Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Epiphany Monastery on Nikolskaya. Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Epiphany Monastery on Nikolskaya Church of the Epiphany in Epiphany Lane

Huge Cathedral of the Epiphany has not lost its significance in modern Moscow. There is no longer a monastery as such, new buildings have appeared nearby, but it still rises among the surroundings, claiming to be of central importance in Kitai-Gorod. Its powerful dome is perfectly visible from Zamoskvorechye and is able to compete even with the Pokrovsky Cathedral on Red Square.

The Epiphany Monastery is rightfully considered one of the oldest in Moscow: it was founded by the first Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich in 1296 - only the Danilov Monastery is older than him. At first, all the buildings of the monastery were wooden, but in 1342, the first stone Cathedral of the Epiphany was built on the donations of the boyar Protasius. In the future, all reconstructions were carried out on the basis of this building: in 1571 after the invasion of the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray, then in 1624 after the end of the Time of Troubles. Finally, in 1693-1695, the existing building was erected on the foundations of the old cathedral. Subsequently, it was updated several times, but the structure has not changed.

Built in the style of the Naryshkin baroque, the Cathedral of the Epiphany is oriented vertically: an octagon is placed on the square, which, in turn, is crowned with an elongated drum with an octagonal head. The facades are lavishly decorated with white-stone carvings; large window trims with figured columns and ridges look especially magnificent. The sides of the octagon are also crowned with crests, and the corners of the quadrilateral are decorated with stylized vases. The upper half of the quadrangle is cut through from the north and south by double windows, the basement windows are smaller and decorated more modestly, but also with elements of the Naryshkin baroque. The refectory and the quadrangle are interconnected by a wide gallery, on which additional aisles later appeared. A bell tower topped with a spire was built above the western entrance. In the interior, attention is drawn to large sculptural compositions "The Coronation of the Mother of God", "Nativity" and "Baptism".

In the lower church, consecrated in the name of the Kazan Icon Mother of God, previously there was a vast necropolis: here were the tombs of the most noble families of Russia - the Golitsyns, Sheremetevs, Dolgorukovs, Saltykovs and many others. The cathedral was badly damaged during the fire of 1812: from the explosion that occurred in the Kremlin, iron ties burst in the building, glass and frames flew out, the cross on the bell tower was bent in half. Over the next few years, the building was put in order.

The Epiphany Monastery was also one of the centers of education in Russia in the 17th century. In 1685, learned monks from Greece, the brothers Sophrony and Ioanniky Likhud, settled in it. Here they founded their own school, where they taught Greek language, grammar, pietics, rhetoric, logic and other sciences. Two years later, in 1687, the school moved to the neighboring Zaikonospassky Monastery and was transformed into the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy - this was the first higher educational institution in Russia.

In addition to the cathedral, there were two more gate churches in the monastery: the first, in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist, was dismantled in 1905 (despite the protests of the Moscow Archaeological Society) for the construction of an apartment building on Nikolskaya Street; and the second, the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, was lost in the early 1920s after the closure of the monastery.

Divine services in the cathedral ceased after the revolution, its decoration was badly damaged, and it itself was consistently used as a hostel, production facilities and a rehearsal room. Some tombstones from the lower church and basement were transferred to the Donskoy Monastery, which then belonged to the Museum of Architecture.

During the Great Patriotic War, the cathedral was almost lost: in the immediate vicinity of it, at the corner of Nikolskaya and Bogoyavlensky lanes, a German bomber crashed. The buildings that stood on this site were completely destroyed, and the cathedral itself lost its head with a drum - they were demolished by the plane during the fall. After the war, the territory was cleared and built up with a massive building in the Stalinist Empire style.

Since 1991, a gradual process of revival of the Epiphany Cathedral began. Monastic life has not been restored, so the cathedral acts as a parish church. In 2007, a monument to the Likhud brothers was erected in front of the altar of the cathedral in Bogoyavlensky Lane.

Bogoyavlensky behind the Market, or Betoshny next. Male, 2nd class, non-communal monastery. Located between the streets of Nikolskaya and Ilyinka, it was formed, according to the Novgorod chronicle, at the end of the 13th century, shortly before the death of Prince Daniil Alexandrovich of Moscow, son of Alexander Nevsky. During the years of foundation and construction of the Epiphany Monastery, its western part adjoined Red Square with stalls and rows. The northern side bordered on a busy road to Rostov the Great, Suzdal and Vladimir (Nikolskaya Street). All buildings were built of wood, the first stone building - the Church of the Epiphany was built in 1342 under the supervision of the boyar and the thousandth Protasius.

