Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Epiphany Monastery on Nikolskaya. Church of the Epiphany of the former Epiphany Monastery Father David Temple of the Epiphany on Revolution Square

The Temple in honor of the Epiphany is the only building that remains from ancient monastery Moscow, founded back in 1296. The temple, located in the center of the capital, still attracts many believers and tourists.

Story

The Epiphany Monastery was founded in Kitai-Gorod back in the 19th century. The youngest son of the faithful, having received Moscow into his possession, tried to decorate it with churches and monasteries, one of which was the Epiphany monastery.

Church of the Epiphany of the Former Lord Epiphany Monastery, Moscow

In this monastery, currently located on Revolution Square, the main thing was the Church of the Epiphany. Originally made of wood, after the fires of 1340 it was built in stone and became one of the first stone structures built outside the Kremlin.

According to legend, the first abbot of the monastery was brother Abbot Stefan. The name of St. Alexis of Moscow, very revered in Russia, who took monastic vows here and led a monastic life, is also associated with the temple.

The Temple of the Epiphany was severely damaged several times, but was restored:

in 1451, during the invasion of the Tatar prince, Mazovsha was mostly burned out, but was soon restored;
after the Great Moscow Fire of 1547 and the invasion of Devlet-Girey in 1571, the monastery and temple had to be rebuilt again;
After the Time of Troubles, the entire monastery suffered greatly, and the central monastery of Moscow had to be rebuilt by the new Russian sovereigns.

After all the events Epiphany Church was built from scratch in 1624. Having become the main temple of Moscow and the tomb of representatives of the Romanov family, it underwent a complete restructuring in the “Naryshkin Baroque” style in the period from 1686 to 1694. It was then that he acquired the appearance that he has now.

Other Orthodox churches in honor of Epiphany:

The monastery housed a large necropolis, where representatives of such noble families as the Sheremetyevs, Golitsyns, Menshikovs, and Repnins were buried. Among the burials was the grave of the father of St. Alexy of Moscow Feodor Byakont. Unfortunately, all the tombstones over these burials were lost during the Soviet period.

Current state

The closure of the temple in honor of the Epiphany of the Lord occurred in 1919. From that time on, its destruction began. In 1941, a downed German bomber fell near the temple. The blast wave destroyed the upper part of the temple. But in the 1980s, the restoration of the temple began; it dragged on for a long time.

Only after the transfer of the temple to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991, restoration work accelerated. Soon the Church of the Epiphany in Bogoyavlensky Lane was completely restored, including the Alekseevsky chapel in its original form.

Floor and hanging icon cases in the Church of the Epiphany of the former Epiphany Monastery

Currently, regular services are held in the temple.

Attention! The schedule of services of the Church of the Epiphany on Revolution Square is as follows:

Matins and Liturgy are celebrated daily at 8.30 with the exception of Monday and Tuesday;
Vespers or before the holidays begins at 17.00;
on holidays and Sundays starts at 9.30.

Shrines

Each church has its own shrines, especially revered icons, relics or relics associated with one or another shrine.

More interesting articles about Orthodoxy:

In the Church of the Epiphany main shrine is the Iveron Chapel, where the revered church is located. This chapel is located within the former monastery.

Patronal holidays

In the life of each temple, a special place is occupied by holidays associated with altars consecrated in honor of certain saints, the Mother of God or the Lord's great holidays, of which there are only twelve during the year.

The Church of the Epiphany, the former Epiphany Monastery, in Kitai-Gorod is located near the Moscow Kremlin, between Ilyinka and Nikolskaya streets.

From the Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro station (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line):
Exit to the city “to Red Square, Nikolskaya, Ilyinka streets, Chamber Musical Theater, shops: GUM, “ Children's world", "Gostiny Dvor". The temple is located opposite the metro exit.

From the Kitay-Gorod metro station (Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya or Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya lines):
Exit to the city “To New Square, streets: Ilyinka, Maroseyka, Polytechnic Museum, Gostiny Dvor.” Go up the stairs, turn left and go up the escalator. In the long passage, turn left and walk to the end, then take the right exit to the street. Walk along Ilyinka Street to Bogoyavlensky Lane (second along right side). Landmarks: Exchange Square, Gostiny Dvor (corner large blue building), apricot-colored building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.

