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Holy Trinity New Golutvin Convent (Kolomna)

11A Lazareva Street, the Kremlin, Kolomna.

The Holy Trinity New Golutvin Convent is situated on the bank of the Moskva River, in the centre of the ancient Kolomna Kremlin.

From 1350 to 1799, the Convent's area was occupied by a residence of archbishops and bishops who governed the Kolomna eparchy.

The eparchy was established before 1350, after the Mongol invasion of Rus'. It began its existence during the reign of Ivan Kalita (1328–1340) or Simeon of Moscow (1340–1353) at the latest. The 3rd-class convent had ten monasteries and 931 churches.

In 1655, Patriarch Makarius of Antioch visited Kolomna. From his Syrian secretary Pavel Aleppsky's letter, we know how an episcopal house looked in the 17th century.

It was "...very big and surrounded by a wooden wall; cells or rather bishop's palace were built of excellent stone and timber and were suspended as well as the churches." The Syrian was delighted with a length of a wooden gallery, which hung at a great height from the ground and was used by the bishop to get to the cells from the church's southern doors. He admired craftsmanship of Russian carpenters who built such warm winter rooms. "... they are made of dressed, closely coupled wonderful wood. The doors fit tightly and are covered with felt and leather, so that no breath of wind can pass through."

The archbishop's residence especially changed in the late 17th century under Archbishop Nikita of Kolomna and Kashirskoye. He constructed all main buildings of the now existing complex including the episcopal house itself, the Order-in-charge (Razryadny Prikaz) building, and the Holy Trinity Bishop's House Church.

As early as 1728, establishment of an ecclesiastical seminary was started in Kolomna in accordance with the 1721 regulation. Its construction was finished by Bishop Kiprian within the archbishop's residence in 1739. Children of the local secular clergy studied there. Some of the best students were sent to Moscow seminary, and Bishop Gabriel (Kremenetsky) of Kolomna obliged them to teach in their home seminary after the graduation. Great St. Philaret Drozdov, Metropolitan of Moscow, and Nikita Gilyarov-Platonov, a publicist of the 1870s, were alumni of Kolomna seminary.

In 1799, Emperor Paul I of Russia issued an order that Bishop of Kolomna, who previously governed churches of Tula, Moscow, and Ryazan Provinces, should govern churches of Tula Province only. The Kolomna eparchy was abolished, while the bishop was moved to Tula. The old episcopal house, empty and unsupported, remained in Kolomna. In 1800, Metropolitan Platon of Moscow decided to move there some of the monks of the Epiphany Monastery that was situated on the outskirts of Kolomna. Since then, the new Kremlin monastery has been named New Golutvin, while the suburban one — Old Golutvin.

As the main temple of the new monastery was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, the monastery itself was given the name the Holy Trinity New Golutvin Monastery.

The eremitic monastery was upgraded to the 2nd class and allowed to keep up to 17 monks, while all the deans, including the first one, Barlaam, had high archimandrite ranks. Both cathedral churches, the Assumption Church and the Church of the Icon of Our Lady of Tikhvin, were referred to the Monastery.

Under Archimandrite Arsenius (Koziorov), new constructions appeared. A brick church dedicated to St. Sergius of Radonezh (later renamed the Intercession Church) was attached to the northern side of the episcopal building. Probably at the same time, northern gates and north-west fence tower, which were used to enter the Church from Sobornaya Square, were built. In 1825, Archimandrite Arsenius erected a 55-meter high bell tower (180.5 ft), the second tallest building in Kolomna. The biggest bell weighted 259 poods and 32 funts (4,255 kg or 9,380 lb). In 1871, with the blessing of Metropolitan St. Innocent (Veniaminov) of Moscow and Kolomna the Monastery was transformed into coenobitic. Under Archimandrite Sergius (Sveshnikov), who governed the Monastery from 1871 to 1883, the number of monks increased to 50 people.

Normal life of the monks was ruined in no time, when the 1917 Russian Revolution broke out. On the basis of the Decree on the Separation of Church and State, and Schools and Church issued by the Government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic on 2 February 1918, all religious organisations became illegal, while all church property was announced public. Buildings and things required for services could be handed to religious communities free of charge; however it did not concern monasteries. The new authorities set a goal to "annihilate monasteries as a parasitism breeder". From 1918 to 1921, 673 monasteries, including the New Golutvin Monastery, were destroyed in Russia. The Monastery's property including 181 tithes of land was nationalized. On the initiative of local authorities, who referred to the emergency tax, even personal belongings and silver and gold awards were taken away from Archimandrite Leonid. Sixteen monks and fourteen novices were left on the pavement out of things and destitute. In the early 1919, some of the premises were occupied by district and town militia offices. This fact somewhat saved the Monastery from a worse fate, since a circular order of 23 May issued by the Province Board of Management obliged the town authorities to arrange a forced-labour camp immediately. Such camps existed also in the Andronikov Monastery of the Saviour, the New Monastery of the Saviour, and Ivanovsky Convent in Moscow. "It was found out after a long search, that the Kolomna Monastery was the best facility for this purpose" in Kolomna. There were probably good reasons for that. Being situated in the town centre, the Monastery had quite a large fenced area and many small cells, which could be easily transformed into prison cells. As early as 16 June 1919, an issue on arrangement of a concentration camp in the New Golutvin Monastery was brought up for discussion during the meeting of the Board of Management of Kolomna District Executive Committee. The Housing and Land Department had to clear the premises as soon as possible and move the militia office to the Brusensky Monastery. However, the process was not got from the ground. On 15 July, a head of the Board of Management of Kolomna District Soviet of Deputies N. Nilov announced that the concentration camp would not be established in the nearest future. A temporary hospital in the Monastery was an obstacle now. The issue was raised again on 9 August. For a start it was decided to make an estimate for adjustment and re-equipment of the premises. In his report of 18 August, N. Nilov said that there was no need to wait when the hospital was moved out, since it occupied only one eighth of the Monastery. They should start mounting grids and fitting locks in doors instead. Fortunately for the town and the Monastery, the camp had never been established for some reasons. People began to make homes of the cells.

