Pechersky Ascension Monastery

The Pechersky Ascension Monastery (Pechersky Voznesensky monastyr) occupies a commanding position on the high right bank of the Oka river, its white-walled ensemble of towers and churches visible from far downstream. Founded in 1328 by a monk from Kiev, it is one of the oldest monasteries in the Volga region and the most beautiful monastic complex in Nizhny Novgorod.

The main Ascension Cathedral (1640s) is a five-domed church with a tent-roofed bell tower beside it — a classic composition of 17th-century Russian monastery architecture. The grounds contain several smaller churches and chapels, monks' cells, and a small museum. The monastery is an active religious institution and observes monastic rules; dress appropriately. The view of the Oka valley from the monastery walls is excellent.

things to do sight architecture
A story
The monastery stands on a cliff that has been moving slowly toward the river for centuries. The original monastery buildings, founded in 1328, collapsed into the Oka in a massive landslide in 1597. The current complex was rebuilt on firmer ground slightly uphill and completed by 1635. The threat of further sliding has never entirely gone away — the cliff continues to shift, and engineering works have been ongoing since the Soviet period.

Other places in Things to Do