December 15th, 2010

One of the Moscow monasteries most affected by Soviet power can be safely called the ancient Simonov (Assumption) Monastery. This was monastery, founded in 1370 with the blessing of St. Sergius of Radonezh by his disciple and nephew, the Monk Fedor, who was the personal confessor of Dmitry Donskoy. The monastery has stood on its present site since 1379.

The monastery got its name after the monk Simon, in the world boyar Stepan Vasilyevich Khovrin, who donated land for the monastery ten miles from the Kremlin. The circumference of the monastery walls was 825 m, height - 7 m.
The Simonov Monastery was also a fortress that protected the capital from the south, from the Moskva River. According to the chronicler, the Simonov Monastery repeatedly served as "Moscow's shield against enemies." Just like the Petrov Monastery, more than once it was subjected to Tatar raids, and in Time of Troubles(1598 - 1613) was ruined and destroyed almost to the ground.

In the 17th century, the Simonov Monastery flourished and enjoyed the patronage of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich (1661 - 1682), the elder brother of Peter I, who had his own cell here for solitude.
In 1771, the monastery was abolished by Catherine II and turned into a plague isolator. How the holy monastery deserved such a fate, I do not know. It was only in 1795 that it was restored to its original capacity by the petition of Count Alexei Musin-Pushkin and operated until the Revolution. In 1920, the monks were dispersed, the monastery was abolished for the second time. But its walls and temples stood for another 10 years.
The Simonov Monastery was not as lucky as the Petrov (Vysoko-Petrovsky) Monastery. Despite the fact that in 1923 a museum was established in it, in January 1930 a government commission decided to demolish most of the monastery buildings. The explosion thundered on the night of January 21, exactly on the sixth anniversary of the death of V. I. Lenin. Five out of six churches flew into the air, including the Assumption Cathedral, the bell tower, the gate churches, as well as the Watchtower and Taynitskaya towers with buildings adjacent to them. On working subbotniks, all the walls of the monastery, except for the south one, were dismantled, and all the graves on the territory of the monastery were wiped off the face of the earth. After all, a vast necropolis was located within the walls of the Simonov Monastery. Many Moscow noble families found their rest here - the Durasovs, the Soymonovs, the Muravyovs, the Tatishchevs, the Naryshkins, the Shakhovskoys, and others. , 19th-century poet Venevitinov. Most of the graves were dug up, and workshops and the ZIL Palace of Culture were built practically on the bones.

After the return of the church monastery during construction works in the 1990s some remains were found and reburied.

Little remains of the once richest and most grandiose monastery.
Now on the territory of the Simonov Monastery you can see the corner tower "Dulo" built in the 1630-1640s, crowned with a high tent with a two-tiered watchtower;

five-sided "Blacksmith" tower

and round "Salt".

Through the loophole of the surviving fragment of the monastery wall.

Also preserved are the “new” refectory (1677–83; architects I. Potapov and O. Startsev), the fraternal building of the 17th century, the “old” refectory chamber (1485, 17th centuries), the artisan’s chamber and the utility building - “malting house” or "dry".

At present, on the territory of the former monastery, there is one church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God (1667), transferred together with the entire complex to a community consisting of deaf and dumb people. The service is led by a hearing-impaired priest, he is assisted by an interpreter from the language of the deaf and dumb.

And this is how the Simonov Monastery looked in the image of A.M. Vasnetsov.

We have been here twice. In summer, of course, the territory of the former monastery looks more attractive than in winter. Some work is underway to restore the buildings, but it is felt that the community does not have enough funds for a grandiose restoration.

These amusing ceramic figurines decorating the monastery courtyard were probably made in the artel located here.

One of the most affected Moscow monasteries and one of the most significant in the history of the capital. The Simonov Monastery was lost by more than two-thirds; its cathedral, one of the oldest in Moscow, was destroyed in the 20th century. And yet, fragments of its history have survived to this day, as if showing what an irrepressible thirst for destruction can lead to.

