The first visit to the Intercession Monastery by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II

Before the construction of the monastery

The name of the Pokrovsky Monastery by Bozhedomsky provokes us to precede its historical description with a brief review of the Wretched houses on whose place it was erected in Moscow, and the remarks about the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God to whom it is dedicated. Both Wretched houses and the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God are closely connected with the history of the monastery in spiritual and civil ways.

The Wretched house

In Moscow, as well as in other Russian cities, since the old days, Wretched houses (also cold “Skudelnitsy”) were built to bury wanderers, Jews, who came from distant countries to worship God in the Temple of Jerusalem. There were no special cemetery there, in case of sudden death. In Russia, such places were called «skudelnitsy», «wretched houses», «zhalniki», «buivischa» and «gnoischa». Bodies of the poor, wanderers which had been caught by sudden and violent death were brought here and put in the sheds with pits. In comparison, others, admonished before the demise of St. Secrets, were buried near by the churches.

The Intercession Of The Blessed Virgin

Previously we talked about Wretched houses, we shall move to the feast in memory of the miraculous appearance of Our Lady. Theotokos appeared to the fool in Christ St. Andrei and his follower St.Epiphany in Vlahern Temple (Constantinople, y.911). It is important to mention the image of this divine vision of the fool in Christ St. Andrei who was Slav by origin, about the establishment the feast of Pokrov Russia and about ancient churches, which had been constructed to memorize this miracle.

The Establishment of the Intercession Monastery

The royal Pokrovsky on the Wretched Houses monastery was founded in honor of this feast of the Mother of God. It has replaced wooden Velikoknyazheskiy monastery in the Sadeh Beliy Gorod, at the Semenovskaya outpost. The original founder of the Bozhedsky Pokrovsky Monastery was Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich.

Necropolis of the Intercession Monastery

The churches on the western side are surrounded by a cemetery. The graves of the dead are here on God's nave, under the protection of the Mother of God and under the cross.

The abbots, brethren and parishioners of the monastery until 1929

Monks of the Intercession Monastery. 1928

Sit (from left to right): Hieromonk Mefody (Ivanov), Hieromonk Nathanael (Skalkin), Archimandrite Veniamin (Milov), Hieromonk Theodosius (Tarasov), monk Methodius (Laskin).

Stand (from left to right): Seryozha, about. Yermei, Hieromonk Evtikhy (Tarasov), Hieromonk Nile (Bolotov), Foka Karpovich Shnyruk - regent, Kolya, hieromonk Danakt (Kalashnikov), Grigory Khokhlov - watchman

The Athos monks, who lived in the Pokrovsky monastery

Besides the already mentioned martyrs Danat (Kalashnikov), Hilarion (Tsurikov) and Iaon (Laba), other Athos monks lived in the Pokrovsky monastery; there were more than 20 people. All of them were exiled from the Holy Mountain because of the teaching, called “The Name-Seekers”.

Important events of the monastery that happened before 1872.

There were not too many events in the history of this monastery. The most important events are: 1) the Wretched house was transformed into to the convent, 2) It was given to the Krutitskaya and then to the Moscow dioceses; 3) It was turned from «bozhedomsky» to «school» monastery.

Monastery before closing. 1917-1929

For many years, the Intercession Monastery was a relatively small abode, located on the outskirts of Moscow - at the Intercession Outpost, where 50 monks lived in the 19th and early 20th century. St. Innocentiy, Metropolitan of Moscow, in 1870 gave the monastery the status of missionary.

Convent renewal, 1995

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia blessed to resume the Pokrovsky Stauropegial Convent, he appointed the nun Feofania (Miskina) the abbess of the monastery.

Lithium on the grave of the blessed old Matrona

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia is serving lithium on the grave of the blessed old Matrona. Danilovskoe cemetery. 4 March 1998

Uncovering of relics of St. Matrona

On March 8, 1998 on the Week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy occurred the invention of the holy relics of the Blessed Matrona at Danilovskiy Cemetery with the blessing of Patriarch Alexei II.

Great consecration of the Intercession Church

Great consecration of the Intercession Church in Pokrovsky Stauropegic Convent by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. 1998

Elevation of nun Feofania to the abbess

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia elevated a nun Feofania to the rank of the Abbess of the Intercession Convent. 4 April 1998

The great consecration of the crosses

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II made the great consecration of the crosses of the Resurrection and Intercession churches. Pokrovsky Convent. 4 April 1998

The transferring of the relics of the blessed elderess Matrona

On April 30, 1998, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II during the solemn chanting of the Easter troparion "Christ is Risen from the Dead ..." the transfer of the holy remains of the Blessed Matrona to the Church of the Holy Fathers of the Seven Ecumenical Councils was accomplished. In the evening, the brothers of the monastery served a funeral vigil.

Meeting of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Seeking of the Lost"

The abbess Theophany and nuns meet the icon of the Mother of God "The Seeking of the Lost." The icon was painted in 1915.

Matrona never left this icon. This icon of the Mother of God is in Moscow, in the Intercession Convent since 1998

The first church service at the metochion in the village of Markovo

The first church service at the metochion of the Intercession Convent in the village of Markovo. Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. November 4, 1998

The Canonization of the St. Blessed Matrona of Moscow

Upon the order of Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexey, blissful Matrona of Moscow (Nikonova Matron Dmitrievna. 1881 – 1952) was canonized as a local saint on May, 2nd, 1999.