Zvenigorod - New Jerusalem. Excursions to the New Jerusalem monastery and holy springs One-day bus tour to New Jerusalem

This Saturday, my friends and I decided to go from Moscow on a day trip to Istra, take a walk around the neighborhood, visit the New Jerusalem Monastery, which many have heard of, but few have visited. It was also interesting to see the museum of wooden architecture. The summer of 2014 turned out to be cold and rainy, but this did not stop us from the trip.

Istra. New Jerusalem

New Jerusalem 2017: review of a trip to the monastery after restoration

On Saturday, despite the preparations the day before, and the mood to leave at 9 in the morning, we all overslept together, and plunged into the car only at 12. We started the navigator on the smartphone (it was enough to enter the official address of the monastery in Istra, Sovetskaya street, 2) , he led us along the Novorizhskoye highway. You can get to Istra along the Volokolamsk highway, but there was a big traffic jam. The journey by car took us about an hour, despite the fact that the distance from Moscow is small - only 60 km.

We arrived at the main entrance to the Monastery around 15:00. I must say that if you arrive here late, then you will not have time to see anything, the box office and the main places to visit are open only until 16-30. The entrance to the territory of the New Jerusalem Monastery is open until 18-00.

There is a free car park in front of the entrance to the monastery. We were lucky - right before our arrival, a place was vacated.

New Jerusalem. Square in front of the monastery

On the square in front of the monastery, there was a brisk trade in all kinds of souvenirs, beggars hung out, but they were afraid to approach us, like a campaign.

Tour of the New Jerusalem Monastery

If you face the monastery, then on the left hand there will be a small building with a sign "Tour Office". Having specified whether there are free guides, we decided to book an individual tour (cost 1500 when viewing the full exposition, 900 rubles - when viewing only the territory of the monastery and the Ascension Cathedral). Entrance to the territory of the monastery itself is free. The fee is charged only for the ability to pass through the walls when they are open. In our case, the passage was closed due to restoration.

In addition to ordering excursions, it was possible to purchase tickets for visiting the Museum of Wooden Architecture, which is located behind the monastery. To be more precise, visiting the territory itself is free, only the entrance directly to the Izba, where objects of peasant life are presented, is paid (50 rubles for entry, 150 rubles for photography). We still bought a ticket, although it was even clear in advance that there was a catch here.

Here, at the tour desk, we studied the map of the monastery and the area around it.

So, after 5 minutes, our guide came out and led us to the territory of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Stauropegeal Monastery.

Entering the gate, we froze from the view that opened up to us of the main cathedral of the monastery - the Resurrection Cathedral and the bell tower. The spectacle was really amazing: against the backdrop of a stormy sky, gilded domes glittered majestically.

Resurrection Cathedral

Here the guide began his story.

History of the New Jerusalem Monastery

The history of the monastery goes back to the distant 17th century, when Patriarch Nikon, together with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, decided to build an analogue of Palestine on Russian soil. The fact is that in those days the Ottoman Empire dominated the Holy Land, and visiting Jerusalem for Christians was simply dangerous. The Istra lands were not chosen by chance - the landscape made it possible to recreate the holy land in miniature: the Istra River played the role of the Jordan River, the hills surrounding the monastery could serve as analogues of the hills surrounding Jerusalem, the park outside the walls of the monastery was renamed Gethsemane.

In 1649, the Jerusalem Patriarch Pasiy brought a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to Moscow. This sculptural image was used in the construction of the Resurrection Cathedral, which is a copy of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (although, outwardly, the Cathedral is completely different).

In the 18-19 centuries, the New Jerusalem Monastery was the most visited place of pilgrimage; it played a major role in the spiritual development of Russia. After the revolution in 1919 the Monastery was closed. Two museums were opened on the territory.

During the Great Patriotic War, the territory of the monastery was occupied by the Germans. Many buildings and structures were destroyed, the Resurrection Cathedral and the bell tower were blown up. This issue was highlighted at the Nuremberg trials. In the period from the 1950s to the 1990s, restoration work was carried out, thanks to which the New Jerusalem Monastery was restored from the ashes, like a phoenix.

