Moscow Evirons

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Fili, The Church of the Intercession

1669

Photo Panoramio

TThe Church of the Intercession in Fili, 1669 and later, an UNESCO-protected example of Moscow Baroque.

Istra New Jerusalem Monastery

1656 – 19thcent

Photo Panoramio

Vozhdesdvenskiy Monastery. Founded by Patriarch Nikon (who later created the chism in the Russian church). Badly damaged during WW II. Now beautifully restored.

Photo Panoramio

Under the fantasy dome on theleft rests a replica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Dimitrov Kreml

15th cent

Photo Panoramio

Dimitrov Kreml, Uspensky Cathedral, 15th cent

Photo RWFG 1977

St John Baptist, Rublyov (or follower) from the deesis in the Nicholas-Peshnoshskogo monastery near Dmitrov, 1525, Rublyov Museum, Moscow
For reference see icon-art

Zvenigorod Dormition Cathedral

1396-1399 Uspensky Sobor

Photo Panoramio

Zvenigorod Dormition Cathedral in the village

Zvenigorod Nativity Cathedral

1405, Rozhdestvenskiy Sobor

Photo Panoramio

Zvenigorod Cathedral of the Nativity

Rublyov's Deesis in the Zvenigorod Nativity Cathedral 1410

Only three panels have survived which are now in the Tretyakov Gallery, among them this extraordinary Christ, the quintessence of the Russian vision of the Savior.

Christ Savior

St. Paul

Archangel Mikhael

All photos RWFG 1977

For a detailed discussion of the Zvenigorod Deesis see V. N. Lazarev, 2000 (in Russian)

Kolomenskoye, Church of the Assumption

1532

Photo Panoramio

The Church of the Assumption with its characteristic tent-roof 1532

Murom, Troitskiy Novodevechi Monastery

1643

Photo Panoramio

The Troitsky Cathedral in the Novodeviche Monastery of Murom, 1643

In the 9th century, the city marked the easternmost settlement of the Eastern Slavs in the land of Finno-Ugric people called Muromi. Between 1010 and 1393, it was a capital of a separate principality, whose rulers included St. Gleb, assassinated in 1015, canonized in 1071 and buried here. St Prince Konstantin the Blessed, and Sts Peter and Theuronia are the subjects of an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. In 1552, Muron was besieged by Ivan the Terrible who commissioned a stone cathedral, which was followed by other churches.

Photo belygorod.ru

Sts. Boris and Gleb, Moscow School, early 14th cent, Russian Musem St. Petersburg

Boris (d.1015) and Gleb (d.1015), martyrs and saints of the Russian Orthodox Church, were the sons of the Kievan Grand Duke Vladimir (d.1015), who adopted Christianity and made it the official religion of Kievan Rus. Vladimir had 12 sons by different wives. Boris and Gleb were the sons of Anne of Constantinople. Vladimir put all his 12 sons at the head of different princedoms. Boris ruled in Rostov and Gleb in Murom. Their brother Svaytopolk (Kiev) attempted to adopt Catholicism and change Russia to Roman subordination. This invoked the displeasure of many influential people of the time. Treacherous Svyatopolk killed both brothers. They became popular saints in Russia, where many churches were dedicated to them.
Text from Olga's Gallery

Kolomna Kreml

1525 - 1531

Photo deviantart

The Kolomna Kreml was built by Tsar Vasily III in 1525 – 1331

Photo RWFG 1977

This unusual Anastasis- Christ's Descent into Hell, the earliest icon of its kind, was painted by Dionysius in 1502 for the Asssumption Cathedral in Kolomna. It is now in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery

1370 - 19th cent

Photo Panoramio

The Serpukhov Vysotsky (Imperial) Monastery dates back to the 1370s. It was founded by Vladimir the Bold and long served as a border fortress defending the southern approaches to Moscow from the Tatars. The first hegumen, Afanasy the Elder, was a disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, whose successor, St. Nikon of Radonezh, is believed to have taken his vows a monk in this monastery. After the Russo–Crimean War (1571), which saw the monastery reduced to ashes, it was restored on a grander scale. The five-domed Cathedral of the Conception dates from that building campaign, financed by Ivan the Terrible.

It became the most important shrine of Serpukhov and welcomed rich patrons wishing to be buried within the monastery walls. Among those buried there are Gavrila Golovkin, the Chancellor of Peter the Great, and Fyodor Soimonov, the Governor of Siberia. The Neoclassical belfry was completed in the 1840s.

