Murom

http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/2708/vladim-gurin.0/0_83d_205ebc2d_XL.jpg
Picture Page (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vladim-gurin/view/2109/?page=0) | Vladim Gurin (http://vladim-gurin.ya.ru/) | Yandex Fotki (http://fotki.yandex.ru/)

Suzdal

http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/3303/mikhalych4.10/0_21d77_76b1a308_XL.jpg
Picture Page (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/mikhalych4/view/138615?page=2) | Mikhalych4 (http://mikhalych4.ya.ru/) | Yandex Fotki (http://fotki.yandex.ru/)

Korennaya poustinia, Kursk Region:

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/b1/ad96cd2d11a5ecaaba9b9b18948ff5b1.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/5c/dcc7c04da247ede547bda332356a5a5c.jpeg

http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/3953/dscn0071t.jpg
Picture Page (http://sd.icelord.net/photos/2004/novgorod.htm) | Nikolai Baranov (http://baranovna.narod.ru/) | SD.IceLord.Net (http://sd.icelord.net/)

^^

Church of Sts Boris and Gleb in Plotniki - 1536 - Veliky Novgorod

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/9434/001li.jpg
Picture Page (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boris_and_Gleb_Church_in_Velikiy_Novgorod.jpg) | User№101 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:User%E2%84%96101) | Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/)

http://sd.icelord.net/photos/2005/nov_great/novgorod/img_26.08.2005%2018-20-39.JPG
Picture Page (http://sd.icelord.net/photos/2004/novgorod.htm) | Nikolai Baranov (http://baranovna.narod.ru/) | BaranovNA.narod.ru (http://baranovna.narod.ru/)

International Military Music Festival “Spasskaya Tower - 2010” (http://kremlin-military-tattoo.ru/)

http://s002.radikal.ru/i200/1009/6c/900424c7208b.jpg

Zyalt (http://zyalt.livejournal.com/296195.html#cutid1)

Неплохо было бы, если в этом треде будет больше поэтичных фотографий.

Ред.: как в теме про Китай (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=565415&page=90).

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/965/dscn0163f.jpg
Picture Page (http://sd.icelord.net/photos/kostroma.htm) | Nikolai Baranov (http://baranovna.narod.ru/) | SD.IceLord.Net (http://sd.icelord.net/)

http://carmeljo.jalbum.net/BORDERLESS%20FRONTIERS/slides/Race%20To%20Space.jpg

"Race for Space" Moscow

MY IMPRESSIONS FROM THE ROAD TRIP ACROSS RUSSIA:

PART TWO: BLACK SEA COAST:

KRASNODAR (founded in 1794):

Krasnodar is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River, located around 80 kilometers (50 mi) north-east of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Kray (also known as Kuban). Population: 710.686 (2009).

The city was founded as Yekaterinodar on January 12, 1794 (according to Gregorian calendar) or on January 1, 1794 (according to Julian calendar which was used in Russia Empire at these times). The original name meant "Catherine's Gift" simultaneously in recognition of Catherine the Great's grant of land in the Kuban region to the Black Sea Cossacks (later the Kuban Cossacks) and in recognition of Saint Catherine, the Martyr, who is considered to be the patron of the city. After the October Revolution, Yekaterinodar was renamed Krasnodar (December 7, 1920). There are two potential meanings for the new name of the city: Krasno-, meaning either "beautiful" (an older root) or "red" (especially relevant considering the political atmosphere of the time); and -dar, meaning "gift". Thus, the city's name means either "beautiful gift" or "red gift" (i.e. "gift of the Reds").

The origin of the city starts with a fortress built by the Cossacks in order to defend imperial borders and claim Russian ownership over Circassia, which was contested by Ottoman Turkey. In the first half of the 19th century Yekaterinodar grew into a busy center of the Kuban Cossacks. It was granted town status in 1867. By 1888 about 45.000 people lived in the city and it became a vital trade center of southern Russia. In 1897, an obelisk commemorating 200 year old history of Kuban Cossack Host was built in Yekaterinodar.

During the Russian Civil War the city changed hands several times between the Red Army and Volunteer Army, many Kuban Cossacks were committed anti-Bolsheviks who supported the White Movement.

During the Great Patriotic War (World War II), Krasnodar was occupied by the German Army between August 12, 1942 and February 12, 1943. The city sustained heavy damage in the fighting but was rebuilt and renovated after the war.

In the summer of 1943, the Soviets began trials, including of their own citizens, for collusion with the Nazis and participation in war crimes. The first such trial was held at Krasnodar on July 14–17, 1943. This was the first public trial of the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust. The Krasnodar tribunal pronounced eight death sentences, which were summarily conducted in the city square in front of a crowd of about thirty thousand people.

KUBAN COSSACKS OBELISK (opened in 1897, destroyed in 1920, rebuilt in 1999):

In 1897, an obelisk commemorating 200 year old history of Kuban Cossack Host was built in Yekaterinodar:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/e1/e319ed7dd77e3f57a546eb4f911babe1.jpg

Theatre Square:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0831/ff/ff9a99318c5e9aaab5f99be839c11cff.jpg

CINEMA THEATRE "AURORA" AND MONUMENT OF AURORA (1967):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/0f/7472ed9600a51148276e10ceca07e30f.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/0f/648fb4eff6c3b48b704eb30d7cbe010f.jpg

The architecture of the cinema theatre's building was unique for these times:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/1b/495f60e4b3f24cb8791002125457841b.jpg

According to the original idea, a statue of young Communist girl should symbolize faith in a brighter future. However, after Soviet collapse, Krasnodar residents began to associate this girl with Aurora (goddess of dawn):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/55/f9b116b482897a93395c0f93f79a1855.jpg

ST. GEORGE TEMPLE (1895-1903):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/cb/e3e7876514e1bf3628402beb74b6a3cb.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/50/12b85ff8463a3cccce4da9b758124250.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/f5/ff66ee16b1699b33e828fc0ed19799f5.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/f2/ce3580d852a6a7e2690c4686efd81af2.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/6f/ab1b2e1653b19e04cd3c4be8382b4c6f.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/45/8fba6c6c1e53faa7cbd58b5d64b89145.jpeg

ST. CATHERINE CATHEDRAL (1900-1914):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/0c/6138726e509c0cd2e086e84c0bb0230c.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/1c/2b1ab5d797845ef9c928a4142ca4ef1c.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/42/cef00560e6fadb3e390b6b191c41ff42.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0901/a8/2cfbaa2ce078b47db5ea8b06292a64a8.jpg

Temple of the Nativity (1995):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/03/66fe1ccc82a874370072de34a45b6103.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/cf/32e4b4d015e7a45a3d2a11637ef304cf.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/21/c720799a2ba5b822200132f109706621.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/32/1344929e30758b0e66978eb594851332.jpg

Monument to Catherine the Great (1907, demolished in 1920, restored in 2006):

Monument to Catherine the Great was opened in the former Yekaterinodar in 1907, to the 100-anniversary of relocation of Black Sea Army's Cossacks to the Kuban. Demolished by the Bolsheviks in 1920, restored in 2006.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/59/784f54cbd7d7679b7d91120ea272a559.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/7a/12905d22f023288839c341c71f957d7a.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/be/d53951b59c55f9878d012b2e362065be.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/e6/225a9ae80022a4a6ca8bd094e9ba83e6.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/d9/101866fbc1e95a632f2e945335fb92d9.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/91/7c4c3be2dd3a4e1748406a515c077291.jpg

Monument to enamored dogs (2007):

This funny monument is illustration to the Vladimir Mayakovskiy's verse "Krasnodar" (1926). Mayakovskiy wrote such words: "This is not a dog backwoods, but the dog capital". Today this is traditional place of meeting of lovers.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/b8/b83a0255ec4e282cb5e3fa4f81aacfb8.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/75/3875deabb441f5ed3a5b5f31f80f3675.jpg

Memorial arch "Kuban proud of them" (1965):

At the marble plates of arch is carved list of the names of 289 Heroes of Soviet Union, 44 full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory, 11 Heroes of Russian Federation, Heroes of Socialist Labour and full Cavaliers of the Order of Labour Glory - the natives of Kuban. In 1996, on the initiative of the veterans, arch was reconstructed. Here were added bust of Georgiy Zhukov and sculpture of St. George on the arch.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/e2/fe0fb8f382821f0288a95e09433db0e2.jpg

ANAPA (founded in 1781):

Anapa originally is a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe Adyghe people, and now a town in Krasnodar Kray, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. Population: 56.487 (2009). It boasts a number of sanatoria and hotels. Along with Sochi and several other cities along the Russian coast of the Black Sea, it has enjoyed a substantial increase in popularity since the fall of the Soviet Union, which left traditional Soviet resort cities in Crimea and Abkhazia on the other side of a national border. Anapa is served by Anapa Airport (AAQ).

Anapa, like the other Black Sea coast resorts, has a superb sunny summer climate. Anapa shows beautiful (and mostly sandy) beaches. However, Anapa seldom attracts vacation-goers from outside Russia due to its modest infrastructure and its inconvenient accessibility from Western Europe via Moscow or Krasnodar. Anapa remains an attractive and inexpensive option for Russians who prefer traditional Russian resorts to more expensive destinations such as Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast or Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, both noted for their popularity among Russians.

The area around Anapa was settled in antiquity. It was at first a major port (Sinda) and then the capital of Sindica. The colony of Gorgippia was built on the site of Sinda in the sixth century BCE by Pontic Greeks, who named it after a king of the Cimmerian Bosporus. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, Gorgippia flourished, as did its guild of shipowners, which controlled maritime trade in the eastern part of the Black Sea. A fine statue of Neokles (a local potentate, son of Herodoros) was unearthed by Russian archaeologists and is now on exhibit at the Russian Museum. Gorgippia was inhabited until the third century CE, when it was overrun by nomadic tribes. These tribes are a Circassian or Adyghe origin, gave Anapa its modern name. Anapa was part of Sarmatians, Ostrogoths, European Huns, Avars, Gokturks, Khazars, Circassians and Golden Horde. Anapa was conquered by the Genoese in 1300 and was renamed as "Mapa". Genoese possession of it was lasted until Ottoman conquest in 1475. Ottomans completed a fortress for defense of it against Russian threat in 1781-1782. The fortress was repeatedly attacked by the Russian Empire and was all but destroyed during its last siege in 1829. The city was passed to Russia after Treaty of Adrianople in 1829. It was included in Black Sea district of Kuban Region and was given city status in 1846. It was occupied by Ottomans between 1853-1856 during Crimean War. It was belonged to Black Sea Governorate in 1896. Elizabeth Pilenko, later named as a saint in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was the mayor during the Revolution. It became part of the Kuban-Black Sea Region in 1920. The name of the Region was changed as "Krasnodar Kray" in 1937. It was occupied and totally demolished by Nazi Germany with help Romanian troops between August 30, 1942 and September 22, 1943 during World War II.

Russian Gates - the gates of the Ottoman fortress (1783):

Russian Gates are remains of the Ottoman fortress, which was completed in 1783. The gates was named Russian in 1854, to the 25-anniversary of liberation of Anapa from the Ottoman Empire (1828).
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/04/305ac32df9bab11b4b29b6df28575e04.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/26/b4511e2af26827d61cc2d6f01a0f9a26.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/65/c612f882ebec9322d944167df45f1665.jpg

Archeological museum "Gorgippia" (1909). Excavated ruins of ancient Gorgippia (4th century BCE - 3rd century CE):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/2e/fe32b650a8ddf961a9ab9beee548982e.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/d0/8b1110d97baf5a11ffe6a736616a24d0.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/2a/7d2993c987879aa453dd8582565f322a.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/da/54e659d52b5fd5d66294ce9976c589da.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/0f/c1ae1aa6c2c4fec005ea0c677c989c0f.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/3f/d1c9e9e5dc12d4d10c7152e14f6cb63f.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/74/fa29202d1f5f1e2fd7c12993513aa074.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/02/ee2ee7162feb0d5f856acac0c9eecd02.jpg

Anapa lighthouse (first in 1909, current in 1955):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/00/ea663523072abc587197dfe6d0716b00.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/14/509f1f11ad07dbbeb01c964c3c875414.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/c3/a080e509c13ccb3da3de761e4e81e6c3.jpg

Sukko Valley:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/d4/2c491e0048446555d6ea97e96cb8b0d4.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/11/496269a6d524ab5fce49e23cf1ddae11.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/fb/e53cb5e06ae74f68f52d1c3914a491fb.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0905/6c/be68fe59146c081544e17f219816906c.jpg

NOVOROSSIYSK (founded in 1838):

Novorossiysk is a city in southern Russia, the main Russian port on the Black Sea, in Krasnodar Kray. It is also the leading Russian port for importing grain. And it is one of the 12 cities honoured with the Soviet title of the Hero City. Population: 228.243 (2009), agglomeration - 282.600 (2009).

In antiquity, the shores of the Tsemess Bay were the site of Bata, an ancient Greek colony that specialized in the grain trade. It is mentioned in the works of Strabo and Ptolemy, among others. The Genoese merchants from the Ghisolfi family maintained a trade outpost there in the Middle Ages. Archaeological investigation of the area is in its infancy, but some interesting items have already been uncovered.

Since 1722, the bay was commanded by the Ottoman fortress of Sujuk-Qale or Sogucak. After the coastline was ceded to Russia in 1829 as a result of a Russo-Turkish War, the admirals Mikhail Lazarev and Nikolay Raevskiy founded an eastern base for the Black Sea Fleet on the shore in 1838. Named after the province of Novorossiya (New Russia), the port formed a vital link in the chain of forts known as the Black Sea Coastal Line, which stretched south to Sochi.

During the rest of the 19th century, Novorossiysk developed rapidly. It was granted city status in 1866 and became the capital of the Black Sea Governorate, the smallest in the Russian Empire, in 1896. From August 26, 1918 until March 27, 1920 Novorossiysk was the principal centre of Denikin's White Army and the short-lived Novorossiya Republic. Many Whites escaped from Novorossiysk to Constantinople.

In 1942, the town was occupied by the Wehrmacht, but a small unit of Soviet sailors defended one part of the town, known as Malaya Zemlya (Minor Land), for 225 days, until it was liberated by the Red Army on September 16, 1943. The heroic defense of the port by the Soviet sailors allowed to retain possession of the city's bay, which prevented the Germans from using the port for supply shipments. Novorossiysk was awarded the title Hero City in 1973.

In 1960, the town was commemorated in Dmitriy Shostakovich's work "Novorossiysk Chimes, the Flame of Eternal Glory" (Opus 111b).

In 2003, President Putin signed a presidential decree setting up a naval base for the Black Sea Fleet in Novorossiisk. Russia has allocated 12.3 billion rubles (about $480 million) for the construction of the new base between 2007 and 2012. The construction of other facilities and infrastructure at the base, including units for coastal troops, aviation and logistics, will continue beyond 2012.

The Russian lease on port facilities in Sevastapol, Ukraine's main port on the Black Sea, used by the Russian Navy, expires in 2017. Ukraine was reported to be planning to not renew the lease, however in April, 2010 the Russian and Ukranian Presidents signed agreements to renew the lease by 25 years, with an option of further extension by 5 years, after the new term expires. Earlier if this had not happened Russia would have had to move the Navy to Novorossiysk.

Saint Assumption Cathedral (middle of 19th century):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/88/febc65c877ecbfb28d1df54916dcad88.jpeg
Igor Torgachkin (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/torgachkin/view/47181/?page=191)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/5e/3f79fdcf0e30ee9e5af2f56be209705e.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1159111483/size/g/)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/fa/9b9518be0dcae47f1a1972cd1e8404fa.jpeg
Aires07 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/aires07/view/70140/?page=3)

MEMORIAL "DEATH VALLEY" (1974):

Monument "Explosion". This monument was made from exploded ammunition. Its total weight is 1250 kg. This is average weight of the shells and bombs, which were spent by Nazis on the each defender of Minor Land:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/9c/bd715b6956a00dae11bb7995307dd89c.jpg

By tradition, the newlyweds bring the flowers here after the wedding ceremony:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/d7/c926412eb27437577ac90fc5ec69bbd7.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1159113784/size/g/)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/bc/7448f04dcc23372dfba5d13bc481a7bc.jpg

In 1943 this draw-well was one of the sources of drinking water at the Minor Land. Defenders of Minor Land were called it "Source of life in the Death Valley":
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/00/0b39849fc435d88a59b8e6c9f9ad4900.jpeg

This platanus was planted by Leonid Brezhnev on September 6, 1974. Soviet leader was witness of the battles at Minor Land:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/87/6930ad6475e0cfc6701a3d9ca7903387.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1159115677/size/g/)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/8c/150adeeefd3470fd11a3c745023e248c.jpeg
Igor Torgachkin (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/torgachkin/view/47171/?page=191)

Mosaic plan, devoted to the Defence of Minor Land:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/10/ca45f32efbd1e43cc9116ffa80da8b10.jpg

MONUMENT "BOW OF SHIP AT THE MINOR LAND" (1970s):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/d7/8fc6341d03ce97ae7a9837bbf9645fd7.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1158440456/size/g/)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/ac/99815592fd6dd19fd3fec3c94c4162ac.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1158440454/size/g/)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/42/ab72124dae41a5e81363b76662178642.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/28/abe483d7e995f7d12581bb6a8132ee28.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1158687585/size/g/)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/af/f19d4a5e54456aa416a41fe950e135af.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1159111482/size/g/)

Entrance to the Gallery of Military Glory:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/e1/603e7cc70f485dba81e5f1b663fbfee1.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/14/20c420f77df89f517eba72385e933e14.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/cd/76a8df3654540a039e74b9be2e0449cd.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/6e/b8f434f911c078156ed841cc51ab396e.jpeg

Monument "Motor Torpedo Boat" (1970s):

Motor torpedo boats were played a crucial role in the liberation of Novorossiysk from the Nazis in 1943.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/14/8d59e285fadc99ffe6fbb905263c3414.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/08/cce6d99e8ecdd3b3d15e4eb351d2bf08.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/01/9f08eac0fa8116a8f791b61f33494d01.jpeg

Monument "Ground-attack aircraft Ilyushin Il-2" (1972):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/22/756922b282db2fdf1f3bbc984a290922.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0906/d5/a6ef698546650ff44169fe0c9a95ddd5.jpeg

Fountain sculpture "Girl who gives a water" (1999):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/5f/744191519d9f3a3ef7547e71d3c6055f.jpeg
Ромашка (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/marina-novo/view/62210/?page=0)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/9b/9c163095016b37ee03c9263a2f8aaa9b.jpeg
duma-nvrsk (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/duma-nvrsk/view/3782/?page=0)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/50/2e08a886c857d25fbaedcc3b57083b50.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/torgachkin/view/47187/?page=191)

Museum of Military Equipment (1970s):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/0e/aeff0e7a95c5c7cb0b5e99dd3e42f70e.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/54/a353a87e6f8f2ae5c9571647ca31e454.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/63/97852ce5b51fe2cb7f065ccbac35c163.jpeg

Ruined House of Culture for cement workers (1941):

The opening of the House of Culture was planned on June 22, 1941. But this day became day of German invasion. In 1942-43 this house was destroyed by Nazi troops. Nazi hordes were stopped at this site. After the Soviet victory it was decided not to rebuild this house and save it as a monument to war.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/96/75bee165d30811046988838ac729a096.jpg
Igor Torgachkin (http://torgachkin.flamber.ru/photos/1160431161/size/g/)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/91/020ed03b885128a56d52359da8c7cd91.jpeg
yatakaya (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/tatakaya/view/43167/?page=0)

ABRAU-DYURSO (founded in 1870):
Abrau-Dyurso is a village (selo) under the jurisdiction of the city of Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Kray, Russia. It is located on the shore of Lake Abrau, 14 kilometers (9 mi) west of Novorossiysk. It should not be confused with the khutor of Dyurso, which is located 4 kilometers (2 mi) to the south, where the Dyurso River enters the Black Sea, and which is sometimes incorrectly considered to be a part of Abrau-Dyurso. Population: 3.000 (2009). Abrau-Dyurso is the center of Russia's most important wine-growing region.

The settlement was founded on November 25, 1870 as a royal winery which was to provide wine for the Tsar's household. These plans were brought to fruition twenty-one years later, when Prince Leo Galitzine, renowned for his Crimean vineyards of Massandra and Novy Svet, was appointed Surveyor of Imperial Vineyards at Abrau-Dyurso. It was he who brought to Russia a team of skilled winemakers from France. By 1897, Abrau-Dyurso boasted champagne cellars containing in excess of 13.000 bottles.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 brought an end to Abrau-Dyurso's prosperity, if only for a short time. The French specialists fled Russia, but their work was continued by their Russian apprentices. Throughout the Soviet period, Abrau-Dyurso was reputed for its sparkling wine, which was marketed under the name of Sovetskoye Shampanskoye ("Soviet Champagne"), or "champagne for the people". As of 2005, the local winery produced 5.800.000 bottles of champagne. There is a museum of sparkling wines on its grounds.

In August 2002, the local earth dam located upstream of the Dyurso River collapsed, washing away some of the grape fields in the Dyurso Valley. Currently Abrau-Dyurso does not grow its own wine grapes, but imports them from other locations.

Dyurso settlement:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/d4/6eacbada10aa2837d2f115cc05a215d4.jpg

Lake Abrau:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/d6/29984f52c37fd8a2b65746170fa652d6.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/a4/3bf5f74e5571eb30784ea837f67fb6a4.jpeg

Abrau-Dyurso Wine Factory (1870):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/95/39c9111d5027020c1a80555d7088be95.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/a1/24a08c174eeaebacfde0af930ca24ba1.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/91/fe9e88c75989ca3f832319a14d281891.jpeg

GELENDZHIK (founded in 1831):

Gelendzhik is a resort town in Krasnodar Kray, Russia, situated on the Gelendzhik Bay of the Black Sea, between Novorossiysk (31 km to the northwest) and Tuapse (93 km to the southeast). The municipality of Greater Gelendzhik spawls for 102 kilometers along the coastline and covers an area of 122.754 ha (of which only 1.926 ha fall within the boundaries of Gelendzhik proper). Population: 53.111 (2009).

In antiquity, the Gelendzhik Bay was the site of a minor Greek outpost, mentioned as Torikos in the Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax. It is unknown to Hellenistic sources, but reappears in Roman ones under the name of Pagrae in 64 BC. The colony was wiped out by the invading Huns, which were succeeded by the Zygii soon after. During the Middle Ages, the bay was of some mercantile importance to the Genoese traders who referred to the seaside village as Maurolaca.

Before Russia secured the coast by the Treaty of Adrianople (1829), a brisk slave trade had been carried on between the mountaineers and the Ottoman Empire. Since the Circassian beauties were usually traded for gold and other commodities before being taken to Turkish seraglios, the market place became known as "Gelendzhik" (from "gelincik", literally, "little bride in Turkish"). In 1831, one of the first forts of the Black Sea Coastal Line was set up at Gelendzhik. At the outbreak of the Crimean War the fort had to be blown up and abandoned, but it was resettled by the Cossacks in 1864, at the conclusion of the Russian-Circassian hostilities, and became known as Stanitsa Gelendzhiksaya. The town of Gelendzhik was incorporated in 1915.

During the Soviet period, Gelendzhik was developed as a spa. It possesses sand beaches, three waterparks, two aerial tramway lines, and two Orthodox churches (from 1909 and 1913, respectively). The environs of Gelendzhik are noted for a chain of waterfalls, an outcrop of dolmens, two extremely ancient pine and juniper groves, and the Sail Rock, located 17 km (11 mi) from the downtown core. The coastal village of Arkhipo-Osipovka, administrated from Gelendzhik, contains the terminus of the Blue Stream gas pipeline. An annual hydroaviasalon is held in Gelendzhik since 1996.

Enbankment of Gelendzhik:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/de/0b2a6f354c8d83f3fe8a2cd9cb2177de.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/ae/138d671519291b2299e6b1c805a6daae.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/e0/6b9e6c70d914c09c6aa332d2770bdbe0.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0907/57/25a4429adaedb6f05e81d8f2395dc857.jpeg

GELENDZHIK, CENTRAL SQUARE (middle of 19th century):

City administration:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/78/28f9ca8358ff7fc9728904ef61e03d78.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/e8/63f20deccfa7bbfe45bd773a60720be8.jpeg

Monument "White bride" - "Gelincik" (2010):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/91/f6083226938359796d581a94b0080e91.jpg

DOLMENS IN THE VALLEY OF ZHANE RIVER (2nd millennium BC):

A dolmen is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone (table). Most date from the early Neolithic period (4000 to 3000 BC). Dolmens were usually covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow, though in many cases that covering has weathered away, leaving only the stone "skeleton" of the burial mound intact.

Concentrations of megaliths, dolmens and stone labyrinths have been found (but little studied) throughout the Caucasus Mountains, including the Abkhazia. Most of them are represented by rectangular structures made of stone slabs or cut in rocks with holes in their facade. These dolmens cover the Western Caucasus on both sides of the mountain ridge, in an area of approximately 12.000 square kilometres of Russia and Abkhazia.

The Caucasian dolmens represent a unique type of prehistoric architecture, built with precisely dressed large stone blocks. The stones were, for example, shaped into 90-degree angles, to be used as corners or were curved to make a circle. The monuments date between the end of the 4th millennium and the beginning of the 2nd millennium B.C.

While generally unknown in the rest of Europe, these Russian megaliths are equal to the great megaliths of Europe in terms of age and quality of architecture, but are still of an unknown origin. In spite of the variety of Caucasian monuments, they show strong similarities with megaliths from different parts of Europe and Asia, like the Iberian Peninsula, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Israel and India. A range of hypotheses has been put forward to explain these similarities and the building of megaliths on the whole, but still it remains unclear.

Approximately 3000 of these megalithic monuments are known in the Western Caucasus, but more are constantly being found, while more and more are also being destroyed. Today, many are in great disrepair and will be completely lost if they are not protected from vandals and general neglect.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/ba/0d249629dcfaa781352b1a741bec00ba.jpeg
denissimo (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/denissimo/view/379815/?page=0)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/60/9c9d88acc65ea3c78618f003a7140460.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/57/a2756993fc9c7461cc121f56f12c1757.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/ba/2cfb337fa2c13bb8c97f0ca89d6620ba.jpeg

The dolmens have a limited variety in their architecture. The floor plans are square, trapezoidal, rectangular and round. All of the dolmens are punctuated with a portal in the centre of the facade. While round portholes are the most common, square ones are also found. In front of the facade is a court that usually splays out, creating an area where rituals possibly took place. The court is usually outlined by large stone walls, sometimes over a meter high, which enclose the court. It is in this area that Bronze and Iron Age pottery has been found - which helped date these tombs - along with human remains, bronze tools and silver, gold and semi-precious stone ornaments.

The repertoire of decoration for these tombs is not great. Vertical and horizontal zigzags, hanging triangles and concentric circles are the most common motifs. One decorative motif that is quite common is found across the top of the porthole slab. It can best be described as a lintel held up by two columns. Pairs of breasts, done in relief, have also been found on a few tombs. These breasts usually appear above the two columns of the porthole decoration. Perhaps related to these are the stone plugs, which were used to block the porthole, and are found with almost every tomb. They are sometimes phallic-shaped. Some unusual items associated with dolmens are big round stone balls, double balls and animal sculptures.

One of the most interesting megalithic complexes stands in a row on a hill above Zhane River on the Black Sea coast in the Krasnodar area near Gelendzhik, Russia. In this area there is a great concentration of all types of megalithic sites including settlements and dolmen cemeteries. Large stone mounds surrounded the two monuments.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/a0/bc20c58ab69e0f6b3d08db5c098a28a0.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/66/972749c011ecfcd4d547d180fb914666.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/d7/c36e97e47e77ea62cb30afefe91ab4d7.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/38/deafac97240b61743a0c5c4288dd7338.jpg

A natural spring "Natasha":

According to urban legend, once one Turkish Pasha visited Gelendzhik and saw beautiful Slavic girl Natasha. He offered her to become one more wife in his harem. But the girl had a groom on the homeland, and she has refused to him. Then Pasha ordered his servants to forcibly bring the girl to him. Having understood that resistance is useless, Natasha has asked to descend on mountain and to pray, looking on the native land for last time. Pasha has agreed and has ordered soldiers to accompany it. When girl has risen on mountain, she prayed, then jumped down and died. When Pasha came at the place of death, he saw that the body of girl disappeared and at this site arose spring.

Now there is tradition for newly married pairs to visit this spring in the wedding day and to drink spring water as the sign of the marriage union.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/58/a76195245d25b681dae7584c87ec7758.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/59/af9d76c0be5dac93ab7885d335d69a59.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/25/a30a8256baa2ab37296b5d31912bfd25.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/45/778628379ba8560b1f930602757e3745.jpeg

Chapel of Sergius of Radonezh near the spring:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/7a/5e850ebc8e523007252639703bcb0c7a.jpeg

The inscription on the black plaque: "To live for die - die for eternal life".
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/51/8f1319ac0889109fba9f36d9135a2451.jpg

TUAPSE (founded in 1838):

Tuapse is a town in Krasnodar Kray, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik and north of Sochi. It is the administrative centre of Tuapse District. Population: 63.283 (2009). Tuapse is a sea port and the northern centre of a resort zone which extends south to Sochi.

Tuapse is a large centre (native land) for the Shapsugs tribe with other areas in Circassia, with about 10.000 speakers of the language living in Tuapse. The name of the town is itself Adyghe (for "two waters") since Tuapse was part of historical Circassia. In early Greek sources the city was also attested as Topsida.

The modern settlement was founded in 1838 as the Russian fort of Velyaminovskoye after this region became a part of Russia in 1829 by Treaty of Adrianople in which Turkey gave lands belong to the Circassians and did not own to Russia. A year later, the Circassians resistance lead by the Shapsugs regain and razed it, but it was promptly rebuilt. During the Crimean War, the Ottomans seized the fort and held it for two years (1857-1859). Between 1875 and 1897 the village was known as Velyaminovsky Posad; it received municipal rights in 1916.

The Soviets developed Tuapse as an oil terminal and depot. An oil pipeline from Grozny and Maikop was in operation by 1928, designed by Vladimir Shukhov. An oil refinery dates from the same period. The German military during World War II attempted to seize its facilities during the Battle of the Caucasus, which caused major damage to the city.

Memorial "Hill of the Heroes" (1970s):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/d4/1f784f058db705d3bee6e7e5d52631d4.jpg

Monument to Unknown Soldier:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/41/eac0fd2810345eab3f5685280c891141.jpg

Museum of local lore (1946). One more dolmen in the its yard:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/61/ae178e1d8a921053ba45df077319db61.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0908/2d/5b2b6799cf42a68a159143721dce6d2d.jpeg

Alexander Kiselyov Rock (also known as Rock of Tears):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/17/8d52962865445b6f450aed009d34ea17.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/9c/65e737c037a5b22e6fd1ce356953f89c.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/73/b7b37651941c56518e429c3c0e427a73.jpg

Fontain "Stone flower":
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/e3/a4f94a59476c16783a172fc7768d99e3.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/42/ef53fd2ec5e79bcad18b7a0207a03942.jpg

SOCHI (founded in 1838):

Sochi is a resort city, situated in Krasnodar Kray, Russia, just north of the border of the disputed territory of Abkhazia (largely recognised as part of the Republic of Georgia), and the southern Russian border fronting the Black Sea. It sprawls along the shores of the Black Sea and against the background of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. At 145 km (90 mi), Greater Sochi claims to be the longest city in Europe. Population: 341.902 (2009), agglomeration - 415.087 (2009). The city has been selected to be the host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014. Sochi enjoys a humid subtropical climate-Mediterranean-type.

The Zygii people lived in the area in antiquity. From the 6th to the 11th centuries, the area successively belonged to the kingdoms of Egrisi and Abkhazia who built a dozen churches within the city boundaries. From the 11th to the middle of the 15th century it was a part of the Georgian Kingdom. The Christian settlements along the coast were destroyed by the invading Gokturks, Khazars, and other nomadic empires whose control of the region was slight. The northern wall of an 11th-century Byzantinesque basilica still stands in Loo Microdistrict.

From the 15th century onward, the area, known as Ubykhia was part of historical Circassia, and was controlled by the native people of the local mountaineer clans of the north-west Caucasus, nominally under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire, which was their principal trading partner in the Muslim world. The coastline was ceded to Russia in 1829 as a result of a Caucasian War and Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829. The Russians had no detailed knowledge of the area until Baron Feodor Tornau secretly investigated the coastal route from Gelendzhik to Gagra, and across the mountains to Kabarda, in the 1830s.

In 1838, the fort of Alexandria, renamed Navaginsky a year later, was founded at the mouth of the Sochi River as part of the Black Sea Coastal Line, a chain of fortifications set up to protect the area from recurring Circassian Resistance. At the outbreak of the Crimean War, the garrison was evacuated from Navaginsky in order to prevent its capture by the Turks, who effected a landing on Cape Adler soon after.

The last battle of the Caucasian War took place at the Godlikh river on 18 March 1864 O.S., where the ubykhs were defeated by the Dakhovsky regiment of the Russian Army. On 25 March 1864 the Dakhovsky fort was established on the site of the Navaginsky fort. The end of Caucasian War was proclaimed at Kbaade tract (modern Krasnaya Polyana) on 2 June 1864 (21 May O.S.) 1864, by the manifesto of Emperor Alexander II of Russia read aloud by Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia.

After the end of Caucasian War (during the period of 1864-1870) almost all Ubykhs and a major part of the Shapsugs, who lived on the territory of modern Sochi, were either killed in the Circassian Genocide or expelled to the Ottoman Empire. Starting in 1866 the coast was actively colonized by Russians, Armenians, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Greeks, Estonians, Germans, Moldavians, Georgians and other people from inner Russia.

In 1874-1891 the first russian Orthodox church, St. Michael's Church, was constructed and the Dakhovsky settlement was renamed Dakhovsky Posad on 13 April 1874 (O.S.). In February 1890 the Sochi Lighthouse was constructed. In 1896, the Dakhovsky Posad was renamed Sochi Posad (after the name of local river) and incorporated into the newly formed Black Sea Governorate. In 1900-1910 Sochi burgeoned into a sea resort. The first resort, "Kavkazskaya Riviera", opened on 14 June 1909 (O.S.). Sochi was granted municipal rights in 1917.

During the Russian Civil War, the littoral area saw sporadic armed clashes involving the Red Army, White movement forces, and the Democratic Republic of Georgia. In 1923 Sochi acquired one of its most distinctive features, a railway which runs from Tuapse to Abkhazia within a kilometre or two of the coastline. Although this branch of the Northern Caucasus Railway may appear somewhat incongruous in the setting of beaches and sanatoriums, it is still operational and vital to the region's transportation infrastructure.

Sochi was established as a fashionable resort area under Joseph Stalin, who had his favourite dacha built in the city; Stalin's study, complete with a wax statue of the leader, is now open to the public. During Stalin's reign the coast became dotted with imposing Neoclassical buildings, exemplified by the opulent Rodina and Ordzhonikidze sanatoriums. The centrepiece of this early period is Shchusev's Constructivist Institute of Rheumatology (1927–31). The area was continuously developed until the demise of the Soviet Union.

Following Russia's loss of the traditionally popular resorts of the Crimean peninsula (transferred away from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954 by Nikita Khrushchev), Sochi emerged as the unofficial summer capital of the country. During Vladimir Putin's term in office, the city witnessed a significant increase in investment, although many Russian holidaymakers still flock to the cheaper resorts of neighbouring Abkhazia, Ukraine, or to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

Additionally, Sochi has also served as the location for the signing of many treaties, especially those between the Georgian, Abkhazian, and South Ossetian governing authorities.

Sochi is scheduled to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Dagomys Trough:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/c1/bd9e515094ca92446623f3a01847dac1.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/34/20dd7e2fc213d329c0ddb16115323334.jpg

AGURA WATERFALLS, KHOSTA:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/1d/2c0c838dd6cd2db5725a8cfb29dd261d.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/64/b722d30b0105e7d120ee2fff746dcc64.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/4d/d77be07bb5e44de876a992cc3449994d.jpg

Prometheus tearing the chains:

According to urban legend, Prometheus was chained to the Caucasian mountain in this place. Beauty Agura who brought food and water to him, was changed by Gods into a river as a punishment.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/0f/5de7ceb80000e43411f70324a86db30f.jpg

MOUNTAIN BIG AKHUN:
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/e0/8e8def3b59c09d86771c22ec21b52de0.jpg

Watch tower (1936):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/13/ef61fe08296d1ee5fdf3b816d67a2513.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/01/e8beb3aa0e2028c35ff6873a0628df01.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/4b/87c8d9ecf7e1f560003a817923f1c54b.jpeg

GARDEN-MUSEUM "TREE OF FRIENDSHIP" (1934):

Tree of friendship was planted in 1934 by the selection scientist Fyodor Zorin. Its crown grows Japanese tangerines, Spanish oranges, Italian lemons, Chinese kumquats, grapefruits, clementines and etc. More than 600 cultivars from 167 foreign countries were grafted onto this tree as a token of friendship. The associated museum boasts a collection of 20.000 presents from all over the world.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/ac/651a30dbf9621d3a230a551dae37b6ac.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/ee/448a881f39dee82854de0419f20659ee.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/dc/d0e7d2b14fa844f4de4f9edea78e55dc.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/b4/a187d3175e636e95ebf7385a2665a5b4.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/64/9057ee751fbbaa99d458d9bda264dc64.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/6b/637b974d487e5c35ff27b05a57b9bb6b.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/ba/eee69fb2951156b861792223d3fa0eba.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/8d/27e48c35156d0b5bb80f7308fde3b58d.jpeg

Vereshchaginsky viaduct (1935):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/8d/1917fbdc746e7cc8d692dcabb775da8d.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/53/b968df2ac774bc3a6e089ff45e71de53.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/b8/6169ab43179f1fb3beed63be1c1be9b8.jpg

Museum of History of Sochi (1920):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/e8/dea228ddbd01e7c3bbb36c104880d2e8.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/fa/d5fb571097334755fa0d951eb38615fa.jpg
Link (http://www.sochi.com/exc/?region=74&id=6)

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0909/b1/f3c6487a2d4683b3bf041d466e29eab1.jpg
Link (http://www.sochi.com/exc/?region=74&id=6)

Park "Southern cultivated plants" (1903):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/2e/0b0561c7e60b65bfac38e114de72112e.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/f8/e9ab74a6c3b8166939bd3947626730f8.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/41/0c273469fe22ae733fa8101733659341.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/7f/86e20df23c356093117ab79bf6bcb67f.jpg

SOCHI MARITIME TERMINAL (1955):
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/8a/8b06b897a4c9b701778d023da88bb78a.jpg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/61/29ff68c6b99711940c16b592bf480c61.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/de/797ad7a7e4f4a375a7581932e7596ede.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/e2/a6186342cc3e5a18904bf1a7f2adede2.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/ca/bc4a42b7214ca3b8ec3931ca758793ca.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/4a/7c087ed40a4596b4c2616a72af1ec24a.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/17/e503832230de278f98ae2ca6d91ec117.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/a8/e392a82a33c24f3d9d374d5c4298a4a8.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/4e/4cfe3341bcb193ad83d1bbcf97389d4e.jpeg

KRASNAYA POLYANA (founded in 1869):

Krasnaya Polyana (literally: "Beautiful (or Red) Glade") is an urban-type settlement under the jurisdiction of Sochi, Krasnodar Kray, Russia. It is home to a ski resort located in the Western Caucasus, at an altitude of 600 meters (1,970 ft), along the Mzymta River, 39 kilometers (24 mi) from its influx into the Black Sea in Adlerskiy City District of Sochi. The settlement had a population 3.972 (2009). The resort is slated to host the snow events (alpine and Nordic) of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Although the vicinity is rich in prehistoric dolmens and contains ruins of about twenty medieval forts, the settlement first appears in recorded history in 1835, when a Russian spy, Baron Fyodor Tornau, visited the Sadz Abkhazian village of Artquaj in the guise of a Circassian mountaineer. Having spent several days in the village, he recorded his observations in a fascinating journal. Among other things, Tornau noted that the village was famous for its honey which was exported by the Sadz people to the Ottoman Empire.

