Before heading out of Moscow, there are two more places left that worth mentioning. Both are museum-park combinations, each beautiful in its own way.
Kolomenskoe - only a short metro ride from the city center, but gives the impression of leaping to the outskirts not of Moscow, but of Russia itself. The village of Kolomenskoe was founded in the late 1230. Three centuries later its chief attraction was constructed by the order of Tsar Vasily III to commemorate the birth of his son and heir, Ivan the Terrible – the Church of the Ascension of the Lord. The church has that very spiritual feeling to it, as has the park around it. There are few more churches there, all beautifully white.
There is also a nice trail of Golosov Ovrag, a ravine which contains a family of springs and two huge stones which served as objects of Pagan worship. I found it interesting that the two conflicting religions coexist in the same place so peacefully: certainly the Orthodox Church never approved the pagan rituals, yet here, in Kolomenskoe, you can have the best of both faiths together. Say you can pay your dues in the church and then go and make a wish on the sacred stones.
Rumours tell the chilling stories about Golosov’s Ravine being a mystery place where unexplainable things happen. People disappearing while walking along its paths…and re-emerging into the world some 10-20 years later…other people hearing “strange” sounds, seeing “strange” things…a somewhat The Bermuda Triangle of the Golosov’s Ravine…frankly, when we went there after being told all these tales, I secretly wished to be lost in the time void of this place…alas, the Golosov Triangle didn't want to keep me :-( ...but then, again, who would've tell the world of the beauty of it after all?...
The legend also tells that it was in this ravine where the St George (the holy patron of Moscow) breaks the dragon. There are also stones in the ravine, which are considered to carry the traces of the St George horse's hoof. That St George folk seemed to have a very busy life, slaving dragons all over the world, as I’ve noticed how in almost every country I visited, there is a place where St George slaved the Dragon. (I even live near one in Britain!) but since no one ever bothered to count the world's livestock of dragons at those times, I suppose, all the legends could easily be true, I just feel sorry for the crazy schedule of Mr George, no personal life at all, poor man!
Tsaritsino was the other museum and reserve we’ve visited.
It is totally different from Kolomenskoe. If Kolomenskoe wraps you into spiritual hue, Tsaritsino is more of a “day out” place. The estate is known since late 16th century as a summer residence of the russian tsars. Once finally restored, it became a nice place to spend a day.
There are plenty to see there: the history museum, a landscape park with an adjacent forest, the fountains…Around the palace, in the park there are a number of pavilions, pergolas, arbors, artificial grottos, decorative bridges.
Personally although I enjoyed Tsaritsino, Kolomenskoe would be me choice to come back again, if I ever do come back to Moscow, that is...
More to come...
Kolomenskoe - only a short metro ride from the city center, but gives the impression of leaping to the outskirts not of Moscow, but of Russia itself. The village of Kolomenskoe was founded in the late 1230. Three centuries later its chief attraction was constructed by the order of Tsar Vasily III to commemorate the birth of his son and heir, Ivan the Terrible – the Church of the Ascension of the Lord. The church has that very spiritual feeling to it, as has the park around it. There are few more churches there, all beautifully white.
There is also a nice trail of Golosov Ovrag, a ravine which contains a family of springs and two huge stones which served as objects of Pagan worship. I found it interesting that the two conflicting religions coexist in the same place so peacefully: certainly the Orthodox Church never approved the pagan rituals, yet here, in Kolomenskoe, you can have the best of both faiths together. Say you can pay your dues in the church and then go and make a wish on the sacred stones.
Rumours tell the chilling stories about Golosov’s Ravine being a mystery place where unexplainable things happen. People disappearing while walking along its paths…and re-emerging into the world some 10-20 years later…other people hearing “strange” sounds, seeing “strange” things…a somewhat The Bermuda Triangle of the Golosov’s Ravine…frankly, when we went there after being told all these tales, I secretly wished to be lost in the time void of this place…alas, the Golosov Triangle didn't want to keep me :-( ...but then, again, who would've tell the world of the beauty of it after all?...
The legend also tells that it was in this ravine where the St George (the holy patron of Moscow) breaks the dragon. There are also stones in the ravine, which are considered to carry the traces of the St George horse's hoof. That St George folk seemed to have a very busy life, slaving dragons all over the world, as I’ve noticed how in almost every country I visited, there is a place where St George slaved the Dragon. (I even live near one in Britain!) but since no one ever bothered to count the world's livestock of dragons at those times, I suppose, all the legends could easily be true, I just feel sorry for the crazy schedule of Mr George, no personal life at all, poor man!
Tsaritsino was the other museum and reserve we’ve visited.
It is totally different from Kolomenskoe. If Kolomenskoe wraps you into spiritual hue, Tsaritsino is more of a “day out” place. The estate is known since late 16th century as a summer residence of the russian tsars. Once finally restored, it became a nice place to spend a day.
There are plenty to see there: the history museum, a landscape park with an adjacent forest, the fountains…Around the palace, in the park there are a number of pavilions, pergolas, arbors, artificial grottos, decorative bridges.
Personally although I enjoyed Tsaritsino, Kolomenskoe would be me choice to come back again, if I ever do come back to Moscow, that is...
More to come...