Even today, you can see traces of shells that were specially left by restorers to commemorate those times.

New Jerusalem. traces of war

Today, grandiose works are being carried out on the territory of the monastery. In 2014, a bell tower “grew up” near the Cathedral, which was destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.

The main cathedral looks fresh and updated on the outside. The rest of the territory is covered with nets and forests. It is impossible to walk along the walls of the monastery today - they are closed due to work.

The number of workers who are working is about 1500 people. The completion of the restoration of the monastery is scheduled for 2016. The guide told us that the work is personally monitored by the President of the country, arriving here in a blue helicopter, however, he does not show films for free and does not wish you happy birthday.

Separately, it is worth noting the beautiful ceramic decor of the Ascension Cathedral, in some places even the original decor of the 17th century has been preserved.

Resurrection Cathedral. decorative elements

Resurrection Cathedral. Tiles

Inspection of the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery

After an external inspection of the beautiful Resurrection Cathedral, we went inside. Inside the building is very complex, so I recommend that you purchase a map before visiting it at the kiosk, or, like us, use the services of a guide.

I am laying out the plan of the cathedral. Those who have been to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem may note that the structure of the Resurrection Cathedral, in terms of the location of the main elements, completely coincides with the Resurrection Cathedral.

Resurrection Cathedral. Cathedral plan

The interior of the cathedral contrasts sharply with its exterior. The room, of course, is very majestic, but it is made in the Baroque style, with characteristic stucco, angels, bows, and so on. It is immediately clear who was the customer for the interior decoration. It was Elizaveta Petrovna, who adored all these palace attributes. We were surprised how much the external decoration of the Cathedral, reminiscent of a Russian tower, is dissonant with the interior decor of the palace. As if they are completely different rooms, but each is chic in its own way.

New Jerusalem. Inside the Cathedral

The dome of the cathedral has already been painted by masters.

Resurrection Cathedral. dome of the cathedral

The temple itself, despite the inclement weather, looks very bright and clean.

Grandiose works are also being carried out inside the cathedral. The huge iconostasis gapes with black holes instead of icons. Very soon they will take their places here.

New Jerusalem. Iconostasis

Now you can see the figure of the Savior made of cardboard above the iconostasis. The guide explained that this is one of the stages of the restoration, when future sculptures are made of cardboard, the aesthetic appearance is agreed with civil servants, and only then the real decor is made.

New Jerusalem. Figure of the Savior

The guide told us that the cathedral, in terms of its size and location of the main churches, completely coincides with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. It didn’t fit in my head, because in size, it may be similar, but in terms of the interior style, decoration and atmosphere, this is a completely different place.

Resurrection Cathedral. Emperor's Lodge

The guide showed us the way to the "Golgotha", which, like in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, is located to the left of the main entrance to the Temple. There is no way to go upstairs yet, as work is underway. As the guide told her story, more and more people joined us. So our small group of three people grew to 15 people. Anyway.

New Jerusalem. Everyone is interested in listening to the tour

Inside the temple there is also a "cave of the Holy Sepulcher", where, according to the guide on Orthodox Easter, a healing blue fire descends here. To put it mildly, we were surprised.

Resurrection Cathedral. Cave of the Holy Sepulcher

Whoever wanted, venerated the coffin. By the way, there is a rule here - you can leave the cave without turning your back to it.

After inspecting the main temple, we went to the Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where you can see real fragments of the design of the very first Church of the Resurrection. By order of the emperor, the famous Matvey Kazakov (1802) was the author of the design of this aisle.

Resurrection Cathedral. Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Most of all I was struck by the art of tiles. I have never seen anything like it in any Orthodox church.

One of the symbols that was embodied in the tiles was the "pomegranate flower", which symbolizes the blood of Christ - a symbol of the martyrdom of the Savior. The drawing “near the peacock” symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ.

Resurrection Cathedral. Fragments of tiles

Also, the guide showed us another symbol, encrypted in the tiles - a lion, meaning power on Earth.

