The country of the White Lake… Deserted refuge
and heaven for countless souls who left everything behind for higher calling.
This is one of the many places that gave Russia the name of a Holy Country.
This is the Russian desert that blossomed with a multitude of spiritual
flowers, like the ancient deserts of Egypt, Libya, Palestine or Syria. Some of
its past glory can be seen even today. The might of the Kirillov Monastery,
once the largest monastic settlement in Russia, the splendid glory of
Dionysius’ frescoes at Ferapontovo, or the quiet beauty of one of Russia's
oldest towns – small and remote Belozersk. It is a glimpse of the past,
but it is the kind of past that brightens today and gives inspiration and hope
for tomorrow.
Staraya Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga -
The small town lost somewhere in the Russian North West. The grey of ancient
times is palpable. When well over a thousand years ago the Scandinavian
Northmen (Vikings) came, Staraya Ladoga already was a mighty city. And although
many changes took place, one can still see the picturesque beauty of its
surroundings, one still hears the stories that pose more questions than give
answers. It is just like in the ancient story of St. George pictured on a 12th
century fresco where he subdues the dragon not by the sword but by the Word of
the Christian Faith. It is very different from what we know and see most of the
time. But most everything here is different anyway, in this forgotten and
largely abandoned Northern capital of Russia.
Also see:
(1) Lake Ladoga
http://www.rusnet.nl/encyclo/l/ladoga.shtml