Initially, the Simonov Monastery was founded in 1370 a little further from its current location - where the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Stary Simonov is now located. Its founder was St. Theodore, a disciple and nephew of St. Sergius of Radonezh. And the monastery received its name not from the temple, but from the monastic name of the boyar Stepan Khovrin, who donated land to create a monastery and accepted monasticism in it with the name Simon. In 1379, the monastery was moved a little to the north and no longer changed its location. At the same time, the construction of the stone Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God began, completed by 1405. In the 16th century, the existing stone walls: the architect, presumably, was Fedor Kon, the creator of the Smolensk Kremlin, the walls of the White City in Moscow and the Small Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery. The walls and towers of the Simonov Monastery are a masterpiece of Russian fortification; it took part in battles more than once and withstood enemy sieges. The Dulo, Salt and Blacksmith towers that have survived to this day were rebuilt in the 1640s. The monastery was abolished in 1771 to accommodate the plague quarantine, but in 1795 it was restored again at the request of Count Musin-Pushkin.

The center of the monastery ensemble was the massive five-domed Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God. To the south was a refectory built in 1677 at the expense of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich with the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God on the basis of an old building. In architectural terms, it was a very unusual building: in addition to the quadrangle of the church, a wide observation tower stood out, from which the tsar admired the views of Moscow and its environs. Its facades were decorated with windows with architraves of complex shape; from the west, it was crowned with a decorative stepped composition with Dutch motifs. Above the western gates was the Church of the All-Merciful Savior, built in 1593 in memory of the victory over the Crimean Khan Kazy Giray, and above the eastern gates was the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. From the north, as part of the monastery wall, there was a bell tower built at the expense of the merchant Ivan Ignatiev in 1835-1839 according to the project of the architect K.A. Ton - the creator of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Finally, at the building of the monastery hospital there was a single-domed church of St. Alexander Svirsky.

A number of Russian saints and famous bishops who went down in history began their monastic path in Simonov Monastery: Metropolitan of Moscow Jonah, Patriarch Joseph, St. Cyril of Belozersky. The monastery necropolis was full of famous names of Russian literature and art: S.T. and K.S. Aksakovs, A.A. Alyabiev and many others.

Near the Simonov Monastery there was a pond, which, according to legend, was dug by St. Sergius of Radonezh himself. However, it entered literature and popular memory under the name "Lizin's pond" thanks to the book by N.M. Karamzin "Poor Lisa": the main character of the work committed suicide due to the betrayal of her lover, throwing herself into this pond.

In 1920, the monastery was abolished, but the buildings were initially preserved: in some of them, a museum of fortification was arranged. However, by 1930 it was also closed, and on the night of January 21, 1930, most of the monastery, together with the Assumption Cathedral of the early 15th century, was blown up. This is the biggest loss cultural heritage Moscow in the 1930s. At the same time, the monastery necropolis was completely destroyed, only some graves were transferred to the Novodevichy cemetery. On the site of the destroyed part of the monastery, the Palace of Culture of the ZIL plant appeared, created according to the project.

Today we can see no more than a third of the monastery ensemble: out of six churches, only one remains - in the name of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Three towers with dilapidated fragments of the monastery walls, the Kelar building, a refectory, a malt shop and treasury cells have also been preserved. These buildings were used for industrial purposes for a long time, fishing hooks and tackle were made here, so they are all in very poor condition. The building of the Tikhvin Church with a refectory, distorted by perestroika, was handed over to believers in 1995, and from that moment restoration is underway. The community here is special - for the deaf-mute and hard of hearing.

Simonov Monastery is one of the largest, richest and most famous monasteries located in the past years in the near suburbs. Now it is located on the territory of the capital, in the Middle Ages in Russia it was part of a fortified belt, consisting of monasteries that protected the approaches to the capital from the south side. A large number of buildings on its territory were destroyed during the reign of Soviet power, especially a lot in the 30s. The area was partly built up.

History of the monastery

The date of foundation of the Simonov Monastery is considered to be 1379. It appeared in the lower reaches of the Moscow River. The land was donated to him by a boyar named Stepan Khovrin, and the first rector was Archimandrite Fyodor, a follower and student of the famous Sergius of Radonezh.

Boyar Khovrin, when he retired, accepted monasticism and began to be called Simon, hence the name of the monastery itself. And in the future, a close relationship remained between the monastery and the family of the merchant. For example, the tomb of the descendants of Simon was arranged here.

Historians are still arguing about when the monastery was founded. For a long time it was believed that it was 1370, but modern researchers are still inclined to believe that this happened between 1375 and 1377.

The Simonov Monastery was moved to its current location in 1379, so some count the age of the monastery from this date. Where the monastery used to be, only the church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin has survived. In the 18th century, graves were discovered in it. legendary heroes Battle of Kulikovo - Andrei Oslyabi and These burials have survived to this day.

