Russia is often called the holy land. Judging by the number of holy places for representatives of different religions, then this is really so.
1. Diveevo
Where is? Nizhny Novgorod region, Diveevsky district.
What is holiness? Diveyevo is called the Fourth Lot of the Mother of God on earth. The main shrine of the Diveyevo monastery is the relics of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov. The Holy Elder invisibly, but clearly consoles, enlightens, heals, opening the hardened souls of people who come to him for Divine love, and leads to the Orthodox faith, to the Church, which is the foundation and consolidation of the Russian land.
Pilgrims come for holy water from 4 springs, bow to the relics and walk along the holy groove, which, according to legend, the Antichrist cannot cross.
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2. Optina Pustyn
Where is? Kaluga region.
What is holiness? Svyato-Vvedenskaya Optina Pustyn is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia, located on the banks of the Zhizdra River near the city of Kozelsk.
Optina's origin remains unknown. It can be assumed that it was not the princes and boyars who built it, but the ascetics themselves by vocation from above with repentant tears, labor and prayer.
The Optina elders had tremendous influence on the minds of people of various classes. Gogol has been here three times. After visiting Optina Hermitage, Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov was born. Leo Tolstoy had a special relationship with the monastery (as well as with the church in general).
3. Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert
Where is? Stolobny Island, Svetlitsa Peninsula, Lake Seliger.
What is holiness? The monastery was named the Nil Hermitage after the Monk Nile, who lived on the island for 27 years and bequeathed to build a monastery. In 1555, the Nile reposed and was buried on Stolobny Island. After the death of the monk, hermits-prayer books began to settle on the island near his grave, and they founded the monastery.
Before the revolution, the Nilo-Stolobensky monastery was among the most revered in Russia, thousands of people came here every year. In 1828, the monastery was visited by Emperor Alexander I.
After the revolution, the monatyr had a difficult fate. He managed to stay in a colony, a hospital, a prisoner of war camp, and a camp site. During archaeological excavations on the territory of the monastery, it was established that in the 18th century the largest workshop for the production of pectoral crosses worked here.
Only in 1990, the Nilova Hermitage was again transferred to the Orthodox Church, and in 1995 the relics of the Monk Nile were returned here.
4. Kizhi
Where is? Kizhi Island, Lake Onega.
What is holiness? Many people think that Kizhi is a beautiful temple somewhere in the North. In fact, this is a whole reserve, where everyday life and unique wooden architecture are carefully preserved.
The center and main monument of the museum was the Kizhi Pogost with the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It was laid in 1714 and built without a single nail and foundation. The most remarkable thing is that even in the Soviet years the shrine was not touched - they even left the iconostasis with one hundred and two images.
The entire Kizhi ensemble is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can get to the island in summer by rocket from Petrozavodsk and in winter along the ice route from the village. Great lip.
5. Solovetsky monastery
Where is? White Sea.
What is holiness? Even in pagan times, the Solovetsky Islands were strewn with temples, and the ancient Sami considered this place a holy place. Already in the 15th century, a monastery arose here, which soon became a major spiritual and social center.
The pilgrimage to the Solovetsky Monastery has always been a great feat, which only a few dared to do. Thanks to this, until the beginning of the 20th century, the monks managed to maintain a special atmosphere here, which, oddly enough, did not disappear over the years of hard times. Today not only pilgrims come here, but also scientists, researchers, historians.
6. Trinity-Sergius Lavra
Where is? Moscow region, Sergiev Posad.
What is holiness? This monastery is rightfully considered the spiritual center of Russia. The history of the monastery is inextricably linked with the fate of the country - here Dmitry Donskoy received a blessing for the Battle of Kulikovo, local monks together with the troops for two years defended themselves from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders, here the future Tsar Peter I took the oath of office.
To this day, pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world come here to pray and feel the grace of this place.
7. Pskov-Pechersky monastery
Where is? Pechora.
What is holiness? The Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery is one of the oldest and most famous Russian male monasteries. In 1473, the cave church of the Assumption was consecrated here, excavated by the Monk Jonah in a sandstone hill. This year is considered the year of the foundation of the monastery.
