Resurrection New Jerusalem Stavropegic Monastery. New Jerusalem Monastery in Istra: opening hours, schedule of services, address and photo. Holy springs Treasure "Life-Giving Spring"

22.03.2022 Symptoms

At the very beginning of my vacation, I went on an excursion to the city of Istra in the Moscow region in...

Resurrection New Jerusalem stauropegial monastery

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

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

The necropolis of the New Jerusalem Monastery is located inside the cathedral (burial site of the 17th century) and on its territory itself - on both sides of the Church of Constantine and Helena

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

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

Bell tower of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ

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

Earthen Church of Saints Constantine and Helena. Located at a depth of 6 meters below ground level. We arrived at the monastery and were given 1.5 hours of time to look around the temple, order a memorial to relatives living and dead, pray, and light candles. And I (who had never been here) miraculously came right here, to the temple of my patroness, Holy Equal-to-Aples Queen Helena and her son Constantine.

Edicule with an Angel side chapel. Here are exact copies of the Stone of Anointing and the Holy Sepulcher.

Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Angels". It can only be seen here in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. It depicts the Mother of God, who personifies the church, and below her is the New Jerusalem Monastery.

I cannot help but dwell on the architectural decoration of the temple. It's incredibly beautiful!

These are tiles from the 17th century.

On the tiled columns you can see an ear at the top and a bunch of grapes below. All this has religious overtones and was created specifically for the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.

Window decorations also include tiles and sculptures of cherubs.

I really liked the excursion, an incredibly interesting story about the history of the monastery, about its creator, Patriarch Nikon. We looked at the Shrines in the temple (I did not photograph them). I think I will definitely come here later.

To you, my dear readers, interesting and educational information for the soul!

History of the monastery.

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

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

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

Shrines of the monastery

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

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

In the same chapel is a miraculous copy of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Once before the revolution, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed” was kept in the Resurrection Monastery. In the current Assumption chapel there are the relics of the holy martyr Tatiana.

Holy springs Treasure "Life-Giving Spring"

To the south of the side-chapel of the Hieromartyr Kyriakos there is the place of the Finding of the Life-Giving Cross with a treasure called the Life-Giving Spring.

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

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

Samaritan Woman's Treasure

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

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

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

Siloam Spring

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

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

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

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

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

Where is the New Jerusalem Monastery located?

How to get to the New Jerusalem Monastery

There are several ways to get to the monastery, each of which has its own advantages.

By electric train you can get to Istra in about an hour. You need to take the Riga direction train and go to the station. “Novo-Ierusalimskaya” (from here it will be a little faster) or “Istra”. Then take the bus and go to the stop. "Monastery". From the Novo-Ierusalimskaya railway station you can walk to the monastery, it will take about 20 minutes.
From Moscow you can also get to the monastery by bus No. 372, which departs from the Tushinskaya metro station. You need to go to the stop. "Mail", and then transfer to the bus to the stop. "Monastery".
By your own car you can get to Istra from Moscow along Novorizhskoye or Volokolamsk highway. The road lasts about 45 km.

Features of visiting the monastery

The New Jerusalem Monastery in Istra is open daily for pilgrims and tourists, its opening hours are from 7:00 to 20:00.
Every day, within the walls of the monastery churches, Divine Sacraments: divine services, confession, communion, baptism, commemoration and others.

Nowadays there are several excursion programs on the monastery territory:

Sightseeing tour, during which you will get acquainted not only with the temples and shrines of the monastery, but also learn a lot about its history and treasures;
"Gospel for Children"– a children’s excursion, specially adapted for children of preschool and school age, which will introduce your children to the monastery and the main biblical values;
Group excursions around the monastery, designed for people traveling alone. Starts at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 daily. For a group of less than 10 people, the cost of such an excursion will be 2500 rubles, if there are more than 10 participants in the group - 250 rubles/person. (100 rubles for children under 16 years old).

Important! Remember that on the territory of the monastery, especially in churches, it is necessary to observe strict rules, which you can find out about in the Pilgrimage Service or on the monastery website.

Also at the New Jerusalem Monastery you can order Sacraments and Requirements. To do this, contact the candle box or call the numbers listed above.
Very interesting Museum of the New Jerusalem Monastery, which you can visit for an additional fee from 10:00 to 18:00 any day except Monday.

Schedule of services at the monastery in Istra

Did you know? The New Jerusalem Monastery, like most others, draws up its schedule of services depending on church calendar. Check the exact schedule for each week on the monastery website or by calling the Pilgrimage Service.

