Visiting Sergiev Posad

Going to Sergiev Posad with Ryan and Tani on September 29 was our second visit to this monastery located north of Moscow. We bought tickets for the electrishka at Yaroslavsky train station in Moscow and began our adventure. The train seats are usually hard plastic on the electrishkas, although we were lucky on our return trip to find a car with lightly padded seats. The trip takes nearly two hours, and then it's a short walk from the train station to the entrance gate. This is probably the only city on the historic Golden Ring that is a comfortable one-day trip.

Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius
Sergiev Posad


Passing by vendors on the short walk from the
train station to the monastery.

The city claims to be where the matryoshka nesting doll originated, and we found some reasonably priced with nice faces that included hand painted Russian scenes. There was a variety of souvenir things to see from scarves to pillow tops to lacquered boxes.

On our first visit in June, Chris and Greg Shepard were with us. On this second trip, Renee and Clark Mason joined Sam and me and our son Ryan and his wife, Tani.

White stoned wall of the monastery and gate.


Front corner tower is the Pyatnitskaya Tower (1640).


Small place of worship outside the walls.


Archway into the main grounds.


Bell Tower (1740-1770)
It is 88 meters high, has 42 bells
with the largest bell weighing 64 tons.


The Assumption Cathedral (1559-1585)
Built by order of Ivan the Terrible.


Trinity Cathedral (1422-1423)


Icons inside the Trinity Cathedral.


Interior of the Trinity Cathedral.

A highlight of our second visit to Sergiev Posad was hearing the beautiful voices singing in the Trinity Cathedral during a worship service. There were only a half dozen singers, but the combination of the acoustics and the quality of their voices was amazing. We lingered there to enjoy the clear harmony of their voices without any accompaniment.

Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
(1693-1699)


Church of the Virgin of Smolensk (1745)
(blue and white building at the right)
The Pilgrim Tower is at the center back.
(Narene at the left.)


Chapel Over the Well
where holy water is sold.



Holy water is free for the taking here.
(The Chapel Over the Well
is seen in the background.)


Holy water near the Chapel Over the Well.
People still bring bottles, jugs, and buckets
to fill with the holy water from the spring
discovered in 1644.


The Assumption Cathedral
is the monastery's main cathedral.

On our first visit we waited with a group for the doors to open and then went inside to see the interior of this cathedral. However, when we tried to do this on our second visit, we learned that we had to have a tour guide in order to go inside. Apparently, without realizing it, the first time we tagged along with a tour. Thinking back on that first visit, I remember there was an English-speaking guide who had provided some interesting information.

Several monks were
walking on the grounds.


There were also nuns.


Sergiev Posad is one of Russia's most important
religious centers and places of pilgrimage.

Peter the Great took refuge here from the royal guards during the Steltsy Rebellion and later from the regent Sofia, who was conspiring to keep him from power. Later, his daughter Elizabeth gave it the title of "lavra," which is the highest religious rank for an Orthodox monastery.

It is such an historical site that Stalin left the monastery standing, although the monastery was closed down in 1919 by the Communists and the monks were sent to labor camps after the Bolshevik Revolution. Stalin allowed it to open again after World War II when it became the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church until the headquarters were transferred to Danilovsky Monastery in 1988.

The Refectory (1686-1692)

The Refectory was built using money donated by Peter the Great and his half-brother in gratitude for the monastery giving them refuge during the Steltsy Rebellion. The monks had their meals in the Small Refectory attached to the main building. The large hall of the Refectory was used for receptions and was the largest hall in Russia at the end of the 17th century. The monastery manuscripts were kept in the upper tier of the building. In the room we saw, each wall was covered with a mural depicting an event from the Bible. One wall had Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before they partook of the forbidden fruit, and the next wall had a painting of Adam and Eve afterward when they had covered their naked bodies. A third wall was of Cain and Able. We wondered about the painting on the first wall to the left when entering the room, but decided it was people getting caught in the flood at the time of Noah and the Ark.

Shopping for souvenirs as we leave the monastery.


Ryan tried on a fur shapka, but didn't buy it.


As we walked to the train, we enjoyed
seeing the dachas with their decorative
window trims.


Clark & Renee went with Ryan & Tani and us on
our second visit to Sergiev Posad.
29 September 2008


Greg & Chris Shepard went with us on our first visit
in June. Chris is taking the photo of Greg, Sam & I.
The electrishka train is in the background.

As I have said before, it is an experience riding on the electrishka with vendors rotating through the cars one after another selling all sorts of things from ice cream to knives to tablecloths. Musicians and would-be musicians also walk through hoping their talent will prompt you to drop some rubles into their cup.

Ryan & Tani with Sergiev Posad in the background.

Ryan & Tani's Visit to Moscow

We enjoyed sharing some of our favorite places in Moscow with our son Ryan and his wife, Tani, who came for a visit September 23-30. After meeting their plane on Tuesday morning, we took them to the Service Center to see where we work and then went to Red Square. That evening we took them to Family Home Evening at the Shepards. They endured the day quite well in spite of jet lag, and we were pleased to introduce them to our dear friends here in Moscow.

Elder & Sister Ireland at work in the Service Center.

During the week Ryan & Tani were here, Sam and I kept current on priority things by going to the office in the mornings, and then we went sightseeing in the afternoon.

Outside the entrance to the Service Center

On Wednesday, we went to the All-Russian Exhibition Center. The beautiful floral displays were past their prime, but it was still a nice walk to see the decorative architecture and fountains. The golden fountain, "Friendship of Nations," was not working again; but it's still quite impressive.

The Exhibition Center is described as having 500 acres with plenty of walkways, fountains, statues, formal gardens, and numerous pavilions. The recommendation is to spend at least half a day exploring it.

