Moscow is one of the most ancient cities in Russia, so it is not at all surprising that various holy places are concentrated in the territory of the city and region. There are real legends about these famous shrines, so a very large number of people go to these places in order to pray, gain vital strength or worship the great saints.
In general, all over the world, for decades and even hundreds of years, there have been debates about holy places, whether they really have any specific healing power or whether it is all the power of psychological suggestion of the people themselves.
It’s a personal matter for everyone to believe or not, but it’s very difficult to argue with the fact that in the Moscow region and Moscow there are real holy places that have healing powers. It is to these shrines that people come not only from other cities and neighboring regions, but also from other countries.
There are a total of one hundred holy and healing springs on the territory and in the nearest cities of the Moscow region, but not everyone is in demand among tourists, although every year local pilgrimage becomes more and more popular. Find out about some of the most famous holy places in Moscow and the Moscow region - you might want to make a pilgrimage in 2022.
Holy places of Moscow: shrines
Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Krapivinki
Construction of the temple began in the first third of the 17th century. Over the long history of its existence, the temple has changed several names, but for a long time, since the 17th century, it has attracted pilgrims and suffering people.
Among the shrines of the temple is the Kiysky Cross, an exact copy of the Cross of Christ. It is valuable to believers not for its appearance, but because it contains particles of the relics of several hundred saints of God. The cross was made with the blessing of Patriarch Nikon. Unfortunately, in Soviet times, the country's population was limited in their freedom to choose religion, and the cross was even moved to a museum dedicated to atheism, but it did not lose its miraculous properties. People come to the shrine to venerate a variety of life difficulties, but it is mainly believed that it helps in healing from illnesses.
The church also houses the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Historians and cultural experts attribute this image to the 13th century. It was with this icon that the first representative of the Romanov dynasty was blessed to rule. Mostly women who are expecting a baby or want to get pregnant come to this icon for help, and they also pray to her so that peace and tranquility reign in the family.
The main image of the temple is the Image of St. Sergius of Radonezh, which contains a particle of relics. Sergius of Radonezh has been revered in Orthodoxy since the 15th century; he was a great elder and ascetic; according to historical chronicles, he worked miracles during his lifetime and helps all true believers to this day. They pray to the icon for all troubles.
The temple is located in Krapivensky Lane, house 4.
St. Daniel's Monastery
The Orthodox male monastery has stood since the 16th century at the address: Danilovsky Val Street, building 22. It was founded by the Moscow prince in honor of the Monk Dannilo the Stylite. The building was damaged during the Time of Troubles, and the Soviet government established an NKVD detention center for children subjected to repression.
Fortunately, the monastery survived and did not lose its main shrine - the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This saint is one of the most revered in our country. In the monastery there is an ark with a particle of incorruptible relics. People come to them to worship and pray for those who are on a long journey, prisoners, help relics and those in poverty, widows and orphans.
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
Every Russian knows what the Kremlin is, but within the framework of this article, the Orthodox church, which is located exactly there - on Cathedral Square, is of interest. The Assumption Cathedral was built in the 15th century; it is also an architectural monument, because the famous architect Aristotle Fioravanti participated in the design.
The main thing for pilgrims is that the Nail of the Lord is located in the temple: this is one of those nails with which Jesus Christ was nailed to the crucifixion. They come to this shrine mainly to strengthen their faith in the Lord in difficult life situations. And the shrine also helps Moscow itself - it is believed that such powerful things protect cities from misfortunes, wars, and epidemics.
Vysotsky Monastery
The monastery was built by Vladimir the Brave in 1374 with the participation of Abbot Sergius of Radonezh to commemorate the victorious battle with the Mongol-Tatar army. A picturesque place was chosen for the holy shelter of the monks - Vysoky Hill, where the Oka River merges with the Nara.
Important! Where is the Intercession Monastery located?
Initially, the monastic community had a wooden Intercession Church, a refectory and outbuildings.
The first stone church of the monastery was the large Conception Cathedral, dedicated to the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo, where Prince Vladimir was the commander of the regiment. The temple was erected on the site of a mass grave of Serpukhov residents who fought.
The end of the 15th and first third of the 16th centuries were not easy for the monastic community, accompanied by devastating enemy raids and the looting of monastic churches.
The heyday of the monastery began with the reign of Tsar Ivan IV, who visited the holy place three times for pilgrimage with subsequent monetary donations and royal benefits.
The buildings of the monastery repeatedly burned due to Tatar raids, again being reborn from the ashes.