Lion tile

In the same aisle you can put candles.
A few icons are placed on the wall, for example, a list from the Athos icon of Our Lady of the Three Hands. In the same aisle you can collect holy water.
Farewell view of the cathedral.

Resurrection Cathedral. New Jerusalem

At 16-00 from the Temple, we left the temple and continued to explore the territory.

Walk around the territory of the monastery

Opposite the entrance to the temple are the chambers of Tsarina Tatyana Mikhailovna (the patroness of the monastery), restored from old engravings.

Chambers of Tsarina Tatyana Mikhailovna (patron of the monastery)

Behind the Resurrection Cathedral is the Church of the Nativity, also open to the public. But since we had limited time (we wanted to make it to the museum of wooden architecture), we decided not to go inside.

Church of the Nativity

There is also a museum on the territory (in the Refectory and Hospital Wards), which we also did not get into due to the fact that time was limited. I needed less sleep.

The Resurrection Cathedral can be viewed for a very long time, the tiles with which it is decorated on the outside are so beautiful. The pattern of tiles with which the cathedral is decorated is called "Peacock's Eye", it was created by the Belarusian master Stepan Polubes (apparently he was so nicknamed for his golden hands).

Resurrection Cathedral

Resurrection Cathedral

Resurrection Cathedral. Tiles

Resurrection Cathedral

The only thing that disappointed me was that the most beautiful multi-tiered dome of the Resurrection Cathedral was under reconstruction. But nothing, very soon it will appear in all its glory.

On this, our tour was completed, and we went to the museum of wooden architecture on our own. To do this, we walked along a wooden corridor along the walls of the monastery. According to the plan of the monastery, this place was the "Gethsemane Garden".

You can read about our walk around the Museum of Wooden Architecture here.

How to get to the New Jerusalem Monastery

Address: Moscow region, Istra, Sovetskaya street, 2

Opening hours of the monastery: daily from 9-00 to 18-00.

By car, the monastery can be reached along the Novorizhskoye or Volokolamskoye highway (you will have to drive through the city of Istra). Distance about 45 km from MKAD

On your own, you can get by train from the Rizhsky railway station (you can also sit at the Tushinskaya station, not far from the metro station of the same name) to the Istra station or to Novo-Jerusalimskaya. From there it is recommended to take a bus to the stop "Monastyr", you can also walk on foot - about 20 minutes. Local taxi drivers can also take you to the monastery.

An alternative option is to get by bus number 372 from the Tushinskaya metro station. You will have to go to the Pochta stop. Here you will need to make a transfer and get to the stop "Monastyr".

to holy places

Zvenigorod is a small town near Moscow, a miniature Kremlin, a cozy Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery, some kind of refined and delicate nature ... truly Switzerland near Moscow! And very close by is the Jordan River, Mount Golgotha, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ over the Holy Sepulcher ... With a visit to the unique exhibition "The Hotbed of Tiling" in the Malt Chambers of the New Jerusalem Monastery.

Price: from 1790 RUB

Zvenigorod - Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery. More than six centuries have passed since then, fascinated by the beauties that opened before him, Abbot Savva, who came here to found the Holy Monastery, froze. Much water has flowed under the bridge since then, but this picture has changed little: the banks of the Moskva River are still picturesque, villages run away into the distance, and the air filled with the aromas of pine needles intoxicates with special freshness. It is no coincidence that this area is often called "Russian Switzerland". Those who rise from the river bank to Mount Storozhu have a view of the majestic walls and towers of the ancient Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery. Tsars, patriarchs, and commoners have long flocked to touch the shrines stored here. And above the Zvenigorod Kremlin, called Gorodok here, rises another beautiful architectural monument - Assumption Cathedral who brought to us the works of St. Andrei Rublev. We offer you an amazing journey. You can be convinced of the correctness of N.M. Karamzin, who wrote that “the road from there to Moscow is the most pleasing to the eye, mountainous, but what views ...
Departure to Istra, New Jerusalem Monastery.
The amazing natural beauty and the majestic charm of landscapes attracted here, back in 1656, His Holiness Nikon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. It is here, on the banks of the beautiful Istra River, surrounded by virgin forests, floodplain meadows and copses, that the patriarch-reformer decides to recreate the exact likeness of the Holy Land. All the former names of the surroundings of Istra were changed to evangelical ones. So the Istra River becomes the Jordan, the hill under the monastery became Mount Zion, the hills of Olivet and Tabor appear, the Garden of Gethsemane "appears", and a small convent nearby receives the name Bethany. The grandiose Resurrection Cathedral, created in the exact image and likeness of the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher, becomes the center and main shrine of the new Palestine. And today you do not need to cross borders to visit the Holy Land - the resemblance is extraordinary!

