New Jerusalem Monastery
The New Jerusalem Monastery , also called Resurrection Monastery ( Russian Новоиерусалимский монастырь ) is a Russian Orthodox male monastery in the Russian city of Istra ( Moscow Oblast ).
The monastery was founded in 1656 by the Patriarch Nikon as a patriarchal residence outside Moscow and named after New Jerusalem . The architectural ensemble of the monastery includes the Resurrection Cathedral (1656–1685), Patriarch Nikon's abode, stone wall with towers (1690–1694), the Church of the Holy Trinity (1686–1698) and other buildings, all of which are finished with majolica and stucco . Jakow Buchwostow , Matwei Kasakow , Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli were among the architects who participated in the expansion of the monastery at different timesand other. In the 17th century the New Jerusalem Monastery got a large library in which Nikon put together manuscripts from other monasteries. At the time of secularization in 1764, the monastery owned around 13,000 serfs .
In 1918 the monastery was closed. In 1920 a history and art museum was opened here. In 1935 the Regional Museum of Moscow Oblast was added. In 1941, the New Jerusalem Monastery was sacked by an SS disposal division during the Battle of Moscow . During their retreat, the Germans blew up the large bell tower and destroyed the wall towers. The cathedral's vaults collapsed, burying the famous iconostasis and other historical valuables.
In 1959 the museum was reopened to visitors, but without the bell tower and the interior of the cathedral.
In the 1990s, New Jerusalem began serving as a male monastery again.
From 2015, parts of the monastery that had previously been destroyed, including the bell tower, were rebuilt and the interior with a large number of shrines and icons were restored and consecrated. The monastery has since become a popular destination for Christian visitors and tourists.
See also
Web links
- Official website of the monastery (Russian)
- Website of the monastery and museum (Russian)
- Detailed description on ortho-rus.ru (Russian)
- New Jerusalem: Museum and monastery under one roof
Coordinates: 55 ° 55 ′ 17.7 " N , 36 ° 50 ′ 45.3" E