“Don’t allow your army to plunder this monastery.” A noble-looking elder said this in a dream. Today we stand before the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. It is a place steeped in history and legend. This Russian Orthodox monastery is dedicated to the Nativity of the Theotokos.
The Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery is the main landmark of Zvenigorod. The town is located 48 km west of Moscow. Prince Yuri of Zvenigorod asked Savva to establish a monastic abode in 1398. Savva was one of Sergius of Radonezh’s first disciples.
Initially, only one wooden church was built. It was dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It stood on the high Storozhi hill above the Moskva River. Saint Savva sought solitude in a small cave he dug himself. More monks settled here over time. In 1402, Yury Dmitrievich granted the monastery villages and land. St. Savva of Storozhi was interred in the white stone cathedral in 1407.
The diminutive church still stands. Its look is the result of a 1970s restoration. Frescoes in the altar date back to the 1420s. The rest of the interior was painted in 1656. A magnificent iconostasis and Stroganov school royal doors were installed in 1652.
In the 15th to 17th centuries, the monastery defended Moscow on the west. In 1650, Tsar Alexis selected the monastery as his residence. An ashlar residence for the Tsar and a palace for his wife date from the 1650s. Alexis had the churches encircled with stone walls and towers. A large belfry was erected in 1650. It was crowned with three tents and a clock tower. A new gate church was built by Ivan Sharutin in 1650.
From Tsar Alexis’s time, the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery was very important. Tzars, tzarinas, emperors and empresses came here to pray. They sought blessings before their crowning ceremonies. The road from the Moscow Kremlin to the monastery was called the Tzar Road. Today, it is known as Rublevskoe shosse.
During the Napoleonic Wars, fierce fighting reached the monastery’s walls. According to legend, Eugene Bograne spared the monastery after St. Savva appeared to him in a dream. St. Savva promised him a safe return home if he did not plunder the monastery. Eugene Bograne spared the monastery and returned home safely.
In May 1918, the Bolsheviks tried to seize the relics of St. Savva. Several people were shot. The monastery was ransacked. The monks were chased out. In 1941, the main bell was destroyed.
The compound was assigned to the Danilov Monastery in Moscow in 1985. St. Savva’s relics were returned in 1998. Both major churches used to be covered with frescoes. They had old icon screens. Only a few fragments of the original frescoes survived the Soviet period.
Today, the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery attracts tourists and pilgrims. It is accessible from Moscow by train and bus. The Zvenigorod museum operates exhibitions within the Tsarina’s palace. The Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery has a brewery and a bakery. They sell kvas, sbiten, bread and pastries to the public.
The Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery has been a beacon of faith for centuries. It is a testament to the enduring power of the spirit. Its history is intertwined with Russia’s most pivotal moments. May its story continue to inspire for generations to come.