The holy places of Russia ... Probably, not so many people will meet who would never have heard of such corners. Pilgrimages here are made both by Russians and guests from near and far abroad.
But have you ever wondered what lies behind the popular tourist destination called “Holy Places of Russia”? Why are travelers drawn there with such strength and enviable constancy? Is there really any secret or mystery in this?
This article will tell not only about the holy places in Russia themselves, the reader will get acquainted with the nuances and details of such trips, and also find out where to look first of all when visiting a huge country.
General information and relevance of the issue
Before you go on a trip to the holy places of Russia, you should still familiarize yourself with some information.
There are places on Russian land that attract pilgrims from all over the world. Typically, these are considered various holy sources, temples, monasteries, imperishable relics of holy saints and burials of the righteous. Visiting such places, a person is cleansed spiritually, charged with positive energy, discovers something new for himself and rethinks the essence of life on earth.
It turns out that those who come to the holy places of Russia are those who are mentally on the verge of spiritual change. Naturally, they prepare for such a trip in advance.
Pilgrimage to the holy places of Russia
Features of this kind of tours are in specific directions. The specificity of the pilgrims is determined by the peculiarity of the religious consciousness of believers.
The main motives for making the pilgrimage are the following: the desire to pray, receive grace, touch the incorrupt relics or the miraculous icon, perform the sacrament of confession with a particular religious figure in a particular holy place, make a donation, make a vow, etc.
How do people understand that they will be interested in a trip to the holy places of Russia? The decision on pilgrimage can be made independently or with the blessing of the spiritual father.
As a rule, the intensity and nature of such trips depend on the political and economic situation of a country, the level of social and material conditions of citizens. The specifics of travel of religious pilgrims are influenced by the climate and geographical location of destinations.
Pilgrimage tour duration
Geographically, holy places in Russia are very often located at some distance from settlements.
All pilgrimage trips by duration are divided into multi-day, one-day or "weekend" tours.
Tours to the holy places of Russia rarely last longer than 12 days. Most of the time takes a pilgrimage to the farthest regions of Russia (Yekaterinburg, Tobolsk and Altai).
Any route of such a plan should be complete and logical. For example, when a pilgrim wants to see holy places near Tobolsk or Yekaterinburg, it is best for him to go on a comprehensive tour that covers all the main shrines in the Urals. Thus, he will be able to visit all the shrines of the Central and Northern Urals in one trip, as well as cover the path of the Royal Martyrs of the Urals in Siberia.
Where do parishioners most often go?
If we consider tours of the holy places of Russia according to regional characteristics, we can determine the direction of the most visited places in the country.
Most often, pilgrims go to the center and to the northwest. Many travel along the Golden Ring, visit Kursk, Diveevo (Nizhny Novgorod region), Zadonsk (Lipetsk region).
In the North-Western region of Russia, the Vologda and Arkhangelsk (Solovki) lands, Karelia (Kizhi and Valaam), Veliky Novgorod, Pskov are interesting. The latter is famous for Pechora and Pushkin Mountains, many pilgrims visit the Talap Islands.
The main important places for parishioners are the monasteries and deserts of the Russian Orthodox Church. On the territory of the state there are 26 deserts and 313 monasteries. Excursions to the holy places of Russia are held regularly.
Many cities of the Golden Ring are very closely connected with the history of the spread of Orthodoxy in Russia. It is there that there are a large number of shrines, so almost all temples and monasteries are objects of pilgrimage. The most visited cities are Aleksandrov, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl, Rostov the Great, Uglich, Kostroma, Sergiev Posad, Tutaev, Vladimir and Suzdal.
Also, many monasteries have recently been opened and restored in Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar and Arkhyz. Pilgrimages to Altai are interesting in connection with the study of local traditions.
How to choose the time for a trip?
It can be difficult to single out and get ahead of the most favorable period for pilgrimage. As a rule, in summer it is more convenient and comfortable to make long trips (from 3 to 7-12 days) over long distances.
In spring and autumn, shorter programs (2-3 days) are usually chosen. Only big holidays are an exception, because these days it doesn’t matter much whether the weekend according to the usual calendar falls on this date or not.
Holy places of Russia: Valaam
One of the most popular tourist destinations is the world-famous island of Valaam. It is part of a rather large archipelago, which is located in the north of Lake Ladoga. In total, several hundred people live on the island. The main population of the archipelago are fishermen, foresters and monks. On the island there is a Valaam Monastery, where pilgrims come from all over the world.
The time and history of the spread of Christianity on the island of Valaam is unknown, but there is evidence that the monastery at the beginning of the 16th century already existed.
In those days there lived such saints as Arseny Konevsky, Rev. Avraamy of Rostov, Savvatiy Solovetsky, Adrian Ondrusovsky and Alexander Svirsky. To this day, all the monasteries operate here, and there are also several branches of the monastery (about ten).
Also on the territory of the islands is a weather station and military unit. The fame of the high spiritual life of the monastery, the amazing nature of the island, the beauty and severity of monastery services attracted a lot of pilgrims to Valaam.
Solovki - a famous pilgrimage site
The Solovetsky Monastery is a stavropegic male monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is located in the White Sea on the Solovetsky Islands, deserts and sketes - on the islands of the archipelago.
The monastery was founded by the monks Zosim, Savvaty and German as early as 1436. Many people know that in the 20s there was a camp for political prisoners at the monastery.
Under the Soviet Union, it was also called Solovki, or Russian Golgotha. The relics of the founders are still kept on the territory of the monastery. In it the monastery was home to many righteous people who, after death, were numbered among the saints.
Today the monastery is a major social and spiritual center. Pilgrimage here has always been considered a feat, which few dared to commit. Now the Solovetsky Monastery is visited not only by pilgrims, but also by researchers, and historians, and scientists.
Ganina pit is gaining popularity
In the Sverdlovsk region there is an abandoned Iset mine - Ganina pit. Pilgrims who come to the Urals always try to visit this holy place. It is also called the Temple of Blood. It was built on the site where a house once stood, in the basement of which, on the night of July 17, 1918, Russian Emperor Nikolai II, his wife Alexandra Fedorovna, and children Alexy, Tatiana, Olga, Anastasia and Maria were shot along with a servant.
Then the bodies were taken to Iset mine and thrown into a mine near the Ganina pit, and their clothes were burnt. On the second day, the unfortunate were reburied in distant mines. After 60 years, this burial site was found by a group of search engines. Since the 70s, pilgrims began to visit this place in order to pay tribute to the holy land in which the royal martyrs were buried.
In 2000, the construction of a monastery and several churches at once began on the Ganina pit. Now there are 7 churches opened in which particles of the relics of Spyridon of Trimyphunt and the relics of the holy Martyrs Nun Varvara and Grand Duchess Elizabeth are stored.
Holy spring of the village of Talezh
Among the special places in Russia marked by grace, there is in the village of Talezh of the Chekhov district of the Moscow region the holy spring of St. David. It is located near the Ascension David Desert. This is a man’s monastery, which is located in the village of New Life.
Since ancient times, pilgrims to Talezh have been attracted by spring water, which has healing properties. This is a holy source that gives a person vitality, health and joy of life. They say, having touched this clear water, the parishioner feels how it becomes easier on the soul.
Near the source, pilgrims have the opportunity to bathe in a specially constructed comfortable bathhouse. It is believed that sacred water has the power to purify and sanctify the soul and body.