March 2011 : Karelia discovery during winter

Already 1 year in Russia ... There are so many places to visit and the country being so large, one full life is probably not sufficient to see all !

It's spring since 1st of March in Russia and as you can see below the weather is better (0°C on March 23rd but snowing, very windy ... announced -10°C next week-end) : don't try to find winter clothes now because it is the summer in the stores !

This month, the blog is dedicated to Karelia, on North West of Russia near the Finland border and having the Mourmansk region on North, where we spent a couple of days end of February.

Where is it located ?

Some figures for Karelia :

• 180,500 square kilometers (1% of the total territory of Russia)
• population of about 800,000 inhabitants,
• its length from North to South is 660 kilometers, 
• its width from West to East is 424 kilometers,
• the capital of Karelia is Petrozavodsk (280,000 inhabitants) located on Onego Lake,
• about 85% of the territory is covered with forests,
• more than 27,000 rivers and over 60,000 lakes in Karelia, including Lake Ladoga (17,000 square kilometers) and Lake Onego (9,900 square kilometers), which are among the largest lakes in Europe,
• economy of the Republic of Karelia is based on natural resources (timber and minerals), use of tourist and recreational potential and favourable economic and geographical frontier location. 

The historical events for Karelia in brief :

Year	Events
7000-6000 B.C.	The beginning of Karelia inhabitance.
12-15 cc.	Karelia is part of Novgorod feudal republic.
1227	Baptizing of the Karelians.
1478	Karelia is included in the Russian state
1610-1611	Heroic defense of the town of Korela from the Swedish invaders
1649	Olonets's foundation
1703	Despite the fact it was a Finnish territory Peter the Great built a fortress on Hare Island that was to become in 1912 his new capital, St Petersburg
1861	Opening of a regular transport connection between Petrozavodsk and St.Petersburg.
1869	Foundation of the first steam saw-mill in the region by the merchants Belyaevs in the settlement of Soroka (now the town of Byelomorsk).
1914-1916	Murmansk railway road construction
November 1917 - April 1918	The Soviet power establishment
July 1918 - March 1920	Civil war and foreign intervention in the region
1929	Konopozhskaya pulp and paper mill is the first enterprise of pulp and paper industry in Karelia
December 1941	The Soviet troops seized the enemy attack on the territory of Karelia
June-September, 1944	Karelia was set free from German-Finnish aggressors
9 of August,1990	State Sovereignty of Karelian ASSR was adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Republic
13 of November, 1991	Karelian ASSR was renamed into the Republic of Karelia

How to discover Karelia ?

Either you can visit Karelia during summer season - but the period is short - or during winter season, what was our choice. 

From Moscow, there are many trains going North and it is quite convenient but slow ... we decided to go North of Olonetz, in the South of Karelia, and we spent 10 hours by train (night) and then 1 hour by road.

Curtains and carpet in the train and ... cold this morning at Lodeinoye Pole !

As you imagine there is a lot of snow and to discover the region you have the choice between

snowmobiles or cross country sky : I let you imagine what was our choice !

So, let's enjoy fresh air, calm and sun (only first day !)

Karelia has done a lot of efforts to develop tourism and we can find lovely places like "Oumostou", with bungalows and a good standard of comfort.

But as there was a lot of snow, the small bus could not reach the destination and we had to finish by foot ...

What a lovely place !

And there was also a Russian sauna !

 A popular tradition in the Russian culture is the bathhouse or banya. It involves steam, high heat, cold, and an invigorating beating with birch leaves and branches.

Traditionally, the banya was the common way for Russian villagers to cleanse the body, but the banya is also thought to have a powerful physiological effect on the entire organism. The body’s  metabolism is increased considerably, the number of red blood cells and quantity of hemoglobin increases, the overall  oxygen level increases and impurities are purged.  The banya assists in eliminating toxins from the body and improves circulation of the blood.

The use of certain herbs in the water of the banya is thought to magnify the effect of the banya experience. Many believe that the banya is particularly important for preventive maintenance of the health and balance of the body. Popular herbs used in the banya may consist of any combination of the leaves of the currant, raspberries, and rosebuds.

