Danilov Monastery

Danilov Monastery

19th-century view of the monastery
Monastery information
Other names	Holy Danilov Monastery
Order	Orthodox
Established	13th century
Diocese	Moscow
People
Founder(s)	Daniil
Abbot	Archimandrite Alexius
Site
Location	Moscow, Russia
Coordinates	55°42′40″N 37°37′45″E / 55.71111°N 37.62917°E / 55.71111; 37.62917Coordinates: 55°42′40″N 37°37′45″E / 55.71111°N 37.62917°E / 55.71111; 37.62917
Other information	Headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church since 1983.

Danilov Monastery, in full Svyato-Danilov Monastery or Holy Danilov Monastery (Данилов монастырь, Свято-Данилов монастырь in Russian), is a monastery on the right bank of the Moskva River in Moscow, Russia. Since 1983, it has functioned as the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox church and the official residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus'.

Danilov Monastery was founded in the late 13th century by Alexander Nevsky's son Daniil. Shortly before his death in 1303, Danilo took monastic vows and later was buried at Danilov Monastery. The Russian Orthodox church venerates him as a saint. The very first Muscovite archmandrite came from this monastery in 1300.

In the 14th - 15th centuries, Danilov Monastery fell into decline. In 1560, Ivan the Terrible brought it back to life. In 1591, when the armies of a Crimean khan Kaza Giray approached Moscow, the area around Danilov Monastery was turned into a fortified mobile camp.

In 1606, the rebels led by Ivan Bolotnikov and Istoma Pashkov collided with the army of Vasili IV not far from the monastery. In 1607, an impostor by the name of Ileyka Muromets, who had pretended to be tsarevich Peter (son of Feodor I of Russia), was executed next to Danilov Monastery. Being in the center of many military events during the Time of Troubles, the monastery was severely damaged in 1610. In the early 17th century, it was surrounded by a brick wall with seven towers.