From Lubyanka metro station (Sokolnicheskaya line):
Exit to the city “on the square: Lubyanskaya, Novaya, to Teatralny Proezd, to the streets: Pushechnaya, Rozhdestvenka, Nikolskaya, b. and metro station Cherkassky Lanes, Chamber Musical Theatre, Museum of the History of Moscow, Polytechnic Museum, airline ticket offices, pharmacy No. 1, Detsky Mir department store.” Exit to Lubyanka Square, turn left onto Nikolskaya Street, which starts right next to the metro, and follow it to Bogoyavlensky Lane (second turn to the left).

Divine services
Tuesday: 17.00 - Evening Worship.
Wednesday: 8.00 - Confession; 8.30 - Clock and Divine Liturgy; 17.00 - Prayer singing with akathist before the icon Mother of God Kazan and Prayer singing for the increase of love - alternately.
Thursday: 17.00 - Evening Worship.
Friday: 8.00 - Confession; 8.30 - Hours and Divine Liturgy; 17.00 - Evening service.
Saturday: 8.00 - Confession; 8.30 - Hours and Divine Liturgy; 17.00 - All-night vigil.
Sunday: 8.00 - Confession; 9.30 - Hours and Divine Liturgy (from May to October - 8.30).
The day before church holidays at 17.00 - All-night vigil (from May to October - at 18.00), on the very day of the holidays at 8.00 - Confession, at 8.30 - Divine Liturgy.

All church requirements are fulfilled.

Thrones:
Upper Temple:
Epiphany of the Lord ( high altar); Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called; Holy Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia.
Lower Temple:
Kazan Icon of the Mother of God;
Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow.

Patronal holidays:
Epiphany of the Lord - January 19 (high altar);
Saint Apostle Andrew the First-Called - December 13;
Holy Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia - February 7;
Kazan Icon of the Mother of God - November 4;
Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow - June 2.

Story

The Church of the Epiphany of the former Epiphany Monastery was built in 1693–1996 in the Naryshkin Baroque style, as main temple Moscow Epiphany monastery, founded in 1298–1299 by the Venerable Prince Daniil of Moscow. The trustees of the monastery, starting from the 14th century, were St. blg. Prince John Kalita and the Moscow boyars Vorontsov-Velyaminov, Pleshcheev, Dolgorukov and Galitsyn. The ancestral necropolis of the trustees was also located here. The Monk Stephen, brother, labored in the monastery St. Sergius and the Venerable Dionysius of Svyatorets, the Venerable Gabriel (Zyryanov), the Venerable Confessor Leonty (Stasevich). In 1313, the future Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, took monastic vows in the monastery.

The monastery was closed in 1919, but services in the temple continued. In 1929, the temple was closed, the building was used as a warehouse, dormitory, printing house, and later the temple was transferred to the State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR. A. Sveshnikova.

In 1990, the temple was transferred to the Russian Orthodox community Orthodox Church, and on January 19, 1991, the first Divine services were held there. On May 31, a small consecration of the chapel was performed in honor of St. Alexis of Moscow; On April 25, 1992, the side altar was consecrated in honor of the Hieromartyr Vladimir of Kyiv; January 14, 1998 His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' performed the Great Consecration of the main altar of the upper church in honor of the Epiphany of the Lord; On October 31, 2003, a throne was consecrated in honor of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the northern gallery of the upper church; On March 6, 2011, the main altar of the lower church was consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

In 1995–1999, work was carried out to recreate the drum and dome of the temple, destroyed during Soviet times, and the facades of the temple. The altar parts of the Alekseevsky and Alfeyevsky chapels of the lower church were rebuilt, the iconostases of the upper and lower churches were restored.

Shrines

External Cross with part of the Honest and Life-Giving Tree of the Cross of the Lord;

Reliquary cross with a cathedral icon and particles of relics: Saints Apostle and Evangelist Luke, Apostle Barnabas, Saint Basil of Ryazan, Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh, Saints Agapit the gratuitous physician and Damian the healer of the Kiev-Pechersk, Venerable Euphrosyne of Suzdal;

Kasperovskaya Icon of the Mother of God with particles of holy relics: Shchmch. Dionysius the Areopagite, Bishop of Athens, St. Innokenty of Irkutsk, military center. Barbarians, St. John Climacus, prmcc. Book Elizabeth and nun Varvara, St. bgg. Book George Vladimirsky and Prince. Peter and Prince Fevronia Muromsky; and with particles of the Holy Sepulcher, the oak of Mamre and a stone from Mount Golgotha.

