Royalty City Tour Moscow and the New Maiden's Monastery or the Danilov Monastery

Royalty City Tour Moscow and the New Maiden's Monastery or the Danilov Monastery

This unique tour is private for the traveller and offers quality guidance of high standards for the city of Moscow.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Moscow, Moscow, Central Russia

The great city of Moscow, once the heart of the first Russian Principality then restored to his capital city status during the Soviet Era, is today the center of political as well as economic power in Russia. Taking part in our Moscow city tours you will have the chance to see all the capital’s major sights: The Red Square, the GUM Department Store, the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Novodeviciy convent, the Arbat street and Moscow Metro’s most beautiful stations!

The Novodevichy convent, also know as the New Maidens’ Monastery, is the most important cloister in Moscow. Originally named Convent of the Ascension, the Zars later imposed a name change in order to distinguish from the homonimous church that was built inside the Kremlin's walls. Differently from most other monastic complexes located in Moscow, whose structures where heavily damaged because of the city's frequent fires and during WWII, the Novodevicy Monastery permains almost perfectly intact since its last major renovation that occurred during the XVIII century. In 2004 the convent was inducted in the UNESCO’s World Heritage. In 1524 Vasily III, the Grand Prince of Moscow, founded Novodevichy convent to commemorate the conquest of Smolensk.

Danilov Monastery is the oldest monastery in Moscow. It was founded the first Moscow Prince Daniil, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky in the 13th century.
The Prince began the construction of the monastery on the site of the wooden church of St. Daniel Stylites, the patron saint of Prince Daniel. The monastery changed its location several times. Originally, Danilov Monastery did not last long, for only about fifty years. The son of Daniel Alexandrovich, Ivan Kalita transferred all the monks to the Kremlin, the Spassky Monastery, under the protection of the Kremlin walls in 1330. Half a century later, under Ivan III, Spassky monastery was moved to Krutitskii hill, and got a new name, Novospassky. Danilov Monastery was forgotten. It was restored only under Ivan the Terrible. At the same time in the monastery was built the white stone church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. In the end of the 17th century Danilov Monastery was surrounded by a brick wall with seven towers and the bell tower above the northern gate.
The current group of monastic buildings formed mainly in the 18th – 19th centuries. In the end of the 18th century the monks’ cells and deanery were added. And in 1838 the monastery was decorated with yet another magnificent building, the Trinity Cathedral with a dome and classical portico of Doric columns. The Cathedral can accommodate 3,000 people. All these buildings were restored after being seriously injured during the Soviet era. Moscow's first monastery was closed among the last ones in 1930. Its territory was given to the orphanage, which existed until 1983. The buildings of the monastery were distorted beyond recognition. In May 1983, Danilov Monastery was handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. After sixty years of neglect it became the first functioning monastery in Moscow. Now there is the residence of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod. In 1989 the monastery acquired its current look.

During the last period the New Maidens’ Monastery is closed some days of the week because of maintenance work. We will visit the Danilov Monastery alternative.

Pick up time is between 09:00am-10:00am. The exact pick up time will be provided one week before your tour.

Duration: 4 hours