Church of the Dormition
Novodevichy Convent, built circa 1524. Many of the 15 buildings on the fortress grounds were being renovated, so they were inaccessible, as was much of the cemetery. Buried there is Yeltsin, Khrushchev, Chekhov, and Stalin’s wife. Peter the Great banished his half-sister and first wife to this convent. Napoleon tried to blow it up before he fled the city, but a nun diffused his canons. We visited on the feast day of St. Nicholas the Wonder Worker, some of whose relics are there in Church of the Dormition, as well as relics of the Optina Elders, whose prayer is our of my favorites.
Pretty chapel in the park across the street as we’re entering.
Cool shot by Aleksandr right inside the monastery.
The 3 Amigos, Trisha, and Seraphim.
Beautiful grave in the monastery center.
Houston snaps a shot of Mom and Dad.
It’s a no-no to take pics inside the churches, but I snapped this quickie of St. Nicholas’ icon with relics when Stephen and Aleksandr were behind me and the serious lady “bouncer” was looking away. No such luck with the Optina Elders relics, though.
Wide view of the Church of the Dormition.
The Virgin of Smolensk Cathedral is the main cathedral of the convent, but unfortunately, it was under renovation. Good for the monastery, bad for us. It is said that it’s modeled after the Kremlin’s Uspensky Cathedral.
One of the tower walls surrounding monastery.
