The capital is called golden-domed thanks to its churches, which have determined its appearance since ancient times. Despite their difficult fate, many churches and temples of Moscow have remained on the city map and are open to tourists. By ordering one of our excursions, you can visit the most beautiful and interesting churches in Moscow, learn their history and simply enjoy the contemplation of magnificent architecture.
In the capital you can see religious monuments of different faiths Muslim mosques, Catholic cathedrals, Jewish centers (synagogues). There are also large Old Believer churches in Moscow. But the most common, of course, are Orthodox churches and monasteries in Moscow. They attract thousands of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.
Note that many ancient Moscow churches were destroyed during Soviet times. Others were reconstructed, converted into farm or municipal buildings. Now the list of Moscow churches is expanding every year, old buildings are being restored, new ones are being built - the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. But tourists are attracted primarily by those objects that were built back in tsarist times. The most popular of them are located in the city center. So, you can visit St. Basil's Cathedral. It will be of interest not only to believers; the building amazes with its solemnity, beauty, and abundance of complex details.
Most of the temples that tourists are allowed to visit are active. This means that when visiting them you will have to follow a number of simple rules. In particular, women need to wear a skirt and headscarf, which can be sold near temples or given out by tour guides, but it is advisable to make sure they are available in advance.
Excursion topic: Orthodox Church
Purpose of the excursion:
To acquaint children with the Orthodox church, its structure, temple art, iconography, symbolism, interior and exterior decoration.
Program content:
The lesson takes the form of an excursion to the temple. The lesson program includes a visit to the temple, the bell tower, and a conversation with the priest. Excursion to the new temple under construction of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.
Teacher
The temple is a special building; it is not like any of the modern city buildings.
Each of you, children, has a name, just as temples have their own name. Some churches are named in honor of the Lord, His holidays, others - in honor of the Mother of God, others - in honor of saints. We came to the temple of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon. Remember, the temple is the house of God. The master in it is the Lord.
How many of you know anything about the Holy Healer Panteleimon?
(children's answers)
Let's see what we see when we enter an Orthodox church?
Children:
Icons.
Teacher: B The church has many, many icons (images) depicting Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, angels, and saints.
The Savior Himself gave us His image. Having washed, He wiped His most pure face with a towel and miraculously depicted it on this towel for the sick prince Abgar. When the prince prayed before this miraculous image of the Savior, he was healed of his illness.
Teacher:
Who is the greatest saint?
Mother of God.
Teacher
There are always many Her icons in the church. For the sake of Her maternal love and Her prayers, God forgives believers a lot and helps them in many ways.
There are icons of saints in the temple. These are people who loved God very much and pleased Him with their righteous lives. They pray to God for us, helping us living on earth. On the iconsdepict events from the life of Jesus Christ.
Every temple always has temple icon, which depicts the saint or event in whose honor this temple was built and named. Our temple is named after the great martyr and healer Panteleimon.
Here is an icon depicting the image of St. Panteleimon, let’s come and have a look.
The temple has a special wall - a partition, which separates the middle part of the temple from the altar. There are icons on it in rows. This iconostasis. The iconostasis has three gates; the middle gate is called royal, because through them the Lord Himself, the King of glory, passes in the Holy Gifts (the sacrament of Communion). Therefore, no one is allowed to pass through the royal doors except the clergy.
We see many burning candles in the temple. Coming to the church, at the entrance, people buy candles and then place them lit in front of the icon.
Teacher
Why do they do this?
Children:
They pray to God.
Teacher
The candle flame reaches up, and the burning candle in front of the icon is like our prayer, which reaches out to God.Each lit candle is a prayer of some person.
When the Royal Doors are open in the temple, we see the altar.
The altar is the most Holy place in the temple. Only priests and their assistants enter there when they serve God.
Teacher
Guys, why do people go to church?
Children
They all pray to God together.
Teacher
Yes, guys, that’s right, we said that all believers have their own Family of God - the Church. In this family we are all brothers and sisters. In this Family, for all of us, God is the Father, and the Mother of God is the Mother.
And God’s family gathers together to pray to God in a special place. Our Savior promised that if at least two or three ask Him for something together, then He will hear such a prayer. That's why Christians (those who believe in Jesus Christ) gather together to pray together for common prayer.
Teacher
The temple is a great holy place where God Himself is present with special mercy, invisibly, therefore we must enter the temple with prayer and the sign of the cross and behave quietly and reverently in the temple. During services you cannot talk, much less make noise, run, or laugh. Because then you will be in the way standing nearby to pray to people, and to conduct services for the priest. And most importantly, the Lord Himself will see your behavior in His house. The children's bad behavior upsets Him. Don’t forget, the temple is the House of God, a holy place. The sacrament of Holy Communion is performed in the church, when, under the guise of bread and wine, Christians receive the Savior Himself. Think for yourself how you should behave in such holy moments while in church?
Teacher
Guys, in the courtyard of the temple there is a bell tower,that is, the tower on which the bells hang. The ringing of bells calls people who love God to prayer.
