The city of Istra, the sights of which we will present in this article, is located in the suburbs, only 40 kilometers west of the capital. This is the administrative center of the Istra district and one of the largest Orthodox centers in our country.
From the history of the city
From 1871 to 1930, the city was called Ascension. It was first mentioned in 1589. In those days, there was a monastery surrounded by villages. And later, a city appeared at its walls. In 1656, Patriarch Nikon visited these places . He decided to create "Palestine near Moscow" on this earth. His plan was put into practice. The history of the city is inseparable from the history of the New Jerusalem Monastery, founded by order of the patriarch.
In 1781, Voskresensk received the status of a city, and a little later it became the center of the county. The rapid economic development of the city is associated by historians with the construction of a railway in its vicinity. This happened at the beginning of the 20th century. Ten industrial enterprises were already operating here by the beginning of 1916. Around the same time, Voskresensk became a cultural district center. In Istra, even the oldest regional drama theater, which first opened its doors in 1908, meets spectators today. A.P. Chekhov lived in Voskresensk for a long time. There were A.I. Herzen and M. Yu. Lermontov.
Istra today
In the terrible years of World War II, fierce, bloody battles were fought in Istra. The city was almost wiped off the face of the earth. Today it is a modern industrial center. The largest enterprises of the city are a branch of OJSC Gazprom, LLC Lactalis Istra, OJSC Sokol and others. But in addition, Istra is famous for historical and architectural monuments. The sights of the city are known far beyond its borders. We will introduce you to some of them.
Istra: attractions. What to see?
Despite the barbaric destruction of the city by the Nazis, many historical and architectural monuments were preserved and restored in it. One of the main ones is the New Jerusalem Monastery.
G. Istra, the sights of which are described in many brochures of travel agencies, is famous for this unique building. It is with a visit to the New Jerusalem Monastery that all city tours usually begin. It was founded in 1656 by Patriarch Nikon. This majestic structure partly repeats with its architecture the famous temple in Jerusalem.
The construction of the cathedral began in the spring of 1658 and lasted eight years, until Nikon was sent into exile. The full construction of the monastery was completed after the death of Nikon (end of the 17th century). In 1919 the monastery was closed, and a museum was located on its territory.
During the war of 1941-1945. the cloister was almost completely destroyed. In 1956, restoration and restoration work began, which continues to this day. The transfer of the monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church began in 1994, but now it exists together with the historical and architectural museum.
New Jerusalem Museum
For Orthodox Christians around the world, Istra near Moscow is of great interest. The sights of this small town attract thousands of pilgrims every year. In addition to religious buildings, the New Jerusalem Museum and Exhibition Complex is very popular. It was founded in 1920. This is one of the largest state museums in the Moscow region. In his collection of more than 180 thousand exhibits - priceless collections of church utensils, foreign and Russian paintings, weapons, porcelain, unique furniture from the noble estates of the Moscow Region, rare manuscript prints, a rare collection of graphics and paintings of the 20th century.
The unique complex has a park area, which presents monuments of wooden architecture of the 19th century: a peasant hut, a mill, a chapel. Tourists can visit the exhibition building, ride a horse. The museum complex regularly hosts various celebrations for adults and children.
Now the museum has moved to a new spacious building with an area of ten thousand square meters. There are also rooms of a scientific library, archive, a well-equipped conference room, cafes, souvenir shops.
Manor Pokrovskoye - Rubtsovo
The sights of Istra and the surrounding area are interesting for tourists preserved on this land noble estates. One of them is Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo. This is an old estate belonging to the noble family of the Nashchokins since 1616.
In the XVII century, a boyar's courtyard was built here, in the XVIII century a stone church of the Intercession appeared on the estate. The construction is a rare example of baroque architecture for the Moscow Region. Much later, the temple was rebuilt in the style of classicism.
Currently, tourists can explore the courtyard and the church. After the Nashchokins, the estate was owned by the nobles of the Golokhvastovs, and even later by the manufacturer Morozov. The heyday of the estate dates back to the 18th century, when a magnificent park-architectural ensemble of stone buildings was created here. Only a park and a church have survived to this day.
Manor Troitskoye
Sights of Istra (Moscow region) - a large number of small churches and majestic temples. An amazing ensemble consisting of two churches - the Trinity stone and the Trinity wooden church, which was built in 1675 and consecrated in honor of Sergius of Radonezh, has been preserved in the Troitsk estate. Once the Trinity manor belonged to the old noble Russian family Boborykins. Then the estate was called Bobyrevo, as well as a churchyard. Today you can see an old cemetery with tombstones of past centuries.
Until now, Istra itself, some of its sights, cause scientific debate. For example, despite the official data available, scientists believe that the wooden church was erected at the beginning of the 18th century. In the first half of the 19th century, a foundation was made of white stone under it, the window openings were expanded, updated porches appeared at the entrances, and the church itself was beautifully sheathed with tesa.
The author of the stone church project was M.N. Litvinov. It is consecrated in honor of the Trinity Life-Giving. The building is made in neo-Russian (pseudo-Russian) style.
Istra: natural attractions. Gethsemane
A beautiful park with centuries-old pine trees and a cedar grove is located at the foot of the monastery hill. It is part of the New Jerusalem complex and was conceived as an addition to the monastery. In the park there is a monastery of Nikon, a chapel. Their names are borrowed from the holy places of Jerusalem. Interestingly, even the Istra River surrounding the park was renamed Jordan.
Interesting Facts
In 1881, a young doctor A.P. Chekhov began his practice in the city of Voskresensk. On the outskirts of the town was the Chikinsky Hospital, it was run by the famous doctor P.A. Arkhangelsky, who had a reputation as an excellent therapist, who was visited by medical students and young doctors from all over the country. Become his student and Dr. Chekhov.
Everyone knows that Jerusalem (the “city of the world”) is located in Israel. But not everyone knows that he has a “namesake” in Russia, near Moscow. Moreover, this is not just a temple complex with a similar name, but an almost exact reproduction of the Israeli original with its main shrines. The New Jerusalem Monastery was visited by M. Yu. Lermontov. It was here that the poem "In Voskresensk" was written.