Russian, Ukrainian & FSU Information & Manosphere Discussion Forums
Information & Chat => Russian, Ukrainian and FSU Towns & Cities => Topic started by: mendeleyev on October 04, 2010, 11:24:27 PM
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Золотое кольцо,'The Golden Ring' is one of the oldest Russian routes. Situated in the north-east of Moscow, it forms a circle of sorts.
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Its not uncommon for locals to declare that the 'classical' route (counter clockwise) starts in Moscow and follows ring through the towns of Vladimir, Suzdal, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Rostov Velikiy, Pereslavl-Zalesskiy, Sergiev Posad. As each town is close to each other, the 'Golden Ring' forms a ring that makes it possible to travel from town to town, making a circle that ends back at the starting point.
So, which destinations are legitimately part of the Golden Ring? As you can see from the two maps there are differences of opinion as to which cities belong, and which don't. During Soviet times, Communist officials created an official list of Ivanovo, Kostroma, Pereslavl-Zalesskiy, Rostov Veliki, Sergiev Posad, Suzdal, Vladimir, and Yaroslavl. Judging by Russian historians, and popularity of tours, visitors don't necessarily agree and often stops on the circle include Alexandrov, Gus-Khrustalniy, Murom, Rybinsk, and Uglich, as well as many other small towns and villages.
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The most comfortable mode of travel is by car but it is possible to use a combination of bus and train transport to tour the Golden Ring.
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In coming installments we'll visit each destination, town by town in order of the map and get to know the Golden Ring up close.
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Mendy,
It took me several trips, but I have been able to almost close the loop as I have visited Sergiyev Posad (several times), Peryaslavi-Zalessky, Rostov, Yaroslavi, Suzdal, Vadimir, and Bogolubovo. For me visiting Russia had much to do with learning about the country and I would highly suggest visiting the Golden Ring for anyone who has similar interests as the cities are near Moscow and it provides a person with an entirely different view of Russia as the cities are struggling in comparison to Moscow (gives you a better idea of the true condition in Russia) and a whole lot of history. I look forward to your adding to my knowledge of the cities and might add a few comments if you do not mind as my visits are still fresh in my mind.
Note: Best seen if you have your own car as I have been fortunate to have my friends from Moscow show me around.
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For me visiting Russia had much to do with learning about the country and I would highly suggest visiting the Golden Ring for anyone who has similar interests as the cities are near Moscow and it provides a person with an entirely different view of Russia as the cities are struggling in comparison to Moscow (gives you a better idea of the true condition in Russia) and a whole lot of history.
So true, and so important to gain a perspective of Russia on the whole as you say, as opposed to just thinking of Russia in terms of the 3-4 largest cities.
I look forward to your adding to me knowledge of the cities and might add a few comments if you do not mind as my visits are still fresh in my mind.
Comments and personal experiences absolutely welcome!
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Moving counter clockwise we leave Moscow for our tour of the Golden Ring. As illustrated on this scene of Moscow's Garden Ring road, soon we'll leave modern Russia behind because as skiingandrunning mentioned in the previous post, the Golden Ring is an important way to discover the beauty of ancient Russia.
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Our first brief stop will be a town not even on most "official" Golden Ring maps. But as we travel M7 we'll quickly find ourselves in Noginsk (Ногинск), just 34 kilometers (21 mi) east of the Moscow ring road along the Klyazma River. With a population over 115,000 its certainly a town worth discovering.
Today the town primary industries include fisheries and fish canning, a large beverage facility, Bogorodsk Brewery, and and Bogorodskavtotrans, a transportation company. Noginsk is a well traveled transportation hub being the intersection of the Nizhny Novgorod highway, M7 (E22) and the Moscow Minor Ring road.
Like many towns, Noginsk has endured several name changes. It was founded in 1389 as Rogozhi, then later renamed as Bogorodsk (meaning "a City of the Mother of God") by decree of Catherine the Great in 1781. In 1930 the Soviets renamed the town in honour of Bolshevik activist Viktor Nogin. Today there is a campaign by city officials to bring the city's historical name back to Bogorodsk.
Noginsk is a popular "suburb" with business commuters and dacha owners. Travel to Moscow is primarily via the M7 Moscow-Nizhny-Novgorod highway takes 30 minutes to an hour depending on traffic conditions and the time of day.
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(photo: Н. Волкова)
Like most towns along this tour, Noginsk proves that the Golden Ring is a literal treasure chest of ancient culture, churches and monasteries.
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Back in the 1930's this was the way to travel from Moscow to Noginsk:
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Today the transport options are much more modern and buses travel perhaps still crowded but at least less stressful with a tad more comfort. Here is the Расписание автобусов (bus schedule): http://noginsk-grad.ru/content/express_help/global.html
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Here is the Расписание электричек (electric train schedule) from Moscow's Kursk Rail station to the Noginsk station: http://noginsk-grad.ru/content/transport.html
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Travel to Moscow is primarily via the M7 Moscow-Nizhny-Novgorod highway takes 30 minutes to an hour depending on traffic conditions and the time of day.
When talking about the M7, as Mendy mentioned it's the main road between Moscow and Nizhny-Novgorod, but the first thing you'll notice is the stop and go traffic as it'll remind you a lot more of a main Urban street than a freeway between two important cities until you are outside the Moscow region and even then it goes through instead of around all the small towns along the way. The things that I found of interest are the number of people selling things along the road as it's very common in the villages to see a bucket of apples or other produce from the gardens being sold (we did stop and buy some). Also, it seemed like each village specialized in selling something different as one seemed to have dozens of people selling stuffed animals and another was big bags of popcorn.
When traveling this route you will also have an introduction to rest areas, Russian style. What you'll see are dirt areas where you can pull off the road and a series of kiosks giving it a flea market feel (I have seen the same thing in the south Urals region) and usually a number of working girls at the far ends. I was surprised by one such area as it seemed to specialize in camping and fishing gear which I hope had a few bargains as we almost hit two men running across the road to do a little shopping :scared0005: . Now if you are wondering about the toilets, well do not worry as my friend mentioned that's what the forest is used for ;D.
Edited, exchanging bold for quotes...
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So true about the traffic...stop and go, then a stretch of open road, followed by stop and go at the next town.
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Just in case readers are curious, the town of Noginsk does have girls.
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Apparently in times of shortages they bring them in from other places by truck. :chuckle:
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It would almost seem as if there is an exchange program of sorts...trading girls from one region in return for musical instruments, shipped to cities where there are shortages of used pianos.
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Of course these are patriotic girls who enjoy each year's Victory Day celebration and parades.
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(This post of course not serious about ladies being "shipped in" as the people of the Golden Ring region are very real and genuinely nice.)
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Some of the nicest photos of the Noginsk area come from the lens of talented camera professional Е.Н. Маслова. Based in the region, she certainly is a master at what she does!
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(photo by Е.Н. Маслова)
If there is one constant about the cities of the Golden Ring it is the abundance of ancient churches and monasteries. This is the Theotokos of Tikhvin church in Noginsk, named after one of the most sacred Russian Icons. The famed Theotokos of Tikhvin (Tikhvinskaya) Icon was quietly smuggled to the USA during early Soviet years and returned to Russia recently by the Orthodox Church in America (itself a "daughter church" of the Russian Orthodox Church).
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(Church of the Neo-martyr Konstantin)
The Noginsk Cathedral is one of this area's main attractions:
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(Dormition of the Theotokos)
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(Theotokos of Saint Vladimir)
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The town of Noginsk is at the edge of the Moscow Oblast (administrative region) and as we leave here the next stop will be Pokrov, a town in Vladimir Oblast.
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We can take the Electric train to Pokrov which would take us to the small train station.
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The M7 "Volga" Highway (М7 "Волга"), also known as Е22, is a common route to Pokrov.
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(photo: Pokrov city webpage)
Welcome to Pokrov (Покров).
Pokrov is just to the north of the Klyazma River and only 82 kilometers (51 mi) west of Vladimir. It's a small town with a population around 15,000. Pokrov is home to a Kraft Foods chocolate factory, and it was here that Kraft built what many believe to be the world's first Monument to Chocolate.
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Don't even think of starting a fire on the Electric train because the city of Pokrov is ready to speed to the scene of that train fire and.....and......(actually, we're not sure what they would do upon arrival)...
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Honestly, that fire truck is kind of scary as the name of the city Pokrov is translated as "protection." :chuckle:
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Pokrovski cathedral:
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(photo: Gregory A. Kharikoff)
Below is the well known "Pokrov house on Lenin Street"...
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(photo: Gregory A. Kharikoff)
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Most Golden Ring tours never stop in Pokrov except for a rest and eating stop. That is puzzling as of all the magnificant ancient churches and monasteries in the region, one of the most special treasures is located just outside Pokrov.
Its possible that you've seen this landmark on calendars, photo books and on in photo speads in journals from National Geographic to Time. This gem is the "Island monastery of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
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(photo: Gregory A. Kharikoff)
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This women's monastery was established in 1708 and remained in continuous existence until 1918 when closed by the Communists. Divine services were allowed on Sundays until 1924 when the Soviet government closed all religious activities and converted the facilities into a supervised home for invalids. Around 1932 an orphanage was added and then in 1935 the facility was converted to a "re-education colony" for political prisoners. In the 1940s the Soviets began to demolish the historic chapels and converted the remaining main buildings into a community club and cinema.
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(photo: Gregory A. Kharikoff)
The photo above is of the Saint Nicholas Church, one of the structures that survived the Communist destruction.
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(photo: Gregory A. Kharikoff)
It was finally returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1995 and the monastery has since been restored to a degree although many of the ancient structures were demolished during the Soviet period.
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As we leave Pokrov we look forward to visiting one of the most special of the Golden Ring cities. It was the capital of Russia at one point in history--the city of Vladimir, "vlah-DEE-mehr."
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Many folks travel to Vladimir by electric commuter (suburban) trains via Moscow's Kursky station (Kursky serves southern Russia, the Caucasus, Eastern Ukraine and the Crimea. Address: 29 Ul. Zemlyanoi Val). In a sense the route is convenient because Vladimir is on the way to the much larger city of Nizhni Novgorod.
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Called Elektrichka (электричка), these are low-comfort trains with simple benches, each seating three, facing the opposite bench. Not every car is equipped with toilets; in some trains there are as few as only two per train.
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Spans between stations are usually relatively long, therefore elektrichkas also stop at numerous specially-built stops, known as platforms (платфо́рма). Sometimes these stops consist of nothing more than a simple platform, sometimes shorter than the length of the entire train, and are located within unincorporated areas.
Although it's possible to take the train, we don't recommend it. First, there isn't a convenient route or loop to take you around the Golden Ring as you'd be shuttling from one small station to another. Second is the time factor. The travel time from Moscow to Vladimir is about 3 hours each way and the early train leaves Moscow just past 8am and arrives before Noon--half the day would be already gone and you'd only have visited the first main stop with the evening return trip adding another 3 hours back to Moscow.
It is also possible to travel from Moscow to Vladimir by bus. Buses depart from the inter-city bus station at Shelkovskaya metro station. There are at least ten buses per day, either running between Moscow and Vladimir or heading for further destinations (Kovrov, Ivanovo, Gus-Khrustalny, Murom, Vyazniki). However, it is more convenient to use private buses that depart from the square near Kursky railway station. These buses leave about every half hour and are generally faster with limited stops.
As skiingandrunning posted earlier in the thread, the easiest and fasted way is via car using the M7 highway, Moscow to Vladimir.
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Called Elektrichka (электричка), these are low-comfort trains with simple benches, each seating three, facing the opposite bench. Not every car is equipped with toilets; in some trains there are as few as only two per train.
It seems like most people opt to take the bus between these cities, based on the reasons Mendy mentions (as the bus is usually faster and more comfortable). From what I have seen, the Elektrichka usually becomes a viable option on shorter routes (e.g. between Sergiyev Posad and Moscow) when you'll be traveling during periods when traffic will be bad due to everyone coming and going to their Dachas (I have been caught in several of these traffic jams and they can be monumental, adding hours to a trip).
Another note related to the bus, when I was in Valdimir I noticed several tour buses stopping at the sites loaded with Russian tourists (I would imagine that one could find one of these in English, but far nicer if you have a Russian friend with a car to take you around). Oh, talking about cars, you could have hitched a ride on this solar car which was traveling through Valdimir on the day I was there (it was being trailed by an electric motorcycle proving that you can never be sure what you'll see in Russia).
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The Golden Ring's main towns began as outposts of the Kievan (Kievan) Rus state and grew as people moved north as Kiev (now capital of Ukraine) declined. At the start of the 12th century, Prince Vladimir Monomakh of Kiev founded a fort at Vladimir and gave the Rostov - Suzdal principality in which it lay to his son Yuri Dolgoruky. Yuri made Suzdal his capital but concentrated his energies down south, eventually winning the title of Grand Prince of Kiev and installing himself there. He still took the precaution of fortifying the settlements of Pereslavl-Zaiessky and Kostroma in his original territory, along with a small western outpost along the river called Moscow.
After Yuri died in 1157, his son and successor, Andrey Bogolyubsky, spurned the chance of establishing himself in Kiev and moved back to the more secure northern territories. Andrey based himself at Vladimir, which became the effective capital of Russia in 1169 when Andrey sacked Kiev, taking the Grand Prince title north. Under these princes and their successors, Suzdal grew rich as a commercial center and Vladimir sprouted cathedrals, monasteries and massive city walls. Rostov, Yaroslavl and other cities later split off as separate principalities.