Three decades later, this village, then known as Kbaada, populated with the Akhchipsou branch of the Sadz, was the site where four main Russian armies linked up, a collective prayer was held, and the end of the prolonged Caucasian War solemnly declared (on 2 June 1864). At the conclusion of the Russian-Circassian conflicts, the mountaineers were ethnically cleansed to the Ottoman Empire. Their abandoned aul was replaced with a Russian settlement of Krasnaya Polyana in 1869. The original colonists were ethnically diverse, including not only Russians, but also Greeks from Stavropol and Estonians, who colonized Estosadok, now a ski resort four kilometers upstream on the Mzymta.

On 19 June 1899 Krasnaya Polyana was visited by an official commission under Nikolay Abaza, with a view to transforming it into Tsarskaya Polyana, Nicholas II's hunting ground in the Western Caucasus. A royal hunting lodge was erected in 1901, followed by the chalets of Counts Sheremetyev and Bobrinskiy, among other nobles and high-placed dignitaries. Although it was never visited by the Emperor, the village was granted municipal rights and renamed Romanovsk, after the ruling imperial dynasty. A winding mountain road to Adler was inaugurated in 1898.

Following the October Revolution, the exclusive retreat reverted to its former name and status and gradually dwindled into obscurity. The proximity to Sochi, the "summer capital" of Russia, eventually revived its fortunes in the last quarter of the 20th century, when it achieved a modicum of popularity across the former Soviet Union, despite limited hotel capabilities and installations, and difficulty of access through narrow mountain passes.

The loss of ski areas in Transcaucasia and Tian-Shan after the dissolution of the USSR increased Krasnaya Polyana's prestige and importance for Russia's elites. By the 21st century, the locality had emerged as one of the most sought after ski resorts in the country. This is the favorite skiing place of former president and current prime minister Vladimir Putin, who can easily reach Krasnaya Polyana by helicopter from his country residence of Bocharov Ruchey near Dagomys.
http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/33/68002c7ba521d846168707bf9b781c33.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/25/aa7e766b1f558bd7fc38aafc6356b825.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/84/d9bb3d1d0d05309caa662bebc2776b84.jpeg

http://i9.fastpic.ru/big/2010/0910/a9/c333f2d15f29b6c7ea136fcc2edd64a9.jpeg

P.S. As you can see, Russian cities and regions have completely different history. For example, cities and towns of Golden Ring are famous by its monuments of architecture (like kremlins, cathedrals, monasteries or churches). In contrast, Black Sea region is famous for its natural monuments. History of the cities of Golden Ring is connected with the ancient history of the Russian state, while the cities of the Black Sea associated with the modern history of Russia.

At the same time it's possible to find common points in the history of these regions. The walls of the monasteries of the Golden Ring are remember about the numerous sieges, destructions and lootings, which were made by the Asian invaders (Mongol-Tatarian hordes) and the barbarians from Eastern Europe (hordes of Polish-Lithuanian aggressors). Lands of the Golden Ring preserve remnants of these invaders - agressors were expelled from Russian territory. Like Black Sea remember about Nazis and their allies, who have found their graves in these waters.

:omg: The landscape and the Rusia histori just like interesting :)

Novosibirsk
http://img-novosib.fotki.yandex.ru/get/4602/gelionsk.b8/0_43c6e_37a522bb_orig

An embankment in Izhevsk

http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4602/virut.6/0_455e9_ea992de9_orig

Amazing.
Are there any separated photo threads about Sakhalin, Chukotka or Yakutia? Thanks.

I love it!!! The pics are great as always. Regards.

Ekaterinburg:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9nZRXqkcDQk/TAijAs7aUbI/AAAAAAAAB9I/qdXzqtt4BSY/s1600/covercity-yekaterinburg.JPG

The pic of Ekaterinburg is awesome indeed. Regards.

jungles in Russia:

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9886/8413.jpg (http://img230.imageshack.us/i/8413.jpg/)

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8333/f5061507.jpg (http://img213.imageshack.us/i/f5061507.jpg/)

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/6340/491resize.jpg (http://img522.imageshack.us/i/491resize.jpg/)

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/d/24a/3931200_large.jpeg

lovely series of shots!

Rabocheostrovsk, Kem District, Karelia
http://cache.photosight.ru/img/f/987/3962390_large.jpeg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3962390/

'Kydryavy' volcano, Kuril Islands
http://www.fishup.ru/files/ad/06/98/lg_14744931_jpg.jpg?v=2
http://www.fishup.ru/albums/p/gid/755381/oid/14744931/lid/50

Estuary of Lososinka River, Petrozavodsk, Karelia
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4904/medejka.39/0_55965_f8195a5b_XL
http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/medejka/view/350565?page=3

Morning at Kiekuanjarvi, just one of the 60 thousands lakes of Karelia.
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/3900/vitazaj.1e/0_345f4_13f29dab_XL
http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vitazaj/view/214516?page=0

Some river, Karelia
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/3105/vitazaj.9/0_21e2a_4c002f9a_orig
http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vitazaj/view/138794?page=0

Ladoga Lake, Karelia
The largest lake in Europe
http://cache.photosight.ru/img/0/9ea/3956886_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3956886/

Bezengi, Kabardino-Balkaria
http://cache.photosight.ru/img/6/e68/3446565_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3446565/

'Millenium of Russia', Novgorod the Great
One of my all time favorite monuments ever.
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_of_Russia
http://img-2007-11.photosight.ru/01/2388983.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/2388983/

Altai mountains
http://cache.photosight.ru/img/6/ffd/3518988_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3518988/

Itkul Lake, Khakassia
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/266/d/8/evening_on_itkul_lake_by_box426-d2zb4e1.jpg
http://box426.deviantart.com/art/Lake-quot-Itkul-quot-Evening-180237817

Svetloye Lake, Ergaki Mountain ridge, Eastern Siberia
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/254/a/5/__light___lake__by_box426-d2yjeiy.jpg
http://box426.deviantart.com/art/Lake-quot-Light-quot-178944586?q=gallery%3Abox426%2F26489346&qo=35

Altai Mountains
http://cache.photosight.ru/img/c/d5e/3945527_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3945527/

Breathtaking photos of Russia!! :drool:

The Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam, Khakassia:
http://russos.ru/img/ind/shg/shg-07.jpg
Russos (http://russos.livejournal.com/751647.html#cutid1)

http://russos.ru/img/ind/shg/shg-11.jpg
Russos (http://russos.livejournal.com/751647.html#cutid1)

del.

All uncredited pics have been deleted. I will suspend accounts if it happens again.

Stunning images, Russia is a truly jewel. Regards.

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_november_02/photo_05.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/169382.html

Lake Baikal

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_21/photo_01.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_21/photo_02.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_21/photo_05.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/168112.html

Shabrovsky talc quarry

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_12/photo_07.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_12/photo_08.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_12/photo_11.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/166738.html

Voroshilov's battery on the Russkiy island

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_04/photo_01.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_04/photo_04.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_october_04/photo_09.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/165967.html

Vladivostok

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_23_sept_2010/photo_01.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/164838.html

Vityaz' bay. Japan Sea.

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_22_sept_2010/photo_01.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_22_sept_2010/photo_02.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_22_sept_2010/photo_03.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/164535.html

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_16_sept_2010/photo_03.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/163552.html

Lake Baikal.

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_13_sept_2010/photo_01.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_13_sept_2010/photo_02.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_13_sept_2010/photo_03.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_10_sept_2010/photo_01.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/163085.html

Sibai quarry

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_05_sept_2010/photo_01.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/161155.html

Cheboksary

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/expedition_03_sept_2010/photo_02.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/160765.html

Peninsula Rybachiy

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_29/photo_04.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_29/photo_07.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/159405.html#cutid1

German Cape

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_27/photo_01.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_27/photo_02.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_27/photo_03.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_27/photo_04.jpg
http://victorprofessor.livejournal.com/158993.html

peninsula Average

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_18/photo_02.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_18/photo_04.jpg

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_18/photo_05.jpg

Two brothers — ancient Lappish shrine on the bank of Barents sea on peninsula Average.

http://victorborisov.ru/livejournal/2010_august_18/photo_01.jpg

^^ wow, i like this landscapes!

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/9/49b/3982128_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3982128/

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/0/0a4/3992076_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3992076/

http://img-2005-06.photosight.ru/28/923363.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/923363/

http://img-2006-09.photosight.ru/13/1643769.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/1643769/

http://img-2006-12.photosight.ru/12/1814531.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/1814531/

http://img-2007-09.photosight.ru/28/2326011.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/2326011/

http://img-2008-06.photosight.ru/24/2730550.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/2730550/

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/9/91a/3900179_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3900179/

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/9/65f/3833369_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3833369/

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/5/faf/3831414_large.jpg
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3831414/

WORLD HERITAGE OF RUSSIA:

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.

The program catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. Under certain conditions, listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund. The programme was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1972. Since then, 186 state parties have ratified the convention.

Each World Heritage Site is the property of the state on whose territory the site is located, but it is considered in the interest of the international community to preserve each site.

In 1954, the government of Egypt decided to build the Aswan Dam (Aswan High Dam), an event that would flood a valley containing treasures of ancient Egypt such as the Abu Simbel temples. UNESCO then launched a worldwide safeguarding campaign. The Abu Simbel and Philae temples were taken apart, moved to a higher location, and put back together piece by piece.

The cost of the project was US$ 80 million, about $ 40 million of which was collected from 50 countries. The project was regarded as a success, and led to other safeguarding campaigns, saving Venice and its lagoon in Italy, the ruins of Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, and the Borobodur Temple Compounds in Indonesia. UNESCO then initiated, with the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a draft convention to protect the common cultural heritage of humanity.

The United States initiated the idea of combining cultural conservation with nature conservation. A White House conference in 1965 called for a World Heritage Trust' to preserve "the world's superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and the future of the entire world citizenry." The International Union for Conservation of Nature developed similar proposals in 1968, and they were presented in 1972 to the United Nations conference on Human Environment in Stockholm.

A single text was agreed on by all parties, and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972.

A country must first take an inventory of its significant cultural and natural properties. This is called the Tentative List, and is important because a country may not nominate properties that have not already been included on the Tentative List. Next, it can select a property from this list to place into a Nomination File. The World Heritage Centre offers advice and help in preparing this file.

At this point, the file is evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union. These bodies then make their recommendations to the World Heritage Committee. The Committee meets once per year to determine whether or not to inscribe each nominated property on the World Heritage List, and sometimes defers the decision to request more information from the country who nominated the site. There are ten selection criteria - a site must meet at least one of them to be included on the list.

As of 2010, 911 sites are listed: 704 cultural, 180 natural, and 27 mixed properties, in 151 States Parties. Italy is home to the greatest number of World Heritage Sites to date with 45 sites inscribed on the list. UNESCO references each World Heritage Site with an identification number; but new inscriptions often include previous sites now listed as part of larger descriptions. As a result, the identification numbers exceed 1200 even though there are fewer on the list.

List of World Heritage Sites by country:
1. Italy - 45 sites (including 3 shared);
2. Spain - 42 sites (including 2 shared);
3. China - 40 sites;
4. France - 35 sites (including 2 shared);
5. Germany - 33 sites (including 3 shared);
6. Mexico - 31 sites;
7. India - 28 sites;
7. Great Britain - 28 sites (including 1 shared);
9. Russia - 24 sites (including 3 shared);
10. USA - 21 sites (including 1 shared).

Russia (USSR) ratificated Convention only on October 12, 1988.

THE LIST OF RUSSIAN WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

1. (UN #540; 1990) HISTORICAL CENTRE OF SAINT PETERSBURG AND RELATED GROUPS OF MONUMENTS:

Brief UNESCO's description: "The 'Venice of the North', with its numerous canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a vast urban project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. Later known as Leningrad (in the former USSR), the city is closely associated with the October Revolution. Its architectural heritage reconciles the very different Baroque and pure neoclassical styles, as can be seen in the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage".

1.1. HISTORICAL CENTRE OF ST. PETERSBURG:

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject (a federal city) of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd (1914–1924) and Leningrad (1924–1991). It is often called just Petersburg and is informally known as Piter.

Founded by Emperor Peter I of Russia on May 27, 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1713–1728, 1732–1918). Saint Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is Russia's second largest city after Moscow with 5.132 million inhabitants, and sixth in Europe after Moscow (15m), London (12.875m), Paris (9.638m), Istanbul (9.413m), and The Ruhr (7.3m). Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural centre, and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea.

Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Western city of Russia. Among cities of the world with over one million people, Saint Petersburg is the northernmost. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is also home to The Hermitage, the largest art museum in the entire world. Russia's political and cultural centre for 200 years, the city is sometimes referred to in Russia as the Northern Capital. Over its history it has also been referenced as "the Venice of the north" and the "Northern Palmyra". A large number of foreign consulates, international corporations, banks and other businesses are located in Saint Petersburg.

http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/01/9c7341e3ce4a85908d77411df419d801.jpeg
Gelio (http://community.livejournal.com/spb_ru/4237603.html)

1.1.1. PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS:

The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740.

The fortress was established by Peter the Great on May 27, 1703 on small Hare Island by the north bank of the Neva River, the last upstream island of the Neva delta. Built at the height of the Northern War in order to protect the projected capital from a feared Swedish counterattack, the fort never fulfilled its martial purpose. The citadel was completed with six bastions in earth and timber within a year, and it was rebuilt in stone from 1706-1740.

From around 1720, the fort served as a base for the city garrison and also as a prison for high ranking or political prisoners. The Trubetskoy bastion, rebuilt in the 1870s, became the main prison block. The first person to escape from the fortress prison (now an important destination for tourists) was the anarchist Prince Peter Kropotkin in 1876. Other people incarcerated in the "Russian Bastille" include Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Tsarevich Alexis, Artemy Volynsky, Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Alexander Radishchev, the Decembrists, Grigory Danilevsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mikhail Bakunin, Nikolay Chernyshevsky and Josip Broz Tito.

The Provisional Government ministers were the last prisoners at the Fortress. In 1924, most of the site was converted to a museum. In 1931, the Gas Dynamics Laboratory was added to the site. The structure suffered heavy damage during the bombardment of the city during WW II by the German army who were laying siege to the city. It has been faithfully restored post-war.

The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral (1712-1733), which has a 123.2 m (404 ft) bell-tower (the tallest in the downtown) and a gilded angel-topped cupola.

The cathedral is the burial place of all Russian tsars from Peter I to Alexander III, with the exception of Peter II. The remains of the Imperial martyrs, Nicholas II and his family and entourage, were also interred there, in the side St.Catherine's Chapel, on the 80th anniversary of their deaths, July 17, 1998. Towards the end of 2006, the remains of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna were brought from Roskilde Cathedral outside Copenhagen to finally rest next to her husband, Alexander III.

The newer Grand Ducal Mausoleum (built in the Neo-Baroque style under Leon Benois's supervision in 1896-1908) is connected to the cathedral by a corridor. It was constructed in order to remove the remains of some of the non-reigning Romanovs from the cathedral where there was scarcely any room for new burials. The mausoleum was expected to hold up to sixty tombs, but by the time of the Russian Revolution there were only thirteen. The latest burial there was of Nicholas II's first cousin once removed, Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrilovich (1992). The remains of his parents, Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich and his wife Viktoria Fyodorovna, were transferred to the mausoleum from Coburg in 1995.

Other structures inside the fortress include the still functioning mint building (constructed to Antonio Porta's designs under Emperor Paul), the Trubetskoy and Alekseyevsky bastions with their grim prison cells, and the city museum. According to a centuries-old tradition, a cannon is fired each noon from the Naryshkin Bastion. Annual celebrations of the city day (May 27) are normally centered on the island where the city was born.

The sandy beaches underneath the fortress walls are among the most popular in St. Petersburg. In summer, the beach is often overcrowded, especially when a major sand festival takes place on the shore.

Peter and Paul Fortress (1706-1740, Domenico Trezzini):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/9b/0f4c4d21338fd09cb10c4525bd6d559b.jpeg
Gelio (http://community.livejournal.com/spb_ru/4237603.html)

1.1.2. WINTER PALACE:

The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian Emperors. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and altered almost continuously between the late 1730s and 1837, when it was severely damaged by fire and immediately rebuilt. The storming of the palace in 1917 became an iconic symbol of the Russian Revolution.

The palace was constructed on a monumental scale that was intended to reflect the might and power of Imperial Russia. From the palace, the Emperor and autocrat of all the Russias ruled over 22,400,000 square kilometres (8,600,000 sq mi) (almost 1/6 of the Earth's landmass) and 176.4 million subjects. It was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style; the green-and-white palace has the shape of an elongated rectangle. The palace has been calculated to contain 1786 doors, 1945 windows, 1500 rooms and 117 staircases. Its principal facade is 250 m long and 100 ft (30 m) high. The rebuilding of 1837 left the exterior unchanged, but large parts of the interior were redesigned in a variety of tastes and styles, leading the palace to be described as a "19th-century palace inspired by a model in Rococo style."

In 1905, the palace was the scene of the Bloody Sunday massacre, but by this time the Imperial Family had chosen to live in the more secure and secluded Alexander Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, and returned to the Winter Palace only for the most formal and rarest state occasions. Following the February Revolution of 1917, the palace was for a short time the seat of the Russian Provisional Government, led by Alexander Kerensky. Later that same year, the palace was stormed by a detachment of Red Army soldiers and sailors—a defining moment in the birth of the Soviet state. On a less glorious note, the month-long looting of the palace's wine cellars during this troubled period led to what has been described as "the greatest hangover in history". Today, the restored palace forms part of the complex of buildings housing the Hermitage Museum.

Winter Palace (1754-1762, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/77/b867745b27de1b730b8424909d0b5977.jpeg
MarinaAn (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/marinaanru/view/295902/?page=0)

1.1.3. MARBLE PALACE:

Marble Palace is one of the first Neoclassical palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is situated between the Field of Mars and Palace Quay, slightly to the east from Winter Palace.

The palace was built by Count Grigory Orlov, the favorite of Empress Catherine the Great and the most powerful Russian nobleman of the 1760s. Construction started in 1768 to designs by Antonio Rinaldi, who previously had helped decorate the grand palace at Caserta near Naples. The combination of sumptuous ornamentation with rigorously classicizing monumentality, as practiced by Rinaldi, may be attributed to his earlier work under Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy.

The palace takes its name from its opulent decoration in a wide variety of polychrome marbles. A rough-grained Finnish granite on the ground floor is in subtle contrast to polished pink Karelian marble of the pilasters and white Urals marble of capitals and festoons. Panels of veined bluish gray Urals marble separate the floors, while Tallinn dolomite was employed for ornamental urns. In all, 32 disparate shades of marble were used to decorate the palace.

The plan of the edifice is trapezoidal: each of its four facades, though strictly symmetrical, has a different design. One of the facades conceals a recessed courtyard, where an armored car employed by Lenin during the October Revolution used to be mounted on display between 1937 and 1992. Nowadays, the court is dominated by a sturdy equestrian statue of Alexander III of Russia, the most famous work of sculptor Paolo Troubetzkoy; formerly it graced a square before the Moscow Railway Station.

Fedot Shubin, Mikhail Kozlovsky, Stefano Torelli and other Russian and foreign craftsmen decorated the interior with inlaid coloured marbles, stucco, and statuary until 1785, by which time Count Orlov fell out of favour with the Empress, who had the palace purchased for her own heirs. In 1797–1798 the structure was leased to Stanislaw August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland. Thereafter the palace belonged to Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich and his heirs from the Konstantinovichi branch of the Romanov family.

In 1843, Grand Duke Constantine Nikolayevich decided to redecorate the edifice, renaming it Constantine Palace and engaging Alexander Brullov as the architect. An adjacent church and other outbuildings were completely rebuilt, while the interior of the palace was refurbished in keeping with the eclectic tastes of its new owner. Only the main staircase and the Marble Hall survived that refacing and still retain the refined stucco work and elaborate marble pattern of Rinaldi's original decor.

During the Soviet era, the palace successively housed the Ministry of Labour (1917–1919), the Academy of Material Culture (1919–1936), and the Lenin Museum (1937–1991). Currently, the palace accommodates permanent exhibitions of the Russian State Museum, notably "Foreign Artists in Russia (18th and 19th centuries)" and the "Peter Ludwig Museum at the Russian Museum", featuring canvases by Andy Warhol and other Pop Art idols.

Marble Palace (1768-1785, Antonio Rinaldi):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/f3/991d28fdc8bebe48994fa46c5f7984f3.jpeg
mskhalaya (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/silva-mskhalaya/view/205302/?page=9)

1.1.4. ADMIRALTY:

Admiralty Board was a supreme body for the administration of the Imperial Russian Navy in the Russian Empire, established by Peter the Great on December 12, 1718.

The responsibilities of the Admiralty Board had been changing throughout its history. It supervised the construction of military ships, ports, harbors, and canals and administered Admiralty Shipyard. The Admiralty Board was also in charge of naval armaments and equipment, preparation of naval officers etc. The first president of the Admiralty Board was Count Fyodor Apraksin. In 1720, the Admiralty Board published a collection of naval decrees called "A Naval Charter On Everything That Has To Do With Good Management Of A Fleet At Sea", authored by Peter the Great himself among other people. In 1802, the Admiralty Board became a part of the Ministry of the Navy. Along with the Admiralty Board, there was also the Admiralty Department in 1805-1827 with the responsibilities of the Chief Office of the Ministry. In 1827, the Admiralty Board was turned into the Admiralty Council, which would exist until the October Revolution of 1917.

The Admiralty Board used to be headquartered in the Admiralty building in St. Petersburg. The magnificent Empire Style edifice lining the Admiralty Quay was constructed to Andreyan Zakharov's design between 1806 and 1823. Located at the western end of the Nevsky Avenue, with a gilded steeple topped by a golden weather-vane in the shape of a small ship, it is one of the city's most conspicuous landmarks. The spire is the focal point of old St. Petersburg's three main streets - Nevsky Avenue, Gorokhovaya Street, and Voznesensky Avenue - underscoring the importance Peter I placed on Russia's Navy.

Vladimir Nabokov, famed writer and native of St. Petersburg, wrote a short story in May 1933 entitled "The Admiralty Spire."

Admiralty building (1806-1823, Andreyan Zakharov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/b8/9696e61745f8b320a6b0d00cd956e9b8.jpeg
verona (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/dthfvbhj48/view/575085/?page=0)

1.1.5. SAINT ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL:

Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city and was the tallest Eastern Orthodox church upon its completion (subsequently surpassed only by the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour). It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great who had been born on the feast day of that saint.

The church on St Isaac's Square was ordered by Emperor Alexander I, to replace an earlier Rinaldiesque structure. A specially appointed commission examined several designs, including that of the French-born architect Auguste de Montferrand (1786–1858), who had studied in the atelier of Napoleon's designer, Charles Percier. Monferrand's design was criticised by some members of the commission for the dry and allegedly boring rhythm of its four identical pedimented octastyle porticos. It was also suggested that despite gigantic dimensions, the edifice would look squat and not very impressive. The emperor, who favoured the ponderous Empire style of architecture, had to step in and solve the dispute in Monferrand's favour.

The cathedral took 40 years to construct, under Montferrand's direction, from 1818 to 1858. Under the Soviet government, the building was abandoned, then turned into a museum of atheism. The dove sculpture was removed, and replaced by a Foucault pendulum.

During World War II, the dome was painted over in gray to avoid attracting attention from enemy aircraft. On its top, in the skylight, a geodesical intersection point was placed, with the objective of aiding in the location of enemy cannon.

With the fall of communism, the museum was removed and regular worship activity has resumed in the cathedral, but only in the left-hand side chapel. The main body of the cathedral is used for services on feast days only.

The severe neoclassical exterior expresses a traditional Russian-Byzantine formula: a Greek-cross groundplan with a large central dome and four subsidiary domes. It is similar to Andrea Palladio's Villa La Rotonda, with a full dome on a high drum substituted for the Villa's low central saucer dome. The design of the cathedral in general and the dome in particular later influenced the design of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. and the Cathedral in Helsinki.

The exterior, which barely hints at the riotously rich interior, is faced with gray and pink stone, and features a total of 112 red granite columns with Corinthian capitals, each hewn and erected as a single block: 48 at ground level, 24 on the rotunda of the uppermost dome, 8 on each of four side domes, and 2 framing each of four windows. The rotunda is encircled by a walkway accessible to tourists. 24 statues gaze down from the roof, and another 24 from the top of the rotunda.

The cathedral's bronze doors are covered in reliefs, patterned after the celebrated doors of the Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence) in Florence, designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Suspended underneath the peak of the dome is a sculpted dove representing the Holy Spirit. Internal features such as columns, pilasters, floor, and statue of Montferrand are composed of multicolored granites and marbles gathered from all parts of Russia. The iconostasis is framed by eight columns of semiprecious stone: six of malachite and two smaller ones of lazurite. The four pediments are also richly sculpted.

The interior was originally decorated with scores of paintings by Carlo Brullo and other great Russian masters of the day. When these paintings began to deteriorate due to the cold, damp conditions inside the cathedral, Montferrand ordered them to be painstakingly reproduced as mosaics, a technique introduced in Russia by Mikhail Lomonosov. This work was never completed.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral (1818-1858, Auguste de Montferrand):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/e8/53acea4acda64ecd411b7bea74cba1e8.jpeg
Чук и Гек (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/nadezda-mni/view/120798/?page=1)

1.1.6. CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR ON BLOOD (1883-1907, Alfred Parland):

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg, Russia. It is also variously called the Church on Spilt Blood and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, its official name.

"The preferred Russian name for this great church is Church of the Savior on Blood, but each English-language tourist publication seems to list it under a different name. The moniker of "Spilled Blood" is most popular in preference to the likes of the Church of the Resurrection, Church of our Savior on the Blood, Cathedral of the Ascension, Resurrection of the Christ, or Assumption, Church of the Redeemer, or any permutation of the above."

This Church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory. It should not to be confused with the Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land, located in the city of Yekaterinburg where the former Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918) and several members of his family and household were executed following the Bolshevik Revolution.

Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.

The Church is prominently situated along the Griboedov Canal. The embankment at that point runs along either side of a canal. On March 13, 1881, as Emperor Alexander's carriage passed along the embankment, a grenade thrown by an anarchist conspirator exploded. The Emperor, shaken but unhurt, got out of the carriage and started to remonstrate with the presumed culprit. Another conspirator took the chance to explode another bomb, killing himself and mortally wounding the Emperor. The Emperor, bleeding heavily, was taken back to the Winter Palace where he died a few hours later.

A temporary shrine was erected on the site of the attack while the project for a more permanent memorial was undertaken. It was decided that the section of the street where the assassination took place was to be enclosed within the walls of a church. That section of the embankment was therefore extended out into the canal to allow the shrine to fit comfortably within the building and to provide space on the exterior wall for a memorial marking the spot where the assassination took place. Inside, an elaborate shrine was constructed on the exact place of Alexander's death, garnished with topaz, lazurite and other semi-precious stones. Amid such rich decoration, the simple cobblestones on which the Emperor's blood was spilled and which are exposed in the floor of the shrine provide a striking contrast.

Architecturally, the Cathedral differs from St. Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics—according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. This record may be surpassed by the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, which houses 7700 square meters of mosaics. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day—including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Parland, was relatively little-known (and Russian, despite his name). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by hostile Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary storage site for the corpses of those who died both in combat and of starvation and illness. It suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Savior on Potatoes.

In July 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funneled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship; it is a Museum of Mosaic. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship; having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated Emperor, the only services served in it were panikhidas (memorial services). The Church is now one of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

Church of the Savior on Blood (1883-1907, Alfred Parland):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/84/9e0a02074d524dc8a002fcab816da484.jpeg
Виктор (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/zacharowikt-577/view/181160/?page=0)

1.2. HISTORICAL PART OF THE TOWN OF KRONSTADT:

Kronstadt, also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt (German: Krone for Crown and Stadt for City) is a Russian seaport town, located on Kotlin Island, 30 km (19 mi) west of Saint Petersburg near the head of the Gulf of Finland. It is under the administration of the federal city of Saint Petersburg and is also its main port. Population: 42.755 (2010). In March 1921 it was the site of the Kronstadt rebellion.

Traditionally, the seat of the Russian admiralty and the base of the Russian Baltic Fleet were located in Kronstadt guarding the approaches to Saint Petersburg. The historic centre of the city and its fortifications are part of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

Kronstadt was founded by Peter the Great, who took the island of Kotlin from the Swedes in 1703. Pushkin's great-grandfather, Abram Gannibal, oversaw its construction. The first fortifications were inaugurated on 18 May 1704.

These fortifications, known as Kronstadt's Forts, were constructed very quickly. During the winter the Gulf of Finland freezes completely. Workers used thousands of frames made of oak logs filled with stones. These were carried by horses across the frozen sea, and placed in cuttings made in the ice. Thus, several new small islands were created, and forts were erected on them, closing all access to Saint-Petersburg by the sea. Only two narrow navigable channels remained, and the strongest forts guarded them.

Kronstadt was thoroughly refortified in the 19th century. The old three-decker forts, five in number, which formerly constituted the principal defences of the place, and defied the Anglo-French fleets during the Crimean War, became of secondary importance. From the plans of Eduard Totleben a new fort, Constantine, and four batteries were constructed (1856–1871) to defend the principal approach, and seven batteries to cover the shallower northern channel. All these fortifications were low and thickly-armored earthworks, powerfully armed with heavy Krupp guns in turrets. The town itself is surrounded with an enceinte.

In summer 1891, the French fleet was officially — and triumphally — received in Kronstadt. It was a first step towards the coming Franco-Russian Alliance.

During the Petrograd riots of the February revolution, the sailors of Petrograd joined the revolution and killed their officers, and received a reputation as dedicated revolutionaries. During the civil war, the sailors participated on the red side, until 1921, when they rebelled against the Bolshevik rule.

Kronstadt and the supporting forts and minefields were the key to the protection of Petrograd from foreign forces. Despite this, the cruiser Oleg was torpedoed and sunk by a small motor boat after participating in a bombardment of Krasnaya Gorka fort that had revolted against the Bolsheviks. This was followed on 18 August 1919 by a raid of seven Royal Navy Coastal Motor Boats into the harbor of Kronstadt itself damaging the Soviet battleships "Petropavlovsk" and "Andrey Pervozvanny" sinking a submarine supply ship, the "Pamiat Azova".

During World War II, Kronstadt was bombed several times by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. The most notable bombing was Stuka ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel's sinking of the Soviet battleship "Marat".

The town of Kronstadt is built on level ground and is thus exposed to inundations, the most famous being in 1824. On the south side of the town there are three harbors: the large western or merchant harbor, the western flank of which is formed by a great mole joining the fortifications which traverse the breadth of the island on this side; the middle harbor, used chiefly for fitting out and repairing vessels; and the eastern or war harbor for vessels of the Russian navy. The Peter and Catherine canals, communicating with the merchant and middle harbours, traverse the town. Between them stood the old Italian palace of Prince Menshikov, the site of which was later occupied by a pilot school.

The modern town's most striking landmark is the enormous Naval Cathedral, built from 1908 to 1913 and considered to represent a culmination of the Russian Neo-Byzantism. The older St Andrew Cathedral (1817), formerly Kronstadt's pride and beauty, was destroyed on communist orders in 1932. St Ioann of Kronstadt, one of the most venerated Russian saints, served there as a priest from 1855-1908.

Among other public buildings are the naval hospital, the British seamen's hospital (established in 1867), the civic hospital, admiralty (founded 1785), arsenal, dockyards and foundries, school of marine engineering, and the English church. The port is ice-bound for 140–160 days in the year, from the beginning of December to April. A very large proportion of the inhabitants are sailors.

NAVAL CATHEDRAL:

The Naval cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Kronstadt is a Russian Orthodox cathedral built in 1903–1913 as the main temple of the Baltic Fleet and dedicated to all fallen seamen. The cathedral was closed in 1929, and was converted to a cinema, a House of Officers (1939) and a museum of the Navy (1980). The Russian Orthodox Church reinstalled the cross on the main dome in 2002 and served the first Divine Liturgy in the cathedral in 2005, but since then (as of September 2008) it is opened only on special occasions.

Naval Cathedral (1903-1913, Vasily Kosyakov and Georgy Kosyakov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/1c/5ec3d383b28ad8fc1e6a966820e26a1c.jpg
Link (http://community.livejournal.com/mirprekrasen/156087.html)

1.3. FORTRESS OF KRONSTADT - Forts of the Island Kotlin (Fort Den, Fort Shanz, Fort Catherine, For Rift, Fort Constantin and Tolbukhin Signal Tower on Tolbukhin Island); Forts of the Gulf of Finland (Obrutchev Fort, Totleben Fort, North Forts Nos. 1-7, Paul Fort, Kronshlot Fort, Alexander Fort, Peter Fort and South Forts Nos. 1-3); Forts of the Coast of the Gulf of Finland (Fort Lissy Noss, Fort Inno, Grey Horse Fort and Krasnaya Gorka Fort) and Civil Engineering (Barrier of Cribwork, Barrier of Pile and Barrier of Stone):

The Kronstadt Sea Fortress used to be considered the most fortified port in the world. Kronstadt still retains some of the "forts", small fortified artificial islands. Formerly, there were 42 such forts, situated in line between the southern and northern shores of the Gulf of Finland. Some fortifications were located inside the city itself and one was on the western shore of the Kronslot Island (on the other side of the main navigational channel).

Nowadays, the construction of the Saint Petersburg Dam has led to some of the forts being demolished. The dam also permitted Kronstadt and some of the forts to be reached without using a boat. Among the most important surviving forts are the Fort Konstantin, the biggest in the Gulf of Finland; the Fort Rif on the western shore of the island; and the particularly well-preserved Alexander Fort. The largest and the newest of the forts, constructed at the beginning of the 20th century, is Fort Totleben, named after Eduard Totleben.

Peter and Alexander Forts:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/e7/5911752e1ab1e3da8247210586c817e7.jpg
valdep (http://valdep.livejournal.com/22359.html?thread=1540695)

1.4. HISTORICAL CENTRE OF THE TOWN OF PETROKREPOST (SCHLISSELBURG):

Shlisselburg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated at the head of the Neva River on Lake Ladoga, 35 kilometers (22 mi) east of St. Petersburg. From 1944 to 1992, it was known as Petrokrepost. Population: 12.923 (2010). The fortress and the city center are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The town on the mainland opposite the island fortress was founded in 1702 by Peter the Great. It does not retain many historical buildings, apart from a handful of 18th-century churches. Perhaps the most remarkable landmark is the Old Ladoga Canal, started at the behest of Peter I in 1719 and completed under the guidance of Fieldmarshal Munnich twelve years later. The canal stretches for 104 versts; its granite sluices date from 1836.

During World War II, the town (not the fortress) was seized by Nazi Germany. The recapture of Shlisselburg in 1943 by Soviet forces reopened access to besieged Leningrad. Between 1944 and 1992, the town's name was Russified as Petrokrepost (literally: "Fortress of Peter"). Shlisselburg regained its former name after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Nicholas Church (1770-1853), Annunciation Cathedral (1764-1818) and Kazan Chapel (1864, G. Yershov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/43/c3fbb6ff320bfdf88ca94621b1d1ef43.jpg
Wikipedia (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Файл:Шлиссельбург._Соборный_комплекс.jpg)

1.5. FORTRESS "ORESHEK" ON THE ISLAND OREKHOVY AT THE SOURCE OF THE NEVE:

Built originally as a wooden fortress named Oreshek (also Orekhov) ("Nutlet") by Grand Prince Yury of Moscow (in his capacity as Prince of Novgorod) on behalf of the Novgorod Republic in 1323, it guarded the northern approaches to Novgorod and access to the Baltic Sea. The fortress is situated on Orekhovets Island, whose name, refers to nuts in Swedish and (Pahkinasaari, "Nut Island") in Finnish and Russian.

After a series of conflicts, a peace treaty, was signed at Oreshek on August 12, 1323 between Sweden and Grand Prince Yury and the Novgorod Republic which was the first agreement on the border between Eastern and Western Christianity, running through present-day Finland. A modern stone monument to the north of the Church of St. John in the fortress commemorates the treaty.

Twenty-five years later, King Magnus Eriksson attacked and briefly took the fortress during his crusade in the region (1348–1352). It was largely ruined by the time the Novgorodians retook the fortress in 1351. The fortress was rebuilt in stone in 1352 by Archbishop Vasilii Kalika of Novgorod (1330–1352), who, according to the Novgorod First Chronicle, was sent by the Novgorodians after several Russian and Lithuanian princes ignored the city's pleas to help them rebuild and defend the fort. The remnants of the walls of 1352 were excavated in 1969 and can be seen just north of the Church of St. John in the center of the present fortress.

The fort was captured by Sweden in 1611 during the Ingrian War. As part of the Swedish Empire, the fortress was known as Noteborg ("Nut-fortress") in Swedish or Pahkinalinna in Finnish, and became the center of the north-Ingrian Noteborg county (slottslan).

In 1702, during the Great Northern War, the fortress was taken by Russians under Peter the Great in an amphibious assault: 250 Swedish soldiers defended the fort for 10 days before they surrendered. The Russian losses were 6000 men against 110 Swedish losses. It was then given its current name, Shlisselburg, a transcription of Schlusselburg. The name, meaning "Key-fortress" in German, refers to Peter's perception of the fortress as the "key to Ingria".

During the times of Imperial Russia, the fortress was used as a notorious political prison; among its famous prisoners were Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, Mikhail Bakunin and, for 38 years, Walerian Lukasinski. Ivan VI of Russia was murdered in the fortress in 1764, and Lenin's brother, Aleksandr Ulyanov, was hanged there too.

Out of ten towers, the fortress retains only six (five Russian and one Swedish). The remains of a church inside the fortress were transformed into a memorial to the fortress's defenders. The fortress has been the site of an annual rock concert since 2003. There is also a museum of political prisoners of the Russian Empire, and a small collection of World War II artillery.

http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/86/9b9a9c0b0644991246940f2bef7d7586.jpeg
Сергей Кропп (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/skropp/view/25063/?page=0)

1.6. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLES OF THE TOWN OF PUSHKIN AND ITS HISTORICAL CENTRE:

Pushkin is a town under jurisdiction of St. Petersburg, Russia, that is located 24 kilometers (15 mi) south from the center of St. Petersburg. Population: 99.380 (2010).

The town was founded in the 18th century as the summer residence of the Russian tsars under the name "Tsarskoye Selo" (Royal Village). In 1710, Peter the Great decided to hand over the part of the Menshikov's ownership Sarskaja Myza to Ekaterina Alexeevna. In 1724, Sarskaja Myza officially became the Tsar's village Sarskoye Selo. In 1780, Sarskoye Selo became Tsarskoye Selo. The village of Tsarskoye Selo and the town of Sofia were integrated in 1808.

Nicholas II of Russia and his family lived in the Alexander Palace until they were moved to Tobolsk on July 31, 1917.

After the October Revolution the Catherine Palace became a museum, while some other mansions of the nobility were converted into educational and sanitary institutions. On that account, the town was renamed "Detskoye Selo" (Children's Village) in 1918. In 1937, the name was changed to "Pushkin", to commemorate the centenary of the death of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin who had studied in the Imperial Lyceum there.

Apart from the imperial residence, the town of Pushkin includes several other historic districts, notably Sophia, which was founded by Catherine the Great as an uezd town but lost its town status in 1808. The main monument in this part of the town is the Sophia Cathedral (1782-1788).

Another part of the town is occupied by the half-ruined Fyodorovsky Townlet, built in the Russian Revival style to mark the tercentenary of the House of Romanov in 1913. The highlight of the townlet is the charming white-washed Royal Cathedral, dedicated to the Theotokos of St. Theodore and intended to serve as a domestic church of the reigning family.

In the garden close to the Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum stands the Church of the Sign, the oldest in the town, built in 1734-1736 to a discreet Baroque design by Mikhail Zemtsov. The church was decorated in 1747 and slightly remodelled in 1865. The Soviets all but destroyed it; but the building was restored in 1961 and reverted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991.