Lunch or free time. Those who wish can dine in an entourage restaurant with a magnificent Venetian interior. "Old Mill"(additional fee). The rest will be able to eat delicious monastery pies with potatoes, apples, cabbage and drink tea in the monastery. (additional fee)

The New Jerusalem Monastery is a grandiose center of Orthodoxy, a place of mass pilgrimage and worship of the Orthodox people, built over two centuries by entire generations of the most prominent architects, architects and icon painters. This is the brightest constellation of shrines and our, Russian, Palestine.
Today the New Jerusalem has found a second life. The restoration of the monastery is almost completely completed, there are no more scaffolding, almost all the unique relics of Orthodoxy have been lovingly restored. So we will have the opportunity to slowly get to know and enjoy the fertile atmosphere of this oasis of holiness prayed for centuries ...
Excursion to the grand Resurrection Cathedral- the main "brainchild" of the rebellious Patriarch Nikon and the greatest shrine of the entire Orthodox world. The Resurrection Cathedral stuns with its beauty and power! The Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built in the likeness of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and copies of all the main shrines of the Jerusalem temple were found in it, including Golgotha, Edicule (chapel) above the Holy Sepulcher, Anointing Stone.

(In your free time, you can venerate the Stone of Anointing and descend into the Cave Temple to the Holy Sepulcher!)
In the Church of the Resurrection of Christ under Golgotha, in the chapel of St. John the Baptist, there is Tomb of Patriarch Nikon.
We are waiting excursion to the underground church of St. Constantine and Helena Equal-to-the-Apostles. The temple is deepened into the ground by 6 meters in memory of the fact that it was at this depth that Queen Elena found the Cross of the Lord. At the place where the Cross was found in the historical temple, in Palestine near Moscow there is holy life-giving spring, to which symbolic 33 steps lead ...
The Ascension Cathedral is the rarest monument of Russian art and architecture, with an unusual and luxurious tiled interior decoration. Parapets of galleries, ceramic friezes, doorways with ceramic portals, unique iconostases, which are also made of tiles. Particularly impressive are the grandiose three-tiered tiled iconostases, the height of which reaches eight meters!
The magnificent tiled decorations of the Resurrection Cathedral have an unusual, interesting history, which you will get acquainted with today by visiting the unique exhibition “The Hotbed of Tiling” in the Malt Chambers of the New Jerusalem Convent.
Desiring to decorate his “beloved child” as magnificently and wonderfully as possible, Patriarch Nikon for the first time in Russia (and in Europe!) uses very expensive and rare multi-colored tiles to decorate the Resurrection Cathedral. In the Malt Chambers of the monastery, the most modern, in the middle of the 17th century, creative ceramic production is organized, the best craftsmen are invited here! It is with the construction of the Resurrection Cathedral that the history of the famous and magnificent Moscow multicolored tiles begins. You will see authentic artifacts found during the restoration of the Resurrection Cathedral - unique authentic tilesXVIIcentury, reconstructed kilns and kilns for firing precious tiles, which have retained their bright brilliance and color to this day, and you will discover new facets of the extraordinary innovative nature of Patriarch Nikon.

Volokolamsk highway, ≈ 40 km.

Tour duration ≈ 9 hours.

Program cost:
adult - 1790 rubles.
child - 1790 rubles.

Collection at 08:45 Departure at 09:00 From the station. Metro Strogino. Meeting place closer to the house number 5-7

The tour price includes:

transport service (bus-foreign car), entrance tickets to museums, services of an accompanying guide.