Soon after the Monastery was shut down, the question on its archives arose, which, according to specialists, could store documents dated back to the foundation of the Monastery. All records were kept in the fence tower. A member of the Commission on the Protection of Ancient Monuments V. Ero temporarily moved them to two special premises. After a while, a research assistant of Moscow Province Archives Y. Shishkina found out that the premises were opened, while the files were scattered about. In the presence of a member of the Kolomna Commission on Protection of Antiquities K. Klimov and a member of the Kolomna District Executive Committee P. Chupakova, the premises were sealed again. Since there were no locks, the doors were tied up with a wire. It is not known what happened to the valuable documents.

The ancient buildings of the Monastery and church property had always interested specialists, who did their best to preserve the cultural heritage. Thanks to their efforts, in the spring of 1922, when church valuables were confiscated for starving population of the Middle Volga Region, the Monastery's sacristy was listed as one that kept exclusive historical and artistic merits being within the competence of the Museum of the Ministry of Education. It was stipulated that nothing could be confiscated from 103 listed monasteries and churches without the knowledge of the Museum. However, the list, dated back to 31 March 1922, was not brought to notice everywhere. On 8 April, the Kolomna Confiscation Commission confiscated some valuables from the former monastery. Father Superior Barsanuphius and parishioners V. Orlov, Y. Galishnikov, and A. Borovkov witnessed the process. According to the Commission, four silver censers, a candlestick for three candles, an anointing brush with a vessel, eight icon lamps, an arca, a cross with rizas with a total weight of 2 poods 10 funts and 24 zolotniks (37.5 kg or 82.5 lb) were "unnecessary" for the Monastery. They also removed pearls from the mitre, which were not weighted despite the presence of two jewellers, Kononov and Shagov. Three days later, Pravda Newspaper of 11 April 1922 reported in The Starving Front Section that 9 poods 10 funts and 24 zolotniks (152 kg or 335 lb) and a lot of small pearls were confiscated from the Monastery in Kolomna Uyezd, exaggerating the total weight by 7 poods (114,5 kg or 252.5 lb) only. The confiscation process did not stop the service in the Holy Trinity Church.

In December 1927, the Kolomna City Council was obliged to make rental contracts with groups of believers for the buildings and sacred objects. The Department's personnel were loyal to the believers and did not put any obstacles to renting functional churches of Kolomna and Bobrov. At that time, four churches were closed: the Transfiguration Church, the Church of All Saints, the Assumption Church, and the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Brusensky Monastery as well as the prison chapel. When the contract was made, a religious community had to submit lists of registered members. As a rule, the number was small. For example, the Holy Trinity New Golutvin Community numbered 77 registered members by 1929. The Churches of Nikola Gostiny, the Holy Trinity on Repna, SS. Peter and Paul, and St. John the Baptist had a bit more members.

In time the last New Golutvin Church was shut down. Icons, mentioned in the 1887 documents, disappeared. The icon of the Holy Trinity was painted by a respectful icon painter of the Kremlin Armoury Tikhon Filatiev in 1707. The other was made on a cypress board with the Kolomna Kremlin at the foot. The icon of Our Lady of the Sign had border scenes that depicted her appearance and Novgorod view with a Kremlin wall and churches. The icon of Revered St. Sergius of Radonezh was the local sacred object. Buildings and constructions were completely in use of tenants and organizations. Some of the buildings were passed into ownership. For example, the City Financial Department sold the bell tower to Kolomna gramophone factory in April of 1934. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Holy Trinity Church was leased to a sewing and repair shop, while St. Sergius's Church to a workshop of the Artistic Fund of Moscow Region (Mosoblkhudozhfond).

Dozens of years, the ancient buildings were used at full stretch. New owners cut new doors, niches for shelves and made new partitions. Even lists of architectural monuments of Moscow Region to be protected by the state, which were approved by the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR and executive committees of the Moscow Region Council and Kolomna City Council were of no help.

