscow shrine by the godless French and the godless government, and the land, once consecrated by thrones, is trampled underfoot by passers-by. It is deeply symbolic that the decision to recreate the Baptist Church - a witness temple, a martyr temple - was made by Russian President V.V. Putin and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in the year of the 200th anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.

One cannot help but see in this the restoration of historical justice and the fulfillment of the sacred duty of memory. Moreover, in the Russian Orthodox Church there is a tradition on the day of the “Glorious Beheading of the Baptist” to remember the soldiers who died on the battlefields. This church will become a worthy monument to Russian soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield for the Faith and Fatherland, to our pious Muscovite ancestors who suffered during the French occupation, and to all the Orthodox Christians who are resting in that place.

The Great and Glorious Forerunner of the Lord Himself, “the pain of all born of women,” will intercede for us with his powerful prayers before the Throne of the Most High.”

The press conference continued in the park, at the site of the planned reconstruction of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist at the Novodevichy Convent. The architect and author of the temple construction project, I.V. Utkin, told television reporters about the work on the project and the plan to recreate this unique monument of Orthodox culture.

* * *

On March 23, 2015, Metropolitan Yuvenaly gave his blessing to begin collecting donations for the construction of the Church of St. John the Baptist as part of the “named bricks” campaign.

* * *

On September 18, 2015, Metropolitan Yuvenaly consecrated the crosses on the domes of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist near the walls of the Novodevichy Convent.

His Eminence was concelebrated with the Secretary of the Moscow Diocesan Administration, Archpriest Mikhail Egorov, as well as the clergy of the Novodevichy Convent.

The consecration was attended by the general director of the Baltic Construction Company Igor Naivaldt, the abbess of the Novodevichy Convent Margarita (Feoktistova) and the sisters of the monastery, employees of the Moscow Diocesan Administration and the Church Museum.

After the general prayer, Metropolitan Yuvenaly addressed all those gathered:

“Beloved in the Lord!

Over the past years, I have repeated many times that I feel like a happy person. At the dawn of my youth and in subsequent years, I, together with the Church and our people, lived through the era of theomachism and atheism. Having entered a new era of free Russia, I am constantly rejoicing and inspired by the fact that this time is marked by the creation and revival of our spiritual culture, the restoration of destroyed shrines and the construction of new churches.

I remember how on May 6, 2012, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin visited our monastery together with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, when our national shrine, the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, was returned to the monastery. And then I had the courage to say that we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812. But this conqueror is associated with a sad page in the history of not only Russia and Moscow, but, in particular, the Novodevichy Convent, because a temple dedicated to the Beheading of John the Baptist was blown up near its walls. And then I told Vladimir Vladimirovich how good it would be that on this anniversary we began the construction of a memorial church in honor of John the Baptist. And from that same day, by the will of our President and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, a temple began to be erected on this site. It is one of the two hundred churches that are being erected in Moscow with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. I, as a diocesan bishop, would like to remind you that spiritual creation is taking place not only in Moscow and in the vast expanses of Russia, but also in the diocese that I head, in the Moscow region, because over the past time, one might say, there are already 1000 churches restored from ruins and 400 new ones built. My pain is that there are still 253 churches left in ruins, waiting for donors, builders, and Orthodox Christians to fill them. And here we have happy examples that not only church, but also secular authorities are undertaking to restore destroyed shrines.

In the Kolomna region, for example, in the village of Shkin, there is an ancient temple that was in ruins, literally perishing, being destroyed, but with the good will of Nikolai Pavlovich Ovsienko, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District, it began to be restored. And Nikolai Pavlovich became the head of the Board of Trustees for the restoration of this temple. This year, on the patronal feast of the church, on Spiritual Day, I celebrated the Divine Liturgy there and saw literally a sea of ​​people who came to pray and see this miracle of the return of the shrine of the Church of Christ. And this is true not only in the village of Shkin. Last year, with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, we created the Moscow Diocese Charitable Foundation for the restoration of destroyed shrines. Together with the Governor of the Moscow Region, Andrei Yuryevich Vorobyov, we are taking care to reduce the time frame for the revival of these shrines as much as possible and bring them back to life as quickly as possible. Therefore, you can understand me with what joy and jubilation I see the fulfillment of the words of Christ, Who said: “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Could our people in the last century think, seeing the destruction of our shrines, that we would again repeat these words spoken by our Lord?! At this place, where the temple has already been erected and the cross on its dome has been consecrated, we confirm the immutability of this promise of Christ the Savior. I would like to wish that the faith of Christ will live forever in the hearts of our people. Amen!"

Soviet time

In 1917, more than three hundred nuns lived in the Ivanovo Convent, who dressed the Russian army soldiers during the First World War, and after the revolution, the Red Army soldiers with uniforms.

But this does not last long: the monastery was among the very first to be closed, and by the middle of 1918 it was turned into the “Ivanovo Correctional House on Solyanka”, and the sisters were replaced by concentration camp prisoners, the number of whom in the 20s reached four hundred. Most of the buildings and territory are placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Many ministers and nuns were arrested and exiled.

The main churches continued to operate as parish churches until 1927, after which they were taken away. These buildings housed the state archive and the camp red corner.

Troparion and Kontakion for the Feast of the Cathedral of John the Baptist

Troparion, p®techi, voice, v7.

Remembrance of the righteous with 8 praises, you are satisfied with the testimony of more than anything else, kwi1l bo sz є3si2 truly the most honest prophet, ћko and 3 in 8 bhstrinakh krti1ti spod0bilsz є3si2 preached. at the same time, having truly suffered. He preached the gospel of the world, and of the world that gives us great mercy.

Code, voice, *7. self-voice.=

Pl0tskagw thi2 will come, with0 fear of return. The prophetic ministry is completed by the awe of the Holy Spirit. ѓgGlstіi chi1ni divlskhusz, zrsshe tz in the waters of flesh kRschaema. and3 all2 that exist in this enlightenment, praising tS ћvlshagosz, and3 enlightenment of everything.