Influence of Sergius of Radonezh

Since the Simonov Monastery was founded by a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, he considered it a kind of branch of his Trinity monastery. He often stayed within these walls during his visits to Moscow.

Largely due to this, many famous church figures came out of here. These are Kirill Belozersky, Patriarch Joseph, Rostov John, Metropolitan Gerontius. All of them were somehow connected with this monastery. In the 16th century, the theologian Maxim the Greek and the monk Vassian lived and worked here for a long time.

The history of the Simonov Monastery was not always cloudless. It was repeatedly raided and was almost completely destroyed during the Time of Troubles.

Before the revolution, the Simonov Monastery in Moscow was considered one of the most revered in the entire Moscow region. Therefore, prominent and respected personalities constantly came here for advice or absolution. The rich made substantial donations, so the monastery, as a rule, did not need anything. He was especially loved by the elder brother of Peter I named Fyodor Alekseevich. He even had his own cell, in which he often retired.

Black streak in the life of the monastery

Problems at the Simonov Monastery in Moscow began shortly after Catherine II came to power. In 1771, she simply abolished it because of the plague, which was rapidly spreading across the country. As a result, the monastery overnight turned into an isolation ward for plague patients.

It was only by 1795 that it was possible to restore its usual activity in it. Count Alexei Musin-Pushkin petitioned for this. Archimandrite Ignatius was appointed rector, who came specially for this from the Novgorod diocese, where he served in the Big Tikhvin Monastery.

During the reign of Soviet power, the monastery was again abolished. In 1923, a museum was founded on its basis, which existed until 1930. Vasily Troitsky was appointed director, who managed to establish relations with the Orthodox church community. He even allowed services to be held in one of the temples of the monastery, and in exchange, the monks agreed to act as janitors and watchmen. In the 1920s, the architect Rodionov restored the buildings of the monastery.

In 1930, a special commission from the Soviet government was assembled, which officially recognized that some of the ancient buildings located on the territory of the monastery should be preserved as historical monuments, but the walls of the monastery and the cathedral itself should be demolished. As a result, five out of six churches were razed to the ground, including the bell tower, the Assumption Cathedral, and the gate churches. The Taynitskaya and Watchtowers, as well as the outbuildings that adjoined them, were destroyed. Several subbotniks were organized, during which the walls of the monastery were dismantled, and the ZIL Palace of Culture appeared on this site.

Only in the early 1990s were the remains of the monastery buildings returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

How to get to the monastery?

Getting to the Simonov Monastery, whose opening hours are from 8.30 to 19.30, is not difficult at all. If you use public transport, then take the metro to the Avtozavodskaya station. Then you should go along Masterkova Street in the direction of the street called Leninskaya Sloboda. As soon as you are at the crossroads, you will see the Salt Tower, which belongs to the Simonov Monastery. Address: Moscow, Vostochnaya street, 4.

Travel time from the metro to the monastery itself will be about eight minutes on foot.

Bell tower

Today we can see that some of the buildings of the monastery have been restored, and some have been completely lost. Separately, it is worth mentioning the belfry of the Simonov Monastery.

By the 19th century, it had become very dilapidated, then a new five-tiered bell tower was erected over the northern gate, the architect of which was Konstantin Ton. After 4 years, a 94-meter structure was built, which became higher than the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Moscow Kremlin. For a while, it became the highest in the capital.

Four large bells were cast specifically for it by order of the kings, who often visited this monastery, prayed, and communicated with the elders.

In February, on the cover of the Ogonyok magazine, a photograph was published depicting a huge fragment of the just blown up bell tower of the Simonov Monastery. The bell tower officially ceased to exist in 1930.

Refectory

The refectory of the Simonov Monastery is a monument of Russian civil architecture of the 17th century. It appeared in the monastery in the 15th century, but over time it ceased to satisfy the needs of numerous brethren.

The construction of the new building began in 1677 under the guidance of the architect Potapov. But his appearance was not liked by the customers, the church leadership. As a result, the construction was temporarily frozen. It resumed in 1683 and was completed by 1685. This time the work was supervised by the famous capital architect Osip Startsev.

Modern researchers attribute the refectory to the Moscow Baroque. On the right is the Church of the Holy Spirit, and on the left is the turret, on the upper tier of which there is an observation deck.

The refectory, by the way, has a unique feature. It is a stepped spike on the west side. Its design is in the spirit of Western European mannerism, and the walls are decorated with "chess" paintings.