The first morning services usually begin at 7:00 (8:00 on Sundays);
and evening - at 17:00;
On Sundays, the late morning Liturgy is usually also read at 10:00.

Where can you stay near the monastery?

In the city of Istra there are many hotels for every taste and varying prices, where you can stay for a few days or spend the night.
The monastery pilgrimage service usually recommends Hotel "Livadia" or "House-hotel". They have good, comfortable living conditions, the cost of a room can range from 1,400 to 6,000 rubles.

History of the New Jerusalem Monastery in Istra

The history of the monastery is closely connected with life Patriarch Nikon who founded the cathedral in 1656.

Did you know? The personality of the great Patriarch left contradictory traces in history, beginning a schism in the Orthodox Church. Until now, among church ministers there are ardent admirers and opponents of his actions, and it is quite difficult to form an unambiguous opinion about the life of a church leader.

Be that as it may, the founding of many monasteries, among which New Jerusalem became the “favorite” of the Patriarch, is an important merit of Nikon.
For various reasons, the construction of the monastery took quite a long time and was suspended several times. Its main cathedral was consecrated in 1685.
In the 18th century The monastery was partially destroyed by fires several times, but it was successfully restored with the help of Russian rulers.

From the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century the monastery became one of the most popular places of pilgrimage.
With the advent of Soviet power, the monastery was closed, but even then it was recognized as a valuable historical and architectural object of All-Russian significance and they continued to take care of this place, creating Museum of Local Lore.
The monastery suffered greatly during the Second World War; many of its churches were almost completely destroyed. Already from the 50s. In the last century, the slow restoration of the monastery began.
In 1994 the monastery was returned again Russian Orthodox Church , restoration work began with redoubled force, and Divine chants began to sound in its temples again.
Restoration of the monastery is still ongoing. The current Russian rulers continue the traditions of their ancestors and allocate a lot of funds to help the New Jerusalem Monastery.

Sights of the monastery

The Resurrection Cathedral is not only the main temple of the New Jerusalem Monastery, but also one of its main architectural attractions.
This is a very beautiful and truly monumental structure, which consists of 4 main parts:

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ– a four-footed cross-domed church, which ends with a dome;
Church of St. Konstantin and Elena– an unusual underground church located at a depth of 6 m;
Beautiful bell tower, which was completely destroyed in 1941 and recently restored;
Rotunda, located above Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher(edicule).
The cathedral is beautiful both outside and inside. I personally like it even more inside - here you can see very bright, spacious and elegant rooms, richly decorated with stucco and paintings.
The landscaped territory of the monastery and its other churches are beautiful in themselves. Here it is Monastery Park(Garden of Gethsemane) with many of its attractions.
Important! Due to restoration work, some objects may be closed.
I also recommend visiting Museum and exhibition complex “New Jerusalem”, located on the territory of the monastery. Nearby is another interesting object - the Museum of Wooden Architecture.

Shrines of the New Jerusalem Monastery

Since the monastery to some extent repeats the main Christian temple, there are all the “attributes” that tell the story of the life of the Savior. Here you can see Golgotha, Jordan, and much more.
The main shrines of the monastery include:

A collapsible model, which was made in the 17th century in Jerusalem from cypress, ivory and mother-of-pearl and was used as a model for the construction of the Resurrection Cathedral;
Fragment of the omophorion of Patriarch Nikon, which was manufactured in 1597;
Tabernacle from the chapel of St. Mary Magdalene– a sacred vessel intended for storing the Body and Blood of Christ, made of silver with gilding at the end of the 18th century – early XIX century;
Antimens, dating from the 17th century, with the signature of Patriarch Nikon, who consecrated it.

The New Jerusalem Monastery is also famous for its icons. The most valuable and revered of them is Icon “Lord Almighty with St. Philip and Patriarch Nikon", written in 1657 in honor of the transfer of the relics of St. Philippa. Now the icon is on display at the New Jerusalem Museum.

Did you know? Several holy springs with healing water have also been discovered in the vicinity of Istra.

Photo of the New Jerusalem Monastery

The monastery, looking out of the morning foggy haze, looks especially romantic.

This is what the grandiose complex of the almost restored monastery looks like.

This is the Resurrection Cathedral - the main temple of the monastery.

And this is inside (Kulukwija and Rotunda) - the scale is amazing!

One of the altars of the temple - such beautiful stucco decorates almost all the walls of the temple.

Entrance to a unique underground church.

New Jerusalem Monastery on video

As for me, the New Jerusalem Monastery is worth visiting for everyone - both deeply religious people and curious tourists - everyone here will find something for themselves and, perhaps, will be inspired to remember the soul and eternal values. So I wish everyone a fruitful journey.