All-Russian Exhibition Center - Central Pavilion
(Ryan, Tani, and Narene)

At the front of the park before entering
the Exhibition Center
is this 100-meter flying rocket.

For more photos of the All-Russian Exhibition Center, see my blog posted on 26 August 08 included with the Botanical Garden and our search for the roses.

Walking through a park back to the metro
after leaving the Exhibition Center.


Getting Ryan & Tani used to lots of walking.

It was a pleasant day for our boat tour Wednesday afternoon on the Moscow River. Many of the photos taken this day are similar to ones we took when we went with Curtis & Marla and Todd & Beth in July (posted 5 September 08).

We were on a boat like this on the top deck.

The Kremlin as seen from our boat tour.


Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer
(photo taken from the boat)


A close-up of Peter the Great,
a huge statue in the Moscow River.

On Thursday, we went to Kolomenskoe Estate where we ate blinis and then visited a large renok. Later, we walked on Arbat Street, stopped inside some of the souvenir shops, and ate at My My's (pronounced Moo Moo's).

Church of the Ascension - Kolomenskoe
(Ryan & Sam)


Bell ringer in the Bell Tower
Kolomensko

When we have been to Kolomenskoe before, we have heard them play the "bells" that are different sizes to make different note sounds; but this was the first time we heard them ringing the bells in the bell tower. It was interesting to watch him pull the multiple bells, but it was loud when we were that close.

Church of Our Lady of Kazan - Kolomenskoe


Sam feeding the pigeons at Kolomenskoe.


Anchors near Peter the Great's cabin
Kolomenskoe

We finally found Peter the Great's cabin at Kolomenskoe, but it was under restoration so we couldn't see much.

She is making blinis for our lunch.

Part of the large renok we walked through.

Ryan & Tani by the Pushkin monument
on Arbat Street.

We ate at My My's on Arbat Street.

Friday was the day we visited Victory Park and went to the ballet that evening.

150-meter statue topped by Nike,
the Goddess of Victory,
at Victory Park

The Hall of Tears - Victory Park

One of diaramas at Victory Park depicting
"The Great Patriotic War,"
as WWII is referred to in Russia.


Bolshoi New Stage - Ryan & Tani

Our attempts to get tickets to "Swan Lake" for Friday night had not been successful, and tickets were ranging in price from 2,000 to 6,000 rubles at the main ticket office. We took our chances and got good upper balcony seats by paying 1,000 rubles a ticket to one of the guys out front selling tickets. However, we were surprised when we read the program and discovered it was not "Swan Lake," but the 12th year featuring three separate one-act ballets. The first ballet was traditional, the second was a combination of traditional and modern, and the third ballet was definitely modern. This last one made me think of Mitchell's show choir competitions with all the energy and dancing, only this was with only an orchestra and no singing.

The modern #3 one-act ballet.
Costumes were red, white, and black and no tutus.

It was a rainy day on Saturday, so Sam stayed home with a cold and cough; and we joined the Masons for a walk though part of the huge Asian Market and then shopping for souvenirs at Izmaly Park. The Masons took the purchases home with them while Ryan, Tani, and I went to the Armory museum inside the Kremlin. It was very interesting; and we especially enjoyed seeing the collection of royal carriages, the court dresses with their big skirts including the coronation dress worn by Catherine the Great, and the Faberge eggs.

Izmaly Park souvenirs for sale


One of the 10 Faberge eggs
in the Kremlin.
(photo from Wikipedia)

Ending the day at Red Square.
(Ryan & Tani in front of St. Basil's.)

After church on Sunday, we took a sack lunch and walked around the grounds at Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery.

Novodevichy Convent - Narene & Sam


Smolensk Cathedral at Novodevichy Convent
(Tani, Ryan, and Narene)


Novodevichy Cemetery - Khrushchev's grave

We took the electrishka train on Monday to Sergiev Possad and spent the day, which is one of Russia's most important religious centers and places of pilgrimage. I will write about this day in a separate blog and include pictures of this interesting place.

The time went by fast, and Tuesday morning we went by metro and bus to the airport where we had to say goodbye to Ryan & Tani. Now five of our children and their spouses have been able to come to Moscow to visit us, and we hope Scott & Kristine and Brent & Tauna will be able to arrange their schedules so they can come, too. Those who have come have a better understanding and appreciation for the culture we are experiencing.

Family Home Evening at Yugo Zapadnaya

Our Yugo Zapadnaya branch had a Family Home Evening at the Mission Office on Monday, September 22.

Elder Terrell accompanying at the piano.
Singing: Elders Salinas, Aiken, Harker, Mills, Armstrong

A video was shown and then we played the "Name Game," where Lena began by saying her first name and sharing something that she likes. Each person in the circle added their own name and something they like, but they also had to give this information for each person who had done this before them in the circle. By the time we got to the last person, we had the names learned and knew something about each person.

The youngest member was the main attraction.

I sat next to Elder Mills, and his repetition of the
names was helpful. There were a few new
people we hadn't met before.

Elder Ireland is sitting between
Elder Armstrong and Elder Salinas.

To get to this Family Home Evening, we got on the metro at the Sokol Station. We had never before seen it so crowded. It was a mass of people crowded together from one side of the platform to the other as well as on the stairs and on the bridge.

No extra space on the stairs or bridge.


The crowd waiting for the train.


There is no room for everyone on the train.

We worked our way to the front and were able to get on the metro (subway), but then the loud speaker announced that everyone had to get off. We were in good position, though, to get on the next train and were successful in boarding. Of course, we were among those who had to stand shoulder to shoulder. One poor lady was trying to get off the train; but every time she got close to the door, the crowd pressing forward kept pushing her backward. I don't think she made it off until the next stop.