Inside the refectory chamber there is one large vault that covers the entire width of the building. According to this model, refectory chambers were later built in many Russian churches.

Church and towers

The monastery is located in an amazingly beautiful picturesque place. It has repeatedly inspired many writers and therefore to create amazing works. For example, a description of the Simonov Monastery can be found in Karamzin's story "Poor Liza". In the pond, it was near its walls that the main character drowned herself in the finale. This made the monastery very popular among admirers and followers of sentimentalism for a long time.

The first stone cathedral church at the monastery appeared in 1405. She was named after the Dormition Holy Mother of God. Its construction began just in 1379. Since then, the Simonov Assumption Monastery has been considered one of the main shrines of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The dome of the cathedral was seriously damaged in 1476 when it was struck by lightning. Therefore, it soon had to be seriously rebuilt. An Italian architect, whose name has not survived to this day, took up the matter. By 1549 the temple was rebuilt. On the old foundation, a five-domed cathedral was erected, which became larger in size.

At the end of the 17th century, it was painted by the masters of the capital, at the same time a carved iconostasis in gold appeared in the monastery. It contained the main shrine of the Simonov Monastery - Tikhvin icon Mother of God. It was it that Sergius of Radonezh handed over to Dmitry Donskoy, blessing him for victory in the Battle of Kulikovo.

Among the rare valuables, you can immediately see a golden cross, studded with emeralds and diamonds, presented to the monastery by Princess Maria Alekseevna.

There is an opinion among researchers that the old walls and towers of the monastery were built by one of the most famous Russian architects, Fyodor Kon. The one that built the Smolensk fortress wall. He was seriously engaged in strengthening the border lines of Russia during the reign of Tsar Boris Godunov, who laid the first stone in the Smolensk Kremlin.

Horse worked hard in this monastery too. The work of the architect was not in vain. In 1591, the monks were attacked by the Crimean Khan of Gaza II Girey, but thanks to strong walls they managed to withstand the enemy.

The walls of some towers of the Simonov Monastery and the monastery itself have survived to this day, although they were built in 1630. When a new fortress was being built, it included some fragments that Fyodor Kon had been working on.

The total length of the monastery walls around the circumference is 825 meters. The height is impressive - about seven meters. The Dulo tower, which is topped with a tent with an original watchtower, has survived to this day almost better than the others. Two more surviving towers are called Salt and Forge, they appeared in the 40s of the 17th century. At that time, a large-scale restructuring of the walls and buildings, which were badly damaged in the Time of Troubles, was underway.

The list of buildings and structures of the Simonov Monastery also includes three gates. The northern, western and eastern ones have survived to this day.

After the landmark victory over Khan Kazy-Girey, which took place in 1591, the gate church of the All-Merciful Savior was built at the monastery. In 1834, another church, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, appeared above the eastern gate.

An important decision for the development of the monastery was made in 1832. The Orthodox complex needed a new bell tower, the money for which was donated by the merchant Ignatiev. Initially, the project made by the architect Tyurin was approved. The bell tower was supposed to be built in the style of classicism, but later this idea was abandoned. Largely due to the fact that in Russia the traditions of returning to the original traditional Russian architecture were gaining more and more strength. So in 1839 a bell tower of five tiers appeared, designed by Konstantin Ton.

Another ten meters was the belfry. The largest bell in the Simonov Monastery weighed as much as a thousand pounds, which is about 16 and a half tons. How it was possible to raise it to such a height at that time remains a mystery to many. It was this bell tower that turned into one of the dominants for Moscow of its time. Visually, she was able to complete the picture of the picturesque capital in the southern part of the city.

In 1929, the bell tower was blown up and ordered to be disassembled into bricks by the Soviet authorities.

Necropolis

In the ancient monastery, as usual, many famous people, whose contribution to the history of Russia and the fate of the monastery is known to many.

For example, in the cathedral at the monastery, Simeon Bekbulatovich, baptized at the whim of Ivan IV the Terrible, was buried, who in 1575, unexpectedly for everyone around him, was named tsar in Russia. True, a year later the same Grozny successfully overthrew him.

After the intrigues of Prince Boris Godunov, who was close to the tsar, he was blinded in 1595, and in 1606 he was exiled to Solovki. There he became a monk. Returning to Moscow, he was placed in the Simonov Monastery, where he died under the name of hermit Stefan.

