The nuns are returning to Novodevichy Convent.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to transfer the state-owned Novodevichy Convent, currently housing a subsidiary of the State Historical Museum, to the Russian Orthodox Church. Church representatives promise that the principle of collaboration enabling museum experts to monitor the state of the unique premises and iconostases will be implemented at the Convent. However, top Historical Museum officials remain concerned about the future of this historical monument.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at his residence at St Daniel Monastery and told him that the state planned to completely vacate Novodevichy Convent in 2010 and to transfer it to the Russian Orthodox Church. “This process has been dragging on for over two years, and the issue has been settled only now,” State Historical Museum director, Alexander Shkurko told the paper.
Specific deadlines for transferring convent premises remain unclear. Moreover, it is not known whether the new owners will allow museum specialists to continue their research work at the Convent. Father Vladimir Vigilyansky, spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate, assured the paper that the principle of collaboration will be implemented at Novodevichy Convent, where the Church plans to reinstate a nun community.
“The Museum will not be driven out but will continue to function. The state is getting rid of a Soviet-era heritage in the form of confiscated church property. However, this is not restitution, but rather a goodwill gesture on the part of the state,” Father Vladimir said.
The Novodevichy Convent was founded by Grand Prince Vasily III in 1524 in honour of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God and belonged to the Russian Tsars during its entire pre-revolution history. In fact, the Tsars leased the Convent’s territory to the Church. In 1922, the Convent was shut down and the Museum of Emancipated Women established on its territory. In 1926, the Museum was converted into the Novodevichy Convent historical-household exposition, which was transferred to the State Historical Museum in 1934. The residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsa and Kolomna has been located at the Convent since 1964.
The State Historical Museum reacted in a very restrained manner to the prime minister’s gesture. Alexander Shkurko told the paper that he did not see a great tragedy in transferring the Convent, that the Museum was supposed to receive premises near Izmailovsky Park under the government’s resolution, and that restoration workshops and a number of museum collections would be relocated there. But top Museum managers do not conceal their irritation, while commenting on the Convent’s transfer off the record. “The outcome of this experiment is unclear. We know of numerous negative cases in which buildings fell into disrepair and icons were destroyed after being transferred to the Church. The risk will persist as long as there is no mechanism of state control over property transfers,” a Museum manager told the paper.
“The state is relinquishing control over a large territory in downtown Moscow. It is unclear who would assume responsibility if we see a building with an old façade and a new underground parking lot in place of the Novodevichy Convent five years from now,” the manager said. But the government resolution will not influence the future of the Novodevichy Cemetery located near the Convent, which still belongs to the Moscow municipal government.
By Pavel Korobov and Oleg Kashin
