Russia's Golden Ring offers spectacular window on nation's past
A world away from nearby Moscow, crescent of historic villages, towns and cities are where the Russian nation was born centuries ago, writes Daniel Allen
At the Chapel over the Well, women in headscarves make small talk as they queue for water. Many have come from Moscow to the monastery of Saint Sergius Lavra, in the small Russian city of Sergiyev Posad, to replenish their supply from the sacred spring. For those who have forgotten to bring a receptacle, recycled water bottles are provided. For a small fee, of course.
Sergiyev Posad is only 75km to the northeast of Moscow yet it is a million miles away from the power and get-rich-quick ambition of the Russian capital; religion and tourism are the order of the day here, with life moving to a more relaxed, meditative beat.
Founded in 1345, the monastery is one of the largest in Russia and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. Expanded several times by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century - to celebrate the capture of Kazan and as penance for killing his son - the huge Saint Sergius Lavra compound was the template for hundreds of monasteries and churches right across Russia.
Today, even for the faithless, the monastery is a stunning spectacle. Towering over a colourful melange of churches and other religious buildings, the huge gold and star-spangled blue domes of the main cathedral resemble a confectioner's fantasy. Bearded monks in black cassocks complete the scene, walking the narrow paths with a purposeful stride and the occasional incongruous sports bag.
