Traveling in a group? If you have chosen the routes of the Pearl Necklace of Holy Russia for your trip, you can contact the Smolensk diocese, where you will be assisted in organizing your stay in the cities of the project. You can contact by mail odigitria-smol@yandex.ru
Dear friends! We bring to your attention a single walking route through the historical centers of cities implementing the project “Pearl Necklace of Holy Russia”. This route is not a figment of theoretical fabrications, but a tourist product empirically tested by our team. The routes that we offer in each city were tested by the project team during the pilot tour, which took place from October 21 to October 27, 2019. The starting point was the base city of the Smolensk project. Further, the route passed in the following order: Mogilev – Vitebsk – Polotsk – Pskov – Novgorod. Our single route includes walks through the historical centers of ancient cities – this is an easy way to quickly and with interest get an idea of the historical appearance of any city, including the cities of the project. Going on a journey, take advantage of our single route and we are sure that this trip will be not only fascinating, but also informative for you.
Smolensk – Mogilev. Before Orsha, the M1 highway after the M8
We will begin our walking route through the ancient city of Mogilev from the main square of the city – the Square of Glory. It arose at the beginning of the 16th century between the castle and Nagorny Posad as a trade, on which there were many shops with goods. Now it is the social and administrative center of the city. Here we can see the memorial complex “Fighters for Soviet power.” It includes a bronze sculpture symbolizing the image of Victory, as well as the eternal flame. If you go beyond the memorial, we will have an amazing view. In 1578, the beautiful City Hall was erected on the square, the reconstruction of which we can see today, and from the south-western side adjoins the square is Castle Square.
Preserved architectural monuments of the 18th – 2nd half of the 19th century – the building of the former district court, which now houses the Mogilev Regional Museum of Local Lore (in 1919 it housed the headquarters of the 16th Army, in which a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Army G.K. Ordzhonikidze and the building of the former city council worked for some time.
We pass along Pervomaiskaya Street, where the Drama Theater awaits us, where, after crossing the road and turning to the right, and then delving into a small passage, you will meet the Church of St. Stanislav.
Church of them. St. Stanislaus
A small feature of the Church is its closeness. On all sides it is surrounded by houses, and if you do not know where to look, then you can skip it. For the same reason, it is very difficult to photograph. A wide-angle lens is indispensable.
Old buildings, which did not have time to demolish in Soviet times. This is the courtyard of the house from the previous photo on the right. A sort of piece of Europe. Photographers like to drop in here, while residents are all surprised: “Well, what can I take pictures here?”
And on the Right you can see the statue of John Paul II.
In Soviet times, the building housed an archive. During this period, the temple lost some of the murals. An organ with rare ceramic pipes was also lost.
During World War II, the MPVO system was installed on the roof of the church. When the church was returned to believers in the early 1990s, here, in the attic, they found a skeleton, most likely, of the very soldier who was shooting from enemy aircraft.
There used to be a window in the round hole, but then a portico was attached, and the upper part of the facade disappeared behind the second wall. There are still preserved elements of stucco and niches, in which, perhaps, earlier stood sculptures.
Leninskaya street and the Square of Stars
Having enjoyed the atmosphere of the Church of them. St. Stanislav, we suggest you return to Komsomolskaya Street, walk along it along the side of the previously visited Drama Theater and Square. Herzen, and at the traffic lights turn left and return to the pedestrian Leninsky Street, along which we will continue our journey.
From here the most lively and crowded part of the main historical street of the city will begin, in which small cafeterias and fashionable boutiques are combined with historical buildings of past centuries. Do not forget to stop at one of the cafes and enjoy a cup of coffee in a pleasant atmosphere that recalls the old streets of the famous Paris, or other cities of Western Europe.
The paved path will hold you again, and then your art will clearly attract them. VC. Bialynitsky-Biruli, and located slightly to the left of the building of the hostel No. 1 of Mogilev State University named after A.A. Kuleshov, in which, in his youthful years, the president of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko.