Additionally paid:

lunch (optional) - 380 rubles per person
Surcharge for a foreign citizen - 150 rubles per person.

Other important conditions for booking excursions.

Reviews for the program

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Total reviews: 14 10 25 50 100

05/09/2019 Galina

May 3, 2019 went with a guide Tatiana. I liked it very much. The weather let us down, but the tour itself was interesting. The program was well-organized and the information presented was well received. Enough time was given to look around and buy something on their own. Tatyana told interesting stories all the way, she didn’t leave us, she explained everything, you won’t get lost with such a woman :). They also took care of our food. You could have lunch in a cafe or on your own in the refectory on the territory of the monastery. Lunch at the cafe was more than worth the price.
I rarely buy excursions, but always in the "Travel Store", since 2007. We were always met on time, everything corresponded to the declared program.

05/06/2019 Natalia

Wonderful day trip. We met at the Strogino metro station. While riding the bus, the guide Tatyana told us historical moments. In the Savva-Storozhevsky monastery there was an excursion to the chambers of the queen. Just a wonderful guide Elena, very lively, with humor and interesting stories. Lunch at a restaurant. Delicious! Salad, borscht, grilled chicken with potatoes and sauce, tea and a bun. The restaurant is clean and beautiful. Serve quickly. Next - New Jerusalem Monastery with a guide. Show and tell everything! Those who wish bought holy water - 40 rubles per liter. Then the bus came, it was waiting for us in the permitted place, because. parking is prohibited at the monastery. We got to the Strogino metro station in 50 minutes. Everything is well organized. Thank you!

04/15/2019 Irina

I want to say thank you for a wonderful Sunday and blessed day spent on a tour of such holy places!!! Good organization of the event, bus, guide Yulia Vladimirovna (main) and guides to places: Ksenia and Alexandra.
Amazing views, excellent knowledge of the guide material, accessibility to exhibits, photography, not quite enough free time and still (you can have time to do the main things): write notes, put candles, collect holy water (your own source), pray and touch the holy relics . Amazing tour, very satisfied and would recommend to others.

04/13/2019 Irina

I want to thank the "Travel Store" and the wonderful tour that we visited on 04/07/2019.
I've been putting off this tour for a very long time. The name "New Jerusalem" seemed to me marketing, and the monastery - a remake. Imagine my surprise when I found out that all this comes from the 17th century. The beauty and grandeur of the main cathedral fascinate. Its history is impressive. By the way, I was in real Jerusalem, so everything seemed more modest there.

27.08.2018 Marina

Good afternoon!
traveled yesterday (08/26/18). lots of impressions! all positive!
the group was large, but surprisingly, very close-knit and organized - they gathered quickly, they got lost a little - which is rare both in the opinions of others and in their previous trips. thanks for organizing us Maria Lukyanovna: she met us, seated us, learned a lot all the way and back and forth about the places not only declared on the tour, but also about the places where they passed.
very lucky with the weather. the walk turned out to be very informative, kindled interest in
another trip to Zvenigorod. now more detailed and detailed.
Thanks a lot!!!

08/06/2018 Alexander

Thank you very much for the trip. We express our sincere gratitude to our guide Terekhova Maria Lukyanovna. First of all, we want to thank you for your understanding and sympathy: unfortunately, through no fault of ours, we were late, but they waited for us. Secondly, we specially came from another city for this excursion and thanks to the "Travel Store" we visited two wonderful places: Savvino-Storozhevsky and New Russalim monasteries. These are wonderful, amazing places, we are still impressed by what we saw. And thirdly, very good guides in Zvenigorod and Istra. They are distinguished by erudition, conscientiousness, concern for people and high professionalism. Special thanks to the driver and for a very good lunch in Istra. Thanks again for the trip!

09/29/2017 Ludmila

09/23/17 were on an excursion \\". Very interesting, informative program! We listened with pleasure to information about the history of Moscow. Zvenigorod and New Jerusalem, Special thanks to the guides in the monasteries, and the bus driver. Everything was wonderful and very interesting. I recommend it!

