Kiev, Pokrovsky Monastery (female) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate: description, history

In 1889, on the banks of the Dnieper, in the city, which became the cradle of Russian Orthodoxy, the Pokrovsky Convent was founded . Kiev was always famous for its holy monasteries, but this one was special. Since its opening, it has become not only a hotbed of spiritual life, but also a unique medical center, which was not equal in the country. After many years of oblivion, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate again returned this shrine to the parishioners.

Forced departure to Kiev

The history of the creation of this monastery began with a sad event, which occurred in 1881 in St. Petersburg. The Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna, a deeply religious woman and pious, was forced to leave the capital in view of the break with her husband, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, a man of extremely loose morals. If for her the meaning of life was the fulfillment of the Christian commandments, he above all set sensual pleasures, which he indulged out of every measure.

Forever parting with him, she moved to Kiev. Pokrovsky Monastery became the embodiment of her long-standing dream - the creation of a women's monastery, which was conceived not only as a spiritual center, but also as a medical institution for the poor. According to Alexandra Petrovna's plan, the nursing staff of the hospital were to become the nuns of the monastery - nuns and novices, and she planned to attract medical professionals of high qualification to medical posts.

Creation of a monastery

To implement the plan, the Grand Duchess sacrificed her entire fortune, and the missing amount was contributed by her relatives. After the opening of the monastery in 1895, work on expanding the reconstruction of buildings lasted another twenty years. During these years more than thirty buildings of various purposes were erected on the territory of the monastery.

Among them there were temple buildings, premises for the parish school, dormitories, buildings where the icon-painting and gold embroidery workshops were located, as well as a hotel for pilgrims and sister cells. In addition, the monastery had a shelter for the blind and the infirm.

Unique Medical Center

But the main child of Alexandra Petrovna was a clinic, at that time the best in the city. Kiev has always been at the head of scientific progress, thanks to this it was not difficult to find among its medical workers good and knowledgeable professionals for the monastery hospital. In its buildings there were therapeutic and surgical departments, an outpatient clinic and a pharmacy where all those in need could receive free medicines.

The Holy Intercession Monastery (Kiev) possessed a medical center equipped with the most advanced equipment for those times. This is the merit of Alexandra Petrovna herself and the chief doctor of the clinic Nikolai Viktorovich Solomka. Thanks to their efforts, the only X-ray machine in the country began operating in the monastery hospital .

Figures that speak for themselves

The statistical data covering the first decade of work of the monastery hospital are preserved. During the period from 1893 to 1903, inpatient treatment was performed by 5,030 patients, 2288 operations were performed in the surgery department, and employees of the hospital pharmacy gave poor people over 5,000,000 drugs for free.

At the end of the XIX century, additional enclosures of the therapeutic department and polyclinics were erected for the donations of members of the Imperial House. This allowed increasing the daily intake of patients to 500 people. Often the Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna personally assisted in the operating room, for which she received special training. She died in 1900 in the walls of the monastery created by her works.

The creation of St. Nicholas Cathedral

After her death, the monastery continued to expand and improve. They continued VN Nikolaev - the architect, many of his works adorned Kiev. The Pokrovsky Monastery became the place of realization of his new project - the building of the Nikolaevsky Cathedral, built in the pseudo-Russian style. He also owns the creation of a number of other structures, also made in the spirit of antiquity. By the way, the draft of the cathedral was personally composed by Alexandra Petrovna's son - Pyotr Nikolayevich. Like his mother, he was a man deeply religious and devoted to Orthodoxy.

Post-revolutionary troubles

When the Bolsheviks came to power, they closed religious centers throughout the country in massive order. Kiev became the arena of this atheistic folly. The Intercession Monastery was abolished, and the services in it were stopped. It was opened only during the occupation, when, at the petition of Archbishop Anthony (Abashidze) and nun Epistemius (Samoylenko), the Germans allowed the holding of divine services in it.

Since 1943, when the occupants were expelled from the city, a hospital was located on the territory of the monastery until the end of the war, and in the first post-war years - the infirmary. Soon a committee was established to restore the St. Nicholas Cathedral, which received considerable damage during the fighting.

Many famous specialists were involved in the restoration work, and thanks to their efforts, by May 1949, the restoration of the interior of the church was completed. However, the proper appearance was given only to the interior, the external facade of the building changed little. The government of the republic allowed to carry out only cosmetic repairs, while prohibiting the restoration of demolished domes.

Revival of the Holy Monastery

And only after decades, when the ridiculous restrictions imposed by the authorities have gone, the St. Nicholas Cathedral appeared to the eyes of the people of Kiev in the same grandeur. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has made great efforts to return the people to this shrine. As a result of works carried out in the period 2006-2010, the roof of the cathedral was again crowned with domes. They returned to the former place of the bell, and their ringing floated above the ground, greeting with their solemn sounds "The Mother of Russian Cities" - Kiev. Pokrovsky Monastery again found its original appearance.