Pearls of Russia

Cultural heritage

Epiphany Monastery

The Bogoyavlensky monastery was founded by Prince Daniil Alexandrovich in 1292.
Since 1672 the monastery had occupied a territory as far as Nikolskaya street, where the monastery had its main gate. The building of the cathedral that dates back to the end of the 17th century rested on the remnants of even an older construction.
The cathedral is a good example of Baroque style of the Naryshkin- era and represents is a blend of white stone and red brick elements. The decor of the building is particularly rich. In the middle of the 18th century a belfry and three more porches were joined to the cathedral. Early in the 18th century Italian architects decorated the interior of the cathedral with sculptural compositions made of alabastre.
Tomb plaques created by J.A. Godon , that are now exhibited at the Schusev Architecture Museum in Moscow, were built in into the cathedral walls.
Other elements of the cathedral decor have survived to the present day, including monk cells outside the facade, rooms for the higher clergy to the left of the fa§ade, and the Bogoyavlensky shopping area that has considerably decayed.
At the beginning of the 20th century old constructions at the corner of Nikolskaya street were dismantled. In 1910, a Trade |House belonging to the monastery was built in the modern style.
In the 1940s, a new administrative building appeared on the premises of the former monastery yard. In Soviet area, the cathedral was neglected and vandalized. At present, restoration and historical research are conducted there, and the local monastery community has resumed its activities since the 1990s.

District: Downtown
Address: 2, Bogoyavlenskiy Lane, Moscow
Underground: Revolution Sq.