One of the most active supporters of the introduction of cenobitic statutes into the life of Russian monasteries was an outstanding religious figure of the XIV century, Metropolitan Alexy. It is with his name that the creation of the Alekseevsky Convent in Moscow is connected, which went through a difficult path of trials, but today it is one of the leading spiritual centers of the country, as before. Let's take a closer look at his story.
A retreat built among meadows and fields
As the chronicle testifies, the Alekseevsky convent (Moscow) was founded in 1360 at the request of the sisters of Metropolitan Alexy - Juliania and Evpraksia, who later became its nuns themselves. The name of the monastery was in honor of St. Alexis the Man of God, who was considered the heavenly patron of its founder.
The place for the monastery was chosen quiet and secluded for those times. It was located in the floodplain of the Moskva River, not far from the village of Semchinsky, surrounded by vast meadows and mowing. The first monastic buildings were:the wooden temple of the Man of God Alexy and the same church, cut down from fresh pine logs, dedicated to the conception of the righteous Anna. By the will of the metropolitan, from the very first days, a strict cenobitic charter was established in it, close to that which once guided the monks in the Egyptian desert.
Extremely contradictory information has been preserved about the first abbess of the Alekseevsky monastery created in Moscow. It is precisely established that her name was Juliana, and according to legend, she was one of the sisters of Metropolitan Alexy, which looks very plausible. According to other sources, this honor fell to some other woman who came from Yaroslavl and bore the same name.
Beginning of the Way of the Cross
The first ordeal in the life of the monastery was the Tatar invasion of Moscow in 1451. Among other shrines of the capital, the barbarians were set on fire and the Alekseevsky convent, which after that for a long time was in desolation. Its active revival began during the reign of Grand Duke Vasily III Ioannovich (father of Ivan the Terrible), who commissioned the Italian architect Alivez Fryazin to build a new stone temple of Alexy the Man of God on the site of a burned-out wooden church. However, this building was destined for a short life. The creation of the Italian master first suffered in the fire of the Great Moscow Fire of 1547, and then, already in 1571, was finally destroyed during the next Tatar raid.
The fire that preceded the birth of the heir to the throne
During the periodDuring the reign of the first tsar from the house of the Romanovs - Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich - the Alekseevsky Monastery was moved from the Moskva River for security purposes to a new location, closer to the Kremlin, where its further construction unfolded. However, evil fate did not cease to pursue the inhabitants in the center of the capital. In April 1629, the monastery was again destroyed by fire.
This misfortune happened exactly a month before the birth of the heir to the Russian throne - the future Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (father of Peter I), for whom the patron saint of the monastery was considered a heavenly intercessor. This circumstance largely determined the future fate of the monastery.
Under the patronage of the royal family
From now on, the monastery enjoyed special attention from members of the royal family, who regularly made generous donations and cared for the well-being of the nuns. One of the most famous nuns of that period was the wife of the future Patriarch Nikon (the culprit of the church schism), whom he appointed there after he decided to take monastic vows. Princess Urusova, the sister of the famous schismatic noblewoman Morozova, was also detained there.
The period of the Napoleonic invasion
In 1812, when French troops captured Moscow, the Alekseevsky Monastery suffered the same bitter fate as most other monasteries. It was completely looted and partially burned. Miraculously, only the main temple and several outbuildings survived.buildings. The sisters and the abbess - Abbess Anfisa (Kozlova) - managed to escape only due to the fact that they were evacuated a few days before the invaders entered the city.
After the expulsion of the Napoleonic troops from the territory of Russia, Emperor Alexander I vowed in gratitude to God to build a temple in Moscow dedicated to Christ the Savior. Another, and this time the last, transfer of the Alekseevsky convent to a new place is connected with the search for a place for its construction.
The next (third) resettlement of nuns
At first, a site on Sparrow Hills was allocated for the future temple, but it soon became clear that it did not meet the technical requirements. The work was suspended and resumed only under Nicholas I, who wished to fulfill the vow given to God by his brother. Considering that the best place for the construction of the temple was the site that until then had been occupied by the Alekseevsky Monastery in Moscow, he ordered it to be moved to Krasnoye Selo. This was the third and this time the last resettlement of the monastery, carried out in October 1837 with the blessing of Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow. Today it is located there at the address: Moscow, 2nd Kranoselsky lane, 7, building 8.
Stronghold of Russian Orthodoxy
A large-scale construction was launched at the new location in the second half of the 19th century, carried out both at the expense of state subsidies and thanks to donations from private individuals. In the early 1970s, when public attention was riveted to events inIn the Balkans, a school for South Slavic girls was opened in the monastery - an educational institution in which refugees from the territories covered by hostilities were accepted. Somewhat later, a free hospital for the poor began to operate there. The highest level of religious life of the nuns, who contributed to the comprehensive strengthening of the Orthodox faith among various segments of the population, brought special glory to the monastery.
Years of atheistic obscurantism
The end of this period of material and spiritual well-being came soon after the Bolsheviks seized power. The valuables accumulated by the nuns over several centuries of the existence of the monastery were immediately requisitioned, and in August 1924, at the request of the workers of nearby factories, they themselves were evicted as a non-labor element. From now on, all the buildings that were on the territory of the monastery came at the disposal of various economic organizations. An exception was made only for the small Church of the Ex altation of the Holy Cross, but in the mid-30s it was also closed.
Return to life
The revival of the Alekseevsky convent that once existed in the city of Moscow took place in several stages, the first of which was the opening in 1991 of the Church of All Saints on its territory. This significant event was the result of an active struggle launched by the Russian Orthodox Church for the return of illegally seized movable and immovable property. Thanks to the perestroika processes that swept the whole country, the efforts of the clergy and laity were crownedsuccess, but there was still a long way to go to fight against all sorts of administrative delays.
However, the spirit of the new time brought back to life the Alekseevsky Monastery that once existed in Moscow. On Krasnoselskaya, where the buildings belonging to him were preserved, full-fledged life began to boil after the decision was made during the meeting of the Holy Synod, held on June 17, 2013, to revive it and give it the status of stauropegial, that is, being directly subordinate to His Holiness the Patriarch. The special significance of the monastery lies in the fact that in 2006 a patriarchal residence was established at its main church, which bears the name of the Man of God Alexy.
Current state of the monastery
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, today the Alekseevsky stauropegial convent in Moscow is one of the largest spiritual centers in Russia. It has become a tradition to hold annual divine services in it on the days of the memory of Alexy the Man of God, which are personally led by His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. This always attracts many worshipers to the walls of the main temple.
For those who are going to visit the monastery for the first time, we will note the simplest route. Having used the services of the metropolitan metro and having reached the Krasnoselskaya station, you should walk along Krasnoprudnaya Street. Cross it in the area of the Rusakovskaya flyover, turn left. Having reached the red brick fence, you can see the entrance to the territory of the monastery on the right side.
Many pilgrims who visited the Alekseevsky stauropegial Monastery in Moscow leave their reviews both on Internet sites and in a special book provided to everyone. Most of them express joy over the fact that Russian Orthodoxy, mercilessly trampled during the years of communist atheism, has once again found reliable support in the person of those who, having rejected the joys of the perishable world, bear the heavy cross of monastic service. Among these voluntary ascetics, the sisters of the Alekseevsky monastery are especially mentioned. In addition, it is noted that numerous thematic exhibitions organized on the eve of memorable historical dates are of great interest to visitors.
