Borisoglebsky Yaroslavl. History of the village of Borisoglebsky, Yaroslavl region

In accordance with the Federal Law of April 2, 2014 No. 44-FZ “On the participation of citizens in the protection of public order”, the Law of the Yaroslavl region of April 8, 2015 No. 26-Z “On certain issues of citizen participation in the protection of public order in the territory of the Yaroslavl region region"

THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENT DECIDES:
1. Approve the attached Regulations on holding the regional competition “Best People's Squad”.
2. Approve the attached Regulations on holding the regional competition “Best National Guard”.
3. Regional competitions “Best People's Squad” and “Best People's Squad” are held annually in the Yaroslavl region.
4. Recommend that local government bodies of the region post on the Internet information and communication network information about the qualifying stages of the “Best People's Squad” and “Best People's Squad” competitions.

On the dissemination of deliberately unreliable socially significant information

The district prosecutor's office explains that the dissemination in the media, as well as in information and telecommunication networks (which include social networks) of deliberately unreliable socially significant information under the guise of reliable messages, creating a threat of harm to the life and (or) health of citizens, property, a threat of mass violation of public order and (or) public safety or the threat of interfering with the functioning or cessation of the functioning of life support facilities, transport or social infrastructure, credit institutions, energy, industrial or communications facilities, constitutes an administrative offense provided for in Part 9 of Article 13.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and entails the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of thirty thousand up to one hundred thousand rubles with confiscation of the subject of the administrative offense; for officials - from sixty thousand to two hundred thousand rubles; for legal entities - from two hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rubles with confiscation of the subject of the administrative offense.

Minutes of citizens' gathering dated 03/19/2020

Protocol
gathering of citizens on the selection of a public area to be prioritized for improvement in 2021 as part of the municipal program “Formation of a modern urban environment on the territory of the Borisoglebsk rural settlement” for 2018-2024 as part of the Governor’s project “We decide together!”

Borisoglebsky village 03/19/2020

Venue: Assembly hall of the Administration of the Borisoglebsky municipal district.

PRESENT:
Zarakaev E.V. - First Deputy Head of the Administration of the Borisoglebsky Municipal District, Deputy Chairman of the Commission;
Vasiliev I.N. - head of the construction department and property relations Administration of Borisoglebsky municipal district;
Korotkova V.V. - Head of the Housing and Communal Services Department of the Borisoglebsk Municipal District Administration;
Demjanjuk E.A. - head of the administration of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement;
Solovyova N.B. - Chairman of the Public Chamber of the Borisoglebsky Municipal District;
Zalygalova O.V. - correspondent for the Borisoglebsk regional newspaper “Novoye Vremya”;
Residents of the village Borisoglebsky in the amount of 24 people.

On the public use of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols

Federal Law dated 01.03.2020 N 31-FZ added a note to Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, according to which the provisions of this article do not apply to cases of use of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols, or paraphernalia or symbols that are confusingly similar to Nazi paraphernalia or symbols, or paraphernalia or symbols of extremist organizations, which form a negative attitude towards the ideology of Nazism and extremism and there are no signs of propaganda or justification of Nazi and extremist ideology.
Previously, the current version of Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provided for liability on formal grounds for any public display of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols, even without propaganda purposes.

The Yaroslavl Transport Prosecutor's Office informs that from June 1, 2020, a ban will be introduced on the export of certain types of products from the Russian Federation

Government Decree Russian Federation dated 03/02/2020 No. 223 “On the introduction of a temporary ban on the export of certain types of products from the Russian Federation” from June 1, 2020, a temporary ban on the export from the Russian Federation of disposable masks, bandages, cotton wool, gauze, disinfectants and antiviral and other medical products intended, among other things, for protection against infection.

No. 75 On approval of design projects for public areas selected for voting at a citizens’ meeting (2)

RESOLUTION
Administration of Borisoglebsky rural settlement
Borisoglebsky municipal district
Yaroslavl region

12.03.2020 № 75
Borisoglebsky village

On approval of public design projects
territories selected for voting
at the citizens' meeting

In order to implement the municipal program “Formation of a modern urban environment on the territory of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement” for 2018-2024, guided by the Charter of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement, the Administration of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement
DECIDES:

1. Approve the attached design projects of public areas of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement, selected for voting at the citizens’ meeting (Appendix 1,2,3):
2. Publish this resolution on the official website of the administration of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement
3. I reserve control over the implementation of the resolution.

Head of the Administration of Borisoglebsky Rural Settlement Demjanjuk E.A.

Announcement

The administration of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement announces a gathering of residents of the village. Borisoglebsky, which will take place on March 19, 2020 at 11:00 in the assembly hall of the Administration of the Borisoglebsky municipal district on the issue of identifying public territory to be prioritized for improvement in 2021, as part of the municipal program “Formation of a modern urban environment on the territory of the Borisoglebsky rural settlement” for 2018-2024.

November 17, 2009 10:46 am Borisoglebsky - Russia August 2009

BORISOGLEBSKY: UNDER THE PROTECTION OF TWO SAINTS (part 1)

The purpose of the trip is the village. Borisoglebsky, Yaroslavl region.
Date of trip - 08/29/2009.
The budget for the trip is approximately 2200 rubles. (for two, together with a visit to Rostov).

One August day, I decided to take one more step closer to realizing my long-time dream of traveling around all the regional centers of our Yaroslavl region. The choice fell on Rostov (“Lake Nero is a must see in the summer!” I argued). Having buried our noses in a recently donated map of the Yaroslavl region, my husband and I looked for another settlement, a visit to which could be combined with a Rostov excursion. It turned out to be the urban-type settlement of Borisoglebsky. But if I had at least some idea about Rostov (including having been there a couple of times, albeit a very long time ago and vaguely), then Borisoglebsky did not evoke any associations in me. My husband, who visited those parts in his early childhood, brought some clarity: “There seem to be a couple of factories and a church there that you will definitely like.” There was only one thing left to do: look for information on the Internet. Imagine my surprise when enough data was found for Borisoglebsky, much more than for the city of Danilov! I really like one site about provincial cities http://www.myrusland.ru, here you can also read about Borisoglebsky.

Naturally, we needed 2 days off for 2 settlements. We decided to first drive from Yaroslavl to Borisoglebsky, walk around the village and see its main attraction Borisoglebsky monastery(the same “church” that I should have liked :)), and devote the remaining 1.5 days to Rostov.