The body of Konstantin Dmitrievich also rests in the necropolis of the monastery, who also took monastic tonsure before his death and died under the name of monk Cassian. AT different time representatives of the family of the boyars Golovins, Buturlins, princes Mstislavsky, Suleshev, Temkin-Rostovsky were buried in the monastery courtyard.

Many representatives of the creative intelligentsia are also buried here. The talented poet Venevitinov, who died in 1827, the writer Aksakov, who died in 1859, the composer Alyabyev, who wrote the famous "Nightingale" (his death overtook him in 1851), famous poet), Fyodor Golovin (a close associate and associate of the first Russian Emperor Peter I).

You can also find the graves of representatives of many famous Russian families of nobles, such as the Vadbolskys, Olenins, Zagryazhskys, Tatishchevs, Shakhovskys, Muravyovs, Durasovs, Islenyevs, Naryshkins.

When the monastery was destroyed in the 30s of the XX century, most of the necropolis was not preserved. Only a few remains have been found. For example, the poet Venevitinov and prose writer Aksakov, they were reburied at the Novodevichy cemetery. Instead of a cemetery, a carpentry was organized and after the monastery was returned to the church, construction and restoration work began, in which some more remains were found and buried according to Orthodox custom.

The priests noted that all the found graves were badly destroyed, most were desecrated. The remains were acquired during the removal of construction debris, a huge work was carried out to separate human bones from animal bones.

Current state

Today you can see only a small part of the buildings of the Simonov Monastery that have survived to this day. The southern wall with three towers (Dulo, Salt and Blacksmith) remained from the monastery itself. The refectory of the 17th century with the Church of the Holy Spirit has been preserved, as well as the fraternal building, the so-called refectory chambers, which date back to the 15th century, outbuildings and craftsmen's chambers.

AT last years Russian Orthodox Church carries out large-scale restoration and restoration work. In particular, they are working on the restoration of the refectory, fraternal building and outbuildings. The latter are also used as workshops. The remaining surviving towers and walls are mostly abandoned.

You can learn even more by going on an excursion to the Simonov Monastery. It's not difficult at all. The project "Walking around Moscow" started at the time as part of the celebration of the City Day. These excursions turned out to be so popular that they were launched on an ongoing basis.

The duration of such a cognitive and educational walk is about two and a half hours. During this time, it is possible to walk along with an experienced and well-read guide through the picturesque and quiet places of Simonovskaya Sloboda, to see the very pond into which the heroine of Karamzin threw herself from grief, the station building, left by trains for a long seven decades, to learn about the tragic and majestic fate of the monastery - a warrior, who more than once found himself in the defense of the capital, to visit the grave of the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo. There is also a place of memory of the famous composer Alyabyev, the so-called cemetery of bells.

Among the main objects are not only the Simonov Monastery and the buildings located on its territory, but also the railway station railway station Lizovo, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, the place where the Mother of God appeared to Cyril Belozersky, the Orthodox factory of the industrialist Alexander Bari, the graves of Peresvet and Oslyabi.

The organizers of the tour guarantee that after it is over you will find out why the writer Karamzin renamed the settlement, although he did not want it, where the temple of obscurantism was demolished and the house of enlightenment was built, how the monastery tower turned into a semaphore, for what reason the troops of Ataman Bolotnikov could not overcome the monastery walls, as the composer Alyabyev created his most famous work "The Nightingale", where there was a traditional gathering place for cadets of the Spasskaya Tower.

The only thing worth remembering if you are going to visit this excursion is that certain rules must be observed on the territory of the monastery. Be dressed in accordance with the rules of Orthodox piety, in particular, you cannot appear in shorts or short skirts.

The route along which the tour will take place will start near the station from there you will proceed to Masterkova Street, then to Oslyabinsky and Peresvetov lanes, visit the Simonov Monastery itself, go to Leninskaya Sloboda Street and return to the Avtozavodskaya metro station again.

The area where the Simonov Monastery was founded (now it is near the Avtozavodskaya metro station) has been known since the 12th century. Here was one of the villages of the boyar Kuchka - Simonovo - hence the name of the monastery. The location of the monastery was strategically advantageous. He stood at the passing Kolomna road, which led to the Kremlin. The territory was also distinguished by its beauty and picturesqueness.