06/29/2017 Marina

On June 18, 2017, I made a trip with your travel agency along the route. Thanks a lot! Perfectly organized route, rich program. Very interesting and informative. Magnificent \ "guides: in Zvenigorod - Sergey, and in New Jerusalem - father Dmitry - they told me in such a way that it was impossible to break away from souvenirs. I didn’t want to miss a single word. There were a lot of impressions and almost all of them were wonderful. The accompanying guide turned out to be a fly in the ointment - Lyudmila Alekseevna: There was practically no travel excursion (with the exception of a small transfer from Zvenigorod to New Jerusalem.) Constant pauses, unfinished sentences, broken sentences, annoying \"Eh..., in general, well, well...\". not coordinated with the show, often late and much.At first, the microphone did not work well.But isn't it the duty of the guide to check all the equipment before departure and, if necessary, adjust??When driving along Volokolamka, not a single phrase about the historical events that took place in this direction.Some tourists expressed their attitude to the\"travel excursion\" with the words:\"And she won't sleep, and she didn't tell anything.\" I myself am a guide - an interpreter and a methodologist, I take excursions from our employees. If they handed over this way to me in this way, I would never have accepted it. It seems that Lyudmila Alekseevna only took the text yesterday, but did not have time to read everything. I gave her a mark\"three with a big minus \", but there were deuces in the evaluation sheet. I go with your travel agency not for the first time, it's a pity that you don't have all the professionals... Alas. Bus, driver, program - beyond praise. I will go with you again, I hope I will come across a qualified guide, as when traveling to Kostroma (her name was Irina). Nevertheless - many thanks for this wonderful itinerary.

