Orthodox Gorny convent is situated in Ein Kerem in the South-West of Jerusalem. The monastery, which administers the Russian ecclesiastical mission, is a small corner of Russia in the Holy Land.

In ancient times it was a village surrounded by gardens: Ein-Karem in Arabic means "a source in the vineyard". Christian tradition holds that it was here to visit her relative Elizabeth came from Nazareth young virgin Mary. The Evangelist Luke describes the striking scene of this meeting. Elizabeth, pregnant with the future John the Baptist, on seeing Mary, already wearing at the heart of Christ, joyfully exclaims: "whence cometh the mother of my Lord comes to me? "(LK 1:43).

In 1869 the chief of the Russian ecclesiastical mission Archimandrite Antonin accompanied in the vicinity of Jerusalem, member of the State Council of Russia Peter Melnikov. The ascetic told the guest about his idea is to buy in Ein Karem for Russia, the Holy land plot, on which two thousand years ago trod the virgin. Melnikov liked the idea and organized the Fund-raising Committee. Large donations were made industrialist Nikolai Putilov, traders Eliseev brothers, the contribution made simple Russian pilgrims. After prolonged bargaining with Dragoman (interpreter) of the French Embassy to the Khan Celadon, who owned the land, the olive plantation on the hillside was purchased. Father Antoninus in accordance with the text of Scripture called it "Gornji grad Idov", or Celestial.

There was created a women's monastic community. On a beautiful hillside grew a small stone Church of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God. In the abode has established a strict order of appearance of new nuns: each of them, getting an allotment, assumed the obligation to build here myself at your expense house with outbuildings, smash around the garden, planted with cypress and almonds. Very soon, the monastery turned into a blooming oasis.

In 1911 it started building a great Cathedral, but the war had ruined all the plans. Palestine then was part of the Ottoman Empire, and its power even expelled the nuns from Gornji – they were forced to go to Egypt, to Alexandria. In 1948, after the establishment of Israel, the monastery was transferred to the Moscow Patriarchate. The construction of the temple was resumed in 2003, four years after it was completed. In 2012, the Cathedral of All saints resplendent in the Russian land, was consecrated by Patriarch Kirill.

In the center in Ein Kerem, preserved the source from which, as it is believed, took water blessed virgin Mary. From here the road leads to heaven. The monastery looks unusual, but extremely picturesque: there are no buildings with cells scattered on a slope surrounded by the greenery, the small houses of nuns.

At the entrance to the Church of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God you can see the magnificent floral carpet, hosted by the sisters. The right of the entrance – stone, near which, according to legend, preached by John the Baptist. On the border with the neighboring Catholic Church of the Visitation is a cave temple dedicated to St. John the Baptist, consecrated in 1987.