In 1624 in the monastery on the site of the Church of the Epiphany, which had stood for almost 300 years, a new stone cathedral was built with the Church of Our Lady of Kazan. Later, in the lower tier (in the basement), a church was built in the name of the icon of the Apparition of the Kazan Mother of God, consecrated on December 29, 1693, and twenty years earlier, when the boyar Ksenia Repnina was the widow of Prince and Governor Boris Alexandrovich Repnin-Obolensky, one of the leaders of the boyar Duma , a participant in the struggle against the Polish invaders - gave the monastery land adjacent to it from Nikolskaya Street and Bogoyavlensky Lane, the monastery built the main Holy Gate here with access to the busy Nikolskaya Street and the gate church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

At the end of the XVII century. in the monastery, stone fraternal cells were built along the line of the Vetoshny row and at right angles to them inside the courtyard - the rector's building (1693-1697). Then the cathedral was rebuilt. The temple acquired an elegant appearance of a Moscow baroque building. The outer walls of its apse and refectory, decorated with the same decorative finish, created the impression of rich decoration, and the double windows of the quadrangle, the cornices and platbands of the windows on the octagon, composed of several tiers of small profiled details, and the light figured spire gave a special festivity to the entire structure.

In the summer of 1782, the Cathedral of the Epiphany was again renovated from top to bottom, both outside and inside, and by the end of the century, in the buildings facing Torg and Nikolskaya, the first floors were taken over by haberdashery shops. 18 years after Napoleon's departure from Moscow, in the bell tower above the Holy Gates, the Church of the Savior of the Icon Not Made by Hands was erected at the expense of the Guard Captain Evdokia Vlasova instead of the Church of Boris and Gleb desecrated by the French. Almost 40 years after that, a chapel was built in the upper tier of the cathedral in the name of the icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God.

In 1870, a three-story fraternal building was thoroughly rebuilt on the western side and a two-story rectory on the north side, standing at right angles to each other. On the south side instead of dilapidated outbuildings, three-story commercial buildings were erected and the galleries connecting the buildings with the cathedral were dismantled. Epiphany warm trading rows have survived to this day. The improvement of the monastery was completed by the creation of the Church of the Great Martyr Panteleimon (1873) in the aisle of the upper tier of the cathedral.

At the beginning of the 20th century, commercial activity also took over the monastery. The corner buildings and the gate church with the Holy Gates (1905) were demolished, and five years later a four-story building of a trading house with an Art Nouveau facade on Nikolskaya Street was put in their place.

The Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which existed earlier, was located in the Epiphany Monastery above the gate under the bell tower. The bell tower was built in 1739-42. The church was first consecrated in honor of Boris and Gleb, and after renovation in 1830 it received its present name. There are 4 bells of the 17th century on the bell tower, one of them is large, dated 1616.

The previously existing chapel of the Epiphany Monastery on Nikolskaya Street was built in connection with the arrival in 1866 from Athos of part of the relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon and the Icon of the Mother of God the Quick Hearer. It was consecrated on February 11, 1873. When the Panteleimon Monastery built its own chapel at the Vladimir Gates, the Athos shrines were transferred there.

"Index of churches and chapels of Kitay-gorod". Moscow, "Russian Printing", B. Sadovaya, d. No. 14, 1916

The Epiphany Monastery in Moscow is in second place after the Danilovsky Monastery in antiquity. These Moscow monasteries had one founder - Prince Daniel Alexandrovich. Prince Daniel was the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky and became the first Moscow prince, under whom the city became an independent specific principality, separated from Vladimir.

The exact date of foundation of the Epiphany Monastery is unknown. It is generally accepted that it was founded in 1296, when Daniil took the title of Prince of Moscow, but with the same degree of probability the monastery could have been built in the period before 1304. The place chosen for the construction of the monastery was the best suited for this. It was located not far from the Kremlin, on the main road to Suzdal and Vladimir, besides, the Neglinka flowed here, and this was very convenient for the arrangement of the Jordan on the patronal feast. The fact that the area was a hill also played an important role - at that time they preferred to build temples and monasteries on the hills.

