NOVODEVICHY (NEW MAIDEN) CONVENT

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow is one of the well-known and picturesque sights. They say that Moscow id a heart of Russia, and this holy convent is its sole. From the day of convent foundation its history is closely linked with history of Russia and always with its best pages.

Use the services of guide who will only give an interesting excursion but also reveal the secrets of the convent.

The first temple stone was laid in 1524 by prince Basil III as gratitude for the town Smolensk released from Lithuanians. He has given the promise to begin the construction in 1524 but remembered it only 10 years later. There were rumors that prince divorced his first wife and this convent was intended for her. It happened that she was sent to another convent but the walls of Novodevichy Convent remember grievances and tears of women placed there against their will.

But do many people know that the convent has a tower of wish fulfilment? From time immemorial there has been a legend that if you touch it and think about the fondest wish, than any dream will come true. To be on the safe side, some people write their wishes right on the wall. The tower is called Zaprudnaya, here the tsar Peter I confined his sister Sofia for the sharp mind and insolence.

Now the convent complex is a magnificent architectural ensemble surrounded by white-stone walls with 12 towers. The churches and cathedrals strikes with their great beauty, their golden domes are reflected in the transparent water of convent pond. Near the living quarters there are museum objects which can tell many things about great women who lived there.

На On the territory of convent there is a  necropolis where  nuns and noble people of the city were buried in the past. When the place wasn’t enough, the cemetery was organized behind the wall. It’s called Novodevichy. Many great people of our epoch are buried there – writers, people of art, remarkable politicians. Here are buried M. Bulgakov, A. Tolstoy, N. Gogol, U. Nikulin, R.Gorbachev, B. Eltsin.