Moscow Part 4: Novodevichy Monastery and Cemetery

Have I mentioned that I want to be a monk? But not a nun.

Before you are photographs taken at the Novodevichy Monastery, which at some point in the history of Moscow, was on the outskirts of Moscow. It has a long history of housing politically troublesome women in exile. It’s also quite a pretty place – there would be worse exiles, I suppose.

Here’s a wall. Yes, it’s supposed to look rather defensive.

An impressive tower.

Look! Trees! Green! Church!

Part 4 B: I looked on Yelstin’s grave from afar, but was too interested in finding Gogol to walk over.

Russian cemeteries are a trip and a half. They seem to be very attached to including images of the deceased somewhere in the grave marking (I suspect the derives from the iconography tradition – although, I’m not certain.) Some of these images can get quite impressive.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

You’ve already seen and heard about Gogol (and if you haven’t, skip done to Dead Lenin).

They put Mikhail Bulgakov in the grave Gogol vacated when he was moved. In a strange way, I feel both writers would have appreciated the entire, sordid story.