The Epiphany Monastery grew up in the suburb, which was not yet enclosed by the wall of Kitay-Gorod. Craftsmen and merchants lived in this place, the main Moscow market was located. Initially, the monastery was called that - "Monastery behind the Market". Details about the first years of the life of this monastery in Moscow have not been preserved. It is only known that even then he enjoyed the respect and attention of high-ranking and even royal persons, he was used for grand ducal pilgrimage. The monastery had extensive estates, which allowed it to expand. In addition, the grand dukes and the nobility of Moscow made significant donations to the monastery, thanks to which it could prosper.

At first, the monastery and the Church of the Epiphany with the Annunciation chapel were wooden, so it is not surprising that it burned down soon. After that, in 1340, the son of Prince Daniel, Ivan Kalita, founded the white-stone Epiphany Cathedral in the monastery, which became the sixth stone church built by him. In addition, it was the very first stone building outside the Kremlin, built at a time when the Kremlin walls themselves were still oak.

The abbots and monks of the Epiphany Monastery have always been distinguished by outstanding qualities, they were true ascetics of the faith. Older brother lived here St. Sergius Stefan of Radonezh, who at first was a monk, and then became abbot of the Epiphany Monastery. Here, the boyar son Eleutherius Byakont, who enjoyed the trust of Ivan Kalita himself, was tonsured, and arrived in Moscow during the reign of Daniel.

The deeds of the monks saved the monastery from disaster more than once. Frequent fires surprisingly bypassed the monastery. When Khan Tokhtamysh raged in Moscow, in an attempt to avenge the lost Battle of Kulikovo, he personally ordered the Epiphany Monastery to be set on fire, but the monastery survived anyway. Of course, the situation was not always happy for the monastery. In 1451, it burned down along with the Moscow settlement - this happened during the invasion of Tsarevich Mazovsha from the Golden Horde. After that, the monastery was rebuilt Grand Duke Vasily II, and his son, Ivan III, ordered that "annual food" be supplied to the Epiphany Monastery for the remembrance of parents and for the prayer of the holy elders for the sovereign's toast. Ivan III presented the Epiphany Monastery with rich estates, in which it was forbidden to beg, buffoon, stand up and demand a cart, even for sovereign people. At the same time, a refectory was built on the territory of the monastery from brick, which was distinguished by its special strength, which was produced at the Kalitnikovsky factory according to the recipe of Aristotle Fioravanti especially for the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral.

In 1547, a huge fire caused great damage to the monastery. This happened six months after the entry into the kingdom of Ivan the Terrible. During the reign of this Russian tsar, the Epiphany Monastery became the place of imprisonment of the disgraced Metropolitan Philip (Kolychev), who publicly condemned the tsar for his anti-people oprichnina. Oprichniki seized the saint in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, on the feast of the Archangel Michael. When the Metropolitan was taken to the Epiphany Monastery, people ran after the sleigh to get last blessing from the lips of your spiritual mentor. There is a legend about the miracles that accompanied the stay of the Metropolitan in the Epiphany Monastery. Once the guards who entered him found that the fetters miraculously fell from the captive. The second time, when Ivan the Terrible ordered to let a hungry bear into the dungeon with the priest and leave it for the night, in the morning they found that the bear was sleeping quietly in the corner, and the arrested man was safe and sound.

Ivan the Terrible revered the Epiphany Monastery. By his order, significant dues and food were supplied to the monastery, and when in 1571, during the invasion of the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray, the monastery burned out in a fire, the monastery was rebuilt by order of the king. During the Time of Troubles, the Epiphany Monastery was at the center of the battles for Kitay-Gorod, which took place in March 1611 and in the autumn of 1612.

The Poles completely destroyed the monastery and the Romanovs had to revive it. In 1624, a new cathedral was built in the Epiphany Monastery, and the monastery flourished at the end of the 17th century. Then, under Patriarch Andrian, with his blessing, a magnificent cathedral was built here in the Moscow Baroque style, which can still be seen today. Who was the author of this cathedral is unknown, by the similarity with the Trinity Church in Lykovo, some experts suggest that the architect could be Yakov Bukhvostov. This Cathedral of the Epiphany is two-tiered. In the first tier there is a church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which served as a symbol of the miraculous salvation of Moscow in 1612.

