The Novospassky monastery is on the Krutitsky hill on the bank of the Moscow River, in the south-east of the capital. Being founded in the 13 century it is considered the oldest monastery in Moscow. The monastery has strong fortifications and often defended Moscow from the south.
According to some legends, the Novospassky monastery was established by Prince Daniel of Moscow. However, several decades later, in 1330, his son Ivan Kalita moved the monastery to the Borovitsky hill of the Moscow Kremlin.
The monastic life was resumed in the new place. But in 1490 the monastery was returned to its original place on the Krutitsky hill and was renamed Novospassky. So, some historians think that the Novospassky monastery was truly established only in 1490.
The monastery was encircled by stone walls in the 40th of the 17th century. The Transfiguration cathedral (1645) and the Intercession church with a refectory (1670) were built about the same time. The former is a summer church and is closed down for the winter, while the latter is open all round the year. The Intercession church was built in the style of the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin with one massive column in the center.
The Most Holy Mother of God is the main halidom of the Transfiguration cathedral. Pilgrims from all over the country came there to worship the icon. Also it should be mentioned that the cathedral is the burial vault of the Zakharyev. Mikhail Romanov, the first Russian tsar from the House of Romanov, was their direct descendant. Since that time all Russian tsars came to the monastery to visit the necropolis of their ancestors.