After the cessation of monastic activity during Soviet times, a new revival took place in 1991. Two years later, the miraculous icon “The Inexhaustible Chalice” appeared in the monastery church.
Today, the Vysotsk Monastery has become a place of pilgrimage for people who suffer from overcoming their cravings for drunkenness and drugs. The water-blessing prayer service in front of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon is performed on Sundays from 18.00.
Address of the monastery: Serpukhov, st. Kaluzhskaya, 3/5. Website: visotskymonastir.ru.
Holy places of Moscow: holy springs
Holy springs in general are small sources of water, usually flowing from groundwater, that have acquired healing powers under the influence of some saint. In Moscow itself there are about thirty such springs.
Many clergy currently advise drinking water from sources not immediately, but consecrating it by attending a service in any temple. This way the water will be cleared of the negative influence of the modern environmental situation.
Cold (Sergievsky) holy spring
The source is located in Teply Stan, not far from house 132/8 on Profsoyuznaya Street. According to an old legend, St. Sergius of Radonezh wanted to found a monastery on this site. This never happened, but the spring has been known for a long time - many pilgrims travel to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in order to venerate the saint, and their path also passes through this spring. It is also popular among local residents.
It is believed that the Cold (Sergievsky) holy spring helps with kidney and liver diseases, and migraines. You should drink this water on an empty stomach in the mornings and evenings.
Holy spring in the Tatar ravine
In the Moskvoretsky park of the city, at an address approximately in the area of Osennyaya street, house 18, there is the Tatar ravine, long known to city residents and pilgrims from all over the country, where a healing spring flows. It is located near the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krylatskoye.
The purest water flows in the spring, if we consider all Moscow holy springs. Believers who come to the spring notice that even when they are near it, they feel cheerfulness, a surge of strength, and their soul becomes lighter. Water from the source is believed to help patients with hypertension, as well as people with mental illness.
Holy springs in Kolomenskoye. Kadochka
Several holy springs are located in the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve, namely, on the territory of Golosov Ravine. Nearby is the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Kolomenskoye.
The most famous holy spring is Kadochka. According to long-standing legends, he primarily helps women who cannot have a child.
Assumption Kolotsky Convent
The ancient monasteries in the Moscow region are covered in fascinating stories and legends. One of them is the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery, built in the Mozhaisk region on the Kolocha River in the 15th century.
There is an interesting legend about the foundation of the monastery about the beggar Luka, who lived in Koloch, who found an icon of the Mother of God on a tree, which he brought home, where the patient was. From touching the holy image a miracle of healing occurred.
Thanks to the miraculous face that healed people, the poor man collected a lot of money. He built the Assumption Church for the holy image, and a rich house for himself, and began to lead a riotous life.
When Luke almost lost his life in a bear attack, he rethought his behavior and began a righteous life. He built the Assumption Kolotsk monastery, becoming its first inhabitant.
The miraculous holy icon from Kolotsk was revered by Ivan the Terrible himself, who took it on military campaigns.
After the devastation of the Time of Troubles, the Assumption Cathedral was restored in the Baroque style, surrounded by a brick fence.
The monastic monastery helped the sufferers until its abolition after the October Revolution. The revival of the monastery complex began in 1990, and seven years later it received nuns who dedicated their lives to serving God.
Address of the monastery: Mozhaisky district, village Aleksandrovo, village. Kolotskoye. Website: kolockiy.cerkov.ru
Holy places of Moscow: miraculous icons
Why are some icons considered miraculous? The fact is that this is decided, one might say, “officially”: the bishops collect facts about the miracles that happened thanks to the icon, and check them. Sometimes these can be real medical documents, and it becomes clear that the icon really helps all believers.
Conception Monastery
The monastery is located at 2nd Zachatievsky Lane, building 2. The monastery itself was built in the 16th century by order of the Tsar and Tsarina, who could not have an heir or heiress. According to legend, soon after this they had a daughter. Since then, many childless women who cannot get pregnant visit the monastery.
With their prayers they turn to the same icon that helped the queen. This is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Merciful”. According to testimonies, she sometimes helped even those women who had previously been treated for infertility for twenty years.
By the way, a sufficient number of places that promote conception are located on the Crimean peninsula.
Novospassky Monastery
The address of the monastery is Peasant Square, building 10. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The monastery is closely connected with the history of the Romanov family, but that is not the only reason why it is famous. There is the greatest shrine - the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa”.