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Vladimir's main street runs west to east near the Klyazma River and passes through the historical centre. The main street changes names depending on location. Upon entry from Moscow it is Московское шоссе and then becomes проспект Ленина – улица Студёная гора – Дворянская улица – Большая Московская улица – Большая Нижегородская улица. On the road towrds Nizhny Novgorod it becomes Добросельская улица.
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(Prospekt Lenina - Lenin Avenue)
The area entering Vladimir from Moscow passes the Golden Gate. It is a real gate that was originally built in 1158-64. At that time, the city was surrounded by a walled fortress with five stone gates. The Golden Gate is the only remaining part of the complex and the unique monument of ancient fortifications in Russia.
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(Golden Gate, built in 1158 and reconstructed in 1795)
There is an ancient church at the top of the structure. When moving the capital of Russia from Kiev (now Ukraine) to Vladimir, Andrew the Pious (ruler) wanted the capital to have Golden Gates as existed in the holiest cities of Eastern Orthodoxy - Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Kiev. On making Vladimir his capital he commissioned this towering structure over the city's main gate. A fantastic sight at the time, the tower and gates were constructed from limestone and lined with golden plaques. The church at the top was dedicated to the Deposition of the Virgin's Robe to proclaim the Theotokos's (Virgin Mary) protection of Russia's new capital.
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(photo: Anneli Salo)
However after the capital was moved to Moscow, the structure fell into disrepair and on a visit Catherine the Great refused to allow her carriage to pass through the arch because of it's condition. She ordered engineers to copy the exact plan and dimensions and the Gates were reconstructed in 1795.
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From my experience, Valdimir could be a good first nights stop when seeing the Golden Ring. Now what surprised me was that I thought the hotel rates were high relative to the product your received as we stayed at a Bed & Breakfast near the center of town and paid 4100 pyb. The Hotel Valdimir which is near the main sites and slightly lower in price seemed to be a good option as we stepped in to have a look around as it was recommended by a few of my friends co-workers (it also had a Pizza restaurant which was relatively crowded).
On the topic of restaurants, this is a really good one and can be busy on weekend nights, it was only a block off the main road but seemed to be way off the beaten path (one block down and over form the Hotel Valdimir).
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Now for the sights, if you are concentrating on the main sites, you only need half a day (even if you are taking your time). It's easy to do a walking tour and why not start with the Golden Gates (Mendy, you do a great job with the history) which contains a small museum upstairs (you might need to dodge a few cars to get there :scared0005: ) that contains a nice 3D model of the city when it was attacked and a lot of pictures and mementos from WWII. It's also a popular stop for newlyweds as they drive around town to have pictures taken.
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The next stop might be a little harder to find, but it's really just a short walk up a hill from the Golden Gate (follow the remnants of the cities wall). Here you'll find a nice little museum and learn that old men were chasing young women in Russia way back in 1917 as they have a page of a Marriage Paper displayed there. There are also a few nice views from the top of the tower to take a few pictures.
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I would love to visit that museum! The times in Vladimir for our family the museum has been closed. The Great Patriotic War information would be fascinating for me, personally!
There is a nice website in English regarding the museum and city: http://www.museum.vladimir.ru/eng/arch/vladimir/gold_gate_e?menu=vladimir
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I would love to visit that museum! The times in Vladimir for our family the museum has been closed. The Great Patriotic War information would be fascinating for me, personally!
Mendy,
The Great Patriotic War part was interesting as it related to the local participants in the war and is similar to what you see throughout Russia in other local museums. For me the highlight was the 3D model with the audio history of the fall of the city to the Mongols (similar, but much smaller than what you see in the different Panoramas & Dioramas you find across the FSU). There is always the nice peak up the street which is also an added bonus for a Geographer like myself.
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If you are continuing on a walking tour of the city, you need to head up the street towards the Assumption Cathedral. Walking along the main road you will see a lot of activity and as my friend and myself were doing some people watching when she made the comment that she was so happy she does not live in the provinces as they still seem to follow the silly fashion rules like wearing high-heels and short skirts (based on my observations around Moscow this is definitely true).
Anyways, the next stop would probably be the Assumption Cathedral and surrounding park. It seems to be the main tourist stops with a collection of different statues in the area (of course you need to snap one of Valdimir on his horse). Just a stroll up the road is Dmitryys Cathedral which was also a hot destination for the newlyweds (BTW, I was doing my people watching thing and many of the women were larger than what you would expect in Russia). In the area are a few historic buildings like The Chambers and a lessor known monastery what might warrant a picture or two.
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If you are walking around the historic sites, the city would appear that it's doing well. But, one does not need to travel too far off the main street to see signs of decay (Russian style). Also, when walking around at night you realize that it's a dark city as only the areas immediately around the tourist sites and on the few commercial streets are lite and the rest of the streets are dark as in REALLY dark. Also, on some of the back streets we ran into a little of the past as we went into a store to buy some water and it was a throw back to old Soviet times (not always easy to find in Moscow itself).
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Cathedral of the Assumption (Успенский собор)
When the capital was moved to Vladimir from Kiev, the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church naturally moved as well. In those days the Russian church as a "daughter church" under authority of the Ecumenial Patriarch in Constantinople who appointed a national "Metropolitan" (highest rank of Archbishop) to oversee Slavic Christianity.
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(Taken from the East side of the Cathedral)
So the construction of the Cathedral of the Assumption (Успенский собор), became the most important church in Russia. Located on Cathedral Square (Соборная площадь) this church crowned Vladimir as the Spiritual Centre of an emerging Russia. Built in 1158 and later expanded with additional domes in 1185, this remains one of the most historically important Russian Orthodox Churches.
If you noticed a resemblance to St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev, that is no accident. Later the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin would also have strong similarities. Today it remains a "working church" but also functions during the week as a church museum.
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Vladimir's Cathedral of the Assumption is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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skiingandrunning, great photos and personal experiences! Keep them coming. tiphat
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Cathedral of St. Demetrius (Дмитриевский собор)
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St. Demetrius (Дмитриевский собор) was at first built as a private church for the Royal Court of Russia. The original construction of 1194-97 linked the cathedral to the palace, but they were removed during reconstruction in the 19th century. Today St. Demetrius' Cathedral is detached and an important monument of ancient Russian architecture. The upper walls are covered by fine stone carvings which depict stories from the life of King David and praise the harmony of the world.
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(Note the detail found just above the main entrance door of the Cathedral.)
In 2009 the Bank of Russia issued a limited release of 3-Rouble Silver coins commerating the Cathedral. Only 10,000 were minted.
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Thanks to extraordinary (and brave...for crawling on tall roofs!) photographer Sergei Zagraevsky for allowing RUA to enjoy more of the detail inside and outside of this piece of Russian history:
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Nativity Monastery (Рождественский монастырь)
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Founded at the end of 12th century, Nativity Monastery played important role in strengthening the Russian Orthodox Church during the Middle Ages. Unfortunately none of the ancient buildings survived, but for some it might be interesting to see the stone walls and towers from 18th century.
Presently, the monastery is home to the bishop of Vladimir region.
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Princess Convent of the Cathedral of the Assumption (Успенский собор Княгинина монастыря)
In earlier centuries, royal burials were separated by gender. The main church of the Princesses' Convent was built by Ivan III to replace an old crumbling church where the consorts of the Vladimir-Suzdal monarchs had been buried.
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(photo: Sergei Zagraevsky)
The history of the Princess Convent is traced back to 12th century and it's main structure is another "Cathedral of the Assumption" which was constructed at the start of the 13th century. In 16th century, the cathedral was remodeled to its present shape known as the "Moscow style" of church architecture.
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Church of the Assumption of our Lady (Богородице-Успенская церковь)
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At Большая Московская ул. 106а which is just east from the historical centre this landmark was built in 1644-49 and represents an example of what is termed as original russian architecture. You can see a hip-roof bell tower, a typical feature of the 17th century-style.
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Church of St. Nikita (Никитская церковь)
During the cold war days we all listened to the Elton John song "Nikita" and wondered who she could be. Today we know two things, "she" probably wasn't a she given the singer of the song. And we know it's wasn't Saint Nikita of Vladimir. :chuckle:
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Address: Княгининская ул., 8 (next to the Princess Convent). This church was built in baroque style in the middle of 18th century. It's bright green exterior is in sharp contrast to nearby ancient white-stone cathedrals. Still, the decoration of the church is remarkable.
At present, the church is not functioning and houses a restoration workshop.
Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Михаило-Архангельская церковь)
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Address: ул. Студёная гора, 1a (west from the Golden Gate).
Next on the list is a church you won't miss. The dark red colours will assure that you notice this structure was erected at the end of 19th century in neo-Byzantine style.
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As the sign on the building indicates, to the right are regional offices for the Vladimir Oblast.
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Looking for a pharmacy?
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Below is the Golden Ring Hotel, Vladimir:
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The face of Vladimir is changing, becoming more modern. The proximity to Moscow assures that funds for development will continue to change the look and feel of Vladimir. In some ways that is good and healthy. In other ways however, Vladimir will never be the same. And that calls us to reflection.
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Our next stop on the RUA tour of the Golden Ring is just "up the road" (10 kilometers/6 miles) north-east of Vladimir to a place named Bogolubovo (Боголю́бово). Russian students recognize the word BOG as the word for God and the name of the town we'll visit, Bogolubovo, means "God-loving."
We're going to a place that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. After finding a parking space we'll walk on foot for just over a mile to visit one of the most scenic and often photographed structures in all of Russia.
And if we're lucky we'll get to spend the night in a nearby Orthodox convent where no money is accepted for lodging (but we will have to work for our supper).
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We're going to a place that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. After finding a parking space we'll walk on foot for just over a mile to visit one of the most scenic and often photographed structures in all of Russia.
And if we're lucky we'll get to spend the night in a nearby Orthodox convent where no money is accepted for lodging (but we will have to work for our supper).
Parking was not a problem on the day we arrived as we came early (my friend said they were charging a fee to park down at the start of the walk to the UNESCO site). Our choice was to just stay parked at convent and then make the short walk down down to the train station where you need to cross and go out into the fields on the other side. In the distance you'll see the Church of the Intercession (I think the setting of it from the distance is better than up close). A side note for those tour book tourist like myself, don't mistake the convent for the church as it's impressive in its own right (if you wonder into the woman's only section, do expect to get scolded in a nice way).
Note, this city is very close to Valdimir (maybe 5K) so do not skip it as I found the setting impressive and worth the short stop.
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Side note, as Mendy noted, it's a long walk to the Church of the Intercession so if you have trouble walking best to snap a few pictures from the distance as the church itself is rather small (the day we were there, Sunday, it did not open until after 10:30 AM).
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Bogolyubovo Monastery (Боголюбово Монастырь) is located along the bank of the Nerl river near its confluence with the Klyazma river.
The impressive photos from skiingandrunning tell a story, don't they? As you can see, this setting is both simple and majestic at the same time. When you look at the style and precision of each structure one has to respect the engineering and craftmanship that was practiced in those 12th Century days. During a short period (1158–1165), the palace, fortifications, and the nearby church of the Intercession on the Nerl were constructed. All the buildings were made of white stone, an unusual material for ancient Russia at that time.
As skiingandrunning noted, you'll first come to the convent and palace complex. The main palace is no longer there but parts of Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky's grand palace were incorporated into the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin during reconstruction in the 18th century. You will easily recognize the old fragments as their unusual appearance contrasts with the other building materials.
As you can see from this photo from Priyank Thatte (well-respected traveler/photographer specializing in Russia) the railroad station is along the highway if driving or on a bus from Vladimir, stop as soon as you see the large convent along the highway. There is a road to the right just after the convent that goes down to the railway station.
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(photo: Priyank Thatte)
The Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod railway line passes at the foot of the hill, south from the village. Behind the railway line is a meadow leading to the man-made island that holds the church of the Intercession on the Nerl. Local trains in the direction of Nizhny Novgorod (towards Kovrov, Vyazniki, or Gorokhovets). The trains run 8 times per day. Buses stop at the railway station also.
The old road from Moscow to Nizhniy Novgorod, улица Ленина (Ulitsa Lenina), goes through the village parallel to the railroad.
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This entire site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List and so impressive that some tourists quickly admire the convent complex from the road and then drive on. That is a serious mistake as the centrepiece is the "Church of the Intercession on the Nerl."
Bogolyubovo was founded by prince Andrey Bogolyubsky (his name means "Andrew the God-lover") in 1158. As pictured in a famous Icon, the prince spent the night on this spot and saw the Virgin Mary who ordered him to build the monastery.
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(The oldest surviving copy of this famous icon is housed in an "Old Believers" Church in Saint Petersburg.)
The village rose to prominence for a brief period but after Andrey Bogolyubsky was murdered in 1174 the town diminished. In 1177, it was ravaged by Gleb, the prince of nearby Ryazan, and in 1238 Batu Khan destroyed the town completely. The remains of Prince Andrew's palace have since been incorporated into the reconstruction of the monastery.
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(Church of the Nativity photo: Dmitry Kamshilin)
Remains of the Anderi Bogolubsky's residence including some residential chambers (1165) and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin (1165, collapsed, rebuilt in 1751) are connected via a stairs and passageway.
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The Bogolusky Church (Боголюбский собор)
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(Built in 1886)
Unlike the next door Church of the Nativity, the Bologusky Church is a "working" church with services daily which are primarily led by priestmonks from the nearby men's monastery.
As photography is prohibited during a service we'll use photos from the Monastery staff.
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(Monks and deacons wait for the Bishop to Enter)
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Believing that the house of God should serve every person, visitors to the convent are allowed to stay overnight free, based on available accomodations.
