Svyato-Bogolyubsky Nunnery

Svyato-Bogolyubsky Nunnery is located in the village of Bogolyubov in the Vladimir region. It was built by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1158-11b4 as a castle. Inside the stone walls they erected a white stone cathedral in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin. The temple was decorated with carved frescoes and reliefs, gilding and copper, as well as window stained glass.

.

Highlights

After the death of the prince, a male monastery was located in Bogolyubovo. The ancient cathedral, destroyed by dilapidation and inept remodeling, was replaced by a new one in the XVIII century. The cell block settled down on the place of princely quarters. In the XIX century, instead of the ancient gate with a gate church appeared Uspenskaya gate church with a bell tower.

.

After the revolution in the monastery buildings were placed a school, hospital, post office, police station, cannery, and the temples were adapted for storage and warehouses.

.

In 1991, some of the monastery buildings were transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. Two monasteries were located in the Bogolyubsky monastery; Archimandrite Peter was appointed vicar of the male monastery, and nun Helena, a resident of the Pokrovsky Suzdal Nunnery, was appointed abbess of the female monastery.

.

Nowadays the chambers of Prince Andrei and the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin are used by the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve and the monastery. Both monuments are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

‘ Overgate Church of the Assumption (left) and Bogolyubsky Cathedral (right)

Interesting facts

  • Particles of relics of the saints of the Vladimir land and the ascetics of Kiev-Pechersk are kept in the monastery as special relics.
  • The princely castle occupied the southern part of the city, and from the north it was joined by the posad.
    • According to legend, the foundation and choice of the place of the prince’s castle is connected with the patronage of the Virgin Mary. On June 18, 1155 Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, heading from Kiev to Suzdal, passed through this area. He was carrying with him a miracle-working image of the Mother of God of Byzantine writing, which later received the name of Vladimir. Suddenly the horses refused to move on. When it became dark, the prince ordered to put up a tent for the night. At night the Mother of God appeared to him. On this place Andrei Bogolyubsky founded a castle and ordered to write the image of the Mother of God that appeared to him. Since then, the icon of Our Lady of Bogolyubsky has become a local shrine..
  • Andrei Bogolyubsky spent 17 years in his country castle. On the night of June 29, 1174, he was murdered in the stair tower by the boyars Kuchkovichi. It was this tower and the gallery adjoining it that turned out to be the only palace buildings that survived.
  • The first abbot of the revived monastery in 1991 was Szyhigumen Nikodim, a year later he was succeeded by Archimandrite Jerome, who remained in this post until 1997
.