This medieval church residence is a window into the distant past and an island of peace in a bustling metropolis.
According to legend, Krutitskoe Podvorye was founded in 1261, when the Muscovy lands were under the rule of the Golden Horde. Initially, the residence was a monastery. It then became the residence of the bishop of the local diocese, a religious academy and finally part of a series of fortresses that protected the southern road into Moscow. Now, it is an embassy church for Russia's Patriarch.
The Dormition of the Mother of God Church. The ancient cobblestones and tidy little houses lining the street are dwarfed by the massive brick church rising up above, topped with five delicate drums holding up cupolas, which represent Christ and the four Evangelists.
The passage leads to the terem: a small space over the Holy Gates that opens into the church courtyard. The Terem is the most unusual structure in the residence — too small to have much of a function but spectacularly decorated with about 2,000 colorful ceramic tiles.
The Metropolitan’s Palace was built in 1655 during the heyday of the residence. In the 18th century, the residence became increasingly less important. Its library, livestock, carriages and other property were transferred to the Kremlin Chudov Monastery, and in 1788 all but the Dormition Church was handed over to the military.
Souce photo: Violetta Nadbitova / MT
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