Icons with particles of holy relics:
o Apostle Andrew the First-Called;
o Apostle Barnabas;
o VMC. Catherine;
o Vmch. Demetrius of Thessalonica;
o 14,000 infant martyrs, killed by Herod in Bethlehem;
o Rights warrior Feodor Ushakov;
o Rights Martha;
o Prmcc. led book Elizabeth and nun Varvara;
o St. Alexy Zosimovsky;
o St. Aristocleus of the Elder of Moscow;
o St. Varlaam of Suzdal;
o St. Gabriel of Spain, Melekessky;
o St. Herman Zosimovsky;
o St. Herman Zosimovsky;
o St. John Climacus;
o St. Job Pochaevsky;
o St. Lavrentiy of Chernigov;
o St. Maxim the Greek;
o St. Pimen the Great;
o St. Roman Kirzhachsky;
o St. Sofia of Suzdal;
o St. Stefan Makhrishchsky;
o St. Theodore of Sanaxar;
o St. Alexander (Orlov) isp., presbyter of Maccabees;
o St. Blg. book Oleg Bryansky;
o St. blgv. led book Andrey Bogolyubsky;
o St. blgv. led book Georgy (Yuri) Vsevolodovich Vladimirsky;
o St. blgv. book Alexander Nevsky;
o St. blgv. book Daniil of Moscow;
o St. blgv. Tsarevich Dimitri, Uglich and Moscow;
o St. Blessed Andrey Simbirsky;
o St. Blessed Vasily, Christ for the sake of the holy fool, Moscow;
o St. VMC. Barbarians;
o St. Sergius (Pravdolyubov) isp., presbyter of Kasimovsky;
o St. blgv. book Konstantin (Yaroslav) and his children Mikhail and Theodore, Muromsky;
o St. blgv. book Peter, in the monasticism of David, and Prince. Fevronia, in monasticism Euphrosyne, Murom miracle workers;
o St. blgvv. knn. Theodore of Smolensk and his children David and Konstantin, Yaroslavl;
o St. Innocent, bishop Irkutsk;
o St. Innocent, Bishop of Penza;
o St. Innocent, Metropolitan Moscow;
o St. John, Bishop of Suzdal;
o St. Luke isp., archbishop. Simferopol;
o St. Nikita, recluse of Pechersk, bishop. Novgorodsky;
o St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia;
o St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus';
o St. Theodora, bishop Suzdalsky;
o St. Theodosius of Chernigov;
o St. Feofan, the Recluse of Vyshensky;
o St. Philareta, Metropolitan Moscow;
o Sschmch. Vladimir, Metropolitan Kievsky and Galitsky;
o Sschmch. Dionysius the Areopagite, bishop. Athens;
o Sschmch. Sylvester, Archbishop. Omsk.

Icons with particles of coverings from holy relics:
o St. Ilya of Muromets, Pechersky;
o St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky;

Reliquary with particles of holy relics: St. James of Nizibia, St. Ignatius, bishop Rostovsky, reverend fathers from Chozroes who were slain, the martyrs of Nicomedia, the martyrs of Jordan,

Equal Apostles icon. Nina, enlightener of Georgia with a particle of the Cross of the Equal Apostle. Nina.

At the temple there are:
Sunday school for children and adults, choral singing and painting studios(Registration for Sunday School is carried out according to Sundays in September);
Parish library;
Lecture hall on topics devoted to spiritual life, the foundations of Christian morality and the principles of building relationships in Orthodox family- on Wednesdays at 19.00, conducted by Archpriest Gennady Nefedov;
Evening singing and regency courses(one-year education in the specialty of a church liturgical choir singer) and amateur choir(training the skills of church choral singing for everyone, registration in September of each year based on the results of the interview);
Icon studio(3-year training in the basics of icon painting; recruitment based on the results of an interview, testing of professional skills and viewing of works - once every 3 years).

Huge Epiphany Cathedral has not lost its significance in modern Moscow. There is no longer a monastery as such, new buildings have appeared nearby, but it still rises among its surroundings, claiming central importance in Kitai-Gorod. Its powerful dome is clearly visible from Zamoskvorechye and can compete even with the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square.

The Epiphany Monastery is rightfully considered one of the oldest in Moscow: it was founded by the first Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich in 1296 - only the Danilov Monastery is older than it. At first, all the buildings of the monastery were wooden, but in 1342, with the donations of the boyar Protasius, the first stone Cathedral of the Epiphany was erected. Subsequently, all reconstructions were carried out on the basis of this building: in 1571 after the invasion of the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray, then in 1624 at the end of the Time of Troubles. Finally, in 1693-1695, the existing building was erected on the foundations of the old cathedral. Subsequently, it was updated several times, but the structure no longer changed.