The Egyptian Gate leading to the town from Saint Petersburg was designed by Adam Menelaws, a Scottish architect. This structure, erected in 1827-1832 and intricately covered with hieroglyphics, bears testimony to the Egyptomania of the 1820s, triggered by Champollion's Precis du systeme hieroglyphique (1824).

1.6.1. TSARSKOYE SELO LYCEUM:

The Imperial Lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo near Saint Petersburg also known historically as the Imperial Alexander Lyceum after its founder the Emperor Alexander I with the object of educating youths of the best families, who should afterwards occupy important posts in the Imperial service.

Its regulations were published on 11 January 1811, although they had received the Imperial sanction on 12 August 1810, when the four-storied "new" wing of the Great Palace was appointed for its accommodation, with special premises for a hospital, a kitchen and other domestic requirements, as well as a residence for the administrative staff. Furniture and utensils were given with the neoclassical building designed by Vasily Stasov and situated next to the Catherine Palace.

The Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum was opened on October 19, 1811. The first graduates were all brilliant and included Alexander Pushkin and Alexander Gorchakov. The opening date was celebrated each year with carousals and revels, and Pushkin composed new verses for each of those occasions. In January 1844 the Lyceum was moved to St Petersburg.

During the 33 years of the Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum's existence, there were 286 graduates. The most famous of these, in addition to the above two, were Anton Delvig, Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, Nicholas de Giers, Dmitriy Tolstoy, Jacob Grot, Nikolay Danilevsky, Aleksey Lobanov-Rostovsky, Fyodor Shcherbatskoy, and Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum (1811):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/3d/f8f1405b48d726da71681698e212be3d.jpeg
Albino4ka (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/alb3345/view/276184/?page=1)

1.6.2. CATHERINE PALACE:

The Catherine Palace was the Rococo summer residence of the Russian Emperors, located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 25 km south-east of St. Petersburg, Russia.

The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I of Russia engaged the German architect Johann-Friedrich Braunstein to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1733, Empress Anna commissioned Mikhail Zemtsov and Andrei Kvasov to expand the Catherine Palace. Empress Elizabeth, however, found her mother's residence outdated and incommodious and in May 1752 asked her court architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli to demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and on 30 July 1756 the architect presented the brand-new 325-meter-long palace to the Empress, her dazed courtiers and stupefied foreign ambassadors.

Although the palace is popularly associated with Catherine the Great, she actually regarded its "whipped cream" architecture as old-fashioned. When she ascended the throne, a number of statues in the park were being covered with gold, in accordance with the last wish of Empress Elizabeth, yet the new monarch had all the works suspended upon being informed about the expense. In her memoirs she censured the reckless extravagance of her predecessor.

Upon Catherine's death in 1796, the palace was abandoned in favour of the Pavlovsk Palace. Subsequent monarchs preferred to reside in the nearby Alexander Palace and, with only two exceptions, refrained from making new additions to the Catherine Palace, regarding it as a splendid monument to Elizabeth's wealth and Catherine II's glory. In 1817, Alexander I engaged Vasily Stasov to refurbish some interiors of his grandmother's residence in the Empire style. Twenty years later, the magnificent Stasov Staircase was constructed to replace the old circular staircase leading to the Palace Chapel. Unfortunately, most of Stasov's interiors - specifically those dating from the reign of Nicholas I - have not been restored after the destruction caused by the Germans during World War Two.

When the German forces retreated after the siege of Leningrad, they had the residence intentionally destroyed, leaving only the hollow shell of the palace behind. Prior to the World War Two, the Russian archivists managed to document a fair amount of the contents, which proved of great importance in reconstructing the palace. Although the largest part of the reconstruction was completed in time for the Tercentenary of St Petersburg in 2003, much work is still required to restore the palace to its former glory. In order to attract funds, the administration of the palace has leased the Grand Hall to such high-profile events as Elton John's concert for the elite audience in 2001 and the 2005 exclusive party which featured the likes of Bill Clinton, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Naomi Campbell, and Sting.

Catherine Palace (1752-1756, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/22/4cdfe16046a6605a351a0e269889a722.jpeg
WinnyPooh (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/winnypuch2008/view/138330/?page=0)

1.6.3. ALEXANDER PALACE:

The Alexander Palace is former royal residence in Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg. It is primarily known as the favoured residence of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II, and his family. It is situated in the Alexander Park, not far from the larger Catherine Palace.

The Alexander Palace was constructed in the Imperial retreat of Tsarskoe Selo. It was commissioned by Catherine the Great for her favorite grandson and future emperor Alexander I of Russia on the occasion of his marriage to Grand Duchess Elizaveeta Alexeevna, born Princess Louise Mary August of Baden. The graceful Neoclassical edifice was planned by Giacomo Quarenghi and built between 1792-1796. It was agreed that the architect had excelled himself in creating a masterpiece. Alexander used the palace as a summer residence through the remainder of his grandmother's and his father, Paul's, reign. When he became emperor, however, he chose to reside in the nearby Catherine Palace.

Alexander I gave the palace to his brother, the future Nicholas I for summer usage. From that time on, it was the summer residence of the heir to the throne. Nicholas I and his family lived in the palace from the early spring till the end of May and after a short period at Krasnoye Selo during manoeuvres returned to the palace to spend their time there until the late autumn. In 1842, the Imperial couple celebrated their silver wedding anniversary with a series of galas including a medieval jousting tournament. Two years later, the family mourned the death of Nicholas's daughter Grand Duchess Alexandra (1825–1844) who was born at the palace and lived the last few months of her life there. On October 19, 1860, the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna also died at the palace. Later Alexander III had his apartments in the right hand wing of the palace.

The palace is most famous though for the role it played in the reign of the last Emperor, Nicholas II. He and his wife Alexandra always loved the palace and decided to make it their permanent residence after the Bloody Sunday which made the Winter Palace dangerous for them. To the horror of the court, Alexandra, and her architect Meltzer, chose a then-modern style of decoration, Jugendstil or Art Nouveau, considered by the aristocracy to be "middle class" and less than "Imperial". During the reign of Nicholas II, the palace was wired for electricity and equipped with a telephone system. In 1899 a hydraulic lift was installed connecting the Empress' suite with the children's rooms on the second floor. Furthermore with the advent of motion pictures, a screening booth was built in the Semicircular Hall to show films.

Nicholas II abdicated the throne of Russia on March 2, 1917. Thirteen days later he returned to the Alexander Palace not as Emperor of Russia, but as Colonel Romanov. The Imperial Family were now held under house arrest and confined to a few rooms of the palace and watched over by a guard with fixed bayonets. The regime of their captivity, worked out by Kerensky himself, envisaged strict limitations in the life of the Imperial Family - an isolation from the outer world, a guard during their promenades in the park, prohibition of any contacts and correspondence apart from approved letters.

On the direct order of Alexander Kerensky, the Imperial Family were moved on the morning of August 1, 1917 by train to Tobolsk in Siberia. From that time and until the beginning of the Second World War, the palace was a museum. At the beginning of World War II the most valuable furnishing were evacuated to the interior of the country. The remaining parts of the collection, were hidden in the basement during the Nazi German occupation. During the war years, the palace was used as headquarters for the German military command. The area in front of the palace was turned into a cemetery for SS soldiers. Artistically and historically unique collections were partially destroyed. As the Nazi German forces were leaving Russia, many of the suburban palaces were set ablaze. The Alexander Palace was spared. The palace was used as a depot for artworks coming back into the area. It was later decided not to turn it back into a museum and it was given to the Soviet Navy. It also functioned as an orphanage, although the children housed there managed to destroy parts of the second floor where the rooms of the Tsar's five children were located.

Alexander Palace (1792-1796, Giacomo Quarenghi):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/00/afd97db384e60aff2dc6be55c1e6d200.jpeg
Shelomova (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/tatiana-shelomova/view/286264/?page=0)

1.7. PALACES AND PARKS OF THE TOWN OF PAVLOVSK AND ITS HISTORICAL CENTRE:

Pavlovsk is a town situated in Russia, 30 kilometres (19 mi) from and under the jurisdiction of Saint Petersburg, just to the south of Tsarskoye Selo. Population: 14.960 (2002 census).

The town developed around the Pavlovsk Palace, one of the most splendid residences of the Russian imperial family. It is part of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

The town's history started in 1777 when Catherine II granted some 362 desyatinas (977 acres; 395 ha) of land along the Slavyanka River to her son Paul upon the birth of his first child. The name Pavlovsk derives from Paul's name in Russian, Pavel.

In 1780, the fashionable Scottish architect Charles Cameron was made responsible for construction activities in Pavlovsk. His Neoclassical design for the Grand Palace was approved by Paul two years later. Around the palace a huge English park was laid out, with numerous temples, colonnades, bridges, and statues.

When Paul ascended the throne as Paul I in 1796, the settlement near the palace was large enough to be incorporated as a city. After Paul's death the palace was proclaimed a residence of his widow, Maria Feodorovna. Then it passed to the Konstantinovichi branch of the Romanov dynasty.

Prior to the revolution, Pavlovsk was a favourite summer retreat for well-to-do inhabitants of the Russian capital. The life of Pavlovsk's dachniki was described by Dostoyevsky in his novel "The Idiot".

To facilitate transportation, the first railway in Russia was opened between St Petersburg and Pavlovsk on October 10, 1837. The railway station was used as a sort of concert hall, with Johann Strauss II, Franz Liszt, and Robert Schumann among many celebrities that performed there. The impressive 'Vauxhall Pavilion' is also used to attract customers to the railway line. Strauss' finer pieces resulted around the time he held his concerts there. The pavilion's fame eventually caused the word "Vokzal" to enter the Russian language with the meaning "substantial railway station building".

The Pavlovsk palace is probably the best preserved of Russian imperial residences outside the capital. The sumptuous neoclassical and Empire style interior of the palace was faithfully restored after the great fire in 1803. The damage sustained by the palace during the German occupation in 1941–1943, though considerable, was not so devastating as in the case of Peterhof Palace and Tsarskoye Selo.

Pavlovsk Palace (1782-1787, Charles Cameron):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/91/88a477e3655b1dacb85b4d6cf4effc91.jpg
Aziza01 (http://aziza01.livejournal.com/13696.html)

1.8. PULKOVSKAYA OBSERVATORY:

The Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory, the principal astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located 19 km south of Saint Petersburg on Pulkovo Heights (75 m above sea level). It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

The observatory was opened in 1839. Originally, it was a brainchild of the German/Russian astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, who would become its first director (in 1861, his son Otto Wilhelm von Struve succeeded him). The architect was Alexander Bryullov. The observatory was equipped with the state-of-the-art devices, one of them being the a 38-cm (15 in.) aperture refractor, one of the large refractors in the world at that time (see Great Refractor). In 1885, the observatory was equipped with 30-inch (76 cm) refractor, which was one of the biggest refractors in the world, until the 36" (91 cm) telescope at Lick a few years later, both of which were built by Alvan Clark & Sons. The principal line of work of the observatory consisted of determination of coordinates of stars and astronomical constants, such as precessions, nutations, aberrations and refractions, and also discovering and measuring double stars. Observatory’s activities have also been connected to the geographical study of the territory of Russia and development of navigation. The star catalogues, containing the most precise positions of 374, and then 558 stars, were made for the years 1845, 1865, 1885, 1905 and 1930.

By the 50th anniversary of the Observatory, they had built an astrophysical laboratory with a mechanical workshop and installed the Europe’s largest refractor, a 76-cm refractor (30 inch). Astrophysical research really gained momentum with the appointment of Feodor Bredikhin as a director of the Observatory in 1890 and transfer of Aristarkh Belopolsky from the Moscow Observatory, an expert in stellar spectroscopy and solar research. In 1923, they installed a big Littrow spectrograph, and in 1940 – a horizontal solar telescope, manufactured at a Leningrad factory. After having received an astrograph in 1894, the observatory began its work on astrophotography. In 1927, the Observatory received a zone astrograph and with its help the Russian astronomers catalogued the stars of the near-polar areas of the sky. Regular observation of movements of celestial poles began with the construction of the zenith telescope in 1904. In 1920, the Observatory started transmitting the exact time by radio signals. The observatory participated in the basic geodesic work, namely in measuring degrees of the arc of the meridian from the Danube to the Arctic Ocean (until 1851), and in triangulation of Spitsbergen in 1899–1901. Military geodesists and hydrographers used to work at the Observatory as interns. The Pulkovo Meridian, which passes through the center of the main building of the Observatory and is located at 30°19,6‘ east of Greenwich, was the point of departure for all former geographical maps of Russia.

In order to observe the southern stars that could not be seen on the observatory’s latitude, the scientists organized 2 affiliates. One of them was an astrophysical station in the Crimean town of Simeiz (Simeiz Observatory), which had been organized on the basis of a private observatory presented to the Pulkovo Observatory by an astronomy lover Nikolay Maltsev in 1908. The other affiliate of the Pulkovo Observatory was an astrometric station in Nikolaev – a former observatory of the Department of the Navy (today’s Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory).

The observatory staff was very badly affected by the Great Purge and many Pulkovo astronomers, including the director Boris Gerasimovich, were arrested and executed in the late 1930s.

During the siege of Leningrad (1941–1944), the Observatory became the target of fierce German air raids and artillery bombardment. All of the buildings were completely destroyed. Under dramatic circumstances, the main instruments were saved and stored safely in Leningrad, including the lens of destroyed 30-inch refractor, as well as a significant part of the unique library with scripts and important works from the 15th to 19th century. On February 5, 1997, nearly 1500 of the 3852 books were destroyed by malicious arson and the rest of the library items were damaged by flames, smoke or water damage.

Even before the end of the war, the Soviet government made a decision to restore the Observatory. In 1946, they began the construction after having cleared the territory. In May 1954, the Observatory was re-opened, which had not only been restored but considerably expanded in terms of instruments, employees and research subjects. They created new departments, such as the Department of Radio Astronomy and Department of Instrument Making (with its own optical and mechanical workshop). The surviving old instruments were repaired, modernized and put into service once again. They also installed new instruments, such as the 65-cm (26-inch) refractor, horizontal meridian device, a photographic polar telescope, a big zenith telescope, stellar interferometer, 2 solar telescopes, coronagraph, a big radio telescope and all kinds of labware. The Simeiz station became a part of the new Crimean Astrophysical Observatory of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1945. They also built the Kislovodsk Mountain Astronomical Station and a laboratory in Blagoveshchensk. The Observatory organized many expeditions for determining differences of longitudes, observing passages of Venus and solar eclipses, studying astroclimate. In 1962, the Observatory sent an expedition to Chile to observe stars in the southern skies. The 65 cm Zeiss telescope was originally intended as a gift from then Chancellor of Germany Adolf Hitler to the Italian Benito Mussolini, but it was not delivered and instead taken by the Soviet Union.

Pulkovskaya Observatory (1834-1839, Alexander Bryullov):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/a2/f07658879d4437055b3f2fc62b7277a2.jpeg
alelad1985 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/alelad1985/view/182022/?page=1)

1.9. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE OF THE VILLAGE OF ROPSHA:

Ropsha is a settlement in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about 20 km south of Peterhof and 49 km south-west of central Saint Petersburg, at an elevation of 80 metres to 130 metres above sea level.

The settlement was first mentioned in the documents of the Novgorod Republic in the 15th century, when its name was spelled as "Khrapsha". It passed to Sweden following the Treaty of Stolbovo but was recaptured by Peter the Great during the Great Northern War. Upon hearing about the curative properties of Ropsha's mineral springs, the Emperor planned to make it his summer retreat; a timber palace and small church were built there. Subsequently, when he discovered a more favourable location of Strelna and contrived a system of pipes to bring water from the Ropsha heights to the fountain cascades projected in Peterhof, he abandoned his previous plans for Ropsha and made a present of it to his senior associate, Prince Fyodor Romodanovsky, or the "Caesar-Pope" as he was wont to style him.

Prince Romodanovsky was an old man of harsh disposition, who kept tame bears in his palace to scare infrequent visitors. Being in charge of Peter's secret police, he would bring political prisoners to a torture chamber arranged in Ropsha Palace and their screams would spook the neighbourhood. Despite macabre stories of his cruelty and misdeeds, a neighbour, Chancellor Golovkin, found it prudent to arrange the marriage of his son to Romodanovsky's daughter. After the 1722 wedding, Ropsha Palace was overhauled and expanded under the supervision of Golovkin's friend, Ivan Yeropkin.

In connection with the Lopukhina Conspiracy, the Golovkins fell into disgrace and their possessions were seized by Empress Elizabeth, who asked a court architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, to prepare plans for a new palace at Ropsha. As Rastrelli was busy with other projects, his designs for Ropsha were never executed. Towards the end of her reign, Empress granted the estate to her nephew and heir, the future Peter III of Russia. It was there that he was brought under guard after the coup d'etat of 1762, and it was there that Peter III was allegedly murdered under shady circumstances.

Later the same year, Catherine the Great resolved that "Ropsha is not to be mentioned again" and presented the ill-famed place to her lover, Count Orlov. The reputation of the manor was too sinister for any improvement on the grounds to be effected and Orlov soon ceded the palace to Admiral Ivan Chernyshev, who sold it for 12.000 roubles to Ivan Lazarev, an Armenian jeweller. It is widely believed that Lazarev was just a figurehead who acted at the behest of Catherine's son Paul. The latter, unable to overtly acquire the grounds for fear of his mother's ire, was still drawn to the place where his official father had been murdered.

It was only after Catherine's death that Emperor Paul took over Ropsha from Lazarev. During the Paul's reign, the Ropsha palace was rebuilt in a Neoclassical style to a design by Georg von Veldten. A large paper factory was built nearby and the English gardener Thomas Gray laid out an English park with a mosaic of ponds full of fish. Paul apparently planned to rename Ropsha, in commemoration of the dramatic events of 1762, but was assassinated himself before this came to pass.

Although the ponds of Ropsha remained an imperial fishing ground under his sons, they rarely visited the place. It was more popular with noble anglers who even named a special breed of scaly carp after Ropsha. When Alexandre Dumas, pere visited the estate in 1858, the palace belonged to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In the ensuing decades, it was seldom inhabited, though Grand Duchess Xenia, the last Emperor's sister, chose to spend her wedding night there.

Nicholas II turned Ropsha Palace and parks into his favorite hunting and fishing retreat. The Emperor was seen here surrounded by aristocratic milieu coming from all over Europe for hunting, fishing, and dining in Russian style. Ropsha also had a military garrison. Imperial cavalry division was stationed here until 1918. During the Russian Civil War Ropsha saw some heavy fighting, as General Yudenich wrested it from the Bolsheviks on two occasions.

From September 1941 to January 1944, during the Siege of Leningrad, Ropsha was occupied by the troops of the Nazi Germany. During World War II, from 1941 to 1944, Ropsha was mentioned in the Nazi military reports to Adolf Hitler's office as an important commanding hill with a strategic artillery post having unobstructed direct view on central St. Petersburg. From the artillery positions in Ropsha the Nazi Germans continued artillery bombardments of St. Petersburg and its southern suburbs for two years. During that time, the Nazi Germans robbed and vandalized the imperial estate; a special unit looted the palace and moved its valuable art collection to the Nazi Germany. Then the palace was destroyed by the Nazis using explosive devices.

On January 19, 1944, Ropsha was liberated for the Nazi German occupation as part of the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive ending the siege. However, the palace remained in ruins and was in disrepair due to the magnitude of German damage in World War II.

Inscribed with other imperial estates into the World Heritage List, the edifice may still be viewed in its half-ruined state. Re-building the Ropsha Palace and park to its original grandeur remains a difficult task due to severe damages and losses that require a costly reconstruction, and also because of risks related to remaining land-mines and other explosives left after the Nazi siege of Leningrad.

A project to re-build the imperial park has been developed by a group of European companies. According to the plan, in 2009 the re-constructed Ropsha Palace will be opened as a 5-star hotel. 50 private villas are being built in the park. International congress-center is also developed on the site. Adjacent area is planned for entertainment center with a casino, a supermarket, and seven restaurants.

Ropsha Palace (mid-18th century) around 1980:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/96/e13c3b6604c938a490312a84ba86be96.jpg
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Дворец_в_Ропше.jpg)

1.10. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE OF THE VILLAGE OF GOSTILITSY:

Gostilitsy is a settlement in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about 25 km south of Peterhof and 56 km south-west of central Saint Petersburg, at an elevation of 80 metres to 130 metres above sea level.

Trinity Church (1764):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/17/0348d7733456e8d978802cdfedb4f617.jpeg
mariko1605 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/mariko1605/view/179988/?page=1)

1.11. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE OF THE VILLAGE OF TAYTSY:

Taytsy is a settlement in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about 10 km north of Gatchina and 32 km of central Saint Petersburg.

Demidov Palace (1774-1778, Ivan Starov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/e2/5fd41829bb6e5a741b840add78e304e2.jpeg
Василий Лебедев (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vasleb1947/view/189195/?page=0)

1.12. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE OF THE TOWN OF GATCHINA AND ITS HISTORICAL CENTRE:

Gatchina is a city in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located 45 km south of St. Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov. Population: 90.268 (2002 Census). It is part of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

Khotchino (old name of Gatchina) was first documented in 1499, a village in possession of Novgorod the Great, Russia. In the 17th century, in a series of wars, it passed to Livonia, then to Sweden, and was returned to Russia during the Northern War. At that time, Gatchina was a southern vicinity of the new Russian capital, St. Petersburg. In 1708 Gatchina was given by Peter the Great to his sister Natalia Alekseevna, and after her death, Peter founded an Imperial Hospital and Apothecary here. In 1765, Catherine the Great bought Gatchina with suburban 20 villages, then she granted it to her favourite General Count Orlov. Between 1766 and 1788 Count Orlov built a sombre castle with 600 rooms and laid out an extensive English landscape park over 7 square kilometres, with adjacent zoo and a horse farm. A triumphal arch was erected to a design by the architect of Gatchina, Antonio Rinaldi (1771, built 1777-82), forming a monumental entrance, the gift of Catherine The Great to Count Orlov for his efforts during a recent outbreak of plague at Moscow.

Gatchina Palace as built in 1766-1781 by Antonio Rinaldi project for Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov who was a favourite of Ekaterina II. The Gatchina Palace is located on the hill above Lake Serebryannoe. It combine themes of a medieval castle and a country residence. Palace interiors are exemplary of Russian classicism at the turn of XVIII—XIX centuries. The Gatchina Palace was one of the favourite residences for royal family.

Catherine the Great took such a great liking of the Gatchina Palace and park, that at Orlov's death in 1783, she bought it from his heirs and presented it to her son, the future Emperor Paul I.

Paul I was the owner of Gatchina for eighteen years. He invested much resource and used his experience from his travels around Europe to make Gatchina an exemplary palace and town . During the 1790s, Paul expanded and rebuilt much of the palace, and renovated interiors in the sumptuous Neoclassical style (illustration, left). Paul I graced the park with numerous additions, bridges, gates, and pavilions, such as "The Isle of Love" , "The Private garden", "The Holland garden" and "The Labyrinth" among many other additions. In 1796, after the death of his mother, Catherine the Great, Paul became Emperor Paul I of Russia, and granted Gatchina the status of Imperial City ( official residence of the Russian Emperors.)

A remarkable monument of Paul's reign is the Priory Palace on the shore of the Black Lake. Constructed for the Russian Grand Priory of the Order of St John, it was presented to the Order by a decree of Paul I of Russia dated August 23, 1799.

After Paul's death the grand palace and park were owned by his widow, Maria Feodorovna, from 1801 to 1828. Then Emperor Nicholas I was the owner from 1828 to 1855. He made the most significant expansion of the palaces and parks, adding the Arcenal Halls to the main palace. The Arsenal Halls served as the summer residence of Emperor Nicholas I and his court. In 1851, Emperor Nicholas I opened the monument to his father, Paul I, in front of the Gatchina Palace. In 1854 the railroad between St. Petersburg and Gatchina was opened. At that time the city of Gatchina's territory was expanded by incorporation of several villages and vicinity.

Alexander II of Russia used Gatchina Palace as his second residence. He built a hunting village and other additions for his Imperial Hunting Crew, and turned the area south of Gatchina into a retreat where the Emperor and his guests could indulge in living in the unspoiled wilderness and of northwestern Russia. Alexander II also made updates and renovations in the main Gatchina Palace.

Alexander III of Russia made Gatchina his primary residence, after experiencing the shock and stress of his father's assassination. The palace became known as "The Citadel of Autocracy" after the Emperor's reactionary policies. He lived most of his time in Gatchina Palace. Here Alexander III made his official state announcements, diplomatic receptions, theatrical performances, masquerades and costumed balls, and other events and entertainment. During his reign, Alexander III introduced technological modernizations in the Gatchina Palace and parks such as electric lights,a telephone network, non-freezing water pipes and a modern sewage system.

Nicholas II, the last Russian Emperor, spent his youth in the Gatchina Palace. His mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, widow of Alexander III, was the patron of the city of Gatchina and Gatchina Palace and parks.

Gatchina Palace (1766-1781, Antonio Rinaldi):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1104/61/55e81d4ac1b97bde0c4a1ceb5fd57861.jpeg
nataliya-t8 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/nataliya-t8/view/276152/?page=0)

1.13. ENSEMBLE OF THE MARITIME MONASTERY OF ST. SERGIUS:

The Coastal Monastery of St. Sergius is a Russian Orthodox monastery in the coastal settlement of Strelna near St. Petersburg. It used to be one of the richest monasteries of the Russian Empire and formerly contained seven churches as well as many chapels.

The poustinia was founded in 1734 as a branch of the great Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in the immediate vicinity of the new Russian capital, St. Petersburg. Catherine Ivanovna, Peter the Great's niece, owned a manor on the bank of the Gulf of Finland. After her death Empress Anna presented the land to her confessor Varlaam, who was also in charge of the Trinity Lavra.

The earliest buildings of the monastery, including the pentacupolar cathedral, the outer wall and the towers, were designed by Pietro Antonio Trezzini. They were Baroque in character. It was not until 1764 that Strelna Monastery was designated a separate poustinia. Many monks from Strelna entered the Navy to serve as ship chaplains. Saint Herman of Alaska was one of those monks.

The golden age of the monastery is associated with Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov who was in charge of the poustinia between 1834 and 1857. Bryanchaninov had the monastery transformed by Aleksey Gornostayev into a showcase for the Russian Revival style. The new Ascension Cathedral was built to a Neo-Byzantine design.

After the Russian Revolution the Soviets suppressed the monastery (1931), destroyed the cemetery and adapted the grounds to serve as a labor camp, or a work farm. The buildings sustained further damage during WWII. After the property was occupied by a police school in the early 1960s, Trezzini's cathedral and several other churches were blown up. The remaining buildings were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1993.

Some of the noblest and richest families of Imperial Russia, including the Galitzines, the Stroganovs and the Yusupovs, patronised the monastery and had their burial vaults on the grounds. The local cemetery is the burial site of a number of Russian nobles, including the Zubov brothers, Prince Alexander Gorchakov, Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, and court architect Andrei Stackenschneider. The graves of the Dukes of Oldenburg and Leuchtenberg, both closely related to the Russian imperial family, were either lost or desecrated during the Soviet period.

http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1105/51/1d7c5f5a6dcda768e888ff75c67dc951.jpeg
Ирида (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/goncharu/view/264787?page=0)

1.14. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE OF THE TOWN OF STRELNA AND ITS HISTORICAL CENTRE:

Strelna is a historic settlement situated about halfway between St. Petersburg and Peterhof, Russia, and overlooking the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Administratively, it is a municipal settlement under jurisdiction of Petrodvortsovy District of St. Petersburg. It has a population of 12.751 (2002 Census).

Formerly a Swedish chancellor's estate, Strelna was chosen by Peter the Great as a place for his future summer residence in 1714. Jean Baptiste Le Blond, famous for his work with Andre Le Notre at Versailles, was commissioned to prepare designs for the would-be palace and park. Le Blond envisaged the palace as a Chateau d'Eau, situated on a round island. The gardens were laid out to Le Blond's design, but the master's death prevented him from completing a more elaborate project for the palace.

In 1718, a temporary wooden palace was constructed in Strelna. It had been used by the Russian royalty as a sort of hunting lodge, and has been faithfully preserved to this day. After Le Blond's death, the commission to build the grand palace passed to Nicholo Michetti, a disciple of the great Carlo Fontana. A cornerstone was laid in June 1720, but next year it became apparent that the place was ill-adapted for installation of fountains, so Peter decided to concentrate his attention on the nearby Peterhof. Disappointed Michetti left Russia, and all works in Strelna were suspended.

On ascending the throne in 1741, Peter's daughter Elizabeth intended to complete her father's project. Her favourite architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli was asked to expand and aggrandize Michetti's design. But Rastrelli's attention was soon diverted to other palaces, in Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo, so the Strelna palace stood unfinished until the end of the century.

In 1797, Strelna was granted to Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich (second son of Paul I) and his wife Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna (aunt of Queen Victoria). Despite a great fire in 1803, the Constantine Palace was completed by 1807. Andrei Voronikhin and Luigi Rusca were held responsible for architecture of its upper storeys. After Constantine's death, the palace passed to his nephew, and the Konstantinovichi branch of the Romanov dynasty retained its ownership until the Revolution.

After 1917 the palace fell into decay: it was handed over to a child labour commune, then to a secondary school. For a period during the World War II the Germans occupied Strelna and had a naval base there. Some Decima Flottiglia MAS men and attack boats were brought from Italy and based at Strelna. Russian commando frogmen attacked that base and destroyed those boats.

After the ravages of German occupation, only the palace walls were left standing, all interior decoration was gone. No effective restoration had been undertaken until 2001 when Vladimir Putin ordered the palace to be converted into a presidential residence in St. Petersburg. The park with canals, fountains and drawbridges was then recreated to Le Blond's original designs, complete with a water-bound pavilion by the sea shore. In front of the palace are the equestrian statue of Peter the Great, originally installed in 1911 in Riga, while Mikhail Shemyakin's modernist sculpture of Peter's family strolling through the garden may be found closer to the sea shore. Several rooms in the restored palace are dedicated to the poet Konstantin Romanov (who was born there).

In preparation for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding St. Petersburg, the Russian government decided to restore the palace and its grounds as a state conference center and presidential residence. The renovated Constantine Palace hosted more than fifty heads of state during St. Petersburg tercentenary celebrations in 2003. Three years later, in July 2006 (July 15-17), it hosted the 32nd G8 summit. During these summits, the world leaders were accommodated in eighteen luxurious cottages by the sea-side. Each of the cottages is named after a historic Russian town. The early 19th-century stables were reconstructed into a four-star hotel for other visitors.

Constantine Palace:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1105/55/83260b6f8137c559d6673c2a3c227e55.jpeg
novomirivich (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/novomirivich/view/316354/?page=0)

1.15. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE "MIKHAILOVKA":

In the vicinity of the Constantine Palace several other Romanov residences may be seen in Strelna. The neoclassical Mikhailovka palace once belonged to the Mikhailovichi branch of the family.

The palace grounds of Mikhailovskaya Dacha (Mikhailovka) is the latest link in the chain of the Royal family residences on Peterhof Road. In the early 18th century, Mikhailovka consisted of eight villas (dachas) owned by prominent personalities of that time. The first dacha from the east was “Doctor’s”, as it belonged to the outstanding scientists — Surgeon-in-Ordinary to Peter the Great, Head of Apothecary Prikaz, Supervisor of Kunstkamera Robert Areskin, and the first president of the Academy of Sciences Lavrenty Blumentrost, who received it after Areskin’s death in 1718.

The second dacha must also have found its owner thanks to being close to Emperor’s residence in Strelna — it was the famous Chief Cook of Peter the Great Johann Velten. The third dacha belonged to Tikhon Lukin, the best Russian shipbuilder of that time, as it came to deck plates and rigging, one of the closest people to Peter the Great. The last and the biggest dacha, which consisted of five villas in 1714, belonged to Head of Monastery Prikaz and Senator Count Ivan Musin-Pushkin. In the mid-18th century, one of the villas was given to President of the Academy of Sciences Kirill Razumovsky, appointed Hetman of Malorussia, and the estate was named “Hetman’s Grange”.

In the early 19th century, the estates were united into one. In 1810s, it belonged to Princess Varvara Shakhovskaya and was called “Mon calme”. In May 1834, “Hetman’s Grange” and “Mon calme” were bought to allocate a residence for Nicolas I’s son, Grand Duke Mikhail, and transferred to the Apanage Department until he was of age. In 1830—40s, the forests in the estate were relished and hundreds of fine trees planted, with bad trees cut down. The pinewood to the south of the road was cleaned, swamps drained, a road along the seashore built, bridges for people and traffic constructed.

In 1850 by Nikolas I’s order, architect Andrei Stakenschneider designed a new palace in Mikhailovka. At the same time he built two new greenhouses and a gardener’s house. Two outstanding architects of that time – Joseph Charlemagne and Harald Bosse continued the project. The palace was laid in 1858, and the ensemble was finished in May 1862. In addition to the palace, the Kitchen and Stable Houses were built, and the former Razumovsky’s house was reconstructed and called the Chevalier (Chamberlain) House. The palace was surrounded by numerous small structures: pergolas, verandas, statues, fountains. The estate was turned into a complicated landscape and architectural complex built on two terraces. The composition of the park is based on two central axes leading to the Upper Peterhof road — the Chamberlain and Church passages. Later on, some small constructions were erected in the estate: a small cast iron chapel, a garage, a skittle-alley, and tennis-courts.

In 1861 according to architect David Grimm’s project, a stone St. Princess Olga’s Chapel with a bell-tower was laid. In 1864 its construction and the improvement of the nearby territory was completed. The chapel became the western architectural part of the Mikhailovka ensemble.

The interiors of the palace according to Bosse’s projects deserve special attention. The architect’s contemporaries mentioned the delicacy and variety of decoration styles used in this work. The original project included gilding of stucco molding and carved decoration elements, but later the idea was withdrawn, the decoration successfully completed by the elegance of the pattern and high quality of its execution in the material. In that building, Bosse managed to embody the principal of mutual penetration of architecture and nature. Its compositional isolation – it is located apart from outbuildings and regular alleys – showed the intention not to give this suburban residence a magnificent, grand character, as it used to be done in the 18th century, but to make it an intimate, private living-place.

After the year 1917, Mikhailovka changed many owners. The territory and buildings of this unique complex were used for different public and household purposes. Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich’s Palace was ruined during WWII. Other buildings of the ensemble and the park were greatly damaged. In 1945, the estate was given to a poultry plant. It repaired several of the better-survived buildings, but continued to destroy the damaged ones, dismantling them for construction materials. In 1967 the estate was given to Kirovsky Plant, partially restored in 1970s according to architect M. Tolstoy’s project and used as a recreation centre. It is evidently a great luck that the ensemble was saved from complete destruction.

The palace grounds of Mikhailovskaya Dacha is an historical and cultural monument of federal significance. Within 2003—2006 the ensemble was under the jurisdiction of RF President’s Administration. In July 2006 in accordance with the RF Government Order 576-p of April 25, 2006, the palace grounds of Mikhailovskaya Dacha was given to St. Petersburg State University to allocate the Graduate School of Management. Considering the new functional use of the palace grounds of Mikhailovskaya Dacha, there is a good opportunity to revive the wonderful atmosphere of this unique historical place.

Mikhailovka Palace (1858-1862, Joseph Charlemagne and Harald Bosse):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1105/aa/aa5af3d02b809297cc7c8ab4a962b8aa.jpeg
jedys (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/jedys/view/276003/?page=12)

1.16. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE "ZNAMENKA":

Znamenka is a residence of the Nikolaevichi branch of the Romanov family, situated in Petrodvortsovy District of Saint Petersburg, Russia (between Strelna and Petergof).

Nicholas Palace (1857-1859, Harald Bosse):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1105/e8/634f3286ae82fbb76048dda5ab9e80e8.jpeg
Shishka7447452 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/shishka7447452/view/405619/?page=4)

1.17. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE OF THE TOWN OF PETERHOF AND ITS HISTORICAL CENTRE:

Petergof or Peterhof (Dutch/German for "Peter's Court"), known as Petrodvorets from 1944 to 1997, is a municipal town within Petrodvortsovy District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. Population: 64.791 (2002 Census).

The town hosts one of two campuses of Saint Petersburg State University and the Petrodvorets Watch Factory, one of the leading Russian watch manufactures. A series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great, and sometimes called the "Russian Versailles", is also situated there. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the time of Peter the Great, the sea floor just north of the Petergof site and to the east toward St. Petersburg was too shallow for either commercial ships or warships. However, to the west of Petergof, the sea floor dropped off to be deep enough for sea vessels. Accordingly, when Peter the Great decided to build St. Petersburg at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland, he first captured the Kotlin Island clearly visible from the Petergof site just to the northeast in the middle of the Gulf. At Kotlin Island he would build the commercial harbor for St. Petersburg as well as the Kronshtadt fortifications across the 20 kilometers (12 mi) of shallow sea to provision and defend the Navy that he would build.

Peter the Great first mentions the Petergof site in his journal in 1705, during the Great Northern War, as a good place to construct a landing for use in traveling to and from the island fortress of Kronshtadt. In 1714, Peter began construction of the Monplaisir ("my pleasure") Palace based on his own sketches of the palace that he wanted close to the shoreline. This was Peter's Summer Palace that he would use on his way coming and going from Europe through the harbor at Kronshtadt. On the walls of this seacoast palace hung hundreds of paintings that Peter brought from Europe and allowed to weather Russian winters without heat together with the dampness of being so close to the sea. And in the seaward corner of his Monplaisir Palace, Peter made his Maritime Study from which he could see Kronshtadt Island to the left and St. Petersburg to the right. Later, he expanded his plans to include a vaster royal chateau of palaces and gardens further inland, on the model of Versailles. Each of the Emperors after Peter expanded on the inland palaces and gardens of Peterhof, but the major contributions by Peter the Great were completed by 1725. Peter had also entertained plans of a similar palace at Strelna, a short way to the east, but these plans were abandoned.

Peterhof originally appeared quite differently than it does today. Many of the fountains had not yet been installed. The entire Alexandrine Park and Upper Gardens did not exist—the latter was used to grow vegetables, and its ponds, then numbering only three, were used for growing fish. The Samson Fountain and its massive pedestal had not yet been installed in the Sea Channel, and the channel itself was used as a grand marine entrance into the complex.

Perhaps the most important change augmenting Peter's design was the elevation of the Grand Palace to central status and prominence. The Grand Palace was originally called simply 'Upper', and was hardly larger than any of the other structures of the complex. The addition of wings, undertaken between 1745 and 1755, was one of the many projects commissioned from the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli by Elizabeth of Russia. Likewise, the Grand Cascade was more sparsely decorated when initially built.

The augmentation of Peterhof's original fountains and the addition of new ones continued well into the 19th century.

Petergof, like Tsarskoye Selo, was captured by German troops in 1941 and held until 1944. In the few months that elapsed between the outbreak of war in the west and the appearance of the German Army, employees were only able to save a portion of the treasures of the palaces and fountains. An attempt was made to dismantle and bury the fountain sculptures, but three-quarters, including all of the largest ones, remained in place. The occupying forces of the German Army largely destroyed the palace grounds. Many of the fountains were destroyed, and the palace was partially exploded and left to burn. Restoration work began almost immediately after the end of the war and continues to this day. It progressed remarkably quickly, and is still being carried out.

The name the city was changed to Petrodvorets ("Peter's Palace") in 1944 as a result of wartime anti-German sentiment and propaganda, but the original name was restored in 1997 when Petrodvorets was split into Petergof and Strelna. This renaming, however, was not finalized until 2009.

In 2003, St. Petersburg celebrated its 300th anniversary. As a result, much of the building and statuary in Petergof has been restored and new gilt-work abounds.