In the 17th century, the fate of the monastery was extremely successful. In 1672, noblewoman Xenia Repnina presented the monastery with a vast courtyard on Nikolskaya Street, which doubled the territory of the monastery, and in addition, the monastery received access to Nikolskaya. It was here that the first holy gates of the Epiphany Monastery with the gate church of the Nativity of John the Baptist were built. It was in the Epiphany Monastery in 1685 that the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was temporarily equipped, to which students were transferred from the school located in the Andreevsky Monastery.

At the beginning of the 18th century, when Peter I was on the Russian throne, craftsmen from Switzerland decorated the Church of the Epiphany with beautiful alabaster sculptures. And recently, documents were found in the archives indicating that great-grandfather A.S. Pushkin and the godson of Peter the Great, the then young Abram Gannibal. But it was in the era of Peter the Great, after the death of Patriarch Adrian, that the first secularization was carried out: now the monastic income went to the Monastic order, and the monks were paid a meager salary, which was barely enough to live on. When the archimandrite turned to the king with a request to increase the amount of this salary, he was refused. But despite the difficulties, there were also joyful events in the life of the Epiphany Monastery. So, after a fire in 1731, Archimandrite Gerasim managed to restore the monastery and build another gate church with a bell tower in the name of Boris and Gleb over the second gate, which was consecrated in 1742. On this bell tower there were 9 bells, each of which was cast in memory of the soul. By the end of the 18th century, the Epiphany Monastery in Moscow became the seat of vicar bishops of the Moscow Metropolitan.

The reign of Catherine II brought absolute secularization to the Epiphany Monastery. Basically, the monastery existed due to the fact that members of many noble Russian families found their last rest here, making donations to commemorate the souls of their loved ones. Almost from the moment of its inception, the Epiphany Monastery was the main boyar tomb after the Kremlin one. In total, there were more than 150 graves with unique tombstones in the tomb church, which were destroyed in the Soviet years. The Sheremetevs, Dolgorukies, Repnins, Yusupovs, Saltykovs, Menshikovs, Golitsyns rested here, an associate of Tsar Peter the Great, Prince Grigory Dmitrievich Yusupov, was buried.

Before the Napoleonic troops entered Moscow, the archimandrite of the Epiphany Monastery managed to take out the sacristy of the monastery, and the treasurer with the monks hid the rest of the treasures in church wall. Neither threats nor torture helped the French soldiers find out where the monastery's valuables had gone. The Epiphany Monastery was saved from ruin and destruction by the fact that one of Napoleon's marshals stopped here. After Napoleon's army left Moscow, the Epiphany Monastery was in a fairly good condition.

In the second half of the 19th century, from the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, the icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hear" was brought to the city, as well as parts of the relics of the healer Panteleimon, a cross with a particle of the Life-Giving Tree, a particle of the stone of the Holy Sepulcher. In order to venerate these shrines, people from all over Russia flocked to the Epiphany Monastery. In 1873, a chapel of St. Panteleimon was built in the monastery, and the Athos chapel was built on Nikolskaya Street. The chapel was small and could not accommodate all visitors, so in 1880 the brother of the rector of the Athos Panteleimon Monastery donated a site on Nikolskaya Street to the monastery for the construction of a new chapel.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a number of works were carried out in the Epiphany Monastery to repair and improve churches and premises, which, on the one hand, brought comfort and beauty, but on the other hand, destroyed rare architectural values. When steam heating was carried out inside the temple, ancient burial places and the remains of ancient structures were destroyed, but this was only the beginning. In 1905, despite the stormy protests of the Moscow Archaeological Society, the gate church of the Nativity of John the Baptist was demolished, and in its place it was decided to build an apartment building. In 1919, the Epiphany Monastery was closed, and the cathedral and the Church of the Savior were made parish - they continued their activities for some time. In 1922, all the silver was removed from the monastery. And seven years later, the Cathedral of the Epiphany was closed. In his tribute, at different times, there was either a flour warehouse, or a Metrostroy warehouse, and even a metalworking workshop. The most valuable items were transferred to various museums, and the rest was damaged and desecrated. Various disorderly outbuildings disfigured appearance temple, the building began to collapse. In 1941, a downed German bomber fell near the cathedral and the upper part of the temple was demolished by a shock wave. After the end of the Second World War, the administrative building of the NKVD was built on the territory of the monastery, and of all the valuable buildings, only the Epiphany Cathedral was more or less preserved.