A recommendation for someone new to the banya experience to keep the head from overheating is to wear a woolen cap on the head, and prior to each banya session, wet this cap with cold water. Well, we didn't do that and it was bearable.

An integral part of the Russian banya is the birch broom. The leaves of the birch branch add to the experience and, used properly, provide the perfect massage to complement the effects of the humidity of the banya.

For those new to the banya, the time in the banya should not exceed five to ten minutes. After the heat phase, many take an icy cold shower or immerse themselves in an icy water bath but not placing the head under the cold water. We went outside and we rubbed ourselves with snow.

Participating in this uniquely Russian tradition is an unforgettable part of the introduction to the Russian culture.

To see more photos of banya : http://images.yandex.ru/yandsearch?p=5&text=русская%20баня%20фотографии&stype=image&ed=1

Now, back to 3 days ski tour to discover nature and villages of South Karelia.
On the first day was a round trip of 12 km not far from "Oumostou" village where not a lot of people are living during winter time. At the end of the day we tested a Karelian aperitive wine called "Balzam" !

On the second day, it was snowing and is was windy : welcome in Karelia for a 22 km trip !

 Not really tracks !

On the third day, the objective was to reach the Ladoga lake and then a small village in order to wait a small bus, what we have done after 27 km ... unfortunately my GPS watch has stopped recording time before reaching the lake (but not far from it) ... no more battery !

 Surprise, some snowmobiles on the same track as us coming back from Ladoga lake.

                                                                                                                 Yes, that's the Ladoga lake !

The lake's area is 17,891 km², the second largest lake of Russia after Baikal 's one. Its length is 219 km, average width is 83 km, average depth is 51 m, maximum depth is about 230 m.

After, the small village crossed with skis, it is the end of the trip ... and return to the railway station.

And, for the night by train, we tried the "Koupe Lux" but there was not a lot of difference with a normal "Koupe" ! (a small breakfast available on the table, for example).

One advice : avoid "Platzkart" choice for train if you wish to sleep !

Now, back to Moscow before returning another time in Karelia to see famous Kiji Islands on Onego lake ...

                                                                (Kiji wooden church)

February 2011 : Donskoy monastery and cross country skying

Before talking about Donskoy monastery, some news about winter sports in Russia.

It is really easy to find places where to do ice skating or cross country skying. Most of the stadiums are covered with ice during winter time and transformed into ice skating rinks. 

In each park, forest, on lakes, also on the Moskva river, you can enjoy cross country skying. Just take warm clothes, the metro and within 30-60 min you have reached any of these spots.

But don't hope to find big mountains around Moscow for downhill skying : there are just some hills and it will take less 30 s to reach the start of lifts from top of the hill (most of the time only 1 lift !).

Sometimes, we see joung people in the metro with snowboards : they are going near the university on the Vorobyevy Gory hill (Sparrow Hills).

Vorobyevy Gory hill : winter and summer

I invite you now to discover Russian landscape during winter season by watching some photos done during a cross country trip (50 km on north of Moscow) with a Russian group. The length was around 35 km (sorry, I have started the GPS watch 15 min later ...) and we have spent all the day to do the trip between Morozki and Radonezh.

There was some hills, that is why the maximum speed recorded was 27 km/h !

One of the members has just changed his T-shirt during a pause ... it was below -10°C !

 

 It was already dark when we arrived at Radonezh railway station ... and 30 min later we took the "Elektrichka" (train) to Moscow.

If you want to participate, just join the "Hike.Narod" group : they propose every 2 or 3 weeks a trip around Moscow and don't forget to bring your skis, warm clothes, warm drink, and sandwiches !

http://hike.narod.ru/index_rus.html

Now, back to the main subject for February : the Donskoy monastery.

Where is it located ? 

It is south of Moskow, near the Shabolovskaya metro station (500 m) but not so easy to find ! Ask to Russian people, they will know ... or use GPS device if you prefer ?

It has changed since this old photo ... now, there are a lot of buildings and houses all around the monastery.

