Pilgrimny tourism

Pilgrimage tours – probably one of the first varieties of tourism that appeared on the planet. People sainted to visit holy places has been held off, in all confessions and in all "corners of geography". At the same time, traveling infrastructure tightened by the paths of pilgrims, the tourist infrastructure was tightened, the "small shrines" were built "small shrines". The modern pilgrim, of course, do not have to go to the risk that a medieval pilgrim went to Jerusalem – the complexity of the trip and its duration can be varied depending on spiritual needs and physical, as well as from the financial capabilities of the tourist.

You can organize such a trip in different ways. Someone wishes to go on a trip specially organized by the pilgrimage service to spend it all in the appropriate atmosphere. Another tourist will be more convenient to supplement the tour of the holy places. An ordinary tour. For example, being in Jerusalem, visit the temple of the Mernel with prayers.

Accordingly, in the field of organization of such trips, both specialized pilgrimage services are operating and ordinary tour operators. At the same time, pilgrimage services often offer trips in which the pilgrimage part is associated with rest – for example, with a beach holiday to the sea, if it comes to pilgrimage tours in Crimea or in Greece. But it is clear that the program of pilgrimage routes is seriously different from ordinary excursions – tourists are not just "peeking" into the temple, but they stand on services, local shrines visit. It is probably not necessary to say that with a similar round, a certain "dress code" is probably not necessary.

Shrines of the land of our: in the circle of Moscow

Pilgrimage tours have retained another tradition – to go to them, it is not necessary to have significant financial resources. Including because the points of Orthodox shrines are located and very close to the line or only slightly beyond the boundaries of the Moscow region. Among the most famous of them are the new Jerusalem under Istroy, Zvenigorod with his famous Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery, where pilgrims seek to worship the relics of St. Savva, Kolomna and located nearby the Virgin Mary-Christmas Bobrants Men’s Monastery, based on the blessing of St. Sergius Radonezh.

The Moscow region belongs to the circle of "small shrines", which arose at the most famous pilgrimage path of Moscow north

ro-east – in Trinity Sergiev Lavra Khotkovo and Radonezh. The latter, however, are usually visited during the traditional pilgrimage towards the Lavra – it includes the Pokrovsky Khotkovsky monastery, where the relics of the parents of St. Saint Sergius are located, and the village of Radonezh, the place of childhood of the saint. The path ends in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, "Riddity of Orthodoxy", where pilgrims pass on the temples and the cathedrals of the Lavra, pilgrims allow for the relics of St. Sergius and other shrines of the famous monastery, from where in their own way "went to be our land".

South from Moscow, not too far – about 260 km – there is another traditional place of pilgrimage tours – Optina Desert, the famous old monastery, "bringing great benefits to the soul", as Pilgrim Services. On the way, as a rule, pilgrims are not affordable and other shrines of the land of Kaluga – such as the Paftyevo-Borovsky monastery near Borovsk, the Savior of the Husband Desert in the village of Klykovo.

Pilgrimage routes and the "secular" gold rings. In Belokamennaya Vladimir, they strive to Assumption Cathedral, painted by Andrei Rublev – where a particularly revered list of icons of Vladimir Mother of God is preserved. Under Yaroslavl, the Palumnic Tour takes the Tolgsky Monastery, the "Episcopian City" Rostov Great Meets Avraamy Monastery, and in Kostroma, the famous Ipatiev Monastery is waiting for them, where Romanovs were weddings for the kingdom.

The shrines of the our land: "Creation of the Abode Great"

You can endlessly list the great and small shrines of the our land, so you will have to limit ourselves to some of them, to which the pilgrim path "does not overgrow". To the south is the famous Diveevo near the Nizhny Novgorod, which in the chronicles of the monastery says "I create such an overlooking the great, for which all the blessings of God and mine and my lots on earth, from Iverei, Athos and Kyiv," where the pilgrims arrive to attach To the relics of Seraphim Sarovsky. Often, the trip also includes the near Murom, the Motherland of Peter and Fevronia, the Murom and Lyurity of Peter and Fevronia.

Closer to the harsh our north, the Pskovo-Pechora monastery, who received fame and thanks to the book of Lord Tikhon (Shevkunova) "Unlock Saints". Despite all the tests that have fallen into the share of the monastery, he never closed for his entire history. One of the main visited places is the "God of the Caves", the "Streets" in the caves of the Holy Mountain, according to which the pilgrims are held by the monastery of the monastery.