Initially, the Simonov Monastery was founded in 1370 on the site where the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is now located in Stary Simonov, on the left elevated bank of the Moskva River. the disciple of the Monk - Theodore, who was the son of Sergius Stefan's brother. When Theodore decided to found his own monastery, he was blessed for this by Sergius of Radonezh. The holy elder came to Simonovo, examined the place and approved the choice of his nephew. The monastery was founded with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexei. Theodore was the first hegumen of the Simonov Monastery and took an active part in its life. Thanks to his care, in 1379 the monastery was moved to a new location, a quarter of a mile north of the old monastery. There is a legend that Dmitry Donskoy himself pointed to a new place, since it was convenient for defending the approaches to Moscow and was located in a strategically important direction. In 1379, a stone cathedral was laid in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, which was consecrated in 1405; in its magnificence, it was revered as the only one in Moscow. The old monastery was not destroyed, but remained in existence with the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and cells for monks under the name of the Simonovsky old monastery. It was dependent on the new monastery, and during the time of Ivan the Terrible, it existed separately. The old monastery served as a tomb for the monks of the new Simonov Monastery. In 1380, the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo, warrior monks Alexander Peresvet and Rodion Oslyabya were buried here. Silent elders also lived here. By the 18th century Church of the Nativity of the Virgin became a parish.

The abbot of the Simonov Monastery, Theodore was the confessor of the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy and obtained from the Patriarch of Constantinople for himself the rank of archimandrite, and for the monastery - the status of stavropegial.

In his youth, St. Jonah labored in the bakery of the Simonov Monastery, later Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Russia (since 1448 the first metropolitan appointed in Russia without a Patriarch of Constantinople). In memory of him, there was a custom in the monastery to distribute monastic bread from the refectory to all pilgrims. At the beginning of the XVI century. writers lived in the Simonov monastery: the monk Vassian (in the world - Prince Vasily Ivanovich Patrikeev), the Athonite Maxim the Greek. Tsars Mikhail Fedorovich, Alexei Mikhailovich, Fedor Alekseevich lived in the Simonov Monastery during fasting. In August 1431, Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich, before going to the Golden Horde, dined in a meadow near the Simonov Monastery. In 1591, the Simonov Monastery took part in repulsing the attack of Khan Kazy Giray. In the autumn of 1606, the monastery actively resisted the advance of the troops of Ivan Bolotnikov, and in 1610-1613. was ruined by the Polish-Lithuanian invaders and fell into decay.

The monastery was a large feudal lord: until 1764 it owned about 12 thousand peasants, had many villages and villages, several small monasteries and a desert were assigned to it. According to church utensils and sacristy, the monastery was revered along with the richest monasteries in Russia. During the secularization of the monastic lands, the nearby surroundings were preserved for the Simonov Monastery, it was assigned to the first class, it was the third stavropegial in Moscow. In 1771, a plague epidemic began, some of the monks were transferred to the Novo-Spassky Monastery, and quarantine was arranged in Simonov. By the end of the epidemic, few monks survived, the monastery died out, so its staff was transferred to the Epiphany Monastery. In 1788, by order of Catherine II, the monastery was abolished with the establishment of a hospital within its walls. Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod Musin-Pushkin A.I. on the advice of Metropolitan Gabriel of Novgorod, he decided to intercede with Catherine II for the restoration of the ancient national shrine, the monastery was renewed on May 6, 1795 in the first class. In 1812, the monastery suffered from the French, the temples and sacristy were looted, precious manuscripts were destroyed.

The Simonov Monastery was famous for the splendor of its temples and the harmony of its bells. From the very foundation of the monastery, a large stone construction was carried out on its territory, which continued in the 15th, 16th and subsequent centuries. In the first half of the XIX century. Simonov's chant was famous, which they wanted to introduce in other churches. At that time, the monastery with its surroundings was a favorite place for out-of-town walks of Muscovites.

The ensemble of the Simonov Monastery was finally formed by the middle of the 19th century. Before the revolution of 1917, there were churches in the monastery: the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1543-1549, the Church of the All-Merciful Savior above the western gate in 1593 (the monastery was sometimes called Spas-Simon after it), the hospital church of St. Nicholas above the eastern gate in 1834. , the Church of Our Lady of Tikhvin at the refectory of the 17th century, the Church of Alexander Svirsky in 1700, the Church of Alexander Nevsky and John of Tsaregradsky in the second tier of the bell tower, built in 1835-1839. in the northern fence by the architect A.K. Ton (height 99.6 m, was 12 m higher than the bell tower of Ivan the Great). The monastery was surrounded by a stone fence with five towers (Storozhevaya, Tainitskaya, Dulo, Smithy and Salt), erected in the 16th-17th centuries. The towers were covered with tiles, on two towers angels were mounted on gilded balls, on the rest - weather vanes. Three gates were arranged in the fence: the main western gate served to enter and enter the monastery, the northern one under the bell tower served to enter the cathedral, and the eastern one to enter the monastery garden. On the territory of the monastery, in the western part, there were two orchards(priest and fraternal), paths lined with trees were laid out throughout the monastery, sundial was installed in open areas.