ROAD TO BORISOGLEBSKY

From Yaroslavl to the village. Borisoglebsky needs to go by bus. It leaves from the Bus Station at 8.20, the ticket costs 114 rubles. (including % of the reservation, since we bought it the night before). The journey takes 2 hours.

Surprisingly, the bus was full, which means there were enough people willing to visit Borisoglebsky. However, some people were traveling to Rostov, through which our bus went. Although there were even more people there, some even rode standing. As luck would have it, we got tickets for different seats (and the cashier assured us that we would sit next to each other!). It turned out that we weren’t the only “lucky” ones; there were three other couples who wanted to go together. As a result, somehow everyone successfully changed seats, moved seats, and we set off on the journey in the next seats. Minus for the employees of the Bus Station, we have never had such troubles before.

On that Saturday morning in August, a thick fog floated over the city; summer was sadly saying goodbye, preparing to give way to golden autumn. End of August - end of summer. Last days. The first cold breath of autumn could already be felt. This was visible from the yellow spots in the summer-weary foliage and the straw-sad fields. Our trip is like the last sip of summer. The bus rocks and shakes a little on the eternal Russian roads, and we float in it through the fog, as if on a ship. Infrequent villages flash in the thick darkness, immersed in the greenery of centuries-old poplars and thickets of golden balls - wild dahlias. Autumn is coming to the Russian outback.

After Rostov, the landscape changed. The dull fields were replaced by spruce-deciduous forests. My native spaces! We passed a herd of cows. This is already such a deep province. We drive past a pine forest. Probably, in ancient times, the hermits Fyodor and Pavel walked through the same dense forests to found the Boris and Gleb Monastery in the silence and wilderness. Here is the village, lost among the thickets. Hello, Borisoglebsky!

HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF BORISOGLEBSKY

Initially, the village arose as Borisoglebsky settlements - former monastic settlements. They owe their appearance to the developing Boris and Gleb Monastery, near the northern wall of which they were located. The monastery was founded in 1363 in the XVI - XVII centuries became one of the richest on Rostov soil.

In 1764, Catherine II transferred the Borisoglebsky settlements from the ownership of the monastery to Count G.G. Orlov. A little later, the former monastic settlements received the status of a county town called Borisoglebsk. At that time, the townspeople were engaged in handicrafts and weaving; on the feast of Boris and Gleb, a rich fair was held near the walls of the monastery.

However, after the revolution the town was turned into a village. In 1962, Borisoglebsky officially received the status of an urban village.

Now the village Borisoglebsky is the regional center of the Yaroslavl region. It is located on the Ustya River, about 20 km. from Rostov the Great. The village is included in the List of Historical Cities of Russia. A starch drying plant, a cheese-making plant, a bakery and a poultry farm operate on its territory. The main attraction is the Boris and Gleb Monastery.

Coat of arms of the Borisoglebsk municipal district: on a silver field there are two horsemen, one of them on a black horse, with a golden beard and mustache, in a scarlet cloak and boots, in a green caftan, a princely hat, holding a right hand a golden spear with a scarlet pointed flag; the second is on a red horse, without a mustache, dressed in the same way, but replacing the scarlet with green, and the green with scarlet. As it is not difficult to guess, the two horsemen on the Borisoglebsk coat of arms are the holy brothers Boris and Gleb, under whose eternal protection the village is located.

BORISOGLEBSKY MONASTERY. STORY

The Boris and Gleb Monastery was founded in 1363 in honor of the Russian holy brothers-princes Boris and Gleb. In the middle of the 14th century, the hermit Fedor, a monk of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, settled in the bend of the Ustye River. And after 3 years, the monk of the same monastery, Pavel, joined him. The hermits received a blessing for the construction of the monastery from Sergius of Radonezh, who was in Rostov at that time. The monk asked permission to build a monastery from Prince Konstantin Vasilyevich of Rostov and himself chose a place for construction 20 km away. from Rostov the Great. The first buildings of the monastery were wooden and have not survived to this day.

Stone construction at the Boris and Gleb Monastery began in the 16th century. Initially, the monastery was built as an outpost on the approaches to Rostov; very powerful walls were erected. Therefore, the appearance of the monastery resembles an impregnable and formidable fortress.

The words of Sergius of Radonezh about the prosperity of the Boris and Gleb monastery came true. The monastery enjoyed the patronage of Moscow princes and the first Russian tsars, who considered it their “home.” So, in the middle of the 15th century. Prince Vasily the Dark was hiding within the walls of the Boris and Gleb Monastery. In 1440, his son, the future Russian Tsar Ivan III, was baptized here. Both rulers favored the “home” monastery, bestowing estates and money. In 1522, under Vasily III, the son of Ivan III, stone construction began in the Borisoglebsky Monastery. Brick production is being established, sand is mined, boulders are brought for the foundation, and master Grigory Borisov is in charge of all the work. Ivan IV the Terrible also marked the monastery with his presence, three times. He also made huge contributions to the Boris and Gleb Monastery, incl. monetary. Other Russian tsars did not forget the monastery either: Boris Godunov and Alexei Mikhailovich. The princes Saburovs, Shuiskys, Pronskys, Sumarokovs, Orlovs and others provided assistance. Thus, by the middle of the 17th century. The Boris and Gleb Monastery was considered one of the richest in the Rostov Metropolitanate, it owned 22 thousand acres of land and 4 subordinate monasteries: Trinity on Bor, Nikolsky on Kovzhe, Spasskaya Hermitage and Nikolsky on Boya. True, during the Time of Troubles, even such a powerful fortress was plundered.

The names of people, heroes, with whose direct assistance the Russian land more than once won victories over enemies, are closely associated with the Boris and Gleb Monastery. This is the monk-warrior Alexander Peresvet, and the Monk Irinarch, and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich, who built the Bishop's House in Rostov the Great, gives instructions for carrying out large-scale construction work on the territory of the Boris and Gleb Monastery. Thus, existing buildings are being rebuilt and new ones are being erected. By the 1690s. The architectural ensemble of the Boris and Gleb Monastery was completely formed, which has survived to this day.