Your small promenade will complete the Square of Stars – a modern art object located opposite the Rodina Cinema building. Despite the fact that the monument itself is a pure fantasy of local residents, it has long become famous throughout the world as the original and only monument, perhaps the most mysterious profession in the world. Not for nothing about the ensemble itself in the square there are many rumors, including mystical and mysterious ones. However, these are all tales that anyone interested can familiarize themselves with. Well, we advise you to look at a movie session, and then take a spectacular photo in the armchair of your zodiac sign. And then our long journey lies to the Cathedral of the Three Saints.
Walking further from the Square of Stars along Leninskaya Street (to the right of the exit from the Rodina movie theater), you will meet the square of the 40th anniversary of Victory, and then moving along the square in the same direction, you will find Lenin Boulevard, which will lead you to the main building of Mogilev – the regional executive committee and zero kilometer. If you go around this grand building on the left and walk a little straight, passing through the Puppet Theater, you will meet the famous Cathedral of the Three Saints, which beckons the traveler with its domes. It is worth paying attention both to the territory of the cathedral and to its interior decoration. In the courtyard, the traveler can feel as if he is away from the noisy city, despite the fact that the cathedral is located on the busy Pervomaiskaya street. In summer, the white walls of the cathedral are decorated with a huge amount of greenery, various flowers and trees. The temple is built in the shape of a cross and has seven domes, a bell tower above the entrance. This building is made in the pseudo-Russian style, it can be entered from three sides – another hallmark of the building associated with the name of the temple. Finishing your walk through the territory before entering the temple, in a small building to the left of the main entrance you can buy candles, and also pay attention to the library of Orthodox literature, the reading room at the temple.
Inside the temple will amaze you first of all not so much with solemnity as it will appease you with its calm architecture, smooth forms. You can even say that the temple creates a truly chamber and cozy atmosphere in which you can be alone with your thoughts and prayers.
Concluding your trip to the city center, we suggest you separately visit another place, sacred not only for the residents of Mogilev, but also for everyone affected by the Second World War – Buinichsky field. The field can be reached by bus number 3, next to the bus station of the city of Mogilev, which is located near the Cathedral of Three Saints. To get there, you need to turn right from the main entrance and continue to the regulated intersection, turn right on it, and go straight to the next major intersection, where you need to turn left and continue straight ahead to the bus station.
Here we arrived at Buinichsky field, where the whole earth is saturated with the blood of Soviet
soldiers who heroically fought during the years of World War II.
Here is a memorial complex that was opened in 1995. In 2002, the memorial was recognized as the cultural value of Belarus.
An arch is installed at the entrance, along the edges of which there are bas-reliefs depicting a defense scheme of Mogilev and paintings of the battle. Also on the arch you can see the text of the order on awarding Mogilyov with the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree.
If you go further along the path, you can go straight to the heart of the memorial – the chapel. It is located in the very center of the alley. It was built in memory of the dead soldiers. On the walls of the chapel are plaques with hundreds of names of militias and warriors who gave their lives to save Mogilev. Below it is a crypt that was created to rebury the remains of soldiers.
Around the chapel are samples of military equipment. And on the right you can see the remains of an anti-tank ditch.
The symbolic “monument” on the Buinichi field is also the Lake of Tears, symbolizing the mother’s tears about the dead sons.