There was a large necropolis in the Simonov Monastery. Stepan Vasilyevich Khovrin and many Khovrins-Golovins, the son of Dmitry Donskoy Konstantin (in the monks Cassian, 1430), the baptized prince of Kasimov Simeon Bekbulatovich (in the monks Stefan, 1616) were buried in the cathedral. The cemetery was located near the eastern fence, behind the Assumption Cathedral and the Tikhvin Church. There were buried: the writer S.T. Aksakov (1859) with his relatives, friend A.I. Herzen historian V.V. Passek (1842, was buried free of charge for having written the history of the Simonov Monastery) with children, composer A.A. Alyabiev (1851) with relatives, poet D.V. Venevitinov (1827) with his relatives (they were related to A.S. Pushkin), famous publishers S.A. and N.S. Selivanovskie, writer and publisher of magazines Maxim Nevzorov (1827), uncle A.S. Pushkina N.L. Pushkin (1821) and son-in-law of the poet L.N. Gartung (1877), collector A.P. Bakhrushin (1904) and many others eminent figures our history and culture.

The Simonov Monastery was closed in 1923, the vacated monastery premises were given over to housing for the workers of Simonovskaya Sloboda. The Simonov Monastery was gradually destroyed. The last temple was closed in May 1929. The monuments at the monastery cemetery were preserved until November 1928, then the necropolis was demolished, and a square was laid out in its place. In 1930, the Assumption Cathedral was blown up, the church of Alexander Svirsky, the Watchtower and Taynitskaya tower and part of the wall were destroyed, later other churches and buildings were destroyed. On the site of the monastery in the early 30s. The Palace of Culture of the Proletarsky District (later ZIL) was built. In Soviet times, various institutions were located on the remaining territory of the monastery. At present, the entire complex of the monastery with the Tikhvin Church has been handed over to a community consisting of deaf and dumb people.

In 1509, the wooden Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Stary Simonovo, next to which the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo Peresvet and Oslyabya were buried, was replaced by a stone one. In 1660, stone tombstones were erected over the graves of the monks. In 1785-1787. to the west of the church, new stone bell towers with a refectory were built. In 1846-1855. the refectory with a bell tower were rebuilt, two aisles were arranged in the refectory: the southern one of St. Nicholas and the northern one of Sergius of Radonezh, in which the graves of the heroes turned out to be. In 1870, cast-iron tombstones were erected over the graves of Peresvet and Oslyab and a metal tent was erected.

After the revolution, the church ended up on the territory of the Dynamo plant named after Kirov, and they wanted to demolish it. Then it was equipped with a transformer, then a compressor station. Thanks to the public, in 1983 the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was transferred to the Historical Museum to create an exposition dedicated to the Battle of Kulikovo, and the restoration of the temple began.

By the day of the city in Moscow, a project of free tours We walk around Moscow has started. It turned out that the project was so necessary that they decided to make such walks regular. In early autumn, I already visited two excursions, I especially liked the visit to the Sviblovo estate. This time I managed to get on the tour of the Secrets and Legends of the Simonov Monastery. To my surprise, I had not heard of such a place in Moscow, so I gladly set off to discover new sights of the capital for me. We were also interested in the fact that they promised to show us the burial place of the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo and the famous composer A. Alyabyev. We met with the guide at the Avtozavodskaya metro station. And immediately began the story of what was located earlier in these places. Many centuries ago, there were dense forests here that belonged to the boyar Stepan Khovrin. In 1370, he gave the nephew of Sergius of Radonezh, Fyodor, part of his possessions, and he founded a monastery in them. Since Stepan Khovrin also became a monk and took the tonsure under the name Simon, the monastery was called Simonov. After some time, Fedor left the monastery and founded a new Simonov monastery a little aside. Its architectural ensemble was formed over the centuries and almost all of it was destroyed in the 1930s. What can be seen now is only a small part of the former splendor.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