The hill in which the Church of the Assumption and the God-made caves are located is called the Holy Mountain. There are two holy springs on the territory of the monastery
A feature of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery is that it has never been closed in its entire history. In the interwar period (from February 1920 to January 1945) it was located within Estonia, thanks to which it survived.
8. Cyril-Belozersky Monastery
Where is? Vologda region, Kirillovsky district.
What is holiness? Cyril-Belozerskaya monastery is a city within a city, the largest monastery in Europe. The gigantic fortress has repeatedly withstood the siege of the enemy - two cars can easily disperse on its three-story walls.
The richest people of their time were tonsured here, and the sovereign's criminals were kept in the dungeons. Ivan the Terrible himself favored the monastery and invested considerable funds in it. There is a strange energy here that gives peace.
There are two more pearls of the North nearby - Ferapontov and Goritsky monasteries. The first is famous for its ancient cathedrals and frescoes of Dionysius, and the second for its nuns from noble families. Those who have visited the vicinity of Kirillov at least once - come back.
9. Verkhoturye
Where is? Sverdlovsk region, Verkhotursky district.
What is holiness? Once upon a time there was one of the main Ural fortresses, from which several buildings remained (the local Kremlin is the smallest in the country). However, this small town became famous not for its glorious history, but for its large concentration of Orthodox churches and monasteries.
In the 19th century, Verkhoturye became a center of pilgrimage. In 1913, the third largest cathedral of the Russian Empire, the Exaltation of the Cross, was built here. Not far from the city, in the village of Merkushino, lived the miracle worker Simeon Verkhotursky, the patron saint of the Urals. People from all over the country come to pray at the relics of the saint - it is believed that they heal diseases.
10. Balaam
Where is? Ladoga lake.
What is holiness? Valaam is one of the two "monastic republics" that existed in Russia. The time when the Orthodox monastery was founded on the islands is unknown. At the beginning of the 16th century, the monastery already existed; in the 15th-16th centuries, about a dozen future saints lived in the monastery, including, for example, the future founder of another "monastic republic" Savvaty Solovetsky (until 1429) and Alexander Svirsky. It was at this time that monastic sketes appeared in large numbers on the neighboring islands.
Unlike the Solovetsky archipelago, where the museum-reserve is the owner, on Valaam monastic traditions have been revived almost to the full. All the monasteries operate here, the monastery also performs administrative functions on the islands, and the overwhelming majority of visitors to Valaam are pilgrims. All over the area of the island there are sketes, “branches” of the monastery, about ten in total. The incomparable nature of the Valaam archipelago - a kind of "quintessence" of the nature of South Karelia - contributes to the pilgrim's desire to move away from the bustle of the world and come to his place.
11. Pustozersk
Where is? Virtually nowhere. Pustozersk is a disappeared city in the lower reaches of the Pechora, in the Zapolyarny region of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is located 20 km from the current city of Naryan-Mar.
What is holiness? Pustozersk was the place where Archpriest Avvakum lived in exile in an earthen pit for 15 years, wrote his life and was burned. Pustozersk is still a place of Old Believer pilgrimage today and is revered by them as a holy place. A chapel and a refectory were built here, there are commemorative crosses
12. Rogozhskaya Sloboda
Where is? Moscow.
What is holiness? Rogozhskaya Sloboda is the historical spiritual center of Russian Old Believers. In 1771, the Old Believers' Rogozhskoye cemetery was founded at the Rogozhskaya outpost, a quarantine, a hospital and a small chapel were also built here.
Then, at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, two cathedrals were built at the cemetery - Pokrovsky and Rozhdestvensky, the Nikolskaya chapel was rebuilt in stone, houses for priests and clergy, monastic cells, six almshouses and many private and merchant houses were erected next to the temples.
For two centuries, the Intercession Cathedral was the largest Orthodox church in Moscow, accommodating up to 7000 believers at a time.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, the number of Old Believers living in the vicinity of Rogozhskoye reached 30,000 people
13. Great Bulgars
Where is? Republic of Tatarstan, 140 km from Kazan.
