Abbess Seraphima (1914-1999)

In the former 17th-century Streltsy guardhouse in the Naprudnaya Tower, there is an exhibition dedicated to Abbess Seraphima (Chernaya), the first abbess of the revived monastery.

Mother Seraphima, in the worldly realm Varvara Vasilyevna Chernaya (maiden name Rezon), lived a long life. She was born before the revolution into a noble family, and was the granddaughter of the holy martyr Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov). She spent her entire life engaged in science, became a doctor of technical sciences, professor, laureate of the State Prize, and had government awards. In her later years, she chose the path of serving the Church and for 5 years headed the Novodevichy Convent, which had reopened after a 72-year hiatus. Having accepted the abbess's staff at the age of 80, she seemed to unite in her person the past and present of our Fatherland.

 The exhibition presents photographs from the family archive, personal belongings, church and state awards of Abbess Seraphima and personal belongings of her grandfather, the holy martyr Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov).