Voskresensky Novodevichy monastery, Orthodox monastery in Saint Petersburg, Russia
Voskresensky Novodevichy is an Orthodox monastery in the Moskovsky District of Saint Petersburg featuring five golden onion domes. The complex combines traditional Russian architecture with Byzantine elements and includes multiple structures such as a refectory, library, and hospital set within expansive grounds.
The monastery was founded in 1849 near Moscow Gate, with Emperor Nicholas I personally laying the cornerstone during an official ceremony. This establishment under imperial patronage marked the beginning of an important religious institution in the city.
The monastery served as a center for traditional Russian crafts, where nuns engaged in icon painting, embroidery work, and textile creation. The workshops here contributed to regional artistic practices and demonstrate how religious communities shaped local craft traditions.
The grounds are located along Moskovsky Prospect and accessible on foot, with the large area offering room for exploration. Visitors should know the terrain is mostly flat with buildings connected by well-maintained paths throughout the site.
The monastery's own cemetery was founded in 1845, four years before the convent itself, and the first abbess, Theophania (Gotovtsova), was buried between the Kazan Church and the apse of the Resurrection Cathedral. Her grave was desecrated in the Soviet period and lay under asphalt for decades until the nuns found it again in the 1990s.
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