The goal of many pilgrims becomes both Valaam, located among the harsh beauty of Onega Lake. To the monastery located on the island, river cruises are sent, including pilgrimage. Here they say that according to legend himself, the apostle Andrey is the first-surveyed, once past future our lands, visited Valaam and blessed him with a stone cross. At North Athos, as also called Valaam, pilgrims visit the Savior Transfiguration Monastery, and several of his beds are more than ten. The duration of such pilgrimage can be from one to five days.

Another northern shrine is already located in the White Sea – the Granite Walls of the Solovetsky Monastery were a fortress not only spiritual. The edge here is harsh – even the local pilgrimage service recommends performing a pilgrimage from June 1 to September 30. As a rule, such a pilgrimage takes not one day, except for the Savior-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery, pilgrims also have the opportunity to visit Anzer Island with his Skits and Sainry Sources.

I will not even note that the "resort" south of Russia also accepts pilgrims – and here, first of all, it will be discussed about the Crimean Chersonese, who, as the pilgrimage service "Radonezh" says, "worshiped as the Altar of Russia Great". Arriving here pilgrims will also not forget to visit the Inkerman Cave Monastery, and the Sevastopol Male Monastery of St. George Victorious, Looking into the Black Sea from the rocks of the Fiolent.

Four laurels

"There are four laurels in Russia," said no time, but, unfortunately, modernity corrected the boundaries of this expression somewhat – two of them remained outside the border of Russia. And first of all, we are talking about the famous Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Of course, now the political situation is such that the rare pilgrim will wish to get to the "Mother of the our cities", visit the fourteen temples of the Lavra, and its famous caves, the first mention of which sounded in the XII century, in the "Tale of Bygone Years".

A little less known to the our pilgrims, and now it is also less reaches, Pocheevskaya Lavra, founded by the reasons for Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, who fled after the ruin of Kyiv Khan Batym, at the current territory of the Ternopil region of Ukraine. Lavra’s shrines consider the footprint of the Virgin Mary with a healing source. Now in the walls of the Lavra, despite all the ill-wishing "worldly events" sounds prayer to the Lord on the world about the world and termination of civilian hostility.

The fourth laurer, the "youngest" of all, is in St. Petersburg – this is Alexander Nevsky Lavra – her, by the way, on the "church" naming, also a holy Trinity, can visit any tourist in the northern capital. By the way, Laurea is based on legend at the very place where Novgorod Prince Alexander Yaroslavich won his victory over the Swedes, for which he received his nickname Nevsky. The relics of the holy prince Alexander Nevsky and now – the main shrine of the Lavra.

"Holy Mountain"

In Russia, as you know, Christianity came from Byzantium, but in the current reality over the Hagia Sophia in Tsargrad – she is the same Ayia Sophia in Istanbul – Minarets will come.

Nevertheless, touching "Greek wisdom" still allow pilgrim tours. The center of pilgrimage tours to Greece, of course, becomes the Holy Mountain, Athos, belonging to the church from 691. True, with certain restrictions – the foot of the "female creatures" did not go to the island, as the Mother of God commanded. Pilarlitsa usually make a sea cruise around the mountain, often short tours are limited to this and for the whole group "Without Paul Difference". Serious pilgrimage trips are organized specifically, require obtaining Dimonitirion permission – in the Bureau of Pilgrims (Graphinoskinitone) in Thessaloniki, and suggest a few days spent in the monasteries of Athos.

Another place in Greece, where traditionally offered and pilgrimage, and "ordinary" tours are meteors, the mountains, the name of which comes from the Greek word, which is translated into our as "Transfiguration". Local monasteries – it seems that an incomprehensible miracle – rose to the tops of 600-meter rocks. Until now, six of the monasteries have survived, guests have the opportunity to visit or one of them, as a rule, it turns out to be the main, great meteor, or to stay in the town of Kalambak and visit all six. It should be borne in mind that in the afternoon monasteries close for visitors.

In general, pilgrimage tours are organized throughout Greece – there are also no land, no island without a monastery. Let’s say tourists, resting near Athens, for example, on the island of Evia, can go to the Church of St. John our – the once our prisoner with the our-Turkish war became the beloved Greeks.

Another traditional place for pilgrimage – Corfu Island. In Easter, there is a procession from 15 temples here, pilgrims visit Liturgy in the temple of St. Spiridon. The island is associated with the name and one more our saint – it was on Corfu who won his victory Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, subsequently the famous church as a holy righteous warrior.