Renewal of the monastery

The Monastery of John the Baptist has been revived since 1990, when churches and some buildings in Moscow began to be returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. From that time on, active restoration of the main buildings of the monastery complex and the interior decoration of churches began and has not yet stopped.

In 2002, the first abbess was appointed to the convent after a long break, and the renewed monastery was given stauropegic status.

History of the Church of John the Baptist

• 17th century It is believed that its construction was completed in 1685. This hypothesis is not hampered by the fact that the year 1686 is written on the image “The Birth of John the Baptist”. The exit was located to the west and led to Vagankov (not the burial, but where the St. Nicholas Church stands). On the right side was the courtyard of Bartholomew, and on the left were the courtyards of the Baptist clergy, which were mentioned in the inventories;
• 18 century. Sloboda on Presnya developed. The census book of 1696 says that there were more than 300 households, a significant part of which were under St. Nicholas parish. In 1702, there were more than 230 households in the parish alone. In 1714, a decree was issued according to which the church would be made of stone. Construction was interrupted by a decree banning construction with stone. In 1728 it was canceled and the construction of the temple continued. In 1731, priest Peter was asked to consecrate the temple. In 1734 he consecrated it;

• 1800-1850. In 1804 the bell tower was destroyed. Its appearance was clearly inappropriate and outdated. It was decided to make a three-story bell tower in the classicist style from stone 2500 cm high with a cross. It took 4 years to build from 1806, the construction was led by Fyodor Rezanov. The lower tier was a rectangle that served as a passage to the temple. There were no such bell towers anywhere before. The project was created by Fedor Shestakov. In 1843, the southern part of Sophia of the Wisdom of God was consecrated;
• 1850-1900. In May 1889, it was proposed to demolish all the buildings and make a house and several other buildings out of stone. After the construction was completed in the summer of 1892, they began to build another residential building, and in 1893 they consecrated and opened a school;
• 1917-1990. March 1922. The government confiscated jewelry from temples, and this building did not stand aside. On March 31, they were confiscated from this place as well. There are a couple of “secret” reports left from member of the Provincial Commission F. Medved. It says that then and on April 1, a lot of silver, 17 grams of gold, 23 diamonds and 2 rubies were confiscated from there. In 1930 the bell was deprived. After the war, restoration of the temple began. In the 60s, major renovations took place. The golden color of the Royal Gate was restored, the brass grilles were replaced with a marble balustrade. The walls were made of marble. The paintings were restored, the chandeliers were updated;

• Nowadays. In the 90s, the temple was renovated: the roof was made of sheet copper, the cross was gilded. They installed icons and restored the images on the tin above the dining room windows. According to the decree of the Moscow leadership, the land of thirteen acres was returned. In the years after the war, it became one of the most unpopular in the most respected temple. For fifteen years there has been a school there that spiritually feeds patients from the 19th hospital;

Monastery today

A larger number of historical buildings and church structures do not belong to the monastery, and are still under the jurisdiction of the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Some of them gradually collapse without proper care.

St. John the Baptist Monastery is actively developing. Restoration and restoration work continues.

The monastery has an icon-painting workshop and small sewing factories. Widespread spiritual educational activities are carried out.

Monastery architecture

The Monastery of John the Baptist in Moscow and beyond is famous for its magnificent main cathedral of the Beheading of John the Baptist (1879), the prototype of which was the famous Cathedral of Florence.

The impressive size of the faceted dome and the severity of the lines of the cathedral erected by Bykovsky attract the attention of townspeople and tourists. Here the best elements of the Renaissance are organically intertwined with Russian classicism, antiquity with ancient Russian architecture.

On the western side of the facade there are two symmetrical hipped bell towers with a monumental portal of the Holy Gate built in 1860. Paired towers with crenellated decoration mark the entrance.

To the east of the central church there are cells and a hospital building with the house church of the Venerable Wonderworker Elizabeth, built in 1879, restoration completed in 1995.

The construction of the western buildings of the cells extended over a longer period from 1760 to 1830. In the northwestern part there is a refectory building.

Adjacent to the ancient monastery fence is a low, one-story building from the late 19th century with an elegant portal; restoration work was completed in 1992. It now houses the Chapel of St. John the Baptist.

About the temple

If you drive into Moscow along the Reutov overpass, you can see how on the right side of the road, above the thick crowns of trees, the crosses of a small church with an elegant bell tower are burning in gold. This is the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Ivanovo. The history of the temple is inseparable from the history of Ivanovsky itself, which is now one of the districts of the Eastern Administrative District of the capital.

In the 17th century, and it was to this period that the first documentary mention of our temple dates back to, Ivanovskoye was part of the palace economy of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Izmailovo, the former patrimony of the Romanov boyars. In the middle of the 16th century, Izmailovo was granted by Tsar Ivan the Terrible to governor Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin - Yuryev, the brother of the sovereign's wife, Queen Anastasia. From the beginning of the 17th century, Izmailov was owned by Mikhail Feodorovich’s uncle, boyar Ivan Nikitich Romanov.

Temple in 1998-1999

In 1612, the Time of Troubles began, under the banners of False Demetrius, Polish-Lithuanian invaders poured into our Fatherland. Regular troops and the following gangs of marauders plundered and destroyed the cities and towns of the Russian Land. By the middle of the 17th century, Izmailovo and its surroundings, like many dozens of Russian villages and hamlets that had been attacked by invaders, were desolate. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich took charge of their arrangement, and the local lands passed to him. Located seven miles from the capital, Izmailovo took a special place among the numerous palace estates. Alexey Mikhailovich loved to be here; on his lands he created a flourishing farm with gardens, vegetable gardens, greenhouses, apiaries, fish ponds and even his own menagerie.