Changes occurred under Catherine II, who decided to carry out secularization. As a result, lands were taken away from the Boris and Gleb Monastery, incomes decreased, and the monastery became mediocre, second-class. In the XVIII - XIX centuries. the monastery exists only due to 280 acres of land, an orchard and the rental of towers and shops outside the fortress walls. At that time, only Catherine II and Alexander III visited the Boris and Gleb Monastery while passing through during a pilgrimage to the holy places of Uglich and Rostov.

Like many other shrines, after the revolution the monastery was officially abolished

n in 1924. The buildings were used for various needs, some of the buildings were transferred to the Rostov Museum-Reserve. Surprisingly, the Boris and Gleb Monastery, built with the blessing of St. Sergius Radonezh, under the tireless patronage of Saints Boris and Gleb, really turned out to be happy, suffered little damage and came to us as a well-preserved, complete architectural ensemble of the 16th - 17th centuries. This was also facilitated by the restoration work that lasted in 1980 - 1990.

Since 1994, the Boris and Gleb Monastery has been operating again. At the same time, within its walls there is a branch of the Rostov Kremlin Museum-Reserve. Restoration is being actively carried out on the territory. And although much remains to be done, I am sure that the Boris and Gleb Monastery will soon become a real architectural pearl, as handsome as it was in its best times. Fate and the saints are still favorable to the monastery.

BORISOGLEBSKY MONASTERY. ARCHITECTURE

How interesting and amazing is the Boris and Gleb Monastery! Even though it needs restoration. And again, as in Danilov, a leap into the past awaited us. But not in the dilapidated, Soviet way, but in the most real, ancient way. I was especially impressed by the cobblestone square in front of the entrance to the monastery. We've never seen anything like this before! Near the ancient impregnable walls there are strong shopping arcades, which probably remember the beginning of stone construction in the monastery. Neat old ladies were selling household goods. A picture from the Middle Ages immediately appeared. Here are stern monks coming out of the massive gates, here is a cheerful cook hurrying with a basket for fresh vegetables, here is a peasant bringing a cart of fresh hay for sale. The hooves of horses clatter, peasant boots and the long hems of women's skirts rustle on the cobblestones, people leisurely walk around the rows, greet each other, and talk to each other. The picture was bright, as if we really had suddenly found ourselves in ancient times!

The ancient perimeter walls of the monastery are just over a kilometer long, 10 - 12 meters high and three meters thick. The walls with towers in the form in which they have come down to us were built in the middle of the 17th century. Four of the fourteen towers are located at the corners of the monastery and are called north-west, north-east (the highest), south-west and south-east. The remaining turrets have no name at all. The western and eastern walls of the monastery contain two intermediate towers each, two more are adjacent to the gate in the southern wall, two (round) are adjacent to the gate in the northern, and two more are located in the northern wall between the gate and the corner towers.

Two large gate churches, decorated with carved galleries, organically fit into the terracotta walls of the Boris and Gleb Monastery.

We entered the monastery through the northern gate with the Sretenskaya Gate Church (1680), which connects the monastery with the village. Borisoglebsky (former monastic settlement). The ancient, powerful walls securely embrace the monumental Sretenskaya Church. It is five-headed, orange and very beautiful, with carved snow-white elements. Two round pointed turrets and patterned gates that look like lace give it a special elegance. On a sign worn out by time, we read that the church “was built by a Rostov architect according to the type of gate churches of the Rostov Kremlin, decorated with rich patterns of carved brick, and the altar stone barrier was preserved in the interior.”

The territory of the Boris and Gleb Monastery turned out to be small, but very cozy and green. There were shady alleys and many apple trees from which fruits fell abundantly. Such emerald calm: lettuce drops on the malachite grass, numerous small green apples in the dense grassy foliage of spreading trees. Paths wound through the territory; at the entrance we noticed centuries-old boulders. And silence. So amazingly transparent, soothing. There were practically no people, we noticed only a priest and a group of 3-4 sightseers or pilgrims, to whom some woman showed the territory of the monastery.

I read that the monastery houses a branch of the Rostov Museum-Reserve and has interesting exhibitions. We even found a room with cash registers, but we never found any staff. Therefore, we decided to just walk around the territory and explore the temples. It’s a pity, of course, that we didn’t get into any of them. Restoration work was going on everywhere there, and a little later we noticed workers. We had a plan of the Boris and Gleb Monastery with us, but at the entrance you can find the necessary information at the stand.

The first building that we saw on the territory of the monastery was the Annunciation Church with a refectory chamber (1524 - 1526). It was reliably built by Grigory Borisov himself and was the home church of the abbot of the monastery. In the 17th century a porch was attached to it, decorated with tiles and stone carvings. On the other side, the rector's chambers are attached to the church, the first floor of which was built in the first half of the 16th century, and the second - in the 17th century. The church itself turned out to be small, compact, with one onion-shaped dome. The temple was once orange in color, but is now being gradually restored. The white oblong chambers seemed carved, as if decorated with thin lace. But I was especially impressed by the porch. Such a massive, slightly heavy, richly decorated with well-preserved glazed malachite and colorful tiles, as well as carved ornaments - a real miracle!

The main temple of the Boris and Gleb Monastery is the Boris and Gleb Cathedral (1522 - 1523). To be honest, I expected to see something more grandiose and voluminous, so at first we even passed by, but then, after checking the diagram of the monastery, we realized that this was it. The small cubic cathedral of Boris and Gleb modestly hides in dense greenery tall trees. It is brick red, with an emerald onion, and very laconic. And it seems to be in most need of restoration. It is also decorated with a porch, more elegant, white, with twisted columns. It can be seen that it was once painted with beautiful frescoes, of which, unfortunately, little remains now. Wild grass makes its way through the red steps fanning out around the porch of Boris and Gleb Cathedral. But it turned out to be a great photo of the Sretenskaya Gate Church :). And in the Cathedral of Boris and Gleb the main shrines of the monastery are kept - the relics of the founders of the monastery Theodore and Paul, as well as the Monk Irinarch.

The monastery belfry (1690) attracted attention - a very atypical structure, rectangular, three-tiered, with three small golden domes. Heavy bells could be seen in the window openings, and on the belfry there was an old clock dial - we had definitely never seen anything like this anywhere else! And, as usual, the belfry was decorated with a porch, just as monumental, generously decorated with carvings and tiles as that of the Annunciation Church. In general, the entire belfry looked like a stone fairy tale - solid, and at the same time refined and elegant.