Peterhof Grand Palace (1714-1725, Johann Braunstein, Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond and Nicola Michetti; 1745-1755, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1106/e7/ffcbdc3cb7e3620ddc7ad347a21234e7.jpeg
YULY (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/lowarik2006/view/227295/?page=5)

1.18. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE "SOBSTVENNAYA DACHA":
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1106/4c/bb754dc3202677b8ace875dbeab8b34c.jpeg
Peterhof (http://www.peterhof.ru/?m=18&p=258)

1.19. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE "SERGEEVKA":

Leuchtenberg Palace (1839-1842, Andrei Stackenschneider):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1106/cb/46bc5bb453cf7319c820f4dea50539cb.jpg
Wikipedia (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sergievka_palace.jpg)

1.20. PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLES OF THE TOWN OF LOMONOSOV AND ITS HISTORICAL CENTRE:

Lomonosov (before 1948: Oranienbaum) is a town under the jurisdiction of St. Petersburg, Russia, situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 40 km west of St. Petersburg itself. Population: 37.776 (2002 Census). It is the site of an 18th century park and palace complex. The palace is the only one of the famous palaces in the vicinity of St. Petersburg that was not captured by the Germans during the Second World War. It achieved town status in 1710.

The original name of the town is Oranienbaum, which means "orange tree" in German (in modern German, the word is Apfelsinenbaum). It was initially applied to the palace complex, which had greenhouses for exotic plants. Its present name honors the scientist, poet and glassblower Mikhail Lomonosov. In 1754, Lomonosov founded a colored-glass factory near Oranienbaum, in the village of Ust-Ruditsa.

Oranienbaum is a Russian royal residence, located on the Gulf of Finland west of St. Petersburg. The Palace ensemble and the city centre are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In 1707, four years after he founded Saint Petersburg, Peter the Great gave the grounds near the seaside to his right-hand man, Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov. Menshikov commissioned the architects Giovanni Maria Fontana and Gottfried Schadel, who built his residence, the Grand Menshikov Palace from 1710 to 1727 (not to be confused with Menshikov Palace in Saint Petersburg, built by the same architects around the same time). The central part of the Palace is connected by two galleries with the two domed Japanese and Church Pavilions. The Lower Garden, decorated with fountains and sculptures, and the Upper Garden were laid out at the same time. The Palace is located near the Lower Park, whose composite axis is a channel leading to the sea. This channel is an imitation of one designed by Peter himself at his nearby residence of Peterhof Palace.

Menshikov was deposed shortly after Peter's death, and died in exile, and the palace passed out of his family. In 1743, Oranienbaum became the summer residence of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovitch, the heir of Empress Elizabeth (the future Emperor Peter III). Over the last ten years of Elizabeth's reign, Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli reconstructed the Grand Palace, adding beauty to its decor.

From 1756 to 1762, the architect Antonio Rinaldi built the Peterstadt Fortress ensemble on the bank of the Karost River for Grand Duke Peter Fedorovitch. In 1762 Empress Catherine II ordered the construction of the suburb residence called "My Own Countryside House". For that purpose Rinaldi built the Chinese Palace (1762–1768), a mix of Baroque architecture, Classicism and Chinese motifs, the Katalnaya Gorka (roller coaster) Pavilion (1762–1774), a cupola pavilion, and the Gates of Honor with the tower crowned by a spire.

The Upper Park was laid out from 1750 to 1770.

Grand Menshikov Palace (1710-1727, Giovanni Maria Fontana and Gottfried Schadel):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1106/1e/e5f26d31cc97ce2bf5364bb61970dc1e.jpeg
Лия (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/li3770531/view/274442/?page=0)

1.21. PAVLOVO-KOLTUSHI:

The scientists’ township Pavlovo (Koltushi, Leningrad oblast), named after Ivan Pavlov, is a memorial of the UNESCO World Heritage (registered in 1991). The larger part of the Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), one of the leading physiological centers of Russia, is located in Koltushi. It was on Ivan Pavlov’s initiative that the scientists’ township itself and laboratories were built and then expanded. There are historic buildings, monuments to great scientists, and the Pavlov museum in the town-ship.

Old Laboratory (1929-1933, Innokenty Bezpalov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1106/62/e6c378dc322f5d175758d35f05039962.jpeg
semper-scifi (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/semper-scifi/view/59267?page=0)

1.22. ZINOVIEV'S ESTATE "BOGOSLOVKA":

Nevsky Forest Park is located on the North bank of the Neva, to the north-east of the village Novosaratovka (Vsevolozhsky District of the Leningrad Region). Nevsky Forest Park was laid out in 1937. Drainage channels were constructed; paths and tracks were also made in 1937. The forest park was enlarged several times in post-war years. The present-day park area is 3168 hectares. Nevsky Forest Park is located on even, sandy loam lowlands of the Neva basin. Forests with birches, firs and pine (up to 50 years old) are mostly water logged. The southern part of Nevsky Forest Park facing the Neva is located on the spot of the Zinovyev family's estate Bogoslovka (1828-1835, architect Vikenty Beretti). Elements of park planning, a few old oak and pine trees and foundations of buildings have survived from the estate. The relief here has a greater contrast due to the deep valleys of the Chernaya River (up to 10 metres) and its tributaries. Birch trees, aspens and firs prevail in the forests on the slopes of valleys, with fir trees successfully propagating. Nevsky Forest Park underwent considerable damage during the time of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45. Up to 90% of the forest was destroyed. Two dams were built in post-war years, forming ponds of the southern part of the forest park. A reclamation project was initiated and the paths were restored, thousands of trees and bushes were planted (oak, maple, birch, larch, weeping willow, honeysuckle, hawthorn, mock orange etc.). Krasnaya and Serebristaya glades in the Neva part of the forest park are the most picturesque places. Small architectural constructions (bridges, benches and settees) and wooden sculptures have been installed in the park.

Church of the Intercession (1708, burned down in 1963, rebuilt in 2003-2008 by Alexander Opolovnikov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/de/dcd3f60562f2570193b53905a5f3a0de.jpeg
irzam Irina (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/irzam/view/209228/?page=2)

1.23. SHUVALOV'S ESTATE:

Shuvalov Park is located between the village Pargolovo and the Zamanilovka River. It is a landscape architectural monument of the 19th century. The total area of the park is 134.5 hectares. The park was laid out in the 1750s in the estate of Counts Shuvalov. Shuvalovsky Park was replanned in 1820 by garden master P. Erler. Shuvalovsky Park is a landscape park. It is located on sandy eskerine hills and in Neva basin. More than 60% of the area is covered with natural forests with a predominance of fir, pine and birch. Asp, black alder, montain ash and bird-cherry can be found. Linden, oak, maple and rare larch prevail among the plantations of the 19th century. There are two large ponds at the bottom of Mt. Parnas, whose summit sits 63 metres above the sea level. Over 40 species of birds nest in Shuvalovsky Park. The preserved estate complex includes the Grand Palace, the Minor Palace, household outbuildings, Peter and Paul Church (1831-39, architect Alexander Bryullov) etc. The Grand Palace was designed in the second half of the 18th century, was rebuilt in 1851-1854 by architect Harald Bosse, it was burnt down in 1876 and rebuilt in 1912-1915 by architect Stepan Krichinsky. The second name of the Minor Palace is the White House; it was designed in the second half of the 19th century, to be rebuilt in the middle of the 19th to beginning of the 20th centuries.

Grand Palace (1912-1915, Stepan Krichinsky):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/f8/2b0403c5c6eed526c07ab1e1d90470f8.jpeg
Диана (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/erikovna/view/253161/?page=2)

1.24. VYAZEMSKY'S ESTATE:

Osinovaya Roshcha (Aspen Grove) is a former settlement north of Pargolovo at the junction of the Vyborgskoe and Priozerskoe Highways. First records of Osinovaya Roshcha trace back to the late 18th century. During the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90, fortifications guarding the northern roads to Saint Petersburg were constructed in Osinovaya Roshcha. In the late 18th - early 19th centuries, a palace and garden were constructed which included the Osinovaya Roshcha Park, the palace of the Vyazemsky Princes (1828-30, architect Vikenty Beretti; in 1991 suffered damage in the fire), and various maintenance facilities. In the second half of the 19th century, Count Vasily Levashov came into possession of the palace and garden. In the 1930s, Osinovaya Roshcha accommodated a military unit and saw the construction of residential housing (enlarged in the 1970s). West of the Vyborgskoe Highway, the area is built up predominantly with apartment buildings. In 2002, the second section of the Central Circular Highway was laid out south of Osinovaya Roshcha.

Side wing of the Vyazemsky's Palace (1828-30, Vikenty Beretti):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/6e/31a90fcc3d71d179f3738f21018c166e.jpg
Wikipedia (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/1/15/Боковой_флигель.JPG)

1.25. SESTRORETSKY RAZLIV:

Sestroretsky Razliv is an artificial reservoir in the region of the city of Sestroretsk. It was built during the construction of the armory by putting up culverts on the Sestra River 2 km below the Chernaya River mouth. The main culvert (150 meters long and 12 meters wide, reconstructed in 1859-1863 by engineer R. Hausmann; renovated in 1985) rose water level by 9 meters and created Sestroretsky Razliv. The factory sluice dike provides water supply to the factory to meet its industrial and technical (including power) needs. It was a main dike until 1803, when water inrush of Sestroresky Razliv overflow had necessitated the construction of another dam. Sesroretsky Razliv covers the area of about 12 square km. It is 1.5-2 meters deep. It has a triangular shape with the maximum length of 5 km and width of 4 km. Its level is 8 meters higher than that of the Gulf of Finland. The length of its coastal line is 21.5 km. Razliv is silted up turning into low eutrophic swamp and requires constant cleaning. Meter measures of the 1980-90s show that the mouth of the Sestra River is moving towards Sestroretsky Razliv with the average speed of 40 meters a year. The mouth part of the Chernaya River is also growing. Besides, the Sestroretsk Razliv shows the formation of new flat islands which lessen its water area. Northern and eastern banks are becoming rushing. Several small rivers and streams are flowing into the Razliv. It is streaming in the Gulf of Finland through sluices of the Vodoslivnoy Canal (4.5 kilometres long) which drains into the Gulf of Finland in the area of Sestroretsk dunes next to Dubki park (the Gagarin Canal) and through the Zavodskoy Canal or the former bed of the Maly Sestra River (almost of the same length) flowing in the Gulf of Finland to the north of Kurort. The coastal line of Sestroretsky Razliv is a recreational zone and an area for summer cottages construction. Many health centres and holiday homes are located on its western and southern coasts (the treatment uses mineral waters and muds discovered in the northern part of Razliv). Vladimir Lenin and Grigory Zinoviev were hiding from arrest in the south-western coast of Razliv (the monument "Shalash" (the Hut) was constructed in 1927, architect Alexander Gegello). The late Stone Age sites were discovered at the coast of Sestroretsky Razliv.

Peter and Paul Church on the coast of Sestroretsky Razliv (2004-2009, Yelena Shapovalova):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/36/0370959f0b9674f8537d4d1d9edc1336.jpeg
PIRS-1 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/pirs-1/view/277255/?page=2)

1.26. ILYA REPIN'S ESTATE "THE PENATES":

Repino is a municipal settlement in Kurortny District of Saint Petersburg, Russia, and a station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It was known by its Finnish name Kuokkala until 1948, when it was renamed after its most famous inhabitant, Ilya Repin. It is located approximately 30 kilometers (19 mi) northwest of the main portion of Saint Petersburg, on the Karelian Isthmus on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Population: 2.011 (2002 Census). The settlement is known for Repin's estate Penaty and for its sanatorium.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Repino (then Kuokkala) was located in the Grand Duchy of Finland, a part of the Russian Empire. Shortly after the October Revolution in 1917, Finland declared its independence from the Soviet Union. When the Karelian Isthmus was ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union after the Winter War and the Continuation War (1939–1944), Kuokkala became Russian. In 1948, it was renamed Repino in honor of the painter Ilya Repin (1844-1930).

In 1899, Repin bought an estate here and called it Penaty (meaning Penates, Roman household gods). He designed his own house, and after it had been built several years later, Repin moved to Kuokkala. He would live there until his death in 1930. The house is surrounded by a large park.

The estate is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments. The estate has been a museum since 1940.

House-museum of Ilya Repin:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/37/7ff5052ac937bac79f34a05ad7a7b537.jpeg
SHYKST (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/konovalova60/view/243114/?page=0)

1.27. CEMETERY OF THE VILLAGE OF KOMAROVO:

Komarovo (Finnish: Kellomaki) is a municipal settlement under jurisdiction of Kurortny District of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located on the Karelian Isthmus on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and a station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is located about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of central Saint Petersburg. Population: 1,062 (2002 Census). During the summer months, the population increases by five to six times.

Like many settlements located on the Karelian Isthmus on the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad line, Kellomaki was vigorously developed in the late 19th - early 20th century at the height of the summer-resort boom. The original meaning of Kellomaki was "Bell Hill", named after a bell that was positioned on a sandy hill for the use of railroad workers. The bell notified of dinner break and the end of the workday. A railroad station opened near that spot on May 1, 1903, which is the unofficial date of Kellomaki's founding. The Russian Orthodox church of the Holy Spirit was built in 1908, and burnt down in 1917. After that, a house chapel in one of the dachas served as church until the Soviet takeover. In 1916, about 800 dachas were counted in the settlement.

The development of summer-resort towns on the Karelian Isthmus was slowed down after Finland's declaration of independence in 1917. Many of the dachas were abandoned, and some 200 buildings were auctioned off, dismantled and rebuilt in other Finnish towns. An Emigre community formed in Kellomaki after the revolution as the White Russians fled to Finland. By the beginning of the Soviet-Finnish War, 167 families remained in the settlement - most of them were evacuated to Jarvenpaa during the Soviet-Finnish border negotiations in the fall of 1939. On November 30, 1939, after artillery bombardment, Kellomaki surrendered to Soviet troops without battle. Several buildings were destroyed, but overall the damage to the settlement was not serious.

The town was annexed to the Soviet Union in the Moscow Peace Treaty (1940). Immediately after World War II, the Council of Peoples Commissars issued decree № 2638 "on building dachas for members of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and setting aside land plots from 1.25 to 2.5 acres (10.000 square meters) as gratis personal property". Standard houses manufactured in Finland on account of war reparations, were transported and assembled on the spot. Kellomaki was renamed to Komarovo in honor of botanist Vladimir Komarov, President of the Academy in 1948. Special resorts and dachas were also established for Writers, Composers, Theater and Cinema Workers. Land was set aside for Atomic Scientists as well.

Since the 1990s, the academic and cultural traditions of Komarovo have been weakened, and currently, the New Russians and the well-to-dos of Saint Petersburg construct new villas here or redesign existing dachas purchased from the older residents. In 2005 a nonprofit fund "Kellomaki-Komarovo" was founded. Some of the projects include building a new church, opening a museum, and preserving the yet unprotected forests. Komarovo has served as a residence for government officials of Saint Petersburg, and still does today. Mayor Valentina Matviyenko lives here in the summer and commutes to the city.

Komarovo is renowned for its sandy beaches and dunes, scots pine, and spruce forests, and glacial lakes. Its residents and visitors enjoy cross-country skiing in the winter, and hiking, bicycling, fishing, wild mushroom, blueberry and raspberry picking in the summer. Its coastal stretch has been designated a protected zone: "Komarovo Shore Natural Reserve". Remnants of the Winter War, such as trenches and dug-outs, can be seen in the surrounding forests.

Komarovskoe Cemetery is situated in resort area near St. Petersburg, five kilometres from Komarovo Railway Station, on the road to Shchuchye Lake, and not bigger than a hectare. The region has been in use since the 1910s; burials began in the 1950s. Besides the locals Leningrad scientists, literary and artistic figures were buried at Komarovskoe Cemetery due to its location to the holiday villages of the Academy of Sciences, Litfond (a foundation to assist writers), artistic houses and private summer residences of the Leningrad intelligentsia. In 1966, poet Anna Akhmatova was buried there (the tomb made by sculptor Alexander Ignatyev). About 40 full members and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences are buried at the cemetery.

Anna Ahmatova's grave:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/d5/025ea1071caafdc77da2d9a70a6e1ad5.jpeg
elmich (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/elmich/view/62280/?page=0)

1.28. LINDULOVSKAYA ROSHCHA:

Roshchino, before 1948 – Raivola, is an urban-type settlement in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, and a station on Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is situated on the Karelian Isthmus 60 km north-west of St. Petersburg, approximately half-way to Vyborg. In wooded areas surrounding Roshchino there are multiple marshes and small lakes. Lintula larch forest is located some three kilometers to the west from the railroad station. Population: 8558 (2010).

Raivola was first shown on maps of Finland in the 16th century. After 1812 it was under jurisdiction of Grand Duchy of Finland being part of Russian Empire. The mixed Russian-Finnish population of the area was engaged in agriculture. Around 1802 count Nikolay Saltykov resettled some 609 of his subjects from the Orlov region to the area to meet growing manpower demands for his iron works; in addition to the iron foundry maps of mid-19th century show also sawmill. After the railroad to Helsinki was opened by Emperor Alexander II in 1870, Raivola was used for changing of locomotive crews. Establishment of the railroad station turned Raivola into suburb of St. Petersburg and development of the area continued with construction of summer cottages. By end of the century the population stood around 2000, of which 169 were Finns. The village had shops, warehouses, two (Finnish and Russian) schools, and Russian Orthodox church of St. Nicholas with library and medical facility. Also hydro-electric power station and telephone station were established. The importance of the local railway station was eclipsed by Terijoki where Finnish customs depot was established in 1911. In first quarter of the 20th century Raivola was a summer home to Finnish-Swedish family of modernist poet Edith Sodergran who died in Raivola in 1923.

After the Russian October Revolution and independence of Finland, Raivola was recognized as part of Finnish Karelia by articles of Treaty of Tartu in 1920, and the majority of Russian inhabitants have left. The Soviet Union gained control of Raivola following Winter War in 1940. Soviet government's decree of May 28, 1940 provided for establishment of collective farms and resettlement of Russians from Yaroslavl Oblast. Plans of Stalin's government also included forced population transfer of native Finns (116 people, mostly sick and elderly) to Kazakhstan however were disrupted by the Nazi invasion. Finland has joined hostilities hoping to reverse losses of 1940 but as result of the war the USSR regained Raivola by Paris Peace Treaties, 1947. In 1948, the village was renamed as Roshchino and again became suburb of Leningrad (the railroad was electrified in 1954) with seasonal swelling of population due to widespread construction of summer cottages, development of privately owned and leased garden plots, establishment of recreational facilities, and youth summer camps. Name Roshchino is derived from "roshcha" (meaning "grove") referring to the Lintula larch grove.

The Lintula Larch Forest (Russian: Korabelnaya roshcha, lit. shipbuilding timber grove, or Finnish: Lehtikuusimetsa) had a major impact on the cultivation of larch throughout the world and is considered one of the most important cultivated forests in northern Europe. It was established by order of Peter the Great to supply the Russian Navy with shipbuilding timber. Ferdinand Gabriel Fockel, a German forest expert, established the oldest stands in 1738–1750 with seedlings of European Larch (Larix decidua) from the province of Arkhangelsk. Since then the area of the forest has expanded and currently the total area of larch is 55.9 ha (23.5 ha of the 'old stands' established before 1851 still remain).

Main Alley of the Lintula Larch Forest:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/a0/a258113f9f38bd44619b4e1d0a31ffa0.jpg
elmich (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/elmich/view/62280/?page=0)

1.29. RIVER NEVA WITH BANKS AND EMBANKMENTS:

The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length (74 km), it is the third largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge (after the Volga and the Danube).

The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake Ladoga. Its banks contain four cities: Saint Petersburg, Shlisselburg, Kirovsk and Otradnoye, as well as dozens of settlements. The river is navigable throughout and is part of the Volga–Baltic Waterway and White Sea – Baltic Canal. It is a site of numerous major historical events, including the Battle of the Neva in 1240 which gave Alexander Nevsky his name, the founding of Saint Petersburg in 1703, and the Siege of Leningrad by the German army during World War II.

There are at least three versions of the origin of the name Neva: from the ancient Finnish name of Lake Ladoga (Finnish: nevo meaning sea), from the Finnish: neva (short from Finnish: Nevajoki, Nevajarvi) meaning swamp, or from the Swedish: ny – new river. Modern names for the distributaries of the river delta were settled only by the end of the 18th century.

Many cites of ancient people, up to nine thousand years old, were found on the territory of Neva basin. It is believed that about 12 thousand years BC, Finno-Ugric peoples (Votes and Izhorians) moved to this area from the Ural Mountains. In the 8–9th centuries AD, the area was inhabited by the East Slavs who were mainly engaged in slash and burn slash agriculture, hunting and fishing. In the 8–13th centuries, Neva provided a waterway from Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. From the 9th century, the are belonged to Veliky Novgorod. Neva is already mentioned in the Life of Alexander Nevsky (13 century). That time, Veliky Novgorod was constantly engaged in wars with Sweden. A major battle occurred on 15 July 1240 at the confluence of Izhora to Neva River. The Russian army, lead by the 20 years old Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, aimed to stop the planned Swedish invasion. The Swedish army was defeated; the prince showed personal courage in combat and since then received the honorary name of "Nevsky".

As a result of the Russian defeat in the Ingrian War of 1610–1617 and the concomitant Treaty of Stolbovo, the area of Neva River became part of Swedish Ingria. Since 1642, the capital of Ingria was Nyen, a city near the Nyenschantz fortress. Because of the financial and religious oppression, much of the Orthodox population left Neva region, emptying 60% of the villages by 1620. The abandoned areas became populated by people from the Karelian Isthmus and Savonia.

As a result of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721, the valley of Neva River became part of Russian Empire. On 16 May 1703, the city of St. Petersburg was founded in the mouth of Neva and became capital of Russia in 1712. Neva became the central part of the city. It was cleaned, intersected with canals and enclosed with embankments. In 1715, construction began of the first wooden embankment between the Admiralty and the Summer Garden. In the early 1760s works started to cover it in granite and to build bridges across Neva and its canals and tributaries, such as the Hermitage Bridge.

From 1727 to 1916, the temporary Isaakievsky pontoon bridge was early constructed between the modern Saint Isaac's Square and Vasilievsky Island. A similar, but much longer (500 m) Trinity pontoon bridge was brought from the Summer Garden to Petrogradsky Island. The first permanent bridge across Neva, Blagoveshchensky Bridge, was opened in 1850, and the second, Liteyny Bridge, came into operation in 1879.

In 1858, a "Joint-stock company St. Petersburg water supply" was established, which built the first water supply network in the city. A two-stage water purification station was constructed in 1911. The development of the sewerage system began only in 1920, after the October Revolution, and by 1941, the sewerage network was 1,130 km long.

Every winter from 1895 to 1910, electric tramways were laid on the ice of the river, connecting the Senate Square, Vasilievsky island, Palace Embankment and other parts of the city. The power was supplied through the rails and a top cable supported by wooden piles frozen into the ice. The service was highly successful and ran without major accidents except for a few failures in the top electrical wires. The trams ran at the speed of 20 km/h and could carry 20 passengers per carriage. The carriages were converted from the used horsecars. About 900.000 passengers were transported over a regular season between 20 January and 21 March. The sparking of contacts at the top wires amused spectators in the night.

The first concrete bridge across Neva, the Volodarsky Bridge, was built in 1936. During World War II, from 8 September 1941 to 27 January 1944 Leningrad was in the devastating German Siege. On 30 August 1941, the German army captured Mga and came to Neva. On 8 September Germans captured Shlisselburg and cut all land communications and waterways to St. Petersburg (then Leningrad). The siege was partly relieved in January 1943, and ended on 27 January 1944.

A river station was built above the Volodarsky Bridge in 1970 which could accept 10 large ships at a time. Wastewater treatment plants were built in Krasnoselsk in 1978, on the Belyi Island in 1979–1983, and in Olgino in 1987–1994. The South-West Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed in 2003–2005.

http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/c2/31c4d5ffc14d8df930453bb2a7c7d9c2.jpeg
Dmitry Bakulin (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/bakulind/view/256910/?page=0)

1.30. IZHORSKY BENCH (GLINT):

The Izhora, also known as Inger River, is a left tributary of the Neva River on its run through Ingria in northwestern Russia from Lake Ladoga to Gulf of Finland. A settlement of Ust-Izhora (lit. "mouth of Izhora") is situated at the confluence of Izhora and Neva, halfway between Saint Petersburg and Schlisselburg. The town of Kolpino is located on the Izhora as well. The river is noted as the farthest Swedish forces ever reached between the Viking Age and the Time of Troubles.

Izhora's calculated length is 76 kilometers. The river draws its water mainly from natural groundwater springs, snow melt, and rain water. The river has a sustainable underground water supply in both summer and winter, never drying up or freezing through.

The Izhora Plateau is an elevated landform on Ordovician limestone bedrock in the southwestern part of Leningrad Oblast, between the Gulf of Finland in the north and the Luga River in the south. Its northern edge is formed by the erosional cliff known as the Baltic-Ladoga Klint. The highest part of the plateau is the Orekhovaya hill of Duderhof Heights at 176 m, situated in its extreme northeastern part. The plateau is mostly covered by agricultural lands. It used to be the heartland of the historical region known as Ingria.

The Baltic Klint (Clint, Glint) is an erosional limestone escarpment on several islands of the Baltic Sea, in Estonia and in Leningrad Oblast of Russia. It extends approximately 1200 km from the island of Oland in Sweden through the continental shelf and the Estonian islands of Osmussaar and Suur-Pakri to Paldiski, then along the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland and Neva River to the area south of Lake Ladoga in Russia, where it disappears under younger sediment depositions. The cliff reaches 55.6 m a.s.l. at its highest at Ontika, Kohtla Parish, Ida-Viru County of Estonia. It is cut by numerous rivers (including the Narva River, Luga River, Izhora River, Tosna River), many of which form waterfalls and rapids. The Valaste Waterfall (in Kohtla Parish) is the highest of them (25 m). The Baltic Klint is featured on the reverse of the Estonian 100 krooni note. The Russian part of the Baltic Klint is named Izhorsky Bench (Glint).

Ivangorod Fortress is a Russian medieval castle established by Ivan III in 1492 and since then grown into the town of Ivangorod. The fortress overlooks the Narva River opposite the Narva Hermann Castle and the Estonian city of Narva.

The original castle was constructed in one summer, in the year 1492. It was named after Moscovian Grand Prince Ivan III. Its purpose was to fend off the Livonian Knights. The castle is strictly quadrilateral, measuring 1,600 sq ft (150 sq metres), with walls 14 meters tall.

Ivangorod was won back later in the year by Muscovite forces, under the command of Prince Ivan Gundar and Mikhail Klyapin. Three thousand troops arrived to retake the castle, rebuild it, and construct a new barracks and stronger bastions. For almost 10 years, the land around the castle was in constant warfare. The fortress and the land around changed hands repeatedly. The castle was reconstructed and fortified many times, becoming one of the strongest defensive structures in the 16th century. The castle was in development until the 17th century, becoming a large, sprawling fortress with several lines of defense.

The Treaty of Teusina (1595) returned the fortress to the Russians. In 1612, the Swedes conquered the fortress, which was bravely defended by a voivode, Fyodor Aminev (b 1560s, d 1628) and his sons. By the Treaty of Stolbova, Ingria was ceded to Gustav II Adolf, king of Sweden. In 1704, Peter the Great captured the castle from Swedish troops, bringing the fortress back into Russian control. Inside the fortress, there are two churches: one is dedicated to the Virgin's Assumption (1496) and the other to St. Nicholas (built in the late 16th century but later reconstructed).

After the early 18th century, the military role of the fortress dwindled due to technological advances. In 1728, a review was carried out of the fortresses in this area, which concluded that the installation had been neglected, and had a low fighting efficiency. An order was issued for restoration of Ivangorod fortress, but after the inspection of 1738 the fortress was designated not adequate for defence purpose. In 1840, some improvements were carried out in the fortress (roofs were changed), further improvements took place in 1863 and 1911-1914. During World War I, the fortress was captured by Germans on 25 February 1918. From 1919 to 1940, the fortress belonged to Estonia. Despite changing hands several times in the first half of the 20th century, the fortress played no significant role in fighting. During World War II, the fortress was first controlled by the Soviet Union (1940–1941) and then by Nazi Germany (1941–1944). The Germans established two POW camps within the fortress and left many of its buildings damaged after their retreat.

Currently, the fortress serves as a museum.

Ivangorod Fortress (1492) on the Izhorsky Glint:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1107/0f/f87c69dcffc3fdf642ae35d914d7910f.jpeg
Краеведъ (FotosergS) (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/fotosergs/view/300940/?page=1)

1.31. DUDERGOFSKIE ELEVATIONS:

Duderhof Heights or Duderhof Hills is a small highland area in the southwestern part of Saint Petersburg (Krasnoselsky District), to the south of the town of Krasnoye Selo, on the northern edge of the Izhora Plateau, which consists of several hills, most notably, the Orekhovaya hill (lit. Hazel Hill), the highest point of Saint Petersburg at 176 m (577'), in the south, and the Voronya hill (lit. Crow Hill), 147 m (482'), in the north. Sometimes other smaller hills are considered part of the area as well: the Lysaya hill (lit. Bald Hill) further northward, the Kirchhof hill to the east, and the Kavelakhtinskaya ridge further to the south (however, all the smaller hills are situated in Leningrad Oblast rather than in Saint Petersburg). Since 1992 the Orekhovaya and Voronya hills have been designated as protected natural area (of about 66 ha), divided by Sovetskaya Street of the settlement Mozhaysky into two parts. Nowadays both hills are mostly covered by broadleaf forests (with Acer platanoides, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata, Ulmus glabra, Quercus robur, Corylus avellana), very uncommon for the region situated in the taiga belt, and have a peculiar fauna and flora. The steep slopes of the hills and alkaline soils on the limestone bedrock are also notable. For a critically endangered species of weevil, Otiorhynchus rugosus Humm., this is the only known location in European Russia. This is also the only site in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast where European Beech is able to overwinter in cultivation, albeit suffering considerable dieback.

The vegetation on the hills hasn't remained intact and has been subject to heavy anthropogenic influence for the last two centuries. In the first half of the 19th century a landscape garden was laid down on the Orekhovaya hill. During the Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944) the battlefront ran through the hills and they became almost completely deforestated. German artillery positions shelling the city were situated on the Voronya hill. The hills are still a popular ski resort. The surrounding area is totally devoid of forests and mostly built up. The nearest railway station, Mozhayskaya (formerly Duderhof) of the Ligovo-Krasnoye Selo-Gatchina railroad (constructed in 1859), is situated immediately to the west of the hills.

Voronya Hill, "Swiss house" (1901-1902):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1108/c8/4d62d7a91d8d12e09b101ef464e8eec8.jpeg
Вячеслав Бердников (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/wberdnikov/view/181076/?page=1)

1.32. KOLTUSHSKAYA ELEVATION:

Koltushi Hills is a height east of St. Petersburg within the boundaries of Neva Lowland. It is a group of kame hills with a height of 60.5 to 78.3 meters above the reclaimed swampy piedmonts at the elevation of 25-35 meters formed along the glaciolacustrine kame terraces. The hills stretch for 12 kilometres from the North to the South and for six kilometres from the east to west. The territory abounds in enclosed lakes. From the south and east the kames join an undulating moraine relief. The Hills accommodate the settlements of Voeikovo, Pavlovo, Koltushi with a number of science and research institute located there. It is also know as a recreational, gardening and summer house area, and a nature sanctuary.

Settlement Voeikovo:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1108/97/1b8d3a7bb1bcac8b4517eb08c3804a97.jpeg
max416 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/max416/view/175403/?page=0)

1.33. YUKKOVSKAYA ELEVATION:

Settlement Yukki:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1108/4a/6ada8b41d4e0b353be3274480fdb2f4a.jpeg
tzypliatnikov-iu (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/tzypliatnikov-iu/view/318455?page=0)

1.34. THE ROADS (Moskovskoe Highway, Kievskoe Highway, Railway Leningrad-Pavlovsk, Highway Pushkin-Gatchina, Volkhovskoe Highway, Tallinskoe Highway, Peterhofskoe Highway, Ropshinskoe Highway, Gostilitskoe Highway, Primorskoe Highway, Vyborgskoe Highway, Koltushskoe Highway and Ligovsky Canal):

Ligovsky Canal is one of the most extended channels of Saint Petersburg (Russia). It has been constructed in 1721, its length has made 23 kilometres. The channel was under construction for functioning of fountains of Summer garden. The channel delivered water from the Liga river (now called the Dudergofka) in ponds in Basseynaya street (modern Nekrasov street).

The idea of construction of the channel belongs to the Russian Emperor to reformer Peter I. He has decided to decorate Summer Garden with fountains, water should go to them by gravity. Small river Liga (now called the Dudergofka) near to a mouth (Dudergofskoye lake) became a water source. The author of the project became Grigory Skornyakov-Pisarev, he also supervised over building.

Except the basic function of actuating of fountains, the canal was used as a water main and as a defensive boundary, covering capital from the southeast part. Canal building has been finished in short the then terms - for 3 years (with 1718 on 1721). It is known that the channel crossed at least two bridges - under Moskovsky Avenue and bridge on Znamenskya Square. Later at building Obvodny Canal in the beginning 1900s has been constructed Yamskoy Vodoprovodny Aqueduct, author of the project of the wooden bridge became Russian engineer Ivan Gerard. Later the bridge under Leninsky Prospekt has been constructed; Data on its dismantling are not present, it is probable it is filled up together with the channel and has remained underground.

Flooding of 21 September 1777 has destroyed fountains of the Summer garden and necessity for the channel has disappeared, besides as a result of it water in the channel became muddy and non drinkable. It has gradually become unfit for use and has been filled up in some stages:
1) In 1891-1892 the site from Tauride garden to Obvodny Canal has been filled up. Yamskoy Vodoprovodny Aqueduct has been reconstructed in 1895, and has received name Novo-kamenniy bridge. Granite pools at the bridge have existed prior to the beginning 20th century when have been disassembled as superfluous;
2) In 1926 the site from Obvodny Canal to Moskovsky Avenue has been filled up;
3) In 1965—1969 waters of the canal are lowered in Krasnenkaya River, and the channel has been truncated before crossing with Krasnoputilovskaya street.

On its place Ligovsky Avenue has been laid.

Now near a railway line to luga channel waters go on an underground channel and leave on a surface near to Krasnenkaya River. There the canal is divided into two sleeves: on bigger canal waters are taken away in the Krasnenkaya River, smaller an underground site leaves in ponds of Aviatorov Garden. The length of the remained part makes 11 kilometres. On the bank of the channel in 1834-1838 have been constructed Moscow Triumphal Gate. It built mainly in cast iron. Filled up Ligovsky Canal became a hindrance of building of metro station "Ploshchad Vosstaniya" - at sinking an inclined tunnel of an exit on a surface wet stratum have strongly complicated works. They should be overcome, applying a caisson and to a breed frost a hydrochloric solution in 1950.

Metro station "Ploshchad Vosstaniya" (1955, Boris Zhuravlyov, Igor Fomin and Vera Gankevich) at the cross of Nevsky and Ligovsky Avenues:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1108/a6/5488a90b36c1b5b52dabbd5a878cada6.jpeg
Юрий Стальбаум (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/stalbaum-jury/view/33413/?page=0)

1.35. THE FAIRWAYS (Petrovsky, Kronstadsky, Zelenogorsky Fairways and Maritime Channel):

Kronstadsky Fairway - "sea gates of St. Petersburg":
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1108/da/bba58f9e02627e8fd5d1fa670230e0da.jpeg
vfabian (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vfabian/view/181942/?page=0)

1.36. THE GREEN BELT OF GLORY (Blockade Ring, Road of Life and Oranienbaumsky Spring-Board):

The Green Belt of Glory is a set of memorial facilities at the forefront of the battle for Leningrad 1941-1944.

The Road of Life was the ice road transport route across the frozen Lake Ladoga, which provided the only access to the besieged city of Leningrad in the winter months during 1941–1944 while the perimeter in the siege was maintained by the German Army Group North and the Finnish Defence Forces. The siege lasted for 29 months from September 8, 1941, to January 27, 1944. Over one million citizens of Leningrad died from starvation, stress, exposure and bombardments. The road today forms part of the World Heritage Site.

The Road of Life began to operate on November 20, 1941 when the first convoy of horse-pulled sleighs brought supplies to the city. Shortly thereafter, the ice road began receiving truck traffic. Via the Road of Life, supplies could be brought into the city, and civilians evacuated to the still Soviet-controlled opposite coast. During the winter 1941–42 the ice line of "Road of Life" operated for 152 days, until April 24.

About 514.000 city inhabitants, 35.000 wounded soldiers, industrial equipment of 86 plants and factories, and also some art and museum collections were evacuated from Leningrad during the first winter of the blockade. While the road was protected by anti-aircraft artillery on the ice and fighter planes in the air, truck convoys were constantly attacked by German artillery and airplanes, making travel dangerous.

The total number of people evacuated from the siege of Leningrad through the Road of Life was about 1.3 million, mostly women and children who walked by foot. During 1942 an oil pipeline ("Artery of Life") via Ladoga lake was built: its length was 29 km, of which 21 km ran under water at depth of 12.5 m.

During the following winter of 1942–1943, the Road of Life began to operate once again, starting with the horse traffic on December 20, 1942. Motor vehicles began to operate on December 24, 1942. Construction of the pile and ice railway of 30 km long also began in December 1942.

Operation Spark — a full-scale offensive of troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts — started in the morning of January 12, 1943. After heavy and fierce battles, the Red Army units overcame the powerful German fortified zones to the South of Lake Ladoga, and on January 18, 1943 the two fronts met, opening a land corridor to the besieged city. Almost immediately, both truck and rail traffic began to bring supplies to Leningrad. The city of Leningrad was still subject to at least a partial siege, as well as air and artillery bombardment, until a Soviet offensive broke through the German lines, lifting the siege on January 27, 1944.

For the heroic resistance of the citizens, Leningrad was the first city awarded the honorary title Hero City in 1945.

In the summer, with the start of the navigable period, deliveries to the city continued thanks to the Ladoga Military Flotilla. In 1943 the Road of Life was replaced by the Road of Victory – a railway, laid on the narrow path beaten out by German troops from Leningrad to Volkhov. Now the Road of Life, within the limits of Saint Petersburg, is often referred to as Ryabovskoe Chausee (Highway), but within Vsevolozhsk, the Road of Life is the official name.

In total there are seven monuments along the Road of Life, 46 memorial poles along the road, and 56 memorial poles along the railway. All of these are part of the Green Belt of Glory:
1) The memorial complex "The Flower of Life", at the 3rd km of the Road of Life, consists of a monument, erected in 1968, by the architects Alexander Levenkov and Pavel Melnikov, and eight tablets (representing pages from the diary of the Leningrad schoolgirl Tanya Savicheva), erected in 1975 by the architects Alexander Levenkov and G. Fetisov, and the engineer M. Koman.
2) The "Rumbolovsk Hill" memorial complex , at the 10th km, in Vsevolozhsk, erected by the architects Pavel Kozlov and Viktor Polukhin. It consists of metallic oak and laurel leaves, symbolising life and glory, and a tablet with a verse by the poet Olga Berggolts.
3) The "Katyusha" monument, at the 17th km, near the village of Kornevo, erected in 1966 by the architects Alexander Levenkov, Pavel Melnikov, Lev Chulkevich and the designers Georgy Ivanov and L. Izyurov.
4) Fifty-six memorial kilometre posts along the Finland Station – Lake Ladoga railway line. Erected 1970 by the architects Mikhail Meisel and Igor Yavein.
5) Forty-six memorial kilometre posts on the highway from Rzhevka railway station, on the edge of Saint Petersburg, to Lake Ladoga. Erected in 1967 by the architect Mikhail Meisel.
6) A memorial consisting of a steam locomotive, which had operated on the Road of Life, erected at the station Lake Ladoga in 1974 by the architect V. Kuznetsov.
7) The memorial complex "Broken Circle", at the 40th km of the Road of Life, on the shore of Lake Ladoga near the village of Kokkorevo. Consists of a statue of an anti-aircraft cannon (1966, architect Vladimir Fillipov, sculptor Konstantin Simun, engineer I. Rybin).
8) "The Crossing" monument, near the hamlet of Morozova, dedicated to the memory of the soldier-pontooneers (1970, architect Lazar Drexler, engineer E. Lutsko).
9) The "Steel Way" plaque in the Petrokrepost railway station, dedicated to the memory of the heroic railway workers on the Road of Life (1972, architects Mikhail Meisel and Igor Yavein, sculptor G. Glinman). On the same site stands a memorial steam locomotive (1975).
10) The "Kobona" plaque in the hamlet of Kobona, dedicated to the Road of Life (1964, architects Mikhail Meisel and A. Yakovlev).
11) The memorial autmobile "The Legendary One-and-a-Half-Tonne" at the 103rd km of the Petrozavodsk highway, at the turn-off for Voibokalo (1974, architect Alexander Levenkov, artist Vitaly Fomenko).
12) The "Voibokalo" plaque at the Voibokalo railway station, commemorating the Road of Life (1975, architect S. Natonin).

