Important events of the monastery that happened before 1872.
There were not too many events in the history of this monastery. The most important events are: 1) the Wretched house was transformed into to the convent, 2) It was given to the Krutitskaya and then to the Moscow dioceses; 3) It was turned from «bozhedomsky» to «school» monastery.
Pokrovskiy monastery. 1707 - 1708. V. Pikart's engraving
There were not too many events in the history of this monastery. The most important events are: 1) the Wretched house was transformed into to the convent, 2) It was given to the Krutitskaya and then to the Moscow dioceses; 3) It was turned from «bozhedomsky» to «school» monastery. The establishment of Spiritual states and Napoléon I's invasion in 1812 had an influence on it.
There were other bad and good events that happened to the monastery:
Tsar Alexy Mikhaylovich
Alexey Mikhaylovich Tishayshy ( March 19, 1629 — February 8, 1676) — the second Russian tsar from Romanov' dynasty ( July 14, 1645 — January 29, 1676), Mikhail Fyodorovich's son. In 1655 the Bozhedomsky Pokrovskiy convent under Alexey Mikhaylovich's decree has been ranked to Moscow diocese
and his son Feodor visited this monastery during the celebration of Easter, and due to that century customs, triple kissed and gave red eggs to the builder and elders who lived in the monastery. Such visit of the Tsar was a great event for the poor monastery.
From 1770 to 1772, the plague killed hundreds and thousands of people in Moscow; the houses, streets and the areas were full of the victims; state buildings and monasteries were transformed into hospitals. Sick people were delivered to Pokrovskу monastery; the recovered once have been transferred from there to the bishop house at Saltykov Bridge. When the fear of death has seized all: in monastic walls the juniper and manure was smoked. The monks, prepared for death themselves, admonished the infected people to confession and communion. After the termination of plague the monastery has been cleaned. And in this disastrous time the monastery has benn transformed back into the Wretched house.
In 1812, another trouble happed with the Pokrovsky monastery. Iona the Builder left the monastery to Vologda, he took the best equipment with him. It happed right away before the enemy intruded to the Moscow.
Moscow on fire, September, 1812. Salvator Cardelli. Engraving
He stayed there until the Napoleon’s troops were expelled from the ancient capital. Some holy vessels and jewels were hidden in the church shoo. Several monks and attendants remained in the defenseless monastery. On September 3 enemies broke into the monastery, plundered churches and cells, tried to find out from monks where church treasures and money were hidden. They beat the monks, but did not find out anything. They burned some of the buildings and constructions.
On September 5, enemies took five monks, undressed them and sent to the outpost, the beat them and tried to find out whether they have money. The enemies found several coins, sewn up in a cap of one of the monks. They beat him to death for not telling about the coins to them. At this time the enemy general who has lodged in the monastery, put his horses in the churches. Many of enemy’s teams came, all of them wanted to take something from the monastery but found nothing as well as in other churches and monasteries. They swore over the shrines: pricked and burned down icons, hammered nails into faces of Saints, used altars and thrones instead of tables, teared into pieces and burned everything down. On September 30, they have found holy vessels and a cope hidden in the cathedral church. They used icond for burning fire. The enemies droved monks on different works, forced to drag heavy things. The Poles caused the most damage. However, all the church equipment was burnt but the churches and a fence have escaped from fire.
Alexander I Pavlovich (12 December (23), 1777, St. Petersburg — November 19 (December 1) 1825, Taganrog) —the Russian emperor (since March (23), 1801), the eldest son of the emperor Paul I and Maria Fyodorovna
A sudden visit of the emperor Alexander was unforgettably for this monastery. He has found the builder Jonah in one shirt standing on a prayer in cells. "Sovereign" the elder said, "in what I have been found, in that I should be judged!" — "I would wish to find all the monks in such occupation ", Alexander answered him. They talked and the Sovereign has surveyed the monastery with curiosity.
On the day of celebration of the Candlemas of the Wonder-making Vladimir Mother of God icon, on May 21, people of faith gathered near by the Yauza River. They took crosses, icons and banners from all churches and went to the Pokrovsky monastery where the prayer began, and later the procession dispersed on two parts. First part of the procession went to Novospassky Monastery, the second part – to to Spasoandronikov monastery. After the lity, all of them met at the Yauzsky Bridge, at the Church of Archdeacon Stefan. After the general prayer they returned to their parish churches. In the first cholera raging in Moscow, only 4 monks in this monastery have become victim of a pernicious disease.
On July 12 1844, a wonderful event happened in the Pokrovsky monastery.
The Pokrovsky monastery in Moscow. 1882. Photo by Sherer and Nabgolts
At noon a cloud came; a lightning flew in the top window of Church of the Resurrection, it have made several circles around an iconostasis, spun around the image of the Sign of the Mother of God and left signs on glass icon-case. Then it disappeared. Since then, each Wednesday after matins, monks sung before this holy icon a prayer with the acathist.
A lot of happy and unfortunate events happened to the monastery, situated in Moscow. This holy monastery under the cover of the Mother of God
flourishes for over 208 centuries.
Moscow. Grounds of the Pokrovsk monastery. 1904.