And besides – Corfu is a convenient point for departure to Italy, where the Orthodox pilgrims flock to worship one of the most beloved in Russia.

"The patron of floating and traveling"

Of course, it is about the Italian city of Bari, whose heart is the Basilica of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) for believers. It was erected back in the XI century, especially for the relics brought to the city of Nikolai Wonderworker. The white-style belt church has been preserved since that time, practically without changing their appearance. It is said that a column that can be seen at the bottom of the temple was carried from Turkey with the relics of the saint – and she also became a miraculous. Touching her promises healing from diseases. And the statue of St. Nicholas, located close to the entrance to the church, believers on the day of the celebration of St. Nicholas, bring out of the temple in a solemn procession.

Nealalized bunk

Egypt, "inherent" associated with ordinary tourists with the Sun and Sea, also became the goal of pilgrimage. First of all, it is Mount Sinai, located in the north of Egypt – a few hours drive from the popular Scherm El Sheikh resort. On the grief, according to the Bible, God handed Moses to the covenant. Before that, God here was Moses in the form of an unalized bunk – burning and non-burning bush. The "descendant" of this bush tourists and pilgrims and now can see in the walls of the monastery of St. Catherine, where the monastic life does not stop with VI in.

The pilgrimage is not done without a kind of test: they say, to someone who will overcome 3,750 steps to climb on foot to Moiseev and will meet there dawn, sins are released. Those who wish to do this route of tourists, by the way, quite a few.

An unusual pilgrimage tour is ready to offer the Coptic Church of Egypt – the route of the Holy Family. It is proposed to pass by the infant of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Joseph, who were in Egypt for several years, hiding from the King Herod. By itself, the route is stretched from the North Sinai through Cairo and its suburbs to the city of Assut, includes 25 revered places to fully do all the way will need 5-8 days. Tourists make the tourist route, for example, the oldest Church of Egypt – Abu-Serg Church. The temple is built on the cave, where the Holy Family was hidden at the end of his stay in this country, is dedicated to Saint Sergia and Wakhu, the soldiers of the Roman army, followers of Jesus

holy Land

But, undoubtedly, the Holy Land becomes the center of all pilgrimages, and its center – Jerusalem. It’s hard to count how many centuries pilgrims will be afraid of the White Gate of the Old Town, how many steps were erased by the stones on Via Dolorosa – the Cross Way to Calvary, and now filled with purposefully going to the Temple of the Merry Coffin – people. The heart of the temple, the church in the church – the tiny church in a huge cathedral – Kuvuklia, the place of the coffin of the Lord.

It is difficult to even say how much the Christian shrines in this city is also a mountain of Zion with Zion Gornitsa, and the Gefseman Garden with the Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene, and without exaggeration of thousands of other places associated with the evangelical history.

Moreover, a rare pilgrimage tour is limited only by Jerusalem – as a rule, in it pilgrims pass all the place of biblical history. In the route and Nazareth, with the source of the Virgin – where, one of the legends, the benefit of the news, and Bethlehem, with his temple of the Nativity of Christ, and washing in Jordan’s waters – in memory of baptism. Kana Galilee and Capernaum, Mount Favor and Tabch – Place of multiplication of loaves and fish. All these places exist not only on the pages of the Gospel, each of them is real, still preserved in one form or another – the item on a geographical map in the edges around the "Fourth Sea" of Israel – Galilee Lake.

All roads lead to Rome

Speaking about Jerusalem, it is difficult not to remember about Rome – be that as it may, these two cities in the "Sacred History" are approximate. The city of Peter and Paul also attracts tourists to itself – under the magnificent dome of its main temple of St. Peter’s Cathedral. It is believed to be here where the romance of the cathedral rushes, in 67, from the Nativity of Christ, the Apostle Peter was crucified, from which the Catholic Church considers his beginning, which is not for nothing known the Roman. Another guide can also tell me that already in 1940 in local catacombs found a tombstone with the inscription "Peter here".

The evangelical apostles are in different places – for example, the relics of St. Mark, a very cunning method exported from Turkey – now rest in the majestic symbol of Venice, the Cathedral of St. Mark. And thanks to Saint Jacob, one of the famous pilgrimages appeared "appeared" – Santiago de Compostell, coming in northern Spain. The path begins in the Pyrenees, from Ronseval Pass, and goes to the city of Santiago. And now some are ready to go on foot, as it was a century ago, when only pilgrim tours began.