This icon is a copy of the image in the Vatopedi monastery, it was painted on Mount Athos, it was consecrated and donated to the monastery. It is believed that the icon helps those who suffer from terrible cancer diseases. You can also pray in front of the image for those who suffer from drug addiction.
Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in Maryina Roshcha
The temple, named after its main shrine, is located on Sheremetyevskaya Street, building 33. This church has been operating continuously since its foundation at the end of the 19th century.
The miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”, which is located in this church, was painted in the 19th century. Mostly parents pray to this icon - for the health and happy life of their children, for deliverance from troubles and adversity. Initially, the iconography of the image (not this particular icon, but the image as a whole) goes back to the legend of a sinner who, thanks to the Mother of God and his prayers, was able to correct himself, his sins were forgiven and he began to live righteously and happily.
Holy Trinity Belopesotsky Convent
Operating women's monasteries in the Moscow region with miraculous icons invite you to visit the Holy Trinity Belopesotsk monastery in the city of Stupino.
The male monastic community was founded at the end of the 15th century on the banks of the Oka River by the Monk Vladimir thanks to the help of the Grand Dukes Ivan III and Vasily III.
Powerful monastery walls served to strengthen the borders of the state from Tatar invasions. Already from the middle of the 16th century, the monastery had stone buildings.
Interesting! Stavropegial Monastery in Russia
Later, the unique monastery buildings were nationalized by the Soviet state. The eighties of the last century were marked by the beginning of their restoration. A decade later, services began to be held under the church vaults, and the female monastic community received renovated cells.
On the monastery territory there are:
- the stone Trinity Cathedral, partially preserved from the days of its founding, is currently undergoing restoration;
- single-domed brick church of St. Sergius of Radonezh with a refectory, dating back to the beginning of the 19th century;
- brick St. Nicholas Church with a classical quadrangle design (currently under restoration);
- a single-domed stone church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in the style of classicism, erected at the expense of the Raevsky family;
- Tikhvin Church with the miraculous icon “Quench My Sorrows”, helping the needy and sick. The holy image began to be considered miraculous since the 17th century, when it healed a seriously ill woman.
Since that time, every year a religious procession with the saving icon was held in neighboring villages. The monasteries returned the list of the miraculous holy image in 2012.
Address of the monastery: Stupino, st. Belopesotskaya. Website: svtbm.ru.
Holy places of the Moscow region: shrines
Not only in Moscow itself, but also in its surroundings there are many holy places. Many pilgrims travel to several places at once, pray fervently and the Lord answers their prayers.
Ascension David's Hermitage
The monastery is located in the Moscow region, not far from the village of Novy Byt. This monastery was founded back in the 16th century. It contains many arks, where more than two hundred particles of the relics of the saints of God are located. The monastery itself and its shrines are visited by many pilgrims, they pray for a variety of things: healing, the birth of children, the preservation of the family.
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Located in the city of Dmitrov in the Moscow region. For a long time there was a miraculous cross there; according to ancient belief, in the 13th century a blind little girl suddenly saw the light - she regained her sight and saw a wooden crucifix next to her. The cross has since been placed in the cathedral so that people suffering from eye diseases could flock there. Unfortunately, the shrine was subsequently moved to the Tretyakov Gallery (in the storerooms), but a copy of the crucifixion, also considered miraculous, remained in Dmitrov.
Trinity-Sergius Lavra
The largest monastery is known to all believers. It is located in Sergiev Posad, in the Moscow region. Pilgrims from all over the world flock to it, because the monastery contains the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh. He performed miracles during his lifetime and continues to pray to the Lord, interceding for people who flock to his relics with their requests of various kinds.
Vvedensky Vladyka Convent
The foundation of the ancient monastic monastery in the Moscow region, shown on the map of Serpukhov, is surrounded by a beautiful legend.
It tells how, while praying before the holy image of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Alexy heard a voice from the icon with instructions to organize a monastery here.
He appeared in 1360, at first as a modest God's shelter for male monks.
The expansion of the monastery's possessions occurred in 1598, when Tsar Boris Godunov, not far from the Vvedensky Monastery, managed to persuade the Tatar troops to leave Serpukhov without bloodshed.
Unique churches - creations of monastery church architecture - have reached us without reconstruction:
- the five-domed Vvedensky Cathedral, built at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries;
- St. George's Church, distinguished by its hipped-roof architecture of the late 16th century, with a bell tower and a refectory;
- The gate church of St. Theodotus of Ancyra is a monastery building built in 1599.
