Russian Travel Guide

Winter recreation in Mandrogi

Although the times when people wrote letters on birch bark and played the gusli (a harp-like instrument) are long passed, they don’t seem far off when in the village of Verkhnie Mandrogi on the Svir River. In Veps (a Finno-Ugric language) the word “mandrogi” translates to mean “rapids,” and fittingly so — there was a time when paddling down certain parts of the river could be quite dangerous and that is why people opted to drag the boats along the earth instead. The old village is long gone and a historical village designed for tourists stands in its place. Visitors can stay in wooden houses with beautifully carved trims, ride horses, discover the secrets to various folk crafts in this artisan settlement and take part in the programme entitled “Immersion Into the 19th Century.” This programme allows participants to spend a day living as a peasant, doing all of the work and ch...

В поисках культурного кода. Переславль-Залесский

The Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky monastery

One of Russia’s great Orthodox shrines, the Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery (Lavra), has a history which coincides with the start of the construction of St. Petersburg itself. For three centuries believers have been visiting the monastery and just as they did hundreds of years ago, they travel here to find, practice and strengthen their faith and to pray to venerated icons. Nowadays the Alexander Nevsky Monastery is an active monastery of the St. Petersburg Diocese. Pilgrims and tourists travel here year-round from the farthest corners of the earth in order to see the house of prayer. It was founded by Peter the Great and has since become a symbol of the city and one of the most famous monasteries in Russia. This Russian Travel Guide programme explores the history of the construction of the esteemed monastery, looks at its life over the years and checks out the lavra’s ...