The Convent courtyard in Kamenki village

"The purpose of my life is to organize the Abode of Mercy and the hermitage attached to it. I make it an absolute condition to maintain a hermitage at the Abode, if such a hermitage is established by me in my lifetime"

                                                                                        Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna

Creating the statutes of the Saints Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna thought that the sisters would have the opportunity, having worked in service to their close people, to crown their lives with monastic exploits and to end their days in solitude and prayer.

The Statutes of the Convent said: "The Saints Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy has in mind in the future to arrange its hermitage outside Moscow, where the sisters who have worked a lot may retire at will and with the consent of the Council of the Convent and, having accepted monastic tonsure, spend the last years of their lives in prayer and exclusive service to God".

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna managed to buy a plot of land for the future hermitage, but then the revolution began and other dramatic events in the life of the country happened.

The idea of the first abbess of the Convent was realized almost a century later.

In 2002, when the Saints Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy was being restored, a courtyard was opened in the village of Kamenki to house the monastic sisters, where they could spend time in prayerful solitude and labour.

The centre of the courtyard is the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine built at the end of XVII century.

The Church of Saint John the Divine of the Convent courtyard is at the same time an object of love, care and anxiety for the sisters.

Its history began at the end of the XVII century, when the main quadrangle was built under the patronage of Prince Pyotr Alexeyevich Golitsyn. Then over the centuries, up to the end of the XIX century, the refectory, hipped bell tower and other were completed.

During the years of persecution of the faith, the Church of Saint John Divine was seriously damaged.

With the beginning of life in the courtyard, the process of the church restoration began. Since the main task was to stop the destruction of the walls, they were strengthened with concrete. The outer contour of the church was also restored.

But this turned out not to be enough: now inside the church there are deep cracks in the vaults and the dome, and the walls are getting damp. Unfortunately, the church does not have heating or electricity.

The Church of Saint John Divine is in need of serious restoration. In order to start it, it was necessary to go through several stages of scientific research to draw up a restoration plan. So far only part of them have been paid for. A project is being created now.

You can help the hermitage of the Convent by donating a feasible sum for the restoration workor by joining the team of volunteers who come to Kamenki once a week to work together.

More information on the restoration of the Church of John the Divine and the cost of each of the stages can be found here.

Address of the courtyard: Moscow region, Volokolamsky district, Kamenki village, Tsentralnaya street, 43.