In 1663, the reorganization of the Izmailovo sovereign estate began: about a thousand peasant families from other palace parishes were resettled here. At this time, Ivanovskoye, along with Cherkizov and Nikolsky, is a “settlement” of the royal palace village of Izmailovo. Each of the villages had its own farm serving the palace village. In Ivanovskoye, a flour mill was built “with an earthen dam 170 long, 11 wide, 2 fathoms high,” as well as two ponds where crucian carp and tench were fed for the sovereign’s table. In 1666–1667, to satisfy the spiritual needs of the Ivanovo peasants, a wooden church was built in honor of the Nativity of the honest, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, with boundaries in the name of St. Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia and the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. The Scribe Book under 1676 states:

“in Moscow, a newly built church in the Moscow district, in the Radonezh tithe, was imposed with tribute by the great sovereign of the palace village of Izmailov in the village of Ivanovsky, and on that church, by decree of the Patriarch and according to the note on the extract of the clerk Perfily Semennikov, according to the tale of that church priest, a tribute of 10 altyns was imposed 2 money, hryvnia check-in and it was ordered to take the money from that church for that salary from 7178 (1670) and write from now on.”

The icons for the temple were created by the isographer Sergiy Rozhkov “from the comrades”. Initially, the church was tented, like the churches of the surrounding villages - Izmailov and Cherkizov.

Iconostasis of our temple

At the beginning of the 17th century, rural parish churches of the Moscow district were divided into tithes, among which, as is known from the parish salary books of the Patriarchal Treasury Order of 1628, there was the Radonezh tithe. It included villages located from the Cross Outpost of Moscow on both sides of the Pereyaslavskaya (Troitskaya) road to the borders of Dmitrov and Vladimir districts. Ivanovskoye, as well as Perovo, Alekseevskoye, Izmailovo, Cherkizovo, Nikolskoye, Golyanovo and Zevalovo - Shchukino, was part of the Vasiltsov camp of the Radonezh tithe, which had perhaps the largest amount of uncultivated land and deserted villages compared to other camps adjacent to Moscow. According to the testimony of the deacon of the Church of John the Baptist, Evseika Fedorov:

“there is no church land and no hay for that church, but they give the priest and his sexton the sovereign’s grain and cash salary (rugu) from the Order of the Great Palace, and that church was built in 7175 (1667).”

According to the Ruzhnaya Book of 1699, the specified sovereign's salary was issued:

“to the Church of John the Baptist the priest 10 rubles, rye 10 chetyi, oats also, sexton 5 rubles, rye and oats 6 chetyi each, sexton 4 rubles, rye and oats 5 chetyi each, malt 3 rubles, rye and oats 3 chetyi each, for prosphora even with octopus.”

In the same book, regarding the clergy of the St. John’s parish, it is noted:

“If there are no lands and parish yards and no other income for them, then give them the ruba in full.”

Until 1676, Ivanovskoye was listed in the Order of Secret Affairs, and then the Order of the Grand Palace. The parish of the temple was small: by 1700, according to a report submitted by a local priest with clerics:

“there are no peasant households and wastelands and shops and other income behind them, and parish ones - they have only 10 households.”

It is noteworthy that the Order of the Grand Palace had other information at this time:

“in that village there are 69 peasant and bobyl households, of which 33 households are parishioners’ and are located in the village of Izmailovo, and in the same village there are 15 empty peasant households.”

On July 11, 1700, the Great Sovereign, after listening to the extract presented by the Order, ordered:

“Do not give that village priest Ivanovo the priest and the clerks a favor and pay him out of his salary, but be content with the alms of the parish people.”

Almost nothing is known about those who served in the church in the 17th-18th centuries: there is information that in 1717 there were three clergy at the Church of John the Baptist who bore the surname Sidorov and, apparently, were related to each other: priest Dmitry Sidorov, sexton Ivan Sidorov and sexton Afanasy Sidorov. In the years 1712-1739, the Ivanovo parish paid 23 altyn 4 money in church tribute, which at that time was an insignificant amount, therefore, it was not among the crowded. The map of 1766 shows the only Ivanovsky street running parallel to the Bolshoy Vladimirsky tract. To the north of it there is a church, and next to it there is a pond.

In 1801, the current temple was built, which in its architectural appearance belongs to the style of early classicism. By the 19th century, the village of Ivanovskoye was located on the outskirts of a vast meadow - part of the regular park of the Kuskovo estate, which belonged to the Sheremetev counts. In 1812, the French ruled here, as well as in the surrounding villages.

View of the temple in 1997

In a letter dated September 17, 1812, Lieutenant General Prince Golitsyn wrote to Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov:

“My adjutant, having learned from a peasant that the French were plundering 11 versts from Moscow in the village of Ivanovskoye, let the Cossacks know, who, waiting until nightfall, attacked them and captured everyone, of whom they wounded two. There was no loss on our part. 11 prisoners: 7 Prussians, 3 Poles, 1 French; during the convoy they were escorted to Vladimir to the city’s civil governor.”

The French looters, who generally had a cynical and blasphemous attitude towards shrines, did not spare Orthodox churches. This, in particular, is evidenced by the reports received by the Moscow Ecclesiastical Consistory from rural priests of the Moscow region about their readiness to consecrate their churches after the retreat of the French. Such a report in November 1812 was submitted from Ivanovsky’s inner circle, namely, from the church in the village of Nikolsky. Most likely, the general bitter fate did not escape the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, however, it was restored to its previous order by the diligence of the parishioners.

Around 1842, the interior of the church underwent significant changes: a team of restorers working here in 1979 discovered that it was in the third quarter of the 19th century that a complete recording of the original wall paintings was made, with changes in composition and color. At the time of updating the painting, the nature of the location of the images and their selection were indicated. At the same time, the temple iconostasis was repainted in an ivory color with gilding of individual parts, and it remained in this form for quite a long time, more than a century. To the north of the temple, a chapel is marked on 19th-century maps; about five hundred meters northwest of the church fence there was a Holy Well. A cemetery was formed around the temple, where local residents were buried. For some time, the Church of the Holy Image of the Savior in the nearby village of Gubino (Gireevo), built in 1718 by Prince Ivan Alekseevich Golitsyn on his estate and did not have its own clergy, was assigned to the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.

