The Holy Places to the North - West of Moscow, 1 day

Type: excursion, historical, events, recommended, discovery

Route: Moscow

Dates: upon request, all year round

Mode: car, on foot, minibus, vehicle

Group: 2-35

                                                                                                         Led by Vasiliy Novakovskiy

The North - West direction from Moscow is full of historical  and religious places.

In the middle of the XYII century a great stone fortress was built on the distance of one day horse ride from Moscow. This fortress became a monastery which people called "The New Jerusalem" because the architecture resembled the Christian temples in Jerusalem. This monastery was built as the residence of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Nicon whose reforms of the Orthodox Church and society started in the XYII century, the processes which brought Russia to the revolution of 1917. Now here is the museum.

 The key point of the North-West is the town Volocolamsk founded in the XII century on the north branch of the great silk route connecting China with Europe. The ships here were transferred from Moscow river to Lama river with 5 km long push -pull on rolls (“volok” in Russian).  This “push-pull way” was active even in the beginning of the XIX century. Increase of power of Moscow was closely connected with this Volocolamsk push-pull.

Now there is the ancient ground fortress and a lot of brother graves of solders of 1941-1942. Volocolamsk was the central position of the battle for Moscow. Thousands of bodies still lie in the neighboring forests and swamps.

Close to Volocolamsk is situated Saint Josef of Volok monastery founded in the XY century by monk Josef. The monk is a great person of Russian political life. He proclaimed the divine origin of the State power in Russia (people still believe in it).

Josef organized Russian inquisition, which was much stronger then the Spanish one. The monastery was his residence.

The other exclusive place close to Volokolamsk is a little village Yaropolets situated on Lama river. This place is very respected by Ukrainian people because a chapel with the grave of Peter Doroshenko – famous leader of Ukrainian resistance against colonization of Ukraine by Russia in the XYII century, is located here.

Close to the chapel are the aristocratic palaces of Doroshenko’s descendants. A lot of fortifications of 1941 can bee seen on the banks of Lama.

Further to the North-West there is Mikulino - an ancient ground fortress of XIY century with the 45 meters high Orthodox Church (XIY c.).

Attention, please!
Women asked to be wearing long skirt (not trousers) and having headscarves to enter churches and cloisters according to the Orthodox rules.