While the "lodging" is free, you will do some type of assigned work (from washing dishes to repairing something) depending on your skills. They'll provide supper. Lodgers must follow the convent rules and as with most monastery settings, men and women sleep in separate areas. You might be surprised at how many Russian families take advantage of the free lodging.
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These ladies (above) will help you work for your supper.
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As you can see, there are fine toilet facilities adjacent to your quarters. Even a bench to sit while waiting if someone else got there first!
Running water? Sure...depends on how fast you can run to get it!
If you prefer more modern accomodations there isn't really anything here save for a couple of small cafes in the village. It's only 6 miles back to Vladimir for hotels and restaurants.
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Fron the convent we'll walk across that meadow, just over a mile, to the real reason we stopped at this point in the tour.
From calendars to books, one of the most enduring photos of "The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl" is by Алексей Трошин (Aleksi Troshin).
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(photo: Алексей Трошин)
Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky saw a miraculous vision of the Theotokos (meaning "God bearer", Virgin Mary) who appeared to him in a vision holding a scroll in Her right hand, and commanded him to build a church and monastery on the place of the vision. On that spot, the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl was built.
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The small "island" is man-made.
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Constructed in 1165, the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl has been on the World Heritage List of UNESCO since 1992.
The Vladimir-Suzdal area hosts no less than 9 UNESCO World Heritage sites:
Cathedral of the Assumption
The Golden Gate
The Prince Castle in Bogolyubovo (Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin and Staircase Tower of the Palace of Andrei Bogolyubsky)
Bogolyubovo Village
Church of the Intercession on the River Nerl
Cathedral of St. Demetrius
Kremlin of Suzdal and Cathedral of the Nativity
Monastery of Our Savior and St Euthymius
Church of Saints Boris and Gleb
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Perhaps no other place in the world has so many World Heritage Sites concentrated in such close proximity. So our next stop will again be "just a hop and skip" away to the nearby town of Suzdal (Суздаль).
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Mendy,
Suzdal is my favorite of the Golden Ring cities. I think it's small size, abundance of local people selling things, and high concentration of sites makes it a little special (take a little time and just meander around town and maybe take your lady on a carriage ride). Also, once you get outside of Moscow the traffic disappears so you can enjoy the drive between cities a little more, maybe stop and buy some apples as we did, as the roads becomes more like two lane county roads as you drive through the rolling countryside. The only negative was that we were not able to find a good local restaurant as they all seem very touristy which is understandable.
I'll share a few pictures from the September 2010 visit, but I'll leave it up to Mendy to provide the description as he does a far better job than I can.
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A few additional pictures as walking around buildings was a little dangerous in the sense that you would discover something else to investigate. One note I will make, the residents of Suzdal are well aware of the tourist attractions of their city and it probably had the most touristy feel of all the Golden Ring cities, especially in and around the area of the Kremlin (really the walls of it were ruins, but well worth walking around in).
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skiingandrunning, you have a nice camera eye and your photos do a great job in telling the story!
Суздаль (Suzdal) is just 26 kilometers (16 mi) from the city of Vladimir, as we move north-east from Moscow. As skiingandrunning mentioned, the further we move away from Moscow the amounts and type of road traffic continues to thin out.
Suzdal was founded in 1024 but it took awhile for officials to grant it "city status" which it achieved in 1777. City or not, for centuries it functioned as the capital of several Russian principalities. The town was destroyed by Mongols in 1238 and later became the capital city of Russian prince Yury Dolgoruky who is considered to be the founder of Moscow. The second destruction of Suzdal came with the Polish invasion in the 17th century.
As Moscow grew and the capital of Russia was moved there, naturally the region experienced a decline in political importance. Based however on the number of Orthodox churches and monasteries in Suzdal and nearby, the town continued to grow as an important centre of Orthodoxy not only locally, but influencing far-flung regions of a growing Russia.
At one time the number of churches per citizen equated to one church for every 10 families and by the 11th century Suzdal had developed into the primary missionary centre of Christianity for North-Eastern Russia and significantly impacted the cultural life of Russia until the end of the 19th century.
Sadly, in modern times the population continues to decline and now stands around 10,000. As mentioned upthread, this little town is one of the most beautiful in the Russian Golden Ring. Here you can find over 100 church and secular buildings dating from the mid-12th to the mid-19th century crowded into an area of 9 square km.
It may be touristy but that makes it a great place to find some very nice souvineers for the trip back home! The town's central square makes such shopping easy.
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Perhap this quote from Wikipedia sums it best: Suzdal still retains the look and feel of a small village with streams and meadows everywhere nearby, and chicken and livestock a common sight on the city streets, some of which are unpaved. This juxtaposition of stunning medieval architecture with its pastoral setting lends Suzdal a picturesque charm, and in the summer artists and easels are a common sight. (Mendeleyev note: agree overall with that description, but you won't see that side of Suzdal on any summer weekend.)
Worst day of the week to visit Suzdal--any Saturday during the summer:
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Admit it, you came along to Suzdal for the День Огурца в Суздале (annual Cucumber Day), didn't you?
Each 23-25 July the city holds the annual "Day of the Cucumber" and it's a big event to say the least. It must be--otherwise how else would it take 3 whole days to celebrate?
Okay, lets find a place to park and then get on with the task of discovering Suzdal.
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Ah, this will do...
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This sign below says "Welcome RUA members to your tour of Cucumber Day in Suzdal, where our cucumbers are bigger and better and tastier than all the other countries' cucumbers!"
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Okay, okay so the sign didn't really say all that. Even so, you're going to meet some pretty serious огурца (cucumber) lovers around these parts.
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Guess cucumbers must be pretty popular in these parts...
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In reality, you came to see the historic side of Suzdal. You'll need to arrive by car or bus as there are no trains to Suzdal. There are organized organized bus tours, and those arrive daily from all over Russia, but the best way to reach the town is by car. There is one daily public bus from Moscow's Shelkovskaya bus station. Special private tour buses to Vladimir and Suzdal also operate from Kursky Train Station (Metro: Kurskaya).
So if using public transit, the trick is to first visit Vladimir, and then take one of the convenient buses which depart from Vladimir to Suzdal every thirty minutes.
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The walled Kremlins of Suzdal are impressive.
We'll start with the white walled Convent of the Intercession/Protection Monastery. It is one of the most impressive religious buildings of Suzdal, founded in 1264. In the center of this beautiful white walled convent is the Cathedral of the Intercession; it was an addition built in 1518. The builder is unknown and the interior of the cathedral has no paintings or stained glass and instead the structure is accented by beautiful arches.
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One of the wealthiest convents in Russia, many of the nuns throughout history have been of noble birth. The church also serves as burial vault for twenty nuns of noble birth. The ensemble was finally formed in 16th century when ladies of noble families falling in disgrace were exiled there. The daughter and niece of Tzar Ivan the Third (father of Ivan the Terrible), the spouses of Tzar Vasily the Third were among the nuns there. Later Ivan the Terrible also sent one of his wives to Suzdal's convent. Even Peter the Great exiled his first wife here.
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Connected to the white stoned wall Cathedral is an art museum with many priceless paintings. The art gallery tour times are posted depending on season.
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Just in case you liked the cucumber festival we've added two more photos to that post.
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Not only is this a working monastery, but visitors can stay overnight. You'll pay about 400-600 Roubles (pay inside the church) and being a monastery there are some restrictions but not the same strict rules, nor the "outdoor plumbing" of our most recent monastery stop.
The yard area of the dormitory is very peacful. Much like being at a country dacha--just more modern in this case.
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This room appears more elegant and stately.....
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...than this next one in the photo below. Notice those sagging mattresses? :)
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At least there is a bathroom, well two of them actually, shared with other guests. The old adage of knock before entering no doubt applies!
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To put those two super luxurious rooms into proper perspective, Catherine the Great had ordered that this monastery be converted into a prison. During those long years the accomodations were certainly less inviting.
Prisoners (mostly females) were thrown into basement dungeons for the most part. Their accomodations looked like this:
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Stay tuned because we've only scratched the surface on the incredible town of Suzdal.
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One can only imagine what it must have been like to pass thru the gates of the Kremlin walls in prior centuries.
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Below is the Monastery Church of the Protection of the Theotokos along with views of the courtyard:
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Above you see the Шатровая колокольня с галереей (Tent styled Bell Tower & walkway) of the Monastery Church of the Protection of the Theotokos.
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Adjacent to the Convent is the Архиерейские палаты (chambers and offices) of the Vladimir-Suzdal area Orthodox Bishop.
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Another prominent church inside Kremlin walls and near the centre of the market square is the Resurrection Cathedral.
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Depending on time of year, there is more to be found that just souvenirs on market square.
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Yet another of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of this area, one of the most beautiful churches is commonly called the "Christmas" church, properly titled the Рождественский собор (Church of the Nativity.) Shown to the left in the photo below, this church dates to the 13th Century.
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With distinctive star-speckled blue domes, the church can be recognized from long distances away.
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Stay tuned for a tour inside this ancient monument.
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Cathedral of Nativity of the Virgin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is over 500 years old at ground level up. The basement however goes back to the 12th century, pre dating the Mongol-Tatar invasion.
The ancient double doors ("the Golden gates") were using a very intricate technique of fusing gold onto a background of bronze.
[attachimg=1] Golden Gates
[attachimg=5] Detail on gates
(Photo: Adam Jones)
Opposite the Gates there is Krestovaya Palata (Cross Chamber) of the Archbishop’s Palace, housing the museum with exposition of old Russian paintings and display devoted to 1000 years of Suzdal’s history.
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[attachimg=4] "Tsar's Lantern"
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More of the Church of the Nativity...
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(Adam Jones)
The cathedral's five blue domes are dotted with glittering golden stars, while its medieval doors are covered in damascene gold and richly decorated with scenes from the New Testament. Inside, there are wonderful 13th century frescos.
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Wooden Church of Saint Nicholas
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Next to the Church of the Nativity is an 18th century church moved to Suzdal in 1960 to become a museum of wooden architecture. This church demonstrates the close relationship between wood and stone architecture and how precise the Russian craftsmen were back in 1766 the year the church was constructed.
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The Museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasant Life contains log houses, wooden churches and windmills brought there from all over the region. Located beyond the Kamenka river, this preserve is a collection of ancient wooden buildings. They comprize a Russian village with many unique wooden churches, houses, decorated with wood carvings near the roof and around the windows, windmills, barns, rare wooden wells and other structures. The hosts in this open air museum are all dressed in old Russian style.
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Hitler ordered him to commit suicide "with honour" rather than surrender. Disenchanted with Germany's leader, the General disobeyed orders and surrendered his army and thus ended the long battle for Stalingrad.
So what happened to German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus? He was brought here, to Suzdal, where he was incarcerated at Suzdal's Monastery of Saint Euthymius for a time after his surrender at Stalingrad.
The Saviour Monastery of St Euthymius (Спасо-Евфимиев монастырь), is Suzdal's biggest monastery and was founded in 14th century. Today it is considered as one of the most holy places in Russia as well as the Convent of the Intercession.
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The monastery also contains a prison, built in 1764, which originally housed religious dissidents. The prison continued in use during the Soviet period, and among its better known prisoners was Field Marshal Paulus. Today the prison houses a museum about the monastery's military history.
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Among the buildings erected during this period were the Assumption Church, the bell tower, the surrounding walls and towers, and the seven-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour.
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Surrounded by it's own Kremlin, St. Euthymius Monastery is massive and one could spend half a day minimum exploring the grounds and interiors.
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We'll start at the main Kremlin gate:
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From there we enter the Kremlin area and immediately in front of us is the Gate Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Virgin (Надвратная церковь Благовещения Пресвятой Богородицы) which just happens to be both a gate and a church.
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You can see how these two photos are laid out by looking at the map in the post directly prior to this one. The main gate is (1) and the Gate Church is (2).
It would be time consuming to visit each point on the map on this tour so we'll try to focus on the more interesting structures.
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Next we'll visit three of the most important structures of the monastery:
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Starting at our left (map #4) is the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin (Трапезная церковь Успения Пресвятой Богородицы):
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Built in 1525 using Russian "tent" style construction.
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Then, to the right (#7 on the map) is the Church and Bell-Tower of the Nativity of St John the Baptist (Церковь и колокольня Рождества Иоанна Предтечи):
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Each afternoon around 5:30pm the Monastery monks play the bells for approximately 15 minutes or longer. It's quite an experience!
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(photo: Eugene Zelenko)
Bell ringing is the only form of music instrumentation found in Orthodoxy. The traditions of the worldwide Orthodox Church allow only for human voices during the liturgy. However bells have a special symbolism prior to, at certain points during, and after the liturgy. In Russian tradition bells are rung exclusively by tolling, in such a way that movement of the clapper in a technique that causes it to only strikes the side of the bell, and never by pealing (swinging the entire bell to create sounds).
To create the sound of bells tolling a special complex system of ropes is customized for each belltower. The ropes are joined at one point, where the bell-ringer (called a "zvonar") stands. Smaller ropes are played by hand and the bigger ropes played by foot. Rather than pulling the ropes which would cause the bells to peal, ropes are pressed which facilitates the tolling sound. As the end of each rope are fixed to hold the tension, a press or punch on a rope causes a clapper to stike the side of its bell.