In addition, the old abbot's chambers (XVI - XVII centuries), the prosphora building (kitchen, XVI - XVII centuries), the archimandrite's cells (XVIII century) and the fraternal building (XVI century) have been preserved on the territory of the monastery. All of them are very ancient, solid, decorated with stone patterns. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to renew them, but, overall, they look decent. It can be seen that monks still live in the buildings.

And we walk along a delightful old alley to the last building of the monastery - the southern Sergius Gate Church (built in 1545, rebuilt in the 17th century). It is as tall as Sretenskaya, and even having an unplastered appearance, it is not inferior to it in beauty. Large silver domes shine on white patterned drum necks. Once upon a time, the Sergius Church was decorated with frescoes, I really hope that they will be restored. On a stone tablet cracked by time, we read that “the southern gallery of the church is a wonderful example of decorative patterns made of carved bricks and glazed tiles, the wooden gate is a monument of decorative art of the late 18th century, the painting on the vaults and arches was made in the 17th century.” Indeed, a very ancient and interesting church. The forged doors in the massive gates turned out to be closed, but then we discovered a small narrow opening through which we came out to a shady grove. From this side, the Sergius Church looks even more ancient and impressive. It is surrounded by polygonal towers and carved gates with twisted pillars. Very impressive!

We walk around the perimeter of the monastery, admiring the impregnable ancient walls, I stroke the ancient bricks with my palm, and again the pictures of antiquity appear before my eyes. We notice a small one in the wall Orthodox shop and we go into it. The assortment is modest, but there is a very good atmosphere here. The prices are especially surprising - indecently low, not even comparable, for example, with the inflated price tags in the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma. And then I immediately see an icon depicting the holy brothers Boris and Gleb. Of course, I buy it right away. The seller is a monk, quiet and very friendly, even seeming surprised at my request; apparently, buyers are very rare here. But the icon is the last one. I can't believe my luck! It’s so good that I visited Borisoglebsky and bought an image of the saints who patronize the glorious village and the wonderful monastery.

We really liked the Borisoglebsk monastery and left the most pleasant and bright impressions.

WALK THROUGH BORISOGLEBSKY

Borisoglebsky is small but cozy. While we were traveling along it by bus to the station, we saw almost everything, including the long and ancient wall of the monastery and three interesting sculptures.

At the station we immediately bought tickets to Rostov (24 rubles), because today is City Day there, and most likely there will be many people who want to go to the holiday. We were not mistaken. Even though we got our tickets first, the bus was full.

We left the city early, without having had time to really have a bite to eat, so we decided to eat first. We didn’t look for a cafe; we sat on a bench in the local Walk of Fame of the Great Patriotic War and had breakfast with sandwiches. We are already familiar with similar Alleys according to Danilov. Here in the village. In Borisoglebsk, against the backdrop of the forest, stood the mournful figure of a warrior holding a helmet in his hand, and on the sides there were signs with the names of fallen heroes, and there were wreaths. The village was deserted, only a lonely mother was walking with her baby along the Walk of Fame and looking at us with interest. Borisoglebsky is probably not very popular with tourists. But in vain, very in vain!

For some reason the village Borisoglebsky is perceived by many only as some kind of addition to Rostov the Great. How many times have I read that people stop by on their way to Rostov, see the Boris and Gleb Monastery, and then write one sentence about it. Is this why the village is not visited by tourists? But besides everything else, Borisoglebsky is also the administrative center of an entire region. In my opinion, the tourist attractiveness of Borisoglebsky is undoubted and obvious. So many grandiose historical events are associated with the monastery alone, which have become significant for the whole of Russia! And the names of how many great people and heroes are associated with the Boris and Gleb Monastery! And it’s all the more pleasant that the administration and residents of the village do not forget about this, remember and honor their native history, and preserve it for posterity. So, in addition to the monastery, the town. Borisoglebsky is famous for three more incomparable monuments, donated by sculptors in 2005.

In Borisoglebsky there is a stunning monument to the Monk Irinarch, the recluse of Borisoglebsky. Saint Irinarch (1548 - 1616) came to the monastery at the beginning of the 17th century. He glorified the monastery with his spiritual feat, accepting the highest degree of monastic life - seclusion and living in the chains for 38 years. More Irinarh all year round walked barefoot and lived in a very small cell. The Monk Irinarchus apparently possessed the gift of prophecy, because. predicted to Tsar Vasily Shuisky “the capture of Rus' by the Poles.” According to legend, the saint saved the Boris and Gleb Monastery from plunder during the Time of Troubles, making a very strong impression on Jan Sapieha. The Polish field commander, as a safe conduct, left the so-called “Banner of Sapieha” - an embroidered banner made by Godunov’s craftswomen, captured by him in the Suzdal Intercession Monastery. The saint also blessed the people's militia of 1612, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, to liberate Moscow from Polish invaders. Now the saint’s relics and chains are kept in the Boris and Gleb Cathedral of the monastery.

The sculpture of the reclusive Venerable Irinarch made a very strong, unforgettable impression on me. The monument by Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli stands right next to the station among greenery and flower beds, with lanterns and a bench nearby. Such a cozy, protected place. It seems that the monk greets all arriving guests of the village and at the same time protects it, as in the Time of Troubles. I simply could not tear myself away from this sculpture, such powerful energy emanated from it. The figure of the monk was executed with talent and amazingly; the Master subtly felt his hero and managed to convey the inner spiritual strength of the elder. The stern face of the Monk Irinarch, a slender ascetic figure in a monastic robe and the most amazing thing - his hands: thin, long, graceful fingers clutching a cross. They immediately attract the eye. This piercing fragility of the hands and at the same time gigantic strength (both spiritual and physical, because Saint Irinarchus wore the heaviest chains!) made an indelible impression. And then I returned to the figure of the monk several times, I was drawn to this sculpture. Everyone tried to look into Irinarch’s face. And here the Master managed to do the impossible: on the thin, noble face of the old man with a small beard, his eyes stood out, they seemed to be closed, but at the same time you could not leave the feeling that the monk was looking intently at you, studying you, as if he was looking into your soul. Such a wonderful monument to a strong, unusual, holy Man.