The memorial complex "The Flower of Life" (1968; 1975):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1108/a5/e58b4fd229cfefef941404709f787aa5.jpeg
Краеведъ (FotosergS) (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/fotosergs/view/122263?page=1)

THE LIST OF RUSSIAN WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

2. (UN #544; 1990) KIZHI POGOST (18th-19th century):

Brief UNESCO's description: "The pogost of Kizhi (i.e. the Kizhi enclosure) is located on one of the many islands in Lake Onega, in Karelia. Two 18th-century wooden churches, and an octagonal clock tower, also in wood and built in 1862, can be seen there. These unusual constructions, in which carpenters created a bold visionary architecture, perpetuate an ancient model of parish space and are in harmony with the surrounding landscape".

Kizhi is an island near the geometrical center of the Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It is elongated from north to south and is about 6 km long, 1 km wide and is about 68 km away from the capital of Karelia, Petrozavodsk.

Settlements and churches on the island were known from at least 15h century. The population was rural, but was forced by the government to assist development of the ore mining and iron plants in the area that resulted in a major Kizhi Uprising in 1769–1771. Most villages have disappeared from the island by 1950s and now only a small rural settlement remains. In the 18th century, two major churches and a bell-tower were built on the island, which are now known as Kizhi Pogost. In 1950s, dozens of historical wooden buildings were moved to the island from various parts of Karelia for preservation purposes. Nowadays, the entire island and the nearby area form a national open-air museum with more than 80 historical wooden structures. The most famous is the Kizhi Pogost, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Kizhi Pogost is a historical site dating from the 17th century on Kizhi island. The pogost is the area inside a fence which includes two large wooden churches (the 22-dome Transfiguration Church and the 9-dome Intercession Church) and a bell-tower. The pogost is famous for its beauty and longevity, despite that it is built exclusively of wood. In 1990, it was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites and in 1993 listed as a Russian Cultural Heritage site.

The pogost was built on the southern part of Kizhi island, on a hill 4 meters above the Lake Onega level. Its major basic structural unit is a round log of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) about 30 cm in diameter and 3 to 5 meters long. Many thousands of logs were brought for construction from the mainland, a complex logistical task in that time.

Kizhi island:
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1109/32/7ba6975e2477e3892f500276543d9532.jpeg
evadiam (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/evadiam/view/243584/?page=0)

2.1. THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION:

The Church of the Transfiguration is the most remarkable part of the pogost. It is not heated and is therefore called a summer church and does not hold winter services. Its altar was laid June 6, 1714, as inscribed on the cross located inside the church. This church was built on the site of the old one which was burnt by lightning. The builders names are unknown. A legend tells that the main builder used one axe for the whole construction, which he threw into the lake upon completion with the words "there was not and will be not another one to match it".

The church has 22 domes and with a height of 37 meters is one of the tallest wooden buildings of the Russian North. Its perimeter is 20x29 meters. It is considered that the 18-dome church on the southern shore of Lake Onega was its forerunner. That church was built in 1708 and burned down in 1963. According to the Russian carpentry traditions of that time, the Transfiguration Church was built of wood only with no nails. All structures were made of scribe-fitted horizontal logs, with interlocking corner joinery — either round notch or dovetail — cut by axes. The basis of the structure is the octahedral frame with four two-stage side attachments (Russian: "prirub" from "rubit" meaning "to cut wood"). The eastern prirub has a pentagonal shape and contains the altar. Two smaller octagons of similar shape are mounted on top of the main octagon. The structure is covered in 22 domes of different size and shape, which run from the top to the sides. The refectory is covered with a three-slope roof. In the 19th century, the church was decorated with batten and some parts were covered with steel. It was restored to its original design in the 1950s.

The church framework rests on a stone base without a deep foundation, except for the western aisle for which a foundation was built in 1870. Most wood is pine with spruce planks on the flat roofs. The domes are covered in aspen.

The iconostasis has four levels and contains 102 icons. It is dated to the second half of the 18th – early 19th century. The icons are from three periods: the two oldest icons, "The Transfiguration" and "Pokrov" are from the late 17th century and are typical of the northern style. The central icons are from the second half of the 18th century and are also of the local style. Most icons of the three upper tiers are of the late 18th century, brought from various parts of Russia.

The Church of the Transfiguration (1714):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1109/2e/6a889fbf03031a9663342faff6ed752e.jpeg
Снежная Лиса (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/tairne17/view/186841/?page=0)

2.2. THE CHURCH OF THE INTERCESSION:

The Church of the Intercession is a heated ("winter") church where services are held from October 1 until Easter. The church was the first on the island after a fire in the late 17th century destroyed all previous churches. It was first built in 1694 as a single-dome structure, then reconstructed in 1720–1749 and in 1764 rebuilt into its present 9-dome design as an architectural echo of the main Transfiguration Church. It stands 32 meters tall with a 26x8 meter perimeter. There are nine domes, one larger in the center, surrounded by eight smaller ones. Decoration is scant. A high single-part porch leads into the four interior parts of the church. As in the Transfiguration Church, the altar is placed in the eastern part shaped as a pentagon. The original iconostasis was replaced at the end of the 19th century and is lost; it was rebuilt in the 1950s to the original style.

The Church of the Intercession (1764):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1109/57/abb50659190fecb5de4968fbb0f58b57.jpeg
Василий Иванов (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/basil-ivanov/view/259930?page=0)

2.3. BELFRY:

The original bell-tower rapidly deteriorated and was re-built in 1862 and further reconstructed in 1874 and 1900. The tower stands 30 meters tall with a 6x6 meter perimeter. It has a square wooden frame resting on a foundation (rubble with lime mortar); the frame is divided inside by two walls into three rooms: antechamber, stairs and a storage place. Above the square frame, there is an octagonal part with the zvonnitsa on top. Then there is a pyramidal (octagonal) roof resting on pillars. The roof is topped with a cross. Wood types are the same as in the churches: pine, spruce and aspen.

The fence was built in the 17th century as a protective measure against Swedish and Polish incursions. It was reconstructed in the 1950s as a 300-meter-long log structure surrounding the two churches and the belfry. The structure rests on a tall boulder basement. The main entrance is 14.4 meters wide and 2.25 meters tall, and faces east near the Church of the Intercession. There are wicket gates at the eastern and northern sides and a small wooden tower in the north-western corner. The tower has a square base and a four-slope batten roof with a spire. The walls, gates and wickets are also roofed.

The Church of the Transfiguration (1714), Belfry (1862) and Church of the Intercession (1764):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1109/82/bebb015e8cd9e093b9558202e05e1a82.jpeg
Biancaneve (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/nat-nemchaninova/view/60315/?page=0)

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/3/5f7/3994806_large.jpeg
http://www.photosight.ru/users/49605/

http://cache.photosight.ru/img/3/5f7/3994806_large.jpeg
http://www.photosight.ru/users/49605/

Wooooow beautiful

^^ ghosts

THE LIST OF RUSSIAN WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

3. (UN #545, 1990) MOSCOW KREMLIN AND RED SQUARE (13th-20th century):

Brief UNESCO's description: "Inextricably linked to all the most important historical and political events in Russia since the 13th century, the Kremlin (built between the 14th and 17th centuries by outstanding Russian and foreign architects) was the residence of the Great Prince and also a religious centre. At the foot of its ramparts, on Red Square, St. Basil's Basilica is one of the most beautiful Russian Orthodox monuments".

3.1. MOSCOW KREMLIN:

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a global city. Moscow is the most populous city on the continent of Europe and the seventh largest city proper in the world, a megacity. The population of Moscow (as of 1 January 2010) is 10.563.038.

It is located by the Moskva River in the Central Federal District, in the European part of Russia. Moscow sits on the junction of three large geological platforms. Historically, it was the capital of the former Soviet Union, Russian Empire (for three years in 1728–31), the Tsardom of Russia, and the Grand Duchy of Moscow. It is the site of the Moscow Kremlin, one of the World Heritage Sites in the city, which serves as the residence of the President of Russia. The Russian parliament (State Duma and the Federation Council) and the Government of Russia also sit in Moscow.

Moscow is a major economic centre. It is home to many scientific and educational institutions, as well as numerous sport facilities. It possesses a complex transport system that includes four international airports, nine railroad terminals, and the world's second busiest (after Tokyo) metro system which is famous for its architecture and artwork. Its metro is the busiest single-operator subway in the world.

Over time, the city has earned a variety of nicknames, most referring to its preeminent status in the nation: The Third Rome, Whitestone, The First Throne, The Forty Forties.

The city is named after the river. The first Russian reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when Yury Dolgorukiy called upon the prince of the Novgorod-Severski to "come to me, brother, to Moscow."

Moscow Kremlin sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River (to the south), Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square (to the east) and the Alexander Garden (to the west). It is the best known of kremlins (Russian citadels) and includes four palaces, four cathedrals and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of Russia.

The name Kremlin is often used as a metonym to refer to the government of the Soviet Union (1922–1991) and its highest members (such as general secretaries, premiers, presidents, ministers, and commissars), in the same way that the metronym Quai d'Orsay refers to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs or White House refers to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. It is still used in reference to the government of the Russian Federation. "Kremlinology" referred to the study of Soviet and Russian policies.

The site has been continuously inhabited since the 2nd century BC, and originates from a Vyatich fortified structure (or "grad") on Borovitsky Hill where the Neglinnaya River flowed into the Moskva River. The Slavs occupied the south-western portion of the hill as early as the 11th century, as testifies a metropolitan seal from the 1090s, which was unearthed by Soviet archaeologists on the spot.

Until the 14th century, the site was known as the grad of Moscow. The word "kremlin" was first recorded in 1331 and its etymology is disputed. The grad was greatly extended by Prince Yury Dolgorukiy in 1156, destroyed by the Mongols in 1237 and rebuilt in oak in 1339.

The first recorded stone structures in the Kremlin were built at the behest of Ivan Kalita in the late 1320s and early 1330s, after Peter, Metropolitan of Rus was forced to move his seat from Kiev to Moscow. The new ecclesiastical capital needed permanent churches. These included the Dormition Cathedral (1327, with St. Peter's Chapel, 1329), the church-belltower of St. John Climacus (1329), the monastery church of the Saviour's Transfiguration (1330), and the Archangel Cathedral (1333) — all built of limestone and decorated with elaborate carving, each crowned by a single dome. Of these churches, the reconstructed Saviour Cathedral alone survived into the 20th century, only to be pulled down at the urging of Stalin in 1933.

Dmitry Donskoy replaced the oaken walls with a strong citadel of white limestone in 1366–1368 on the basic foundations of the current walls; this fortification withstood a siege by Khan Tokhtamysh. Dmitri's son Vasily I resumed construction of churches and cloisters in the Kremlin. The newly built Annunciation Cathedral was painted by Theophanes the Greek, Andrey Rublev, and Prokhor in 1405. The Chudov Monastery was founded by Dmitry's tutor, Metropolitan Alexis; while his widow, Eudoxia, established the Ascension Convent in 1397.

Grand Prince Ivan III organised the reconstruction of the Kremlin, inviting a number of skilled architects from Renaissance Italy, like Petrus Antonius Solarius, who designed the new Kremlin wall and its towers, and Marcus Ruffus who designed the new palace for the prince. It was during his reign that three extant cathedrals of the Kremlin, the Deposition Church, and the Palace of Facets were constructed. The highest building of the city and Muscovite Russia was the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, built in 1505–08 and augmented to its present height in 1600. The Kremlin walls as they now appear were built between 1485 and 1495. Spasskie gates of the wall still bear a dedication in Latin praising Petrus Antonius Solarius for the design.

After construction of the new kremlin walls and churches was complete, the monarch decreed that no structures should be built in the immediate vicinity of the citadel. The Kremlin was separated from the walled merchant town (Kitay-gorod) by a 30-metre-wide moat, over which the Intercession Cathedral on the Moat was constructed during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The same tsar also renovated some of his grandfather's palaces, added a new palace and cathedral for his sons, and endowed the Trinity metochion inside the Kremlin. The metochion was administrated by the Trinity Monastery and boasted the graceful tower church of St. Sergius, which was described by foreigners as one of the finest in the country.

During the Time of Troubles, the Kremlin was held by the Polish forces for two years, between 21 September 1610 and 26 October 1612. The Kremlin's liberation by the volunteer army of prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin paved the way for the election of Mikhail Romanov as the new tsar. During his reign and that of his son Alexis, the eleven-domed Upper Saviour Cathedral, Armorial Gate, Terem Palace, Amusement Palace and the palace of Patriarch Nikon were built. Following the death of Alexis, the Kremlin witnessed the Moscow Uprising of 1682, from which tsar Peter barely escaped, causing him to dislike the Kremlin. Three decades later, Peter abandoned the residence of his forefathers for his new capital, Saint Petersburg.

Although still used for coronation ceremonies, the Kremlin was abandoned and neglected until 1773, when Catherine the Great engaged Vasily Bazhenov to build her new residence there. Bazhenov produced a bombastic Neoclassical design on a heroic scale, which involved the demolition of several churches and palaces, as well as a portion of the Kremlin wall. After the preparations were over, construction halted due to lack of funds. Several years later, the architect Matvey Kazakov supervised the reconstruction of the dismantled sections of the wall and of some structures of the Chudov Monastery, and constructed the spacious and luxurious offices of the Senate, since adapted for use as the principal workplace of the President of Russia.

Following the French invasion of Russia in 1812, the French forces occupied the Kremlin from 2 September to 11 October. When Napoleon fled Moscow, he ordered the whole Kremlin to be blown up. The Kremlin Arsenal, several portions of the Kremlin Wall and several wall towers were destroyed by explosions and fires damaged the Faceted Chamber and churches. Explosions continued for three days, from 21 to 23 October. Fortunately, the rain damaged the fuses, and the damage was less severe than intended. Restoration works were held in 1816–19, supervised by Osip Bove. During the remainder of Alexander I's reign, several ancient structures were renovated in a fanciful neo-Gothic style, but many others were condemned as "disused" or "dilapidated" (including all the buildings of the Trinity metochion) and simply torn down.

On visiting Moscow for his coronation festivities, Nicholas I was not satisfied with the Grand, or Winter, Palace, which had been erected to Rastrelli's design in the 1750s. The elaborate Baroque structure was demolished, as was the nearby church of St. John the Precursor, built by Aloisio the New in 1508 in place of the first church constructed in Moscow. The architect Konstantin Thon was commissioned to replace them with the Grand Kremlin Palace, which was to rival the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in its dimensions and the opulence of its interiors. The palace was constructed in 1839–49, followed by the new building of the Kremlin Armoury in 1851.

After 1851, the Kremlin changed little until the Russian Revolution of 1917; the only new features added during this period were the Monument to Alexander II and a stone cross marking the spot where Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich of Russia was assassinated by Ivan Kalyayev in 1905. These monuments were destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

The Soviet government moved from Petrograd to Moscow on 12 March 1918. Lenin selected the Kremlin Senate as his residence, and his room is still preserved as a museum. Stalin also had his personal rooms in the Kremlin. He was eager to remove from his headquarters all the "relics of the tsarist regime". Golden eagles on the towers were replaced by shining Kremlin stars, while the wall near Lenin's Mausoleum was turned into the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.

The Chudov Monastery and Ascension Convent, with their magnificent 16th-century cathedrals, were dismantled to make room for the military school and Palace of Congresses. The Little Nicholas Palace and the old Saviour Cathedral were pulled down as well. The residence of the Soviet government was closed to tourists until 1955. It was not until the Khrushchev Thaw that the Kremlin was reopened to foreign visitors. The Kremlin Museums were established in 1961 and the complex was among the first Soviet patrimonies inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990.

Although the current director of the Kremlin Museums, Elena Gagarina (Yury Gagarin's daughter) advocates a full-scale restoration of the destroyed cloisters, recent developments have been confined to expensive restoration of the original interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace, which were altered during Stalin's rule. The Patriarch of Moscow has a suite of rooms in the Kremlin, but divine service in the Kremlin cathedrals is held irregularly, because they are still administrated as museums.

http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/a2/8fcf3021abd12a625bb6d30daf084aa2.jpg
Сергей Румянцев (http://www.photosight.ru/photos/3747681/?from_member)

3.1.1. THE CATHEDRAL OF THE DORMITION:

Cathedral Square is the heart of the Kremlin. It is surrounded by six buildings, including three cathedrals.

The Cathedral of the Dormition is the mother church of Muscovite Russia. The church stands on Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin and was built in 1475–1479 by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti.

In the 14th century, Metropolitan Peter persuaded Ivan I (Ivan Kalita) that he should build a cathedral to the Theotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary) in Moscow like the Cathedral of the Dormition in the capital city Vladimir. Construction of the cathedral began on August 4, 1326, and the cathedral was finished and consecrated on August 4, 1327. At that time Moscow became the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, and later of all Rus.

By the end of the 15th century the old cathedral had become dilapidated, and in 1472 the Moscow architects Kryvtsov and Myshkin began construction of a new cathedral. Two years later, the building was nearing completion when it suddenly collapsed because of an earthquake — an extremely rare event in Moscow.

Ivan III then invited Aristotele Fioravanti, a celebrated architect and engineer from Bologna, Italy, to come to Moscow and entrusted him with the task of building the cathedral from scratch in the traditions of Russian architecture. The cathedral in Vladimir was once again taken as a model for the building, and so Fioravanti travelled to Vladimir in order to study Russian methods of building. He designed a light and spacious masterpiece that combined the spirit of the Renaissance with Russian traditions.

The foundation for the new cathedral was laid in 1475, and in 1479 the new cathedral was consecrated by Metropolitan Geronty. The interior was painted with frescoes and adorned with many icons, including the Theotokos of Vladimir and Blachernitissa.

In 1547 the coronation of the first Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, took place in this cathedral. From 1721 it was the scene of the coronation of the Russian Emperors. The ritual installation of metropolitans and patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church also took place in this cathedral, and their tombs are to be found here. The patriarchate was abolished by Peter the Great and only restored after the February Revolution of 1917, though the groundwork for the restoration was already in progress by that time, with the permission of Nicholas II.

On November 21, 1917 the cathedral was the setting for the installation of Tikhon (Belavin), the Metropolitan of Moscow, as the first patriarch of the restored Patriarchate. He was subsequently glorified (canonized as a saint) by the church. After the transfer of the Bolshevik government to Moscow, services in the Kremlin cathedrals were prohibited. It was only with Lenin's special permission that the final Pascha (Easter) service was held in 1918.

There is a legend that in the winter of 1941, when the Nazis had already reached the threshold of Moscow, Joseph Stalin secretly ordered a service to be held in the Dormition Cathedral to pray for the country's salvation from the invading Germans. In 1990 the Dormition Cathedral was returned to the church, although a large museum still operates within it.

Cathedral of the Dormition (1475–1479, Aristotele Fioravanti):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/96/874fa40d628ddb04ed900aa847c75996.jpeg
VileniA (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/avaloni/view/292507/?page=1)

3.1.2. CATHEDRAL OF THE ANNUNCIATION:

The Cathedral of the Annunciation is a cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Theotokos.

Formerly, the cathedral was a home church of the Muscovite tsars. Its abbot had been a personal confessor of the royal family until the early 20th century. The Cathedral of the Annunciation was built on the Sobornaya Square (Cathedral Square) by architects from Pskov in 1484-1489. It was erected on the spot of an older 14th century cathedral of the same name, which had been rebuilt in 1416. Initially, the Cathedral of the Annunciation had three cupolas (two of them built around 1572). It was surrounded by parvises from three sides. In 1562-1564, they built four single-cupola side chapels over the arched parvises. The north and west entrances from the parvise are decorated with whitestone portals of the 16th century. The fretwork is clearly influenced by the Italian Renaissance architecture. The bronze doors of the north and west portals are decorated with gold foil. The floor of the Cathedral of the Annunciation is made of jasper, which was brought from a cathedral in Rostov Velikiy in the 16th century. The walls contain fragments of murals, painted by Theodosius (1508) and others (second half of the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries). The iconostasis includes icons of the 14th-17th centuries, including the ones painted by Andrey Rublev, Feofan Grek and Prokhor, and 19th century, as well.

Cathedral of the Annunciation (1484-1489):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/84/5afd9b5cccb8f92c6dc599c97921cb84.jpeg
Rom-antik (Татьяна) (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/rom-antik/view/138113?page=0)

3.1.3. THE CATHEDRAL OF THE ARCHANGEL:

The Cathedral of the Archangel is the name of several cathedrals in Russia.

One particular cathedral by this name stands on the Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin. It was constructed between 1505 and 1508 under the supervision of an Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Novy on the spot of an older cathedral, built in 1333.

The interior is entirely covered with holy icons. It contains frescoes dating to the 16th and 17th centuries. Some of them were painted by Yakov of Kazan, Stepan of Ryazan, Joseph Vladimirov and others between 1652 and 1666. The stonework on the walls of the cathedral was clearly influenced by the Italian Renaissance. There are also a fretted wooden gilded iconostasis 13 meters high with the icons of the 17th - 19th centuries and church chandeliers of the 17th century.

Victories of the Russian military were celebrated in the Cathedral of the Archangel. Russian tsars and grand princes were buried within the cathedral until the 17th century, who remain there to this day (including Ivan I Kalita, Dmitry Donskoi, Ivan the Great, Ivan the Terrible). There are 54 burials in the cathedral, 46 ornamented whitestone tombstones (1636–1637) and glazed cases made of bronze (1903). Tsarevich Demetrius, the son of Ivan the Terrible, was buried there in the early 17th century. Emperor Peter II is also interred there, the only post-Petrine monarch buried in the Kremlin (and the only one besides Ivan VI who is not buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.)

Cathedral of the Archangel (1505-1508, Aleviz Fryazin Novy):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/78/776a7ecfedfda60046d087a524011978.jpeg
Cler (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vze7ufd33/view/9837/?page=0)

3.1.4. CHURCH OF THE DEPOSITION OF THE ROBE:

The Church of the Deposition of the Robe is a church which stands on Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin. It was begun in 1484 by masters from Pskov, most likely by the same group of architects who built the adjacent Cathedral of the Annunciation.

The church was built on the site of a previous church, built by Jonah Metropolitan of Moscow in 1451. The name of the church, variously translated as the Church of the Virgin's Robe, The Church of Laying Our Lady’s Holy Robe, The Church of the Veil or simply Church of the Deposition, is said to refer to a festival dating from the 5th century AD, celebrating when the robe of the Virgin Mary was taken from Palestine to Constantinople, where it protected the city from being conquered. For example, tradition says that during the Rus-Byzantine War of 860 the patriarch placed the Virgin's Robe into the sea, causing a storm that destroyed the invading Russian ships.

A four-level iconostasis, created by Nazary Istomin Savin in 1627, has been preserved in the church, and has frescoes painted by Ivan Borisov, Sidor Pospeev and Semyon Abramov in 1644. The church itself was built in the traditional Early Russian style, characterized by "a noticeable tendency towards more elevated proportions, the overall structure being extended by being placed on raised foundations, and the drum supporting the single dome also being raised". As with the Cathedral of the Annunciation, the intricate interior detail and ornamentation were characteristic of the Russian architecture of this period.

Originally, the church served as the private chapel of the Patriarch of Moscow, but during the mid-17th century it was taken over by the Russian royal family. The church was badly damaged in a fire in 1737 (the same fire that cracked the Tsar Bell).

Today, the church also houses a display of wood sculpture from the 14th to 19th century.

Church of the Deposition of the Robe (1484-1485):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/1d/be07caecc3431a695692deea0306ab1d.jpeg
elenpota (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/elenpota/view/85530/?page=7)

3.1.5. IVAN THE GREAT BELL TOWER:

The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is the tallest of the bell towers ringing the Moscow Kremlin complex, with a total height of 81 meters (266 feet). It was built for the Assumption, Archangel and Annunciation cathedrals, which do not have their own belfries, and is said to mark Moscow's precise geographic centre.

From 1329, Moscow's first stone bell tower stood on this site, affiliated with the Church of St. Ivan of the Ladder-under-the Bell, hence the name "Ivan" in the title.

Following the death of Ivan III (also called Ivan the Great) in 1505, his son Vasily III ordered new tower as a monument to honour his father. From 1505 to 1508, the new bell tower was erected next to the church on the foundation of the old tower, which gave it its name. At first, it had 2 belfries on different levels, but in 1600 on the orders of Boris Godunov it was raised to its present height. Until the building of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, it was the tallest building in old Moscow, and it was forbidden to put up any building in Moscow which was taller than the Bell Tower.

There's a popular yet disputable legend, that when Napoleon captured Moscow in 1812, he heard that the cross on the central dome of the Annunciation Cathedral had been cast in solid gold, and immediately gave orders that it should be taken down. But he confused the cathedral with the Ivan the Great Bell Tower which only had a gilded iron cross. This cross resisted all attempts of French equipment and engineers to remove it from the tower. It was only after a Russian peasant volunteered to climb up to the dome that the cross was lowered on a rope. When he went up to Napoleon seeking a reward, the latter had him shot out of hand as a traitor to his fatherland.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower adjoins the Assumption Belfry, which was built between 1523 and 1543 by the Italian immigrant architect Petrok Maly Fryazin (who converted to Orthodox Christianity and settled in Russia). It contains the Great Assumption Bell which was cast in the mid-19th century by Zavyalov, and it is the biggest of all the Kremlin bells. This ensemble contains 24 large bells.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower (1505-1600):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/b3/a161c2ff118a53bb11aed6be943b1eb3.jpeg
konstvorobey (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/konstvorobey/view/14513/?page=0)

3.1.6. PALACE OF FACETS:

The Palace of the Facets is a diminutive palace in the Moscow Kremlin which contains what used to be the main banquet reception hall of the Muscovite Tsars.

Named after its distinctive stonework facade, the Palace of Facets is all that is left of a larger royal palace, commissioned by Ivan III in 1485 and finished six years later. The Palace of the Facets is the work of two Italian Renaissance architects, Marco Ruffo and Pietro Solario. The first floor of the Palace of the Facets consists of the main hall and adjoining sacred vestibule. Both are decorated with rich frescoes and gilded carvings. The splendid vaulted main hall has an area of about 500 square meters (5380 square ft.). It was the throne room and banqueting hall of the 16th-century and 17th-century tsars and is now used for holding receptions (picture).

On the palace's southern facade is the Red Porch. The tsars passed down this staircase on their way to the Cathedral of the Dormition for their coronations. The last such procession was at the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896. In the Streltsy Rebellion in 1682 several of Peter the Great's relatives were hurled down the staircase onto the pikes of the Streltsy guard. Demolished by Stalin in the 1930s, the staircase was rebuilt in 1994 at great expense.

Palace of Facets (1487-1491, Marco Ruffo and Pietro Antonio Solario):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/02/9fff19eb006621497be52af302502c02.jpeg
Галина (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/gnborisova/view/152733/?page=1)

3.1.7. KREMLIN SENATE:

The Moscow Kremlin Senate building was commissioned by Catherine II of Russia and designed by Matvey Kazakov. Construction lasted from 1776 to 1787. The Neoclassical building originally housed the Moscow branch of the Governing Senate, the highest judiciary and legislative office of Imperial Russia. Currently, it houses the Russian presidential administration.

Catherine II had been a frequent guest in Moscow at the time when the city, neglected by past monarchs, did not have enough state offices. She launched construction of such offices and palaces, including the Senate, that is, the national judiciary administration and the seat of elected administration of the Moscow region.

Construction was started in 1776 by Karl Blank on a large triangular property in the north-east of the Moscow Kremlin, following a 1775 draft by Kazakov. The site once housed the Trubetskoy family palace and at least three churches. In 1779 Blank was demoted, and Kazakov took the lead. He envisaged Governing Senate as the Temple of Law, and designed the structure in a Neoclassical style characterized by symmetry and rigour.

The triangular structure is centered around Rotunda Hall (diameter 24.6 meters, 27 meters internal height), once called The Pantheon of Russia. Its dome, carrying the state flag as seen from the Red Square, would later become a Soviet propaganda icon. However, originally it carried St. George statue, then a statue of Justice (destroyed by French troops in 1812). Exterior styling is unusual in its mix of Doric and Ionic order. Kazakov's building cost 759.000 roubles.

According to Ivan Kondratiev, Catherine was so impressed by the building that she gave Kazakov her gloves, saying "I'll pay your bills later, for now - this is a token for your wife". She indeed repaid Kazakov with diamonds, promotion and a pension. Later, in line with legal reforms of Catherine's successors, the building lost its national functions and became the seat of Moscow Regional Court.

In 1905, terrorist Ivan Kalyayev killed Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich Romanov, the military governor of Moscow, near the Senate. This was commemorated by a memorial cross, designed by Victor Vasnetsov in 1908. In 1918, the monument was destroyed by the Bolshevik administration.

Vladimir Lenin had his study and private apartment on the third floor in 1918-1922. Later, the Senate housed Joseph Stalin's study and conference hall. In 1955, Lenin's apartments were opened to public access; in 1994, all exhibits of this museum were relocated to Gorki Leninskiye and the Senate closed its doors to the public again. In 1994-1998, Senate building was converted to house the Russian presidential administration.

Kremlin Senate (1776-1787, Matvey Kazakov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/a4/bc0edc315995474029bc692d0963a4a4.jpeg
Нюрофен (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/tpvasiljeva/view/286870/?page=0)

3.1.8. ARSENAL:

The Arsenal is a large trapezoid two-storey building in the northern corner of the Moscow Kremlin which currently accommodates the Kremlin Regiment.

In the Middle Ages, the spot was occupied by granaries. After they burnt down in the last years of the 17th century, Peter the Great engaged a team of Russian and German architects to construct the Arsenal building on the spot. Construction started in 1702 and lasted until 1736, when it was completed under supervision of Field-Marshal Burkhard Christoph von Munnich.

During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, the retreating French soldiers had the central part of the building blown up. It was restored between 1816 and 1828 to a Neoclassical design in order to house a museum dedicated to the Russian victory over Napoleon. Accordingly, some 875 cannons captured from the retreating Grand Army were put on display along the walls of the Arsenal. Of these, 365 are French, 189 are Austrian, 123 are Prussian, 70 are Italian, 40 are Neapolitan, 34 are Bavarian, and 22 are Dutch. Since 1960, Russian cannons of the 16th and 17th centuries have been displayed along the south wall of the building.

Kremlin Arsenal (1702-1736; restored in 1816-1828):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/aa/bdead2a488d6e40bd12fcb09cdb1c9aa.jpeg
elenpota (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/elenpota/view/87541/?page=9)

3.1.9. GRAND KREMLIN PALACE:

The Grand Kremlin Palace, also translated Great Kremlin Palace, was built from 1837 to 1849 in Moscow, Russia on the site of the estate of the Grand Princes, which had been established in the 14th century on Borovitsky Hill. Designed by a team of architects under the management of Konstantin Thon, it was intended to emphasize the greatness of Russian autocracy. Konstantin Thon was also the architect of the Kremlin Armoury and the Church of Christ the Savior.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was formerly the Emperor's Moscow residence. Its construction involved the demolition of the previous Baroque palace on the site, designed by Rastrelli, and the Church of St. John the Baptist, constructed to a design by Aloisio the New in place of the first church ever built in Moscow.

Thon's palace is 125 meters long, 47 meters high, and has a total area of about 25.000 square meters. It includes the earlier Terem Palace, nine churches from the 14th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the Holy Vestibule, and over 700 rooms. The buildings of the Palace form a rectangle with an inner courtyard. The building appears to be three stories, but is actually two. The upper floor has two sets of windows. The west building of the Palace held state reception halls and the imperial family's private chambers.

Its five reception halls (Georgievsky, Vladimirsky, Aleksandrovsky, Andreyevsky, and Ekaterinsky) are named for orders of the Russian Empire: the Orders of St. George, Vladimir, Alexander, Andrew, and Catherine. Georgievsky Hall is used today for state and diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies. International treaties are signed at the Vladimirsky Hall. Such as the instance on June 1, 1988, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhael Gorbachev signed the INF Treaty ratification. It also leads to the Palace of Facets, the Tsarina's Golden Chamber, Terem Palace, the Winter Palace, and the Palace of Congresses. Aleksandrovsky Hall and Andreyevsky Hall were combined in Soviet times to be used for meetings and conferences of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR; they were lavishly restored in accordance with Thon's designs in the 1990s.

Grand Kremlin Palace (1837-1849, Konstantin Thon):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/c6/576ebd469db990c5c06f897bdb358fc6.jpeg
КП (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/veloxiraptor/view/285460/?page=0)

3.1.10. KREMLIN ARMOURY:

The Kremlin Armoury is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1808 and located in the Moscow Kremlin.

The Kremlin Armoury originated as the royal arsenal in 1508. Until the transfer of the court to St. Petersburg, the Armoury was in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons, jewellery and various household articles of the tsars. The finest Muscovite gunsmiths (the Vyatkin brothers), jewellers (Gavrila Ovdokimov), and painters (Simon Ushakov) used to work there. In 1640 and 1683, they opened the iconography and pictorial studios, where the lessons on painting and handicrafts could be given. In 1700, the Armoury was enriched with the treasures of the Golden and Silver chambers of the Russian tsars.

In 1711, Peter the Great had the majority of masters transferred to his new capital, St.Petersburg. 15 years later, the Armoury was merged with the Fiscal Yard (the oldest depository of the royal treasures), Stables Treasury (in charge of storing harnesses and carriages) and the Master Chamber (in charge of sewing clothes and bedclothes for the tsars). After that, the Armoury was renamed into the Arms and Master Chamber. Alexander I of Russia nominated the Armoury as the first public museum in Moscow in 1806, but the collections were not opened to the public until 7 years later. The current Armoury building was erected in 1844-1851 by the imperial architect Konstantin Ton. The director of the museum from 1852 to 1870 was the writer Alexander Veltman.

After the Bolshevik Revolution, the Armoury collection was enriched with treasures taken from the Patriarch sacristy, Kremlin cathedrals, monasteries and private collections. Some of these were sold abroad on behest of Stalin in the 1930s. In 1960, the Armoury became the official museum of the Kremlin. Two years later, the Patriarch chambers and the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles were assigned to the Armoury in order to house the Applied Arts Museum.

Nowadays, the Kremlin Armoury is home to the Russian Diamond Fund. It boasts unique collections of the Russian, Western European and Eastern applied arts spanning the period from the 5th to the 20th centuries. Some of the highlights include the Imperial Crown of Russia, Monomakh's Cap, the ivory throne of Ivan the Terrible, and other regal thrones and regalia; the Orloff Diamond; the helmet of Yaroslav II; the sabres of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky; the 12-century necklaces from Ryazan; golden and silver tableware; articles, decorated with enamel, niello and engravings; embroidery with gold and pearls; imperial carriages, weapons, armour, and the Memory of Azov, Bouquet of Lilies Clock, Trans-Siberian Railway, Clover Leaf, Moscow Kremlin, Alexander Palace, Standart Yacht, Alexander III Equestrian, Romanov Tercentenary, Steel Military Faberge eggs. The 10 Faberge eggs in the Armoury collection (all Imperial eggs) are the most Imperial eggs, and the second-most overall Faberge eggs, owned by a single owner.

Armoury building (1844-1851, Konstantin Thon):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/f3/f962ae58f274af70095badf2e5ea36f3.jpeg
Andrey A (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/andan-77/view/146383/?page=0)

3.1.11. KREMLIN WALL:

Kremlin Wall refers to the defense wall that surrounds the Moscow Kremlin, recognizable by the characteristic notches and its Kremlin towers.

One of the most symbolic constructions in Russia's history can be traced back to the 12th century when Moscow was founded in 1147. The original outpost was surrounded by the first walls in 1156, which was most likely a simple wooden fence with guard towers. Destroyed in 1238 by the Mongol-Tartar invasion, the Moscow Kremlin was rebuilt by the Russian Knyaz Ivan Kalita. In 1339-1340 he erected a bigger fortress on the site of the original outpost which was defended by massive oak walls. Thought to be an impenetrable defence from raids, it was proven to be useless against fire which burned Moscow in 1365.

Nevertheless the young knyaz Dmitry Donskoy in 1367 began a rebuilding of the fortress. All winter long from the Mukachyovo village 30 virsts (country miles) from Moscow, limestone was hauled back on sledges, allowing the construction of the first stone walls to begin the following spring. Within a few years the city was adorned with beautiful white-stone walls. Whilst it was successfully invaded by the Tatars again in 1382, the massive fortification suffered no damage.

Dmitry Donskoy's walls stood for over a century, and it was during this period that Muscovy rose as the dominant power in Northeastern Rus. By the end of the 15 century, however, it was clear that the old constructions had long passed their time and Czar Ivan the Great's visions. Between 1485 and 1495 a whole brigade of Italian architects took part in the erection of a new defence perimeter including Antonio Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi), Marko Fryazin (Marco Ruffo), Pyotr Fryazin (Pietro Antonio Solari) and Alexei Fryazin the Old (Aloisio da Milano). (The term Fryazin was used to refer to all people of Italian origin at this time). The new walls were erected by building on top of the older walls (some white stone can still be seen at the base in some places). The thickness and height was dramatically increased requiring many wooden houses which surrounded the Kremlin to be torn down.

In the following centuries Moscow expanded rapidly outside the Kremlin walls and as Russia's borders became more and more secure their defensive duty has all but passed. The cannons which were installed in the walls were removed after the turn of the 17th century, as was the second, smaller wall which repeated the perimeter on the outside. During the reign of Czar Alexei Romanov, the towers were built up with decorative spires and the walls were restored. However their historical mightiness was dampened as the material became brick not stone. Successive restorations of varying scale took place during the reigns of Empress Elizabeth and Alexander the First as well as the later Soviet and Russian times took place, preserving their original character and style.

With an outer perimeter of 2235 metres, the Kremlin appears as a loose triangle, deviating from the geometric ideal on the southern side where instead of a straight line, it repeats the contours on the original hill on which the Kremlin rests. Because of this the vertical profile is by no means uniform, and the height at some places ranges from no more than 5 metres quadrupling to 19 metres elsewhere. The thickness of the walls also varies from 3.5 to 6.5 metres. The top of the walls, along their entire length, have outwardly-invisible battle platforms which also range from 2 to 4.5 metres in width (in proportion to the thickness). A total of 1045 double-horned notched "teeth" crown the top of the walls, with a height ranging from 2 to 2.5 metres and thickness from 65 to 75 centimetres. Some of the interior corridors inside the walls have rooms with no exterior illumination (kamoras) where particularly dangerous criminals were contained.

To date twenty towers survived, highlighting the walls. Built at a different time, the oldest one, Tainitskaya dates to 1485 whilst the newest one-Tsarskaya to 1680. Three of the towers, located in the corners of the castle have unique circular profiles. From the ground level it is only possible to enter six of the towers, the rest only from the walls.

Four gate towers exist, all crowned with ruby stars, they are Spasskaya, Borovitskaya, Troitskaya and Nikolskaya. Although up to the 1930 it was also possible to enter the Kremlin via the gates of Tainitskaya tower, however these were covered up yet leaving their portal clearly visible.

