I first visited Kizhi thirty years ago , and was delighted. Then I promised myself I would certainly come back here.And just recently made ​​a pilgrimage" Kizhi - Mandrogi - Balaam ." At this time, the island I liked even more. Perhaps because in the day of our visit on August 19 was"Feast"and a festival of" Transfiguration on Kizhi Island ."
Kizhi - it"s our ancestral home , the origins of our culture. We need to know their origins , to understand the genesis of his or her identity , especially our mentality , the secret of the Russian nation.





Kizhi - the world-famous skyline , situated on an island in Lake Onega.According to one version , the name" Kizhi" comes from Veppsian word"moss" , according to another version -"a place for games , holidays ."

We miraculously lucky. On the day of our arrival on August 19 celebrated 300 years of the Church of the Transfiguration. This temple - the most famous and outstanding construction of the ensemble. Today"s church was built on the site of the old , burnt by lightning.The real names of the creators unknown.

According to legend , the famous Church of the Transfiguration built an ax (initially without nails ) carpenter Nestor.Carpenter threw an ax into the lake , so no one can repeat the same magnificent building.
How did one person to build a temple , with no nails , still remains a mystery.

The height of the Church of the Transfiguration - 37 meters. Blockhouse church traditions of Russian ruble in carpentry - no nails.In fact, there are nails , but not in the building , and in the domes (and not metal , and wood ).

Close to half a century later, the Transfiguration in 1764 was built the Church of the Intercession.If the Church of the Transfiguration of the type temple" summer"unheated, ( in winter it is not the service is carried out ), the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin -" winter" (ie, heated ) church service in it are from 1 October until Easter.

Kizhi consists of two churches and bell towers of XVIII-XIX centuries , surrounded by a single wall. Within the fence remains of the Old Believers" cemetery.
farther and farther to the north of the Old Believers went from persecution power to pray to God and live according to his commandments.Because after all, they got the power here.

In the 17th century, Kizhi churchyard built several smelters. Peasants belonged to build plants with hostility. When you do not wish to work in the factories of the peasants Kizhi churchyard would compel it by force, they are led by their elders attacked Teamsters ore and on the drive to the village"pischalmi , poleaxes and with spears and a club ." This armed protest was suppressed sent by the group of bowmen.
The largest was bonded peasants revolt in 1769-1771 , respectively. Preserved plaque of the event.



January 1, 1966 was founded the museum" Kizhi" , which in addition to the existing in their original places buildings were SVEZA large number of chapels, houses and commercial extensions from other regions of Karelia.
Kizhi Karelia residents perceived as"the eighth wonder of the world now ."

In 1990, Kizhi entered the UNESCO World Heritage List.And in 1993, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, an open air museum of Kizhi is included in the State of the most valuable objects of cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia.

Cruise" Kizhi , Valaam Mandrogi -"I got as a gift on the day of his"second birth ." That same evening, we set sail on a pilgrimage to the ship"Holy Russia".Forty years ago, this ship was called" Homeland ." On it after the end of the 5th grade we were taken to the fortress of"nut".I remember when I decided that when I grow up , be sure to go on a cruise.
Now" Homeland" -" Holy Russia".Built a boat back in 1955 in the GDR. Now it looks like raised from the bottom of the" Titanic".Design 30s dilapidated , rust everywhere , cracked mirrors , locks and broken chairs.But the music of the seventies for me it was a journey into the past.




While on our cruise was listed a visit to the island of Valaam , but not brought us there , allegedly due to bad weather conditions. Said that such trёhpalubnye ships as" Holy Russia" can not stand two-point pitching. Meanwhile, following us trёhpalubny ship"Volga Dream"with foreign tourists went to Valaam.

Why? The answer is simple : because foreign tourists put up a penalty for the failure of the trip, the tour operator that will be ruined.And our tourists can be deceiving , promising to return the money for the trip.

Yes, tourist safety above all else. After the collapse of the"Bulgar"everything seems to be acting according to the rules.That"s just the rules of any wrong.
If there was a storm, no one would have resented.But our ship"Holy Russia" stood for half a day in Lake Ladoga in complete calm.
Did Valaam really was a storm.But if such a vessel can not withstand a 2- point scale motion of the sea , let it walks along the rivers and does not go into an unpredictable Ladoga."Holy Russia"it is high time to write off as scrap metal.But it continues to operate , making money on the Orthodox pilgrims.

Yes, the weather is very changeable Ladoga.But it is the business risk for the tour operator , which should insure this kind of trip.
Why tourist must carry property damage due to bad weather ?

Tourists promised to return only 450 rubles for not spent on Valaam excursions. And the fact that we have not taken to Balaam , that is not in compliance with the conditions of the contract, it does not intend to return the money.
I wonder how much diesel fuel saved as a result of the carrier that refused to go to Balaam ?

On" our" can save money and shamelessly cheat because our tourists will not sue and be forgiven.One woman and said the money is not returned by it will be regarded as a donation to the island of Valaam. Above it is a good laugh.After all money appropriated by unscrupulous tour operators.

Why our tourists can be deceiving , and can not be foreign ?
Intourist lick and shouts of our line up for food, if we stand for free soup.We used to think that the way it should be.But now learned that food can be delicious and the beds are comfortable and the service is better.

