World Heritage Identification Number: 1097
World Heritage since: 2004
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇷🇺 Russian Federation
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent: A Glimpse into the Historical and Architectural Richness of Russia
The Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent, located in south-western Moscow, stands as a testament to the grandeur and intricate beauty of Russian architecture. This architectural masterpiece, built in the 16th and 17th centuries, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The Novodevichy Convent, also known as Bogoroditse-Smolensky Monastery, holds significant historical, cultural, and religious importance for Russia.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Novodevichy Convent, in south-western Moscow, built in the 16th and 17th centuries in the so-called Moscow Baroque style, was part of a chain of monastic ensembles that were integrated into the defence system of the city. The convent was directly associated with the political, cultural and religious history of Russia, and closely linked to the Moscow Kremlin. It was used by women of the Tsar’s family and the aristocracy. Members of the Tsar’s family and entourage were also buried in its cemetery. The convent provides an example of the highest accomplishments of Russian architecture with rich interiors and an important collection of paintings and artefacts.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): The Novodevichy Convent is the most outstanding example of the so-called ‘Moscow Baroque’, which became a fashionable style in the region of Moscow. Apart form its fine architecture and decorative details, the site is characterised by its town-planning values.
Criterion (iv): The Novodevichy Convent is an outstanding example of an exceptionally well preserved monastic complex, representing particularly the ‘Moscow baroque’ style in the architecture of the late 17th century.
Criterion (vi): The Novodevichy Convent ensemble integrates the political and cultural nature of the existing World Heritage site of Moscow Kremlin. It is itself closely related to Russian Orthodoxy, as well as with the Russian history especially in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Encyclopedia Record: Novodevichy Convent
Novodevichy Convent, also known as Bogoroditse-Smolensky Monastery, is probably the best-known cloister of Moscow. Its name, sometimes translated as the New Maidens' Monastery, was devised to differ from the Old Maidens' Monastery within the Moscow Kremlin.The convent was founded by Grand Duke Vasily III on May 13, 1524 in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God " Hodegetria " - the main shrine of Smolensk, in gratitude for the capture of Smolensk in 1514. Unlike other Moscow cloisters, it has remained virtually intact since the 17th century. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Additional Site Details
Area: 5.18 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 55.72611111 , 37.55508333
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© Ivtorov, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