According to data from 1859, Ivanovskoye was located in the Appanage Department; it consisted of 84 households and 570 residents. After the abolition of serfdom, the village belonged to the Pekhorskaya volost of the Moscow district. At the end of the 19th century, there were already 138 households here, and the population numbered 654 people. Literacy rates were low and villagers were engaged in agriculture, growing potatoes, vegetables and grains. Most of them worked in nearby small private factories owned by Moscow merchants. According to the 1926 census, there were 1,275 people in Ivanovo. During collectivization, the collective farm “Forward” was organized in the village, but a significant part of the residents of Ivanovsky continued to work in the factories of Reutov and Perov. The temple remained the spiritual center of the village, and people were drawn to it: even rural youth after work gathered for festivities accompanied by an accordion at the eastern fence of the church.

During the period of the most difficult atheistic persecution in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist managed to avoid the fate of most Moscow churches - it never closed, although attempts to do so were made more than once. At the end of the forties, military personnel from a nearby military unit stationed on the territory of what is now Terletsky Park made a call to close and demolish the temple. The military went to the houses of local residents, trying to collect signatures in support of their “initiative,” but no one signed, and the church was preserved. It is very likely that they were forced to do this by the local authorities, who wanted to thus get rid of the “hotbed of religious intoxication.”

In 1960, Ivanovskoye found itself within the boundaries of Moscow, the new boundaries of which were defined by the Moscow ring road. Mass housing construction began here in 1971. Wooden houses were demolished, and the villagers themselves moved to new microdistricts in the capital. Very few of the indigenous inhabitants of Ivanovo managed to remain living in the same place as before. Eyewitnesses still recall with pain in their hearts how blooming cherry and apple orchards were bulldozed to clear space for a construction site. On the pages of the book “Journey through New Moscow,” journalist Lev Kolodny then cheerfully reported:

“Ten years ago I was here (in Ivanovskoye) and saw this large village, above its huts towered a stone church with a bell tower, a refectory in the style of Russian classicism, the beginning of the last century. Then there was still the board of the state farm here, which was planning to move beyond the ring road that divided the village in half.... I enter Ivanovskoye and see: now it is crossed by wide streets, where tall multi-storey buildings of Moscow stand.... Almost everything is built up here.”

The surviving Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist remained the only building that pleased the eye against the backdrop of panel boxes built in the tradition of faceless Soviet architecture, devoid of the slightest national features.

A new street of Steelworkers ran close to the temple fence, and the Holy Well was filled in. The small cemetery church continued to be the only place of prayer for thousands of residents of the Ivanovskoye and Perovo microdistricts, as well as the rapidly expanding town of Reutov near Moscow. There is information that in the middle of the 20th century, representatives of the same Romaneev family alternately served as rectors in the temple. The priests lived at the church in a small one-story log house, which was preserved until the nineties.

The history of St. John the Baptist Church, which was closely connected with the life of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th century, contains many glorious pages. In the seventies, a prominent Orthodox theologian and inspired preacher, Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, who served in England, visited Russia and performed divine services in our church. The Metropolitan also came to Ivanovo in 1988, when the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' was celebrated.

For many years, Archpriests Nikolai Vedernikov and Mikhail Shevchenko served at the parish - zealous and kind shepherds, who with their sincerity and fiery faith awakened love for God in the hearts of many people. With their pastoral talents they managed to attract many young people into the church, but the core of the parish at that time was made up of older people, mostly women. Simple and humble prayer books, filled with the deepest piety, they managed to preserve the Faith, passing it on to their children and grandchildren. Among those whose names are especially memorable to us living today is Ivan Mikhailovich Sokolov, who was a parishioner of our church for twenty years, and then took upon himself the difficult burden of ktitor’s service. For everyone who knew him, Ivan Mikhailovich was a living example of a truly Christian life. He came to the temple after dark, before everyone else, and was the last to go home. This amazingly kind, intelligent and warm-hearted man knew how not only to be a strict and zealous owner, but also had a wonderful sense of humor and always knew how to support a depressed person with a good joke.

Most of the former parishioners of the temple, who bore the hardships of the atheistic years on their shoulders, have already gone to the Lord. At each service in the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, a conciliar prayer is offered for the repose of the souls of the departed servants of God: St. John, Mary, Evdokia, Anna, Nadezhda, Nina, Alexandra, Anastasia, Tatiana, nun Photinia and many others, whose labors and prayers preserved the parish. The Lord honored many of them to become eyewitnesses of the revival of Orthodoxy, which began in 1988 with the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. From a purely church event, the anniversary turned into a truly national celebration, awakening among our compatriots an interest in Orthodoxy, in the rich and glorious spiritual and historical heritage of the Russian state.

Elder Ivan Mikhailovich near the church house 1979

By decree of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Pimen dated November 17, 1989, Archpriest Pyotr Zakharov, who had previously served in the church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” in Pereyaslavskaya Sloboda, was appointed rector of the church. Father Peter had the opportunity to lead the parish community in a difficult but joyful time of church revival. During these years the number of parishioners increased significantly. Baptism took on a mass character, young and old stood together at the font, and on major holidays the former rural church sometimes could not accommodate everyone who wanted to participate in the common church prayer.

Father Peter Zakharov during the Liturgy

In 1990-1992, reconstruction of the temple began in order to increase its area. Extensions were made to the bell tower, one of which expanded the refectory, and the other housed the sacristy. The walls and roof underwent major reconstruction.

Temple courtyard in 1995

In 1991, the foundation of a new church house was laid: next to the old log house - the former clergy house, a whole complex arose from a baptismal temple with a marble font and a large building housing Sunday school classes and auxiliary utility rooms. An Orthodox literature store has appeared in the cozy church courtyard, and a candle stand has also been moved into the courtyard from the church.

Reconstruction of the temple - 1997

The internal appearance of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist has changed beyond recognition: new paintings appeared on the walls, the floor, previously covered with slabs of yellow-gray sandstone, was lined with gray granite. Without disturbing the integrity of the historical appearance of the church building, the old windows and doors in it were replaced with new, sealed ones, while at the same time installing modern ventilation and heat supply. In 1997–1998, due to cramped conditions and poor suitability for worship, the left side chapel in honor of St. Basil the Great was moved to the newly built baptismal church, and the right one, in honor of the Great Martyr and Victorious George, was moved as an attached altar to the main altar. The new iconostasis shines with gold, where ancient icons restored and cleaned of soot are placed. The new temple bells call people to prayer with joyful ringing: the young parishioners of the temple have thoroughly mastered the difficult art of ringing.

