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Brief historical help

Sergiev Passad
The Holy Triniry and St.Sergiys Lavra was founded by saint Sergiys of Radonezh in 1337. At that time the monastery had already become the spiritual center of Russia.
In the XV - XIX centuries the stone churches, chambers and other buildings of various architectural styles were erected inside the monastery walls, decorated by the outstanding pallerus of Russian iconpaiting, frescoes and objects applied arts.
Nowadays as well as in the other times, novices and parishioner pray for their own salvation, for the prosperity of the native land and for the peaceful life of all mankind. The Superior as the monastery is His Holiness Patriarch Alexiy II of Moscow and All Russia. A part of the territory of Lavra is occupied by the Moscow Theological School - Seminary (from 1738) and Academy (from 1814).


Pereslavl-Zalesski

Pereslavl-Zalesski is situated on the shore of Lake Plescheyevo, 140 km north-east of Moscow. Ancient chronicles hold it that it was founded in 1152 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruki. The new fortress became the biggest one he founded and Pereslavl itself - an important political and cultural center of north-east Rus. The Principality of Pereslavl included such towns as Dmitrov, Tver, Nerekhta etc. Here were created the "Chronicle of Pereslavl of Suzdal" and the "Prayer of Daniil Zatochnik" - renowned works of old Russian literature. Pereslavl is the birthplace of Vladimir Grand Dukes Yaroslav Vsevlodovich, Alexander Nevski and his son Dmitri Alexandrovich.
During the times of the Tartar yoke the town was ravaged many times by the invaders, as well as suffered from the bloody feuds of Vladimir princes. The townsfolk actively participated in the struggle for power. In 1302 almost a century-long existence of Pereslavl Principality ended - Alexander Nevski's grandson, Prince Ivan Dmitriyevich bequeathed his lands to his uncle and ally Prince Daniil Alexandrovich of Moscow. The future capital became strongly strengthened by the vast Pereslavl territories. But for many years to come the rivals of Moscow tried to recover their right to rule over these lands.
In the 15th and 16th centuries Pereslavl became an important town of Moscow Rus (Russia), a center of trade and craft. The Austrian Ambassador Sigismund Herberstem described old Pereslavl in the following manner: "...the town and the fortress in the north-east, 24 miles away from Moscow, which lies on a lake, where one can catch herring, like near Solovki Islands. The fields are quite fertile and abundant; after harvest the prince likes to hunt here. On thet same fields there is a lake, - its water is boiled out in order to get salt. This town is passed by those who are going to Nizhni Novgorod, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Uglich. The well-known English traveler Giles Fletcher included Pereslavl among the 12 most important towns of the country.
Monasteries played enormous role in the political and economic life of the town. In Pereslavl the renowned Russian Holy Monk Sergey of Radonezh received the rank of hegumen. Such saints as Dmitry of Priluki and Gerasim of Boldino spent their yeng years? as well as the contemporary of Ivan the Terrible - Metropolitan Aphanasi. In the 16th century the members of the Grand Duke's family frequented the town. Moscow rulers greatly enjoyed hunting in local forests, they also made pilgrimages to the monasteries. Ivan the Terrible especially favoured these lands. In the times of Oprichnina (1564-1572) the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda (now the town Alexandrov) of the Pereslavl District became the actual center of the Russian state.
In early 17th century, during the Time of Trouble, Pereslavl and its environs were ravaged by the Polish invaders. More than half the population perished, a series of villages completely disappeared, for a long time life in the monasteries came to a halt. It took several decades for the town to return back to normal: new stone buildings in monasteries were again built, the fortress was reconstructed and trade revived.
In 1654 a terrible plague broke out, which took lives of more than half of the inhabitants. Pereslavl survived, but slowly began to loose its economic and political significance. However, it was still an important religious center. In late 17th - early 18th centuries most of the monasteries here acquired their present form. Many important figures of the Russian Orthodox Church lived here. Peter the Great and members of his family made generous donations that enriched local monasteries and gave them the means to construct new temples. In 1744-1788 one of the largest town monasteries - Goritski - served as a center of the Pereslavl Eparchy, which included nine towns with twenty five monasteries and six hundred and five churches.
Tsar Peter the Great had a special sympathy for Peresiavl, In late 17th century he often came here and spent a lot of time on the banks of Lake Plescheyevo, where he was building a small fleet, with which the story of Russian navy really begins.
In the tumultuous history of the town this was probably the last outstanding event. In early 18th century Pereslavl is a provincial town, with 6232 population. In 1775, after an administrative reform, Pereslavl receives the rank of a district center of the Vladimir Government.
The merchant class was especially influential in the town. A large linen factory, belonging to F. Ugrimov, was found here as early as mid-18th century. By early 20th century Pereslavl had several spinning and weaving mills, a factory producing copper goods, enterprises involved in making embroidery, leather, glass etc. There was also a free hospital, high schools for boys and girls, a commercial school, elementary schools.
The town had a chance to bring back its former wealth and glory, but the merchants and the local authorities chose to ignore the steel paces of progress - in the 1860s the Northern Railroad did not go through Pereslavl,
Today Pereslavl is a district center of the Yaroslavl Region. Its population is 45.000. The largest enterprise is "Slavich Company", which produces black and white photographic paper, tape, packaging materials etc. The products of the embroidery factory "Novy Mir" and those of "Pereslavl Ceramics" are popular across the country. The town is well-known for research in new information technologies, it houses the Institute of Program Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Students from Russia and CIS Countries attend the local university. There is also a cultural center dedicated to D.N. Kardovski where one can see exhibitions of local and foreign artists.
The charm of old times, a magnificent combination of old Russian architecture with a unique landscape attracts numerous tourists to Pereslavl, both from Russia and from abroad. Photo gallery>>>

 

Dmitrov

Dmitrov was founded 1154 by grand in duke by JURI DOLGOROUKI and by that time the town was one of the fortified outposts of Vladimir-Souzdal Land. There is a monument of defence architecture - the earthen wall of the 12th century well preserved up-to the present time in Dmitrov.
Favourable geographical location of Dmitrov along the merchant's routes to the upper part of Volga River and to the North enabled if rapid development. Dmitrov was joint to Moscow Principality already in the 14th centure, but up to the 16th century local princes were fighting for it.
From the 15th Century up to the first half of the 16th century Dmitrov was a very important Trading Centre of Moscow land, there was a straght merchant's water trading Route along Jachroma, Sestra and Doubna Rivers. It was not only the biggest town in the Northern Part of Moscow territory, but at the same time one of the biggest towns of Russian State. Dmitrov was connected by road with Moscow, but that road was located some distance to the West of modern town of Dmitrov.
The Kremlin remained as a core of the town and there is the main ancient building in the centre Uspenski Cathedral. The building houses Regional Museum under it's five cupola roof since 1933. Later on it was reorganized into the Museum of History and Art. The Architecture of facades reminds the architecture of Archangelsk Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin.

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