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(photo: Alex Zelenko)
In Byzantine style a complicated rhythmical sequence of sounds is produced instead of the use of melody as in western music. The foundation of Orthodox bell ringing lies not in melody but in rhythm, with its intrinsic dynamic, caused by the interaction of the timbres of various bells. Each sequences produces it's own special harmony as Russian bells, unlike Western European bells, are not tuned to a single note. Western bells usually have an octave between the loudest upper tone (“ring”) and the loudest lower tone (“hum”). Russian bells have a seventh between these sounds. Generally, a good Russian bell is tuned to produce a whole scale of sounds (up to several scales). This is accomplished by the athe alloy composition from which the bell is cast and the careful sculpting of the outer surface of each bell.
Both a bell tower and church, this structure dates back to 1513.
Here is a YouTube video of these very bells being rung:
And here is another:
In the second video you noticed different colouring of the top sections of the Bell Tower. Normally all white, in 2009 workers used a two-tone colour scheme when painting the facility's exterior.
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Straight ahead on our path (and #5 on the map) is the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour (Собор Преображения Господня; Преображенский собор).
The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour was constructed in the 1500s as a brick four-pillared cathedral designed in the traditions of old white stone architecture. Two additional domes above the chapels were added to five massive domes of the cathedral.
The man who did so much to build Suzdal, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, is buried here. His tomb lies by the cathedral wall.
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The blind arcade and the fresco of the 16th century decorate the outer walls. White stone carving is used on the perspective portals. Arches with keels which crown the walls of the cathedral give it special gracefulness and expressiveness. The cathedral is surrounded by galleries of the 18th century.
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It was restored in 1980s. Together with the architectural ensemble of the monastery it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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The St. Euphimius Monastery is one of the largest museum ensembles of the city. The monastery was founded in the 14th century on the northern outskirts of Suzdal by Boris Konstantinovich. It was built as a fortress to defend the town from enemies.
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Construction began in 1582 (finished in 1594) and inside the cathedral one can see the colourful and beautiful frescoes painted by a school of artists from the town of Kostroma on the Volga under the guidance of two famous painters, Gury Nikitin and Sila Savin.
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The painting on the walls and pillars consists of four bands. The lower band depicts the lives of the apostles and the remaining three bands are devoted to the life of Christ.
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We're going to treat you to a video (94 seconds) of the interior of the Cathedral. As you watch the video and listen to the amazing acoustics, try to remember that this structure goes back to the year 1582:
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We have added two short YouTube videos of the Bells being run here in the Bell Tower post above.
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Above: Burial crypt of Prince Dmitry, founder of Suzdal.
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Both a museum and a working monastery, daily activities around the St. Euphimius Monastery offer a glimpse into monastery life.
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Daily activities include gardening and bee keeping. The Monastery produces not only honey as food consumption and for medicinal uses, but the bees wax is excellent for making candles for use in Orthodox churches.
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While checking out the garden activity don't miss this opportunity to take advantage of the monastery walkways around the Kremlin.
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Below: Monks quarters at the monastery. If you're following the number map upthread, this is #7.
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Our next stop is the Rizopolozhenskaya Monastery which by the way is a decent place to spend the night if you need accommodations. However, it's a monastery so don't expect services or comforts such as one would find at a Ritz Carlton or Hilton. Heck, even Motel 6 is elegant by comparison. But frankly, service is not why you say at a monastery hostel. You stay either for the low price or the experience.
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This hostel in a monastery setting allows one to retreat from the world (especially the modern world) to reflect on the spiritual experience of touring Suzdal. The rooms are clean but basic, very basic.
[attachimg=2] Innkeeper, Ludmila.
Ludmila the innkeeper says that guests may "mortify the flesh by bathing from a sink." Yes, her words. If you haven't heard any olde English lately that expression has to do with purification. In a nutshell, she means that you can use your room sink to take a bath. :)
[attachimg=5] Ludmila says mortify your flesh here.
(photo: Alan Rayner)
This hostel is like many monastery hotel settings--you are there to be quiet, no partying accepted. So after mortification of your flesh in the room sink, try reading a book in the dim lighting, sit and enjoy the views (those are abundant), or lay down and go to sleep until morning. Room rates vary at season but you can expect something in the neighborhood of 500 roubles ($17-20) per night.
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Finding a contemplative view should be rather easy. For a 30 rouble ($1) donation they will open the bell tower so that you can see the city from above.
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Rizopolozhensky Monastery (Ризоположенский монастырь)
The name of the monastery literally means the "Monastery of the Deposition of the Holy Robe" and was established in 1207 as a women's convent by a Bishop known only as John. The convent stands on a hill of the city. However as the original structures were of wood, various fires and decay made them obsolete over the years. The existing buildings are from the 16th to 19th century.
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Unfortunately the monastery is rapidly falling into ruin however there are two very beautiful entrance turrets on the south gate which were constructed in 1688.
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Suzdal's tallest structure, a 72m bell tower (built from 1813-19), rises from the east wall of the Monastery.
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Let's walk around the Rizopolozhensky Monastery (Ризоположенский монастырь) and gain a feel for this ancient part of Russian history.
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[attachimg=#] Old administrative area
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(photo: Ruslan Vladimirovich Albitsky)
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Rizopolozhensky Monastery (Ризоположенский монастырь) cathedral area:
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The monastery was founded in 1207 but the surviving church is a three-dome cathedral built by Russian craftsmen in the 1520s.
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This is the view of the cathedral from the main entry gates so we'll walk around to the rear area to find the cathedral entrance. The red brick building to our left is the hostel we featured just a few posts upthread.
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View from side. We'll go around to the rear to see the entrance.
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The last photo in the previous post was from one side angle and here is the view from the opposite side.
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Entrance is at the rear.
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Inside the cathedral is an ancient burial crypt.
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Despite the disrepair, this is the oldest continuing monasatery in all of Russia. From 1207 to now, many of those years were incredibly difficult for the dedicated monks and nuns but to this day it continues to function. Rizopolozhensky Monastery (Ризоположенский монастырь) is open Wednesday through Monday from 10am to 4pm, but closed the last Friday of every month.
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(photo: Padunskiy)
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We'll continue the RUA visit of Suzdal on the RUA Golden Ring tour.
Planning on visiting this historical gem? You can find more information on special events, lodging and local restaurants by contacting Suzdal's main tourist complex (Glavny Turistky Complex) at their website contact numbers: http://www.suzdaltour.ru/en/about/
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More coming soon:
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The festival of Russian Fairy tales (Фестиваль Русской Сказки)
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(Photo by Vladimir Suhov)
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(Photo by Vladimir Suhov)
The festival celebrating Russian Fairy tales is annually held in Suzdal in February and lasts three days. The festival celebrates the characters of Russian fairy tales by an openng procession of fairy tale characters.
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(Photo by Vladimir Suhov)
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(Photo by Vladimir Suhov)
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(Photo by Vladimir Suhov)
The festival features performances of local and national actors.
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(Photo by Vladimir Suhov)
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(Photo by Vladimir Suhov)
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As we mentioned earlier the number of churches per person in Suzdal is staggering. We can never visit them all or we'd never move along this tour of the Golden Ring. As we move out of the city and back onto the highway we'll see more ancient churches and monasteries nearby, some in total ruins, some being restored, but in so many ways Suzdal represents the heart of the Golden Ring.
Now we'll visit more of the town itself.
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Around town approaching a church and school we take note that Suzdal is not all valley as it seems in popular photos, there are some hills too as indicated by this incline.
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Folks who can't imagine themselves staying in a monastery setting, or just don't know that such an experience is possible, can use one of the town's hotels. That is the "Sokol" hotel pictured below.
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Jeepers, is that a bus from Phoenix?! Did they swim here or is it possible to attach wings on tour buses these days? :chuckle:
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Any self respecting tourist from America better not call these "coffee urns" else I'll personally toss them into one of the Suzdal monastery prisons. These locally made samovar's are for hot water. Tea, normally the loose leaf kind (certainly not coffee) is made in a separate pot using hot water from the samovar.
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As one might imagine, there have been a host of movies/films shot in Suzdal. The total number according to city officials is 45.
The first was Ballad of a Soldier (Баллада о солдате) which was filmed during 1958 and released in 1961. Set in the Great Patriotic War the movie is about a young Red Army soldier named Alyosha (Vladimir Ivashov) was granted a short leave to return home to visit his mother and repair her leaking roof. On the way home (the road towards Suzdal) he met a young lady played by Ukrainian actress Zhanna Prokhorenko (Жанна Трофимівна Прохоренко/Жанна Трофимовна Прохоренко) and Alyosha falls in love, but realizes it too late as on his return to his unit the train is attacked by German warplanes.
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The most recent movie from Suzdal, number 45, was filmed in 2008. "Пелагия и белый бульдог" (Pelagia and the White Bulldog) is the story of a monastery nun who has the uncharacteristic ability to solve crimes.
In this clip, perhaps you'll recognize some of the city scenes from our RUA tour photos.
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(photo: Adam Jones)
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Okay, time to meet some of the ladies around town.
[attachimg=#] An Orthodox nun...
(photo: Adam Jones)
[attachimg=#] A beautiful Babushka.
(photo: Adam Jones)
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Well it won't that long and next Spring will be here. That of course will usher in the next Miss Suzdal photo contest. Of course girls from Suzdal will be represented but the rules in this photogenic town are different from similar contests in other towns. The girls can be from anywhere in the world to enter--but the photos must be taken in Suzdal.
Here were the ladies who entered in 2010.
[attachimg=#] Наталия (Nataliya/Natalie/Natasha)
[attachimg=#] Meet Алина (Alina), Suzdal
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Above: Елена (Yelena/Elena) is from Penza. She and her husband came to Suzdal to be married and she decided to enter the contest.
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Below: Ольга lives in Suzdal and commutes to nearby Vladimir each day to work. She couldn't imagine life anywhere else but her hometown.
[attachimg=#] Ольга (Olga/Olya)
Meanwhile below is another Ольга (Olga/Olya). This Olga lives in Vladimir and commutes to Suzdal for work every day. Perhaps she and the first Olga should just trade jobs and eliminate the commute?
This Olga came to Suzdal for the Cucumber Days celebration and decided to enter the Miss Suzdal photo contest while in town. Well, isn't that special.
[attachimg=#] Ольга (Olga/Olya), center
How many Olga's are allowed to enter this contest? Apparently there is no limit as the next lady is number 3...
[attachimg=#] Ольга (Olga/Olya)
[attachimg=#] Татьяна (Tatiana)
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[attachimg=#] Ирина (Irina/Ira)
Ирина is one of those names that at first seems difficult for westerners. We want to say I-rina but it's E-rina. Just as Иван isn't I-van, it's E-vahn.
Finally, our winner! Contest organizers of the annual "Miss Suzdal Photo Contest" say that it's not about the beauty of the lady so much as how she is pictured in the surroundings of this ancient and beautiful place.
So, nothing against Anna, a lovely young girl, but one must assume that the judges were most impressed by those old but not so ancient bricks she sits on for this pose?
[attachimg=#] Анна (Anna), "Ah-nah" is from Suzdal.
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Coming soon: How does an ancient town with so many old wood structures deal with house and building fires? Its more common that we'd expect and the fire department is small and only modestly equipped, but they somehow try to get the job done.
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Mendy--
I just wanted to say I am thoroughly enjoying this series of posts, and I appreciate all the trouble you're going to to bring it to us.
David
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Thank you, David. It's a pleasure. tiphat
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No fire is without sadness. But for a community which had come together to build a new church, a new church after hundreds of years, it was with a great deal of heartbreak that a fire on 11 January 1997 destroyed the almost completed temple of the Orthodox Free Church. So many local craftsmen and women had donated time, labour and money towards the construction.
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Most of us travel to Russia as tourists or to visit a lady for a short time and often miss the impact of ordinary life as lived by Russian citizens. Those who pour their daily lives into remaking their country after 80 years of Soviet rule enjoy the beauty of their lives but also must deal with the trials and valleys of a changing society.
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So in the spirit of gratitude for allowing us to enjoy their historic Golden Ring and this wonderful city, Suzdal, we salute the Russian men and women who protect lives, fight fires, battle floods, and offer a helping hand in times of disaster.
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In Russia it is a fact that the most modern services are found in the two capitals, Moscow and St Petersburg. Outside the "centre" budgets quickly thin the further one travels from Russia's main cities.
Fortunately, the Golden Ring is not far from Moscow and holds a place of special importance in Russian history. Even so the regional government in Vladimir and city officials in Suzdal fight to do the best with the public services money allotted.
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Above was the way the Suzdal fire brigade building looked in 1890. So in May of 2005 work began on modernizing the station. We'll follow that progress below. Modernization included adding a second story to the original structure.
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In olden days a tall fire tower was necessary to spot fire locations and direct crews towards the fires. Of course with modern communications a fire tower is no longer necessary but this tower is a part of the historic structure and today the tower serves as a fire museum to tell the story of past Suzdal fires and the men and women who braved the elements to fight those fires.
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Completed in the autumn of 2005, Suzdal firefighters are proud of their new station.
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Fighting fires at small apartment homes...
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And family homes in town...
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Somebody's banya fire got out of control!
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Many dacha properties just outside of town use wood or old fashioned gas heating appliances.
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Along with the frequent car fire...
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Built at the base of a valley and along the river, each year there is flooding in early Spring.
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Soon after the Communist takeover of the Russian government the churches and monasteries of Suzdal began, one by one, to be seized. The Orthodox Church was viewed as aligned with the monarchy and so many priests and monks were imprisoned.
Rather than seize properties outright, the Communists manufactured excuses and often used blatant lies in order to shut down a church or religious order. Suzdal also had the distinction of being a former and very early capital of Russia, thus being associated with the former government if nothing else by association. Suzdal and nearby Vladimir, also an early capital, were hit hard and viciously by the communists.