In 1980, gradually began to restore the surviving Epiphany Church, it was transferred to the choir. A.V. Sveshnikova, a rehearsal and concert hall. In 1991, the temple was returned to believers. A new era in life has begun ancient temple. Restoration work even touched upon what was damaged during the Napoleonic invasion. In the upper temple, a multi-tiered iconostasis, stucco molding, sculptures of the Petrine period were restored, royal doors in the form of a cross. The restored upper church was consecrated in 1998 by Patriarch Alexy II. In 1998, the Moscow Regency Singing Seminary began to work at the Epiphany Monastery, and the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker "Red Ringing" and the Church of Cosmas and Damian in Old Panihi that survived in Kitai-Gorod were assigned to the Epiphany Cathedral. By 2014, it is planned to complete the restoration work, which is carried out at the expense of funds from the state budget. In its course, the fence will be restored and the surrounding area landscaped.

https://www.ruist.ru/index.php/moskva/79-moskva/97

After being baptized by Prince Vladimir, a huge number of Orthodox monasteries. Of course, there were monasteries in such a significant city as Moscow. The Epiphany Monastery is one of the oldest in the capital. In antiquity, it is second only to Danilovsky.

Founding history

When exactly this monastery was founded, scientists-historians, unfortunately, failed to find out exactly. Presumably, the monastery was founded in 1296, fourteen years after Danilovsky. The prince of Moscow and Vladimir at that time was the youngest son of A. Nevsky Daniil Alexandrovich. It is believed that the laying of the Epiphany Monastery took place precisely on his initiative. History is silent about who was the first rector of the monastery. It is only known that some time after its founding, Stefan, the elder brother of Sergius of Radonezh, became abbot. The future Metropolitan of All Russia Alexy was also appointed rector of this monastery.

Prince Daniel Alekseevich

The founder of the Epiphany Convent himself was born in 1261. In fact, Prince Daniel Alekseevich is the ancestor of the Moscow line of the Rurik family, that is, all subsequent kings. During his reign, Russia was under the yoke of the Golden Horde. Like all other princes of that time, he took part in internecine wars. However, at the same time he showed himself to be one of the most peaceful rulers. Among other things, he also cared about the faith of the people living on his territory. In addition to the Epiphany, he founded the Danilovsky Monastery, as well as the Bishop's House on Krutitsy. Like many Russian princes, he was canonized by the church (in 1791). This saint is revered as the faithful Daniel.

Conventionally, it is believed that Bogoyavlensky was founded in 1296, because it was at that time that Daniil Alekseevich took the title of Prince of Moscow.

good location

The place for the construction of the Epiphany Monastery "behind the Market" was not chosen by chance. Firstly, the main Moscow road to Vladimir and Suzdal passed nearby. And secondly, the Kremlin was located in the immediate vicinity. So it was very convenient for Prince Daniel of Moscow and Vladimir to go to services. In addition, the Neglinka River flowed in the immediate vicinity, which made it much easier for the monks to conduct Jordan and organize procession for the patronal feast.

Since artisans and merchants lived around the monastery in the suburb then, it was originally called “what is beyond the Market”. In the future, a more accurate expression “what is behind the Rag Row” was used, since in the immediate vicinity of the monastery there were stalls of fur traders.

fires

At the time of the founding of the monastery, almost all of Moscow was made of wood. The Epiphany Monastery was also originally built of logs. And, of course, soon, during one of the town fires, the monastery burned down. When exactly this happened is unknown. The first years of the life of the monastery are generally shrouded in mystery for historians. However, there is evidence that in 1340 the son of Prince Daniel, Ivan Kalita, laid the first stone church on the territory of the monastery - the single-domed Epiphany Church on four pillars and a high foundation. Thus, this cathedral became the first stone building erected outside the Kremlin.

For the second time, the Epiphany Monastery suffered from a fire in 1547. This misfortune happened six months after. During the reign of the latter, the monastery, like all of Russia, experienced better times. Many disgraced boyars, princes and clergymen were kept within the walls of the monastery. In particular, it was here that Metropolitan Philip was imprisoned, who publicly condemned the tsar for organizing the oprichnina.

