The Zachatievsky Convent was founded in 1584 and dedicated to the Conception ('zachatie') of St Anne. However previous to this there was another convent located here which was founded by St Alexius (Aleksey), Metropolitan of Moscow, in 1360 but destroyed by fire in 1547. Shortly after the Zachatievsky Convent was founded it was subjected to the destruction of the Times of Troubles. Major construction work took place at the convent in the late 17th, mid-18th and early 19th century. However the convent was closed in 1927 and many of its buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged and the territory was used as a juvenile prison. The convent was reopened in 1995 and subsequently restored.  On the small square immediately outside the convent is a statue of St Alexius, the founder of the convent.

Miracle Image of the Saviour Gate-Church

The oldest church within the convent is it Miracle Image of the Saviour Gate-Church which also serves as the main entrance to the convent through its northern gates. The church dates from 1696 using funds donated by the nobleman Andrey Rimsky-Korsakov. Under the Soviets the church was closed in 1925 but restored in the 1960s due to its architectural significant. In 1993 the church was re-consecrated.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The convent's main cathedral is the Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral which is actually a modern reconstruction built between 2005 and 2010. The original version of the Nativity Cathedral was built two-hundred years earlier between 1805 and 1807 in the Gothic Revival style and is frequently credited as the work of the famous architect Rodion Kazakov. This cathedral however was destroyed in the 1930s.

Holy Spirit Church

Standing next to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Cathedral is the plainer Holy Spirit Church. This church was built in the mid-19th century and is the work of the architect Mikhail Bykovsky. In 1925 the church was closed and then subsequently heavily reconverted to suit the needs of the juvenile prison. The church was only reopened in 2001 after it underwent restoration work

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