Sretensky Monastery (Moscow)

Sretensky Monastery is a significant Orthodox monastery located in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1397 by Grand Prince Vasili I. The monastery's name, "Sretensky," translates to "meeting," deriving from a pivotal event in 1395 when the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir was brought to Moscow to ward off the invasion of Tamerlane. The inhabitants of Moscow and their Prince met the icon at the site, and its arrival was credited with the subsequent retreat of Tamerlane's forces. To commemorate this miraculous event, Grand Prince Vasili I established the monastery.

Throughout its history, Sretensky Monastery played a role in significant civic events. In 1552, Muscovites gathered at its walls to greet the Russian army returning victorious from the conquest of Kazan. However, the monastery faced severe disruption during the Soviet era. In 1925, it was closed, and between 1928 and 1930, most of its structures, including the Church of Mary of Egypt and the Church of Saint Nicholas, were demolished. Fortunately, the main Cathedral of the Meeting of the Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, with its side chapel to the Nativity of John the Forerunner, survived these destructions.

Services recommenced in the Vladimirsky Cathedral in 1991, marking a renewal for the monastery. It was transferred to the authority of the Pskovo-Pechorsky Monastery in 1994 but now operates as an independent monastic establishment. Since 1998, Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov) has served as its head. In 1999, the Sretensky Theological Academy was established on the monastery's grounds, further contributing to its revival. More recently, a large church dedicated to the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church was completed in 2017, adjacent to the infamous Lubyanka Prison, amidst concerns from architectural preservationists regarding its scale.