An exhibition has opened at the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda museum-reserve (its presentation took place last Friday), timed to coincide with this year’s 500th anniversary of the founding of the Novodevichy Monastery. A whole series of events links the two historical sites.
In the southwest of Moscow the monastery-fortress against Crimean raids was founded by Vasily III, who also established Alexandrovskaya Sloboda. The time of the Novodevichy Monastery’s construction coincides with the grand duke’s divorce proceedings with his first wife, Solomonia Saburova. Some researchers believe it was built specifically for the grand duchess. And the decision to divorce his wife, historians believe, was announced by the prince in the Sloboda.
Vasily III’s son, Ivan IV, who ruled the country for a full 17 years from Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, baptized his first child — daughter Anna — at the Novodevichy Monastery in 1549. A year later the tsarevna died and was buried there as well, in the burial vault of the Smolensk Cathedral.
In 1564, in a ceremony attended by the royal court, the tonsure into monastic life of Princess Iuliania Paletskaya, the widow of Yuri (Ivan the Terrible’s brother), took place here (as did that of Elena Sheremeteva, the third wife of his son Ivan, who died in the Sloboda in 1581). The monastery traditionally became the place where wives took the veil whose husbands (members of prominent princely and boyar families) fell under the hammer of the oprichnina. Also, in the Smolensk Cathedral on July 28, 1568, Metropolitan Philip (Kolychev), an opponent of the oprichnina, served his last service before he was disgraced.
All these interesting parallels are vividly traced in the new exhibition, which harmoniously incorporates cult objects and highly artistic examples of decorative and applied art on Orthodox themes from the museum-reserve’s collection.
All these interesting parallels are vividly traced in the new exhibition, which harmoniously incorporates cult objects and highly artistic pieces of decorative and applied art on Orthodox themes from the museum-reserve’s collection.
As Elena Likhonina, a research associate at the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda museum-reserve, said: "One might wonder what connection there is between the title of the traveling photo exhibition organized by the State Historical Museum, 'The Great Russian Northern Route', and the Novodevichy Monastery. But there is one. From its walls this historic pilgrimage and trade route of the Russian people began. It passed, among other places, through Alexandrovskaya Sloboda and ended at the Solovki. And in the project, besides our museum, other stops on the route participate — Sergiev Posad, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk, Vologda and Kargopol. On the panels in the museum’s exhibition space there are photographs of the beautiful architectural ensemble of the Novodevichy Monastery and a map of the entire route. In addition to the Rurikids, the Romanovs are also represented at the exhibition. Members of the royal dynasty patronized the monastery, and they were also patrons of the Assumption Monastery founded in Alexandrovskaya Sloboda. Thus the high status of the former royal residence was maintained for some time."
The exhibition "The Great Russian Northern Route" is already open to visitors: the museum staff hope that guests will appreciate it. The Great Lent is underway — a perfect time to become acquainted with the rich spiritual history of our region and the Fatherland.
