Although the first written evidence of Borisoglebsky Monastery is only found in the testament of Prince Yuri Vasilievich in 1472, according to legend it was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky at the same time as he founded the city of Dmitrov. In any case it was founded in honour of the first native saints of Rus - Boris and Gleb. In 1764 it became the only monastery in the city as Empress Catherine the Great closed the other two. After the Revolution the monastery was closed in 1926 and given over to be used as a regional museum. However in 1932 a better use was found for it and the museum was moved to the Dormition Cathedral, so that the monastery could hold the headquarters of Dmitlag, a camp of the GULAG. From the 1940s until the 1970s it was used as a military barracks and was only reopened as a monastery in 2004 after undergoing restoration work.

Ss Boris and Gleb’s Cathedral

The oldest building in the monastery is the white-stone Ss Boris and Gleb’s Cathedral. Archaeologists believe the cathedral dates from the mid-16th century but the exact date is not known. The cathedral is in the form of a four-pillar cross-in-square building with a single golden dome. A bell tower is also built onto the cathedral.

St Nicholas’ Gate-Church

The brick St Nicholas’ Gate-Church dates from 1685 and 1687. It is a small pillar-less church built over the Holy Gates which date from 1672. The church was closed in the 1920s and subsequently used as accommodation. Also inside the monastery is a Chapel for Holy Water and the Holy Spirit Chapel.