Ivanovo Region

Ivanovo Region. November 2018

Ivanovo Region is famous for its textile industry and traditional arts and crafts, particularly Palekh and Kholuy lacquer boxes and miniatures. The active development of the textile industry at the beginning of the XIX century was due to the use of American cotton instead of local flax and the widespread introduction of steam machines for operating weaving machines. Palekh has a very long history in Russian iconography, the art of painting Russian Orthodox icons for homes and churches. The village emerged as a leading center of Russian icon- and mural-painting in the XIX century. After the Revolution in 1917, the Palekh masters of iconography began to paint papier-mâché boxes while applying the same principles they had learned from painting icons.

The Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Palekh was built at the end of the XVIII century. It is considered one of the most beautiful Russian temples. At night it is nicely highlighted.

St. Nicholas Shartomsky monastery is located near the town of Shuya. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia. The exact date is not known, but, according to various sources, it was founded in the period from the XIII to the XIV century.

The abundance of churches makes an impression on the traveler who stops at the bridge over the Teza River and who has the opportunity, therefore, to contemplate two villages simultaneously: Dunilovo and Goritsy. The churches in the picture are a part of Holy Dormition Convent in Dunilovo.

Stone outbuildings, greenhouses, obelisks and the Church of the Transfiguration built in the XIX century – this is all that is left of the once rich estate and park.

In 15 kilometers from the town of Yuzha in the village of Mosta, there is a wooden church built in 2004. The initiators of the construction of the church were the local icon painters.

We left Moscow in early morning in order to photograph two great places of Sergiev Posad. The first one is the Gethsemane Chernigovsky Skete. Founded in 1847, it is particularly famous for hand-dug monk cells and prayer caves.

And of course, Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra.

We wish you all peace, good health and well-being!