Kazansky Bogoroditsky Monastery, Eastern Orthodox monastery in Kazan, Russia

The Kazansky Bogoroditsky Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery in central Kazan centered around the Cathedral of Our Lady, its main church building. The cathedral contains multiple worship spaces arranged across two levels and displays classical architectural features typical of Russian Orthodox sacred structures.

Founded in 1579 by decree of Ivan IV on the spot where the nine-year-old Matrona found the Kazan Icon, the monastery was first a women's community; Matrona herself, tradition says, took the name Mavra there. The priest Ermolai, later Patriarch Hermogenes, recorded the finding and the first miracles. In 1612 the icon went with the Minin and Pozharsky militia to Moscow and was returned to the monastery afterwards.

The monastery's name comes from the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, found here in 1579. The icon travelled with the Minin and Pozharsky militia to Moscow in 1612 and was returned to Kazan afterwards. Since 2005 the Vatican list of the icon, handed over by Pope John Paul II, has been kept in the Exaltation of the Cross Church.

The monastery is located on Bolshaya Krasnaya Street in the city center and welcomes visitors who wish to explore the complex at their own pace. Guided tours are available and help visitors understand the layout and architectural details of the buildings.

The so-called Vatican list of the Kazan Icon, kept in the Catholic Church, was handed over to the Kazan diocese by Patriarch Alexy II on 21 July 2005 and placed in the restored Exaltation of the Cross Church. The original icon was stolen from the monastery cathedral in 1904.