The Resurrection Monastery or New Jerusalem Monastery is 50 km to the west from Moscow. It is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Russia. It was built in 17 century as an orthodox copy of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. A large museum complex «New Jerusalem» is near the monastery.
The New Jerusalem Monastery was founded by Patriarch Nikon in 1656, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. In the middle of 17 century the patriarch had a large influence in Russia. In 1650 Nikon began a large-scale church reform, which led to the emergence of Old Believers (those who didn`t adopt the reform).
Only a very ambitious person could initiate such a grandiose project – to construct a Russian-style copy of the Jerusalem Holy Sepulcher. All places around the monastery were given Biblical names. The hill where the monastery was built was called Zion. The surrounding hills were called Favorskaya and Eleonskaya mountains. The Istra River was renamed the Jordan River. The monastery itself was designed as a large fortress.
In 1666 Nikon lost support of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, was dethroned and sent as a monk to the Ferapontov Monastery (200 km to the north from Vologda). However, his church reform wasn`t stopped.
A large Resurrection Cathedral is in the center of the New Jerusalem Monastery. The cathedral construction was based on the drawing of the Jerusalem temple. As a whole, it has a similar structure. The Rotunda is the main room of the Resurrection Cathedral. The Edicule with the Cave of the Tomb of Lord is under its large tent-shaped dome.
The cathedral has the Golgotha, the Stone of the Unction and the subterranean church of Constantine and Helen. Both the iconostasis and the cathedral are encircled by a gallery with chapels devoted to various saints.
As it was planned by the patriarch Nikon, all sacred places were reconstructed around the monastery. A museum of wooden architecture is near the monastery. At a museum complex «New Jerusalem» you can see a large exposition devoted to these places.