The modern monastery derives its prosperity from the venerated copy of the icon of the Inexhaustible Chalice, which attracts hundreds of pilgrims from all over Russia and abroad. The icon is said to be particularly effective in the treatment of alcoholism!

Serpukhov Vladychny Monastery

11th cent

Photo 123rf

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin in the Vladychnoe Monastery, 11th cent. To the left is the Church of St. George (17th cent)

Ryazan Kreml

1095, 1778

Photo Panoramio

The original Ryazan, first recorded in 1095, lay downstream at the Pronya confluence. The seat of the early principality of Ryazan was destroyed in 1237 by the Mongols; only the ruins of its ramparts remain. Pereslavl-Ryazansky, thought to have been founded in 1095, was unimportant until the 13th century when the Ryazan bishopric was moved there. Sacked by Moscow in 1371 and by the Tatars in 1372 and 1378, it became the seat of a principality in the 15th century. In 1521 it passed to Moscow and was renamed Ryazan in 1778.

Church at Busharovo

1859

Photo Panoramio

Buzharovo, Church of the Transfiguration (1895)

Nikolo-Uryupino, Nicholas-Ugresh Monastery

end 19th cent

Photo Panoramio

Nicholas-Ugresh Monastery, Transfiguration Cathedral (1880-1894)

The monastery was founded in 1380 by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy on the site of an appearance of the icon St. Nicholas. - Included here because of the beauty of the Panoramio photo!

Dzerzhinsky, Nikolo Urgensky Monastery

1880-1894

Photo Panoramio

Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Nicholas-Ugresh Monastery

Photo Panoramio

Two other wonder-working Panoramio photos of the ensemble

Photo Panoramio

Church in the name of Patriarch Pimen at Nicholas-Ugresh Monastery, 2001 - 2002 (!). Built on the site of the monastery cemetery by Guin MJ RF in memory of his comrades fallen in WWII. (in the south-western corner of the wall enclosure)

Vvedensky Monastery at Optina pustyn'

1767 - 19th cent

Photo Panoramio

Like an appartiton the Vvedensky Monastery of Optina appears in the "Desert" (pustyn').

The monastery was a significant spiritual center of Russia of 19th century. A number of spiritually gifted presbyters ("starets") such as Amvrosy, Makary, Leonid lived here. (all 19th century). The starets had the gift of healing and prophecy. The monastery was closed by the communists in 1923. The last "starets" , Nectary was driven into exile in 1923 where he died in the late twenties.

In 1878 Dostoevsky took refuge here when his son Aleksei died from a epileptic fit. Dostoevsky was devastated by this loss and made Aleksei the protagonist of his last novel, The Brothers Karamazov. The Father starets at Optina Monastery became the prototype for Father Zossima.

Photo Panoramio

Cathedral of the Presentation of the Virgin, 1767

Externally the cathedral follows a traditional church architecture in the shape of the cross. It is filled with the severe tombs of the deceased. The simplicity of its execution only underscores its essence. The main thing in the church is prayer. The solid stone walls are carefully cared for today's monks. Despite the change of the generations of monks, prayers replace the service. The place has an unearthly beauty of holiness were in it the great prayer of the Russian land, the fathers of Optina are remembered. At present the relics of Ambrose and Nektarios are buried in the cathedral in a shrine which attracts daily hundreds of believers.
For more photos and a description see sobory.ru

Arkhangelskoe

1780, 1809

Photo Panoramio

Nikolai Usupov's lavish estate

Photo Panoramio

Venus in the Park

This historic estate dates back to the 16th Century. It first came to prominence when Prince Nikolai Golitsyn, a favourite of Catherine the Great, began to build a magnificent palace on the site in the 1780s. The project took decades, and he died long before it was finished. In 1809, Prince Nikolai Usupov, the biggest landowner in Russia, bought the estate and continued the building of the house and park.

Usupov, the owner of over 20,000 serfs, was a famous epicurean and dilettante, whose social position did not prevent him from expressing admiration for Rousseau and Voltaire, the latter of whom he met and corresponded with. His collection of art contained over 500 paintings, and was renowned throughout Europe. He also found time to dabble in science and the theater, and lived to the age of eighty, surrounding himself with beautiful works of art, rare books, oriental porcelain and a harem of girls.

Photo Panoramio

Next to Usopov's estate at Arkhangelskoe is this often forgotten Church of the Archangel Mikhael, 1667.
A good example of 17th-century Moscow architecture. (Visited 1977 and 1984).