Sights and landmarks in Svoboda

Sights and landmarks in Svoboda

1. See

   "Reunion" Monument

   Памятник «Воссоединение»

   Erected in 2015 on the monastery square in honor of overcoming the split of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2007, which had developed during the years of the Russian Revolution. The bronze sculpture depicts Alexey II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and the Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, holding in their hands the Kursk Root Icon. Alexey II called the Kursk Root Hermitage the third spiritual center of Russia after the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad and the Diveyevo Convent in Diveyevo. In December 2015, a similar sculpture was commemorated in the U.S., in the state of New Jersey.

2. See

   Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

   Собор Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы

   The main cathedral of the monastery is located just below the bell tower on the monastery square, which is centered on the "Reunion" monument. The current form of the cathedral, with its crossed-dome plan, was erected in 1860 on the site of the wooden chapel erected by hunters in 1295, right where the spring emerged after they removed the icon from the roots. It was destroyed by the Bolsheviks - the church you see today was built on the remaining foundation. A little past the cathedral is a monument to Saint Seraphim of Sarov as well as an observation deck, which offers a picturesque view of the Tuskar river valley and the lower buildings of the monastery.

3. See

   Church of the Life-Giving Spring

   Церковь Живоносного источника

   On the lower tier of the monastery, closest to the river, is the Church of the Life-Giving Spring, built on the site of the spring with healing waters, found under the icon. It was built in 1713 at the expense of Field War Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev, a hero of the Northern War, commemorating the victories of the Russian army. The church is right by the water itself, and stays cool in the summer. Don't miss its unique altar, made of materials resistant to cold and moisture, faience and porcelain. In 1835, the church was connected to the monastery square via a gallery-passage, which with its steep stone vaults of eight stone ledges resembles the descent into the caves of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the gallery of the Athos monasteries. A steep iron staircase (with benches for breaks) leads from the monastery square to the lower tier.

4. See

   Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

   Храм Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы

   On the main square to the left of the cathedral, this church was erected in 1819, originally as the All Saints Church, which was used as the main winter church. A long refectory for the brethren of the monastery is built into the building.

5. See

   Main wellspring

   Главный источник

   The main source of the spring is decorated in the style of elm roots. Next to it are well-maintained baths, and a little to the right there is an open spot for swimming. It will save you from the queue at the pool, and at the same time will allow you to take in the waters from all sources that flow directly into the river. The course of the water here is quite fast, but the river itself is shallow, about to the waist. The clean and cool water is quite refreshingǃ Away from the main source, along the riverbank, there are several smaller wellsprings with wooden chapels: the Kazan Icon, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Panteleimon the Healer and the farthest - Seraphim of Sarov. Another wellspring is located near the source of St. Nicholas. It usually has few people, but it can be closed. All these sources are located along a windbreak, and a path leads to them from the church. If you do not have containers for bringing water home, you can buy it at a kiosk at the Church of the Life-Giving Spring or at the gates of the monastery.

6. See

   Monument to Saint Seraphim of Sarov

   The monument to Seraphim Sarovsky, born in Kursk, was unveiled in 1998 near the walls of the Cathedral of the Nativity (at that time, not yet restored). The author of the sculpture is the same Vyacheslav Klykov. Eight years earlier, a similar sculpture by the same author was installed in Sarov. According to legend, nine-year-old Prokhor Moshnin (future Seraphim of Sarov) was cured by kissing the Kursk Root Icon during the procession. Later, Seraphim repeatedly visited the monastery, and in memory of this a chapel was built over one of the wellsprings. Near the monument is an observation deck with the best views of the surrounding landscapes in the monastery.

7. See

   Monument to the 1295 discovery of the Kursk Root Icon

   This fountain sculpture by Vyacheslav Klykov was installed in 2003 on Znamenskaya Square opposite the main entrance to the monastery. The sculpture is a bronze and copper composition depicting the moment the icon was found at the roots of the elm. The marble pedestal includes cast-stamped medallions dedicated to the history of the icon. There are souvenir shops around the monument.

8. See

   Sacred gates with Bell tower

   From the monastery entrance you can descend a wide stone staircase to go down to the Holy Gate, erected in 1708. Restored frescoes depict biblical themes. The bell tower above was built in the second half of the 19th century, of which only the lower tier survived the Soviet era - the upper tier was destroyed and then rebuilt in the early 2000s.

9. See Not mapped

   Kursk Root Hermitage

   Korennaya Hermitage Коренная пустынь

   The monastery was founded in 1597 by Tsar Feodor I at the site of the appearance of the miraculous Kursk Root Icon of Our Lady of the Sign. The icon was found in the roots of the tree. Starting in 1618, it was moved to the Znamensky Cathedral in Kursk, and on the ninth Friday after Easter brought in solemn procession to the Kursk Root Hermitage for the summer. You won't find the original the original here today. In October 1919, White Russian troops whisked it out of Russia to safeguard it from the communists, eventually storing the icon in New York. In its early days, the monastery burned several times at the hands of Crimean Tatar raiders. It reached its peak at the end of the 19th century, facilitated by the growth in the number of pilgrims and the large Kursk Korenskaya Fair, which was held near the walls of the monastery. In 1924, the monastery was closed, the Nativity Cathedral was blown up, and on the dismantled upper tier the belfries were made into an observation deck for holidaymakers staying nearby. In 1989, the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and in the early 2000s it was mostly rebuilt. Now the blue-turquoise ensemble on the high right bank of the Tuskar River looks spectacular. The monastery grounds stretch from the center of the settlement to the river, and the descent from the gates of the monastery to churches and wellsprings passes along steep stairs.

   06:00–23:00 daily

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Svoboda (CC BY-SA 4.0).