In the village there is also a monument to the Monk Alexander Peresvet, a warrior for Holy Rus'. This is a warrior-monk, hero of the Battle of Kulikovo. According to legend, at the end of the 14th century. He took monastic vows at the Boris and Gleb Monastery, and then, with his monk brother Oslyabey, fought alongside the troops of Dmitry Donskoy in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. Before accepting the monastic rank, Alexander Peresvet was a Bryansk boyar and a famous warrior, distinguished by a heroic build and enormous physical strength, and knew military affairs. Sergius of Radonezh, the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, knew this very well. Therefore, preparing for a decisive battle with the horde of Khan Mamai, he blesses Prince Dmitry Ivanovich and gives him two monk brothers Peresvet and Oslyabya to help him. Warrior-monk Alexander Peresvet fought in battle with the representative of the horde Temir-Murza (Chelubey). Both heroes died, but their duel served as the beginning of the great Battle of Kulikovo. Peresvet and his brother are buried in the Simonovsky Monastery in Moscow.

At the request of the residents of Borisoglebsky village, the monument to the monk Peresvet was also presented by Z.K. Tsereteli on the 625th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo in 2005. The sculpture was consecrated by Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov. The bronze figure of a warrior monk weighing three tons is grandiose and impressive. Alexander Peresvet looks stern and concentrated, his gaze is directed into the distance, monastic clothes do not hide the hero’s inner strength. Peresvet holds a spear in his hands and Orthodox cross. The area near the monument has been landscaped. A tiled path leads to the monument, forming a small public garden. Light bulbs are visible, and stands of flowers are located in the background. Everything is very clean and tidy.

Another monument is dedicated to Dmitry Pozharsky. It was in the Boris and Gleb Monastery that the prince received the blessing of St. Irinarch for the people's militia of 1612. Prince Dmitry Pozharsky (1578 - 1642) - Russian political and military leader. He was a member of the first militia led by P. Lyapunov in 1611. Therefore, when, at the direction of Kuzma Minin, ambassadors came to him with an offer to become a governor, Pozharsky agreed. The people's militia gathered here, in Yaroslavl, where the Zemsky Sobor - “Council of the Whole Land” - was based. From the walls of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery along the Moscow Road (now Moskovsky Prospekt), a militia of thousands moved towards the capital. There, the Russian army repulsed the Polish army under the leadership of Hetman Chodkiewicz. Soon Moscow was liberated, and the Zemsky Sobor elected a new tsar - young Mikhail Romanov.

The author of the bust installed near the local administration is People's Artist of Russia M.V. Pereyaslavets. Also a very strong sculpture. Determination is visible on the prince’s courageous and open face, strong hands grip a sharp sword, and an Orthodox shield adorns his shoulder. Dmitry Pozharsky is depicted as a real hero; it was such a person who was able to gather the people’s militia and save Russia from the yoke of the Polish-Lithuanian intervention. By the way, it is noteworthy that previously there was a bust of V.I. in this place. Lenin, which has now been moved to the Center for Social Rehabilitation of Veterans (we did not see it).

Borisoglebsky is a very clean village. Even though the streets were unprepossessing, the houses were small and wooden, but the feeling of comfort, safety, and good nature did not leave us all the time. I liked that the places around the monuments were landscaped, there were few people, it was calm.

We went into a large store - a provincial department store, which turned out to be quite decent and even modern. Household appliances, clothing, furniture, dishes, and some other goods, and all at absolutely low prices! Only the sellers there turned out to be sleepy, apparently not accustomed to customers. So, we wanted to see the cap, but the girl didn’t seem to see us at point-blank range, she continued to chatter on her cell phone. Maybe, of course, she decided that she just dreamed of us; who else would come to the store on a Saturday and in the morning :)? I had to draw attention to myself and distract her from a pleasant discussion with a friend about some local news. The girl was frankly surprised, but quite politely showed us the required product, and when we left, she even joyfully invited us to come back. It seemed like we were the only customers during the entire time she worked here :). Simply amazing village!

We also went to a grocery store. Among the usual assortment, the appetizing grilled chicken caught my attention. Probably from a local poultry farm. We were already planning to buy it, but it turned out that we had to wait another 15 minutes for the birds to be ready, and our bus was already leaving. So we couldn’t evaluate local products :).

Silence and tranquility are somewhat enlivened only at the walls of the monastery. Trade is actively going on there, shops are open, people are scurrying about. It can be seen that the square in front of the entrance to the Boris and Gleb Monastery is such a center where everyone rushes, where life is in full swing, they share news, discuss new items, and simply communicate. And it is very noticeable that the residents love their “center” and treat it with respect. Quite by accident, we heard one woman with full knapsacks walking along the monastery square and loudly broadcasting to someone on her cell phone: “Yes, I’m still in the Center, I’ll come home soon.” It’s funny, considering that from the “center” to the house there are 10 steps :).

Time for inspection: two hours.

Why go to Borisoglebsky: Borisoglebsky Monastery is perhaps the most complete architectural ensemble of the 16th-17th centuries in Russia.

Sretenskaya Gate Church (1692).
Photo: Yaroslav Blanter

Boris and Gleb Monastery.

The monastery wall is 10-12 meters high and three meters thick, quadrangular in plan, and has a length of just over a kilometer (along the perimeter). The walls with towers in their modern form were built in the middle of the 17th century. Four of the fourteen towers are located in the corners of the monastery and are simply called the northwestern one, northeast(highest), southwestern and southeastern. The remaining towers do not have a name at all. The western and eastern walls of the monastery contain two intermediate towers each, two more are adjacent to the gate in the southern wall, two (round) are adjacent to the gate in the northern, and two more are located in the northern wall between the gate and the corner towers.

Both gate churches decorated with wonderful carved galleries. Southern five-domed Sergievskaya Church sometimes dates back to the mid-16th century and is attributed to Grigory Borisov (there is no documentary evidence for this), sometimes to 1679, and is associated with the name of the Rostov Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich, who at the same time rebuilt the Rostov Kremlin (we described his activities in detail in the article about Rostov ). There is no doubt that the church was at least rebuilt at the end of the 17th century - the carvings on the gallery clearly indicate the time of construction. On the Holy Gate under the church frescoes from the 17th century have been preserved. This gate opens onto the park and gives the impression of wilderness and privacy. On the contrary, the northern gate with Sretenskaya Church(1692) connect the monastery with the former settlement - the village of Borisoglebsky. Unlike the brick, unplastered Sergius Church, Sretenskaya and the two adjacent round towers are painted yellow, while the gallery and some details of the facade are left white. Add to this the slenderness of the five-domed temple, the carved gallery and twisted columns, and we get one of the most beautiful churches of the 17th century in Russia.

