At the intersection of the main streets of the Russian city, there is a monastery, which dates back to the 14th century. According to legend, the women's monastery was founded by the wife of Dmitry Donskoy - Princess Evdokia. Many trials fell to the lot of the monastery. It was completely destroyed in the Time of Troubles and was closed from believers for several decades in the 20th century.
History of the monastery
It is believed that the oldest of the monasteries of Uglich was originally built on the territory Uglich Kremlin at the end of the XIV century, thanks to Princess Evdokia. According to another version, the maiden monastery was founded a hundred years later, when the seventh wife of Ivan the Terrible and the mother of his heir, the eight-year-old Tsarevich Dimitri, lived in Uglich.
View of the Epiphany Monastery from the street on January 9
Some chronicles write that the history of the monastery begins much earlier. Most likely, it was founded in 1295, during the reign of Prince Dmitry Borisovich Uglichsky.
In 1609, Polish-Lithuanian troops broke into the Russian city on the Volga and burned all the wooden buildings of Uglich. The women's monastery in the Kremlin did not survive the Time of Troubles and burned to the ground. During the raid, Abbess Anastasia, two priests, 35 nuns and 260 women were killed.
View of the Cathedral of the Epiphany and the northern cell building
After the expulsion of the foreigners, the revival of the monastery began in the 1620-1629s. Wooden churches and cells were rebuilt under the leadership of the mother of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, a nun named Martha.
As time went on, the territory of the Uglich Kremlin became cramped. The monastery did not have enough space, so the nuns thought about moving. In 1661, they settled in the new part of the city, next to an earthen ditch on the Rostov road, which is now called "Rostov street".
View of the Epiphany Cathedral from Rostov Street
The first stone building - Epiphany or Smolensk church appeared in 1700. In the 19th century, the ancient monastery underwent a large-scale reconstruction. A large cathedral, a new church, a fence and nursing buildings were built on its territory.
The people called the Uglich monastery "the empress's pilgrimage." The monastery owned several villages and villages, had arable, hayfields and received rich donations from the royal family and other noble persons.
View of the monastery gates from the territory of the Epiphany monastery
The nuns of the Epiphany monastery were reputed to be great needlewomen. They masterfully mastered ornamental and facial sewing, knew how to skillfully embroider with gold, silver, pearls, silk threads and created real works of decorative and applied art.
In the 1930s, the monastery was closed, and the bell tower and the fence were destroyed. For several decades, solid buildings were used as warehouses and were rebuilt several times. In the 1970s-80s, two churches were restored and handed over to the city history and art museum. Monastic life on the territory of the monastery was resumed in 2010.
Church of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God with a bell tower (left), Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God (right)
Architectural monuments
The magnificent monastery ensemble is one of the main shrines of the Uglich region. The oldest Smolensk church was built in 1700. The small five-domed temple is decorated with platbands, decorative cornice and glazed green tiles.
The second church - Fedorovskaya is dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God, which was presented to the monastery by the nun Martha. The classical style stone building was built in 1805-1818. Inside, there are paintings of the early 19th century, made by Epifan Medvedev, and frescoes of 1862, painted by Yegor Dyakonov.
View of the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God
The Epiphany Cathedral was erected in 1853 for huge money at that time - 60 thousand rubles in silver. The pompous church in the Russian-Byzantine style looks a little heavy, but is famous for its rich decor.
Useful information for pilgrims and tourists
Tourists who travel to the cities of the "Golden Ring" of Russia are happy to visit the old monastery in Uglich. The monastery is active, services are held there twice a day - at 9:00 and 16:00.
View of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "It is worthy to eat" at the cells
There are no special excursions for visitors, but everyone can enter the territory and visit the temples. Guests are asked to respect the monastic traditions. Photo and video filming in the monastery is allowed only with the blessing of the abbess.
How to get there
View of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "It is worthy to eat" at the cells
The nunnery is located at 12 Student Town, 0.6 km southeast of the Uchlich Kremlin. From the bus station it is easy to walk here along the streets of Olga Berggolts and Oktyabrskaya. If you came to Uglich by train, from the railway station take any bus that goes to the city center and get off on Rostovskaya Street right next to the monastery.
Information sources:
- Wikipedia, Epiphany_monastery_ (Uglich)
- Monastic Bulletin, Epiphany Convent of the city of Uglich
- Sobors.ru, Uglich. Epiphany monastery
- Yaroslavl Metropolis, Pereslavl Diocese, Epiphany Monastery of the Uglich
Attraction rating:
