People usually don’t make trips to Optina deserts spontaneously. They are preparing for such trips for a long time. They say that in these places a person is reborn, that he is condescended to what is called grace in the language of believers. The article describes in detail about the pilgrimage trips to Optina deserts, about what they give people, and how to get to the legendary monastery.
A bit of history
The exact date of the founding of the monastery is unknown. Optina deserts appeared around the end of the XV century.
In the XIX century, a three-tier bell tower, an outbuilding, brotherly cells appeared here. But most importantly, it was during this period that Optina Deserts became the spiritual center of Russia. Believers gathered here from different parts of the country. Famous writers Dostoevsky and Tolstoy visited the monastery. They talked with the old man Ambrose in a special wooden house, which today stands on the territory of the monastery.
Fyodor Dostoevsky was here for the first time after the death of a small son. The writer was very worried about the loss of a child and was inconsolable in his grief. According to eyewitnesses, after a conversation with Ambrose, he changed. It seemed that the elder helped the writer find answers to all the questions that had tormented him for a long time.
The great Russian writer, excommunicated from the church, also spoke with the Optina elder . There is a version that, a few days before his death, the author of “War and Peace” was in these places. For some time he wondered whether to enter the territory of the monastery. However, he did not dare. Ambrose, a few days later, learning about the serious illness of the writer, went to Astapovo. The elder hoped to reconcile Leo Nikolaevich with the church. But he was not allowed to the dying writer.
Before going to Desert Optina, people usually try to collect as much information as possible about this monastery. This is not difficult. Much has been written about this monastery. Nevertheless, during a trip to Optina, deserts, according to pilgrims, to listen from the guide about the wise Optina elders is much more interesting than reading about them far from the monastery. An extraordinary atmosphere reigns here.
The businessman who took the tonsure
In one of the films dedicated to the monastery, an amazing story is told. Once a successful businessman, far from the church, decided to make a trip to Optina deserts. This decision came unexpectedly - foreign resorts were tired, Crimean beaches were no longer attracted. I wanted something unusual, new. He got into the car and headed towards Kozelsk, Kaluga Region.
A car trip to Optina deserts from Moscow, and the hero of this story was a resident of the capital, took no more than four hours. He came to the monastery, settled in a hotel for workers, spent several days here. And stayed forever. Now he is a resident of Optina Desert.
By car
About the pilgrimage trip to Optina deserts from Moscow as part of an excursion group is described in more detail below. Those who plan to go to the monastery by car should know that there are two routes - along the A-107 and along the E-101.
You need to go to Kaluga highway with Profsoyuznaya, then drive through the following settlements:
- Pines.
- Miloradovo.
- Gum.
- Chirikovo.
- Crosses.
- Belousova.
- Kaluga.
The second option is suitable for those who are more convenient to leave Moscow along the Kiev highway. This route passes through Rumyantsevo, Vnukovo, Elagino, Balabanovo, Obninsk and Kuzminki. There is a third option - through Podolsk. But it is less convenient.
You do not need to call in Kozelsk - the main thing to remember before traveling to Optina deserts. Klykovo, Shamordino - settlements related to the famous monastery. The first is related to the sad pages in the history of the desert. In 1924, the Optina monks had to leave the walls of their native monastery; for some time they took refuge in the neighboring village of Klykovo. Chamordino is also nearby. To get to the desert, you need to turn towards this village (the turn is twenty kilometers from Kozelsk).
By train
It will not be possible to get from Moscow to the desert by rail. The capital with Kozelsk has no direct connection. However, many pilgrims go to Optina deserts and by train. Trains from Kaluga depart daily from Kievsky Station. And from there you need to get to Kozelsk by bus or train.
The road from the Kaluga station will take about forty minutes. The distance between Kozelsk and the monastery is four kilometers. It can be reached by minibus. During the Orthodox holidays there are free buses.
The very word "pilgrimage" means walking. In the old days, pilgrims traveled long distances not on horses or carts, but on their own legs. Many pilgrims went to Optina deserts in the XIX century. Among them were representatives of various classes. True, if the peasants walked several days to the monastery on foot, then the aristocrats rode in carriages.
By bus
From Moscow to the deserts can be reached directly. On Saturdays, at eight in the morning, a bus leaves from the Novoyasenevskaya metro station. He returns the next day, Sunday. Buses run from Teply Stan metro station daily at 18:00. But they already go only to Kozelsk. Ticket price - 700 rubles. Travel time is 4.5 hours.
Excursions
A trip to Optina deserts is hardly a tourist trip. People come here not to inspect old buildings and take interesting photos. Nevertheless, Orthodox travel agencies regularly organize trips. Thanks to such organizations, you can get to the monastery quickly without changes, which is very convenient for those who first visit the Optina deserts.
There are two options for excursions - one-day and two-day. The route includes a visit to the Optina desert, Shamordino, Klykova, Tikhonov desert. The bus usually leaves from the Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station. Ticket price - 1700-2700 rubles.