Interior of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist

On March 9, 1991, to celebrate the first and second finding of the head of John the Baptist, the temple was visited for the first time by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. About two hundred people gathered for the Patriarchal Liturgy; many, unable to enter the church, stood on the street throughout the service, listening to the words of prayer through the open windows and doors. Memories of this prayerful communication with the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church are especially dear to the parishioners of our church.

On July 7, 2013, on the patronal feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' visited the temple and led the service.

Nowadays, the life of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist flows in the same direction with the life of all Orthodox Moscow, its parishioners never remain aloof from general church events. They took part in religious processions in honor of the six hundredth anniversary of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, on the day of the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, together with their shepherds they prayed at the Patriarchal service at the site of mass executions at the former NKVD training ground in Butovo. Among the hundreds of Muscovites who annually come to Slavyanskaya Square on the day of remembrance of the holy Slavic enlighteners Cyril and Methodius, there are always believing residents of Ivanovo. Young people today are especially actively involved in parish life and carry out numerous obediences in the church. It is noteworthy that many of those who, several years ago in adolescence, first crossed the threshold of our church, subsequently chose the path of church service and are now clergy of Moscow parishes. They are being replaced by new generations: in the parish Sunday school, more than one hundred and twenty local children learn the basics of Orthodoxy. In addition to the Law of God, history and church singing, children are engaged in drawing and gold embroidery, and constantly go on excursions to churches and monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow region.

Sunday school at our temple

For the boys and girls who study in Sunday school, the temple has become a second home. Here they become familiar with the saving Truths of the Faith of Christ, and here they find new like-minded friends. Children's voices are constantly ringing in the churchyard, and this inspires confidence in the bright future of not only our church, but also our entire Fatherland.

Esipova Elena Vladimirovna - director of the Sunday school in 2000-2009. g.g.

External cladding

Of course, the appearance of the ancient monastery has undergone significant changes since its foundation. Now the walls are plastered and painted. But the carefully restored appearance of the cathedral and interiors gives some idea of ​​its original appearance in tsarist times.

Serious scientific restoration work is being carried out to recreate the temple paintings of the best masters of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts of the late 19th century. The entire architectural complex is surrounded by an ancient stone fence.

What does the monastery look like from the inside?

The layout of the monastery's courtyard is unique: the cathedral, all buildings and buildings are connected to each other by four one-story galleries (aracadas) located around the perimeter.

This originality dissects the internal territory into small cozy courtyards of rectangular and trapezoidal shapes.

Near the entrance to the small chapel in the monastery wall there is a refectory for parishioners, where you can eat delicious freshly baked pies or the monastery Lenten lunch.

Famous prisoners

In the 16th century, the monastery housed the nun Paraskeva, who in the world was the childless wife of the son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

Since 1768, the landowner “Saltychikha,” known to everyone for her unprecedented cruelty, served her sentence for more than thirty years.

And from the end of the 18th century, the forcibly tonsured natural daughter of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, better known as Princess Tarakanova, remained in monasticism for a quarter of a century. Later she accepted her fate and eventually became the great ascetic and elder Dosithea.

Cathedral of John the Baptist. history of the holiday

John the Baptist was born into the family of the priest Zechariah and the righteous Elizabeth . Zechariah and Elizabeth, having lived to old age, had no children. But the Lord heard their prayers, and Archangel Gabriel announced the birth of his son to the priest Zechariah while he was in the temple. When King Herod, having learned from the Magi about the birth of Jesus Christ, ordered to kill all the babies in Bethlehem, the mother of John the Baptist, Elizabeth, managed to leave with her son into the desert. His father, Zechariah, served in the Temple of Jerusalem these days. When they came to him with a demand to hand over his son, the priest replied: “I now serve the Lord God of Israel, but where my son is now, I don’t know.” Angry soldiers killed him right near the altar. Nothing is known about the childhood and youth of John the Baptist. John grew up in the wild and ethereal desert, preparing himself for prophetic service through strict fasting, contemplation of God and prayer. At the age of about 30, John went out preaching to the banks of the Jordan River, thereby preparing the people to accept the Savior of the world. Many, imbued with the words of the great preacher, were baptized in the waters of the Jordan. The Lord Jesus Christ himself came to the Jordan to receive baptism from John.

Baptism of the Lord, icon, 16th century

After the Baptism of the Savior, John continued his preaching, calling people to repentance, denouncing sins and vices. John the Baptist ended his earthly life as a martyr. He denounced King Herod Antipas (20 BC - after 39 AD) for leaving his lawful wife and cohabiting with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. John was captured and imprisoned. During the celebration of his birthday, Herod held a feast, to which many nobles, a thousand chiefs and elders were invited. Salome, the daughter of Herodias, appeared at the feast, who pleased the king with her dancing, and he ordered her to ask him for everything she wanted. She consulted with her mother, who, having decided to take revenge on John for his accusations, told her daughter to ask Herod for the head of John the Baptist. Herod was saddened; he feared the wrath of God for the murder of the Prophet, whom he himself had previously obeyed; he also feared the people who loved the holy Forerunner. However, because of the guests and the lawless oath, he sent a soldier to prison to cut off the head of John the Baptist and give it to Salome. The God-fearing and pious Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward, Khuza, secretly took the holy head of John the Baptist and buried it in an earthen vessel on the Mount of Olives. That same night, the disciples of the Forerunner took the holy body and buried it in Sebastia, where the murder was committed. When rumors reached the royal palace about the preaching of Jesus Christ and the miracles He performed, Herod and his wife Herodias went to check whether the head of John the Baptist was in place. Not finding her, they began to think that Jesus Christ is the resurrected John the Baptist, as evidenced by the Gospel (Matthew 14:2; Luke 9:9-7). The relics of John the Baptist (except for the head and right hand) were burned along with the Sebastian Temple by order of Emperor Julian the Apostate in 362.

Activities of the parish

The modern life of the parish of the convent of John the Baptist is very diverse and is developing in the following directions:

1. In 2008, a monastery museum was opened with unique historical exhibits, the collection of which from the population continues today.