Now let’s go and see, construction has begun near our temple. This is a new brick temple to the healer Panteleimon being built. It was built with donations from parishioners. There the priest will meet us and tell us about the construction and the saint whose name our new temple will bear.
The priest continues the tour.
Teacher.
Guys, at our next lesson, I suggest you make a panel “Our Temple” from salt dough, because Father Demetrius told us what kind of temple it would be. There is a lot of work, so it will be a team effort.
Tatiana Ustyuzhanina
Excursion was carried out with children senior group with the written consent of the parents.
Target: Spiritual and moral education of children, familiarization with folk culture and traditions native land
We live in a small and ancient town named Kola, who turned 450 this year. We have Church of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God.
Story Annunciation Church- This is the history of our native land. And knowing the history of your small homeland helps you better understand the history of your country and love your native land more deeply. Those places that are associated with shrines, where events took place that influenced the lives of our ancestors, become especially dear.
Orthodox temple - beautiful, a majestic building, it cannot be confused with any other structure. It is decorated with domes, always topped with crosses. Color of the dome in Orthodox the temple talks about, in whose honor the main throne was consecrated. Domes the temple is covered with gilding, because it is consecrated in honor of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas is the day when Jesus Christ was born)
In February, the boys and I went to excursion to the temple. Father Alexey met us at the church.
Father Alexey asked the guys why people come to church? (answers children: baptized, receive communion, get married, confess, attend services)
He introduced us to the interior of the church - rich decorative decoration, borrowed from peasant wooden architecture, paintings on scenes from the Holy Scriptures and the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
In every temple there is definitely Golgotha - a large wooden cross with the Savior crucified on it.
Candles are placed on a rectangular stand for deceased relatives and friends. The wooden carved iconostasis was painted by a Moscow master.
IN temple icons are placed on the iconostasis, they are arranged according to certain rules. It has three doors, the middle one is double-leaf, called the Royal Doors; behind the closed Royal Doors there is an altar.
The altar is a special place in the Orthodox Church temple, here the priests conduct part of the service, hidden from the parishioners.
He invited the children to consider those in temple icons. The children recognized icons of Saints known to them and asked about icons unfamiliar to them.
Father Alexey told the children about the celebration of baptism in Rus'. About the rites of baptism.
He sprinkled everyone with holy baptismal water.
We bought candles at the church shop. A church candle should be treated reverently, because this is a symbol of our desire for the Lord. How to cross yourself, pray, light a candle correctly. Having said a prayer in front of the icon, you need to cross yourself twice with a bow from the waist, venerate the icon, kiss it and then cross yourself a third time.
Together with the priest we went up to the roof of the church. where he told the children about large and small bells, they asked them to listen to what amazing sounds different bells and bells make. We learned that the ringing of a bell calls people to come to God. The children enjoyed trying themselves as bell ringers.
Father told the children that when temple there is a Sunday school, and if they go there, they will be told much more about the church than they learned today. As a farewell, Father Alexey took a photo with the guys as a souvenir
Excursion brought a lot of positive emotions, I was amazed by the unique ancient exhibits, icons, paintings, and church decoration.
On the way from temple The children did not make any noise in the garden and shared their impressions. And in the evening they enthusiastically told their parents about the amazing excursions to the Church of the Annunciation
Publications on the topic:
On November 11, we organized an excursion to a newly opened temple in our city. This is the Temple of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Before.
Today we talked about another one historical value, this is our Church. Looking through the Temples of different cities, Artemka suddenly said: “And here.
Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ, is the main church holiday. It does not have a fixed date, but always falls on a Sunday in April or.
The holiday of Christmas is kind and bright, one of the most beloved among the people. During these holidays, you can invite the children to draw a temple. Teach children.
NOD "Temple - House of God"“The Temple is the House of God” Purpose: To introduce children to the Orthodox Church and its significance in the life of Orthodox Christians; enrich children's vocabulary.
Individual excursions to the Orthodox shrines of Cyprus with private guides are the most popular among Russian tourists. This is explained by the fact that the island has a huge and incredibly rich history regarding Christianity. According to scientific research, Christianity appeared in Cyprus more than 2000 years ago; during this period, religion on the island experienced quite different times, temples were created and destroyed, miracles described in the Bible happened, many saints during periods of persecution of Christians in the “Holy Land” found refuge here. Therefore, Cyprus can safely be called one of the main centers of Orthodoxy, possessing a large number of shrines and attracting pilgrims from all over the world.
What excursions to visit in Orthodox Cyprus?
Kykkos Monastery
The Kykkos Monastery (full name is the Holy Royal and Stavropegial Monastery of the Kykkos Icon of the Mother of God) is one of the main monasteries of Cyprus, located in a picturesque place in the Troodos Mountains.
The main shrine of the Kykkos Monastery is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Eleusa”. According to legend, the face was painted by Saint Luke himself and blessed by the Virgin Mary during her earthly life. In the temple, the sacred image of the Mother of God is hidden from the eyes of people by a precious canopy. It is believed that the Kykkos Icon of the Mother of God was specially hidden from view, because she has an incredibly powerful force that can blind any person who looks at the open face of the Child and the Virgin Mary.