Built in the style of the Naryshkin Baroque, the Epiphany Cathedral is oriented vertically: an octagon is placed on the quadrangle, which in turn is crowned with an elongated drum with an octagonal dome. The facades are lavishly decorated with white stone carvings; the large window frames with figured columns and ridges look especially magnificent. The sides of the octagon are also crowned with ridges, and the corners of the quadrangle are decorated with stylized vases. The upper half of the quadrangle is cut through from the north and south by double windows; the basement windows are smaller in size and decorated more modestly, but also with elements of the Naryshkin Baroque. The refectory and the quadrangle are connected by a wide gallery, on which additional chapels later appeared. A bell tower topped with a spire was built above the western entrance. In the interior, attention is drawn to the large sculptural compositions “Coronation of the Mother of God,” “Nativity” and “Baptism.”

In the lower church, consecrated in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, there was previously a vast necropolis: here were the tombs of the most noble families of Russia - the Golitsyns, Sheremetevs, Dolgorukovs, Saltykovs and many others. The cathedral was badly damaged during the fire of 1812: from the explosion that occurred in the Kremlin, iron connections in the building burst, glass and frames flew out, and the cross on the bell tower was bent in half. Over the next few years the building was refurbished.

The Epiphany Monastery was also one of the centers of education in Russia XVII century. In 1685, scholar-monks from Greece - the brothers Sophronius and Ioannikis Likhud - settled there. Here they founded their own school, where they taught Greek, grammar, literature, rhetoric, logic and other sciences. Two years later, in 1687, the school moved to nearby Zaikonospassky Monastery and transformed into the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy - it was the first higher educational institution in Russia.

In addition to the cathedral, there were two more gate churches in the monastery: the first, in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist, was dismantled in 1905 (despite the protests of the Moscow Archaeological Society) for the construction of an apartment building on Nikolskaya Street; and the second, Spasa Miraculous Image, lost in the early 1920s after the closure of the monastery.

Divine services in the cathedral ceased after the revolution, its decoration was badly damaged, and it itself was successively used as a dormitory, industrial premises and a rehearsal hall. Some tombstones from the lower church and basement were moved to the Donskoy Monastery, which then belonged to the Museum of Architecture.

During the Great Patriotic War The cathedral was almost lost: in the immediate vicinity of it, on the corner of Nikolskaya and Bogoyavlensky Lane, a German bomber fell. The buildings that stood on this site were completely destroyed, and the cathedral itself lost its head with a drum - they were demolished by a plane during the fall. After the war, the area was cleared and built up with a massive building in the Stalinist Empire style.

Since 1991, a gradual process of revival of the Epiphany Cathedral began. Monastic life was not restored, so the cathedral acts as a parish church. In 2007, a monument to the Likhud brothers was erected in front of the altar of the cathedral on Bogoyavlensky Lane.

Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Epiphany Monastery on Nikolskaya. The street has always been one of the most popular among Moscow residents.

Back in the 12th century, roads to the Moscow Kremlin from Rostov, Suzdal and Vladimir passed nearby.

It is not surprising that the place was chosen by merchants, and several monasteries and temple buildings appeared along the street, one of which is the Cathedral of the Epiphany at the Epiphany Monastery on Nikolskaya, popularly called the place “behind the Market.”

A brief history of the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Moscow

The initial history of the shrine is mysterious.

What is known is that the monastery was first built of wood, and when the building burned down, in 1340 a structure (the first outside the Kremlin) made of stone appeared.

During the Time of Troubles, the Cathedral of the Epiphany and the monastery on Nikolskaya suffered greatly: it found itself in the very center of hostilities. Therefore, the Romanovs had to restore the structure from scratch.

Meaning new monastery had a huge

Its abbots and archimandrites always took an active part in the life of the state and rulers. A higher school, the first in Russia, was also opened here.

Under the Romanovs, the monastery was not only revived, but was also supplemented with new buildings made in the Moscow Baroque style.

Under Tsar Peter, the Council of the Epiphany continued to flourish, but the first secularization also took place. And during the reign of Catherine II, the temple lived only because representatives of noble families of Russia rested here.

The shrine survived the War of 1812, although the monastery was also heavily damaged during the explosion in the Kremlin.

In general, fate was favorable to the Cathedral of the Epiphany on Nikolskaya.

Only in 1919 did truly difficult times begin for the temple: it was looted and closed (some of the relics were given to museums, others were destroyed and desecrated).

In 1941, the walls of the Cathedral of the Epiphany were damaged again: a German bomber fell not far from the structure and the upper part of the building was destroyed by the blast wave.

Restoration began only in the 80s. Gradually, even what was destroyed by the French was restored.