2. Since 2012, theological courses of additional education for sisters began operating within the educational system of the Russian Orthodox Church.
3. For everyone who wishes, weekly classes are held at Sunday school, where the basics of the Law of God are studied.
4. On Sundays after the Divine Liturgy, catechetical conversations with parishioners are held in the home environment of the library.
5. Conferences, seminars and lectures are regularly held.
6. The village of Ostrov near Moscow became the site of the creation of an Almshouse or, as the sisters themselves call it, a “House of Consolation” for elderly women.

Divine service in the monastery

Every day morning and evening services are held in the churches of the monastery, during the day there is reading of the Psalter and obligatory commemoration of the living and the dead.

Every week on Mondays, in addition to Compline before major holidays, from 5 p.m. a prayer service to the holy Baptist of the Lord is performed with the reading of the akathist and the blessing of water.

Cathedral of John the Baptist. Holiday event

In the Orthodox Church, the custom has been established on the next day of the great feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God to honor the memory of those saints who served this sacred event in history. Thus, the day after Epiphany, the Church honors the holy prophet John the Baptist , who served the Baptism of Christ by laying his hand on the head of the Savior. The word “cathedral” means a meeting of people who give honor and praise to the holy prophet and Forerunner, John the Baptist of the Lord. John the Baptist is a great prophet who completes the history of the Old Testament Church and opens the era of the New Testament. “We celebrate the Council of the Honest Forerunner above tradition, as I served the mystery of divine baptism” (Great Menaion of Chetia, collected by All-Russian Metropolitan Macarius). The Holy Prophet John testified to the coming to earth of the Only Begotten Son of God, who took on human flesh. John the Baptist was honored to baptize Him in the waters of the Jordan and testified to the mysterious Appearance of the Most Holy Trinity on the day of the Baptism of the Savior.

Library of the Russian Faith Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Great Menaion of Cheti →

Read online in original

Shrines and patronal feasts

Many revered shrines in the Orthodox world are carefully preserved behind the ancient walls and are available to pilgrims and tourists of the Ivanovo Convent:

• The main shrine of all Orthodox Christians - a particle from the tree of the Holy Cross - is kept in the altar room.
• In the main church of the monastery there is the oldest miraculous icon of the Baptist John the Baptist, painted during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, with particles of relics.
• In addition, all day long in the chapel a copy of the image of John the Baptist with a metal hoop, the measure of the head of the great martyr, is available for veneration.
• Parts of the coffin of the Great Martyr Princess Elizabeth are known for their miraculous help.
• Tombstone of the holy schema-nun Martha, blessed old woman and famous ascetic of the monastery.
• Many revered miraculous icons and rare relics of the greatest Orthodox Saints.

Main patronal feasts	date
Beheading of John the Baptist	11 September
Nativity of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John	July 7
Conception of John the Baptist	October 6
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist	January 20th
Celebration in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary	July 21 and November 4
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia	May 22 and December 19

Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya, temple

Central Deanery
September 13, 2018

Parish of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya.

Address: 123242, Moscow, M. Predtechensky lane, 2 El. mail: Temple website: www.ioannpr.ru Phone/fax:

HISTORICAL REFERENCE

The parish of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya was founded in 1685, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Joachim of Moscow and All Rus'.

The modern building of the three-altar church was built in 1734. Architect unknown.

In 1806-1810 the bell tower was built.

In the 1890s, the workshop of the great Russian artist V. M. Vasnetsov worked in the temple. The paintings of the main temple were done by his hand.

The temple was the church-administrative center of Georgian parishes in Russia and had the status of a metochion of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Moscow.

The main altar is consecrated in honor of the Nativity of John the Baptist, the side chapels are in honor of the martyr John the Warrior and in the name of Sophia, the Wisdom of God.

The temple is one of the few in Moscow that was not closed under Soviet rule.

On July 7, 2010, on the feast of the Nativity of the venerable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' performed the rite of great consecration of the temple in connection with the fundamental restoration of the building and interior of the temple, as well as the reconstruction of the central altar.

SACRED TEMPLE

Ark with the relics of St. John the Baptist (three particles from Mount Athos). Cross with the relics of many saints of the Universal Church. Icons of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Martyr Tatiana and St. Mitrophan of Voronezh with the relics of these holy saints of God.

WORSHIP

On Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on the days of the twelve and great holidays - The early Divine Liturgy begins at 7.00, late at 9:30 on the eve of the All-Night Vigil at 17.00. On Monday at 17.00 akathist to St. John the Baptist (except for the days of Great Lent and the after-feast of the Twelve Feasts).

CLERGY

Metropolitan of Korsun and Western Europe ANTONY (Sevryuk Anton Yuryevich), rector. Born October 12, 1984. Education: St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and Academy On March 5, 2009, he was tonsured a monk. March 7, 2009 ordained as hierodeacon. On April 3, 2010 he was ordained hieromonk. On October 23, 2015, he was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Bogorodsk. On October 28, 2015 he was appointed rector of the temple.

Archpriest Valery Dmitrievich MISHIN, supernumerary cleric. Education: Moscow State University. Lomonosov. On June 4, 1993, he was ordained a deacon. May 22, 1998 – promoted to presbyter. On April 9, 2019, he was assigned to the staff.

Priest Dionisy Vasilievich LOBOV. Born March 11, 1976. Education: Orthodox St. Tikhon's Theological Institute, candidate of theology. On April 16, 2000, he was ordained to the rank of deacon. In 2002 - promoted to presbyter.

Priest Alexey Valerievich VORONTSOV. Born April 6, 1981. Education: secondary. On March 28, 2010, he was ordained to the rank of deacon. January 19, 2012 - to the rank of presbyter.

Priest Maxim BOYAROV. Born March 18, 1990. Education: Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy. September 29, 2013 ordained to the rank of deacon. On March 16, 2014 he was ordained to the rank of priest. April 17, 2022 sent to temporary service at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya.

Deacon Kirill Alexandrovich ZHURAVLEV.