Here are transcripts from public hearings over the monastery property and churches of the Spaso-Yevfimiyev Monastery:
The communists were very interested in anything of value, especially church items made of gold and silver. Prior to seizing the monastery, secret police and soldiers stormed the monastery, rounded up the monks for arrest, and then confiscated anything of value.
For example, from Suzdal and church archives here is a partial accounting of valuables was made to the local "committee." Further we see an icon of the Transfiguration; on the Savior and two prophets – the crowns and tzatas (special icon necklaces) are gold-plated silver, on the apostles we see three crowns without tzatas, but also made of chased gold-plated silver; on the tzata of the Savior there are three gems in silver sockets: a ruby, a piece of turquoise and (unrecognizable name in the original).
In the hearing: ‘…Com. I. Korovin made a report on the condition in which the commission had found the Spaso-Yevfimiyev Monastery: the walls are cracked in places, with partially peeled off plaster. Negligence of the staff towards all church property was also uncovered and it’d be really hard to restore order in the Monastery. A lot of money would be needed…’
Under the pretense that the monastery needed repairs, the committee ruled: ‘After having heard the report, the Commission resolved to shut down the Spaso-Yevfimiyev Monastery and all its four churches (Church of the Transfiguration, Church of the Assumption, Church of St. Nicholas and Church of the Annunciation). All buildings and possessions ought to be reassigned to Suzdal’s Community Department, offering the latter the keys and property guards.’ (Keys and locks.)
In the hearing (Com. Korovin made the report): due to the shutting down of the monastery, it's necessary that all the monks be evicted from the monastery.
Resolved: The commission resolved to immediately instruct the Community Department to evict everyone within three days following the eviction notice.
Then a special group the "Commission for Suzdal Uyezd’s Monastery's Liquidation" was set up to sell all valuables from the churches.
Just a few days later...
Hearing: Case # 538 on the finding that the repairs were not that urgent afterall and thus the Church of The Meeting of the Lord of the Rizopolozhensky Monastery was deemed fit to be turned into a community theatre.
Also in the hearing the monks and priests had asked to be allowed to keep their personal possessions from their dormitory rooms.
Resolved: Claims denied
One priest, a Fr. Leonty, was allowed to remain in Suzdal to serve as pastor of two parishes allowed to remain open – the Smolensky and the parish of St. John Chrysostom. He was appointed by by His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon Father, the Russian/American Archbishop who had gone from San Francisco to Moscow to be the new Russian Patriarch, only to be murdered by the Communists early in the Soviet rule.
Fr. Leonty wouldn't last long in Suzdal, however. He became well known to the believers who dared attend church. People came from remote places like Ivanovo and Teykovo to attend Fr. Leonty’s service because so many churches had been ordered closed. Later many of them were subjected to repression together with the father.
In 1930 Fr. Leonty was arrested by Suzdal’s local division of OGPU and was sentenced to three years in camps by the article of law 58 - 10 of the Criminal Code of RSFSR, which was the standard charge of anti-Soviet and counterrevolutionary activities.
During his trials he admitted that: “… And I so wanted to praise the Lord with the bells. I climbed the bell-tower and started ringing. I did it for quite a long time. I went down, and was greeted by police with cuffs at the ready.’
[attachimg=#] The bells.
(Correction: The previous photo was of the wrong church. This is the Suzdal Smolensk Church of the Virgin where Fr Leonty rang his bells in the bell tower.
Fr. Leonty was convicted of the crime of ringing the church bells and served 3 years hard labour in a Gulag for his "crime."
Sources:
- City of Suzdal, historical archives.
- Archives of The Orthodox Church of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
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Even in leaving this town, so much spectatular beauty remains along the outskirts. Before setting out for our next destination we'll stop and purchase fresh berries and mushrooms from some of the ladies who supplement the family income during the summer.
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Okay, okay, the RUA tour will also stop just to be certain there is nothing we missed while buying souvenirs in the town square.
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We might wish to pick up a few lots of bottles of Суздальская медовуха, that's Suzdal Mead. Its sold all over the surrounding area.
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Travelers to Suzdal should also visit the nearby village of Кидекш (Kideksha) where there is a protected Архитектурный ансамбль в селе Кидекша (Architectural ensemble of the village Kideksha.
Lets go. We won't have far to travel as Kideksha is just 5 km east of Suzdal along the right bank of the river. It will be a short but very scenic drive.
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Kideksha was the lightly fortified summer dacha of Prince Yuri Dolgoruki, the first independent prince of Suzdal. Prince Dolgoruki built his fortified country residence in 1152, and included a magnificant church named for the two early Russian saints, Boris and Gleb.
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Sadly only the Kremlin walls, bell tower and church remain. The "summer residence" was really a small palace but over the generations it fell into complete ruin.
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In 2008 the sign had been removed and was sitting off to the side, tilted against the block wall.
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As you can see there is restoration work being conducted. In summer 2008 the bell tower was completely wrapped in scaffolding as workmen repaired brick and sealed mortar joints. Over the centuries (this village dates to the 1100's) the tower has begun to lean more and more.
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The name Kideksha is a word translated from the Finno-Ugric and means "heater" for the warm water springs nearby.
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As you can see from this angle the setting is pastoral. Kideksha sits at the mouth of the Kamenka river where it joins the Nerl river. The green church on the left is the Stefanievskaya Church (1780) and on the right you see the Saints Boris & Gleb church.
At this link is a really cool flash slideshow of this landmark, including the church interiors: http://www.panotours.ru/vr/kideksha/kideksha.html
In 2002 the Bank of Russia issued a commemorative silver coin of Kideksha.
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церковь Бориса и Глеба (Church of Saints Boris and Gleb)
Boris and Gleb were sons of Prince Vladimir of Kiev (Kiev) one of Russia's founders. In the year 1015 Boris and Gleb were murdered in this meadow where the church was constructed in 1152.
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According to legend the brothers met at this spot to travel to their father, Vladimir the Prince of Kiev (Kiev) who was known at the time as Vladimir the Red Sun. Instead, the brothers were murdered and some years later were canonized as Saints.
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Unfortunately, except for the church, none the palace buildings from Prince Yuri Dolgoruki's 12th century founding survived. Although some alternation have been made in periodic restoration efforts, the church remains a symbol of contruction from that time and place.
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Стефаниевская церковь (Stefanievskaya Church)
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Next to the Boris & Gleb Church is the Saint Stefan church, constructed in 1780.
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Hopefully these beautiful monuments to Russia's founding history will receive the restoration work deserved to save them for many future generations to come. As we leave the village of Kideksha we'll stop at the roadside and stock up on more vegetables and fruits for our journey.
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Even today, dacha and homegrown fruits and vegetables make up a large portion of produce consumed by the Russian people. Although rapidly modernizing, the Western style fresh food distribution systems have a long way to go in Russia. Perhaps thats a good thing as this type of commerce is not only healthy for the body, but represents an important source of renewable income to these small roadside vendors.
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We're certain that some RUA tour readers are thinking, these ancient churches and monuments are nice...but where are the babes? Do these smaller villages have any hot looking chicks? ;D
Great news!
Here are a couple of Kideksha village chicks now... :chuckle:
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Too funny Mendy! Keep up the work.
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We're going to move toward Ivanovo (a fantastic part of Rus history!) and we'll take note of some of the important small villages along the way.
That is Kideksha in our rear view mirror--so pastoral.
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Some of you maybe wondering if all the churches of Kideksha and surrounding villages are closed due to age and condition. Just a few km away in a neighboring village there is a new church to serve the local population.
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Oh, Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden passed along the message that they are looking forward to entertaining you in Suzdal and hope that you will include the Golden Ring as part of your New Year and Christmas holiday plans.
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Now where were we? Oh, that is the Никольская (Nikolskaya) church in the small village of Utukovo so I think we turn left at the fork in the road just before the church. Or was it a right turn at the river? Well, maybe we go straight....or...
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Hmm, we're lost. Partially at least. No need to panic. Certainly no need to ask for directions as we're real men on this tour. Directions are for sissy's!
Hey, that is yet another Никольская church, this one from the village Kibol. It was founded in 1750.
We're west of Suzdal...now not so lost.
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John Predtechi's Church, erected 1778, in the village of Annino:
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The Preobrazhenskiy church not far from the village of Goritsy:
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Goritsy means "hill" in Russian as the town stands on a small hill that overlooks a beautiful lake. Goritsy is also a home to one of the oldest men's monasteries in the world - the Kiril-Beloozerskiy Monastery which was founded in 1397.
Here is a nice photo link to more photos of Goritsy and the Resurrection Monastery for Women, founded in the early 1700's. http://www.livingtravel.com/europe/russia/goritsy.htm
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The Ilinskaya (Ильинская) church 1796 in the village of Ulovo (Улово).
For some nice photos of this church, Ulovo village, and other landmarks nearby visit this great site: http://ulovo-vladimir.narod2.ru/fotogalereya_/
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The Nikolskaya (Никольская, 1802) church in the small village of Brutovo.
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The Nikolskaya (Никольская) church in the village of Teterino, 59 km (36 miles) from Suzdal.
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Finally, a personal favourite:
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Tucked away along the river in the village of Novokamenskoe is the Pokrovskaya, or "Protection" Church (Покровская), built in 1814.
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We have a lot of ground to cover and our next major stop is Ivanovo, a city that played a significant role in the Bolshevik revolution.
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We'll pause briefly in the town of Кохма (Kokhma), north of Suzdal and slightly southeast of Ivanovo.
Why Kokhma you ask?
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Kokhma may be small but every year a girl from the town somehow seems to end up near the top of the "Miss Russia" contest. These photos are of the Kokhma girl in 2009.
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Kokhma is located on the Uvod River, a tributary of the Klyazma river, and just six kilometers south-east of Ivanovo with a population of approximately 26,000. The first records of Kokhma appear in 1619 when the town was known as the village of Rozhdestvenskoye-Kokhma (Рожде́ственское-Кохма).
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Шуя (Shuya)
While on the way to Ivanovo we'll deviate slightly to visit the town of Шуя (Shuya). Шуя is a special place because it's a haven for artists from Moscow. For whatever reason, this small out of the way town, population 58,000 or so, has managed to attract the free and creative spirits of artists from Russia's capital. The town is on the Teza River, 150 miles east of Moscow.
My first visit to Шуя was the year (2002 or 2003) when Mrs. Mendeleyeva was commissioned to paint a portrait of one of Shuya's most famous residents, Russian poet Konstantin Balmont (Константин Дмитриевич Бальмонт, 1867 – 1942) who was born in the village of Gumnishchy of the Shuya region.
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We traveled by train to Shuya and for a couple of days were the guests of officials from the Balmont Literary collection at the Museum of Regional Studies of Shuya, who graciously lodged us in the home of the museum director. It was a delightful experience.
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(Shuya train station with links to Moscow and St. Petersburg.)
Mrs. Mendeleyeva's painting was presented to the museum as a gift from the Russian government and I was quite impressed when it seemed almost as if the entire town took one day in particular visit the museum and to make presentations and awards to my wife for her work. There was an exhibition of many local artists with Mrs. Mendeleyeva as one of the main judges, children from a local school hosted her for an afternoon program complete with school plays, a special luncheon, and a concert featuring local musicians.
As a history buff it was fascinating to learn that Shuya was one of the few towns in the Inanovo region so close to Moscow, that had not been occupied by German forces in the Great Patriotic War (WWII). It was if the Germans simply hadn't been interested. That was a blessing as most of the town's pre-war buildings and landmarks remained unscathed by the fighting that engulfed the region.
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(Shuya is especially beautiful in winter as seen in this photo of Resurrection Cathedral.)
In 1884, Balmont was expelled from the Gumnishy Shuisky school for being a member of a group that was distributing "illegal literature." In 1886 he enrolled in Moscow State University (MGU), with a major in Law however it wasn't long before he was accused of participation in student protests and was banned to Shuya. There he read and studied and became self-educated quite successfully.
Balmont supported the February Revolution as he favoured reforming the monarchy, but was against the October Revolution of 1917, and fled Russia for Germany, later spending his final years living in poverty in France. He had joined the Bolshevik movement in the early days but over time had grown fearful of it's more extreme goals.
In his self exile he supplemented his meager income as a poet by translating major works into Russian, notably Edgar Allan Poe's The Bells, which formed the basis of Rachmaninoff's choral symphony, Op. 35. Many Russian composers would set Balmont's poetry to music, including Mikhail Gnessin, Nikolai Myaskovsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maximilian Steinberg, Igor Stravinsky, and Sergei Taneyev.
During his early pre-revolutionary life Balmont traveled all over the world, and among his first trips in the early 1900's were visit to Mexico and the USA. In 1912, he made a grand trip around the world. Some of the places visited were London, Plymouth, the Canary Islands, South America, Madagascar, Southern Australia, Polynesia, New Guinea, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Well respected now as a premier part of the Russian Silver Age of Literature, Balmont is also part of a prominent display at the Georgian Museum of Literature in Tbilisi.
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While there are no towering skyscrapers in Шуя (Shuya), a few medium size apartment buildings do exist as one would expect in a typical Russian town of over 50,000 population.
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Gotta love the character of this old apartment balcony!
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As with smaller towns outside the major population areas, the concept of "single family" homes can still be seen, although in Soviet times many owners were forced to share homes with additional families who needed housing.
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Some are so large that they remain divided into multiple family units.
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Although no skyscrapers exist in Шуя (Shuya), the town does claim that it's Resurrection Cathedral belltower is the tallest freestanding Orthodox bell tower in the world. At 106 meters the claim seems to have merit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_Orthodox_churches).
