The Time of Troubles & Boris Godunov’s Reign

One of the key milestones in the convent’s history was the Time of Troubles.

In 1598, after the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich — son of Ivan IV the Terrible — Tsarina Irina Godunova moved from the Kremlin chambers to Novodevichy Convent and took the veil, receiving the monastic name Alexandra. Her brother, Boris Godunov — a close boyar to the late tsar — also retired to the convent. On February 21, 1598, boyars, clergy, and common people came to the convent walls to plead with Boris to take the helm of the state.

During Boris Godunov’s reign, the convent experienced its first period of flourishing: the frescoes of the Smolensky Cathedral were restored; icons were painted for a new five‑tier iconostasis; and “miraculous icons were adorned with expensive settings studded with gems”. For the widowed inokinya (nun‑tsarina), Godunov built extensive chambers with a house church. To ensure the convent’s safety, massive stone walls with towers — equipped with cannon and musket embrasures — were erected around it. A garrison of streltsy (firearm infantry) was assigned to the convent for guard duty. Thus, Novodevichy Convent transformed into a fortress outpost on the western approaches to Moscow.

At the very beginning of the Time of Troubles, in 1610, when the Godunov family was effectively destroyed, nun-tsarina Olga — the long‑suffering daughter of Boris Godunov, Ksenia — was lodged in the convent. She had to pay the price for her father’s years in power.

In 1610, a Polish militia was quartered within the women’s convent, and later the monastery changed hands several times between Poles and Russians. The shrine was finally liberated by Prince Pozharsky’s troops, when a decisive battle for the liberation of the capital from Polish invaders took place under the convent’s walls in 1612.

During the Time of Troubles, Novodevichy Convent was looted and damaged, and its nuns were relocated to monasteries in Vladimir. In August 1612, a decisive battle for the liberation of Moscow from Polish interlopers took place beneath its walls.

Under the New Romanov Dynasty: Restoration and Royal Patronage

With the ascension of Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov to the throne, the convent quickly recovered from its devastation: the nuns returned, and the monastery buildings were repaired and restored — most urgently the defensive walls and towers, which still retained their strategic importance within Moscow’s defense system.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645–1676) held the convent in particularly high esteem and bestowed generous favors upon it. Beyond regular alms, he donated family icons to the monastery and made substantial endowments for the repose of the souls of his household members. The convent became a favorite pilgrimage site for the royal family.

Before the outbreak of the war with the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth, the tsar repeatedly held military reviews of his troops on Devichy Pole (Maiden’s Field), adjacent to the convent. When personally leading the Smolensk Campaign of 1654, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich took with him a copy of the miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. This copy had been created in 1648 on Mount Athos and presented to the tsar by Patriarch Arsenios of Constantinople.

During the Church Schism, Boyarina Morozova was temporarily held under guard at Novodevichy Convent.

Sophia’s Legacy: The Golden Age of Novodevichy Convent 

The 17th century marked the heyday of the ancient Moscow convent, coinciding with the era of Tsarevna Sophia. Between 1682 and 1689, during her regency, the convent served as her summer country residence, and this period is regarded as the monastery’s zenith.

Thanks to her efforts, the unique architectural ensemble of Novodevichy Convent — which has survived to the present day — took shape. By Sophia’s decree, the territory was significantly expanded (from 3 to 5 hectares), and nearly all the old structures were demolished. The remaining buildings were rebuilt to form a distinctive ensemble in the Moscow Baroque style.

It was also during this time that the exquisite, lacelike bell tower — 72 metres tall, then the second‑highest in Moscow after Ivan the Great — was erected. The refectory with the Church of the Dormition (Assumption), well‑known to Orthodox Moscow residents, was also added.

The immense donations and grand construction projects undertaken during these years led contemporaries to proclaim that Tsarevna Sophia was “the principal builder of this holy house from ancient years”.

The Petrine Era: From Royal Residence to Prison

Tsarevna Sophia’s rule ended with the coming of age of her brother, Tsar Peter I. After failed attempts to deprive him of the throne, Sophia was confined to Novodevichy Convent. From 1689 onward, she lived there as a prisoner, transforming from the convent’s patron into its inmate for the rest of her days. Following the Streltsy uprising of 1698, Sophia Alekseyevna was tonsured as a nun under the name Susanna.