Only after the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR decided to establish a historical and architectural reserve in Kolomna on 6 May 1968, the federal monument could count on real state protection and be included into a restoration program. In 1971, specialists of the Mosoblstroyrestavratsia Trust developed a program, which assigned a great part to the New Golutvin Monastery. The former episcopal and consistory buildings were supposed to be occupied by hotel rooms for tourists, while the seminary building was intended for a propaganda room and administration. Basement of the Holy Trinity or Intercession Church was for a restaurant. The upper part of the reconstructed Holy Trinity Church was supposed to be a museum. It was also planned to lay out an orchard similar to that of the 18th century. The first thing to be reconstructed was the episcopal building. The estimated cost was 500,000 roubles.

The grandiose plans were not implemented. However, in 1973, reconstruction works in New Golutvin began. First, architects and restorers V. Mozzherov and V. Teplyakov supervised by chief architect S. Orlovsky made measurements and prepared design and estimate documentation. From 1975 to 1977, restorers of the Mosoblstroyrestavratsia Trust reconstructed the bell tower. It is interesting that 55-meter (180 ft) high scaffolding was assembled by four people only. Two of them set posts, nailed guard-rails and toe boards, and made flooring, while the other two prepared and gave boards. The shabby bell tower was completely plastered. The lost bossage was restored. On the southern side of the belfry, masons bricked sides of the opening, which was enlarged in the 1920s to dismantle the big bell. A spire and the dome were reconstructed by Kolomna specialists, while the spire pedestal of irregular shape was made by Moscow coppersmith A. Morozov. It seems funny today, but when a very heavy cross was raised manually with great effort, it appeared that its tail is much wider than a slot for it. It took a lot of time to correct the mistake, made by designers or manufacturers, with a simple file.

In 1977, after a team of V. Akhtirko, A. Vinogradov, A. Goryachev, L. Zhernovkov, N. Krivoshapov, K. Lomakin, and I. Savin supervised by N. Shepelyov reconstructed pilaster strips and an inner arcade of the fence northern wall, they began to restore the Holy Trinity Church, which was occupied by a civil defence warehouse shortly before. It was supposed to reconstruct the original appearance of the building with the help of cut down decorations, archival and iconographic materials. Artist A. Chervyakov painted the Church in different colours in accordance with the 18th-century stains and drops of paint on the reconstructed decoration elements of portals and windows, cornices, pilasters, and columns. The project was completely finished by coenobites as late as 1999. It was the first time when restores reconstructed the drum, the dome, and the cross, which were removed during the atheism years. Before that, a crowbar was used instead of the cross for ideology reasons, while the requirements of architects for historical appearance were completely ignored. It took many shaped bricks including roll mouldings, bastons, bases, pilaster sides, etc. to reconstruct the facades. At that time, bricks were trimmed manually, so the restorers had to invent special tools and determine an angle of cutting edge by experience. It was decided to demolish the western porch, which was added in the 19th century and did not fit into the reconstruction concept. Some difficulties arose, when interiors of the apse, quadrangle, and refectory were reconstructed. Ancient niches were difficult to find because of numerous reconstructions, however the architects managed to restore them thanks to their experience.

Kolomna companies helped very much. A tank building factory was assigned to the Monastery by the decision of the executive committee. The factory provided the builders with transport, building materials, area planning, and construction waste disposal. Lenin subbotniks (voluntary cleaning days), supervised by engineer L. Silina, were especially impressive. Contrary to old stereotypes, factory workers were very enthusiastic and cleaned not under the lash.

To enlarge the work front and improve living conditions, people were gradually moved out of the Monastery's buildings. By 1982, the episcopal building was completely vacated. Architects K. Lomakin and V. Mozzherov immediately started measuring and researching. All late partitions, floors, plasters, and fillings of spandrels were removed. The construction waste contained many fragments of the 17th–19th-century ornamented tiles. After they were glued and sketched, the restorers handed them over to Kolomna Museum of Regional Studies.

Reconstruction of the episcopal building took many years since its further function was unknown. There were a lot of ideas: from hotel to music school. This uncertainty resulted in irregular reconstruction works.

Under the circumstances, a compulsory decision ware required. The decision was made in 1985, the first year of political life restructuring in the USSR and emerged preconditions for religious freedom in the country. By request of the Russian Orthodox Church leaders, churches were returned to believers in some cities and towns. The 1000th Anniversary of the Christianization of Kievan Rus' was celebrated at government level. This fact activated the process of handing cult buildings over to religious communities. Kolomna was not left out. As early as 29 December 1988, the Council of Religious Affairs under the USSR Council of Ministers discussed an offer No. 4/c-11501 submitted by the executive committee of the Moscow Region Council of People's Deputies on 31 October 1988 and a proposal No. 1160 made by the Council of Religious Affairs under the RSFSR Council of Ministers on 7 December 1988 to hand over the New Golutvin Monastery to Moscow Eparchy. The attached list of buildings included the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Our Lady of Tikhvin's Church, and the hipped-roof bell tower. The issue was decided positively. So, the first monastery complex in Moscow Region was handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church to establish there a convent.

Rebirth of the temple began. It was leaded by Mother Superior Hegumenia Xenia (Zaitseva). This stage can be compared with all previous history of the New Golutvin Monastery.

According to information by N. Shepelyov.

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