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Михаил Васильевич Фрунзе (Mikhail Frunze)
We would be remiss by failing to mention another of Shuya's famous residents, Mikhail Frunze. Born in Bishkek (capital of Kyrgyzstan) in 1885, Frunze was a Bolshevik leader in the 1917 revolution. He was a powerful Red Army commander in the Russian civil war against the White Army.
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Perhaps the best desciption of the end of his life is from the pages of Wikipedia:
He had been considered as a potential successor to Lenin, due to his strength in both theoretical and practical matters of advancing the Communist party agenda, and his seeming lack of personal ambition separate from the party.
Frunze was suffering from a chronic ulceration, and although it had been suggested to him many times that he undergo surgery, he tended to favor more conservative treatment approaches. After an especially severe episode in 1925, Frunze was hospitalized. Stalin and Anastas Mikoyan both came to visit him, and impressed on him the need for an operation.
Not long before his death, Frunze wrote to his wife: "At present I am feeling absolutely healthy, and it seems ridiculous to even think of, and even more-so to undergo an operation. Nevertheless, both party representatives are requiring it."
Frunze died of chloroform poisoning during his surgery on 31 October 1925; the operation was considered very simple and routine even by the medical standards of the time. It has therefore been speculated that Stalin, or some other potential rivals, arranged his death, but there is no hard evidence to support this. However, Frunze had been administrated a chloroform dose that many times exceeded the dose normally applied to induce narcosis.
Frunze was buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. All four doctors who had operated on him (Martynov, Grekov, Rozanov and Get'e) died one by one in 1934.
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(Frunze monument at Russian Army Museum in Moscow)
During the 1905 Revolution Frunze was the head of striking textile workers in Shuya and Ivanovo. In 1926, the city of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, was renamed to Frunze in his honour. Although the city reverted back to its former name in 1991, today a steet and a museum are named after him.
A Metro station in Moscow was named Frunzenskaya in his honour, and a stone carving of his likeness stands in one end of the station.
In Shuya there is a personal museum dedicated to Mikhail Frunze http://vrm.museum.ru/M529.
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It is striking in the number of towns of the Golden Ring that have served as a capital in previous generations. Shuya was considered a capital in pre-Russian times and at one point was the personal possession of Ivan the Terrible.
Like other nearby towns Shuya is home to important Orthodox monasteries.
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The Nikolo-Shartomsky Abbey sits just twelve kilometres from Shuya with one of the largest monastic communities in Russia. Historical records of the region first mention the monastery in 1425. It has a cathedral from 1652 (Resurrection Cathedral) and a refectory from 1678.
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The belltower of the Resurrection Cathedral is the tallest freestanding bell tower in the world.
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(Wikipedia commons license; http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/paultoff/shuja.jpg)
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Palekh (Пáлех)
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As we head toward Ivanovo we can see from the map that the village of Palekh is just to the southeast of Ivanovo. Since we've already diverted briefly for Shuya, we'll continue on from here to Palekh.
You probably already knew at least something about this village even if you didn't know that you did. Palekh is the ancient Russian home to this artform:
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(Ivan Mikhailovich Bakanov, 1870-1936. Village of Palekh, 1934 painting on a casket.
Its just a village in the Ivanovo Oblast and unlike other nearby settlements, the economy of Palekh is not based on agriculture. With a population of around 5,900 Palekh is about 50km from Ivanovo.
Palekh has a very long history in Russian iconography, the art of "writing" (painting) Russian Orthodox icons for homes and churches, starting in the early 17th century. Icon painting was a family occupation and the craft was passed on from one generation to another.
After the October Revolution the Palekh masters of iconography had to adjust. Religious art was forbidden and so the artists began to paint papier-mâché boxes and ceramic plates, applying the same principles used in icon painting. Not only the holy images themselves but the artists who made them became enemies of the Communist regime and were persecuted or arrested.
As icon and mural paintings were no longer in demand many masters returned to agriculture others tried to go to other handicrafts such as shoemaking, carrier's trading, wickering bast shoes, making toys and dishes. Today, although the art of icon painting is regaining it's importance, Palekh is known primarily for its miniatures.
[attachimg=2] Title: Geese and Swans; Artist: Tatiana Kamanina
Stalin's repressions of 1930-40s cut deeply into the intellectual and artist communities. In addition, the tragedy of a worldwide war did not pass Palekh artists and many great artists perished during the war years.
Palekh College graduates of the late 60s and early 70s started a revival by turning back to the sources of Palekh. This generation is paving the way for a renewal of Palekh art and an influx of gifted young artists promises continues to grow. Today there are many artist co-operatives and workshops successfuly operating in Palekh.
(Resource: Vadim Shchanitsyn's Book "Palekh and Palekhians" 1994.)
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Shuya and Palekh are the two communities we've just visited. No only are they historic cities of Russia, but both saw revolt and bloodshed in the post civil war period just after the Red Army had sealed the Communist revolution. The story of over 1,000 village clashes between the GPU (later KGB) and ordinary citizens in many ways began in these two villages.
For those interested in reading more: http://www.orthodox.net/russiannm/vladimir-suzdal-and-ivanovo-hieromartyrs-martyrs-and-confessors-01-of-03.html
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You cannot visit Palekh without spending time at the Museum of Palekh Art. It is at Ulitsa Bakanova, 50 and telephone: 7 (49334) 2-20-54 The museum is open from 10am to 1700 in the evening. Like most Russian official offices it is closed on Mondays and the last Friday of each month. Website: www.museum.ru/palekh
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Palekh's Church of the Exultation of the Cross is one of the most significant churches in the history of the Bolshevik's. The GPU (KGB) raided the centuries old church to take its icons and valuables. Ordinary and unarmed citizens tried to intervene and several were brutally killed, spawning a wave of protests across all of Russia against the Communists in the early days of Soviet rule.
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I just ran across a slide show with audio regarding Suzdal, called "Suzdal: A Living Museum of Russian History" produced and narrated by William Brumfield. I found it an interesting addition to the material Mendy has posted.
One amply illustrated fact shown in it is that many of the parish churches are built in pairs, usually side by side. The smaller one is used in ?Winter, the larger (and harder to heat) in Summer. I did not remember having seen that before.
It's at http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/11/19/suzdal_a_living_museum_of_russian_history05136.html
David
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David, very enjoyable! Thanks.
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Иваново (Ivanovo) is the next stop on the RUA tour of the Golden Circle.
Outside the city there are several Sanatoriums (health spas).
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Dachas dot the countryside.
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As we come closer to the city we see the river traffic on the Volga and Klyazma rivers.
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Иваново (Ivanovo) is not one of the prettiest cities on the Golden Ring tour. Even with modernization underway, it remains one of the most "Soviet" cities of it's size (400,000 population) in European Russia, an industrial and polluted city. If the pace and scope of modernization continues perhaps that image will change.
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The city is the result of the 1871 merger of the old flax-processing village of Ivanovo (first documented in 1561) with the industrial village of Voznesensky Posad. The city's name was Ivanovo-Voznesensk until 1932 . Given the textile manufacturing industry, Ivanovo was often dubbed as the "Russian Manchester" during the 19th century and is still considered to be the textile capital of Russia. Since most textile workers are women, it has also been known as the "City of Brides".
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The "DPS" officer (above) is a traffic cop. If you waves you over with his wand, you'd best stop.
Although there are pretty spots, Ivanovo is a grey and gloomy city, with reminders of the Soviet past at almost every turn.
Transportation:
Ivanovo is home to Ivanovo Severny, one of the largest military airlift bases in Russia. Ivanovo Yuzhny Airport provides commercial transportation and a daily overnight train arrives early in the morning from Moscow's Yaroslavskaya Station.
A bus from the main bus station in Moscow runs several times a day and the cost is between 250-350 rubles depending upon the amount of lugguage. It is a busy route so arrive to purchase a ticket early. The buses are usually old.
The city tram as pictured below suspended services in 2008.
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Our next major stop along the Golden Ring is the city of Kostroma. First however we'll pass through the historic village of Приволжск (Privolzhsk dates to the 1400's) and a side trip to Plyos which is another village on the way to Kostroma.
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Upon arrival at Приволжск (Provolzhsk) we're around 50 km north of Ivanovo. This is a small village/town of less than 20,000 persons and part of the Ivanovo Oblast. The first recorded history of the village was in 1485 and it achieved town status when merged with neighboring villages in 1938.
There are several historic landmarks at Provolzhsk, the first being the Свято-Никольский женский монастырь (Svyato-Nikolskiy Women's Monastery; http://www.monpriv.ru/).
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Since the RUA tour is going to participate in a monastery service as guests, we're being greeted by a village church member with the traditional greeting of Russian bread and salt.
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One of the monastery "sisters" is waiting for our arrival, so lets make our way down to the chapel at the bottom of the hill.
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Other villagers are coming along and perhaps you'll notice the common use of sleds.
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The worldwide Orthodox Church celebrates the Theophany (Baptism of Christ) on 6 January. During this service water is blessed and then the people, the church, and a nearby river or lake are sprinkled with water that is now considered to be holy water.
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In addition to Theophany, a blessing of the water also takes place when a new church is consecrated. This new log chapel is being blessed today.
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Above: The water chalice has built in candle holders for the times during the liturgy when candles ring the water container. Beside the chalice is a large brush used to dip in the water and then sprinkle assembled people or the church itself. As the temperatures this time of year are freezing, you see a glove on the table which the priest will wear while dipping the brush in and out of the water. Anything used in this service must be consecrated so the glove is placed on the table for that purpose.
[attachimg=4] Monastery "sister."
Although Eastern Orthodox believers do not normally bless themselves with holy water upon entering a church like Catholics do, a quantity of holy water is typically kept in a font placed in the narthex (entrance) of the church, where it is available for anyone who would like to take some of it home with them.
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During such a blessing holy water is sprinkled on the assembled people when they are outside of the church building as part of the prayers of blessing. Above you can see two deacons holding the water while the priest (in black) uses the brush to dip into the water and then sprinkle the people.
Notes:
Wikipedia: On the Great Feast of Theophany, holy water is blessed twice: at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on the eve of the feast, and on morning of the feast itself. After processing to the place where the vessel of water is prepared to the singing of appropriate troparia (hymns) of the Theophany there are a group of Scripture readings (Isaiah 35:1-10, Isaiah 55:1-13, Isaiah 13:3-6, and 1 Corinthians 10:1-4), culminating in the baptism account from the Gospel of Saint Mark (1:9-11) followed by the Great Litany
The priest then blesses the entire church and congregation with the newly consecrated water. All come forward to be sprinkled over the head with the Theophany Water as the kiss the hand cross, and to drink some of it.
The priest will then set out to bless the homes of all of the faithful with Theophany Water. In large parishes, this process will take some time. However, the priest must bless all of the houses of the faithful before the beginning of Great Lent. In monasteries the Hegumen (Superior) will bless the cells of all of the monks.
Orthodox Christianity teaches that the Great Blessing of Waters actually changes the nature of the water, and that water so blessed is no longer corruptible, but remains fresh for many years.
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After everyone has been blessed outside, the participants will move into the small chapel for it's blessing.
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The wall of icons is just that--an iconostasis which makes up a wall of icons and to separate the holy altar area from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church. The word is of Greek origin, meaning "icon stand."
No doubt you're wondering why this small chapel was constructed at the bottom of this hill when you saw a larger working church in the village. First, this chapel has a specific purpose and needed to be built next to a holy water springs which is adjacent as we'll soon see. Second, it was constructed to be a close to the local water table as possible.
Look at the bottom foundation of the chapel. It is designed to hold water.
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As we step back inside we'll turn away from the icons area and descend down a short set of stairs. Now you see the purpose for this chapel:
[attachimg=2] Thin ice on the surface.
In Orthodox practice, usually in visits to a monastery, the faithful can bathe in cold water springs as a rite of spiritual and physical purification. Did we mention COLD? That is a year-round requirement for this activity.
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The entire Golden Ring area is blessed with many underground freshwater springs and many of these are considered to be "holy" for various reasons. The placement of this chapel at the bottom of the hill was not just for the important purpose of the founding being at the ground water level, but also to allow the chapel water to be fed from an adjacent holy spring site.
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It is customary for Orthodox to drink holy water, to use it in their cooking and to sprinkle their houses with it.
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You've seen Privolzhsk primarily in winter and in spring/summer what you'll see is a run-down old Russian town. But the people and the surrounding fields are wide open and beautiful. Just watch this video from a private small airplane:
Here is another video with a mix of summer and winter photos:
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[attachimg=2] Bus service
[attachimg=3] Traffic police
The RUA Golden Ring tour continues toward Kostroma and we should see some nice sights along the way. In fact, photographer Aleksey Toritsyn shot this photo of an abandoned church just outside of Privolzhsk:
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(photo: Aleksey Toritsyn)
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Our next stop isn't as much of a stop as it is a very fast detour to the little village of Плёс (Plyos). Plyos is located on the right bank of the Volga River some 70 kilometers (43 mi) north-east of Ivanovo and 71 km from Kostroma. The town was founded in 1410 by Vasili I as a border post of Muscovy (Moscow).
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The name плёс (plyos) means "river reach." It is a small place, population 2,790.
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(photo: by Suliel)
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(photo: Александр Коновалов)
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Today the town is home to several ancient churches. Surviving today are these: Church of the Resurrection (1817), the wooden Church of the Resurrection (1699), Trinity Church (1808), Vvedenskaya Church (1828), Assumption Cathedral (1699), Church of St. Barbara (1821).