What is holiness? Bulgar, one of the greatest cities of the Middle Ages, is today an important place of worship for the Muslims of Russia. In addition to the ancient ruins, the village of Bolgary and the walls of a large mosque with a minaret of the 13th century remained from Great Bulgaria. The well-preserved Northern Mausoleum is located across the street from the entrance to the mosque. To the east of the mosque is the Eastern Mausoleum.
The White Mosque is located near the entrance to Bolgar, at the South Gate of the Bulgarian Museum-Reserve. The architectural complex is the building of the mosque itself, the residence of the mufti and the madrasah, and the surrounding prayer square.
14. Aulia spring
Where is? Republic of Bashkiria, Mount Aushtau.
What is holiness? Aulia is translated from Bashkir as “saint”. This source is believed to have healing properties. It flows for a little over 30 days in late May and early June and gathers tens of thousands of people every year.
People bathe in it in spring and drink sacred water, which, in their opinion, can get rid of kidney stones, as well as treat respiratory and stomach ailments. Spring water is said to acquire its medicinal properties only after May 15th.
The ascent to Mount Aushtau consists of two stages: the first is to reach the sacred source, the second is to climb to the top of the mountain, where there are three graves, in which, according to legend, are kept the remains of three Islamic missionaries from the city of Osh, who were killed in the 13th century by local residents. After repentance, these same local residents buried Sheikh Muhammad Ramazan al-Ush and his companions on the top of the mountain, on the slopes of which a sacred spring appeared
15. Mausoleum of Hussein-Bek
Where is? Republic of Bashkiria, 40 km from Ufa.
What is holiness? The mausoleum is located at the Akzirat cemetery. According to legend, it was built in the XIV century for Hadji-Hussein-bek, the first imam on the territory of modern Bashkiria. The order to build the mausoleum was given by Tamerlane himself.
Not far from the mausoleum, there are several tombstones with inscriptions in Arabic. It is believed that the commanders of Tamerlane were so marked.
The Hussein-Bek mausoleum is considered one of the most sacred Muslim places in Russia. Just 10 km from this place there is another ancient mausoleum - the grave of Turukhan. According to some historians, he was a descendant of Genghis Khan. According to historians, Turukhan, like Hussein-bey, was an enlightened Muslim ruler.
16. Ziyarat Kunta-Khadzhi Kishieva
Where is? Chechen Republic, the village of Khadzhi.
What is holiness? In Chechnya, there are 59 holy burials, ziyarats. Ziyarat Kunta-Khadzhi Kishieva is the most revered of them. In the 19th century, the village of Khadzhi was the birthplace of the Sufi sheikh Kunta-Khadzhi Kishiev, a Chechen saint and missionary who preached zikr ("remembrance of Allah").
Near the place where Kishiev's house stood, there is a holy spring, the water from which has medicinal properties. Those interested can also visit the grave of Kishiev's mother. It is located nearby on Mount Ertina, which the Chechens consider a sacred place.
17. Fortress of the Kala Quraysh
Where is? Republic of Dagestan, 120 km from Makhachkala.
What is holiness? The mosque of the Kala Quraish fortress is one of the oldest mosques in Russia, it was built in the 9th century. Also on the territory of the fortress there is an ancient tomb and a museum.
The fortress is located 1000 meters above sea level. Because of its appearance, the Kala Quraish is sometimes called the Dagestani Machu Picchu.
Koreishites, or Quraysh, were considered the closest relatives and descendants of the Prophet Mohammed himself, so the Kala-Koreish they founded became the most important center for the spread of Islam in the region.
By the 20th century, Kala Koreish had actually turned into a ghost town. Local residents say there were two women and one man living in Kala Koreish in the 1970s. These were the last inhabitants of the ancient city of the descendants of Mohammed.
18. Mausoleum Tuti-bike
Where is? Republic of Dagestan, Derbent.
