Mass Media Overview
Northern treasures
23.01.2013 15:22
http://www.sptimes.ru/ The St.Petersburg Times
By Andrei Vorobei
Special to The St. Petersburg Times
Published: July 29, 2005 (Issue # 1091)
In medieval Russia, two forms of social organization flourished — cities, where trade and political power were concentrated, and monasteries, the era's most important cultural centers.
In Russia, one tourist trail that links such ancient religious and civic centers is near Moscow, the much-hyped "Golden Ring." The well-worn route includes such famous and influential monasteries as the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra as well as the cities of Vladimir, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Uglich, Suzdal — all of which were involved in the formation of the Russian state after the city of Kiev lost its influence.
But at the same time, less-promoted but no-less-exciting sights linked with this key period of Russian history can be found outside the magic circle of the Golden Ring and within reach of St. Petersburg. One of the regions rich with this heritage is around the city of Vologda, 600 kilometers to the east of St. Petersburg — a manageable distance in Russian terms (an overnight train journey).
Morning
After passing through the quite unpleasant industrial city of Cherepovets, the train arrives in the city of Vologda, which is the regional center.
Vologda dates back to 1147 and is full of colorful wooden houses. As regional civic center it has its own Kremlin. The majestic St. Sofia Cathedral with the silver Orthodox "onion" cupola is one of its gems. At the same time, to be honest, the city of Vologda itself today is not in good shape and is probably best considered as a convenient departure point for other tourist destinations — such as Veliky Ustyug, said to be the home of Ded Moroz, the Russian counterpart of Santa Claus — or the open-air town-museums at Totma, Ustyuzhna and Belozersk.
But, there are two sights that should be given top priority: the Ferapontov and Kirillo-Belozersky monasteries. The history of the monasteries is connected and begins with the two monks St. Kirill and St. Ferapont who traveled the long road from Moscow.
St. Kirill founded the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery in 1397. A year later, St. Ferapont left St. Kirill to found his own cloister. Although the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery was much richer, well-known and influential in the past, time has altered the pecking order and now the Ferapontov monastery holds first place on the tourist's itinerary.
Around twelve o'clock
The Ferapontov monastery stands about 70 kilometers outside of Vologda, that is, less than one hour by bus. Fortunately, the route is gratifying to the eye, since both monasteries are located in the Russky Sever ("Russian North") National Park.
The bus ride is a good opportunity to immerse oneself in the stern and Romantic beauty of Russia's northern natural environment. Soon, amid picturesque green hills, the white walls of the Ferapontov monastery come into view.
Although the monastery hasn't performed its traditional function since Soviet times (it's just a museum now, although there are services on important religious holidays), it has nonetheless preserved the sacred aura of a genuinely spiritual place.
The Ferapontov monastery was built over several centuries. Beginning with the wooden buildings of Ferapont's time, the first brick building at the monastery — the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin — was constructed by Rostov masters in about 1490. Now the ensemble consists of six brick buildings dating from the 15th to 17th centuries, including holy gates, churches, a treasury and refectory chambers, a bell tower, and a brick wall that surrounds it dating from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The main point of interest is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, since Dionisy, an outstanding representative of the Moscow icon painting school and the leading Russian artist of the turn of the 16th century, worked here. According to a signature left by Dionisy himself on the Northern Door, he and his sons (Feodosi and Vladimir) painted the interior walls of the church from Aug. 6 to Sept. 8, 1502. The motif of the interior frescoes of the church, which cover 600 square meters, is quite traditional for Russian Orthodox churches of the 14th-16th centuries. Painted in soft colors, there are frescoes depicting the Christ Pantokrator, the Enthroned Virgin, Evangelists, the Last Judgment and other figures and scenes from the Old and New Testaments as well as key events from later Christian history, such as the Seven Universal Cathedrals accepted by the Orthodox Church.
The mural, which is of exceptional artistic value, is the only authentic and completely preserved work by the famous master and is the only existing ensemble of frescoes from medieval Russia. In fact, Dionisy's frescoes brought international recognition to the Ferapontov monastery, which was included by UNESCO on its World Heritage List in 2000. The UNESCO citation recognized that the wall paintings "are the highest expression of Russian mural art in the 15th-16th centuries."
Three hours later…
Some 20 kilometers from the Ferapontov monastery is its slightly older sibling. The Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery stands on the banks of Lake Siverskoye. As at Ferapontov, the first wooden churches here were replaced by stone ones at the end of the 15th century. Among the buildings of special interest are the first and the oldest Uspensky Cathedral ("of the Assumption") built in 1497, the Church of the Archangel Gabriel with an attached bell-tower and a refectory. The reign of Moscow princes was a good time for the monastery which received large donations. In the present day, unfortunately, its multiple frescoes, rich library, and iconostases are spoken of only in the past tense. The monastery is now important mostly for its permanent museum displays, which features such interesting stuff as church utensils, books and an extensive collection of Russian icons, including some by the hand of Dionisy and his school. The exhibition expounds on such notorious historical events as when the northern monasteries became a place of exile.
In addition, the monastery is good example of Russian medieval religious and defensive stone architecture. Its historical function of Moscow's outpost on the trading routes in the North is reflected in the enormous size of its fortified walls. Now semi-ruined, the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery nevertheless retains its greatness and beauty.