At that time, Peter established a branch of the Preobrazhensky Prikaz (secret police) at the convent. In 1698, rebels were interrogated within its walls, and the heads of executed Streltsy were displayed on the battlements of the monastery walls. The condemned were also hanged in front of Tsarevna Sophia’s cell window — according to legend, the cell wall adjoined the Intercession Church of the convent. Sophia died at the monastery in 1704. Peter also exiled her sisters — Ekaterina, Maria, and Feodosia — to the same convent.

Along with the tsarevna, her beloved monastery fell into disgrace. Its contact with the outside world was reduced to a minimum: for about a quarter‑century, the convent gates remained shut under guard by Preobrazhensky soldiers, and nuns’ meetings with relatives took place under supervision.

A similar fate befell Evdokia Fyodorovna Lopukhina, Peter I’s first wife and mother of Tsarevich Alexei. She was forced to take the veil by Peter’s order back in 1699 and was first held at the Suzdal Intercession Monastery and later at the Shlisselburg Fortress. In 1727, she was transferred to Novodevichy — after the emperor’s death and shortly before her own. It was her grandson, Emperor Peter II, who released the nun‑tsarina from confinement. However, Evdokia chose to withdraw from court life and retire to the quiet of Novodevichy Convent, where she passed away in 1731.

Both of Peter’s female relatives — his half‑sister and his first spouse — are buried in the main Smolensky Cathedral of the monastery. Sophia’s sisters, Evdokia and Ekaterina, also rest there. In the undercroft of the Smolensky Cathedral lies the tomb of Anna, Ivan the Terrible’s daughter, who died in infancy.

Even during Peter’s reign, Novodevichy Monastery temporarily housed a shelter for “shameful infants” — female illegitimate children. There, they were raised, educated, and taught the art of lace‑making. This shelter was an early precursor to the Moscow Orphanage (Vospitatelny Dom).

From Privilege to State Support: The Loss of Lands

From the early 18th century, Novodevichy Convent lost its status as a “court monastery”. After 1764, like all other Russian monasteries, Novodevichy was stripped of its landed estates. Following Catherine the Great’s reforms, the convent was classified as a First‑Class monastery, receiving a corresponding monetary allowance from the state treasury.

Napoleon’s Invasion and Attempt to Destroy the Monastery

During the Patriotic War of 1812, Novodevichy Convent nearly met its end. In late August 1812, Napoleon’s 100,000‑strong army reached the monastery’s walls.

At the end of August, by order of Archbishop Augustin (Vinogradsky), the monastery’s sacred relics and vestments were evacuated from Moscow to Vologda. The remaining valuables were hidden in a secret vault within the Smolensky Cathedral.

In early September, the monastery was occupied by French troops. One regiment billeted in the cells, while food and fodder stores were set up on the premises. According to contemporary accounts, soldiers even slept in the altars of the churches, “and dined at the altars”.

In late September, Napoleon himself arrived. Without dismounting from his horse, he inspected the monastery, ordered the Church of John the Baptist to be blown up, and then left.

On the night of October 8–9, 1812 — the feast day of Apostle James Alphaeus — as Napoleon’s army fled Moscow, the monastery was mined and prepared for detonation. The monastery was saved thanks to the heroic act of the convent’s treasurer, nun Sarra, who managed to extinguish the smoldering fuses leading to the barrels of gunpowder.

Contemporary accounts preserve fascinating testimonies of how Napoleon, struck by the beauty of the Russian capital, was reluctant to retreat without destroying its treasures. This was especially true of Novodevichy Convent: Napoleon declared he would not leave Moscow until he saw the monastery destroyed. Legend says he stood for a long time on the Vorobyovy Hills, waiting for the glow of fire on the opposite bank of the Moskva River. Enraged, the commander allegedly sent soldiers to repeat the arson attempt.

Yet Novodevichy survived once more — thanks to the selflessness of a Moscow citizen. Upon learning of Napoleon’s plan, this man set his own house on fire. The blaze was so intense that the emperor believed it was Novodevichy burning, and left Moscow.

