The Annunciation Monastery stands in the very center of Nizhyn, on Sobornyi Square, next to St. Nicholas Cathedral. Its main church — the Annunciation Cathedral of 1702–1716 — is one of the most prominent Baroque buildings in Ukraine and the second largest church in the city. It was built by Metropolitan Stefan Yavorskyi, a native of Galicia, who became one of the most influential church figures of his era.
A Gift to His Brother and the City
Stefan Yavorskyi wanted to erect a church in honor of the Annunciation and chose Nizhyn for it, where his brother Pavlo was the rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral. In 1702, at his own expense, he bought out the estates of townspeople near Sobornyi Square for 1,300 karbovanets and invited the Moscow architect Hryhorii Ustynov. For his work, the master builder was to receive 7,000 karbovanets in silver. Hetman Ivan Mazepa helped with the construction: he organized the delivery of stone for the foundation and provisions for the builders.
An Unusual Cathedral
The architect had to combine the Moscow school with the traditions of Nizhyn, where wooden churches were built in the Ukrainian style and brick ones in Baroque. The result was an original blend, one of a kind. The floor plan is based on an equal-armed cross, but without the usual semicircular altar apses, and between the arms are four rounded corner extensions. Five domes are placed at the corners rather than on the arms of the cross, as in Old Rus churches. Inside there are tiered loggias for the nobility. The vault is supported by four pillars, and the height of the cathedral with the cross is 55 arshins.
The cathedral was consecrated in 1716. Yavorskyi donated his library to the monastery and asked to "adorn the entire cathedral with paintings" — the 1722 murals completely covered the walls and vaulting. There is a misconception that the cathedral was conceived as a monument to the victory at Poltava: in reality, Yavorskyi's note referred only to an icon depicting Peter I as Saint George.
Fires, a Warehouse, and Revival
In the second half of the 18th century, the monastery caught fire three times, and there were plans to close it, but the residents of Nizhyn raised funds for its restoration. In 1803–1823, rector Viktor Cherniaiev repaired the buildings, restored the murals, and built the refectory Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Under Soviet rule, the cathedral was turned into a warehouse, the iconostasis was destroyed, and a gateway for tractors was smashed through the western wall. The monastery was restored in 1999. Currently, it belongs to the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate.
How to Get There
The monastery stands at the corner of Hohol Street and Sobornyi Square in the center of Nizhyn, a few minutes' walk from St. Nicholas Cathedral and All Saints Church.