The main gates in the Spasskaya tower are normally (with the exception of official and religious ceremonies) closed to the public. The gates under the Nikolskaya tower are often used for service duties only. Visitors to the Kremlin normally enter the premises via the gates under the Troitksaya tower. Except for those who wish to visit the Armoury chamber and the Treasury fond, which are accessible via the gates of the Borovitskaya tower.

Before 1917 it was also possible to book an excursion, lasting over two hours, to walk along the perimeter of the Kremlin walls, beginning at the Borovitskaya tower.

The southern part of the wall faces the Moskva River. The eastern part faces Red Square. The western part, formerly facing the Neglinnaya River, is now part of the Alexander Garden, the bridge which formally crossed the river still stands and is done in the same style as the Kremlin wall.

The existing Kremlin walls and towers were built by Italian masters over the years 1485 to 1495. The irregular triangle of the Kremlin wall encloses an area of 275.000 square meters (68 acres). Its overall length is 2235 meters (2444 yards), but the height ranges from 5 to 19 metres, depending on the terrain. The wall's thickness is between 3.5 and 6.5 meters.

Originally there were eighteen Kremlin towers, but their number increased to twenty in the 17th century. All but three of the towers are square in plan. The highest tower is the Spasskaya, which was built up to its present height of 71 metres in 1625. Most towers were originally crowned with wooden tents; the extant brick tents with strips of colored tiles go back to the 1680s.

Kremlin wall (1485-1495; Antonio Gilardi, Marco Ruffo, Pietro Antonio Solari and Aloisio da Milano):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1110/1c/8b4ea1f51c01299d559857dea3b9f51c.jpeg
Andrey A (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/andan-77/view/146386/?page=0)

3.2. RED SQUARE:

Red Square is a city square in Moscow. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod. As major streets of Moscow radiate from here in all directions, being promoted to major highways outside the city, Red Square is often considered the central square of Moscow and all of Russia.

The rich history of Red Square is reflected in many artworks, including paintings by Vasily Surikov, Konstantin Yuon and others. The square was meant to serve as Moscow's main marketplace. It was also used for various public ceremonies and proclamations, and occasionally as the site of coronation for Russia's czars. The square has been gradually built up since that point and has been used for official ceremonies by all Russian governments since it was established.

The name Red Square derives neither from the colour of the bricks around it (which, in fact, were whitewashed at certain points in history) nor from the link between the colour red and communism. Rather, the name came about because the Russian word "krasnaya" can mean either "red" or "beautiful" (the latter being rather archaic). This word, with the meaning "beautiful", was originally applied to Saint Basil's Cathedral and was subsequently transferred to the nearby square. It is believed that the square acquired its current name (replacing the older Pozhar, or "burnt-out place") in the 17th century. Several ancient Russian towns, such as Suzdal, Yelets, and Pereslavl-Zalessky, have their main square named Krasnaya Ploshchad, namesake of Moscow's Red Square.

The east side of the Kremlin triangle, lying adjacent to Red Square and situated between the rivers Moskva and the now-underground Neglinnaya River was deemed the most vulnerable side of the Kremlin to attack, since it was neither protected by the rivers, nor any other natural barriers, as the other sides were. Therefore, the Kremlin wall was built to its highest height on this side, and furthermore, the Italian architects involved in the building of these fortifications convinced Ivan the Great to clear the area outside of the walls in order to create a field for fire shooting. The relevant decrees were issued in 1493 and 1495. They called for the demolition of all the buildings within 110 sazhens (234 metres) of the wall.

In 1508–1516, the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Novy) arranged for the construction of a moat in front of the eastern wall, which would connect the Moskva and Neglinnaya and be filled in with water from Neglinnaya. This moat, known as the Alevizov moat and having a length of 541 meters, width of 36 meters, and a depth of 9.5–13 m was lined with limestone and, in 1533, fenced on both sides with low, 4-meter thick cogged brick walls. Three square gates existed on this side of the wall, which in the 17th century, were known as: Konstantino-Eleninsky, Spassky, Nikolsky (owing their names to the icons of Constantine and Helen, the Savior and St. Nicholas which hung over them). The last two are directly opposite the Red Square, while the Konstantino-Elenensky gate was located behind Saint Basil's Cathedral. In the early 19th century, the Arch of Konstantino-Elenensky gate was paved with bricks, but the Spassky Gate was the main front gate of the Kremlin and used for royal entrances. From this gate, wooden and (following the 17th century improvements) stone bridges stretched across the moat. Books were sold on this bridge and stone platforms were built nearby for guns - "raskats". The Tsar Cannon was located on the platform of the Lobnoye mesto.

The square was called Veliky Torg (Great market) or simply Torg (Market), then Troitskaya by name a small Troitskaya (Trinity) Church, burnt down in the great fire during the Tatar invasion in 1571. After that, the square held the title Pozhar. It was not until 1661–1662, when it was first mentioned as by its contemporary Krasnaya - "Red" name.

Red Square was the landing stage and trade center for Moscow. Ivan the Great decreed that trade should only be conducted from person to person, but in time, these rules were relaxed and permanent market buildings began appearing on the square. After a fire in 1547, Ivan the Terrible reorganized the lines of wooden shops on the eastern side into market lines. The streets Ilyinka and Varvarka were divided into the Upper lines (now GUM department store), Middle lines and Bottom lines, although Bottom Lines were already in Zaryadye).

After a few years, the Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin, commonly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, was built on the moat. This was the first building which gave the square its present-day characteristic silhouette (on the Kremlin towers but has not yet been built pyramidal roofs). In 1595, wooden market lines were replaced with stone. By that time, a brick platform for the proclamation of the tsar's edicts, known as Lobnoye Mesto had also has been constructed.

The Red Square was considered a sacred place. Various festive processions were held there, and during Palm Sunday the famous "procession on a donkey" was arranged, in which the patriarch, sitting on a donkey, accompanied by the tsar and the people went out of Saint Basil's Cathedral in the Kremlin.

During the expulsion of Poles from Moscow in 1612, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky entered the Kremlin through the square. In memory of this event, he built the Kazan Cathedral - in honour of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, followed his army in a campaign.

At the same time (1624–1625) Spasskaya tower received contemporary tent roofs. This was done on the proposal and the draught of Englishman Christopher Galloway, who was summoned to the device to the new tower's clock (clock watch it there with the 1585) and suggested that to arrange over clock the tent roof. In the mid-century on the top of the tower was it is set up gilded double-headed eagle. After this, the square became known as Krasevaya - «beautiful».

In the late 17'th century the square was cleared of all wooden structures (1679–1680). Then all Kremlin towers received tent roofs, except Nikolskaya. One tent was erected, even on the wall above the Red Square (the so-called Tsarskaya Tower, intended, that the tsar could watch this space for the various ceremonies in the square). There were also are constructed tents roofs at Voskrerensky (Iberian) gates, arranged in the wall of Kitai-gorod. These were the fortified gates at Voskresensky Bridge over the River Neglinnaya.

In 1697 and 1699, gates were built on both sides of Voskresensky ontwo large stone buildings: the Mint and Zemsky prikaz (department in charge of urban and police matters). Zemsky prikaz, then, was known as the Main Pharmacy (on-site new Historical Museum). In the building of Zemsky prikaz in 1755 was organised by first Russian University. At the same time in the Alevizov moat, where there was no water, a state Pharmacy's garden (where the growing of medicinal plants) was arranged.

In 1702, the first public theater in Russia was built near the Nikolsky gate; It stood until 1737, when it was destroyed in a fire. In the 1730s, a new mint building, called the Gubernskoye pravlenie (Provincial Board), was built in front of the old one.

During her reign, Catherine the Great decided to make improvements to the square. In 1786, second floors were the stone market lines. This line was built on the opposite side of the square—at moat between the Spasskaya and Nikolskaya towers. Then architect Matvey Kazakov built (in the old forms) the new Lobnoye mesto of hewn stone, slightly west of the place where it was before.

In 1804, at the request of merchants, the square was paved in stone. In 1806 Nikolskaya Tower was reconstructed in the Gothic style, and has received a tent roof. The new phase of improvement of the square began after the Napoleonic invasion and fire in 1812. The moat was filled in 1813 and in its place, rows of trees were planted. Market Line along the moat, dilapidated after the fire, had been demolished, and on the eastern side Joseph Bove constructed new building of lines in Empire style. In 1818 the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, was erected, symbolising the rise in patriotic consciousness during the war.

In 1874, the historic building of Zemsky prikaz was demolished. In its place was built the Imperial Historical Museum in pseudo-Russian style. After Bove's lines were demolished, new large buildings were erected between 1888–1893 in the pseudo-Russian style: upper lines (Gum department store) and middle lines. The upper lines was intended for retail sale and were in fact the first department store in Moscow; middle lines intended for the wholesale trade. At the same time (in 1892) the square was illuminated by electric lanterns. In 1909, a tram appeared on the square for the first time.

During the Soviet era, Red Square maintained its significance, becoming a focal point for the new state. Besides being the official address of the Soviet government, it was renowned as a showcase for military parades. Kazan Cathedral and Iverskaya Chapel with the Resurrection Gates were demolished to make room for heavy military vehicles driving through the square (both were later rebuilt after the fall of the Soviet Union). There were plans to demolish Moscow's most recognized building, Saint Basil's Cathedral, as well. The legend is that Lazar Kaganovich, Stalin's associate and director of the Moscow reconstruction plan, prepared a special model of Red Square, in which the cathedral could be removed, and brought it to Stalin to show how the cathedral was an obstacle for parades and traffic. But when he jerked the cathedral out of the square, Stalin objected with his rather famous quote: "Lazar! Put it back!".

Two of the most significant military parades on Red Square were the one in 1941, when the city was besieged by Germans and troops were leaving Red Square straight to the front lines, and the Victory Parade in 1945, when the banners of defeated Nazi armies were thrown at the foot of Lenin's Mausoleum. The Soviet Union held very many parades in Red Square for May Day, Victory Day, and the October Revolution which consisted of propaganda, flags, a labor demonstration, and a troops march and show-off of tanks and missiles. On Victory Day in 1945, 1965, 1985, and 1990 there were military marches and parades as well.

On May 28, 1987, a German pilot named Mathias Rust landed a light aircraft on St. Basil's descent next to Red Square. In 1990, the Kremlin and Red Square were among the very first sites in the USSR added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

In recent years, Red Square has served as a venue for high-profile concerts. "The Prodigy", "t.A.T.u.", Shakira, "Scorpions", Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, "Red Hot Chili Peppers", and many other celebrities performed there. For the New Year 2006, 2007 and 2008 celebrations, a skating rink was set up on Red Square. Paul McCartney's performance there was a historic moment for many, as "The Beatles" were banned in the Soviet Union, preventing any live performances there of any of "The Beatles"; the Soviet Union also banned the sales of Beatles records. While McCartney's performance was historic, he was not the first Beatle to perform in Russia. Former Beatle Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band performed at Moscow's Russia Hall in August of 1998.

In January 2008, Russia announced that they would resume parading military vehicles through Red Square, although recent restoration of Iverski Gate complicated this, by closing one of existing passages along Historical Museum for the heavy vehicles. In May 2008, Russia held its annual Victory day parade, marking the 63rd anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. For the first time since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Russian military vehicles paraded through the square. On December 4, 2008, The KHL announced they would be holding their first ever all-star game outdoors on January 10 at the Red Square. On May 9, 2010 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the capitulation of Germany in 1945, The armed forces of France, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States marched in the Moscow Victory Day parade for the first time in history.

http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1111/06/f082e01c6bb5b897318f451ee828da06.jpeg
raskalov-vit (http://raskalov-vit.livejournal.com/65919.html#cutid1)

3.2.1. SAINT BASIL'S CATHEDRAL:

The Cathedral of Intercession of Theotokos on the Moat, popularly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, is a Russian Orthodox cathedral erected on the Red Square in Moscow in 1555–1561. Built on the order of Ivan IV of Russia to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan, it marks the geometric center of the city and the hub of its growth since the 14th century. It was the tallest building of Moscow until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.

The original building, known as "Trinity Church" and later "Trinity Cathedral", contained eight side churches arranged around the ninth, central church of Intercession; the tenth church was erected in 1588 over the grave of venerated local Fool Vasily (Basil). In the 16th and the 17th centuries the cathedral, perceived as the earthly symbol of the Heavenly City, was popularly known as the "Jerusalem" and served as an allegory of the Jerusalem Temple in the annual Palm Sunday parade attended by the Patriarch of Moscow and the tsar.

The building's design, shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, has no analogues in Russian architecture. The cathedral foreshadowed the climax of Russian national architecture in the 17th century but has never been reproduced directly.

The cathedral has operated as a division of the State Historical Museum since 1928. It was completely secularized in 1929 and, as of 2009, remains a federal property of the Russian Federation. The cathedral has been part of the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

The site of the cathedral has been, historically, a busy marketplace between the St. Frol's (later Saviour's) Gate of the Moscow Kremlin and the outlying posad. The center of the marketplace was marked by the Trinity Church, built of the same white stone as the Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy (1366–1368) and its cathedrals. Tsar Ivan IV marked every victory of the Russo-Kazan War by erecting a wooden memorial church next to the walls of Trinity Church; by the end of his Astrakhan campaign it was literally shrouded within a cluster of seven wooden churches. According to the sketchy report in Nikon's Chronicle, in the autumn of 1554 Ivan ordered construction of a wooden Church of Intercession on the same site, "on the moat". One year later Ivan ordered construction of a new stone cathedral on the site of Trinity Church that would commemorate his campaigns. Dedication of a church to a military victory was "a major innovation" for Muscovy. The placement of the church outside of the Kremlin walls was a political statement in favour of posad commoners, and against hereditary boyars.

Chronists clearly identified the new building as Trinity Church, after its easternmost sanctuary: the status of "sobor" (cathedral) has not been bestowed on it yet:

Identity of the architect or architects is unknown. Tradition held that the cathedral was built by two architects, Barma and Postnik: the official Russian cultural heritage register lists "Barma and Postnik Yakovlev". Researchers proposed that both names refer to the same person, Postnik Yakovlev or, alternatively, Ivan Yakovlevich Barma (Varfolomey). Legend held that Ivan blinded the architect so that he could not recreate the masterpiece elsewhere, although the real Postnik Yakovlev remained active at least throughout the 1560s. There is evidence that construction involved stonemasons from Pskov and German lands.

The original Trinity Cathedral burnt down in 1583 and was refit by 1593. The ninth sanctuary, dedicated to Basil Fool for Christ (1460s–1552), was added in 1588 next to the north-eastern sanctuary of the Three Patriarchs. Another local fool, Ivan the Blessed, was buried on the church grounds in 1589; a sanctuary in his memory was established in 1672 inside the south-eastern arcade.

The building, originally known as "Trinity Church", was consecrated on 12 July 1561, and was subsequently elevated to the status of a sobor (similar to Roman Catholic ecclesiastical basilica, but usually translated as "cathedral"). "Trinity", according to tradition, refers to the easternmost sanctuary of Holy Trinity, while the central sanctuary of the cathedral is dedicated to Intercession of Mary. Together with the westernmost sanctuary of Entry into Jerusalem, these sanctuaries form the main west-east axis (Christ, Mary, Holy Trinity), while other sanctuaries are dedicated to individual saints.

The name "Intercession Cathedral" came in use later, coexisting with Trinity Cathedral. From the end of the 16th century to the end of 17th century the cathedral was also popularly called Jerusalem (noun), in reference to its church of Entry into Jerusalem as well as to its sacral role in religious rituals. Finally, the name of Vasily (Basil) the Blessed, who died during construction and was buried on-site, was attached to the cathedral in the beginning of the 17th century.

Current Russian tradition accepts two coexisting names of the cathedral: the "Cathedral of Intercession on the Moat" (full name: "Cathedral of Intercession of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat"), which is official, and the "Temple of Basil the Blessed". When these names are listed together, the latter name, being informal, is always mentioned second. The common Western translations "Cathedral of Basil the Blessed" and "Saint Basil's Cathedral" incorrectly bestow the status of cathedral on the church of Basil, but are nevertheless widely used even in academic literature.

Saint Basil's Cathedral (1555-1561, Barma and Postnik Yakovlev):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1111/a4/e41b64df5bb5ee512507c56143d11da4.jpeg
Татьяна Мельник (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/trendi/view/135700/?page=0)

3.2.2. LOBNOYE MESTO:

Lobnoye mesto, also known as the Place of Skulls, is a 13-meter-long stone platform situated on Red Square in Moscow in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral.

Its name is derived from the Russian words for "forehead" (lob) and "place" (mesto). In old Russian lob meant a steep river bank. The platform, believed to have been constructed in brick in the 1530s, was first mentioned in 1549, when Ivan the Terrible addressed the Muscovites from there. Subsequently, it was primarily used for announcing the tsar's ukazes and for religious ceremonies. Despite a common misconception, the circular platform itself was never a place for executions. Sometimes scaffolds were placed by it, but usually public executions were carried out at Vasilevsky Spusk behind St. Basil's Cathedral.

In Tsarist Russia, during Holy Week, the Palm Sunday procession called "donkey walk" would end at the Lobnoye Mesto where a depiction of Calvary had been erected. The Tsar himself, on foot to show humility, would lead the Patriarch of Moscow, who was seated on a donkey, in a procession from the city gates to Red Square.

The nearby Monument to Minin and Pozharsky commemorates the events of 1612, when Prince Pozharsky ascended the Lobnoye Mesto to pronounce Moscow free from Polish aggressors. In 1786, the architect Matvei Kazakov had the Lobnoye Mesto rebuilt in white stone, while keeping its original location and proportions.

Lobnoye Mesto (1549; rebuilt in 1786 by Matvey Kazakov):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1114/17/16c41b143abddbde3231ffcda07d8a17.jpeg
ezubets (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/ezubets/view/256161/?page=1)

3.2.3. KAZAN CATHEDRAL:

Kazan Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox church located on the northeast corner of Red Square in Moscow. The current building is a reconstruction of the original church which was destroyed at the direction of then General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin in 1936.

The original church was erected as a shrine in the early 1630s to mark the city's liberation from the Polish aggressors by the Russian people's volunteer army at the close of the Time of Troubles.

Upon clearing Moscow from the Poles in 1612, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky attributed his success to the divine help of the icon Theotokos of Kazan, to whom he had prayed on several occasions. From his private funds, he financed construction of a wooden church to the Virgin of Kazan on Red Square in Moscow.

After the diminutive shrine was destroyed by fire in 1632, the Tsar ordered it replaced by a brick church. The one-domed edifice, featuring several tiers of kokoshniki, a wide gallery and a tented belfry, was consecrated in October 1636. That its history was tempestuous is evidenced by the fact that its archpriest Avvakum led the party of religious dissenters, or Old Believers.

After numerous renovations of the cathedral undertaken in the imperial period, the original design was lost behind later additions. The distinguished Russian restorer Peter Baranovsky supervised a complete reconstruction of the church's exterior to its original design in 1929–1932. Some specialists, however, criticised the accuracy of this reconstruction.

In 1936, when Red Square was being prepared for holding the military parades of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin ordered the square cleared of churches. Although efforts were made by Baranovsky to save it, he could not prevent the Kazan Cathedral from being demolished (though Baranovsky did manage to save another of the square's cathedrals, Saint Basil's Cathedral from destruction).

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Kazan Cathedral was the first church to be completely rebuilt after having been destroyed by the Communists. The cathedral's restoration (1990–1993) was based on the detailed measurements and photographs of the original church Peter Baranovsky made before its destruction in 1936.

Kazan Cathedral (1632-1636, destroyed in 1936; rebuilt in 1990-1993 by Oleg Zhurin):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1111/56/07386e0aa8581530ecd776f6869ffc56.jpeg
Алена-незабудка (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/yspenka527/view/145748/?page=0)

3.2.4. STATE HISTORICAL MUSEUM:

The State Historical Museum of Russia is a museum of Russian history wedged between Red Square and Manege Square in Moscow. Its exhibitions range from relics of the prehistoric tribes inhabiting present-day Russia, through priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The total number of objects in the museum's collection numbers in the millions.

The spot where the museum now stands was formerly occupied by the Principal Medicine Store, built on the order of Peter the Great in the Moscow baroque style. Several rooms in that building housed royal collections of antiquities. Other rooms were occupied by the Moscow University, founded by Mikhail Lomonosov in 1755.

The museum was founded in 1872 by Ivan Zabelin, Aleksey Uvarov and several other Slavophiles interested in promotion of Russian history and national self-awareness. The board of trustees, composed of Sergey Solovyov, Vasily Klyuchevsky, Uvarov and other leading historians, presided over construction of the museum building. After a prolonged competition the project was awarded to Vladimir Shervud (1833-97).

The present structure was built to Shervud's neo-Russian design between 1875 and 1881. The first eleven exhibit halls officially opened in 1883 during a visit from the Emperor and his wife. Then in 1894 Emperor Alexander III became the honorary president of the museum and the following year, 1895, the museum was renamed the Alexander III Imperial Russian History Museum. Its interiors were intricately decorated in the Russian Revival style by such artists as Viktor Vasnetsov, Henrik Semiradsky, and Ivan Aivazovsky. During the Soviet period the murals were proclaimed gaudy and were plastered over. The museum went through a painstaking restoration of its original appearance between 1986 and 1997.

Notable items include a longboat excavated from the banks of the Volga River, gold artifacts of the Scythians, birch-bark scrolls of Novgorod, manuscripts going back to the 6th century, Russian folk ceramics, and wooden objects. The library boasts the manuscripts of the Chludov Psalter (860s), Svyatoslav's Miscellanies (1073), Mstislav Gospel (1117), Yuriev Gospel (1119), and Halych Gospel (1144). The museum's coin collection alone includes 1.7 million coins, making it the largest in Russia. In 1996 number of all articles in the museum's collection achieved 4.373.757.

A branch of the museum is housed in the Romanov Chambers is Zaryadye and Saint Basil's Cathedral. In 1934 The Museum of Women's Emancipation at the Novodevichy Convent became part of the State Historical Museum. Some of the churches and other monastic buildings are still affiliated with the State Historical Museum.

State Historical Museum (1875-1881, Vladimir Shervud):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1111/35/214bd5e6dc40d9b9ca71d3d142652d35.jpeg
Ал-ла (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/cherryal/view/232154/?page=0)

3.2.5. GUM - MAIN DEPARTMENT STORE:

Main Department Store or GUM is a modern name for the main department store in many cities of the former Soviet Union, known as State Department Store in the Soviet times. Similar-named stores were in the some Soviet republics and post-Soviet states. The most famous GUM is a large store in Kitai-gorod of Moscow, facing Red Square. It is actually a shopping mall. Prior to the 1920s the place was known as the Upper Trading Rows.

With the facade extending for 242 m (794 ft) along the eastern side of Red Square, the Upper Trading Rows were built between 1890 and 1893 by Alexander Pomerantsev (responsible for architecture) and Vladimir Shukhov (responsible for engineering). The trapezoidal building features an interesting combination of elements of Russian medieval architecture and a steel framework and glass roof, a similar style to the great Victorian train stations of London. Nearby, also facing Red Square, is a very similar building, formerly known as the Middle Trading Rows.

The existing structure — defined by William Craft Brumfield as "a tribute both to Shukhov's design and to the technical proficiency of Russian architecture toward the end of the 19th century" — was built to replace the previous trading rows that had burnt down in 1825. The glass-roof designed made the building unique at the time of construction. The roof, whose diameter is 14 m (46 ft), looks light, but it is a firm construction made of over 50.000 pods (about 819 short tons (743 t) of metal). Illumination is provided by huge arched skylights of iron and glass, each weighing some 820 short tons (740 t) and containing in excess of 20.000 panes of glass. The facade is split into several horizontal tiers, lined with red Finnish granite, Tarusa marble, and limestone. Each arcade is on three levels, linked by walkways of reinforced concrete.

By the time of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the building contained some 1200 stores. After the Revolution, the GUM was nationalised and continued to work as a department store until Joseph Stalin turned it into office space in 1928 for the committee in charge of his first Five Year Plan. After the suicide of Stalin's wife Nadezhda in 1932, the GUM was used to display her body.

After reopening as a department store in 1953, the GUM became one of the few stores in the Soviet Union that was not plagued by shortages of consumer goods, and the queues to purchase anything were long, often extending all across Red Square.

At the end of the Soviet era, GUM was partially then fully privatized, and it passed through a number of owners before it ended up in the hands of the supermarket chain "Perekryostok". In May 2005, a 50.25% interest was sold to "Bosco di Ciliegi," a Russian luxury-goods distributor and boutique operator. As a private shopping mall, it was renamed in such a fashion that it could maintain its old abbreviation and still be called GUM. The first word "Gosudarstvenny" has been replaced with "Glavny" ('main'), so that GUM is now an abbreviation for "Main Department Store".

It is still open today, and is a popular tourist destination for those visiting Moscow. Many of the stores feature high-fashion brand names familiar in the west; locals refer to these as the "exhibitions of prices", the joke being that no one could afford to actually buy any of the items on display. As of 2005, there were approximately 200 stores.

There is a similar historic department store that rivals GUM in size, elegance and opulent architecture called Central Department Store (Tsentralniy Universalniy Magazin, abbreviated as TsUM). It sprawls just east of the Bolshoi Theatre.

Main Universal Store (1890-1893, Alexander Pomerantsev and Vladimir Shukhov):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1111/a1/ce85cbe7d1c661eb2a03a8912439d6a1.jpeg
Muza124 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/muza124/view/185183/?page=1)

3.2.6. LENIN'S MAUSOLEUM:

Lenin's Mausoleum, also known as Lenin's Tomb, situated in Red Square in the center of Moscow, is the mausoleum that serves as the current resting place of Vladimir Lenin. His embalmed body has been on public display there since shortly after his death in 1924 (with rare exceptions in wartime). Aleksey Shchusev's diminutive but monumental granite structure incorporates some elements from ancient mausoleums, such as the Step Pyramid and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great.

Soon after January 21, 1924, the day that Lenin died, the Soviet government received more than 10.000 telegrams from all over Russia, which asked the government to preserve his body somehow for future generations. On the morning of January 23, Professor Alexey Abrikosov — a prominent Russian pathologist and anatomist — embalmed Lenin's body to keep it intact until the burial. On the night of January 23, architect Alexey Shchusev was given a task to complete within three days: design and build a tomb to accommodate all those who wanted to say their goodbyes to Lenin. On January 26, the decision was made to place the tomb in Red Square by the Kremlin Wall. By January 27, Shchusev built a tomb out of wood and at 4 p.m. that day they placed Lenin's coffin in it. More than 100.000 people visited the tomb within a month and a half. By August 1924, Shchusev upgraded the tomb to a bigger version. The architect Konstantin Melnikov designed Lenin's sarcophagus.

In 1929, it was established that it would be possible to preserve Lenin’s body for a much longer period of time. Therefore, it was decided to exchange the wooden mausoleum with the one made of stone (architects Alexey Shchusev, Isidor Frantsuz, and G.K. Yakovlev). Marble, porphyry, granite, labradorite, and other construction materials were used. In October 1930, the construction of the stone tomb was finished. In 1973, sculptor Nikolay Tomsky designed a new sarcophagus.

The body was removed in October 1941 and evacuated to Tyumen, in Siberia, when it appeared that Moscow might be in imminent danger of falling to invading Nazi troops. After the war, it was returned and the tomb reopened.

On January 26, 1924, the Head of the Moscow Garrison issued an order to place the Guard of Honour at the mausoleum. Russians call it the "Number One Sentry". After the events of the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993, the Guard of Honour was disbanded. In 1997 the "Number One Sentry" was restored at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden.

More than 10 million people visited Lenin's tomb between 1924 and 1972.

Joseph Stalin's embalmed body shared a spot next to Vladimir Lenin, from the time of his death in 1953 until October 31, 1961, when Stalin was removed as part of de-Stalinization and Khrushchev's Thaw, and buried outside the walls of the Kremlin.

The Mausoleum is open every day from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, except Mondays and Fridays. Visitors still wait in long lines to see Lenin's body, for which entrance is free of charge. Visitors are required to show respect while in the tomb; photography and videotaping inside the mausoleum are forbidden, as are talking, smoking, keeping hands in pockets, or wearing hats (if male). The mausoleum is still heavily guarded, although the Changing of the Guard has been moved to the Eternal Flame by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Debate continues as to what to do with Lenin's body and there is serious talk of burying him.

Lenin's Mausoleum (1924-1930, Alexey Shchusev):
http://i11.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1111/c9/5ea19bc87066573362fc7d1802a48dc9.jpeg
aleksej-kislogubov (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/aleksej-kislogubov/view/79203/?page=2)

Cool!

THE LIST OF RUSSIAN WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

4. (UN #604, 1992) HISTORIC MONUMENTS OF NOVGOROD AND SURROUNDINGS (9th-19th century):

Brief UNESCO's Description: "Situated on the ancient trade route between Central Asia and northern Europe, Novgorod was Russia's first capital in the 9th century. Surrounded by churches and monasteries, it was a centre for Orthodox spirituality as well as Russian architecture. Its medieval monuments and the 14th-century frescoes of Theophanes the Greek (Andrey Rublev's teacher) illustrate the development of its remarkable architecture and cultural creativity".

Veliky Novgorod (literally Great Novgorod) is one of Russia's most historic cities and the administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast. It is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. Translated from Russian, its name means roughly "The Great New City" or "The Big New City". The city lies along the Volkhov River just below its outflow from Lake Ilmen. Population: 214.777 (2010).

Despite its name, Novgorod is among the most ancient cities of the East Slavs. The Sofia First Chronicle first mentions it in 859; the Novgorod First Chronicle mentions it first under the year 862 when it was allegedly already a major station on the trade route from the Baltics to Byzantium. Archaeological excavations in the middle to late twentieth century, however, have found cultural layers dating back only to the late tenth century, the time of the Christianization of Rus and a century after it was allegedly founded, suggesting that the chronicle entries mentioning Novgorod in the 850s or 860s are later interpolations.

The Varangian name of the city Holmgård (Holmgarðr or Holmgarðir) is mentioned in Norse Sagas as existing at a yet earlier stage, but historical facts cannot here be disentangled from legend. Originally, Holmgard referred only to the stronghold southeast of the present-day city, Riurikovo Gorodishche (named in comparatively modern time after Varangian chieftain Rurik, who supposedly made it his "capital" around 860 CE). Archeological data suggests that the Gorodische, the residence of the Knyaz (prince), dates from the middle of 9th century, whereas the town itself dates only from the end of the 10th century, hence the name Novgorod, "new city", from Old Norse Novgarðr, also rendered as Naugard in Old High German and Middle High German.

In 882, Rurik's successor, Oleg of Novgorod, captured Kiev and founded the state of Kievan Rus. Novgorod's size as well as its political, economic, and cultural influence made it the second city in Kievan Rus. According to a custom, the elder son and heir of the ruling Kievan monarch was sent to rule Novgorod even as a minor. When the ruling monarch had no such son, Novgorod was governed by posadniks, such as legendary Gostomysl, Dobrynya, Konstantin, and Ostromir.

In Norse sagas the city is mentioned as the capital of Gardariki (i.e., the East Slavic lands). Four Viking kings — Olaf I of Norway, Olaf II of Norway, Magnus I of Norway, and Harald Hardrada — sought refuge in Novgorod from enemies at home. No more than a few decades after the death and subsequent canonization of Olaf II of Norway, in 1028, the city's community had erected a church in his memory, Saint Olaf's Church in Novgorod.

Of all their princes, Novgorodians cherished most the memory of Yaroslav the Wise, who had sat as prince while his father, Vladimir the Great, was prince in Kiev. Yaroslav promulgated the first written code of laws (later incorporated into "Russkaya Pravda") among the Eastern Slavs and is said to have granted the city a number of freedoms or privileges, which they often referred to in later centuries as precedents in their relations with other princes. His son, Vladimir, sponsored construction of the great St. Sophia Cathedral, more accurately translated as The Cathedral of Holy Wisdom, which stands to this day.

In 1136, the Novgorodians dismissed their prince Vsevolod Mstislavich. This date is seen as the traditional beginning of the Novgorod Republic. The city was able to invite and dismiss a number of princes over the next two centuries, but the princely office was never abolished and powerful princes, such as Alexander Nevsky, could assert their will in the city irrespective of the Novgorodians' wishes. The city state controlled most of Europe's North-East, from today's Estonia to the Ural Mountains, making it one of the largest states in medieval Europe, although much of the territory north and east of Lakes Ladoga and Onega were sparsely populated and never organized politically.

One of the most important local figures in Novgorod was the Posadnik or mayor, an official elected by the public assembly (called the Veche) from among the city's boyarstvo or aristocracy. The tysyatsky, or "thousandman", originally the head of the town militia but later a commercial and judicial official, was also elected by the veche. The Archbishop of Novgorod was also an important local official and shared power with the boyars. They were elected by the veche or by the drawing of lots; after their election, they were sent to the metropolitan for consecration.

While a basic outline of the various officials and the veche can be drawn up, the city-state's exact political constitution remains unknown. The boyars and the archbishop ruled the city together, although where one official's power ended and another's began is uncertain. The prince, although his power was reduced beginning in about the mid-twelfth century, was represented by his namestnik or lieutenant, and still played important roles as a military commander, legislator, and jurist. The exact composition of the veche, too, is uncertain, with some scholars such as Vasily Kliuchevskii claiming it was democratic in nature, while later scholars, such as Valentin Yanin and Aleksandr Khoroshev, see it as a "sham democracy" controlled by the ruling elite.

In the 13th century, Novgorod, while not a member of the Hanseatic League, was the easternmost kontor, or entrepot, of the league, being the source of enormous quanties of luxury (sable, ermine, fox, marmot) and non-luxury furs (squirrel-pelts).

Throughout the Middle Ages, the city thrived culturally. A large number of birch bark letters have been unearthed in excavations, perhaps suggesting widespread literacy, although this is uncertain (some scholars suggest that a clerical or scribal elite wrote them on behalf of a largely illiterate populace). It was in Novgorod that the oldest Slavic book written north of Macedonia and the oldest inscription in a Finnic language were unearthed. Some of the most ancient Russian chronicles were written in the archbishops' scriptorium and the archbishops also promoted iconography and patronized church construction. The Novgorod merchant Sadko became a popular hero of Russian folklore.

Novgorod was never conquered by the Mongols during the Mongol invasion of Rus. The Mongol army turned back about 100 km from the city, not because of the city's strength, but probably because the Mongol commanders did not want to get bogged down in the marshlands surrounding the city. However, the grand princes of Moscow, who acted as the tax-collectors for the khans of the Golden Horde, did collect tribute (dan) in Novgorod, most notably Yury Danilovich and his brother, Ivan Kalita.

The city's downfall was a result of its inability to feed its large population, making it dependent on the Vladimir-Suzdal region for grain. The main cities in this area, Moscow and Tver, used this dependence to gain control over Novgorod. Eventually Ivan III annexed the city to Grand Duchy of Moscow in 1478. Novgorod remained the third largest Russian city (with 5300 homesteads and 25-30 thousand inhabitants in 1550s), however, until the famine of 1560s and Ivan the Terrible sacking the city and slaughtering thousands of its inhabitants in 1570. The city's merchant elite and nobility were deported to Moscow, Yaroslavl, and elsewhere.

During the Time of Troubles, Novgorodians eagerly submitted to Swedish troops led by Jacob De la Gardie in summer of 1611. The city was restituted to Russia only six years later, by the Treaty of Stolbovo and regained a measure of its former prosperity by the end of the century, when such ambitious buildings as the Cathedral of the Sign and the Vyazhischi Monastery were constructed. The most famous of Russian patriarchs, Nikon, occupied the metropolian see of Novgorod between 1648 and 1652.

In 1727, Novgorod was made an administrative centre of the Novgorod Governorate of the Russian Empire, which was detached from Saint Petersburg Governorate. This administrative division existed until 1927. Between 1927 and 1944 the city was a part of Leningrad Oblast, and then became an administrative center of the newly formed Novgorod Oblast.

During World War II, on August 15, 1941, the city was occupied by the German Army. Its historic monuments were systematically annihilated. When the Red Army liberated the city on January 19, 1944, out of 2536 stone buildings, fewer than forty were still standing. After the war, the downtown was gradually restored according to a plan worked out by Alexey Shchusev. Its chief monuments have been declared the World Heritage Site. In 1998, the city was officially renamed Veliky Novgorod, thus partly reverting to its medieval title "Lord Novgorod the Great".

http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/17/87f237ba01a48115e0926bb43ba67617.jpeg
miss-musya2011 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/miss-musya2011/view/226884/?page=0)

4.1. NOVGOROD KREMLIN:

The Detinets ("Young Man's Compound", from the same root as the Russian word deti = children) is the ancient name for the Kremlin or fortress in Novgorod the Great, which stands on the left bank of the Volkhov River about two miles north of where it empties out of Lake Ilmen.

The compound was originally the site of a pagan burial ground upon which the first bishop of Novgorod, Ioakim Korsunianin built the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom upon his arrival in the area in 989 or so. Thus the compound was and remained largely an ecclesiastical site, although many Novgorodian boyars built their houses in the southern part of the Detinets.

The first reference to fortifications on the site dates to 1044, with additional construction taking place in 1116. These were probably earthen embankments topped by a wooden palisade, although stone towers and walls were built in 1302. Archbishop Vasily Kalika (1330–1352) rebuilt the stone wall along the eastern side of the Detinets in 1331-1335. The rest was completed in stone only in 1400. Part of Vasily's walls collapsed into the Volkhov River in 1437 and were rebuilt by Archbishop Evfimy II (1429–1458).

The current fortress was built between 1484 and 1490 by Muscovite builders in the wake of Grand Prince Ivan III's conquest of the city in 1478; a third of it was paid for by the Novgorodian archbishop Gennady, a Muscovite appointee (1484–1504). It is a large oval 545 meters long and 240 meter wide with nine surviving towers (three additional towers have not survived). The tallest tower, the Kokui tower is capped by a silver dome. It was built in the eighteenth century and its name is of Swedish origin. Today it is possible to enter this tower and climb to the top. The walls are 1487 meters in circumference.

The main buildings in the Detinets are the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom and the archiepiscopal/metropolitan compound in the northwestern corner. To the south of this, across the plaza in which stands the Monument to the Thousand Years of Russia, is the Novgorod Museum and the Novgorod Regional Library, housed in what had in the imperial period been the administrative building of Novgorod. The museum houses a fine icon collection and other artifacts from the city's history. Several smaller churches (the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God along the southwestern wall near the Pokrovskii (Intercession) and Kokui towers, and the Church of St. Andrew Stratilates near the southeastern wall, and other buildings are found south of the museum, an area of the Detinets that has been left a park. There are numerous references in the chronicles to no longer extant buildings, including chapels over the gates (there were six in the republican period) and the Church of Sts. Boris and Gleb, built by Sitko Sitinits, who is thought to be the historic source for the legendary Sadko. An eternal flame to the soldiers of the German-Soviet War can be seen just inside the west gate of the fortress.

A public beach has been formed between the southeastern part of the Kremlin and the Volkhov river.

Kremlin towers - Prince Tower (1484-1499) and Saviour Tower (1297):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/1e/40f7c7e4971cabbb770af6c59a74f81e.jpeg
PIRS-1 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/pirs-1/view/240152/?page=0)

4.1.1. SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL:

No other Russian or Ukrainian city can compete with Novgorod in the variety and age of its medieval monuments. The foremost among these is the St Sophia Cathedral.

The Cathedral of St. Sophia (the Holy Wisdom of God) in the Kremlin (or Detinets) in Veliky Novgorod is the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Novgorod and the mother church of the Novgorodian Eparchy.

