Spb, The First Day of The New Year

I have planned in advance to spend my winter vacation in Saint Petersburg. However, one week before departure I found out that Saint Petersburg would be closed for any celebration during the Christmas holidays. Corona is still reigning here and in all Russia. Basically, there are no available restaurants and pubs, there are no available museums, there is nothing to be entertained at this rigid city. Still I was pretty sure that I would be able to have fun even without public places. At least, I would try to switch off by changing the Moscow landscapes to something fresh.

The journey starts on 1st January 2021 on Komsomolskaya square, where Leningradsky railway station is located. As usually, I travel to Saint Petersburg with the high speed train Sapsan. I was sensible enough not to drink too much the previous evening, so there is no hangover.

Honestly, I was expecting to see something special on the train on the first day of the new year. Still, nothing reminded of the celebration except this plastic branches on the ceiling.

Well, the journey from Moscow to Saint Petersburg took about 4 hours. Finally, I am on the platform of the Moskovsky railway station, ready to throw myself  into the arms of the imperial city

Well, the city looks gloomy and unfriendly as never before. There is no so much decoration in the streets. There is no New Year spirit. Alright, I will handle it, I thought. But first I needed to get to the hotel and have some rest.

Cronwell Inn is the 4 star hotel, very close to the Nevsky prospekt and not far from the station. In fact, it has become my favourite hotel while traveling to Saint Petersburg many times.

Luckily, at the hotel they are aware of the New Year, and they presented some delicious cookies with coffee. While watching the New Year movie (of course the Russian romantic comedy The Irony of Fate) and eating the pastries, I felt a little bit happier.

At night the city does not look so gloomy. Still, it is quite windy. And I am really jealous of people who are sitting in their armchairs around the table in the warm apartments. Hopefully, there is no rain or snow. 

I reached the Palace square with hope to see something grand there. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The Christmas tree is not so special for such special place as Saint Petersburg. It did not look grand at all.

It is a pity that all restaurants are closed, and you can order the food only for take away in the plastic plates. So, the dinner was bought in the local supermarket. It is not what I was dreaming of when imagining my winter holidays. I hope that  tomorrow I will orientate myself and will find the ways to have fun.

The Spiritual Centre of Russia

It has been a difficult year. The year without trips and proper vacation. In June the Moscow authorities opened the public places and allowed people to travel freely. However, I did not have much thirst for traveling.

Eventually, I decided to give myself a try and set off for another journey. For beginning, I have chosen some destination nearby Moscow. And it was Sergiev Posad, a lovely ancient town, which is the part of the famous Golden Ring route.

The journey starts from Yaroslavskiy station, situated on the Komsomolskaya square. Actually, it is going to be one-day trip, because Sergiev Posad is located not far from Moscow, and there are only 70 kilometres by train. Honestly, I do not expect to see much in that city, but I expect to find some pacification there.

I take the cheapest ticket for the electric train with the cost of 200 rubles. The coach looks really shabby, but I am ready to "suffer" for a while.

In 1 hour and 30 minutes we stopped on the platform of Sergiev Posad station. The trip was good and not boring, because during the movement we were entertained by the numerous people, who were singing and selling some stuff in front of the passengers, and moreover the views out of the window were quite scenic.

So, I am in Sergiev Posad. The town was founded in 1337, but currently it counts the population of 110 thousand people. It is fantastic that at this small city there are so many marvelous sights.

Nowadays, it is very seldom to meet the old wooden houses in the streets. But in Sergiev Posad there are plenty of them. I am glad, that they try to preserve it and give opportunity to younger generation to see the significant part of Russian culture.

In the squares of the town also could be found some examples of the modern art. For example, this silhouette of the wooden Russian doll Matreshka. People say, that Matreshka became extremely popular in Russia at the time when they started to make it in Sergiev Posad.

Well, at first sight the town looks very cozy and comfortable, at least the central part of it. There are many places where you can take beautiful photos here. I definitely would like to see this scenery in Summer or early Autumn. 

Meanwhile, I felt hungry and cold. So, before continuing my cultural program I needed to take care about hot meal. I have googled and found some positive rating of the Gostevaya Izba restaurant. It is located in the very center of the town, therefore I was quite skeptic about this place in terms of prices and quality. Luckily, I was wrong. The restaurant not only has the authentic interior but also offers good food in Russian style, cooked according to the old recipes. I recommend it by all means. Probably, this restaurant is another reason why you need to visit Sergiev Posad.

Nevertheless, I arrived to this place especially because of the monastery. The Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius was founded in the early 14th century by St Sergey, or Sergius of Radonezh. It became the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Christianity, and even Russian Tsars, including Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great,  came here in search of  the spiritual fulfilment.

The Trinity cathedral, built in the early 15th century is one of the oldest churches in the Moscow Region. This cathedral boasts some works by Andrey Rublev, Russia's most famous icon master. The shrine with the relics of Sergius of Radonezh are placed here.

Another notable Church is called Cathedral of the Assumption. The distinctive feature of this church is its striking blue domes with golden stars, which can be seen afar.

The other remarkable buildings of the Trinity Lavra are The Church of the Holy Spirit, The Bell Tower, The Refectory with the Church of St. Sergius, The Tsar Palace, The Chapel Over the Well.

Well, I am absolutely happy to stop at this unique place. I wonder, why I have not discovered Sergiev Posad before. But currently I have desire to come back here again and again. I feel that it is the right place for those who are wishing to see the real Russian spirit, to experience solitude and to find the answers for some spiritual questions.