The glorious city of Pereslavl
Pereslavl, although it is one of the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia, is not as visited by tourists as its famous brothers Vladimir, Suzdal, Yaroslavl and others. In my opinion, this helped the city retain its special spirit, which is largely lost in other places. We, residents of large cities, are in our illusion of modernity, we live by business and cares, we live in high-rise buildings, offices, roads, subways, shops and queues. And it seems to us that the whole world fits into this algorithm, that there is nothing more than the logic of the bustling city life. And we also believe that somewhere far away, in the wilds of our history, in distant lost forests and villages, somewhere on the very edge of the world, there may still be ancient traditions and legends, but they are nothing more than ordinary fiction.
And even those who realize that, forgetting and brushing aside our roots, we do not become more enlightened and modern, but on the contrary, we only lose understanding of ourselves and our lives, even those who believe that one needs to go a hundred thousand to a fairy tale, history and traditions verst. If you are among the seekers of history and fairy tales, then I hasten to please you, it is not far at all to go. You just need to visit the glorious city of Pereslavl.
If you are drawn to the Christian faith, then you can visit the Goretsky, Nikitsky, Trinity Danilovsky, Nikolsky and Fedorovsky monasteries. Have you ever felt as if the real presence of the Holy Spirit in the temples, when your heart skipped a beat? Have you ever seen how the sun casts a ray from under the dome of the temple and its light plays all over the iconostasis? Did you manage to feel the freedom of flight, climbing the bell tower, when the whole panorama of the old one-two-story town opens up for you? Could you feel the infinity of the horizon, peering into the invisible shores of Lake Pleshcheyevo? If once you felt it, then the soul will certainly want to face it again. If you have never stood hand in hand with a miracle, then you should. Looking at the prayed antiquity of the 15-16th century, it becomes clear that time only runs on your watch, while here reality belongs to infinity.
In the middle of Pereslavl, the picturesque river Trubezh flows, which flows into Lake Pleshcheyevo. Weeping willows grow along the banks of the river and many boats sway. The water in the river seems to be absolutely still, unless its mirror is broken by fish, now and then hitting the surface with their tails, and numerous frogs. In the evening, fishermen sit on makeshift piers and carefully wait for the float to stir. You can walk along the entire river, peering into the reality reflected in it. I want to remember every reflection, every little symbol of peace. – Thank you! - you sigh.
The river will lead you to Lake Pleshcheyevo. Our ancestors believed that the local lake has its own soul. Having been near the lake, you will understand the depth of their faith, because the spirit of this lake is truly great. The lake seems endless, it is not always possible to see the opposite shore. Peter the Great kept his fleet on this lake, because even now the depth of the Pleshcheevsky waters is more than 25 meters. Young willows grow along the shores of the lake, and yellow water lilies near its very shore. An ancient forest with many crooked and mighty trees adjoins the lake. Now a narrow forest road has been laid through its windbreak, along which you can get to the source of St. Barbara. The forest also has its own spirit and character, so if you turn into roads, you risk becoming its captives for a very long time.
It is here, on the edge of the forest near Lake Pleshcheyevo, that there is a place called Alexandrova Gora. However, in the time of our ancestors, the ego was called Yarilova Mountain, because on the top of this hill there was a pagan temple dedicated to Yarila, the god of the Sun. At the top of the hill there was an amazing Blue Stone, which, as they say, heals from various diseases and grants wishes. When Orthodoxy flourished on the territory of Pereslavl, it was decided to overthrow the Tsar Stone from the mountain. A deep well was dug at the foot of the mountain, the Blue Stone was thrown down from the mountain and lowered to the bottom of the well. They forgot about the stone. But here, as it turned out, his amazing story has just begun. After some time, the stone again appeared on the surface, and faith in its miraculous properties only strengthened. Then a second attempt was made to overthrow the glory of the stone. In winter, a multi-ton amazing stone was somehow placed on a sled and taken to the very middle of Lake Pleshcheyevo, where they were thrown under the ice. But even then the stone did not allow itself to be forgotten, time passed again, and the Blue Stone crawled out onto the shore of the lake, where it remains to this day, in a picturesque corner on the lake shore not far from the old forest. Until now, numerous people are drawn to the Sin-Stone, hoping for help. Thus, although Pereslavl is truly a true Orthodox center, there is a place in its world for ancient pagan traditions.
Of course, this glorious city is also home to wonderful little museums: the Museum of Irons and Kettles, the Museum of Trains, the Museum of Peter the Great, as well as many historical buildings, mansions and monuments. Everyone finds something special in this small town, whether it be historical and artistic values, the extraordinary spirit of Orthodoxy and prayerful monasteries, ancient pagan traditions or just peaceful walks along the river and Lake Pleshcheyevo. Spend some time on excursions, your soul to amazing monasteries, memory and feelings for the understanding and faith of our ancestors, meet the dawn on the hillside and sunset on the horizon of the endless Pleshcheyevo Lake, and then, probably, the wisdom that “happy hours are not are watching. "