There were fires in the monastery in subsequent years - in 1551, 1687, 1737. During the Troubles, the monastery was completely plundered and burned by the Poles (1612). This time the tsars from the Romanov dynasty had to rebuild the monastery. Subsequently, Patriarch Filaret took great care of the Epiphany Convent.

Another fire that destroyed the monastery was in Moscow in 1686. This time, the mother of Peter the Great was restoring the monastery. For the new Epiphany Cathedral, one of the then fashionable baroque architectural trends was chosen. Now this style is called Naryshkin.

Likhud Brothers School

education common people in those distant times, attention was paid, of course, very little. Only a few ascetic monks taught the children of artisans and peasants. Moscow was no exception in this regard. The Epiphany Monastery became one of the few in which a school was organized. The Likhud brothers, who were very educated for that time and invited from Greece, taught there. Later, their school was moved to. Later, it was transformed into the famous Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy.

rich monastery

This monastery burned, thus, very often. However, like the whole of Moscow. Meanwhile, the Epiphany Monastery was almost always restored quickly. This monastery throughout its history has been one of the richest in Russia. Immediately after the founding, the brethren of the monastery began to receive large donations from Moscow princes and boyars. Favored this holy place and the kings. So, for example, in 1584 Ivan the Terrible donated to the Epiphany Monastery a large sum money to commemorate the murdered disgraced. In 1632, the monastery received the right to a duty-free alloy of building materials and firewood.

Once upon a time there were stables and a smithy on the territory of the monastery. The monks also profited from renting out the premises. In different years, noble people also donated lands to the Epiphany Convent. So did Prince Vasily III, Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, the Sheremetyevs, and others. In 1672, the noblewoman K. Repnina transferred the possessions on Nikolskaya Street to the monastery. Thus, the second courtyard of the monastery was formed. From the first it was separated by residential stone chambers.

Cathedral of the Epiphany Monastery in Moscow: architectural features

The main temple of the monastery includes two churches - the upper and lower. The first was lit once in the name of Theophany itself. The Lower Church - Kazanskaya In this temple in the time of the Romanovs there was a large necropolis with the tombs of the most noble families of Russia - the Sheremetevs, the Golitsyns, the Saltykovs, and others.

The Church of the Epiphany is oriented vertically - on the quadrangle there is an octagon, in turn, crowned with a head, which also has 8 faces. Even today, the tower of the Epiphany Church rises majestically above the modern buildings of Nikolskaya Street. The facades of the cathedral are richly decorated with carvings. The platbands of windows with ridges and figured columns look especially impressive. Above the western entrance to the cathedral there is a bell tower with a spire. Between the refectory and the quadrangle of the temple there is a gallery with additional aisles. In addition to icons, the interior is decorated with sculptural compositions "Christmas", "Coronation of the Virgin" and "Baptism".

Other churches of the monastery

In addition to the Epiphany, two more Orthodox churches once operated on the territory of the monastery. The first was consecrated in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist. This gate church was dismantled in 1905 for the construction of an apartment building. The second gate church stood until the revolution. It was destroyed in the 20s.

The monastery was closed in the very first years of the Bolsheviks. Services in the Epiphany Cathedral were terminated in 1929. The premises of the monastery were adapted for a hostel for students of the Mining Academy, as well as offices of the Metrostroy. Later, metalworking shops operated on the territory of the monastery.

During the Second World War, the monastery was almost destroyed. A downed German bomber fell right next to it. The houses on the next street collapsed. Falling, the plane demolished the head of the cathedral. It was restored already in the 90s by the diocese of Moscow.

In the 80s, historical research was carried out on the territory of the monastery and the monastery was handed over to believers in 1991.

Surviving buildings

Unfortunately, the monastery was not restored even after the transfer to the Russian Orthodox Church. At the moment, in addition to the Cathedral of the Epiphany, only monastic cells and rector's chambers of the 18th-19th centuries have been preserved on its territory. Also in the monastery there is a building of modern construction - an administrative building erected in the 50s of the last century. Today, the diocese of Moscow is carrying out restoration work on the territory of the complex.

Address

Today, believing Christians have a great opportunity to visit the beautiful Cathedral of the Epiphany for prayer, and tourists to see the territory of one of the most ancient monasteries in Russia. The monastery is located at the address: Moscow, Bogoyavlensky lane, 2. In the immediate vicinity of it is the entrance to the metro station "Revolution Square".