Heritage Recognized: Novodevichy Convent’s Journey through the 19th Century

Until the 20th century, the gold‑embroidery workshop founded by Tsarina Irina Fyodorovna Godunova — widow of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich — at the end of the 16th century continued its work.

In the 19th century, a process of recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Novodevichy Convent began: its architectural ensemble, ancient icons, and frescoes came to be valued as irreplaceable heritage. Systematic restoration work started in 1898.

At the turn of the 20th century (late 19th to early 20th century), Novodevichy Convent maintained a steady, well‑established rhythm of life. The nuns carried out their obediences in the churches, prosphora bakery, bread oven, refectory, and tended the cemetery. They also worked in the convent’s almshouses for elderly nuns and in its hospital.

The convent housed art workshops where icon painting, gold‑embroidery, and manuscript work were practiced. Between 1898 and 1903, the first large‑scale comprehensive restoration in the history of the Smolensky Cathedral took place — both in its interior and in the undercroft.

From Closure to Revival: A Century of Struggle, Secularization, and Return to Faith

After World War I and the 1917 Revolution, life at Novodevichy Convent changed dramatically. All charitable and educational institutions on the monastery grounds were shut down, the land was confiscated, and Red Army soldiers and workers were housed in the nuns’ cells.

In 1918–1919, Soviet decrees closed the Filatyev School, the orphanage, and the parish school; bank savings and land were also confiscated. As early as spring 1918, 200 trainees from the People’s Commissariat for Education moved into the cells. Soon after, 300 workers from Petrograd joined them; the abbess (Lopukhin) building was taken over for a nursery, and the refectory was occupied by the Vseobuch (universal military training organization).

In 1922, the monastery was officially abolished, and the nuns were expelled from their home. In 1928, services ceased at the Church of the Assumption. Monastic life at the ancient convent was interrupted for 72 years.

The monastery became a museum and passed into state ownership. Initially, the exhibition focused on the era of Tsarevna Sophia; later, the “Museum of Women’s Liberation” opened within its walls and operated until 1934. In the 1920s, the futurist artist Vladimir Tatlin was granted a studio in the deserted bell tower of the closed monastery. From there, he launched his flying machine, the Letatlin. In 1929, a “clearing” of the monastery cemetery was carried out, leaving only about 100 of the original 2,811 unique tombstones.

In 1934, Novodevichy Convent became a branch of the State Historical Museum. This designation helped preserve the monastery and its invaluable monuments to the present day.

Only at the end of the Great Patriotic War did church life gradually return to the ancient monastery. In autumn 1943, Moscow Theological Courses opened at Novodevichy; in 1944, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy I, the Orthodox Theological Institute was established. Services resumed at the Church of the Assumption in late 1945, and in 1948, celebrations marked the 500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Since 1964, the Church of the Assumption has served as the cathedral church of the Metropolitans of Krutitsy and Kolomna, while the Lopukhin Chambers have been their residence. By 1980, the State Historical Museum completed a large‑scale restoration of Novodevichy Convent’s architectural and artistic monuments. The monastery became a popular tourist destination.

A Living Heritage: Novodevichy Convent in the 21st Century

Monastic life resumed in the autumn of 1994, and the convent returned to the fold of the Church. The first abbess was Mother Superior Seraphima.

Part of the premises still belongs to the State Historical Museum. A decade later, the architectural ensemble of Novodevichy Convent was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In 2010, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the Novodevichy Convent ensemble was transferred to the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church for free, perpetual use. Yet the connection with the Historical Museum remains strong: the museum and the Orthodox convent collaborate closely. They are preparing to open an Exhibition and Display Centre of the State Historical Museum near the Novodevichy Convent grounds, where relics from the museum’s collection will be showcased.

Today, restoration and reconstruction work continues at the convent, aiming to restore its 16th‑century appearance. Archaeologists and architects have already succeeded in restoring the interiors of several “elite” cells — richly decorated chambers with luxurious stoves adorned with colourful tiles, where noblewomen were once housed.

Currently, services are held in the churches of Novodevichy Convent. It has become a beloved place for both prayer and Sunday leisure among Moscow residents. A walk around its grounds, along the ancient walls, and through the adjacent park by the picturesque pond offers a quintessentially Moscow retreat.