And if you have already been to this magnificent place, I will be happy to read your comments with your impressions of the trip.

Date of creation: 1656 Description:

Story

The New Jerusalem Monastery was founded in 1656 in the Moscow region. According to his plan, the monastery was to become the center of the Orthodox world. The topography, toponymy, church buildings of the monastery and the surrounding territory, which stretched for several tens of kilometers, created the image of the Holy Land and reproduced the main Christian shrines of Palestine. On a hill located in the center of this territory, called Zion, a monastery was founded - a kind of temple city. Some buildings of the monastery complex repeat the outlines of the buildings of the Holy Land, and the main cathedral of the monastery, consecrated in 1685, was built in the likeness of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The cathedral reproduces sacred likenesses of Mount Golgotha, the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher, the site of the three-day burial and the Life-Giving Resurrection of the Savior. The towers also have symbolic names: Entrance to Jerusalem, Gethsemane, etc. The hills surrounding the monastery were called Eleonsky, Tavorsky, etc., the villages were Preobrazhenskoye, Nazareth, Capernaum. The fast, winding river Istra, which received the name Jordan, flows through the land of Russian Palestine; The stream flowing around the monastery hill is the Kidron Stream. Nowadays, a significant part of the territory is occupied by the city of Istra, which until 1930 was called Voskresensk.

In 1919, the monastery was closed, the New Jerusalem Museum was opened on its territory, and the holy places were partly destroyed, partly consigned to oblivion and changed beyond recognition.

The monastery, which began to deteriorate even after its closure, suffered greatly during the Great Patriotic War. During the three-week German occupation in 1941, the museum was looted. During the retreat of the fascist troops, the monastery was blown up, the tower and bell tower of the monastery were destroyed, and the cathedral was significantly damaged.

Restoration work at the monastery began in 1947; They were carried out especially intensively in the 1960-80s.

In 1994, the process of transferring the monastery buildings to the Russian Orthodox Church began. On July 18, 1994, the Holy Synod approved Archimandrite Nikita (Latushko) as abbot of the reviving stauropegial New Jerusalem Monastery; Liturgical activities resumed in the monastery.

On July 23, 2008, the monastery was visited by the President of Russia and. On their initiative, a Charitable Foundation for the restoration of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery was created. October 20, 2008 in the Kremlin of the Board of Trustees of this fund. The co-chairs of the Board of Trustees are the head Russian state and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

March 6, 2009 President D.A. Medvedev signed “On measures to recreate the historical appearance of the Resurrection New Jerusalem stauropegial monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church.” The decree provides for the provision of subsidies from the federal budget to the Charitable Foundation for the reconstruction of the historical appearance of the monastery.

To ensure control and methodological assistance, the Foundation's Expert Council, which included prominent Russian art scientists, famous architects and restorers, specialists from the Moscow Patriarchate, the Russian Ministry of Culture, and representatives of the public.

Full-scale restoration efforts began in December 2011. The restoration of the Resurrection Cathedral was completed in 2015.

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

Istra. New Jerusalem

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

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

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

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

New Jerusalem. Square in front of the monastery

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

Tour of the New Jerusalem Monastery

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

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

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

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

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

Resurrection Cathedral

Here the guide began her story.

History of the New Jerusalem Monastery

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

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

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

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

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

New Jerusalem. Traces of war

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

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

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

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

Resurrection Cathedral. Decorative elements

Resurrection Cathedral. Tiles

Inspection of the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery

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

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

Resurrection Cathedral. Cathedral plan

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

New Jerusalem. Inside the Cathedral

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

Resurrection Cathedral. Cathedral dome

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

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

New Jerusalem. Iconostasis

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

New Jerusalem. Figure of the Savior

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

Resurrection Cathedral. Emperor's box

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

New Jerusalem. Everyone is interested in listening to the tour

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

Resurrection Cathedral. Cave of the Holy Sepulcher

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

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

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

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

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

Resurrection Cathedral. Fragments of tiles

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

Lion tile

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

Resurrection Cathedral. New Jerusalem

At 16-00 we left the temple and continued to explore the territory.

Walk around the monastery grounds

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

Chambers of Tsarina Tatiana Mikhailovna (patron of the monastery)

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

Church of the Nativity

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

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

Resurrection Cathedral

Resurrection Cathedral. Tiles

Resurrection Cathedral

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

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

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

How to get to the New Jerusalem Monastery

Address: Moscow region, Istra, Sovetskaya street, 2

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

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

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

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