Deacon Evgeny Vladimirovich KUZNETSOV. Born December 12, 1983 Education: Tobolsk Theological Seminary, Moscow Theological Academy January 1, 2010 ordained to the rank of deacon August 27, 2016 sent to temporary service at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya.

Deacon Sergei Pavlovich BOBROV. Born May 1, 1974. Education: Moscow Institute of Economics and Law. Ekaterinburg Theological Seminary.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Schedule of services, wedding ceremonies

Divine services are held every day: evening and all-night vigils begin at 17:00 daily, the liturgy is served on weekdays from 7:30, on Sundays and holidays it is celebrated an hour later from 8:30. You can confess on Sundays before the service from 7-30.

Every week on Mondays a water-blessing prayer is served with the reading of an akathist to St. John the Baptist at 17:00, on Thursdays in the Chapel from 16:00 - a prayer service can be performed to any saint at will.

At the Monastery of John the Baptist you can order any request: long-term commemoration of health or repose, magpie, submit a note for sisterhood, as well as conduct an individual unforgettable wedding ceremony or baptism of a baby in one of the most beautiful places in Moscow.

Article design: Vladimir the Great

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Joachim (1674-1690) His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Joachim blessed the construction of a new church on Presnya on May 24, 1685. Obviously, by the autumn of the same year the temple was erected. The construction of a small wooden temple did not take long. Its consecration took place, in all likelihood, in the fall of the same year. However, according to ancient Russian time calculation, this happened already in 1686 from the Nativity of Christ - after all, the beginning of the year was then counted from September 1.

It is unknown who exactly performed the rite of consecration of the temple, but a truly royal gift was presented for this event - three amazing icons, specially painted for this church. The temple image (an icon depicting a saint or an event of sacred history in whose honor this temple is consecrated) “The Nativity of St. John the Baptist,” in addition to its iconography, is also unique in that it has a signature indicating the authorship and time of writing.

It was created by the icon painter Efim Ivanov in 1686, i.e., timed to coincide with the consecration of the temple. The other two icons - the Savior and the Mother of God "Rudnenskaya" - are the creations of unknown to us royal isographers of the late 17th century. These three images became the decoration of the church iconostasis. According to Orthodox tradition, an icon of Christ was installed to the right of the royal doors, and to the left - his Most Pure Mother. The temple image took its traditional place behind the icon of the Mother of God. More than three hundred years have passed since then, the church on Presnya has been rebuilt several times, but these shrines are still in their places in its main iconostasis.

Icon of St. John the Baptist "Angel of the Desert". First floor XVII century

Perhaps, from the very moment of the opening of the wooden Baptist Church, a shrine more ancient than itself has been kept within its walls. This is an amazing iconographic image of John the Baptist, called the “Angel of the Desert”. Experts estimate the time of its writing to be the first half of the 17th century. On the icon, the Forerunner is depicted full-length, wearing a robe of camel hair and with large angelic wings behind his back. With this symbol, the icon painter tried to show the equal-angelic life of John the Baptist in the desert, alien to worldly aspirations and vanity, completely focused on contemplating God and serving Him. The image is installed in a separate icon case in front of the central iconostasis.

The first rector of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya was Priest Bartholomew Kuzmin. At that time, in most churches in Russia, the priestly position was inherited, and there was a concept of the clergy. Following Father Bartholomew, his son and grandson served in the church successively until 1734. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the congregation of the Baptist Church, as well as most other Russian parishes, consisted of a priest, a deacon and a sexton (later on - a psalm-reader).

The population of the Presnensky outskirts quickly increased; in 1702, there were already 240 households in the parish of the temple. For comparison, at approximately the same time, in the Moscow parish of the Church of the Resurrection of the Word on Uspensky Vrazhek, located closer to the center, there were only 12 households. Meanwhile, the old wooden church could no longer accommodate all the pilgrims, and besides, it was noticeably dilapidated. In 1714, permission was received to build a new stone church. But, barely having begun, the work was suspended due to the issuance of a decree of Peter I, which prohibited any stone construction in the empire for the sake of the speedy construction of the new capital - St. Petersburg.

Only in 1728 was the ban lifted and church construction resumed, but by 1730 only one small warm chapel was completed. In 1731 it was consecrated with a small rite in honor of the holy martyr John the Warrior. Since that time, the image of this saint of God, revered by believers, has been kept in the temple. The decoration of the temple was completely completed in 1734. At the end of the same year, on Christmas Day (December 25), the new temple was consecrated by the rector of the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, Archpriest Nikifor Ivanov.