The largest building inside the monastery is a cubic five-domed Boris and Gleb Cathedral, built in 1522-1523 under the leadership of Grigory Borisov, although his participation here is not documented. It is in the cathedral that the relics of Theodore, Paul and Irinarch are kept. The interior is unusual: the vaults are supported by four pillars, which creates a volume effect. In the 17th century, the cathedral was somewhat rebuilt, external decorative elements were added, and at the beginning of the 19th century, the chapel of Elijah the Prophet was built. The paintings of the cathedral were done at the beginning of the 20th century by the artist Egorov based on the paintings of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov in the Kiev Vladimir Cathedral.

Annunciation Church with refectory chamber(1524-1526) is the only building of the monastery reliably built by Grigory Borisov (this is mentioned in the chronicle). This is the home church of the abbot of the monastery. In the 17th century, a porch was added to it, decorated with tiles and stone carvings, as was often done at that time. On the other side of the church are adjacent abbot's chambers, the first floor of which was built in the first half of the 16th century, and the second - in the 17th century.

Finally, the third large and perhaps the most unusual building inside the monastery is the belfry, built in 1690, clearly based on the belfry in the Rostov Kremlin. Its main building, with three small domes, is three-tiered, with a carved porch attached to it. All the bells were lost under Soviet rule; now there are 19 new bells in the belfry. In addition, two-story buildings have been preserved on the territory of the monastery. old abbot's chambers(XVI-XVII centuries), fraternal corps (XVI century), prosphora building(monastery kitchen, XVI-XVII centuries) and Archimandrite's cells(XVIII century). Overall, the monastery makes an amazing impression. At the end of the 17th century, they obviously tried to rebuild it according to the same scheme as the Rostov bishop’s court - and the same person, Iona Sysoevich, was involved in these two projects. But in Rostov it turned out to be a labyrinth of buildings: they made a pond in the center, but there wasn’t enough space for everything else, they even had to use the second tier. In the Borisoglebsky Monastery, on a vast territory, almost larger than in Rostov, there are only a few buildings. The result is a feeling of a huge space inside the wall: paths are laid here, trees grow, so much so that the wall is not visible from anywhere in the monastery, and you might think that you are somewhere in a forest or in a park.

Time for inspection: two hours.

Why go to Borisoglebsky: Borisoglebsky Monastery is perhaps the most complete architectural ensemble of the 16th-17th centuries in Russia.

Sretenskaya Gate Church (1692).
Photo: Yaroslav Blanter

Boris and Gleb Monastery.

...Under the Yaroslavl sky, in the very heart of Russia - a little away from the beaten paths of the Golden Ring - humbly located, modestly in the shadow of the grandiose monuments of Rostov the Great, is the magnificent architectural ensemble of the monastery-fortress in the village of Borisoglebsky, formed in the period from the 1520s to 1690 's, preserving the traditional features of national Russian architecture of the pre-Petrine era. Undeservedly ignored by tourists and pilgrims, after the coup of 1917 it divided its territory between a branch of the Rostov Museum of Local Lore and the municipal offices of the village of Borisoglebsky - now it has finally returned to the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church, and on this occasion in 2015 it underwent such a long-awaited, but such tactless restoration that erased the bright the individuality of ancient architecture that, it seems, it would be better if it did not exist at all...

I come to Borisogleb often - so often that I have collected a collection of photographs, together with the architecture, capturing the sultry silence of July, and the gloomy November drizzle, and the snowy and frosty silence unexpected for the end of March) Borisogleb is different. Here, being alone, you don’t feel lonely. Being burdened with a host of gloomy thoughts, you will certainly receive an answer and a hint. Being in moral confusion, you will gain wings. So…

The name of the village Borisogleb officially has a “-sky” tail. But I have never heard the full name from any aborigine. Borisogleb - and that's it. It is a local common practice to shorten proper names. Double names lose one of their halves (Porechye remains without Rybny, Pereslavl - without Zalessky), and long ones are shortened (Abrahamiyev Monastery turned into Abramov). I didn’t resist; after all, brevity is the sister of talent. (The top photo is the southern wall of the monastery and the Sergius Gate Church, 1680s. The bottom frame is the quadrangular flank tower of the western wall in the foreground, to the right are the domes of the Sergius Church.)

Borisogleb as a settlement on the map of Russia is an ordinary village. How to make a living here and how to survive in the harsh winter is completely unclear to me personally. If Rostov the Great (located 20 km from Borisogleb) at least brings tourists (and a lot of out-of-towners in private cars, this is noticeable by the numbers - on weekends the population increases by one and a half times due to visitors), almost everyone has a glimpse of it somewhere I heard with half an ear - I personally found out about Borisogleb only by purchasing a map of the Yaroslavl region and purposefully digging up historical information about Rostov. By all indications, only a few people know about the amazing monastery. I wouldn't be surprised that ABOUT The majority of Borisoglebsk residents perceive this gloomy structure only as a familiar detail of the local landscape. (The next shot is the same flank tower of the western wall from a different angle)

The history of each monastery is a separate legend. As a rule, any monastery began with several wooden log huts surrounding a low wooden temple somewhere in the forest or on the deserted shore of a reservoir. The Boris and Gleb Monastery was founded by two brothers, the hermit elders Theodore and Pavel - the first came to the Rostov land from Novgorod the Great and settled in the forest, the second joined three years later. They asked St. Sergius of Radonezh (the founder and initiator of the mass construction of monasteries in the remote, uninhabited lands of Russia, a kind of church colonization of new territories, which contributed to the expansion of the borders of the state and the strengthening of its power) to indicate the place for the construction of the temple and to allow the establishment of the monastery. The famous Russian wonderworker ascetic led the hermits to the bank of the forest river Ustye - this happened, according to the chronicle, in 1363, from that moment the history of the Boris and Gleb Monastery dates back.(By the way, I myself Sergius was born and raised in the village of Varnitsy, 4 km from Rostov the Great, in this village there is a monastery named after him, which is in great need of help these days). Gradually, several more people joined Theodore and Paul (they did not refuse anyone - you cannot live alone in the thicket of the forest, all working hands were welcome), and the monastery, surrounded by a fence (entirely made of wood), could already conduct an independent household. Neighboring peasants began to come to the place of prayer (people always flocked to the church) - they brought donations, and some began to slowly move under the walls of the monastery. So the monastery began to acquire peasant courtyards, which were built on the site of the cut down forest. Sloboda grew, the lands around were plowed up and sown. In medieval Rus', monasteries were a kind of “ village-forming enterprise" If it were not for the large-scale monastic colonization of the 14th century, we would now be missing a good half of the villages and towns in Central Russia. (The next shot is a pond near the western walls, on the site of a stream that once existed here, a tributary of the Ustye River)