Today the Cathedral of the Epiphany on Nikolskaya is open for worship, and there are Sunday school, brotherhood, music lyceum. It is planned to complete restoration work by 2014.

Address: Bogoyavlensky lane, 2

The Epiphany Monastery is considered the second most ancient after Danilovsky, although a number of researchers consider the Epiphany monastery to be the first monastery in Moscow.

Epiphany was located in the very center of Moscow. But if you don’t know where exactly, then you’ll probably never find this dream. However, we will give you a hint: you exit the Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro station directly into Bogoyavlensky Lane. And across the road, opposite and a little to the left, you see the most wonderful - pink and white - temple in the style of the so-called “Naryshkin or Moscow baroque”. This is the Epiphany Cathedral - the main, and, in fact, the only surviving church of the monastery. But how beautiful he is!

By the way, another evidence that you came out correctly: in front of the cathedral there is a monument to two Greek monks - the Likhud brothers. It seemed - why suddenly? Yes, because it was they, and it was here, in the Epiphany Monastery, who founded the school, which later became the famous Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. And later it was transformed into the Moscow Theological Academy.

A lot can be said about the monastery and the people whose names are associated with it. This is Saint Alexy of Moscow, and Metropolitan Philip, and Abbot Stefan, brother Sergius of Radonezh...
But here's what I want to say. There is clearly some kind of secret connected with the monastery, something special that has not reached us. There was something that forced the Moscow sovereigns themselves to treat the monastery in a special way, with extraordinary respect.

After all the shocks, fires, and looting of Moscow, the Epiphany Monastery was restored almost first of all, and precisely by the will of the ruling sovereigns. Why?
The abbots of Epiphany played key roles in numerous coronation ceremonies of Moscow princes and kings. Why?

Not only kings, but also many noble persons donated money and estates to the monastery, so much so that in this sense, Epiphany clearly stood out among other, no less glorious monasteries. And again - why?

From the very first years of its existence - and the monastery was built more than seven hundred years ago - Epiphany was also the main boyar tomb. The Sheremetevs, Dolgorukies, Repnins, Yusupovs, Saltykovs, Menshikovs, Golitsyns died here... And again the questions...
Such a mystery monastery once existed where only the beautiful Epiphany Cathedral has now been preserved...
What is not a reason to worship this mysterious and holy place?

Contacts: Epiphany Monastery

Address: Bogoyavlensky lane, 2

Directions:

From the Ploshchad Revolutsii metro station:
There are two exits from the station. You need an exit marked with the following sign: “EXIT TO THE CITY: TO RED SQUARE, NIKOLSKAYA, ILYINKA STREETS, CHAMBER MUSICAL THEATER, STORES: GUM, “CHILDREN’S WORLD”, “GOSTINY Dvor”. You go up the escalator, get out of the metro - and right in front of you is a tall, beautiful temple.

From the Kitay-Gorod metro station:
Two different lines converge at this station. Regardless of which line you arrived on, you need to turn to the exit with the stairs (as opposed to the opposite exit with the escalator) under the sign: “EXIT TO THE CITY: TO NEW SQUARE, STREETS: ILYINKA, MAROSEYKA, POLYTECHNIC MUSEUM, GOSTINY Dvor” . Go up the stairs, turn left and go to the escalator. Having taken the escalator and exited the station, you find yourself in a long passage - you need to turn left and walk to the end, then go up the right exit to the street. Ilyinka Street begins right next to the metro exit. You need to follow it to Bogoyavlensky Lane. He will be second on the right side. Landmarks: Exchange Square, Gostiny Dvor (corner large blue building), building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. Turning right into Bogoyavlensky Lane, you will immediately see the temple.

From the metro station "LUBYANKA":
Arriving at the station, go to the exit indicated by the sign: “EXIT TO THE CITY: AT THE SQUARE: LUBIANSKAYA, NOVAYA, TO THEATER PROJECT, TO THE STREETS: PUSHECHNAYA, ROZHDESTVENKA, NIKOLSKAYA, B. AND M. CHERKASSKY LANES, CHAMBER MUSICAL TE ATRU, HISTORY MUSEUM MOSCOW, POLYTECHNIC MUSEUM, AIRLINE CASSES, PHARMACY No. 1, DETSY MIR DEPARTMENT STORE.” After taking the escalator, turn left and walk until you exit to the street. When you go outside, you will see Lubyanka Square in front of you. Turn left again onto Nikolskaya Street, which starts right next to the metro station, and follow it to Bogoyavlensky Lane (second left turn). Soon you will see the Church of the Epiphany.