Russian Orthodox churchMoscow · RU
Tserkov' Tikhvinskoy Ikony Bozhiyey Materi Simonova Monastyrya
Tucked behind industrial buildings near the Moskvoretsky bridge in south-east Moscow, the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God is one of the city's most remarkable and overlooked landmarks. Built in 1677 as the refectory church of the once-mighty Simonov Monastery, it is the earliest baroque-style church in Moscow and one of very few structures that survived the wholesale demolition of one of Russia's great monastic complexes in 1930. Today the church serves a uniquely purposeful mission: it is home to a thriving Orthodox community of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and blind-deaf believers, with services conducted simultaneously in spoken voice and Russian sign language. Weekly Sunday excursions also guide visitors through the surviving fortress walls, three medieval watchtowers, and the atmospheric courtyard where a major Moscow landmark once stood.