10 Sights & Landmarks in Taganskiy That You Shouldn't Miss

Reviewed By aniska - Leeds, United Kingdom

The Monastery of the Saviour was founded in 1360 and is the oldest example of Russian stone architecture, which still exists at present day. Originally, the Monastery had wooden walls, which functioned as defense. From 1420 to 1428 the Cathedral was reconstructed and its walls were painted in white. The famous Russian painters Andrei Rublev and Daniel Chorny painted it but, unfortunately, their frescoes were destroyed by the 18th-century reconstruction and only a few small pieces survived. In 1812, the dome was destroyed by the fire, but got immediately reconstructed. In the 1840s, the interior changed. It was crowned with a tented-roof octagonal drum. Side chapels dedicated to St. Andronik and the Dormition were added to the northern and southern walls, which made the original appearance to be completely lost. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, the Cathedral was restored to its original state. From the 16th to the 19th century a refectory, side chapels, a cleric building, a Fraternal Building were added. In 1747 to 1756, the Cathedral got its stone walls. The old bell tower over the Holy Gates near the Cathedral of the Saviour was replaced by a new one 73 meters high. The temple was also used as a prison and as any other temple, the Monastery has its own cemetery that existed up to 1929. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Monastery was badly damaged. In 1919, it was occupied by proletarians. In the spring of 1922, all valuables were confiscated, and a juvenile prison for street children was established. In 1930, the bell tower was exploded. In 1947, the Monastery was announced a cultural reserve and many Old Russian icons were brought and kept there. In 1989, the Monastery was handed back to the Orthodox Church and has functioned since then. What strikes most, when visiting it, is the cleanliness of the whole area, the perfect lawn, the flowers, everything is perfectly kept and maintained. This results in a special, mystic feeling of sacredness and peace. Absolutely worth a visit, it easily reachable from Rimskaya metro station, just 5 minutes on foot.