Food nearby in Mogilev: Café “Sat and ate” , (Near the city hall),
Cafe Georges Simone (Next to the Starship)
Where to stay: Hotel Slavic Tradition (178 Chelyuskintsev St., Mogilev)
Mogilev – Vitebsk. Route M8 (E 95)
We offer you a walking route through the historical center of the city Vitebsk. We will begin our walking route on Zamkova Street , it is considered one of the oldest in the city . Building on the street existed in the XI-XII centuries. We will stop in front of the Vitebsk Drama Theater, which is located at Zamkova Street No. 2, and we can see the magnificent Millennium Square of the city of Vitebsk. The legend of the 18th century is involuntarily recalled here. “In the summer of 974, Olga, having defeated the Yatvyag and Pechenegs, crossed the Dvina River and spent the night with the army. She liked the mountain, and she founded a wooden castle, naming it from the Vitba River – Vitbeškom, built in the Upper Castle church of St. Michael, and in the Lower – the Annunciation and, having spent two years, went to Kiev. ” The echo of those events that have passed through the centuries before us is a beautiful temple: Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (XII century) with a bell . Since ancient times, the Annunciation Church was one of the first and therefore the main and most revered. Residents of Vitebsk, who left the city, took a blessing on the road in this church, and when they returned, they thanked the Mother of God for their help in traveling. Next to the stone Annunciation Church is the wooden church of St. Alexander Nevsky, built in the early 1990s. In June 2016, a monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky, his wife, Vitebsk Princess Alexandra, and their son Vasily, was erected (authors I. Kazak, A. Gvozdikov and E. Kolchev). And the theater life of the city is concentrated on the monument, one of the best scenes in Belarus is the Y. Kolas National Academic Drama Theater, whose team is a laureate of many international festivals.
From the Millennium Square, the streets of Zamkova, Kalinin and Pushkin begin. Along Zamkova Street, past the department store building, we head to Freedom Square.
On the one hand: Liberty Square , the tower of the Lower Castle, reconstructed in the 21st century, called “Dukhovskaya Kruglik” . And in the lowland behind it – the famous Summer Amphitheater , the venue of the international art festival “Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk “, Which attracts thousands of guests and participants every summer. In old Vitebsk, Freedom Square was called the Cathedral Square. And just a few tens of meters from Cathedral Square, separated only by a bridge over the Vitbu River, there was another square – Voskresenskaya with its own special architectural ensemble.
The ensemble of Voskresenskaya Square consists of two main dominants: the town hall building in the center, to the left of it was the Resurrection Church. Town Hall for any European city is primarily a symbol of independence. The town hall could only be built by residents of those cities that received the right to self-government from the monarch – the so-called Magdeburg Law. Now the building is the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore, the funds of which are stored more than 200 thousand exhibits.
To the south of the Town Hall, there is a high Holy Resurrection Church . This is a remake of the Orthodox Church, erected in 2009. in the place where the church of the XVIII century stood, blown up to the foundation in 1936. The architectural style used by the builders of this beautiful slender church is Vilnius baroque.
Next, we head along Leo Tolstoy Street and, at the confluence of the two rivers Vitba and Zapadnaya Dvina, there is an Orthodox female Holy Spirits Monastery . It was founded at the end of the 14th century by the wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Olgerd, Grand Duchess Juliania Alexandrovna, who became a monk here and was buried inside the monastery walls. In 2001, the monastery was restored. Returning a little back you can go to the pedestrian Pushkin bridge, and in front of the bridge we see a monument to A.S. Pushkin . In those days, in this part of Vitebsk there was a post station where the exiled poet changed horses. Every year, on the poet’s birthday, a festival takes place in the city called “Pushkin Holiday in Vitebsk”. Behind the monument begins Pushkin Street on it is the theater “Lyalka”, it pleases children and adults one of the best European puppet theaters, repeated winner of international festivals. On the contrary, the entrance to the theater is a sculpture of Old Man Hottabych . The monument to the fairy-tale hero was not accidentally placed in Vitebsk. It was here that in 1903 Lazarus Ginzburg was born, who wrote the fairy tale “The Old Man Hottabych.” We cross the Pushkin bridge, an arched structure through Vitba was built in 1961. It has become a tradition among citizens during weddings to hang symbolic locks on this bridge, the keys to which are thrown into the river. Next, we see a high staircase with granite cladding leading to the site in front of the Assumption Cathedral. Do not be afraid of its steepness and many steps – climbing them is quite easy and not tiring at all. We will rise and up to the old Assumption Mountain. Well, here we are already above. See what a beautiful panorama of old Vitebsk opens from here! The water surface of the Western Dvina, which carries its waters to the Baltic Sea, also attracts our eyes. Since the middle of the 18th century, the majestic Holy Assumption Cathedral , built in the traditions of the late Baroque. For several centuries this temple was the hallmark of Vitebsk. All the ups and downs of the history of the difficult XX century were reflected in his fate: in 1937 the cathedral was blown up, the factory building was built in its place, and in 1998 the restoration of the shrine began. Today, the temple returned from oblivion again serves as an adornment of ancient Vitebsk.