Incredible wonders of the Holy Land!
The city of Istra and its environs is that fabulous suburb of Moscow, all the charm and charm of which can only be felt here... This is one of the most protected and holy places on Earth for every spiritual person.
The amazing natural beauty and the majestic charm of landscapes attracted us here, back in 1656. His Holiness Nikon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. It is here, enchanted by the opening views of the beautiful Istra River, surrounded by virgin forests, floodplain meadows and copses, that the patriarch-reformer decides recreate exact likeness of the Holy Land. All the former names of the surroundings of Istra were changed to evangelical ones. So the Istra River becomes the Jordan, the hill under the monastery became Mount Zion, the hills of Olivet and Tabor appear, the Garden of Gethsemane “appears”, and a small convent nearby receives the name Bethany. The grandiose Resurrection Cathedral, created in the exact image and likeness of the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher, becomes the center and main shrine of the new Palestine. And today you do not need to cross borders to visit the Holy Land - the resemblance is extraordinary!
So that we can better understand the phenomenon of the personality of the rebellious Patriarch Nikon and appreciate his grandiose plan, we will visit from excursionthe largest and oldest museum and exhibition complex "New Jerusalem" near Moscow, founded back in 1920! Occupying an area of ​​several hectares (!), an unusually beautiful museum with unusual architecture - made in the form of a large earthen hill, is located in the same cultural space with a wonderful monastery, without violating the incredible harmony and supreme Beauty of the surrounding landscape.
On a fascinating tour you will get acquainted with the exhibitions and expositions of the wonderful complex, and admire the magnificent collection of precious items of church utensils, the rarest icons of the Stroganov and Yaroslavl schools, the iconographs of the Armory, the northern masters of icon painting, rare collections of weapons, porcelain, rare printed and handwritten publications. In the exhibition building of the museum you will admire rare exhibits related to the history of the Resurrection Monastery and its founder, Patriarch Nikon , as well as exhibitions of portraiture and arts and crafts. Among the exhibits are a panagia (a medallion and an image of the Mother of God), a white rosary with rubies and a staff of Patriarch Nikon! Museum "New Jerusalem" - one of the most modern in the Moscow region , and, largely thanks to the personal patronage of Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, uses the most advanced computer and visual museum technologies. Each precious exhibit can be viewed in detail on special virtual kiosks in 3 Dformat. This is a unique opportunity to look at the extraordinary beauty in a new way!
In the picturesque park area of ​​the museum complex "New Jerusalem", right on the outskirts of the Garden of Gethsemane, there is a small museum of wooden architecture. During a walk through the open-air museum, you can admire a real windmill of the 19th century, where flour was ground until the middle of the last century, the peasant estate of the Kokorins from the village of Vykhino, accurately recreated according to measurements and photographs, a wooden hipped church from Sokolniki.
In free time you can stroll through the unusual park area of ​​the museum, where modern sculptures are exhibited, enjoy the extraordinary silence and beauty of nature from the observation deck.
And our wonderful journey continues!
Lunch or free time. Those who wish can dine in an entourage restaurant with a magnificent Venetian interior. "Old Mill"(additional fee). The rest will be able to have a bite to eat with delicious monastery pies with potatoes, apples, cabbage and drink tea in the monastery (additional fee).
Tour of the New Jerusalem Monastery.
The New Jerusalem Monastery is a grandiose center of Orthodoxy, a place of mass pilgrimage and worship of the Orthodox people, built over two centuries by entire generations of the most prominent architects, architects and icon painters. This is the brightest constellation of shrines and our, Russian, Palestine.
Today the New Jerusalem has found a second life. The restoration of the monastery is almost completely completed, there are no more scaffolding, almost all the unique relics of Orthodoxy have been lovingly restored. So we will have the opportunity to slowly get to know and enjoy the fertile atmosphere of this oasis of holiness prayed for centuries ... Excursion to the grand Resurrection Cathedral- the main "brainchild" of the rebellious Patriarch Nikon and the greatest shrine of the entire Orthodox world. The Resurrection Cathedral stuns with its beauty and power! The Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built in the likeness of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and copies of all the main shrines of the Jerusalem temple were found in it, including Golgotha, Edicule (chapel) above the Holy Sepulcher, Anointing Stone. (during free time you will be able to venerate the Anointing Stone and go down to the Cave Temple to the Holy Sepulcher!)
In the Church of the Resurrection of Christ under Golgotha, in the chapel of St. John the Baptist, there is Tomb of Patriarch Nikon.
We are waiting excursion to the underground church of St. Constantine and Helena Equal-to-the-Apostles. The temple is deepened into the ground by 6 meters in memory of the fact that it was at this depth that Queen Elena found the Cross of the Lord. At the place where the Cross was found in the historical temple, in Palestine near Moscow there is holy life-giving spring, to which symbolic 33 steps lead ...
The Ascension Cathedral is the rarest monument of Russian art and architecture, with an unusual and luxurious tiled interior decoration. Parapets of galleries, ceramic friezes, doorways with ceramic portals, unique iconostases, which are also made of tiles. Particularly impressive are the grandiose three-tiered tiled iconostases, the height of which reaches eight meters!
The magnificent tiled decorations of the Resurrection Cathedral have an unusual, interesting history, which you will get acquainted with today by visiting the unique exhibition “The Hotbed of Tiling” in the Malt Chambers of the New Jerusalem Convent.
Desiring to decorate his “beloved child” as magnificently and wonderfully as possible, Patriarch Nikon for the first time in Russia (and in Europe!) uses very expensive and rare multi-colored tiles to decorate the Resurrection Cathedral. In the Malt Chambers of the monastery, the most modern, in the middle of the 17th century, creative ceramic production is organized, the best craftsmen are invited here! It is with the construction of the Resurrection Cathedral that the history of the famous and magnificent Moscow multicolored tiles begins. You will see authentic artifacts found during the restoration of the Resurrection Cathedral - unique authentic tilesXVIIcentury, reconstructed kilns and kilns for firing precious tiles, which have retained their bright brilliance and color to this day, and you will discover new facets of the extraordinary innovative nature of Patriarch Nikon.
Free time on the territory of the monastery for self-acquaintance and worship of shrines.
An unusual, highly spiritual weekend in a fabulous corner of the Moscow region, on holy land not far from Moscow!