During the era of Rurikovich The monasteries surrounded by fortress walls on the outskirts of the country served primarily for defense. The monasteries owned large financial and land resources, which in peacetime served as powerful levers of influence. More than once, members of the reigning dynasty used monasteries as a refuge from persecution by enemies during family feuds. Ivan the Terrible donated enormous funds to the monastery for the commemoration of the souls of several thousand boyars, princes, governors and members of their families killed by himself, and the confiscated property of those executed was also given to the monasteries.
The influence of the Boris and Gleb Monastery on the course of national history during the Time of Troubles is difficult to overestimate; it found itself in the thick of tragic events, together with Rostov the Great, being subjected to ruin and plunder by robbers of all stripes during the years of chaos and anarchy, nevertheless continuing to carry out its main spiritual mission, inspiring Russians warriors for feats, raising the morale to fight the enemy - the young prince-voivode Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky, who was rapidly moving towards Moscow captured by the Poles, in the winter of 1610, a cross was sent from the monks of the monastery with a blessing and an order to defeat the enemy (foreigners were driven out of the capital, however, only for six months). And it was to the Borisoglebsk inhabitants in the summer of 1612, before the liberation (and final) campaign against Moscow against the Polish invaders, being in troubled thoughts after the news of the betrayal of the Cossack atamans, on whose help he was counting, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky turned for advice, spiritual support and guidance , whose militia was in Yaroslavl at that time. For our ancestors, heavenly intercession meant a lot - it inspired victories, gave them confidence in their abilities, and united them.
Later, those who came to the throne in 1613 Romanovs continued to support the monastery with generous contributions, and the nobility who became monks donated their savings and land to the monastery. By the time Catherine the Second issued the Manifesto on the secularization of monastery lands in 1764, the Boris and Gleb monastery had accumulated enormous funds, both in monetary and property terms, and could well afford stone construction on a grand scale. All free-standing structures and powerful walls were built before 1764. In later periods, either repairs, reconstructions, or additions to existing buildings were carried out. (The next photo shows the walls and towers of the western part of the monastery.)

Stone construction in the monastery was carried out in two stages, with a break of a century and a half - in the 1520s and in the 1670-1690s, thanks to which the features inherent in architectural style corresponding era. The architecture of the “first wave” includes two stone churches - the Cathedral of Boris and Gleb (1524) and the Church of the Annunciation (1526) (both preserved), 2 buildings of the abbot's quarters (preserved), a prosphora building (bakery, preserved) and the cells of the first inhabitants . (after several reconstructions, only the walls remained, and even those were in a catastrophically ruined state). The “second wave” of development was carried out on a special scale. Until the end of the 17th century, the monastery occupied a quarter of the current territory, surrounded by wooden walls that had an irregular curved line in plan - they gradually deteriorated and no longer corresponded to the increased status of the monastery. New powerful stone walls with two passages and gate churches above them (southern Sergievsky 1680 and northern Sretensky 1690s) began to be built starting in the 1670s, starting work from the southern end of the monastery and adhering to a different layout, expanding and straightening space to an almost perfect rectangle. Old stone buildings from the 16th century ended up in the center; as a result, large deserted areas were formed inside the monastery, on which a garden and vegetable garden were laid out, a cedar grove was planted, and ponds were dug. In addition, the increased internal territory made it possible to erect a belfry in 1690. There is still a lot of space in the monastery, but in the dark, especially in the cold season, I think it is not too cozy here. The picture shows the northern wall of the monastery, 1690s, on the right is the faceted corner watch tower of Maximov, on the left is the Sretenskaya Gate Church, 1690, the slope to the east is noticeable - the monastery was built on the top of a hill.

The powerful fortress perimeter is competently equipped according to all the rules of fortification andin plan it has an almost rectangular shape - the complex terrain did not allow clear right angles to be straightened. The total length of the walls is 1040 m, the height varies from 10 to 12 m, the thickness reaches 3 m. 14 towers - from 25 to 40 meters in height. If we divide the total length of the walls (1040 m) by the distance between two adjacent loopholes of the upper battle (1.5 m), we find that at least 693 people could simultaneously fire from the enemy, this is a couple of battalions. The number of monastic brethren here never exceeded 80 people, which means they were counting on help from surrounding residents and reinforcements from outside. The picture shows the round corner northwestern tower (1690).

The northwestern part of the wall (in the next photo) is different from the rest of the perimeter. This is the only section where there are machiculi - wall projections with loopholes along the upper edge. Except here, it is not found anywhere else (nor are there any buttresses), from which it follows that the entire wall was built by different masters in several stages, which is not surprising, given the scale of construction. On the right is the Sretenskaya Gate Church, the northern entrance to the monastery, the entire northern part was built in the 1690s.The western wall of the monastery from the Rostov highway is a very picturesque combination of an impregnable citadel with the mirror of a lake. The buttresses here are not a decorative element, but an urgent necessity: the foundation stands on a narrow earthen lintel between two reservoirs; a small part of the pond goes inside the fortress walls - the groundwater level in this place is very high.

The fortifications include four corner towers - each different from the other both in shape (round or polygonal) and in the top covering (tent or dome). There is one round one, northwestern, overlooking the lake - a domed blind roof without an observation deck, but it is the only one in the lower tier with windows instead of gun loopholes (rather impractical from a defensive point of view).

South-west hexagonal tower and spindle of the south wall, 1680s. If there are three rows of loopholes on perfectly smooth (not caught) walls, then on the corner tower there are as many as five of them in all four directions! The enemy will definitely not be happy! The three bottom ones are for heavy artillery, the top one is for rifles, the second from the top is for ground fighting, right over the heads of those who have already reached the tower from the outside.
A solid solid buttress (in the next frame), supporting the south-eastern also hexagonal tower breaking away from the walls, was installed in 1787 - “at the larger tower on the corner, which is very dangerous from the foundation, from which large dangerous clefts appeared on the fence wall.” You know, the crack along which the fracture occurs is very old.

