Mozhaysk, City of Military Glory

6 points19 km0 hours

Mozhaysk is a town with a rich history, surrounded by hills and forests. Its old fortress walls and churches recall its past as a defensive stronghold on the approaches to Moscow. The Battle of Borodino was fought nearby, and the area keeps the memory of the War of 1812. Mozhaysk is an easy trip from the capital and a way to explore important chapters of Russian history.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
📚🎬 Recall films and books

Route points (6)

New St. Nicholas Cathedral in Mozhaysk

Point on route “Mozhaysk, City of Military Glory”

Point 2

New St. Nicholas Cathedral

🕍 Place of worship • 📜 Historic site

Historical Background

The New St. Nicholas Cathedral stands on the grounds of the former Mozhaysk Kremlin. Its history goes back to the 15th century, when the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross was built above the Nikolsky Gate. In the 17th century the tower and church were rebuilt, creating the New St. Nicholas Cathedral, while the earlier town church became known as the Old one. By the early 19th century the building had fallen into disrepair, and in 1802 it was decided to build a new one using stone and brick from the dismantled kremlin. The design was by the architect Alexei Bakarev, a pupil of Matvey Kazakov. Construction lasted until 1814, and the cathedral became a notable example of Russian Gothic Revival.

Damage and Restoration

The War of 1812 caused serious damage: French troops damaged the bell tower and burned the iconostases. The church was restored, the bell tower completed and the interiors painted. Until the early 20th century it kept holy relics and church vessels. In Soviet times the cathedral was closed, and many relics disappeared. During the German occupation of 1941–1942 the rotunda in the central part was destroyed, and a prisoner-of-war camp was set up. In the 1960s the building was restored, but the rotunda was not rebuilt, and a knitwear factory moved in.

Architecture

The cathedral stands on high Cathedral Hill and can be seen from afar when approaching from the west along the former Old Smolensk Road. Red-brick walls are combined with white details. Instead of the traditional five domes, the architect designed a domed rotunda with four Moorish-style turrets at the corners, and added a multi-tier bell tower with a tall spire on the west side. The decoration features crosses and unusual symbols: the Star of David, triangles and pyramids topped with spheres.

The Present Day

In the 1980s the cathedral was transferred to the Borodino State Military History Museum, and its foundation was reinforced. Services resumed in 1994, first on feast days and later daily. In 2013 a landslide on the western slope of the hill required repair work. Restoration of the facades was completed in 2014, and in 2019 work began on a plan for a comprehensive restoration.