It is no coincidence that the Istra land is called holy - a lot of significant historical plots are connected with these places, which left a memory in the surviving temples, estates and monastic buildings, of which New Jerusalem with its unique shrines and the Korsun-Toropetsk icon, located in the temple of Alexander, occupy a special place Nevsky on Prince's Lake.
New Jerusalem Monastery was founded by Patriarch Nikon in the middle of the 17th century. as the center of the Russian Palestine he created, spread out on the banks of the Istra River, renamed the Jordan. In the XVIII - XIX centuries. the monastery becomes one of the most revered in Central Russia. Patriarch Nikon is a special figure. Another historical figure who left such a contradictory and ambiguous mark in Russian church history until the 20th century. No. The architectural ensemble of the New Jerusalem Monastery is included in the golden fund of Russian architecture, showing a vivid example of the Russian Baroque style.
The surroundings of Istra and the New Jerusalem Monastery abound with sights. Not all of them are widely known, but together, in harmony with the surrounding nature, they create a unique landscape of "Russian Palestine".
At the southern borders of the village of Knyazhye Ozero there is a functioning Orthodox Church of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky. Story Korsun Icon of the Mother of God goes back to antiquity. According to legend, it was written by the Evangelist Luke and blessed by the Most Holy Theotokos herself. This icon was brought to Rus' at the end of the 12th century by Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk and became famous for miraculous healings given through her. By the grace of God, the original of the holy image did not share the fate of many shrines lost to Russia in the last century, but was preserved and is now in the Alexander Nevsky Church on Prince's Lake, where numerous pilgrimages are made to it.
Darna village has a long history. It is known that back in the 15th century it belonged to the Pushkin family, later its owners were the boyars Polev, Shakhovsky, Streshnev, Chaadaev. In 1658, Darna was bought by Patriarch Rnikon, who attributed the village to the New Jerusalem Monastery. In 1686, a wooden church was built here in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord. In 1895 a large a three-altar temple in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. The project of the church was carried out free of charge by the architect S.V. Sherwood and is a vivid example of neo-Russian style architecture.
The main pride of Pavlovskaya Sloboda is the five-domed Annunciation Church (1662) with a restored three-tier hipped bell tower. The temple was built in the courtyard of the "uncle" of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Boris Morozov and was connected by passages with his chambers. Over time, the mansions fell into disrepair and were demolished, and a wonderful view opened up on the church, standing on a hill near the coast of Istra.
Borisoglebsky Anosin Convent (Anosin Pustyn)- the current stauropegial convent in the village of Anosino Named in honor of the Russian princes and holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, in memory of the late husband of the founder, Prince Boris Ivanovich Meshchersky. It was founded on June 25, 1823 by Princess Avdotya Meshcherskaya, the aunt of the poet Fyodor Tyutchev. Before the revolution, he became famous for the height of the spiritual life of the inhabitants, he was called the female Optina. Currently beautifully restored.

10:00 – Departure of the bus from metro station Turgenevskaya. Travel information.

– settlement Prince Lake: Temple of Alexander Nevsky.

– Darna: Exaltation of the Cross Church. Pavlovskaya Sloboda: Church of the Annunciation.

19:00 – Arrival in Moscow. Disembarkation of tourists at the nearest metro station along the route.

New Jerusalem attracts the attention of believers not in vain, because it is the prototype of the New Jerusalem monastery in Palestine.

New Jerusalem near Moscow is located next to the Istra River. So this river became known as the Jordan, and the mountain with the monastery - Zion.

The area on which the New Jerusalem Monastery was built was also chosen for a reason. It has a resemblance to the Holy Land, is located next to the river and is built on a mountain.

The history of the creation of the monastery is very interesting, because this is not the first attempt to build a New Jerusalem near Moscow. But only Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his associate Patriarch Nikon were able to bring this idea to life.

At the age of 16, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich met Nikon, he was struck by his meekness and extraordinary mind. Thus began the true friendship of these worthy people and their joint activities for the glory and strengthening of the Russian state.

Nikon went to the monastery at the age of 12 at the call of his heart and lived a long life there.

He took part in the construction of the New Jerusalem Monastery not only as a spiritual mentor, but also as a simple worker.

In the center of the monastery, the Resurrection Cathedral was erected, in which the main Christian shrines were reproduced: the place of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Holy Sepulcher, the chrismation stone.