Founded in 1591 to commemorate Boris Godunov's repulsion of a Tartar invasion, the Donskoy Monastery is one of the most impressively fortified in Moscow, and has had a turbulent and fascinating history. 

I have forgotten to take a photo with snow ...

When we see it outside, it looks a bit like Novodevichi monastery, and inside you will also have the same feeling.

You will find a map of the monastery near the entrance, but only in Russian ... foreign visitors are not coming here when visiting Moscow.

The history of this monastery ?

Godunov roused his troops on the eve of battle by parading the icon Our Lady of the Don, which legend claimed had been carried by Dmitry Donskoy at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. When the Tartar forces fled after a brief skirmish, the decision was made to build a church to house the icon on the site and a monastery around it, which would also serve to protect the main highway from Moscow to the Crimea.

The original cathedral, now called the Old Cathedral or the Small Cathedral, was completed in 1593, and is a charming example of Moscow Baroque, painted soft red with typica kokoshniki - recessive rows of corbel arches that were a feature of Russian church architecture from the 12^th Century - and topped with powder-blue onion domes. It now houses a copy of the icon, the original being on display in the Tretyakov Gallery.

 No recent photo because the access was closed on February ... we will see it next time during summer season.

The Great or New Cathedral was begun in 1684 on the orders of Tsarina Sofia, Peter the Great's half-sister and regent for the early years of his reign. The cathedral has some unusual features which can be attributed to the fact that its builders were masons and artisans brought from Ukraine. According to Ukranian custom, the five domes of the cathedral are positioned to represent the four corners of the earth, a design which scandalized Old Believers, who gave it the name "The Antichrist's Altar". 

The impressive eight-tiered iconostasis was carved between 1688 and 1698, and centers on a sixteenth century copy of Lady of the Don. The frescoes in the cathedral were painted by Italian Antonio Claudio between 1782 and 1785, making them the first church paintings in Moscow to be executed by a foreigner.

Unfortunately, you will not see the icons wall like the photo because it is under restauration and with many scaffoldings. 

And as it is forbidden to take photos inside the cathedral, these are coming from Internet.

At about the time of the construction of the New Cathedral, the walls of the monastery were also reconstructed in Moscow Baroque style. The high crenellated red walls, with twelve crowned towers built between 1686 and 1711, resemble those of the Novodevichy Convent. Of particular note is the soaring Gate-Church of the Tikhvin Virgin, which acts as the entrance to the monastery.

The Gate church, when entering the monastery

 Not a lot of visitors when temperature below  -15°C !

Let's have a look on other churches ... but each one was closed ...

The plague that ravaged Moscow in 1771 not only brought riots to the monastery - during which Ambrosius, Archbishop of Moscow, who had fled from the Kremlin, was bludgeoned to death by an angry mob - it also led to an edict from Catherine the Great that no cemetery be located within the city limits. 

Seven Orthodox cemeteries were then established around the city, and the Donskoy Cemetery became the most prestigious. Among the great families that began to use the cemetery were the princes Golitsyn and Zubov, who built private chapels - the Alexander Svirsky Church and the Archangel Church respectively - within the grounds of the monastery.

 Like Novodievitchi, the cemetery is closed to the monastery but with snow, it is a bit difficult to see tombs !

The monastery was closed soon after the Revolution, and it was chosen by the Bolshevik government as the site for a Museum of Atheism, opened in the Great Cathedral in 1929. Patriarch Tikhon, who was invested in 1917, was held prisoner in the monastery from 1922 to 1923, and buried in an unmarked grave there. 

Services in the Old Cathedral resumed in 1946, but only in 1992 was the monastery returned to the Church. Soon after this event, which was marked by the reburial of Tikhon, a fire destroyed all the icons in the Great Cathedral. 

The monastery is still undergoing restoration work, but is an active institution with a publishing house and a studio for icon restoration.

More information available on the Web site : http://www.vidania.ru/bookdonskoy.html

(sorry, only in Russian)

Last detail for the visit : it is free of charge ... at least during winter time !  

But take care when walking because it is very slicy on the sidewalks ... more than in the centre of Moscow ...