In 1889, on the banks of the Dnieper, in the city that became the cradle of Russian Orthodoxy, the Pokrovsky convent was founded . Kiev has always been famous for its holy monasteries, but this one was special. Since its opening, it has become not only the center of spiritual life, but also a unique medical center, which was not equal in the country. After many years of oblivion, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate again returned this shrine to the parishioners.
Forced departure to Kiev
The history of the creation of this monastery began with a sad event that occurred in 1881 in St. Petersburg. Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna - a woman deeply religious and pious - was forced to leave the capital due to a break with her husband, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, a man of extremely licentious disposition. If for her the meaning of life was the fulfillment of Christian commandments, then he placed above all sensual pleasures, which he indulged beyond measure.
Having parted with him forever, she moved to Kiev. The Pokrovsky monastery became the embodiment of her long-standing dream - the creation of a female monastery, which was conceived not only as a spiritual center, but also as a medical institution for the poor. According to the plan of Alexandra Petrovna, the nurse of the monastery — nuns and novices — were to become the junior medical staff of the hospital, and she planned to attract highly qualified medical doctors to medical posts.
Creation of a monastery
To implement the plan, the Grand Duchess sacrificed her entire fortune, and her relatives contributed the missing amount. After the monastery was opened in 1895, work to expand the reconstruction of buildings lasted another twenty years. Over the years, more than thirty buildings of various purposes were erected on the territory of the monastery.
Among them were temple buildings, a room for a parochial school, a dormitory, buildings that housed icon-painting and gold-sewing workshops, as well as a hotel for pilgrims and sister's cells. In addition, the monastery had a shelter for the blind and infirm.
Unique Medical Center
But the main brainchild of Alexandra Petrovna was the hospital, at that time the best in the city. Kiev has always been at the head of scientific progress, thanks to this it was not difficult to choose among its medical workers good and knowledgeable professionals for the monastery hospital. Its buildings housed the therapeutic and surgical departments, an outpatient clinic and a pharmacy, where all those in need could receive free medicines.
Holy Pokrovsky Monastery (Kiev) had a treatment center equipped with the most advanced equipment at that time. This is the merit of Alexandra Petrovna herself and the head physician of the clinic, Nikolai Viktorovich Solomka. Thanks to their efforts, the only x-ray machine in the country began to work in the monastery hospital .
Self-explanatory figures
Statistical data covering the first decade of the monastery hospital has been preserved. During the period from 1893 to 1903, 5030 patients underwent inpatient treatment, 2288 operations were performed in the Department of Surgery, and hospital pharmacy workers gave out more than 5,000,000 medications to poor patients for free.
At the end of the 19th century, additional buildings of the therapeutic department and clinic were erected with donations from members of the Royal House. This allowed to increase the daily intake of patients up to 500 people. Often, Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna personally assisted in the operating room, for which she underwent special training. She died in 1900 in the walls of the monastery created by her works.
The creation of St. Nicholas Cathedral
After her death, work to expand and improve the monastery did not stop. They were continued by V.N. Nikolaev, an architect who adorned Kiev with many of his works. Pokrovsky Monastery became the site of his new project - the building of St. Nicholas Cathedral, built in the pseudo-Russian style. He also owns the creation of a number of other structures, also made in the spirit of antiquity. By the way, the sketch design of the cathedral was personally composed by the son of Alexandra Petrovna - Pyotr Nikolaevich. Like his mother, he was a person deeply religious and devoted to Orthodoxy.
Post-revolutionary troubles
When the Bolsheviks came to power, they all over the country massively closed religious centers. Kiev became the arena of this atheistic recklessness. Pokrovsky monastery was liquidated, and services in it ceased. It opened only during the period of occupation, when, at the request of Archbishop Anthony (Abashidze) and the nun Epistimia (Samoilenko), the Germans allowed worship to be held in it.
Since 1943, when the invaders were expelled from the city, a hospital was located on the territory of the monastery until the end of the war, and in the first post-war years, an infirmary. Soon, a committee was established to restore St. Nicholas Cathedral, which received significant damage during the fighting.
Many famous specialists were involved in the restoration work, and thanks to their efforts, by May 1949, work to restore the interior of the temple was completed. However, the proper look was given only to the interior, while the external facade of the building has not changed much. The government of the republic allowed only cosmetic repairs, while prohibiting the restoration of previously demolished domes.
The revival of the holy monastery
And only decades later, when the absurd restrictions imposed by the authorities went away, the St. Nicholas Cathedral appeared before the eyes of Kiev in its former splendor. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has made great efforts to return this shrine to the people. As a result of work carried out in the period 2006-2010, the roof of the cathedral was again crowned with domes. The bells returned to their former place, and their ringing floated above the ground, greeting with their solemn sounds the “Mother of Russian Cities” - Kiev. Pokrovsky Monastery regained its original appearance.