Sights of Istra

Around the City

Vladimir Lenin Monument

  • Ploschad Revolyutsi (intersection of Ulitsa Lenina and Pervomaiskaya Ulitsa)

Like most city's Istra has a statue of Vladimir Lenin. In Istra a shining silver-coloured Lenin stands proud and smiling on top of a red marble pedestal. He is looking over to the City Administration building on the opposite side of the road. Read more »

Around the New Jerusalem Monastery

New Jerusalem Monastery

  • 2 Ulitsa Sovetskaya
  • www.museum-newjerusalem.ru

Istra’s most famous site is the New Jerusalem (Novoierusalimsky) Monastery. It is a stauropegic monastery, which means it is second in status to a lavra. The monastery was founded in 1656 by Patriarch Nikon as the regional residence of the patriarch and a Russian representation of the Holy Lands, hence its name. It is an excellent example of a Russian fortified monastery. It was closed by the Bolsheviks in 1918 and turned into a museum, but suffered a much worse fate under the… Read more »

Patriarch Nikon’s Skete

  • behind the monastery

In 1658 Patriarch Nikon's enemies managed to convince the Tsar that Nikon had too much influence on the ruling of the state and was even eclipsing the power of the tsar. This led to a rift between the tsar and the partriarch and Nikon left his office and retired to the New Jerusalem Monastery. Upon arrival, he had built for himself a skete (a kind of hermitage) on the bank of the River Istra outside the monastery in the gardens known as the Gardens of Gethsemane. The elegant skete… Read more »