The pond
Walls and domes reflected.
Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY 4.0
Novodevichy Convent is Moscow's best-known cloister and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. It stands in the southwest of historic Moscow at a bend of the Moskva River, about 4.7 km in a straight line from the Kremlin. Grand Duke Vasily III founded it on 13 May 1524, and it began as a fortress in Moscow's southern defensive belt. Unlike Moscow's other cloisters, it has stayed almost intact since the 17th century. Its oldest building is the five-domed Smolensky Cathedral, and most of the other churches date from the 1680s. A tall red wall with twelve towers rings the convent, enclosing churches with gold and green domes and a slender six-tier bell tower 72 metres high. In front lies a wide pond that mirrors the walls and domes, and a park surrounds it. The convent is active, so dress modestly; women cover their heads in the churches, and keep your voice low. The finest view is from the pond shore, especially in the morning. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.
Walls and domes reflected.
Six slender tiers.
Twelve towers.
Southwest of central Moscow, by the Moskva River, Russia
The five-domed Smolensky Cathedral.
Modest dress; women cover their heads in churches.