Today, religious services are held in the monastery, as in the past. As before, the believers visit the Epiphany Monastery (Moscow). Unction, baptism, wedding - all these rites can be performed in his only temple. Near the monastery there is another attraction, this time a modern one - a monument to the educators brothers Likhuds. This monument was erected in Bogoyavlensky Lane in 2007.

Epiphany Monastery (Moscow): schedule of services today

Of course, it is better to visit the territory of the monastery at a time when divine services are going on in its church. Schedule may vary depending on church holidays. On May 1, 2016 (Easter), it looked, for example, like this:

00:00 - Easter matins.

2:00 - Early Liturgy.

9:00 - Confession.

9:30 - Late Liturgy.

10:45 - Procession.

14:00 - Easter supper.

The exact schedule of services for a given day can be found on the official website of the Church of the Epiphany in Moscow.

Year of foundation: 2004

Rector: Dean of the Churches of the Khimki District Archpriest Artemy Grankin

The Church of the Epiphany of the Lord in the city of Khimki, Moscow Region, was erected on the initiative of believing residents of the city and with the support of the City Administration. Archbishop Gregory of Mozhaisk, vicar of the Moscow Diocese, in the presence of the head of the city V. V. Strelchenko, consecrated the foundation stone on May 15, 2004.

The architecture of the Church of the Epiphany of the Lord of the Byzantine style. The capacity of the church is designed for 1000 people. The temple is two-storey and four-altar. The lower church is dedicated to the Nativity of the Prophet Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John (June 24/July 7). This is a baptismal church, in which a font is planned for the complete immersion of the person being baptized in water.

The upper church and the central altar were consecrated in honor of the Theophany of the Lord, (January 6/19 celebration), the right aisle of the temple is dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "Quick Hearing" (October 9 / November 22 celebration), and the left aisle - to St. Nicholas (May 9/22 celebration and December 6/19).

The temple is five-domed in a single volume with a bell tower. Plan in the form of a cross with an orientation to the east. Since the temple has two floors, the Architectural Fund, the chief architect V.N. Mikhailov and the decision of the Khimki City Administration, provided for the front stairs (in addition to the main entrance) to the side entrances and wheelchair lifts. The bell tower has four inner tiers and a belfry with four arched openings. On the territory of the temple there is a church-administrative building, as well as a church shop.

The building of the church is two-story, four-altar, with five domes in a single volume with a bell tower. The lower church is dedicated to the Nativity of John the Baptist, the upper church and the central altar are dedicated to the Epiphany of the Lord, the right aisle is consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Quick Apostle", and the left - in the name of St. Nicholas.

The bell tower has five inner tiers and a belfry with four arched openings. The bells for the temple were cast at the ZIL plant by craftsmen from the Society of Old Russian Musical Culture. The selection of the sound of bells, their number, tone and weight was carried out by the main bell ringer of the Moscow Kremlin and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior I.V. Konovalov.

There are twelve bells in total, the largest bell weighs two tons. An image is cast on the bells Holy Mother of God, called the "Quick Apostle", as well as the faces of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Nicholas, St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, St. Righteous John of Kronstadt and Blessed Matrona of Moscow.

The temple contains many shrines. Among them is an ark with a consecrated copy of the nail from the Crucifixion of Christ and a piece of the nail itself, an exact photocopy of the Turin Shroud of Christ the Savior, particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Blessed Matrona of Moscow. In the left part of the central arch there is a canopy with an icon of the Monk Martyr Ephraim the New, Nea Makri wonderworker (Greece). There, in the ark, are kept the skuf and slippers of St. Ephraim, a particle of the tree on which the monk was tormented, and the earth from the place of his torment. In the temple, the image of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” and the icons of the holy Apostle Simon the Zealot and the martyr Basilisk are also especially revered. Beneath them, in special arks, there are stones from the place of the martyrdom of these saints.

Since 2009, divine services have been held daily in the Church of the Epiphany, open Sunday School, there is a social service and a youth movement.

Near the Church of the Epiphany there is a chapel in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow". It is dedicated to the memory of those who died during the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in local wars and man-made disasters. Every year on April 26, on the day of the Chernobyl tragedy, a memorial service for the dead is performed in the chapel.