When we went to Balaam union voucher for 10 rubles, had no complaints.Now the cruise price is comparable to the week-long stay in Turkey on full board.

Do you know why I prefer to go for a vacation abroad? Yes, because that"s where I intourist level with the Germans , the French and the British. And here I am" scoop" on which servers can shout , and travel agents who find it possible to shamelessly cheat.

On the boat" Holy Russia" was about 140 tourists from different parts of the country.Many came just in order to get on Valaam. They saved their money , get someone from Chita , who from Khabarovsk to make a pilgrimage to the holy island. I felt sorry for the old ladies who have , according to them , are unlikely to realize his dream of visiting the island , where he is resting , Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill.

Valaam - a place of pilgrimage for the faithful Orthodox Christians.A travel agent they shamelessly cheat.How can then believe ?!

I believe that tourists should claim compensation not only for not conducted tours , but for the fact that they are not delivered to the destination specified in the contract - to Valaam.

I"ve been on Valaam times, the last time a decade ago. And now decided to make a pilgrimage to visit the renovated temple and monastery of Valaam island monasteries.Wanted to make a film.

Today it became fashionable to make the pilgrimage to the monasteries.This in itself is not bad , considering these trips as a reminder that you need to think about the soul more than the body ."Do good unselfishly , and it will be credited to you , and it will come back to you !»

Adoration of the holy sites shows that a person has in life is something more high than taking care of their daily bread.Believer or man caught in a heavy life situation and not knowing where to find out, as a rule, be sent to a religious mystic point as a pilgrim , while paying little attention to the inconvenience.

In the bustling world full of lies and evil, it is difficult to become bright and clean, transparent to the consonance of the divine energies. People who care about the salvation of his soul, always come away from the world , seeking solitude in which they could be cleansed and join the holiness - purity of soul to match the frequency of the divine energies.

People ran in monasteries, to renounce the world and to be closer to God. Someone climbed in the dense forests , someone climbed high into the mountains , someone hiding on the islands.

Monasteries - the last islands of spirituality in our godless and cynical world.
In the metaphysical sense of the monastery can be considered as the prototype of the kingdom of heaven , peace Gorneva where reigns love and justice , to leave after the death of our souls.
« Man is not from the heels to the crown , and from the head to the Sky" !

In humans since ancient times there was a desire to build the New Jerusalem - the heavenly city of God - a kingdom of peace and justice.

It is impossible not to enjoy looking like reviving bygone beauty monasteries. However, in my opinion, the success of church life should be measured not by the number regenerated monasteries and churches built , and above all improving the moral state of society.
Temple - he in the shower!
Monastery of each - in his heart !

For" If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love , I am - as sounding brass , or kinval sounding.If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries , and all knowledge and all faith, so that I could remove mountains , but have not love , - I am nothing. And if I give away all his possessions and give my body to be burned, but have not love, - no I gain nothing ."( 1 Corinthians ).

A year ago, I visited the monastery Diveevskiy at St. Seraphim of Sarov.





« The true goal of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God," - said St. Seraphim of Sarov.

But if the Spirit of God is a kind of"universal Internet" , and the person is"biorobot"that through prayer people can connect to" divine the Internet" , and thus can be connected to God and man to see the world through his eyes ?

What God sees our eyes ?

He sees how we sin , how to fight , die as believers in prayer from the shell hit the temple.

« I do not believe that a temple could be accidentally dropped a shell ," - said the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill during a Sunday service, August 24, 2014.-

" I do not believe that it could make an Orthodox man belonging to our church , but I know what a rage breathe those of our faith does not belong.And it is possible that aiming at the temple , they targeted in all of us , in all of Holy Rus , full historical Rus , which repeatedly took aim throughout our history."

I believe that a true believer , and just a cultured man , can not shoot in the temple. Bomb churches , schools, hospitals, homes can only nonhumans - people without faith , without honor, without a conscience ! They do not realize that all of their actions to them and return the same : every evil deed , every bullet.
These nonhumans mock believers :" You love us , forgive, turn the other cheek , but we "ll have to bomb and kill ."

« Why do people do evil ? - Why not , and why! - Well, why do people do evil ? - Because they want good ! - Where does evil? - From discontent. - Why the discontent ? - From stupidity. No one wants to harm himself , but causing harm to another , the person thereby causes it yourself.Doing evil from a misunderstanding that it always returns to its istochniku.- Why do people resort to violence? - Why not , and why! Any violence stupidity because power ultimately will not achieve anything.It is impossible to force love.Freedom can not be defeated , because that is the nature of man. All crave love. So all can achieve love. - What wins : hate or love? - In the end, wins freedom, and thus love! Fear can overcome hatred , not love ! - So why do people do evil ? - From dislike.- Who is to blame ? - I am ! - What to do? - Love ! No other way. LOVE TO CREATE A MUST ! »
( From my novel - profit"Wanderer"( mystery ) online New Russian Literature

And in your opinion , what secrets of the island Kizhi ?

© Nikolai Kofyrin - New Russian Literature - http://www.nikolaykofyrin.ru

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