The 38-metre-high, five-domed, stone cathedral was built by Vladimir of Novgorod between 1045 and 1050 to replace an oaken cathedral built by Bishop Ioakim Korsunianin in the late tenth century (making it the oldest church building in Russia proper and, with the exception of the Arkhyz and Shoana churches, the oldest building of any kind still in use in the country). It was consecrated by Bishop Luka Zhidiata (1035–1060) on September 14, in 1050 or 1052, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. (A fresco just inside the south entrance depicts Sts. Constantine and Helena, who found the true cross in the fourth century; it is one of the oldest works of art in the cathedral and is thought to commemorate its dedication). While it is commonly known as St. Sophia's, it is not named for any of the female saints of that name (ie., Sophia of Rome or Sophia the Martyr); rather, the name comes from the Greek for wisdom (from whence we get words like philosophia or philosophy — "the love of wisdom"), and thus Novgorod's cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God, in imitation of the Hagia Sophia cathedral of Constantinople. It replaced an even older wooden, 13-domed church built in or around 989 by Bishop Ioakim Korsunianin, the first bishop of Novgorod. The main, golden cupola, was gilded by Archbishop Ioann (1388–1415) in 1408. The sixth (and the largest) dome crowns a tower which leads to the upper galleries. In medieval times these were said to hold the Novgorodian treasury and there was a library there, said to have been started by Yaroslav the Wise. When the library was moved to the St. Petersburg Spiritual Academy in 1859, it numbered more than 1500 volumes, some dating back to the thirteenth century. The current Archbishop, Lev (Nikolay Lvovich Tserpitskii), has reestablished a library there, in keeping with the ancient tradition. As of 2004, it housed some 5000 volumes. A Sunday school is also held in the gallery.

The cupolas are thought to have acquired their present helmet-like shape in the 1150s, when the cathedral was restored after a fire. The interior was painted in 1108 at the behest of Bishop Nikita (1096–1108), although the project was not undertaken until shortly after his death. Archbishop Nifont (1130–1156) had the exterior whitewashed and had the Martirievskii and Pretechenskaia porches (papter', more akin to side chapels) painted sometime during his tenure, but those frescoes are hardly visible now in consequence of frequent fires. In the 1860s, parts of the interior had to be repainted and most of the current frescoes are from the 1890s. A white stone belltower in five bays was built by Archbishop Evfimii II (1429–1458), the greatest architectural patron to ever hold the archiepiscopal office. He also had the Palace of Facets built just northwest of the cathedral in 1433. The nearby clocktower was initially completed under his patronage as well, but fell down in the seventeenth century and was restored in 1673.

From the 12th to the 15th century, the cathedral was a ceremonial and spiritual centre of the Novgorod Republic, which sprawled from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains. Novgorodians were exceedingly proud of their church, boasting that they were willing "to lay down their heads for Holy Wisdom" or "to die honorably for Holy Wisdom". When one prince angered them, they told him "we have no prince, only God, the Truth, and Holy Wisdom". On another occasion, they made the cathedral the symbol of the city itself, saying "Where Holy Wisdom is, there is Novgorod".

The cathedral has long been the city's great necropolis, the burial place of 47 people of prominence in the city's history, including several princes and posadniks and 32 bishops, archbishops, and metropolitans of Novgorod. The first burial there was Prince Vladimir himself in 1052. The first bishop was Luka Zhidiata in 1060. The last burial in the cathedral was Metropolitan Gurii in 1912. Most of the burials are below the floor in the Martirievskaia Porch, on the south side of the cathedral, named for Bishop Martirii (1193–1199). Later burials took place (again below the floor) in the Pretechenskaia Papter' on the north side of the cathedral. Today, there are several burials in the main body of the church. The sarcophagi of Prince Vladimir and Princess Anna overlook the Martirievskaia Porch; Archbishop Ilya (also known as Ioann) (1165–1186) is buried in the northwestern corner of the main body of the church, next to the Pretechenskaia Porch. Bishop Nikita lies in a glass-covered sarcaphogus between the chapels of the Nativity of the Mother of God and Sts. Ioakim and Anne and the sarcophagus is opened on his feast days (January 30, the day of his death and April 30/May 13, the day of the "uncovering of his relics", i.e., when his tomb was opened in 1558) so the faithful can venerate his relics. Two other princes also lie in the main body of the cathedral and in the Chapel of the Nativity of the Mother of God.

The cathedral was looted by Ivan the Terrible's Oprichnina in the 1570s but restored by Archbishop Leonid (1572–1575). He built the Tsar's Pew which stands just inside the south entrance of the main body of the cathedral near the Martirievskii Porch. Leonid also had several large chandeliers hung in the cathedral, but only one of them survives.

Beginning in the eighteenth century, the archbishops or metropolitans of Novgorod lived in St. Petersburg (they were known as archbishops or metropolitans of Novgorod and St. Petersburg). Thus, while Novgorod technically still had a prelate, he was not often active in the city itself, and the church in the city was administered by a vicar bishop for much of the time. Twelve metropolitans of Novgorod and St. Petersburg (or Leningrad) are buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, rather than in the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom.

During the Nazi occupation of Novgorod, the Kremlin was heavily damaged from the battles and from the Nazi abuse. However, the cathedral itself survived. The large cross on the main dome (which has a metal bird attached to it, perhaps symbolic of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove) was removed by Spanish infantry. For over 60 years it resided in the Madrid's Military Engineering Academy Museum, until November 16, 2004 when it was handed over back to the Russian Orthodox Church by the Spanish minister of defense Jose Bono. The domes were heavily damaged in the war, and the large Christ Pantocrator in the dome was ruined. According to legend, the painters painted him with a clenched fist. The archbishop told them to repaint Christ with an open palm, and when they returned the next morning, the hand was miraculously clenched again. After repeated efforts, a voice from the dome is said to have told the archbishop to leave the painting alone for as long as Christ's fist remained closed, he would hold the fate of Novgorod in his hand.

During the Soviet period, the cathedral was a museum. It was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991. An inscription on the north wall of the west entrance attests to its rededication by Bishop Lev and Patriarch Alexius II.

Saint Sophia Cathedral (1045-1050):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/f8/af4e738e1ae382ef72d61b1ee62cbff8.jpeg
igor-pl (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/igor-pl/view/248761/?page=0)

4.1.2. MILLENNIUM OF RUSSIA:

The Millennium of Russia is a famous bronze monument in the Novgorod Kremlin. It was erected in 1862 to celebrate the millennium of Rurik's arrival to Novgorod, an event traditionally taken as a starting point of Russian history.

A competition to design the monument was held in 1859. An architect Viktor Hartmann and an artist Mikhail Mikeshin were declared the winners. Mikeshin's design called for a grandiose, 15-metre-high bell crowned by a cross symbolizing the tsar's power. The bell was to be encircled with several tiers of sculptures representing Russian monarchs, clerics, generals, and artists active during various periods of Russian history.

Mikeshin himself was no sculptor, therefore the 129 individual statues for the monument were made by the leading Russian sculptors of the day, including his friend Ivan Schroeder and the celebrated Alexander Opekushin. Rather unexpectedly for such an official project, the tsars and commanders were represented side by side with sixteen eminent personalities of Russian culture: Lomonosov, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Karl Brullov, Mikhail Glinka, etc. As for the Russian rulers, Ivan the Terrible is famously absent from the monument due to his role in the 1570 pillage and massacre of Novgorod by the Oprichnina. Alongside with the Muscovite princes, the mediaeval Lithuanian dynasts as Gediminas or Vytautas the Great who reigned over the Eastern Slavs of the present-day Belarus and Ukraine are represented.

The most expensive Russian monument up to that time, it was erected at a cost of 400.000 roubles, mostly raised by public subscription. In order to provide an appropriate pedestal for the huge sculpture, sixteen blocks of Sortavala granite were brought to Novgorod, each weighing in excess of 35 tons. The bronze monument itself weighs 65 tons.

At the time when the monument was inaugurated, many art critics felt that it was overloaded with figures. Supporters regard Mikeshin's design as harmonious with the medieval setting of the Kremlin, and subtly accentuating the vertical thrust and grandeur of the nearby 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral.

During World War II, the Nazis dismantled the monument, and prepared it to be transported to Germany. However, the Red Army regained control of Novgorod and the monument was restored to public view in 1944. A 5-ruble commemorative coin was released in the USSR in 1988 to commemorate the monument.

Millennium of Russia (1862, Viktor Hartmann, Mikhail Mikeshin and Ivan Schroeder):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/c3/8a834905c481bd3bbc4417831611cdc3.jpeg
saivera (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/saivera/view/291393/?page=2)

4.2. YAROSLAV'S COURT:

Yaroslav's Court was the princely compound in the city of Novgorod the Great. Today it is roughly the area around the Trade Mart, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Church of St. Procopius, and the Church of the Myrrh-bearing Women. The Trade Mart renovated and heavily modified in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is all that is left of the princely palace itself. The prince also had a compound called the Riurikovo Gorodishche south of the Marketside of the city.

Yaroslav's Court is named after Yaroslav the Wise who, while prince of Novgorod (988-1015), built a palace there. The Novgorodian veche often met in front of Yaroslav's Court and in 1224 several pagan sorcerers were burned at the stake there.

According to the traditional scholarship, after the Novgorodians evicted Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich in 1136, Novgorod began electing their princes and forbade them from holding land in Novgorod. Yaroslav's Court then ceased to be a princely compound and the prince resided at Rurikovo Gorodishche.

Arcade (17th-18th century) of the Yaroslav's Court:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/bb/9f1181c5179a532416efdbfed999aabb.jpeg
Annathedreamer (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/annathedreamer/view/149155/?page=0)

4.3. CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF THE SIGN:

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign is an interesting building, quite well preserved though in a need of restoration. It attracts the eye with its unusual for Novgorod architecture, intricate compositional and decorative elements, more common for Moscow and cities along the Volga river, and especially with its bright paintings interweaved with ornaments (1702). They are quite traditional, but at the same time, comment on their epoch.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign (1682-1688):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/4e/adda3d584bfdd1907700b6b3c3a9cd4e.jpeg
sapozhnik-1 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/sapozhnik-1/view/43264/?page=0)

4.4. ZVERIN MONASTERY OF THE INTERCESSION OF OUR LADY AND SURROUNDINGS:

Zverin convent is first mentioned in a chronicle from 1148, when a thunderbolt hit the church and burned it. «Zverin» means «animal»; the name goes back to the times when this territory was the prince's hunting ground and later a zoo. The church of the Intercession of the Virgin was named after a religious holiday of Pokrov. In Russian language the word Pokrov means cover, cloak, shroud and at the same time protection, intercession. The icon-painters usually used the image of a cloth or cloak above the Virgin's head as a metaphor, a symbol of the all-embracing kindness and love of Our Lady. The holiday of Intercession is highly honoured, and the church of the Intercession of Our Lady in Zverin convent is appropriately light, festive, radiating especially warm atmosphere and arousing noble thoughts. The services are held regularly in the church.

Church of the Simeon the Righteous (1467) and Intercession Cathedral (1899-1901):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/4b/e5302d82bc2aa5fc1e5a3d5b7421864b.jpeg
tatyanabt (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/oreshek20072007/view/7904/?page=1)

4.5. ANTONIEV MONASTERY:

The Antoniev Monastery ("St. Anthony's Monastery") rivalled Yuriev Monastery as the most important monastery of medieval Novgorod the Great. It stands along the right bank of the Volkhov River north of the city centre and forms part of the Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings, a World Heritage Site.

The monastery was founded in 1117 by St Anthony of Rome (Antoniy Rimlianin), who, according to legend, flew to Novgorod from Rome on a rock (the alleged rock is now in the vestibule just to the right of the main door into the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God beneath a fresco of Bishop Nikita of Novgorod). Antonii was consecrated hegumen of the monastery in 1131 by Archbishop Nifont (1130-1156) and was buried beneath a large slab to the right of tha altar in the same church.

The Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, like the Church of St. George in the Yuriev Monastery, is one of the few three-domed churches in Russia. It was founded by Antonii in 1117 and completed in 1125. There are some frescoes from the Middle Ages still extant, most notably in the apse, but most are from the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries and are in some disrepair.

The monastery is currently part of the Novgorod United Museum-Preserve and has not been returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God (1117-1125):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/c4/76661ea66a3964de1d81e3b6cff651c4.jpeg
MYXOMOPbI4 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/mazurchikk/view/159736/?page=0)

4.6. CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY ON THE KRASNOE POLE (1381-1382):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/7d/416ab2860495d4d144bd7e3c5473007d.jpeg
jinn73 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/jinn73/view/190911/?page=0)

4.7. CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR SAVIOUR ON NEREDITSA HILL:

This world-wide known church is located on top of a small Nereditsa hill, to the east from Rurik's Gorodische. From the hill one can see entire Novgorod, fields and meadows, the lake and the Volkhov river.

The church was built in 1198, to the order of Prince Yaroslav, after the demise of all his children. This last prince's building looked no different from modest churches of the late 12th c., which were financed by boyars, merchants and commoners. It has the form of a cube and one dome, and its interior is very simple. It was decorated with frescos in 1199, and the paintings gave the closest impression of the system of Russian temple frescos of the time.

Church of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour on Nereditsa Hill (1198):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1112/6a/7cf995e583a610ca1786f6ad2bc3fa6a.jpeg
ded195413 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/ded195413/view/289746/?page=0)

4.8. CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION AT GORODISHCHE (1342-1343, destroyed by Nazis in 1940s):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/1e/8bd1fe7fac556f957b19271d8c7c2b1e.jpeg
Человек из Народа (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/a7075/view/62156?page=0)

4.9. PERYNSKY SKETE (founded in 1828):

Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos (1226) and cells (1826) of the Perynsky Skete:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/2d/50cb320d789848b23b93a4a292a0362d.jpeg
tourist (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/iwanow-ivan2011/view/269018/?page=0)

4.10. YURIEV MONASTERY:

The St. George's (Yuriev) Monastery is one of Russia's oldest monasteries. It stands south of Novgorod on the left bank of the Volkhov River near where it flows out of Lake Ilmen. The monastery used to be the most important in the medieval Novgorod Republic. It is part of the World Heritage Site named Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings.

According to legend, the monastery was founded in the eleventh century by Yaroslav the Wise (whose Christian name was George), but the first historicall-reliable reference to it is from the early twelfth century when the main church the Church of St. George (Georgieveskii Church) was founded (in 1119) by Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich of Novgorod and Pskov and Hegumen (roughly equivalent to a western prior) Kyuriak (Kirik) and built by the master Peter.

By the first third of the thirteenth century the hegumen had been raised to the status of an archimandrite (roughly equivalent to an abbot, i.e., the head of an important monastery, although the comparison with western abbots is imprecise); Archimandrite Savatii is mentioned asking the Novgorodians to bless his successor just before his death in 1226. This has led some scholars to argue that the archimandrites of the Yuriev Monastery were elected by the veche, although there is very little evidence of this; in 1226 it appears that the Novgorodian elite approved the election of Savatii's successor although whether the veche took part is unclear. A later veche (more a mob than a governmental assembly in this case) held the Archimandrite Esif (Iosif - Joseph) overnight in the Church of St. Nicholas on the Marketplace in 1337. The chronicle does not say how the crisis was resolved, but the next year Esif was elevated to the Archimandrite of St. George after the death of Lavrenti. In 1342 he was sent to Koporya on a mission to secure Posadnik (burgomaster) Fyodor Danilovich who was detained there. Russian monasteries at various times became guard-houses for prisoners of state. Also, in 1345, the church of St. George was renovated and new lead added to the roof under the direction of Archimandrite Esif.

The archimandrites of the Yuriev Monastery were often called Archimandrite of Novgorod, as in 1270, when Varlaam "Hegumen of St. George's [the Yuriev Monastery] and Archimandtire of Novgorod" died. A listing of the "Archimandrites of Novgorod", is included in the back of the Novgorodian First Chronicle. In fact, the archimandrites of the Yuriev Monastery were, for several centuries, the only archimandrites in the Novgorodian Land, and thus they were, in a manner of speaking, the Archimandrites of Novgorod. Some scholars argue theirole in the Novgorodian church administration was more formal than that though, and they were the deputy to the archbishops of Novgorod or else they headed all the monasteries in the Novgorodian Land, this, however, remains uncertain. Archimandrite Sava was buried in the Antoniev Monastery, and several archimandrites built churches in other monasteries, perhaps indicating their power or influence over all the city-state's monasteries. Archbishop Spiridon (1229–1249) was a monk and deacon at the monastery before he was elected archbishop of Novgorod. Archbishop Moisei (1325–1330, 1352–1359) was archimandrite of the Yuriev Monastery before being elected archbishop, and Archbishop Feoktist was, according to some sources, buried at the Yuriev monastery (explaining the large fresco of him and a smaller icon in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross), but other sources give another monastery, the Monastery of the Annunciation, as his place of burial. Prince Dmitry Shemyaka was also allegedly buried there.

The monastery was an important source for historical information on medieval Novgorod, as part of the Novgorod First Chronicle (the Synodal text) was compiled in the monastery.

The monastery was ravaged during the Soviet rule. Five of its six churches were destroyed by 1928; the monastery was closed in 1929. During the World War II, the buildings were occupied by the German and Spanish armed forces, and were seriously damaged. In 1991 the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and parts of it have been renovated since then. However the western part, including a church there, are still in ruins.

http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/fd/74f81e586d986f0197d6b5f4bdc0c6fd.jpeg
georgysam (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/georgysam/view/248576/?page=2)

4.10.1. CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE:

The Church of St. George is one of the largest in Novgorod and its immediate environs. It is a tall (105 feet tall) white-stone church 85 feet long by 75 feet wide with three silver domes, which is somewhat unusual for Russian churches which usually have five (the main dome representing Christ, the four smaller ones representing the evangelists). Some remnants of the medieval frescoes remain, but most of the church was refrescoes in 1902. Among the frescoes is a large Christ Pantokrator in the main dome, a full-length portrait of Novgorodian Archbishop Feoktist, and another full-length (although smaller) portrait of Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich on the southwestern pier.

Church of St. George (1119-1130, master Peter) and Belfry (1838-1841, Sokolov and Carlo Rossi):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/90/6a9d9ca38d610cc8bb29f91f3f09f290.jpeg
new-med (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/new-med/view/70883/?page=0)

"deti" est starinnое russkое slovo za nastoyascie "rebyata" ;)

4.10.2. CHURCH OF THE EXHALTATION OF THE CROSS:

The St. George Monastery also has the Church of the Exhaltation of the Cross in the northeastern corner of the monastery, with five blue domes and gold stars on it, built in the eighteenth century. The gateway into the monastery is crowned by a tall gold-domed tower which is visible from the city centre, including the Novgorod Kremlin two miles to the north.

Church of the Exhaltation of the Cross (1823):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/35/46d612c9a9261ec5be21cb4b088b4135.jpeg
CelticCWN (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/celticcwn/view/303115/?page=0)

4.11. JOHN THE MERCIFUL'S CHURCH (1422):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/e7/e91201d5631eb903924dc00d216757e7.jpeg
n-myasoedova (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/n-myasoedova/view/35737/?page=4)

4.12. CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION ON LAKE MYACHINO:

The church of the Annunciation on Myachino Lakes (1179) is located to the south from the city, halfway to St. George monastery. Here in 1170 a monastery was founded by Archbishop Ioann (Ilya) and his brother Gavril (Grigory) to commemorate the miracle of the icon «Our Lady of the Sign».

The stone church was built in 70 days. One of the legends claims that when the money was over, the Virgin herself had sent a richly geared horse with bags full of gold and silver hanging from its saddle, which allowed the constructors to complete the church.

Church of the Annunciation on Lake Myachino (1179):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/df/411404a21bc1cff3a6e49171853748df.jpeg
Краеведъ (FotosergS) (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/fotosergs/view/112173/?page=0)

4.13. THE CHURCH OF PETER AND PAUL ON SINICHYA HILL (1185-1192):

Some distance to the west of where the Resurrection monastery once stood is a spot which used to be called Sinichya Hill with a cemetery containing the very old Church of SS Peter and Paul built in 1185-92 by the inhabitants of nearby Lukinaya Street. The upper part of the church was rebuilt on many occasions, but there are grounds for believing that, like the Smolensk church on.

The Church of Peter and Paul on Sinichya Hill (1185-1192):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1113/dd/d99eb2255157c90a70492b6a9f24c6dd.jpeg
Vik Sheri (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/viksheri0843/view/13923/?page=0)

These photographs of Russia are wonderful and remind us of just how many historic buildings still exist in this amazing country. Have long wanted to visit and will definitely make the effort in the not too distant future. Keep the photos coming!!

World Heritage does not include, for reasons unknown, several closely related monuments of Novgorod:

THE CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR SAVIOR ON KOVALYOVO FIELD:

The church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior on Kovalyovo Field was built in 1345 by the order of Novgorod boyar Ontsifor Zhabina and for a long time it was the cathedral (main) temple of the Cloister of the Transfiguration of Our Savior in Kovalevo. The church was painted in 1380. The fresco on a drum is the most impressive as well as the enormous figures of warriors in the lower registers of walls, a personification of epochs, which began with the victory of the Russians troops in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). From 1941-1944 the church was ruined by Nazis. It was craftsmanship and the titanic work of restorers that could revive it (architect - Leonid Krasnorechiev) and its painting (restorers - Alexander Grekov and Valentina Grekova). Today one can come and view its interior, the fragments of frescoes. There is an exhibition inside.

The church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior on Kovalyovo Field (1345):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/f6/83a43636950595ff912eca6d315839f6.jpeg
nick7nnn2008 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/nick7nnn2008/view/275238/?page=6)

NIKOLO-VYAZHISHCHSKY MONASTERY:

The Nikolo-Vyazhishchskii Stavropegial Women's Monastery also known as the Vyazhishche or Vyazhishschky Monastery is a convent located in the village of Vyazhishche, 7 miles (12 km) NNW of Veliky Novgorod.

The monastery was founded in by the monks Efrosiny, Ignaty, and Galaktion and the hieromonk Pimen at the end of the fourteenth century (a charter from 1391 mentions it), with Pimen becoming the first hegumen of the monastery. It was first mentioned in the chronicle under the year 1411. The monastery was patronized by Archbishop Evfimy II (1429-1458), who was hegumen of the monastery before his election as archbishop of Novgorod in 1429, and was buried there (he is known as St. Evfimy of Vyazhishche). His sarcophagus is now in the Church of St. Evfimy of Vyazhishche, built in 1685. The monastery was one of the greatest landowners in the Novgorodian land, holding in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, some 2000 hectares of land. Much of its lands were confiscated during secularization under Catherine II (1762-1796) at which time it was classified a 2nd Class Monastery.

Following confiscation by the Soviets, the monastery was closed in 1920. It became part of a collective farm and the buildings were used to store yams, as well as a threshing floor, a forge, and a metalshop. From the 1950s, there were efforts to restore the monastery and it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1989. On March 31, 1990, then Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Alexius (later the Patriarch of Moscow) reconsecrated the main church to St. Evfimy.

The convent has the status of a stauropegic monastery (as of a grant from the Holy Synod of 7 October, 1995), that is, it is under the direct control of the Patriarch of Moscow rather than of the Archbishop of Novgorod. The current hegumenia is Antonia (Korneeva). There are at present some 15 nuns living at the monastery. Of four churches in the Monastery (St. Evfimy, St. Nicholas, St. John the Divine, and The Church of the Ascension), only one is now a working church, that of St. Evfimy. The rest are still being restored.

Cathedral of Saint Nicholas (1681-1683) and refectory with Church of St. John the Divine and Church of the Ascension (1694-1698):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/a2/c0b625ea48942404fbbf45ee12ce96a2.jpeg
Bacilla-G (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/bacilla-g/view/299733/?page=0)

http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/0d/37b5cd1847d78e7d42a7531106073f0d.jpeg
Bacilla-G (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/bacilla-g/view/299664/?page=0)

THE LIST OF RUSSIAN WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

5. (UN #632, 1992). CULTURAL AND HISTORIC ENSEMBLE OF THE SOLOVETSKY ISLANDS (from 15th century):

Brief UNESCO's Description: "The Solovetsky archipelago comprises six islands in the western part of the White Sea, covering 300 square km. They have been inhabited since the 5th century B.C. and important traces of a human presence from as far back as the 5th millennium B.C. can be found there. The archipelago has been the site of fervent monastic activity since the 15th century, and there are several churches dating from the 16th to the 19th century".

The Solovetsky Islands are located in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, Russia. The islands are administrated from Arkhangelsk as Solovetsky District and are served by the Solovki Airport. Area: 347 square km. Population: 900 (2007).

This archipelago consists of six islands known collectively as the Solovki: Bolshoy (Big) Solovetsky Island (246 square km.); Anzersky Island - Anzer (47 square km.); Bolshaya (Big) Muksalma (17 square km.); Malaya (Small) Muksalma (0.57 square km.); Bolshoy (Big) Zayatsky (1.25 square km.); Maly (Small) Zayatsky (1.02 square km.).

The shores of the islands are very indented. They are formed of granites and gneiss. The relief of the islands is hilly (the highest point is 107 m). Most of the Solovetsky Islands are covered with Scots Pine and Norway Spruce forests, which are partially swampy. There are numerous lakes, which were joined by monks so as to form a network of canals.

One interesting feature of these islands is stone labyrinths and other stone settings, especially the Stone labyrinths of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. Such labyrinths were typical for Northern Europe, but most have perished and now Solovetsky Islands have some of the best remaining examples.

Historically the islands have been the setting of the famous Russian Orthodox Solovetsky Monastery complex. It was founded in the second quarter of the 15th century by two monks from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. By the end of the 16th century, the abbey had emerged as one of the wealthiest landowners and most influential religious centres in Russia.

The existing stronghold and its major churches were erected in stone during the early reign of Ivan the Terrible at the behest of St. Philip of Moscow. At the onset of the Schism of the Russian Church, the monks staunchly stuck to the faith of their fathers and expelled the tsar's representatives from the Solovki, precipitating the eight-year-long siege of the islands by the forces of Tsar Alexis. Tsarist Army captured monastery after eight years of siege only due to betrayal of one of the monks. All other monks were executed.

Throughout the imperial period of Russian history, the monastery was renowned as a strong fortress which repelled foreign attacks during the Livonian War (16th century), Time of Troubles (17th century), the Crimean War (19th century), and the Russian Civil War (20th century).

After the October Revolution, the islands attained notoriety as the site of the first Soviet prison camp (GULAG). The camp was inaugurated in 1923, while Lenin was still at the helm of Soviet Russia. It was closed in 1939, on the eve of the World War II. By the beginning of the war, there was a naval cadet training camp for the Soviet Northern Fleet.

In 1974, the Solovetsky Islands were designated a historical and architectural museum and a natural reserve of the USSR. In 1992, they were inscribed on the World Heritage List "as an outstanding example of a monastic settlement in the inhospitable environment of northern Europe which admirably illustrates the faith, tenacity, and enterprise of later medieval religious communities". Today, the Solovki are seen as a major tourist magnet in the orbit of the Russian North. One can get to the islands either by ship from Kem or by plane from Arkhangelsk.

Solovetsky Islands:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1115/c3/e73ef79c71c6dac7bd127dc86f132bc3.jpeg
Александр Федотов (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/alfed57/view/80217?page=0)

5.1. SOLOVETSKY MONASTERY:

Solovetsky Monastery was the greatest citadel of Christianity in the Russian North before being turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp (1923–1939), which served as a prototype for the GULAG system. Situated on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, the monastery braved many changes of fortune and military sieges. Its most important structures date from the 16th century, when Philip Kolychev was its hegumen.

Solovetsky Monastery was founded in the late 1429 by monks Gherman (Herman) and Savvatiy (Sabbatius) of Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. In the 15th and 16th centuries, when Novgorodian Marfa Boretskaya donated her lands at Kem and Summa to the monastery in 1450, the monastery quickly enlarged its estate, which was situated on the shores of the White Sea and the rivers falling into it. Solovetsky Monastery extended its producing and commercial activity, becoming an economic and political center of the White Sea region. Archimandrites of the monastery were appointed by the tsar himself and the patriarch. Peter the Great visited the Solovki in 1694.

Solovetsky Monastery's "business" activity included saltworks (in the 1660s, it owned 54 of them), seafood production, trapping, fishery, mica works, ironworks, pearl works etc., which had engaged many people dependent on the monastery.

By the 17th century, Solovetsky Monastery had already had some 350 monks, 600-700 servants, artisans and peasants. In the 1650s and 1660s, the monastery was one of the strongholds of the Raskol. The Solovetsky Monastery Uprising of 1668–1676 was aimed at Nikon's ecclesiastic reform and took on an anti-feudal nature. Tsarist Army captured monastery after eight years of siege only due to betrayal of one of the monks. All other monks were executed. In 1765, Solovetsky Monastery became stauropegic (from the Greek stauros meaning "cross" and pegio meaning "to affirm"), i.e. it subordinated directly to the Synod.

Together with the Sumskoy and Kemsky stockades, Solovetsky Monastery represented an important frontier fortress with dozens of cannons and a strong garrison. In the 16th to 17th centuries, the monastery succeeded a number of times in repelling the attacks of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and the Swedes (in 1571, 1582 and 1611). During the Crimean War, Solovetsky Monastery was attacked by three British ships. After 9 hours of shelling on the 6 and 7 July, the vessels left with nothing. Between the 16th and the early 20th centuries, the monastery was also a place of exile for the opponents of autocracy and official Orthodoxy and a center of Christianization in the north of Russia. The monastery also had a huge depository of manuscripts and old books.

The pride of the monks was the monastery's garden which had many exotic flora, such as the Tibetan wild roses presented to the monks by Agvan Dorzhiev, a famous Buryatian lama who was a member of Tibetan Karshog (Government) during the days of the Great 13th Dalai Lama.

After the Bolshevik Revolution, the Soviet authorities closed down the monastery and incorporated many of the buildings into Solovki, one of the earliest forced-labor camps of the GULAG during the 1920s and 1930s. The camp was mainly used for cutting trees, and when the trees were gone, the camp was closed. Before the Second World War, a sea cadet school was opened on the island.

The architectural ensemble of the Solovetsky Monastery is located on the shores of the Prosperity Bay on Solovetsky Island. The territory of the Solovetsky Monastery is surrounded by massive walls (height 8 to 11 m, thickness 4 to 6 m) with 7 gates and 8 towers (built in 1584–1594 by an architect named Trifon), made mainly of huge boulders up to 5 m in length. There are also religious buildings on the monastery's grounds (the principal ones are interconnected with roofed and arched passages), surrounded by multiple household buildings and living quarters, including a refectory (a 500 sq. m. chamber) with the Dormition Cathedral (built in 1552-1557), Transfiguration Cathedral (1558–1566), Church of Annunciation (1596–1601), stone chambers (1615), watermill (early 17th century), bell tower (1777), and Church of Nicholas (1834).

Today, the Solovetsky Monastery is a historical and architectural museum. It was one of the first Russian sites to have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. A small brotherhood of monks appeared in the monastery again and now it has about ten monks. During last several years the monastery was strongly repaired, but it is still under reconstruction.

Solovetsky Monastery (founded in 1429):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1115/ed/dc39bb9d87ab55ca5bf919574627fded.jpeg
nina-n (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/nina-n/view/200943/?page=0)

http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1115/90/8b293320f6de1abb055fbd72e2e9fb90.jpeg
sowaskan (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/sowaskan/view/344055/?page=0)

http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1115/b0/e5cae26002a79fc188e54f4ad43eacb0.jpeg
sowaskan (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/sowaskan/view/342781?page=0)

5.1. REFECTORY AND DORMITION CATHEDRAL:

The central complex of the Solovetsky Monastery ensemble began to form in the middle of the 15th century. The first churches and brethren's cells were made of wood. Fires have destroyed the buildings, and nobody know how they looked like.

In 1552 solid buildings made of bricks appeared, the bricks production was arranged at the Monastery brick factory. In five years' time the Novgorod masters and architects built the Uspenskaya (Dormition) Church, Trapesnaya (Refectory) and Kelarskaya (Bursar's) Chambers which made an architectural complex. The most impressive of these is the Refectory, it is the only chamber in the Russian monasteries built with a single supportive column in the middle. The area of the Refectory is 483 sq. m. Its vaults are resting on the walls of more than 2 m. thick, the central column is 4 m. in diameter and is made of white stone.

Refectory and Dormition Cathedral (1552-1557):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1115/98/1dab9793bc99c0859fe786bb67d11c98.jpeg
malvina542803 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/malvina542803/view/213961/?page=0)

5.2. CATHEDRAL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR SAVIOR:

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Savior was build between 1558 and 1566 under the guidance of Philip Kolychev, a Moscovite monk of noble origins who left his privileged existence in 1537 and joined the Solovetsky monastic community. It's 47 m. high. Two upper tiers house the main altar and six chapels, in the lower part of the building there are burial-vaults of locally worshipped saints.

Under the direction of Philip the monastery flourished during the 16th century. Philip guided an ambitious program of construction that transformed the monastery and created several monumental buildings of brick and stone. In the summer of 1566 he was called back to Moscow by Ivan the Terrible who supported Philip’s appointment as metropolitan. But Philip's resistance to Ivan's misrule led to his exile and execution in 1569.

Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Savior (1558-1566):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/19/b4a3a7299fdf7331d8261ad3ec388c19.jpeg
VovanJorf (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vovanjorf/view/334089/?page=3)

5.3. GATE CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION (1596—1601):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/63/27be3ed6d8aa0937b67d42f2746dd463.jpeg
VovanJorf (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vovanjorf/view/333130?page=1)

5.4. STONE CHAMBERS:

The 17th century is the time when many of the Monastery's living quarters and household buildings were constructed. The exterior and interior of the brethren's cells can be seen in one of the restored cells which are situated along the northern facade of the Svyatitelsky (Hierarch's) Chamber.

The original appearance of the Portnaya (Dressmaker's) and Chobotnmaya (Bootmaker's) Chambers (1642) has been restored in the northern yard. The most interesting of all the household constructions is the stone mill in the southern courtyard, it was built on one of the underground canals running from the Svyatoye (Holy) Lake to the Blagopoluchiye (Prosperity) Bay.

Dressmaker's Chamber (1642):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/9c/40da5f39e8f955d509fd24290ec3129c.jpeg
Александр Федотов (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/alfed57/view/211826/?page=3)

5.5. WATER MILL (early 17th century):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/ec/04bed5dc67a5c7cba7345e612bcbb6ec.jpeg
ankirin (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/ankirin/view/217103/?page=0)

5.6. BELL TOWER (1777):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/11/cd4d5fdb5b6d394468ea47b1b9423011.jpeg
VovanJorf (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vovanjorf/view/333136?page=1)

5.7. BELL TOWER AND CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS:

Among the 18th century monuments the three-tiered bell-tower, the highest in the Kremlin (52 m), is the most remarkable. In the 19th century to replace the ruins of the Nikolskaya (Saint Nicholas's) Church a five-domed Nikolsky (Saint Nicholas's) Cathedral was built.

Bell Tower (1777) and Church of Saint Nicholas (1577; razed and rebuilt in 1830-1834):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1116/4d/cd1ea71a14d5302146400b45e8a3154d.jpeg
VovanJorf (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/vovanjorf/view/333133?page=1)

THE LIST OF RUSSIAN WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

6. (UN #633; 1992) WHITE MONUMENTS OF VLADIMIR AND SUZDAL (12th-16th century):

Brief UNESCO's Description: "These two artistic centres in central Russia hold an important place in the country's architectural history. There are a number of magnificent 12th- and 13th-century public and religious buildings, above all the masterpieces of the Collegiate Church of St. Demetrios and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin".

Vladimir is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, 200 kilometers (124 mi) to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. It is the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast. Population: 337.670 (2010). Vladimir was one of the medieval capitals of Russia, and two of its cathedrals are a World Heritage Site. It is served by Vladimir Semyazino Airport, and during the Cold War Vladimir was host to Dobrynskoye air base.

The area occupied by the city of Vladimir has been inhabited by humans (at least intermittently) for approximately 25.000 years. Traditionally, the founding date of Vladimir has been acknowledged as 1108, as the first mention of Vladimir in the Primary Chronicle appears under that year. This view attributes the founding of the city, and its name, to Vladimir Monomakh, who inherited the region as part of the Rostov-Suzdal principality in 1093. In 1958, the 850th anniversary of the city foundation was celebrated, with many monuments from the celebrations adorning the city squares.

In the 1990s, a new opinion developed that the city is older than this. Scholars reinterpreted certain passages in the Hypatian Codex, which mentions that the region was visited by Vladimir the Great, the "father" of Russian Orthodoxy, in 990, so as to move the city foundation date to that year. The defenders of the previously uncontested founding year of 1108 dispute the claims of those who support the new date, arguing that the new theory was fabricated in order to provide a reason to have a celebration in 1995.

The neighboring town of Suzdal, for instance, was mentioned in 1024, and yet its 12th century inhabitants alluded to Vladimir as a young town and treated its rulers with arrogance. In the words of a major chronicle, they said that the people of Vladimir were "their kholops and scions". In the seniority conflicts of the 12th and early 13th centuries, Vladimir was repeatedly described as a "young town" compared to Suzdal and Rostov. The Charter of Vladimir, the basic law of the city passed in 2005, explicitly mentions 990 as the date of the city's foundation.

Regardless of which founding date is most accurate, the city's most historically significant events occurred after the turn of the 12th century. Serving its original purpose as a defensive outpost for the Rostov-Suzdal principality, Vladimir had little political or military influence throughout the reign of Vladimir Monomakh (1113–1125), or his son Yury Dolgoruky ("long arms") (1154–1157).

It was only under Dolgoruky's son, Andrey Bogolyubsky (1157-1175), that it became the center of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Thus began the city's Golden Age, which lasted until the Mongol invasion of Russia in 1237. During this time Vladimir enjoyed immense growth and prosperity, and Andrei oversaw the building of the Golden Gates and the Cathedral of the Assumption. In 1164, Andrey even attempted to establish a new metropolitanate in Vladimir, separate from that of Kiev, but was rebuffed by the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Scores of Russian, German, and Georgian masons worked on Vladimir's white stone cathedrals, towers, and palaces. Unlike any other northern buildings, their exterior was elaborately carved with the high relief stone sculptures. Only three of these edifices stand today: the Assumption Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Demetrios, and the Golden Gate. During Andrey's reign, a royal palace in Bogolyubovo was built, as well as the world-famous Intercession Church on the Nerl, now considered one of the jewels of ancient Russian architecture. Andrey was assassinated at his palace at Bogolyubovo in 1175.

Vladimir was besieged by the Mongol-Tatar hordes under Batu Khan - and finally overrun on February 8, 1238. A great fire destroyed 32 limestone buildings on the first day alone, while the grand prince and all his family perished in a church where they sought refuge from the fire. The bishop of Vladimir managed to escape.

After the Mongols, Vladimir never fully recovered, and even though the most important Rus prince (usually the Prince of Moscow, but sometimes of Tver or another principality) was styled the Grand Prince of Vladimir and was the tax-collector of the Golden Horde. From 1299 to 1325, the city was seat of the metropolitans of Kiev and All Rus, until Metropolitan Peter moved the see to Moscow. The Grand Prince of Vladimir were originally crowned in Vladimir's Assumption Cathedral, but when Moscow superseded Vladimir as the seat of the Grand Prince, the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, loosely copied by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti from Vladimir's original, became the site where the grand princes were crowned. Even after the rise of Moscow though, Muscovite grand princes built several new churches in Vladimir, notably the Annunciation church at Snovitsy (ca. 1501), three kilometers north-west of the city, and a charming church in the Knyaginin nunnery (ca. 1505), with murals dating to 1648.

Remains of the prince-saint Alexander Nevsky were kept in the ancient Nativity abbey of Vladimir until 1703, when Peter the Great had them transferred to the Monastery (now Lavra) of Aleksandr Nevsky in St. Petersburg. The Nativity church itself (1191–1196) collapsed several years later, when they tried to make more windows in its walls, in an effort to brighten the interior.

Cathedral Square, monument to 850-anniversary of Vladimir (1958-1960, sculptors - Daniil Ryabichev, Vladimir Doletsky, architect - Alexey Dushkin):
http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/88/a042afafd19d17103416a7d3bb224288.jpeg
Морошка (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/moroshka58/view/290698/?page=0)

6.1. DORMITION CATHEDRAL IN VLADIMIR:

Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir (sometimes translated Assumption Cathedral) used to be a mother church of medieval Russia in the 13th and 14th centuries. It is part of the World Heritage Site entitled White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal.