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(photo by Suliel)
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(photo of Assumption Cathedral, 1699: Александр Коновалов)
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(photo by Suliel)
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[attachimg=2] Peter bridge
Plyos at one time had a influential Jewish population and was well known for some of Russia's most famous painters inlcuding Isaac Letivan, Ilya Repin, Vasilyev, Alexei Savrasov, Boris Prophets, Nikolay Zhukov, and Fyodor Chaliapin.
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(Monument to Jewish painter Isaac Letivan)
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(Volga River photo by Suliel)
Plyos has seen more prestigous days. At one time Plyos had a linen mill, two malt factories, two breweries, 10 forges, a prison, salt warehouse, and bustling retail stores. In fact, river fishermen from Plyos once were responsible for delivering fish to the Tsar's table.
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The Tsar's table no longer depends on Plyos fishermen but that doesn't mean that local fishers don't take great pride in their efforts.
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The town celebrated it's 600th birthday this year on 10 & 11 July (2010).
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As we prepare to leave Plyos and make the short 70km drive to Kostroma, we'll spend the night. Plyos may no longer be a bustling town of importance, but it has become a haven for Moscow's upper middle class. It's strategic placement along the mighty Volga river is allowing Plyos to remake itself as a prime destination for the dacha life that Russians so dearly love.
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We'll rest in simple, yet elegant, country comfort and then continue our tour of the Golden Ring.
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We're off to Kostoma!
Kostroma (Кострома́)
This is a capital city of Kostroma Oblast, a historic city in central Russia, founded in the 12th century. The population is around 275,000.
Some time ago we had already done a feature on the city so all we have to do is visit this page: http://ruadventures.com/forum/index.php/topic,9048.msg127574.html#msg127574
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No doubt you've plotted the map ahead and our next major stop will be the town of Yaroslavl.
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On our way and just in a short southern detour there is the village of Nerekhta, or Нерехта, as it's spelled in Russian. Most tour guide would suggest that we bypass saying that there is nothing there but some old and rundown buildings. They're right, but still we're going to ignore that advice.
We love old and rundown buildings!
And scenes like this...
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While true that Nerekhta is small (population 25,000) and isolated, it's a small town frozen in time. Nothing is modern, well perhaps besides the train station which provides service to Yaroslavl, Kostroma, and Ivanovo.
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Nerekhta is part of teh Kostroma Oblast and has been around since the early 13th century. It has been known for production of textiles since the 19th century.
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The Nerekhta River runs thru Nerekhta and the Vladimir Oblast. It is a tributary of the Klyazma River. The Nerekhta freezes up in November and breaks up in April.
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Ярославль
Yaroslavl is one of the coolest, not to mention one of the bigger cities (population 600,000+) along Russian's Golden Ring. If you like history and culture, then welcome to Yaroslavl.
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Yaroslavl is the the administrative centre of the Yaroslavl Oblast, and is 250 kilometers (thats 155 miles) north-east of Moscow. The historical part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site and sits alongside the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers.
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Ancient churches have been called "the jewels of Yaroslavl" and in front of us and just across the river are the churches of St. John Chrysostom and the "Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the barn." Both were built in the 17th century.
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We have a very lengthy profile on Yaroslavl already so you can find out more about the city and enjoy more photos here: http://ruadventures.com/forum/index.php/topic,6861.msg98373.html#msg98373
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Tutayev/Tutaev (Тута́ев)
We'll turn north from Yaroslavl and soon arrive in the small town of Tutaev.
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You've arrived at a special place when it was chronicled by the famous Russian artist Борис Михайлович Кустодиев Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev (1878–1927). Titled as Прогулка на Волге (Promenade Along the Volga), the painting above captures the spirit of the town from that era.
The town may be small (42,000 population) but it has a rich history. It began as two towns separated by the Volga river. The town of (Рома́нов) Romanov was on the right side of Volga River and Borisoglebsk (Борисогле́бск) was on the left side.
Both are important names in Russian history. Borisoglebsk was named for the two sons of Vladimir of Kiev. You may recall the story earlier here on our Golden Ring tour of how Boris and Gleb were murdered and later canonized as Russia's first saints by the Orthodox Church which was then based in Russia's first capital of Kiev (Kiev).
Romanov was named for the royal family and has existed since the 14th century. In 1822 the Tsar ordered the two towns be combined into one and thus the name became Romanov-Borisoglebsk. Borisoglebsk was founded in the 15th century.
In 1918 just after the revolution the Soviets changed the name to Tutaev to erase the Romanov name from memory. Oddly however they allowed a strain of sheep in the region to continue to be called Romanov sheep. One can only imagine the relief of the sheep! :)
The area nearest to the Volga's right bank has many old wooden houses and historical buildings (including the stunning Resurrection Cathedral), but further away from the river Soviet-era apartment buildings dominate the view. There is no bridge across the Volga in Tutaev, so people have to use a ferry or, alternatively, travel north to Rybinsk or south to Yaroslavl to cross.
The left side of the river has many historic churches:
- Krestovozdvizhenskiy Cathedral (1658)
- Blagoveschensk Church (1660)
- Pokrovskaya Church (1674)
- Savior-Archangel Church (1746-1751)
- Kazan-Preobrazhenskiy Church (1758)
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(photo of Kazanskaya church by Sergei Galchenkov)
- Church of the "Trinity on the Country Churchyard" (1783)
- Leon'tevskaya-Voznesenskaya Church (1795)
- Church of St. Tikhon (1911)
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Museums to visit while in Tutaev:
- The Tutaev branch of the Yaroslavl Arts Gallery "House on Novinskaya" contains a unique display "Museum of the provincial bourgeoisie way of life at the end of the XIX century - beginning of the XX century" and the "Provincial bank of the end of the XIX century", which is the only exhibition of this kind in Russia.
- The Yaroslavl Historical and Architectural Museum Preserve also has a branch in Tutaev.
-The "Space" museum and the museum of Pavel Nikolayevitch Butchin are open only when volunteers are available to staff the museum.
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(photo of Resurrection Cathedral by Sergei Galchenkov)
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(front view of Resurrection Cathedral, photo by Sergei Galchenkov)
Tourists can enjoy the riverside beaches, movie cinemas, shooting-range, libraries, billiard bars, sauna & fitness facility and shopping in the town centre. For those most interested in nature there is ample opportunity for gathering mushrooms and berries in the summer, while fishing on the river is possible all year round.
Tutaev is only 38km from Yaroslavl.
The photo below is a winter scene looking back across the river from the Resurrection Cathedral towards the Blagoveschensk Church (built in 1660) on a small hill in town.
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(photo by S. Tikhomirov)
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Rybinsk (Ры́бинск) is the next stop on the tour of Russia's Golden Ring and only 43 km north of our previous stop.
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(photo: Mikhail62/Rybinsk city pages)
This is the second largest city of Yaroslavl Oblast and sits at the confluence of the Volga and Sheksna rivers with a population of 213,000. River traffic is important to Rybinsk and the surrounding area and with Moscow 360 km away (730 km to St Petersburg), Rybinsk is part of a river traffic system linking the city to Moscow, St Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, and Archangelsk.
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Several trains travel between Rybinsk and other regional cities several times daily. There is a train to Moscow daily at 8:50pm (20:50), #601, which arrives in Moscow at 6:35am (just under 10 hours). Rybinsk also has a regional airport and there are regular trips to Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Yaroslavl daily by small plane. Flights to Moscow are at 7:10am and again in the evening at 8:55pm. Flights take just over an hour and terminate at Domodedovo Airport.
There is also regular passenger boat service from the Rybinsk River Station.
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The local government says that the average worker's monthly salary (2010) is approximately 13,800 RUB (343 Euro/488 USD). Local industries include automobile and truck manufacturing, luxury yachts, shipbuilding, and aerospace materials.
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Rybinsk is one of the oldest Slavic settlements on the Volga River. From documents dated 1504, the village was mentioned in documents as Rybnaya Sloboda (literally: "the fishing village"). By1071 it was known as Ust-Sheksna, "the mouth of the Sheksna". For the next four centuries, the settlement was referred to alternatively as Ust-Sheksna or Rybansk.
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Parts of the old town, including a priceless ancient monastery, are now submerged under the large Rybinsk Reservoir built during the Soviet era.
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Above: Rybinsk Reservoir, April 2010
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With a population well over 200,000 there are several quality University branches including the flight school of Moscow State University.
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Other cities distance to Rybinsk
- Tutayev 43 km (our previous stop)
- Uglich 66 km
- Nerekhta 120 km
- Kostroma 130 km
- Cherepovets 130 km
- Vologda 140 km
- Pereslavl 150 km
- Ivanovo 170 km
- Tver 220 km
- Vladimir 230 km
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Perhaps we should mention that in 1984 Rybinsk was for a few brief years renamed Andropov (after Yuri Andropov) however that didn't last very long at all as in 1989 the city was renamed Rybinsk again.
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(Rybinsk Museum)
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The Orthodox Women's Monastery at Rybinsk:
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And finally, for Don we have a Rybinsk Lenin from the city square!
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Beautiful pictures.
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Uglich (Углич)
Good news...our tour of the Golden Ring continues. So, welcome to Углич, the next stop on our tour.
(Wikipedia) Uglich (У́глич) is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the Volga River with a population of 38,260. A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. It was first documented in 1148 as Ugliche Pole (Corner Field). The town's name is thought to allude to the nearby turn in the Volga River.
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(foto: Митрофанов Александр)
Uglich had been the seat of a small princedom from 1218 until 1328 when the local princes sold their rights to the great prince of Moscow. As a border town of Muscovy, it was burnt several times by Lithuanians, Tatars and the grand prince of Tver.
If you haven't sensed it by now, there are two reasons why the Golden Ring is so cherished by Russians: historical and religious. Those two themes are interwoven in the fabric of what is called the "Russian soul."
Some of the important historical and religious landmarks in Uglich include the Transfiguration Cathedral, constructed in the late 1400s and later rebuilt in 1713.
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(foto: Akul/Livejournal)
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(foto: Akul/Livejournal)
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Unfortunately one of Uglich's most cherished treasures, the Intercession Monastery was destroyed by the Bolsheviks during the campaign of terror against religion.
(Wikipedia) Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow gave the town to his younger brother Andrei Bolshoi in 1462. During Andrei's reign the town was expanded and first stone buildings were constructed. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible the town passed to his only brother, Yuri. Local inhabitants helped the Tsar to capture Kazan by building a wooden fortress which was transported by the Volga all the way to Kazan.
The Church of the Theotokos of Kazan, pictured below, was erected in 1777 in memory of the victory over Kazan.
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(foto: Akul/Live Journal)
After Ivan's death, his youngest son Dmitry Ivanovich was banished to Uglich in 1584. The most famous event in the town's history took place on May 15, 1591 when the 10-year old boy was found dead with his throat cut in the palace courtyard. Suspicion immediately fell on the Tsar's chief advisor, Boris Godunov.
Official investigators concluded however that Dimitry's death was an accident. They cut a "tongue" from the cathedral bell that rung the news of Dimitry's death and "exiled" it to Siberia.
As Dimitry was the last scion of the ancient Rurik dynasty, his death precipitated the dynastic and political crisis known as the Time of Troubles. People believed that Dimitry was alive and supported several False Dmitrys (False Dmitry I, False Dmitry II, False Dmitry III) who pretended to the Muscovite throne. During the Time of Troubles, the Poles besieged the Alexeievsky and Uleima monasteries and burned them down killing all the populace who had sought refuge inside.
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(foto: vadaga/Live Journal)
Upon coming to power the Romanov Tsars made it their priority to canonize the martyred Tsarevich (prince) and to turn Uglich into a place of pilgrimage. On the spot where Dimitriy had been murdered the city in 1690 built the small but lovely Church of St Dmitry on the Blood.
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(foto: vadaga/Live Journal)
The church was first constructed as a wooden chapel, which later burned during the Polish invasion of Russia. The present building was built in 1692. Supposedly the altar is located just above the spot where the prince was murdered. The current gilded carved Iconostasis was installed in 1867 however the main icons date much earlier; "Our Lady of Smolensk in 1630 and" St. Nicholas "in 1692.
The "exiled" bell was returned from Tobolsk in 1892 where it had hung from 1591 in the belfry of the Saviour Cathedral. It should be noted that there are more than reasonable grounds for believing that the "real" exile bell melted during the great fire of Tobolsk in 1677. Nonetheless, Mrs Mendeleyev says to tour the church as there is a local custom that if you hit the bell and make a wish while the bell sounds, your wish will come true!
This church was not a "parish" church (with a local congregation) since it was a church of the Romanov family, without permanent worship services). One of the amazing features is the iron/metal floor so that you will wear little cloth slippers without shoes so that the floor is not subjected to moisture from outside causing it to rust.
Below, completed in 1481, Prince Dmitry's red-brick "palace" is still standing and now a museum.
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(foto: Chatskaa/Live Journal)
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Wayne, I decided to reposition your question and my answer regarding the crosses used in Orthodoxy in the thread on "Her Orthodox faith." :)
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Uglich is a town of museums. The Russian word for museum is музей (moo-zey), an several interesting музеи (notice the very slight change in the word when the plural is used). Several old houses are of great importance too. It is a fun place to visit.
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(foto: SergeiNok/Live Journal)
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(foto: SergeiNok/Live Journal)
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(foto: Akul/Live Journal)
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(foto: Akul/Live Journal)
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Wayne, I decided to reposition your question and my answer regarding the crosses used in Orthodoxy in the thread on "Her Orthodox faith." :)
Dirty trick!