The corner faceted north-eastern tower (previous frame) with a tent covering - Maksimovskaya - is the highest of all; at the top there is an observation deck for those who are not only curious, but also able to climb it. 38 meters - this, I tell you, is strong! This observation tower is run by the museum - we paid 250 rubles for all the fun ( outside 2011, there is no museum on the territory of the monastery since 2014, access to the walls is now closed - Author's note). Dimitrievsky Monastery in Rostov, next to which we live ( We spent the summer of 2011 in Rostov the Great - Author's note), also has an observation deck, which can be accessed much cheaper - 50 rubles for two, including photography. Here's a museum for you...

Panorama of the Boris and Gleb Monastery from a 38-meter height. Ancient buildings - as if in the palm of your hand, these are the first stone temples of the monastery. On the left are the faceted apses of Boris and Gleb Cathedral (1524). The original appearance of the temple was significantly distorted by the reconstruction of 1778 - 1780, during which the drum was built on, the helmet-shaped dome was replaced with a “onion-shaped one with an interception” of a smaller diameter compared to the drum, and the side-by-side roof, completed with ten kokoshniks, was replaced with a more practical hipped roof - reconstructions carried out everywhere ancient buildings were not decorated at all. In the center is the elegant dome of the Annunciation Church (1526), with the rector’s chambers added to the right (the first floor was built in the 1520s, the second was built on in the 1690s); these two buildings were united together in the 19th century, but inside they do not have a common passage - one of the windows of the altar enters the interior of the abbot's chambers. At the beginning of the 16th century, construction in the monastery was carried out under the leadership of Grigory Borisov, an architect who left behind a big mark in the history of medieval Russian architecture.

But here it’s already scary. View of the eastern wall of the monastery from the observation deck of the highest Maximovskaya tower of the Boris and Gleb Monastery, 38 meters above the ground on a small spot under your feet, dear mother... A dangerous staircase, from which your foot tries to slip. It's crazy how they used to run here before! And in general, absolutely everything here is wooden, natural, on nails and screws, which tend to jump out of their nests! blown away by the wind from here. In general, if there is an opportunity to rise above the ground at some interesting object, without hesitation, for any money, it’s worth it. The world from above is completely different - numerous little things disappear, big things are seen from a distance.

But those who are not at all afraid are the winged creatures on the spiers. They ward off troubles from the monastery, notice the enemy from afar, cover them with wings from misfortunes, and guard peace. The spiers of the flanking towers on both sides of the Sretenskaya Gate Church, above the northern, or Water, gates. And forests everywhere and around...

Sretenskaya Gate Church (1690) above the northern entrance to the monastery (the rectangular altar is visible), the former Water Gate. The Ustye River changed its course long ago, and now behind these gates (on the right in the photo) is the shopping street of the village of Borisoglebsky with its preserved cobblestone pavement. Shops are built right at the foot of the monastery walls (the shops were built in the 19th century with funds from the monastery and were rented to local merchants). The hectic market bustle against the backdrop of the imperturbable stone witnesses of the past.

The flank tower of the eastern wall stands on the hillside directly above the Rostov-Uglich highway. It is probably impossible to build a perimeter 10 meters high on rough terrain that would remain intact for three centuries. The wall has a serious deviation from the vertical that is visible to the naked eye. Plus walled-in towers, the foundation of which also behaves unpredictably and lives its own life. The result is these 10-meter cracks. At the top it’s probably as wide as a brick, no less.

The arches are located along the entire perimeter of the walls, recessed deep into a third of the thickness. Their functionality is as follows. Firstly, saving building materials. Secondly, the effect of visually increasing the internal space (which, by the way, is already abundant in the monastery; the territory is filled with buildings by barely a third). And thirdly, the walls acquire a curious acoustic feature - all internal sounds resonate (reflect) from the arches, thus remaining inside the space of the monastery; not a whisper or a word is heard outside from behind the walls.

"Musket" (upper) combat loophole for rifle fire. Located every one and a half meters along the entire perimeter.

The upper part of the flanking towers at the entrance gate. Three loopholes for “musket” combat and two for medium combat, “varnitsy” - from the word “var” (“boiling water”), holes with inclined walls, allowing you to fire at the space directly at the foot of the walls, as well as pour boiling tar or water directly on your heads attackers. Cruel - but effective, and because there was no point in meddling here at all.

The loophole of the lower ("bottom") battlement in a three-meter wall is intended for the installation of cannons and other artillery, aesthetically decorated (each one, please note!) with such a semicircular roller. In general, the monastery amazes with many such cute little details, so the question is, what is the use of all this aesthetics when it comes to defensive power? But no - both the laws of fortification were observed, and elements of strict beauty were added to most of the details. This gives the monumental fortress building additional charm.

Here everything looked like this for three hundred years. A foreign invader never stood under these walls - after 1700, Russia conducted military operations on its other borders, far from here. The walls protected an architectural reserve, which we will now begin to study from the inside.

You can enter the territory of the monastery from two opposite sides. The southern facade (it is in the photo, the famous Borisoglebskaya southern gallery, 1680) looks much neater and more solemn than the northern one, dirty, blackened and trampled. The northern gate (through which the vast majority of visitors enter the monastery) opens into the village, the southern (much less often used) looks out onto the forest (more precisely, at what was once a pine forest). Temples were erected above both gates; the architecture of the gates themselves and the galleries above them is also the same - they were built almost simultaneously, with a break of 10 years. On both sides, wide and at first glance rather defenseless passages are guarded by powerful flanking towers with four rows of loopholes. This grandiose spectacle emerges unexpectedly, and the combination of graceful semicircular ceilings, windows, relief patterns with voluminous impregnable towers makes a very strong impression on an unprepared viewer.

The frame is catastrophically two-dimensional. It is so white and frosty here, as it can never be in March. But this is March. It’s so quiet here that your ears are ringing from the unusual absence of all sounds. But every quarter of an hour the silence is broken by the bells on the monastery belfry - and it is impossible to forget about the passage of time. A snowy path to a monastery, in a small village, in the middle of a huge country, a road that everyone should have at least once in their life...
(To be continued...)