Novospassky Monastery

Novospassky Monastery is a historic Orthodox monastery in the southeastern part of Moscow, one of the city’s older monastic foundations with surviving buildings from the early modern period. It occupies a fortified complex that includes churches, a tall bell tower and monastery walls.

The complex includes a main cathedral, subsidiary chapels and a prominent bell tower set within defensive walls and enclosures. The ensemble contains funerary monuments and a monastery cemetery that preserve tombs and memorials associated with several Russian noble families.

The monastery originated in the medieval period and developed through the 16th and 17th centuries; many of the standing church buildings date to the 17th and 18th centuries and later restorations. It has served both religious functions and, at times, defensive and administrative roles in Moscow’s history.

Novospassky Monastery is located on the southeastern side of Moscow on the Moskva River, several kilometres southeast of the Kremlin, within the city’s historical belt.

• Cemetery: The site contains a historic cemetery with family tombs that can be of interest to visitors researching Russian noble families.
• Visiting note: The monastery complex is regularly open to visitors; the church buildings are active and may be closed during services.

What to See #

• Cathedral and bell tower: Built around a central katholikon with frescoed interior and a tall multi-level bell tower, the complex shows architectural layers from the 17th to 19th centuries.
• Cemetery and walls: The monastery grounds include fortified walls and a historic cemetery where several noble families of Moscow have burial monuments.