On the way to the monastery, we were shown two unusual buildings on Leninskaya Sloboda Street - these are the former railway stations of the Lizino station, passenger and freight. They were built in 1915 at the expense of the youngest son of a large railway rich man P.G. von Derviz. Indeed, the silhouettes of the buildings are very reminiscent of the stud farm in the Ryazan estate of Pavel Pavlovich von Derviz in Starozhilovo. Both there and here the buildings were supposedly built according to the design of the famous architect F. Shekhtel. They also told us the history of the appearance of the name of the station. The fact is that in Simonova Sloboda he liked to walk famous writer, author of the "History of the Russian State" N. M. Karamzin. In 1792, he wrote the very popular story "Poor Lisa", which tells about the unhappy love of a girl, because of which she drowned herself in Sergius Pond near the Simonov Monastery. After the book was published in Moscow, a real "licking" began: lovers came to the pond and swore love to each other, lonely girls and romantic boys wrote poems on nearby trees. Lizina Square, Lizin dead end and Lizino station appeared in the area.

Only in the late 50s. In the 20th century, this station was closed, as the need for it disappeared. Now it would not even occur to an ignorant person that these two beautiful houses were once station buildings. Finally, we come to one of the towers of the Simonov Monastery.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

Now there are only three of them left, and earlier the monastery was surrounded on all sides by a high wall with five towers. Simonov Monastery at all times was a very powerful and well-defended fortress, which was the first to meet the enemy on the outskirts of Moscow. Its walls repelled the attacks of the troops of Khan Kazy Giray, stood in the way of Ivan Bolotnikov, suffered greatly from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders and the Napoleonic army, but were destroyed by their own people. From the former outpost, only the southern wall and three towers have survived: Forge, Salt and Dulo. They were built in the 17th century on the foundations of older structures.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

At the most powerful tower "Dulo" you can see huge boulders left from the old walls. It turned out that it is currently impossible to enter the territory of the monastery. For the first time I see that they were not allowed into the monastery ordinary people. Even the group and I were only allowed to stand by the wall for five minutes. Taking pictures is also strictly prohibited. In general, such a conspiracy only causes suspicion that some dark deeds are going on on the territory of the Simonov Monastery. We had to examine the surviving architectural objects through the bars with barbed wire. Two buildings attract the most attention. The first is a huge building called Sushilo.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

It served for the economic needs of the monastery. There is some European trend in its architecture. It reminds of Dutch houses, as well as the preserved refectory. This is the second stunningly beautiful building of the Simonov Monastery, which immediately catches the eye. It was built under Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, the elder brother of Peter the Great, who also loved everything European.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

The famous architect Osip Startsev supervised the work. In one of the towers of the refectory there were the personal quarters of the king, and in the other a church. Previously, this building was richly painted, let's hope that over time it appearance will restore. Now the Tikhvin Church is located inside - the only thing that can be freely visited in the monastery.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

The main cathedral of the monastery - the Assumption, as well as the tall bell tower, which at that time was the tallest building in Moscow, were blown up in 1930. Now the ZIL House of Culture is located on the site of the temple. At the same time, one of the oldest cemeteries in Moscow was destroyed, where Peter the Great's friend and colleague Pyotr Golovin, composer A. Alyabyev, poet D. Venevitinov, representatives of such famous noble families as the Urusovs, Naryshkins, Tatishchevs, Buturlins and many others were buried. Now, on the site of the cemetery under the walls of the monastery, a small city park has been laid out, where the townspeople walk with strollers, the children ride down the hills, not even realizing that many generations of quite famous families are buried under the park.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

Opposite the Simonov Monastery, if you go through the park, you can go to the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

It was in its place that the old Simonov Monastery appeared. The first church was founded here in 1370, later it was naturally rebuilt many times.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

It was here that the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo were buried, including the famous heroes Peresvet and Oslyabya. After the revolution, the compression shop of the Dynamo plant was placed in the building of the temple. It was not until the 1980 Olympics that the authorities remembered the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo and decided to find their graves. Excavations were made on the territory of the temple, and the remains of several dozen people were discovered. Above them was a symbolic gravestone.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

By the way, gravestones, brought here from the destroyed cemetery near the walls of the Simonov Monastery, adjoin the walls of the temple.

Simonov Monastery in Moscow

Old buildings are now densely surrounded by modern business centers, townhouses and shopping malls. Therefore, not everyone will be able to navigate and find all the historical objects of Simonova Sloboda on their own. The more valuable are such public projects that allow Muscovites to get to know their city better.