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Description

Founded in 1880 and financed by merchant Mamontov, the Rdeisky Monastery emerged around an existing wooden church. The project included renovating it and building a new cloister, with some buildings made of brick, and others from wood. This is one of those rare locations scattered around Russia called places of power. It is here that two tectonic plates meet.

The idea to build a church here did not come out of nowhere. Surrounded by lake on three sides, the monastery hides behind a swamp. Construction entered an active phase in 1880. This is when the bell tower, warehouses, stables, and the wall were built. However, the wooden structures deteriorated quite quickly, so in 1898, it was decided to rebuild the monastery in stone. Finishing tiles came from Poland and marble from Italy. The altar iconostasis was made of Venetian marble, crowning the cathedral. Even Moscow could not match this beauty. Moscow craftsmen painted icons and made stained glass for the cathedral. It was a beautiful church. However, in 1937, the Rdeisky Monastery closed, never to reopen again. After the war, the nearby villages became depopulated, which may explain why the monastery was never renovated.

The Rdeisky Monastery is a source of several legends, which may explain why people are still eager to reach this place. Locals usually warn against visiting the monastery out of simple curiosity. Quite a few legends tell the story of people disappearing there and returning into the world once they have repented for their sins. Pilgrims enjoy a much warmer welcome if they come here searching for a connection with the history of the Russian land and its Christian faith. In this case, you will hear stories about miraculous healings after visiting this place.

However, the sacred forces here not only heal, but also punish. Rumour has it that trouble awaits those who pillage or damage the monastery, be it by scribbling something on its walls. It is for this reason that the locals revere this sacred place, and donate for restoration work every time they visit in the hope that one day the Rdeisky Monastery recovers its former glory.

For tourists, the Rdeisky Monastery is one of the rare places on Earth called a place of power. Many shared stories of returning from there healed or changing their lives. Pilgrims agree that this place is sacred, and will stay this way even when the cathedral turns into dust. Experienced travellers say that this place is worth visiting while the church is still standing, to feel the local atmosphere that conveys an air of something perennial, something much older and higher than us.

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