The cathedral was commissioned by Andrew the Pious (Andrey Bogolyubsky) in his capital Vladimir and dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), whom he promoted as the patron saint of his lands. According to ancient Russian chronicles, the masons were invited from Friedrich Barbarossa. Originally erected in 1158-1160, the 6-pillared 5-domed cathedral was expanded in 1186-1189 to reflect the augmented prestige of Vladimir. Embracing the area of 1178 sq. meters, it remained the largest of Russian churches for the following 300 or 400 years.

Andrew the Pious, Vsevolod the Big Nest, and other rulers of Vladimir-Suzdal were interred in the crypt of this church. Unlike many other churches, the cathedral survived the great devastation and fire of Vladimir in 1238, when the Mongol hordes of Batu Khan took hold of the capital.

The exterior walls of the church are covered with elaborate carvings. The interior was painted in the 12th century and then repainted by the great Andrey Rublev and Daniil Chernyi in 1408. The Dormition Cathedral served as a model for Aristotele Fioravanti when he designed the eponymous cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin in 1475-1479. A lofty belltower, combining genuinely Russian, Gothic, and Neoclassical influences, was erected nearby in 1810. Later, in 1862, the chapel of St. George was built between the bell tower and the cathedral.

Assumption Cathedral was closed for church services by the Communists beginning in 1927. It was allowed to resume religious services in 1944—as part of Stalin's effort to enlist the Orthodox Church's support for the war effort against the Nazis. This magnificent cathedral has recently undergone major renovations.

Dormition Cathedral (1158-1160; expanded in 1186-1189):
http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/a5/9cd36f4fbd31b48cd3d90e47264de4a5.jpeg
Амиго (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/uzhasss/view/237746/?page=0)

Dormition Cathedral and bell tower (1810):
http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/c5/6f3047828031e22c9d5f257e4f0963c5.jpeg
Ancora (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/ancora/view/136648/?page=0)

6.2. CATHEDRAL OF SAINT DEMETRIUS IN VLADIMIR:

The Cathedral of St. Demetrius, built by Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, is one of the most graceful and beautiful churches in Vladimir. It is like an icon in stone. Beauty and mystery are inseparably united in it, making the Cathedral of St. Demetrius unique among Vladimir's churches.

The first mystery of this cathedral involves its "birth". None of the chronicles mention exactly when this royal church was built. However, there are many reports that in 1197 the icon of St. Demetrius of Salonica was brought here from Byzantium, so it is assumed that it was around this date that the cathedral was constructed.

The next mystery involves the cathedral itself. Numerous relief images of lions, centaurs, snow leopards and exotic ornaments (over 600!) are carved on the white-stone walls. The sculptural decor also incorporates subjects from the Bible and Classical mythology. In the central parts of the facades the image of King David is repeated. In medieval times he was associated with the celebration of beauty and harmony in the world. Though all these carved images may seem to be only mere decorations, a valuable garment, they undoubtedly had another function; the function of communicating to people, of inspiring them. Therefore, the question is why so many non-Christian carvings were included. There is no definitive answer to this question. Each of us are free to contemplate the possibilities.

After being closed for 30 years for restoration, Cathedral of St. Demetrius was opened to the public in June 2005. Maybe the answers to its mysteries lie within.

Cathedral of Saint Demetrius (1194-1197):
http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/7e/bcd486f5b7993b53c8f0eb2658a7207e.jpeg
latanina-l (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/latanina-l/view/282564/?page=0)

6.3. GOLDEN GATE IN VLADIMIR:

The Golden Gate of Vladimir, constructed between 1158 and 1164, are the only (albeit partially) preserved instance of the ancient Russian city gate. A museum inside focuses on the history of the Mongol invasion of Russia in the 13th century.

The Golden Gate existed in the holiest cities of Eastern Orthodoxy - Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Kiev. On making Vladimir his capital, Andrew the Pious (Andrey Bogolyubsky) aspired to emulate these structures, commissioning a lofty tower over the city's main gate to be erected in limestone and lined with golden plaques. According to ancient Russian chronicles, the masons were invited from Friedrich Barbarossa. The main arch used to stand 15 meters tall. The structure was topped with a barbican church dedicated to the Deposition of the Virgin's Robe and symbolizing the Theotokos's protection of Andrew's capital.

The gate survived the Mongol destruction of Vladimir in 1237. By the late 18th century, however, the structure got so dilapidated that Catherine the Great was afraid to pass through the arch for fear of its tumbling down. In 1779, she ordered the detailed measurements and drawings of the monument to be executed. In 1795, after many discussions, the vaults and barbican church were demolished. They constructed two flanking round towers in order to reinforce the structure and then reconstructed the barbican, following the drawings made in 1779.

Golden Gate of Vladimir (1158-1164, rebuilt in 1795-1810):
http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/71/e09ef75889f17f3e8be3e93b63d40771.jpeg
spokladov (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/spokladov/view/234237/?page=0)

SUZDAL is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated north-east of Moscow, 26 kilometers (16 mi) from the city of Vladimir, on the Kamenka River. Population: 10.875 (2010).

The history of the town dates back to at least the year 1024. For centuries it functioned as the capital of several Russian principalities. It forms part of the Golden Ring. It was granted city status in 1777.

After a decline in political importance, the town rose in prominence as a religious center with numerous monasteries and a remarkable ratio of churches to citizens: at one point, forty churches for four hundred families. Today, the town operates as an important tourist center, featuring many fine examples of old Russian architecture — most of them churches and monasteries. Walking through the town one might get the feeling that every third building is a church. Although having over ten thousand residents, Suzdal still retains the look and feel of a small village with streams and meadows everywhere nearby, and chicken and livestock a common sight on the city streets, some of which are unpaved. This juxtaposition of stunning medieval architecture with its pastoral setting lends Suzdal a picturesque charm, and in the summer artists and easels are a common sight.

Belfry (17th century) and Church of the Resurrection (1695) of the Alexander Monastery (founded in 1240) in Suzdal:
http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/3e/67309df26b5adc798ecfc4d9c4c6633e.jpeg
logistik50 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/logistik50/view/252853?page=2)

6.4. SUZDAL KREMLIN WITH THE CATHEDRAL OF THE NATIVITY:

The Suzdal Kremlin is the oldest part of the Russian city of Suzdal, dating from the 10th century. Like other Russian Kremlins, it was originally a fortress or citadel and was the religious and administrative center of the city. It is most notably the site of the Cathedral of the Nativity. Together with several structures in the neighboring city of Vladimir, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

While archeological evidence suggests that the Suzdal Kremlin was settled as early as the 10th century, the fortress itself was built in the late 11th or early 12th century. The fortress was strategically located on a bend of the Kamenka river on three sides and a moat to the east. It was surrounded by earthen ramparts that remain to the present day. A settlement (posad) to the east became home the secular population - shopkeepers and craftsmen, while the Kremlin proper was the home of the prince, the archbishop, and the high clergy.

From the 13th to the 16th centuries, several monasteries and churches were constructed, including the Cathedral of the Nativity, the Convent of the Intercession, and the Monastery of Our Saviour and St. Euthymius.

http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/1e/b081c094da903b72b612bbe0f72eae1e.jpeg
krealse (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/krealse/view/212753/?page=0)

The Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady in Suzdal is a World Heritage Site. It is one of the eight White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal. One of the most complex monuments of Russian medieval architecture. It was originally constructed during the reign of Vladimir II Monomakh during the late 11th century.

The Cathedral of the Nativity is surrounded by a ring of earthen walls in an oxbow of Kamenka River. It is notable for being the first city cathedral not built for the exclusive use of the knyaz or his relatives. The cathedral contains the remains of a son of Yury Dolgoruky, knyazes of the Shuisky family and others.

The cathedral was originally built during the reign of Vladimir II Monomakh. In 1222, on the orders of Yury II of Vladimir the dilapidated building was taken down and replaced by a new one built of white stone. Thus it remained until 1528, when the white stone walls above the arcade are replaced by brick. In the 17th century, the previously three-domed cathedral was given five domes and the interior was partially repainted. Thus the cathedral survives to this day with numerous changes throughout its history, both in the exterior, and the interior, where the wall frescoes are of 13th, 15th and 17th century origin. The cathedral has also endured fire several times.

Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady in Suzdal (1222-1225):
http://i4.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1117/ba/3f81aa304d294ca16ee41d13cce18eba.jpeg
ars192007 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/ars192007/view/73615/?page=0)

6.5. MONASTERY OF SAINT EUTHYMIUS IN SUZDAL:

The Saviour Monastery of St. Euthymius is a monastery in Suzdal, Russia.

The monastery was founded in the 14th century, and grew in importance in the 16th and 17th centuries after donations by Vasily III, Ivan IV and the Pozharsky family, a noble dynasty of the region. Among the buildings erected during this period were the Assumption Church, the bell tower, the surrounding walls and towers, and the seven-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour. The cathedral was built in the style of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir-Suzdal. Its interior contains restored frescoes by the school of Gury Nikitin of Kostroma, dating from 1689. The tomb of Dmitry Pozharsky (Rurikid prince, who led Russia's struggle for independence against Polish-Lithuanian agression in 1611-1612) lies by the cathedral wall.

The monastery also contains a prison, built in 1764, which originally housed religious dissidents. The prison continued in use during the Soviet period, and among its better known prisoners was field marshal Friedrich Paulus, who was incarcerated here for a time after his surrender at Stalingrad. The prison now houses a museum about the monastery's military history.

Assumption Church with refectory (1525), Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour (1594) and Bell tower (16th-17th century):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1118/8a/67ef1560d81f54b4f0a7cab6581f388a.jpeg
Logistik50 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/logistik50/view/251066?page=0)

Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour (1594) and Tomb of Dmitry Pozharsky (1577-1642):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1118/26/569f77c8d925f8fcfd6997f738c26226.jpeg
Sergey A (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/mostheatre/view/163565/?page=0)

6.6. THE CASTLE OF ANDREW THE PIOUS IN BOGOLYUBOVO:

Bogolyubovo is an urban-type settlement in Suzdalsky District, Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located some 10 kilometers (6 mi) north-east of Vladimir. Population: 4.218 (2002 Census).

Bogolyubovo was once the residence of the Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky (Andrew the Pious). It was built between 1158 and 1165 by the order of Andrey Bogolyubsky at the mouth of the Nerl River (where it flows into the Klyazma River). Great Prince Andrei spent 17 years of his reign in Bogolyubovo before he was murdered in 1174.

Russian Orthodox Christians believe that Bogolyubovo was founded on the spot where in 1155 Andrey Bogolyubsky saw a miraculous vision of the Theotokos (meaning "God bearer", Virgin Mary). The Theotokos appeared to him in a dream-like vision holding a scroll in Her right hand, and commanded him to build a church and monastery on the place of the vision. On that spot, the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl was built. It is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO since 1992.

Great Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky also commissioned an iconographer to paint the icon of the apparition of the Theotokos to him. This icon has been known as the Bogolubskaya Icon of the Theotokos. After Prince Andrey's death, Bogolyubovo was ravaged and ransacked by Prince Gleb of Ryazan in 1177. In 1230s, the Mongols destroyed its fortifications.

St. Bogolyubovo Monastery (founded in 1155) - Bogolyubo Cathedral (1855-1866, Konstantin Thon) and Gate Assumption Church with bell tower (1841):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1118/46/906893be2eafae7cbecb1d55f6c8dc46.jpeg
repbyf49 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/repbyf49/view/200798/?page=0)

Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady (1751-1758) with the remains of the castle of Andrew the Pious (1158-1165):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1118/ea/56d85b23efa1a502e9a4063fb2408fea.jpeg
Logistik50 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/logistik50/view/253387?page=0)

6.7. CHURCH OF THE INTERCESSION ON THE NERL IN BOGOLYUBOVO:

The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the Nerl River is an Orthodox church and a symbol of mediaeval Russia. The church is situated at the confluence of Nerl and Klyazma Rivers in Bogolyubovo, 13 km north-east of the ancient capital of Vladimir.

The church was commissioned by Andrey Bogolyubsky (Andrew the Pious). It is possible to meet in literature that it was built in 1165 to commemorate Andrey's slain son Izyaslav. But Izyaslav died in autumn 1165, and the temple could not be built before the winter. The actual date of the church construction, based on the analysis of ancient Russian Chronicles by Professor Sergey Zagraevsky, is 1158.

The monument is built in white stone, has one dome and four columns in the interior. Its proportions are elongated on purpose to make its outline seem more slender, although this architectural solution made its interior too dark for holding divine services.

For centuries, the memorial church greeted everyone approaching the palace at Bogolyubovo. In spring, the area would be flooded, and the church appeared as if floating on water. The church itself has not been touched by later generations, only the dome's shape slightly changed, and galleries-porches were built in 12th-century, rebuilt in 18th-century and then demolished. The walls are still covered with 12th-century carvings.

In 1992, the church was added to the UN World Heritage List as part of the site White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal.

The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1158):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/4d/f26400a81811a311b78f5cd4a1517f4d.jpeg
ann-39 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/ann-39/view/73344/?page=0)

6.8. THE CHURCH OF BORIS AND GLEB IN KIDEKSHA:

Kideksha is a village (selo) in Suzdalsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kamenka and Nerl Rivers, 4 kilometers (2 mi) east of Suzdal.

Kideksha used to be a town, but, after having been destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Rus, it degraded to a small village. Kideksha is a part of the Golden Ring of Russia and, since 1992, is one of Russia's World Heritage Sites.

Kideksha - the church of Boris and Gleb (1152-1157), Leaning Bell tower (18th century) and Church of St. Stephen (1780):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/c8/3612de1ee982fdf575aa02c0ce9ad5c8.jpeg
Sergey A (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/mostheatre/view/160179/?page=0)

The Church of Boris and Gleb is a church built in 1152, on the orders of Prince Yury Dolgoruky, in Kideksha on the Nerl River, "where the encampment of Saint Boris had been". It was probably part of the princely (wooden) palace complex, but was only used by Dolgoruky for a few years before he left to become Grand Prince of Kiev in 1155. The village, four kilometers east of Suzdal, was an important town before it was destroyed by the Mongols and declined in stature.

The church, built in limestone probably by architects from Galicia, is a four piered, three apse church. It is one of the oldest in the district and one of the few churches built by Dolgoruky that is still extant. It retains fragments of frescoes dating back to the twelfth century. In the medieval period it was the site of a monastery and was then a parish church. The building has been significanly altered over the centuries. It lost its original vaulting and dome (the current roof and small dome date to the seventeenth century) and the apses are thought to be half their original height (their tops too were lost with the roof); a porch was added in the nineteenth century.

The church is a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site "White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal" along with the seven other medieval monuments located in Vladimir and its surroundings (The Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Preserve), and belongs to the monuments of the Golden Ring of Russia.

The church, along with other structures built around it in later centuries (namely the St. Stephen's Church and bell-tower) appears on a three-ruble silver commememorative coin struck by the St. Petersburg Mint in 2002.

The church of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha (1152-1157):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/79/c4b51c6133727c2063c398b3af64f679.jpeg
Nick (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/birykow2008/view/293065/?page=0)

This World Heritage Site does not include, for reasons unknown, several closely related white monuments of Zalesye:

KNYAGININ CONVENT IN VLADIMIR:

The Knyaginin Monastery is actually a convent (the Russian word monastyr is used for both monasteries and convents), founded in Vladimir in the 13th century.

Maria Shvarnovna (1171-1205) was the first wife of Vsevolod III "Big Nest", and gave birth to twelve children (hence Vsevolod's sobriquet of "Big Nest".) Four of her sons, Konstantin, George, Yaroslav and Svyatoslav, succeeded their father as Grand Princes of Vladimir, and Yaroslav went on to become Grand Prince of Kiev around the time of the Mongol Invasion. As Yaroslav's mother, she is thus the paternal grandmother of Alexander Nevsky, whose son, Daniel of Moscow, founded the Muscovite branch of the Rurikid Dynasty.

Maria's origins are disputed. Some sources say she was Ossetian or Alan and tied to the Georgian royal house, while others, such as the Uspensky Sbornik (a thirteenth century text now housed in the Russian State Museum in Moscow) say she was Moravian. M. Shchepkina posited the idea that the Sbornik was compiled for Maria in 1199-1206, and thus the claims that she was Moravian might be more believable than the other claims, but Caucasian chronicles claim Vsevolod traveled to Tbilisi in 1170 (from Constantinople), where he was married to Maria at the suggestion of the Georgian King. The date of her death is also uncertain, as March 19, 1205 is also given in some accounts. The Novgorod First Chronicle mentions her death under the year 1205, but does not give an exact day. As it is mentioned after her son, Konstantin's, arrival in Novgorod on March 20, it would seem she died after that, perhaps in May.

Maria is venerated as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church and is credited with founding several convents, most notably the Convent (or female monastery) of the Assumption, known as the Princess' Convent (Knyaginin Monastery) in Vladimir on Kliazma. According to several accounts, the monastery was founded in 1200 and Maria took the schema and the name Marfa (although this would have required her to have ended her marriage with Vsevolod, who outlived her by six years). She, along with her sister, Anna, were buried in the convent and her relics, along with those of several other saints, including Aleksandr Nevsky's first wife, Princess Alexandra, and his daughter, as well as others, are still housed in the monastery.

Assumption Cathedral (early 16th century) of the Princess' Convent (founded in 1200):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/7c/6f3fb3bfb886df6578722901ccb7b37c.jpeg
Alex-Raduga (Алексей) (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/alex-raduga/view/163177/?page=0)

INTERCESSION CONVENT IN SUZDAL:

The Convent of the Intercession was founded in 1364. Its structures date back to the XVI-XVII centuries, and its walls - to the end of the XVII century. The crypt of the Cathedral of the Intercession contains the tombs of royal and high-ranking women banished to the convent. Alexandra - daughter of Ivan III, Solomonia Saburova - wife of Vasily III, Anna Vasilchikova - wife of Ivan IV (the Terrible) were buried here. Evdokia Lopukhina - first wife of Peter the Great spent nineteen years of her life in the convent.

Today it is a working convent. Small cell-houses that replaced the old ones in the 1970s provide accommodation for tourists. The Refectory hall houses a stylized restaurant. This is how the church and secular life combine behind the walls of the convent.

Intercession Cathedral (1510-1518):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/6a/694a8876ba34b82a05f51d431ff9206a.jpeg
Angeleto (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/angeleto/view/32074/?page=0)

Intercession Cathedral (1510-1518) and Bell tower (16th century) of the Intercession Convent (founded in 1364):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/13/35f3e04fb0bd4ca81ca0c5472b46dd13.jpeg
Logistik50 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/logistik50/view/252577?page=1)

SAVIOUR'S CATHEDRAL IN PERESLAVL-ZALESSKY:

Pereslavl-Zalessky or Pereyaslavl-Zalessky (could be translated as "Pereslavl, which is located behind the woods"), is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia. It was called Pereyaslavl until the 15th century. The town is located on the southeastern shore of the Lake Pleshcheyevo at the mouth of the Trubezh River. Population: 42.199 (2010). The town is located 140 km to the northeast of Moscow on the main Moscow Yaroslavl road and on the shores of Pleschevo Lake.

Pereslavl-Zalessky was founded in 1152 by Prince Yury Dolgoruky as a projected capital of Zalesye. In 1175–1302, the town was the center of the Principality of Pereslavl (Zalessky). In 1302, the town became a part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Pereslavl-Zalessky had been devastated numerous times by the Mongols between the mid-13th century and the early 15th century. In 1611–1612, it suffered from the Polish-Lithuanian agression.

In 1688–1693, Peter the Great built his famous "fun flotilla" on Lake Pleshcheyevo for his own amusement, including the so-called Peter's little boat, which would be considered the forefather of the Russian fleet. The Botik (small boat) museum chronicles the history of the first Russian fleet and keeps one of the original model boats.

In 1708, Pereslavl-Zalessky became a part of Moscow Governorate. In 1894, Vladimir Lenin came to the village of Gorki not far from Pereslavl-Zalessky and typed his work entitled "Who are the 'friends of the people' and how do they fight Social Democrats?" on a hectograph. The town included in Golden Ring of Russia.

For 850 years now, on Red Square, a white single-domed church has stood out against the background of the old town ramparts. The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior, the most ancient church of Vadimir-Suzdal architecture school, was erected between 1152 and 1157. It is built of white limestone, has walls that are one and a half meters thick and stands 34 meters high. Initially, the church was intended for the needs of the Prince’s court and the town fortress’s guards. The cathedral was the main church of Pereslavl and a burial place for its Princes, Dmitry Alexandrovich and Ivan Dmitrievich (1294-1302). Preserved until the present day are the temple icon “Transfiguration” of the 14th century, which you can see now in the Tretyakov Gallery, and the silver cup of the 12th century, exhibited in the Armory Chamber. Unfortunately, the ancient frescoes of the 12th century have not survived. The marble iconostasis was installed in the 19th century. Nowadays, the Cathedral is a monument of national significance and a branch of the Pereslavl-Zalessky Museum-Preserve.

Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior (1152-1157) and bust of Alexander Nevsky (1220-1263), who was born in the city:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/64/32903d265caa18030aa7d7ee23cfa764.jpeg
elkozh (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/elkozh/view/224052/?page=0)

CATHEDRAL OF SAINT GEORGE IN YURYEV-POLSKY:

Yuryev-Polsky is an old town and the administrative center of Yuryev-Polsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located in the upper reaches of the Koloksha River, 68 km northwest of Vladimir. Population: 19.444 (2010).

Yuryev-Polsky was founded by Yury Dolgoruky in 1152. First part of its name derives from Yury's patron saint, St. George. The second part is derived from the word polsky meaning "in the fields". This specification was needed in order to distinguish the town from the earlier established fortress of Yuryev (nowadays Tartu), at the time located in the woods in what is now Estonia and then the biggest Russian settlement in the territory of the Chuds.

Upon Vsevolod III's death in 1212, the town was assigned to one of his youngest sons, Svyatoslav. It was that prince who personally designed the town's chief landmark, the Cathedral of St. George (1230–1234). It is the latest pre-Mongol construction in Russia, unprecedented in abundance of stone sculptures, and also the model for first stone churches in the Moscow Kremlin. In the 1460s, the cathedral's dome collapsed, thus burying most of unique sculptures which had adorned the cathedral walls. The collapsed roof was sloppily restored by a well-known Muscovite artisan, Vasily Yermolin, in 1471.

The great Battle of Lipitsa was fought near the town in 1216. In 1238, Yuriev was sacked by the Mongols. A century later, it was incorporated into Muscovy. The chief monument of the Muscovite period is the walled Monastery of Archangel Michael, originally founded in the 13th century and containing various buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Several miles from Yuryev, on the bank of the Yakhroma River, stands the Kosmin Cloister, whose structures are typical for the mid-17th century.

Cathedral of Saint George (1230-1234) was the last stone church built in Russia before the Mongol invasion:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1119/39/cf0dc1c41fcdbf5079ce1972f4bc1939.jpeg
Anarinke (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/anarinke/view/297998/?page=0)

THE LIST OF RUSSIAN WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

7. (UN #657; 1993) ARCHITECTURAL ENSEMBLE OF THE HOLY TRINITY-ST. SERGIUS LAVRA IN SERGIYEV POSAD (15th-18th century):

Brief UNESCO's description: "This is a fine example of a working Orthodox monastery, with military features that are typical of the 15th to the 18th century, the period during which it developed. The main church of the Lavra, the Cathedral of the Assumption (echoing the Kremlin Cathedral of the same name), contains the tomb of Boris Godunov. Among the treasures of the Lavra is the famous icon, 'The Trinity', by Andrey Rublev".

Sergiyev Posad is a city and the administrative center of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. It grew up in the 15th century around one of the greatest of Russian monasteries, the Troitse-Sergiyeva (Trinity) Lavra established by St. Sergius of Radonezh. The town became incorporated in 1742. As the town's name, alluding to St. Sergius, had strong religious connotations, the Soviet authorities changed first to just Sergiyev in 1919, and then to Zagorsk in 1930, in memory of the revolutionary Vladimir Zagorsky. The original name came back into official use in 1991. Population: 105.800 (2010).

Tourism associated with the Golden Ring plays a role in the regional economy. There is also an important factory of toys. The Moscow – Yaroslavl railway and highway pass through the town. Sergiyev Posad Bus Terminal is located in the city.

Sergiyev Posad:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1124/ff/dda7d17eb812853b67db1d1e3198baff.jpg
Mosobl (http://mosobl.at.ua/)

TRINITY LAVRA OF ST. SERGIUS:

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow by the road leading to Yaroslavl, and currently is home to over 300 monks.

The monastery was founded in 1345 by one of the most venerated Russian saints, Sergius of Radonezh (1314-1392), who built a wooden church in honour of the Holy Trinity on Makovets Hill. Sergius was originally baptized with the name Bartholomew (Varfolomei). His parents Kirill and Maria became impoverished and moved to Radonezh together with their three sons: Stefan, Bartholomew and Peter. Although an intelligent boy, Bartholomew had great difficulty learning to read. His Life states that a starets (spiritual elder) met him one day and gave him a piece of prosphora (holy bread) to eat, and from that day forward he was able to read. Orthodox Christians interpret the incident as being an angelic visitation.

"Vision to the Youth Bartholomew" (1889-1890, Mikhail Nesterov):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/eb/21142d39a5c5a2c6c6dee925cf3558eb.jpg
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mikhail_Nesterov_001.jpg)

Upon his parents' death, Bartholomew went to Khotkovo near Moscow, where his older brother Stefan was a monk. He persuaded Stefan to find a more secluded place to live the ascetic life. In the deep forest at Makovets hill they decided to build a small cell and a church dedicated in honor of the Trinity. Thus started the history of the great Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.

In time, Stefan moved to a monastery in Moscow. Bartholomew took monastic vows, taking the name Sergius, and spent more than a year in the forest alone as a hermit. Soon, however, other monks started coming to him and building their own cells. After some time, they persuaded him to become their hegumen, or father superior, and he was ordained to the priesthood. Following his example, all the monks had to live by their own labor. Over time, more and more monks and donations came to this place. Nearby, there appeared a posad, which grew into the town of Sergiyev Posad, and other villages. Early development of the monastic community is well documented in contemporary lives of Sergius and his disciples. In 1355, Sergius introduced a charter which required the construction of auxiliary buildings, such as refectory, kitchen, and bakery. This charter was a model for Sergius' numerous followers who founded more than 400 cloisters all over Russia, including the celebrated Solovetsky, Kirilov, and Simonov monasteries.

St. Sergius supported Dmitry Donskoy in his struggle against the Tatars and sent two of his monks, Peresvet and Oslyabya, to participate in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). At the outbreak of the battle, Peresvet died in a single combat against a Tatar bogatyr. Russian victory in the Battle of Kulikovo was the early signal of the end of the "Mongol yoke" (vassalage), which officially ended with the great standing on the Ugra river a century later. Its spiritual importance for the unification of the Russian lands was even more important. As historian Nikolay Karamzin said, the Russians went to the Kulikovo Field as citizens of various principalities and returned as a united Russian nation.

"Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra" (1907, Ernest Lissner). Sergius of Radonezh blessing Dmitry Donskoy before the Battle of Kulikovo:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/b7/2965895ce1929dd6fea7f94d4a92a1b7.jpg
Wikipedia (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Файл:Lissner_TroiceSergievaLavr.jpg)

The monastery was devastated by fire, when a Tatar unit raided the area in 1408. In 1422 St. Sergius was declared patron saint of the Russian state. The same year the first stone cathedral was built by a team of Serbian monks who had found refuge in the monastery after the Battle of Kosovo (1389). The relics of St. Sergius still may be seen in this cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The greatest icon painters of medieval Russia, Andrey Rublev and Daniil Chyorny, were summoned to decorate the cathedral with frescoes. Traditionally, Muscovite royals were baptized in this cathedral and held thanksgiving services here. In 1476, Ivan III invited several Pskovian masters to build the church of the Holy Spirit. This graceful structure is one of the few remaining examples of a Russian church topped with a belltower. The interior contains the earliest specimens of the use of glazed tiles for decoration. In the early 16th century, Vasily III added the Nikon annex and the Serapion tent, where several of Sergius' disciples were interred.

It took 26 years to construct the six-pillared Assumption Cathedral, which was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1559. The cathedral is much larger than its model and namesake in the Moscow Kremlin. The magnificent iconostasis of the 16th–18th centuries features Simon Ushakov's masterpiece, the icon of Last Supper. Interior walls were painted with violet and blue frescoes by a team of Yaroslavl masters in 1684. The vault contains burials of Boris Godunov, his family and several 20th-century patriarchs. As the monastery grew into one of the wealthiest landowners in Russia, the woods where it had stood were cut over and a village (or posad) sprang up near the monastery walls. It gradually developed into the modern town of Sergiyev Posad. The cloister itself was a notable centre of chronicle-writing and icon painting. Just opposite the monastery walls St. Paraskeva's Convent was established, among whose buildings St. Paraskeva's Church (1547), Introduction Church (1547), and a 17th-century chapel over St. Paraskeva's well are still visible.

In 1550s, a wooden palisade surrounding the cloister was replaced with 1.5 km-long stone walls, featuring twelve towers, which helped the monastery to withstand a celebrated 16-month Polish-Lithuanian siege in 1608–1610. A shell-hole in the cathedral gates is preserved as a reminder of Wladyslaw IV's abortive siege in 1618. By the end of the 17th century, when young Peter I twice found refuge within the monastery from his enemies, numerous buildings had been added. These include a small baroque palace of the patriarchs, noted for its luxurious interiors, and a royal palace, with its facades painted in checkerboard design. The refectory of St. Sergius, covering 510 square meters and also painted in dazzling checkerboard design, used to be the largest hall in Russia. The five-domed Church of John the Baptist's Nativity (1693–1699) was commissioned by the Stroganovs and built over one of the gates. Other 17th-century structures include the monks' cells, a hospital topped with a tented church, and a chapel built over a holy well discovered in 1644.

In 1744, Empress Elizabeth conferred on the cloister the dignity of the Lavra. The metropolitan of Moscow was henceforth also the Archimandrite of the Lavra. Elizabeth particularly favoured the Trinity and annually proceeded afoot from Moscow to the cloister. Her secret spouse Alexey Razumovsky accompanied her on such journeys and commissioned a baroque church to the Virgin of Smolensk, the last major shrine to be erected in the Lavra. Another pledge of Elizabeth's affection for the monastery is a white-and-blue baroque belltower, which, at 88 meters, was one of the tallest structures built in Russia up to that date. Its architects were Ivan Michurin and Dmitry Ukhtomsky. Throughout the 19th century, the Lavra maintained its status as the richest Russian monastery. A seminary founded in 1742 was replaced by an ecclesiastical academy in 1814. The monastery boasted a supreme collection of manuscripts and books. Medieval collections of the Lavra sacristy attracted thousands of visitors. In Sergiyev Posad, the monastery maintained several sketes, one of which is a place of burial for the conservative philosophers Konstantin Leontiev and Vasily Rozanov.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Soviet government closed the lavra in 1920. Its buildings were assigned to different civic institutions or declared museums. In 1930, monastery bells, including the Tsar-Bell of 65 tons, were destroyed. Pavel Florensky and his followers could hardly prevent the authorities from stealing and selling the sacristy collection but overall many valuables were lost or transferred to other collections. In 1945, following Joseph Stalin's temporary tolerance of the church during World War II, the Lavra was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. On April 16, 1946 divine service was renewed at the Assumption Cathedral. The lavra continued as the seat of Moscow Patriarchy until 1983, when the patriarch was allowed to settle at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. After that, the monastery continued as a prime centre of religious education. Important restoration works were conducted in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, the Trinity Lavra was inscribed on the UN World Heritage List. The Lavra has a number of "outreach offices" (podvorie) in its vicinity and throughout Russia. The Lavra's hieromonks have manned a number of sketes at remote locations (such as the Anzer Island in the Solovki Archipelago in the White Sea), as well as the Trinity Church on the King George Island in the Antarctic.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (founded in 1345):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/94/f7b692ecf7b1129faa3b092f53a1c794.jpeg
sergeygav (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/sergeygav/view/72365/?page=0)

7.1. THE TRINITY CATHEDRAL:

Trinity Cathedral was constructed to replace the wooden Trinity Church built by the Monastery founder Sergius of Radonezh. It was built by a team of Serbian monks who had found refuge in the monastery after the Battle of Kosovo (1389). The relics of St. Sergius still may be seen in this cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The Cathedral became a compositional center for the subsequently developing Monastery ensemble. The walls made of blocks of white stone are unusually inclined towards the center enchanting the Cathedral monumentality, stability and uprising character.

Trinity Cathedral (1422-1423):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/84/6a67eeb1edd51c4c6c5ca740f1289e84.jpg
Arsentia (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/arsentia/view/248412/?page=0)

7.1.1. "TRINITY":

The greatest icon painters of medieval Russia, Andrey Rublev and Daniil Chyorny, were summoned to decorate the Trinity Cathedral with frescoes. Traditionally, Muscovite royals were baptized in this cathedral and held thanksgiving services here.

"Trinity", also called "Rublev's Trinity" is a Holy Trinity Icon, believed to be created by Russian painter Andrey Rublev (1360s - 1427/1430) in the XV century. It is his most famous work, as well regarded as one of the highest achievements of Russian art. "Trinity" depicts the three angels who visited Abraham at the oak of Mamre, but the painting is full of symbolism and often interpreted as an icon of the Holy Trinity.

Little is known about "Trinity"'s history, scientists can only make suppositions. Even the authorship of Rublev is questioned sometimes. Different sources conjecture the date of creation as 1408-1425, 1422-1423 or 1420-1427. The official version states 1411 or 1425-27. According to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius records, in 1575 the icon was "covered with gold" by Ivan the Terrible. A golden riza was renewed in 1600 during the tsardom of Boris Godunov. The original is currently held in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. It was commissioned in honor of the abbot Sergius of the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, near Moscow. Two copies were made (in 1598-1600 and in 1926-28), both kept in Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra's Cathedral iconostasis.

s_yoTz6JUnM

"Trinity" (1411 or 1425-1427, Andrey Rublev):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/19/9fd6dd4c8e6fe1f9ed011a6e38377719.jpeg
Станислав (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/liblion/view/99892/?page=23)

7.2. CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

In 1476, Ivan III invited several Pskovian masters to build the Сhurch of the Holy Spirit, on the site of the wooden Trinity Church constructed in 1412 by Sergius's successor St. Nikon. This graceful structure is one of the few remaining examples of a Russian church topped with a belltower. The interior contains the earliest specimens of the use of glazed tiles for decoration. It's dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. In the early 16th century, Vasily III added the Nikon annex and the Serapion tent, where several of Sergius' disciples were interred. Under the dome of the church the builders placed an open belfry. In 1608–1610 during the siege of the monastery by Polish-Lithuanian troops this church was used as a watch-tower.

The church of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity Cathedral form an ensemble. The frescoes in the Holy Spirit Church were executed in 1655, but in the middle of the 19th century they were replaced by oil paintings. The iconostasis was carved of rosewood by the Lavra woodcarvers in 1866. In the church there are two shrines with the holy relics of St. Maximus the Greek (1475-1556) and St. Anthony of Radonezh (1792-1877).

St. Maximus the Greek was one of the most erudite men of his period. In 1518, at the invitation of the Grand Prince of Moscow Vasily III, he arrived in Moscow from Mount Athos to translate liturgical and patristic books from Greek into Russian. He also wrote many theological and polemic works. He died in the monastery in 1556 and was buried here. In 1988 he was canonised.

St. Anthony was canonised in 1996. From 1770, the Metropolitans of Moscow were abbots of the monastery. St. Anthony was the monastery’s vicar in 1831–1877.

Church of the Holy Spirit (1476-1477) and Trinity Cathedral (1422-1423):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/2d/9b07109b9d24d79e1a5ae2629029c72d.jpeg
utpaladev (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/utpaladev/view/264498/?page=1)

7.3. NIKON CHURCH:

In 1548 the brick church - Nikon Chapel was constructed over the tomb of Sergius's successor Nikon (1355-1426) buried at the southern wall of the Trinity Cathedral. The church dedicated to St. Nikon was constructed in 1548, a year after his canonization. The church was rebuilt in 1623.

Nikon Church (1548) and Trinity Cathedral (1422-1423):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/05/a55a308e98d885343b84348e111d6c05.jpeg
Stanislav-1959 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/stanislav-1959/view/264995/?page=1)

7.4. THE DORMITION CATHEDRAL (1559-1585):

After the end of the wars against Tartars and the victory over the kingdoms of Kazan and Astrakhan, the Tsar Ivan the Terrible began building a large and beautiful church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, a copy of the Kremlin Dormition Cathedral. The walls, the pillars and the vaults are covered with frescoes on the subjects of Church History. Most of the wall frescoes are dedicated to the Dormition of the Holy Virgin (Assumption of Mary by the Catholic Church). On the pillars there are images of the most highly venerated saints of the Orthodox Church. The magnificent frescoes of the Cathedral were created in 1684 by 35 painters in a 100 days. The frescoes cover the area of 500 square metres. The 5-tier iconostasis consists of 76 icons dated back to the 16th–17th centuries. The celebrated seventeenth-century painter Simon Ushakov, the royal isographer, took part in the creation of the iconostasis.

In the Dormition Cathedral there are two shrines with the holy relics of St. Filaret (1782-1867) and St. Innokenty (1797-1879), Metropolitans of Moscow. By the western wall, to the right of the entrance, it's possible to see the tomb of Makarius (1816-1882), one of Moscow Metropolitans, who created many outstanding works on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and on dogmatic theology.

Dormition Cathedral, also known as Assumption Cathedral (1559-1585):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/25/0c8ec1829bf2207167c0d4492ba07025.jpeg
angelros (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/angelros/view/173338/?page=0)

7.4.1. Tombs of the Boris Godunov (1551-1605), the first non-Rurikid Russian Tsar (1598-1605), and his family near Dormition Cathedral:
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1124/65/f43236792c1f98b43208455792cf5665.jpeg
Oksi159 (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/oksi159/view/99722/?page=0)

7.5. ASSEMBLY CHAMBERS WITH THE CHURCH OF ST. ZOSIMA AND ST. SABBATIUS:

The Assembly Chambers with the church of St. Zosima (died in 1478) and St. Sabbatius (died in 1435), founders of the Solovetsky Monastery in 1429, were constructed in 1635–1638 by the cellarer of the monastery Alexander Bulatnikov, who had come to the Trinity Lavra from the Solovetsky Monastery. Before 1917, the building was used as a hospital for sick monks and as an almshouse for old and disabled ones.

Assembly Chambers with the church of St. Zosima and St. Sabbatius (1635-1638) and Smolenskaya Church (1746-1748):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/b8/f553e6f1f9d68c85b294a39a17ebb6b8.jpeg
karakurum (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/karakurum/view/151957/?page=0)

7.6. THE CHAPEL-OVER-THE WELL:

The Chapel-over-the Well was built at the end of the 17th century over the spring, which shot up during the repair of the porch of the Dormition Cathedral in 1644. Many pilgrims were cured by this water, and people took it to the sick to heal them. The first was a blind monk, whose eyesight returned due to this miracle-working water. Till this day thousands of pilgrims use this water for cure and consolation in their troubles.

Chapel-over-the Well (1644 - end of 17th century) near the Church of the Holy Spirit (1476-1477):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/ed/285726cee3c76829590e3305e43427ed.jpeg
mаssіmо (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/maks-landkovskij/view/315377/?page=0)

7.6.1. CANOPY:

The colourful tent-like canopy over the cross-shaped fountain, which receives water from the spring, was built in 1872.

Canopy over the fountain (1872):
http://i12.fastpic.ru/big/2010/1123/ec/4070a819f06e1ee5ea57f14ce71038ec.jpeg
K.V. (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/klara7vlad/view/170676/?page=3)