What is holiness? The Mausoleum of the Derbent khans is the only mausoleum that has survived in Derbent. It was erected in 1202 AH of the Muslim chronology (1787-1788) over the grave of the ruler of Derbent Tuti-bike. Besides her, her sons, as well as the wife of Hasan-khan, Hyp-Jahan-khanum, are buried in the mausoleum.
The ruler of Derbent Tuti-bike is a very significant figure in the history of Dagestan. In 1774, during the storming of Derbent by the kaytag utsmii Emir-Hamza, Tuti-bike personally took part in the defense, was on the city wall, controlling the actions of artillery. During the siege of the city, she did not interrupt the prayer, and upon its completion, going out into the courtyard of the Juma mosque, where the enemy detachment burst into, she killed their leader with a dagger blow. Tradition says that the women, amazed at the courage of the women, fled.
In the immediate vicinity of the mausoleum is Kyrkhlyar ("forty" in Turkic). This is the burial place of Islamic martyrs.
19. Mausoleum of Borga-Kash
Where is? The mausoleum is located on the northwestern outskirts of the modern rural settlement of Plievo, Nazranovsky district of the Republic of Ingushetia, on the left hilly bank of the Sunzha, which is a spur of the Sunzhensky ridge.
What is holiness? Historians still disagree on how and why this mausoleum was built.
Borga-Kash translates as "Borg's tomb". According to one version, the mausoleum was the tomb of Burakan Beksultan, one of the main leaders of the Ingush in the fight against Timur's troops, who invaded the local lands in 1395. Burakan did not die in the war with Timur, but died ten years later, which corresponds to the time of the construction of the mausoleum
The 600-year-old mausoleum is an important pilgrimage site and one of the most valuable Ingush historical monuments. Until now, inscriptions in Arabic have been preserved on the building of the mausoleum.
20. Ivolginsky datsan
Where is? Republic of Buryatia, the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga. 30 km from Ula-Ude.
What is holiness? Ivolginsky Datsan - the main datsan of Russia, the residence of Pandito Khambo Lama - the Head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, a large Buddhist monastic complex, a monument of history and architecture.
The body of one of the main devotees of Buddhism of the 20th century, the head of the Buddhists of Siberia in 1911-1917, Khambo Lama Itigelov, is located in the Ivolginsky Datsan. In 1927, he sat in the lotus position, gathered his disciples and told them to recite a prayer-good wishes for the deceased, after which, according to Buddhist beliefs, the lama went into a state of samadhi.
He was buried in a cedar cube in the same lotus position, having bequeathed to unearth a sarcophagus 30 years later before he left. In 1955, the cube was lifted. The body of the Hambo Lama turned out to be incorrupt, and analyzes carried out by scientists already in 2000 showed that the protein fractions have vital characteristics, and the concentration of bromine exceeds the norm by 40 times.
Right there, in the Ivolginsky Datsan, you can see a magic stone. Near it there is an inscription: “According to legend, it was this stone that Nogoon Dari Ehe (Green Tara) touched and left an imprint of her brush on it.
21. Nilovsky datsan
Where is? In the Tunkinskaya valley, 4 km upstream of the Nilova Pustyn resort in the forest, 10 km of the road on the Kholma-Ula mountain.
What is holiness? According to an ancient legend, the mythical god Khan Shargai Noyon, the head of the Khaats, who sit on the ridges of the Sayan Mountains, landed on this place. In honor of this, in 1867, a small prayer house was built here. Subsequently, two wooden datsans were built here.
On the territory of the Nilovsky Datsan there is a tower made of a long and smooth log with a round wooden barrel at the top. This design is not found in any of the datsans in Buryatia. Local old-timers say that when the lamas converted the local population to Buddhism, they gathered all the shamans in this place and persuaded them to accept the Buddhist faith.
All tambourines and shaman costumes were burned. They put sacred relics and silver coins in the barrel and raised it up so that the Buddha could see the gifts. The sand at the landing site of the Khan Shargai noyon is considered sacred. It is widely believed that sand taken by a man gives him strength.
22. Mount Belukha
Where is? The highest point of Gorny Altai. It is located in the Ust-Koksinsky district.