The street going from the Assumption Cathedral was once called Cathedral, and now bears the name of Commissioner Krylov. This small street has completely preserved its old buildings. the building of the Vitebsk Theological Seminary and with it the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius .
To continue our journey, we will have to go along Commissioner Krylov’s street and go to the “Town Hall” stop and take bus number 46 and get off at V.I. Lenin Library stops, then along the route of the bus we will head to Victory Squares . On this square is a memorial complex” Liberators of Vitebsk – Soviet soldiers, partisans and underground “was created in 1974 in honor of the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Vitebsk from the Nazi invaders. There is also an open-air museum of military equipment in the adjacent territory. Further, to continue our route, we will have to return to the V.I. Lenin Library stop, cross the road, and we can see Holy Protection Cathedral . The cathedral has a three-part type. This is a type of Orthodox church, which is characterized by the presence of 3 elements: a bell tower, a refectory, a temple.
Our acquaintance with the sights of the city ends.
Thus, having completed the proposed route, you will get acquainted with the most famous sights of the city of Vitebsk, immerse yourself in its rich cultural life, learn its glorious history. And now we’ll recover in Polotsk.
Food nearby: Teatralnoye Cafe Club (Kirovsky Bridge)
Cafe Club Meeting (Annunciation Church)
Dumpling diner (Assumption Cathedral)
Where to stay: Hostel H.O. (Vitebsk, 10/2 Suvorova St., building 1)
Golden Calf Hotel (6a Belorusskaya St., Vitebsk)
Vitebsk-Polotsk. Route P20
Polotsk is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The first mention of it in the annals dates back to 862. This is a real gem of our international route – the birthplace of Francis Skorina, keeping the legends of Rogvolod and Rogneda, the traditions of Euphrosyne of Polotsk and many other interesting and exciting stories.
We suggest starting your acquaintance with the city with St. Sophia Cathedral (Zamkova St., 1). This is a unique architectural monument of the 11th – 18th centuries, which became the first stone building in Belarus. Constructed according to Orthodox canons, Sophia Cathedral for 243 years was a Uniate church and was returned to Orthodox Christians only after the liquidation of the Union. Today it houses the Museum of History, architecture of St. Sophia Cathedral and a concert hall of chamber organ music. Going on a trip, check out the poster on the museum’s official website. (Http://pogorelaya.museum.by/)
After visiting the cathedral, go down the stairs and continue your walk around the city along Nizhne-Pokrovskaya Street. There are a considerable number of museums, including Museum of Local Lore (11 Nizhne-Pokrovskaya), which located in the building of the former Lutheran church. We also recommend paying attention to the Museum of Belarusian Printing, which is the only museum of its kind in Belarus.
Then we turn into a small square on Francis Skorina Avenue, where you can find the Geographic Center of Europe . A little further you can see the monument Simeon Polotsky (5 Sverdlova St.), which left its mark on poetry, pedagogy and theology.
Nearby is the area of Francis Skorina, there is also a monument in honor of the first printer and creator of the Belarusian language. Walking forward along Fr. Skorina Avenue, you will come to Freedom Square . Its main attraction is the Monument to the Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812, restored on the model of the 1850th year, about 10 years ago.
Another pearl of the city is Spaso-Efrosinievsky Convent , founded in Polotsk by Rev. Efrosinia of Polotsk. Holy Epiphany Cathedral is preserved on the territory of the monastery, in which magnificent XII century frescoes painted according to legend, by Euphrosyne herself. You can get there by city bus number 4.
