Fire at one of Moscow’s oldest convents, a UNESCO heritage site

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow was established in 1524. Its six-tier 73-meter-high bell tower was built in 1683-1685. 300 years later on Mar. 15, the bell tower caught fire. The blaze started in the top section, which is currently undergoing refurbishment and covered in scaffolding; the tower has been under refurbishment since 2014.

The fire raged across an area of 100 square meters, taking several hours to put out. According to Moscow deputy mayor Pyotr Biryukov, the bell tower did not sustain any major damage and housed nothing of value.

Novodevichy Convent is one of Moscow’s most beautiful architectural sites. It is located on a peninsula of sorts, surrounded on three sides by the Moskva River. The convent comprises 14 buildings, including residential quarters, administrative buildings, bell towers and churches.

The convent was founded 491 years ago by Prince Vasily III.

For a long time, it accepted only women from aristocratic families, often related to the Russian monarchs. They included the daughter of Emperor Mikhail Romanov, Tsarevna Tatyana, three sisters and the first wife of Peter the Great, and the widow of Ivan the Terrible’s son Feodor Ioannovich, Tsarina Irina Godunova. Many of them were forced to become nuns because of political or personal motives.

There are three theories as to the origins of the name of the convent. According to one, following the Mongol invasion Russians had to pay tribute to the Golden Horde not only with money, but also beautiful young women. Girls were brought to a field where the most beautiful of them were selected. Over time the field became known as “Devichye” [from Russian “deva” or “devushka,” meaning a young woman] and the convent that was built there was called Novodevichy (New Maiden). The second theory states that the name derives from the surname of the convent’s first mother superior, Yelena Devochkina, while the third suggests that the convent received the name to differentiate it from the older Zachatyevsky convent, also known as Starodevichy (Old Maiden).

Originally, the walls and towers of the convent were made of wood. However, by the 17th century the grounds of Novodevichy Convent were surrounded by brick walls with 12 towers, similar to the Kremlin. / The view from Vorobyevy Gory

The majority of the remaining buildings date back to the second half of the 17th century and belong to the Moscow Baroque style.

In 1812, Napoleon wanted to set fire to the convent. Retreating from Moscow, his army tried to burn Novodevichy Convent to the ground. However, the nuns managed to put the fire out and save their convent. Yet Napoleon was determined to see this Moscow landmark in flames, so he stopped at a nearby hill and refused to leave until he saw the blaze. He even resolved to go back and set fire to it again if he did not see it. Learning of this, a local resident who lived next door to the convent set fire to his own house in order to deceive Napoleon, who on seeing the blaze finally retreated.

Novodevichy Convent has survived to the present day practically unchanged. In 2004, when it turned 480, Novodevichy Convent was included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.