Additional Krutitsky Facts

It was common for Russian princes to give gifts to the Krutitsy Residence. For example, Grand Prince Ivan II (the Fair) bequeathed money to only three churches. First on the list was Krutitsy’s Dormition Church.

In 1591, the Krutitsy Metropolitan Gelasy took part in investigating Tsarevich Dmitry’s murder and conducted the funeral service for the future saint. Gelasy is entombed in a crypt under Dormition Church.

After the death of a church patriarch and until a new patriarch was selected, the Krutitsy bishop would temporarily serve as administrator of what was known as “the patriarchal province” – the city of Moscow.

In the seventeenth century, one of Moscow’s first public gardens was created as part of the Residence’s complex. This Dutch-style garden, with fountains and rare species of trees, was destroyed under Nicholas I.

Several well-known Soviet and Russian movies were filmed at the Krutitsy complex: Shine, Shine, My Star (1969; Гори, гори, моя звезда); Family Happiness (1969; Семейное счастье); Boris Godunov (1986, Борис Годунов); Kremlin Secrets of the Sixteenth Century (1991, Кремлёвские тайны XVI века); Brother 2 (2000; Брат – 2); and Empire Under Attack (2000, Империя под ударом), among others.