The remains of a powerful wall with towers have been preserved, reminiscent of the fortification built under Boris Godunov.
Before the famous revolutionary events, the ancient churches of the monastery had several miraculous icons:
- “The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple” (the original from 1377 is in the city museum);
- the icon “The Tsaritsa”, famous in ancient times for the gift of victory;
- icon of St. George the Victorious (the original is irretrievably lost). There is a legend that before the invasion of enemies, a candle itself lit up in front of the image of St. George;
- icon of John the Warrior, painted by Andrei Rublev. Today the original is in the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow;
- The “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon, which relieves alcoholism and drug addiction. It has long been located under the arches of the St. George Church, but was destroyed in 1929.
The fame of the miraculous image of the “Inexhaustible Chalice,” which attracts crowds of pilgrims, has spread since the end of the 19th century.
Then, according to legend, an old man appeared three times during sleep to a sick drunkard whose legs were paralyzed and ordered him to go to the Master’s Abode to pray in front of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon.
The third time, the suffering man followed the words of the elder, overcoming severe pain, he almost crawled to the monastery church.
Praying in front of the image of the “Inexhaustible Chalice,” the man felt a disgust for alcohol and strength in his legs. When he was brought to the shrine of St. Varlaam, in the face of the saint he recognized the old man who had come in a dream.
Interesting! A grateful merchant from Moscow, Stefan Fedorov, who was healed from drunkenness by the icon, created a magnificent iconostasis for the “Inexhaustible Chalice”, decorating the sacred image with a silver-plated chasuble. For greater convenience of believers, the icon was moved under the dome of the monastery’s Vvedensky Cathedral, placing it in a prominent place.
Today in the churches of the Vladychny monastery there are copies of miraculous icons. They myrrh stream, having the same effect on believers as their originals.
Monastery address: Serpukhov, Oktyabrskaya street, 40, website: inokini.ru
Holy places of the Moscow region: holy springs
Muranovo
The first significant place on the list is the village of Muranovo, where several holy springs with healing water are located. One of these miracles is a well named in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Those people who come here ask the Lord, the Mother of God and all the saints each for their own in the hope that all requests will be heard and the Lord will help those who ask him and give his mercy. You can get to the village and the well along the Yaroslavskoye Highway, turning at the special sign at the 44th kilometer, and in a few minutes your destination will be reached.
Zvenigorod
Zvenigorod is the second holy place, which has great power, so it attracts pilgrims from many cities and regions of the country. Here, a ten-minute walk from the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, there is a holy spring. Guests of the shrine can retire to a small log chapel with a small font and turn their thoughts to the Lord, offer prayers and ask for deliverance from illnesses or life’s adversities.
Sergiev Posad (Vzglyadnevo)
The third shrine is a holy spring in the vicinity of Sergiev Posad, it is called Gremyachiy Klyuch, and is located on the Vondige River, near the village of Vzglyadnevo. This source is best equipped for visiting by pilgrims; it has all the amenities, a font, as well as all the necessary means for a comfortable stay at the holy place. The history of the source is impressive: according to legend, it arose through the prayer of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Water flows from the source throughout the year.
So, here are just a few of the most famous, and, on the contrary, holy places of Moscow and the Moscow region not fully discovered by pilgrims. Let this list be useful to those who believe in the help that can be found in such places and want to visit them in 2022.
Holy Cross Jerusalem Monastery
Founded in the first half of the 19th century, the female monastic community of the village of Stary Yam, near Moscow, was blessed by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow with the gift of the holy miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Jerusalem.
A few years later, the landowner Golovina donated the Lukino estate to the women's community, where the Holy Cross Cathedral stood, which gave the monastery its name. In the whirlwind of the Civil War, the monastery church was plundered, many church shrines were set on fire, but the parishioners managed to preserve the miraculous icon.
Interesting! According to legend, the miraculous face of the Mother of God of Jerusalem was painted by the Evangelist Luke 15 years after the miracle of the Ascension of Jesus. The holy image was presented by the Emperor of Constantinople to Prince Vladimir on the occasion of the Baptism of Rus'.
The nuns moved under the shelter of the monastery in the 90s.
As in other residential monasteries in the Moscow region, workers are accepted here.
For people who want to devote their free time to prayers and hard work for the good of the Lord, free housing is provided.
Monastery address: Leninsky district, village. sanatorium Gorki Leninskie.
Website: krest-mon.ru.
