Orthodox Tours

Day 4.

Monday, June 14, 2010.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

We will start our day with a visit to the church of St. Simeon, one of the most perfectly restored medieval gems of Moscow. Then we will explore the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This Cathedral is marked in all tour books as a “must see” attraction. And it is indeed so. But few people know that along with its mammoth glory it contains some of the nicest modern icons in its lower church and fascinating collection of the Medieval Byzantine and Russian Icons in one of its galleries. After lunch we will visit Andronikov Monastery, home to the second largest (and probably second best) collection of Russian Medieval Art and Novo-Spasskiy (Savior’s “New”) Monastery, another significant religious site in Moscow, also adorned with an iconostas and frescoes from the 17th century. Later in the evening, we will transfer to the town of Sergiev Posad where we will stay overnight.

Day 5.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010.

Meals: Brunch and Dinner.

Sergiev Posad is famous for its astounding Holy Trinity Lavra that needs no introduction. Holy Trinity Lavra, being a functioning monastery for several hundred years, also became a museum under the open sky with lots for anyone to see. Its Holy Trinity Cathedral contains not only the relics of one of the most beloved Russian saints and Lavra’s founder – St. Sergius of Radonezh - but also has the only surviving iconostasis attributed to Andrei Rublev. The main church of Lavra, Dormition Cathedral strongly resembles the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, and has some fine icons and frescoes painted by masters from the city of Kostroma. After brunch we will continue our day with the exploration of Pereslavl’- Zalessky, the home town of the Russian Duke Alexander Nevsky. Here we will visit the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral (dated back to 1152-1157) and Goritsky Monastery (museum now) with its fascinating baroque cathedral and art museum with a collection of Russian icons. After Dinner we will travel some two hours south for an overnight at the “crown jewel” of the Golden Ring – the town of Suzdal. In route we will stop to see Yuriev Pol’skiy, a small and for the most part neglected town that nevertheless has some spectacular sites to offer. We will explore St. George’s Cathedral (built in 1152), in age and quality of artistry rival to that of St. Dimitry in Vladimir; then the Archangel Michael Monastery neatly situated in between medieval earthen ramparts.

Day 6.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

This morning, we will explore very important and interesting medieval Russian city of Vladimir that is situated some 20 miles south of Suzdal. Here, our plans are to visit Dormition Cathedral with frescoes by Andrei Rublev, St. Dimitry Cathedral with its fantastic stone bas-reliefs, Cathedral of Knyaginin Convent, with frescoes dating back from 1649 and the newly restored/rebuilt Bogoyavlenskiy Monastery. After the tour of Vladimir we will visit the complex of the convent in Bogolyubovo, built on the spot of one of the earliest residences of the Russian dukes. At the end of the day, we will walk through the pristine fields to explore the world-renown monument - church of the Protection of the Theotokos on Nerl’ River. For overnight we will return to our hotel in Suzdal.

Day 7.

Thursday, June 17, 2010.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

It is practically impossible to try to describe Suzdal’ - that miracle little town, doubtlessly the jewel of the Russian Golden Ring and of all Russia. Multiple churches and monasteries always leave something new to explore for an attentive visitor, no matter how many times you have been in Suzdal’. Here we will visit the Suzdal’ Kremlin with its fascinating Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos, built in 1220’s. Along with the cathedral we will see the collection of church artifacts and the icon museum in the former archbishop’s palace. After lunch we will explore the architectural ensemble of Spaso-Ephymiev (St. Ephymius) Monastery. The latter is especially famous for its magnificent cathedral adorned with splendid frescoes by Guriy Nikitin.