ST. INNOCENT/

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MOSCOW

One of the many wonderful places in Moscow is the Savior-Andronikov Monastery, where St. Andrei Rublev is buried, and where the Andrei Rublev Museum of Icons is located.  The monastery's Savior Cathedral is the oldest surviving masonry church in Moscow, and was about the first to convert wooden architectural forms into masonry.  For information about St. Andrei, plus icons and photos of the Andronikov Monastery, see the FIREBIRD Saints' Lives Article, The Life of St. Andrei Rublev.

Another place of pilgrimage in Moscow is the Men's Monastery of the Don Icon of the Mother of God (Donskoi), where St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, was buried in 1925. After the Donskoi Monastery was reopened, St. Tikhon's relics were placed in a fine reliquary and transferred to the main church, where they are located on the left, in front of the iconostasis. For information about St. Tikhon's life, plus icons and photos, see the FIREBIRD Saints' Lives Article, The Life of St. Tikhon.

The reconstruction of the Christ the Savior Cathedral is largely completed, and is now a regularly functioning church (see the photo at the top). The exterior and the downstairs church are finished and the park-like grounds that surround the enormous building are very pleasant and justifiably popular. While the interior frescoes, iconostasis, and other work are being done in the main upstairs church, services are held in the magnificent downstairs church.The iconostasis is totally gorgeous (photo to the right), as are the icons that cover the columns, portraying  metropolitans of Moscow who have been glorified as saints, including two of our American saints, St. Innocent of Alaska and a mosaic of Patriarch St. Tikhon. An incredible forty-voice choir sings Sunday Divine Liturgy, not in a distant choir loft, but right next to the faithful standing in the central nave --- a very awesome experience, indeed! If you will be in Moscow on a Sunday, you won't regret attending Divine Liturgy here. Even when there are no services going on, a constant flow of people come here to light candles and to pray. There also is a remarkable exhibition hall that encircles the downstairs church, containing a beautiful collection of contemporary and some historical liturgical arts, some folk arts and children's art, plus some historical exhibits about the history of the first Christ the Savior Cathedral and its current reconstruction.

This article was written by Jane M. deVyver, Ph.D., MTh.

The interior view of the iconostasis, upper right is by the author.

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Last modified: December 04, 2006