Polotsk is a quiet, cozy and original town. This is a necessary element to get acquainted with the history and culture of Belarus.
Food nearby: Cafe “Jubilee” (monument to Francis Skorina)
Polotsk Plast Pizzeria (monument to Francis Skorina)
Where to sleep: Agriturismo Yakim and Manya (Ekiman-2 village, 10 Parkovy lane, 211653 Polotsk)
Hotel “House on Lake Semenets” (Oktyabrskaya St., 77A, Polotsk)
Dvina Hotel (Polotsk, 13 F. Skoriny Ave.)
Polotsk-Pskov. To Pechor of the highway P46, P23 (E 95) after 58K-346
Pskov
We will begin our walking route near the church of St. George from Vzvoz built in the period of the Pskov Republic in 1494, located near The embankment of the Great River . On it (on this embankment), not far from the church of St. Nicholas, there is a cafe in which you can have a meal before setting off on a journey. After walking a few kilometers along Georgievskaya street, we will see the Church of the Assumption from Polonischa , located at the intersection of two ancient streets – St. George and the Assumption, now bearing the name of M.I. Kalinin. This church acquired a modern look at the beginning of the 19th century, when, with the permission of the Holy Synod, it was rebuilt at the expense of the grandmother of the Decembrist M.I. Nazimov Anna Lukinishna Shishkova in the style of mature with individual features of early classicism.
After walking a little along Georgievskaya street and crossing the Sovetskaya street on the road crossing, we get to the street named after the Russian poet Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov, on which objects attracting special attention of tourists are located. Among them are Pskov United Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve , opened in 1876. It was originally located Pogankiny chambers, and currently includes 13 objects in Pskov and 5 branches in the region. Next to the Pskov Museum-Reserve, on Komsomolsky Lane, from the side of the wall of the Okolny City, there is Blacksmith’s yard otherwise referred to as the house of Ksienda and included in the complex of the museum-reserve. The second name is the monument of the ancient Pskov stone residential architecture of the XVII century. received in the second half of the XIX century. on behalf of the abbot of a nearby Catholic parish in honor of St. Trinity Ksendz Witkowski, in whose possession then passed this building. On the opposite side of the Forge yard, on Museum Lane, is the Museum of the Memory of Prisoners of Concentration Camps, opened on July 23, 2014 on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Pskov from Nazi invaders. More than 300 exhibits are stored there, among which are personal photographs, diary entries and literary work of former prisoners of German concentration camps.
Returning to the street to them. N.Nekrasova, we will follow to the City Administration and, having bypassed the building of the City Duma, we will go out to Oktyabrsky Lane leading to the Children’s Park. Near the house of the state adviser A.S. Valuev, later acquired to live in the Pskov governor, is a monument dedicated to the heroes of the novel V.A. Kaverina “Two Captains” – to Sanya Grigoryev and Ivan Tatarinov. Now through the Children’s Park we will go to the three-meter monument to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga , born on the Pskov land. Next to it on a cylindrical pedestal is also a figure the little prince Vladimir – the future baptist of Russia.
North-east, near the Kutozovsky Garden, is located built at the beginning of the XX century. for donations from citizens Academic Drama Theater named after A.S. Pushkin , which in 2012-14. has undergone extensive restoration. Having crossed the pedestrian crossing Oktyabrsky Prospekt, you can get to the theater along ul. A.S. Pushkin.
Then along Sovetskaya Street, through October Square, the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, square to them. IN AND. Lenin, we will go to the Pskov Kremlin erected at the confluence of the Pskov and Velikaya Pskov Kremlin . In front of its walls we are met by the so-called Dovmontov city ¬ – an artificial defensive structure erected in the XIII century. Pskov Prince Dovmont (in holy baptism – Timothy) for additional protection of the Kremlin. Initially, on its territory there were about one and a half dozen subsequently destroyed temples that marked the areas of ancient Pskov.
The main building of the Pskov Kremlin is 78 meters high Holy Trinity Cathedral , according to legend the command of Princess Olga. Four times rebuilt, this cathedral acquired a modern look in 1699.