Also assigned to the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul house temple Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol. It was equipped in 2005 in the surgical building of the Khimki Central Clinical Hospital instead of the prayer room that had existed since 2004. The clergy provide care for the sick and medical staff who are being treated. Currently, work is underway to build a separate temple, which will be able to come not only to those in the hospital, but also to everyone.

Temple opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until the end of the evening service; Sunday: from 06:00 to the end of the evening service.

Directions: from the Leningradsky railway station in Moscow to the Khimki station, then by bus / fixed-route taxi No. 3 to the stop “New Khimki Stadium”; from metro station River Station» Moscow by bus/route taxi No. 443 to the stop "New Khimki Stadium"; from the Planernaya metro station in Moscow by bus / fixed-route taxi No. 383, also by trolleybus No. 202 to the stop "New Khimki Stadium"

Temple details:
Recipient: Local religious organization Orthodox parish of the Epiphany Church in Khimki, Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
TIN 5047069695 KPP 504701001 account 40703810509010000660
Central Branch of JSB ROSSIYA, Gas Pipeline Settlement, Moscow Region
to / account 30101810400000000132
BIC 044599132

The temple in honor of the Epiphany is the only building that remains of the oldest monastery in Moscow, founded in 1296. The temple, located in the center of the capital, still attracts many believers and tourists.

Story

The Epiphany Monastery was founded in Kitay-Gorod as early as. The youngest son of the faithful, having received Moscow in his possession, tried to decorate it with churches and monasteries, one of which was the Epiphany Convent.

Temple of the Epiphany of the former Epiphany Monastery, Moscow

In this monastery, currently located on Revolution Square, the main church was the Epiphany of the Lord. Initially wooden, after the fires of 1340 it was built in stone and became one of the first stone structures erected outside the Kremlin.

According to legend, the first abbot of the monastery was the brother - hegumen Stefan. The name of St. Alexis of Moscow, who is very revered in Russia, is also associated with the temple. He took tonsure here and led a monastic life.

The Church of the Epiphany was badly damaged several times, but was restored:

• in 1451, during the invasion of the Tatar prince Mazovsha, it mostly burned out, but was soon restored;
• after the Great Moscow fire of 1547 and the invasion of Devlet Giray in 1571, the monastery and the temple again had to be rebuilt;
• after the Time of Troubles, the entire monastery was badly damaged, and the new Russian sovereigns had to rebuild the central monastery of Moscow again.

After all the events, the Epiphany Church was built from scratch in 1624. Having become the main temple of Moscow and the tomb of the representatives of the Romanov family, it underwent a complete restructuring in the style of the "Naryshkin baroque" in the period from 1686 to 1694. It was then that he acquired the form that he currently has.

Other Orthodox churches in honor of the Epiphany:

A large necropolis was located at the monastery, where representatives of such noble families as the Sheremetyevs, Golitsyns, Menshikovs, Repnins were buried. Among the graves was the grave of the father of St. Alexis of Moscow Fyodor Byakont. Unfortunately, all the tombstones above these burials were lost during the Soviet period.

Current state

The closing of the temple in honor of the Epiphany of the Lord took place in 1919. Since that time, its destruction began. In 1941, a downed German bomber fell not far from the temple. The blast wave destroyed the upper part of the temple. But in the 1980s, the restoration of the temple began, it dragged on for a long time.

Only after the transfer of the temple to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991, restoration work accelerated. Soon the Church of the Epiphany in Bogoyavlensky Lane was completely restored, including the Alekseevsky chapel in its original form.

Floor and hanging icon cases in the Church of the Epiphany of the Lord of the former Epiphany Monastery

Currently, regular services are held in the temple.

Attention! The schedule of services of the Church of the Epiphany on Revolution Square is as follows:

• Matins and Liturgy are served daily at 8:30 a.m. except Mondays and Tuesdays;
• Vespers or before holidays starts at 17.00;
• on holidays and Sundays beginning at 9.30.

shrines

Each church has its own shrines, especially revered icons, relics or relics associated with one or another shrine.

More interesting articles about Orthodoxy:

In the Church of the Epiphany, the main shrine is the Iberian chapel, where the revered one is located. This chapel is located within the former monastery.

Patronal feasts

In the life of every temple special place occupy the holidays associated with the thrones consecrated in honor of certain saints, the Mother of God or the Lord's great holidays, of which there are only twelve during the year.