Now the temple image of St. John the Warrior is located at the side pillar of the chapel in a separate icon case. The holy martyr is depicted full-length, in armor, with an eight-pointed cross in his right hand - a symbol of martyrdom. Above his head is the New Testament Trinity, and to his left is a small cartouche (a decoration in the form of a scroll in which an inscription or emblem is placed) with the text: “Great all-merciful, suffering, wondrous John the warrior, obedient to the heavenly king, accept prayers from the unworthiness of my standing servant (name) of the present Deliver me from the theft of evil and future torment, humbly crying out. Hallelujah three times." This is a votive icon. At the bottom of the board there is an inscription: “Behold the image of the saints, icon painter Timothy Kirilov.” Icon of the Holy Martyr John the Warrior. End of the 17th century. Icon painter Timofey Kirillov Icon painter Timofey Kirillov in 1685 painted icons of the Passion of Christ for the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent. In its stylistic and iconographic features, the icon corresponds to this picturesque movement. Perhaps it was written at the same time and enjoyed special veneration in the temple. Therefore, when a warm chapel was later built, it was dedicated to St. John the Warrior. At that time, the church building was a relatively small pillarless quadrangle with two rows of windows (in “two lights,” as they said then), with window openings on the top row typical of that period. The hipped roof was crowned with a light drum with a small dome. Today this ancient part of the St. John’s Church is its main architectural volume. In the 18th century, a rectangular wooden bell tower adjoined the church from the west. The temple stood in this form for almost a hundred years. In 1736, the Holy Synod gave permission to the Georgian Metropolitan of Samtavria and Gori Roman (Eristavi) to consecrate this temple with the rank of bishop, to henceforth perform divine services there and ordain clergy to Georgian parishes located on the territory of the Russian Empire. This decision was due to the fact that it was on Presnya that the Georgian settlement was located since 1729, where the chambers of the Georgian metropolitan were located (on the shore of the Upper Presnensky pond), but its own stone church was consecrated only in 1800. Thus, the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya for some time was the church-administrative center of Georgian parishes in Russia and, possibly, had the status of a metochion of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Moscow. Metropolitan Romanos (Eristavi) probably reposed in the 50s of the 18th century and was buried behind the altar, which became familiar to him, of the Presnensky church. Above the altar of the main altar, today you can see a white stone mortgage board indicating the burial place of the bishop. On the outer wall of the temple, two mortgage boards have also been preserved, indicating the burial place in 1733 of the wife (name not readable) of the provincial fiscal (tax inspector) Grigory Kirillovich Yaroslavov, who died in 1774 and was buried here. This is all that remains of the vast cemetery of parishioners of the temple of the 17th - 18th centuries, which once occupied the entire area surrounding it. Grave monuments and crosses ceased to exist here already in the 19th century. It was prohibited to bury the dead at city churches after the terrible plague epidemic of 1771, which took almost a third of the population of the second capital to the grave. Then public cemeteries were formed: Vagankovskoye, Kalitnikovskoye, Pyatnitskoye and others. Thus, the burial of G.K. Yaroslavov can be considered an exception to the general rule. The terrible epidemic did not pass Presnya by. Many parishioners of St. John's Church died, and the entire clergy of the church also died. Divine services there ceased until 1774, when a new clergy headed by Priest Georgy Ivanov was sent here. In 1804, the wooden bell tower burned down. Instead, in 1806 - 1810, at the expense of the church warden, merchant F.I. Rezanov, a new majestic 25-meter bell tower was built. The building was placed on the red line of Maly Predtechensky Lane. The rectangular lower tier of the bell tower is a majestic arched entrance to the temple, inscribed in rusticated pylons. The middle tier of the bell tower is a monumental podium for the upper one. And the upper cylindrical tier is made in the form of a rotunda of excellent proportions and perfectly completes the massive and plastically stressed lower forms. It is decorated with pilasters with magnificent Corinthian capitals. The bell tower was separated from the temple by a significant space. Obviously, the parish of the temple hoped to connect these two architectural volumes by expanding the church, but the War of 1812 suspended the implementation of this plan. Only in 1828 did the construction of the refectory part of the temple begin. The construction estimate was close to 30 thousand rubles - a huge amount of money at that time. The creator of the extensive refectory was the architect Fyodor Shestakov (1787 - 1836), known as the author of the final design of the Church of the Great Ascension. Shestakov managed to successfully connect two different-time and different-style parts of the temple with the laconic and monumental forms of the refectory - today the church building is a single whole. Significant financial assistance during the construction of the temple was provided by Doctor of Medicine M. Ya. Mudrov. According to his will, in 1843 the southern aisle of the church was consecrated in the name of Sophia, the Wisdom of God. The chapel had an altar in the form of a classical rotunda and was poorly suited for liturgical use. Back in 1751, there was an almshouse attached to the church for the elderly who did not have the means to feed themselves. In 1893, a parish guardianship and a parochial school were opened at the church. To house the school and almshouse, with funds bequeathed by F.P. and A.I. Belyaev, a two-story brick house was built opposite the temple. Today it again belongs to the church; it houses a spiritual and educational center, a church shop and clergy premises. In 1894, the temple was expanded by adding extensions to the bell tower and refectory from the west. The main donor of this construction was a parishioner, a native of the coachman class, merchant A.P. Napalkov. The work was carried out according to the design of the architect P. A. Kudrin. At the same time, the rotunda iconostases of the side chapels were dismantled and replaced with the existing ones, as a result of which it became much more convenient to serve in the chapels. In 1811, an amazing shrine appeared in the sacristy of the temple. The deacon of the Church of the Entry in the town of Dmitrov near Moscow, Father Alexy Vasiliev, rewrote the Gospel with his own hand using the semi-charter technique, and then decorated it with a gilded copper embossed cover with enamel and rhinestones. The deacon placed the entire Gospel text on 80 pages. With a book height of one arshin (71 cm), its weight is very impressive - 22 kg.

Drawing of the Church of St. Joanna

Forerunners on Presnya,

architect F. Shestakov (1787-1836)

Why he donated the Gospel specifically to our church remains a mystery. The donated shrine was highly appreciated in the Church of the Baptist. In the pre-revolutionary inventory of the sacristy, this handwritten Gospel took an honorable first place. It was kept in the main altar on the High Place in a case specially made for it. The shrine miraculously survived during the Bolshevik hard times and has survived to this day. True, time and people still noticeably damaged her beauty. In Soviet times, inept “restorers” fastened the frame parts with metalwork bolts and nuts, and stuck the fallen rhinestones with plasticine. Only in 2006, through the care of the rector of the church, Bishop Ambrose of Bronnitsky, the amazing book was restored by professionals who returned it to its former appearance, gilding it and restoring the lost parts.

Since pre-revolutionary times, two silver chalices have been preserved in the temple; they are still used in worship.

In 2007, these Eucharistic vessels were restored and gilded, and for the holiday of Holy Easter in 2008, a new luxurious Eucharistic set was made by order of the parish. The enamel images on the chalice from this set are copies of elements of the Vasnetsov painting of the Church of the Baptist. Another decoration of the church sacristy, which has miraculously survived to this day, is a large altar cross, donated to the church in 1885 “in memory of the deceased of the Safonov family.” In 2006 it was restored and gilded.

In 1913, for the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, velvet sets of priestly and deaconal vestments in green and red liturgical colors were made for the church. On the mantles there is an image of a cross framed by oak and palm branches and the inscription “This is victory” in gold embroidery. These vestments are carefully preserved today. Of course, protecting their venerable antiquity, clergy rarely perform divine services in them. With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Ambrose, the sacristy has now been completely renovated: vestments of all liturgical colors for priests and deacons have been purchased, new covers for the Holy Gifts have been embroidered.