Having crossed the Pskov River along the Trinity Bridge along the ancient Zvannitsa Street, now named after Leon of Pozemsky, we will go to Church of St. Varlaam – the founder of the Khutynsky monastery. The history of this church dates back to 1466. In 1615, when the Swedish invaders came to Pskov, led by King Gustav Adolfo. She saved the townspeople hiding in her. Also, in the parish archives are stored testimonies of miracles performed by prayer in front of the old image of the Mother of God “All Who Sorrow Joy” in her vestibule. Not far from the temple is a restaurant where you can have a bite to eat.
Our acquaintance with the sights of the city will end with a visit to Monument in memory of the Ice Slaughter , located in the Pskov region near the villages Khotitsy and Sokolitsy. Its height is 75 meters. In order to get to him, we sit on the street to them. Leon Pozemsky on the 118th taxi.
Thus, having completed the proposed route, you will get acquainted with the famous sights of Pskov, immerse yourself in its rich cultural life, learn its glorious history.
Food nearby: Cafe “Chest” (Near EXCEPT)
Pokrovsky Restaurant (Church of the Intercession and Nativity from the Break »
Where to settle: Hotel Olginskaya (Pskov, 4 Paromenskaya St.)
Hostel 60 (Pskov, 9a Olginskaya St.)
Hotel “ArtMagic” (Narodnaya d. 15, 1st floor, Pskov)
Pskov-Veliky Novgorod. To the Island, the P23 (E 95) highway after 58A -309 to Porkhov, after P56
Veliky Novgorod
Start your journey with Novgorod Kremlin at – one of the most ancient monuments of military architecture of Russia of the XV-XVII centuries.
Having captured the panorama of the Kremlin, you can compare it with the panorama on a two-ruble coin of the sample of 2009.
If you came to Veliky Novgorod in the summer, be sure to join the locals and take a dip in the river near the Kremlin walls!
The Kremlin is the city’s main gem: Hagia Sophia . Read poems and inscriptions on its walls: take a look at Novgorod history. See the three main keepers of Veliky Novgorod: the dove of the Virgin on the main dome, the fresco of Jesus with a clenched fist and the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” that protected the city from the invasion of Suzdal.
Just next to St. Sophia Cathedral, on Kremlin Square, there is another significant place – the monument “Millennium of Russia” . It captures the historical faces of our country. Try to get to know everyone!
Then continue your journey along the famous pedestrian bridge across the Volkhov River . It connects two parts of the city. So from the Sofia part you will find yourself in Trading. Turn right to the white arcade, where the Yaroslavovo Courtyard is located. A walk through the historic complex will take half an hour. Here you can visit St. Nicholas Cathedral – one of the oldest cathedrals in Veliky Novgorod. It is located on the street. 5. Bolshaya Moskovskaya, 5. This will take you just half an hour. Not far away, on Znamensky Lane, you can easily find the church Transfiguration of the Savior . To get to it, you need to rise from St. Nicholas Cathedral to Ilyina Street and go along it east, right to the alley. Only here you can see the unique murals of Theophanes the Greek and enjoy the work of the famous icon painter and master of monumental frescoes. It will take you about thirty minutes to visit the temple.
Food nearby: Cafe on Haymarket (Near the Eternal Flame)
Berg House Restaurant (Ilyina St.)
Sudarushka Cafe (Ilyina St.)
Where to settle:
Bereza Guest House (Ilyina Street 29, Veliky Novgorod)
Truvor Boutique Hotel ( 2/1 Dvortsovaya St., 3, Veliky Novgorod)
Hostel Yaroslav (4, Nikolskaya St., Veliky Novgorod)
This concludes the walk through the historical centers, we hope that you will experience the complex and at the same time heroic destinies of these ancient cities. Come to the cities of the Pearl Necklace of Holy Russia again, but take your friends with you and become guides for them through the distant pages of your native history. And maybe you yourself will send us your routes.
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