:smokin:
I thought I was doing like some others on the board and drinking too much .... water ....
:ROFL:
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Other 18th-century landmarks include the Smolenskaya, Kazanskaya and Bogoyavlenskaya churches. The most important edifice of the 19th century is the cathedral of the Theophany Convent, consecrated in 1853.
Photo below: The Theophany/Epiphany Cathedral was built in 1843-1853 in what was then the official Russian-Byzantine style and is the largest Cathedral in Uglich. During construction of all the domes were adorned with golden stars, like those that can be seen at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Suzdal.
Inside the Cathedral of the Epiphany is a specially constructed chapel in which the venerated icon of the Mother of God, called "watchful eye" is housed. This icon was donated to the monastery in 1848 and revered as miraculous. In 2003 the transferred to the ROC and today is used as a regular parish church.
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(Bogovavlenskaya/Epiphany Cathedral foto: Akul/Live Journal)
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(Bogovavlenskaya/Epiphany/Assumption Cathedral foto: Vadaga/Live Journal)
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Next, the church with green domes is part of the Alekseevskiy Women's Monastery, founded in 1371 by Adrian monk on the orders of the then Metropolitan of Moscow, Alex. In 1439 it was renamed in honor of St. Alexis. Construction of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist (green dome visible on the left) was completed in 1681.
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(Women's Monastery foto: Ghirlandajo)
Below is the Men's Monastery, Resurrection Monastery chapel.
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(Resurrection Monastery for men; foto: Александр Нефёдов)
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The modern town did have a famous watch manufacturing plant now closed, a railway station, and a hydroelectric power station as shown below:
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Uglich, continued
It is almost time to move along to our next town but first we need to locate at least one Vladimir Lenin photo for RUA member Don up in Canada. Ok, here we go...
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Alright, time to get back on the road and we'd best check the local map.
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Good news. RUA Chief Moderator/Administrator Manny is paying for our next leg of transportation!
Will it be first class? :chuckle:
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Борисоглебский
Borisoglebskiy is a small town but filled with the richness of very early Russian history and home to some of the most important monastery and churches built in the early years of the Russian nation. The Monastery was a favourite of Ivan the Terrible.
It's old--established in 1363.
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(foto: Иванов Дмитрий)
Traveling from Uglich towards our destination however means that we're on one of the poorest stretches of road along the Golden Ring. Hang on because at least of this writing, the Uglich - Rostov highway remains as one of the most difficult within the Golden Ring. There is a reward at the end of these potholes and all the shaking and bouncing really doesn't last forward even if it seems that way. The Monastery sits 18 Kilometers off the main road at the mouth of the small Ustye River.
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(foto: Monastery Church of Saint Sergius by Kirill kir-lim.livejournal)
Our reward for patience will be the ancient Boris and Gleb Monastery, one of the most magnificent architectural masterpieces in Russia! Sadly however it is also one of the most neglected, and abandoned sites representing what is termed as pre-Petrine architecture in Russia.
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(foto: Сидоров Григорий)
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(foto: Kirill kir-lim.livejournal)
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(foto: Манита Оксана)
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Борисоглебский, continued
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(foto: Kirill kir-lim.livejournal)
Hear those bells (above) in this video: Bells:
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(foto: Boris and Gleb Cathedral by Kirill kir-lim.livejournal)
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(foto: Kirill kir-lim.livejournal)
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You can chart our next destination from the map, Rostov Velikiy.
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Can you please tell me what is the difference between Velikiy Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod??
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That is a very good question. For example there are several cities which go by, or have in their names, the word Rostov as just an example. There is more than one city with "Novgorod" in the name, similar to the USA as you have Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Kansas, for example.
In this tour we just visited Борисоглебский and there are several places with that in the name so in this example you'd know that the Golden Ring Borisoglebskiy is located in the Yaroslavl oblast (oblast is county/region). As you can see on the map, Yaroslavl is a nearby town.
So, to your specific question...
Both have the term "new city" (Novgorod) in their names. Новгород comes from Новый город or new city.
Великий Новгород or Velikiy Novgorod (Greater New City) goes back to the days of the Kievan Rus, when Kiev/Kiev (modern day Ukraine) was the capital of Russia. It was one of the principal princedoms subject to Kiev and loyal to the idea of a Russian kingdom. It serves as the administrative home to the Novgorod Oblast and sits along the M10 federal highway that connects Saint Petersburg and Moscow.
It is located northwest of Moscow. Usually called just "Novgorod" the city was considered to be the second main city after Kiev in Russia during the mid centuries. Vekikiy Novgorod is on the Volkhov River which flows from nearby Lake Ilmen.
Нижний Новгород or Nizhny Novgorod (Lower New City) is close to the centre of European Russia, and southeast of Moscow. It is the 5th largest city in Russia and the administrative home to both the Volga Federal District (similar to a state) and to the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (county/region). It is a city of great history in the contributions to the establishment of Russia as a country and in more recent years was named "Gorky" and the home of Russia's Ford Motor Plant before and after WWII.
The Trans-Siberian railroad passes thru Nizhny Novgorod and the city was built along the Volga River. Locals simply call the city "Nizhny" in most cases.
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Earlier in our travels of the Vladimir - Suzdal area, we enjoyed a visit to the historic Church of the Intercession on the Nerl and learned of Orthodox saints Boris and Gleb. Well not only was it the church saint days recently for those saints, but as part of his trip to chair the planning for next year's 1150th anniversary of Russian statehood, Dmitry Medvedev took advantage of his time in greater Vladimir and toured the church and looked at the interior decorations this past week.
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Director of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum Preserve Svetlana Melnikova accompanied the president to explain the church’s history and its architectural features. The church was built in 1165 at the location where the Nerl River joins the Klyazma River and is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Russia. At the time when it was built, the church represented a major architectural achievement.
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Today, this historic treasure is administered jointly by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum Preserve. It is included on the UNESCO world heritage list.
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Ростов Великий (Rostov Velikiy)
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Rostov Velikiy sits along Lake Nero and is one of the oldest towns in Russia, with a recorded history back to 862 AD. The town has a reputation for rebellion in the early days was often at war with its neighbors.
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(photo: Oleg Domalega)
The city is credited with a critical role in Russian history, having been a major site of siege and revolt against the Mongols in the 13th and 14th centuries, and the birthplace of some of the most influential leaders and clerics of the early Russian state. A Kremlin of earthen ramparts and 17th-century stone walls surround the medieval city.
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One of the less polished stops on the Golden Ring route, but ideally situated for a weekend getaway on the railway line that connects Moscow and Yaroslavl, Rostov Veliky is the one of the country`s oldest documented settlements, celebrating its 1140th birthday this year.
Where Suzdal has rolling fields and a surfeit of monasteries, Rostov Veliky has the vast, still Ozero Nero, or Lake Nero, with fairy-tale clusters of domes and towers scattered about its shores. And the bells that woke me that September morning, I later learned, were the same ones French composer Hector Berlioz traveled the breadth of Europe to hear in the mid-19th century.
The belfry of the Dormition Cathedral (1162), once famous throughout the country and all over Europe, predates Moscow's Kremlin and is hung with 13 bells, including the original grand 32-ton clanger that is only rung on rare occasions -- and, as it happened, during a special recording session on the weekend we visited. The gorgeous melodies played on these great chimes stayed with us throughout the weekend as we explored the town, wandering around the Kremlin and walking along the lake`s quiet shores.
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(photo: kpkc.livejournal)
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(mclaren2000.livejournal)
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(photo: Yuri Augulis)
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Rostov Veliky would become an independent principality ruled from Suzdal, and an important commercial and religious center until the 18th century, when the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church's Metropolitan was moved to nearby Yaroslavl.
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(photo: Oleg Domalega)
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(photo: Oleg Domalega)
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(mclaren2000.livejournal)
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(mclaren2000.livejournal)
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(photo: Yuri Augulis)
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(photo: Yuri Augulis)
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(photo: Yuri Augulis)
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(photo: mclaren2000.livejournal)
Today, Rostov Veliky's charming collection of buildings are undergoing restoration projects. The town is set amid overgrown gardens and parks and is officially home to 40,000 people.
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(photo: mclaren2000.livejournal)
Bells at the Spaso-Yakovlevskiy Monastery:
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(You can't see the name but its a Studebaker. Ford played all sides of the war with factories in Germany, Russia and the USA.
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(The odd looking bus to the right is a Renault. There is a nameplate on the front grill but its not visible from this angle.)
(All photos by: kpkc.livejournal)
While the official name of the town is Rostov, it is better known to Russians as Rostov Veliky, or Rostov the Great. This name is used to distinguish it from Rostov on Don, which is now a much larger city. Rostov Veliky is 202 km to the north east of Moscow.
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Next stop: Pereslavl-Zalessky
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Pereslavl-Zalessky (Переславль-Залесский)
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(photo: sobory.ru)
Pereslavl-Zalessky is one of the most ancient towns in Russia, founded in 1152 by prince Yury Dolgoruky. The town is halfway between Moscow and Yaroslavl, about 130 km (2.5 hours) northeast of Moscow and lies on the banks Pleshcheevo Lake.
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http://www.youtube.com/v/jBlJ8BfdjUo
Pereslavl-Zalessky is home to the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, often called Russia's "pearl of architecture" because it is the oldest surviving monument in Central Russia.
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(photo: State Museum archives)
Not only is this the home to the oldest surviving structure in Central Russia, it is also home to Lake Plescheevo (Озеро Плещеево), a popular spot for weekends and holidays year around with swimming-boating-camping-fishing in the summer months and since the lake freezes over in winter it serves for ice fishing-skiing-ice skating in winter.
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(photo: blackbada.livejournal)
http://www.youtube.com/v/B2QNprTbhcI
It was here at Lake Plescheevo in 1693 that young Peter the Great constructed his "funny fleet" which would become a prototype of the first Russian fleet on the Baltic sea.
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There is another interesting attraction in the small town...
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(Directions to Blue Stone)
If you come this way on the Golden Ring you must visit, and touch, the famous Синий камень (Blue Stone) at the edge of the lake.
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In past centuries this stone was worshiped and many locals feel that it possesses special healing powers. A grayish blue on dry days, when wet the surface turns into a very shiny dark blue. Geologists say that the blue color is formed by the refraction of light against grains of quartz.
http://www.youtube.com/v/itOKO6PITl4
There are many smaller blue stones all around this area but this large one has held a special honour in the area for centuries.
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(photo: Boris Mavlyutov)
Transportation: While there is no train station in Pereslavl Zalessky, the town is located along the highway from Moscow to Yaroslavl and bus service is available. For more information tel: (08535) 2-30-75. Buses leave from Moscow bus station (Shelkovskoe shosse 75/2) daily at 11:00, 17:15, 19:55, and 20:15.
The area map is very cool! http://www.pereslavl-zalessky.com/map/map8_en.htm
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(photo: Boris Mavlyutov)
Because of the Lake, Blue Stone and Monasteries, this little town has become quite the tourist attraction. The quality of several are actually very nice as they tend to be more along the "bed and breakfast" type facilities. Some are in town and others cater to Lake visitors.
Hotels:
http://www.hotelpereslavl.ru/ (hotel in town)
http://arthotel.ucoz.ru/ (art hotel--unique and interesting)
http://www.plescheevo.ru/ (stunning, modern cabin at lake)
http://www.pereslavl.ru/turizm/hotels/alb/ (Very modern, relaxing)
http://www.pereslavl.ru/pages/rio/
http://www.hotel-roza-vetrov.ru
http://www.westhotel.ru/
http://www.nawigator.ru/
http://www.tr-melnica.h12.ru/hotel.htm
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(photo: Boris Mavlyutov)
Restaurants:
Here is a listing: http://www.pereslavl.ru/turizm/restaurants.htm
http://www.youtube.com/v/fkMfdmlxaQg
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Most visiters are attracted here for the churches and monasteries. One Monastery pre-dates the town's founding in 1152.
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(photo: kpkc.livejournal)
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(All Saints Church built in the 1600s is now a state museum.)
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(Church of the Preparation of the Lord; photo by sobory.ru)
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(Saint Nicholas Monastery; photo by melanyja.livejournal)
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(Trinity Danilov Monasery; photo by sobory.ru)
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(photo by mir-na-ksrte.livejournal)
At one time the town had 5 monasteries but 2 were destroyed by the Soviets and the rest turned into museums and prisons. Today 2 are operating again as monasteries.
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The sacred town of Sergiev Posad, for generations having served as home to the Russian Orthodox Patriarch, is next on our tour of Moscow's "Golden Ring."
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13 vintage photos of Russia’s Golden Ring towns that will melt your heart
https://www.rbth.com/travel/destinations/ring/2017/07/13/13-vintage-photos-of-russias-golden-ring-towns-that-will-melt-your-heart_801827
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13 vintage photos of Russia’s Golden Ring towns that will melt your heart
https://www.rbth.com/travel/destinations/ring/2017/07/13/13-vintage-photos-of-russias-golden-ring-towns-that-will-melt-your-heart_801827
Oh, yes!!!
My heart is melted!!!
I brought my husband to see Golden Ring before we got married.
The first picture of rotunda in Yaroslavl!!! OMG!!
There were many locks on fence.
He asked me about those locks. Then we saw a wedding.
Just married couple placed their lock on fence and threw the key to Volga.
So, after we got married, I had a surprise!!!
He brought me to a beautiful waterfall, we had our lock on fence, and we threw the key to the waterfall.
We often stop there. Our lock is still there, a little bit rusted. It's our secret.