What is holiness? Many researchers correlate the highest Altai mountain Belukha with the sacred mountain Meru. In particular, the Russian philosopher Nikolai Fedorov tried to confirm this theory. Using a map depicting the sacred Mount Meru, dated to the 2nd century BC, the Turkologist Murat Aji supplemented the popular hypothesis.
At an equal distance from Meru there were four oceans known then, and Belukha is equally remote from the Indian, Pacific and Arctic oceans.
Belukha is considered a sacred mountain among Buddhists; here, in search of the legendary Belovodye, Old Believers went to escape from the world. According to the Altaians' beliefs, the goddess Umai, the supreme female deity, is inhabited by the Belukha, comparable in importance to Tengri.
23. Olkhon Island
Where is? Olkhon is the largest island on Lake Baikal. Located 256 km from Irkutsk.
What is holiness? One of the main places of worship is Shamanka Rock. The cave, located in the rock, is prohibited for women and children. There was once a Buddhist sanctuary.
Olkhon is revered not only by Buddhists, but also by representatives of traditional Buryat beliefs. Shamans from all over Russia, and sometimes from abroad, gather on the island to conduct their rituals, rituals. During this time, the shamans communicate directly with the spirits, and if you are lucky, you can find out from them the answers to your questions. The main thing at this time is not to look the shaman in the eye, otherwise, according to local beliefs, the spirit can leave his body and move into an unwary supplicant.
24. Mount Barkhan-uula
Where is? Barkhan-Uula or Baragkhan is one of the highest mountains of the Barguzinsky ridge. The mountain rises near the villages of Baragkhan and Yarikta, which is 20 kilometers away.
What is holiness? According to the results of the republican-scale competition "Seven Wonders of Buryatia's Nature", Baragkhan was recognized as the main Buryat natural miracle.
Since ancient times, the mountain has been revered as a shrine by both Barguzin Buryats and Mughal-speaking peoples. Buryat mythology tells about the owners of the mountain dune baabai and Khazhar-Sagaan-noyon - the heavenly masters who descended to earth.
There is also a legend that a noble khan from the golden family of Borjigins was buried on Barkhan-Uula. There is also a legend about Soodoi Lama, a great yogi who chose Baragkhan for his meditations.
It is believed that the one who climbed this mountain will be associated with the mystical power, and the righteous can see the image of the Buddha on its slopes. Climbing the mountain is usually accompanied by the monks of the Ivolginsky datsan; a huge prayer service is written in honor of Baragkhan in Sanskrit.
On the Teptaehei plateau, at the very top of the mountain, there is an ancient and sacred stone structure Obo, which commemorates the spirit of the mountain. There is also a Lamaist sacred sign, symbolizing the eternity and infinity of the universe.
Nowadays, Buddhist prayers and rituals are held on Barkhan-Uula. Pilgrim ascents to the top of the mountain are held annually.
But not everyone can climb the mountain. To do this, you need to get the permission of the lama in the Kurumkansky datsan. Women are forbidden to climb Barkhan-Uula.
25. Merkit Fortress
Where is? In the south of Buryatia, in the Mukhorshibirsky district, 110 km from Ulan-Ude on the right bank of the mouth of the river. Tugnuy.
What is holiness? According to legend, it was here that the first battles of Genghis Khan with the Merkits, who once inhabited these lands, took place. From 1177 to 1216, the Merkits fought fierce battles against Genghis Khan and Khan Jochi until they were defeated. The Merkit fortress today is not a fortress in the usual sense of the word. These are the rocks, on which the elements of the former fortifications, recesses for signal lights, a well, observation platforms have been preserved.
In the Merkit fortress there are two so-called "humming stones", which, according to popular belief, are capable of healing a woman from infertility and bring good luck in love. Pilgrimages are held to the Merkit fortress, shamans and lamas come here.
In 2010, Buddhist scrolls and tanka icons were discovered here, which lamas hid here during the years of persecution of religion. Since nothing can be taken from the mountain, the scrolls were examined and returned to their place.