The icon of the Mother of God is located in the iconostasis of the temple, on the right side of the main church gate. To touch the shrine, to ask the Mother of God for the salvation of the soul and healing - a huge number of pilgrims from all over the world specially come to the Kykkos Monastery every year. Our Lady does not refuse anyone.
After visiting the church of the Kykkos Monastery, you can take with you a cotton wool soaked in life-giving myrrh.
Abbey Museum
Kykkos Monastery has the richest and rarest Louvre on the island, created at the end of the last century. It houses a unique collection of Orthodox shrines: ancient rare manuscripts and books, church incense boxes, embroidery, lamps and candlesticks, antiques, clothing of clergy from different eras.
One of the main exhibits is a sacred belt that relieves women from infertility.
Also, a collection of relics of the great martyrs is kept there (Nicholas the Wonderworker, Apostle Philip, Saint Spyridon of Trimifunt, Matrona of Moscow, St. George the Victorious, John the Baptist, Saint Luke).
In the monastery on display you can see many rare and ancient icons, of which Cyprus is especially proud.
Monastery of Our Lady of Macheras
Macheras Monastery is another one of the main legendary monasteries of the island, located in Troodos near Mount Kionia and the village of Lasagna. The Macheras Monastery was founded in the last years of the 12th century. We definitely recommend visiting this monastery as part of the “Orthodox Cyprus Excursion” program.
The main shrine of the monastery is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God Macheras - it is believed that it is one of the 70 icons painted by the Apostle Evangelist Luke. It is worth noting that all icons painted by the apostles are the most powerful and blessed.
The icon of Our Lady of Macheras, like the monastery of the same name, has a rather long and complicated history, filled with many miraculous events, but you can read about this or learn about it on the Orthodox Cyprus excursion from a guide.
In general, the atmosphere that reigns in the Macheras Monastery is conducive to mental peace and tranquility. A visit to this shrine will definitely leave the brightest impressions and give you spiritual strength.
Church of Cyprian and Justina
In the small village of Meniko (in the Nicosia region), there is a very strong and unique shrine in the whole world - the Church of Cyprian and Justina, where you can get protection from magic and get rid of the evil eye.
As you know, the Orthodox era does not recognize the existence of magic, witchcraft and other powers, but after learning about the history of Saints Cyprian and Justina, you will learn what makes this temple unique. You can read about the history and temple of Cyprian and Justina, but it is better to learn about the life of the saints directly from the guide as part of the Orthodox Cyprus excursion. The story of Cyprian and Justina will become an excellent example for you, showing how true faith in Christ can destroy any demonic spell.
The main value of the temple is the relics of the great martyrs Cyprian and Justina. After the relics of the Saints were placed in this temple of Cyprian and Justina, many physical and mental healings occurred among people who came to venerate them.
Every day from 8.00 to 12.30, and then from 16.00 to 18.30, as a rule, one of the priests is in the temple, who can read you a prayer for protection from dark forces.
Monastery of the Holy Cross(Life-giving) –
is a very ancient and revered shrine in Cyprus (founded, according to legend, 327 BC), located in the very beautiful and soulful village of Omodos (in Troodos).
The main value of this monastery is a fragment of the Life-Giving Cross and a piece of the rope “Bounds of Christ”, which tied the hands of Jesus Christ to the pillar when He was scourged.
Of course, it is impossible to establish exactly when and how these shrines got to the monastery - according to one version, they were brought by Saint Helena during her search for the Life-Giving Cross in the Holy Land.
In the Monastery of the Holy Cross, many more revered Orthodox shrines are carefully preserved; the head of the Apostle Philip is considered one of the main ones.
After many miraculous events associated with the Life-Giving Cross, the monastery gained worldwide fame and became one of the main Orthodox places of worship in Cyprus.
A visit to the Monastery of the Holy Cross is usually included in all main programs - Guided Orthodox Cyprus Tour.
In general, in Cyprus there are many relatively little-known shrines, to which pilgrims come for a specific purpose, for example, near the temple of St. Kalandion, at the tomb of St. Agapitikos people ask for help in love, near the neighboring tomb, at St. Misitikos (patron of hatred) is asked for help in getting rid of enemies, for general ailments it is recommended to visit, for skin ailments you should go to the monastery of St. Thekla. Therefore, if you want to visit the Orthodox shrines of Cyprus for a specific purpose, we advise you to consult with a competent guide in advance.
It is worth noting that individual excursions around Orthodox Cyprus are in great demand among our citizens. Therefore, on this page you can immediately order individual tours to Orthodox places in Cyprus, taking into account your desires and needs.
Also, you can get advice from a guide in advance on drawing up a route and choosing a car (car or minibus).
To learn more about each individual excursion to the Orthodox shrines of Cyprus, and consult with our guides, you can send a request from the website by calling or sending data to Wats Up, Viber messengers.
Send a request for an excursion Orthodox Cyprus
Trips to holy places help a believer to join the rich Orthodox culture and expand his spiritual experience. By visiting churches and monasteries, a Christian gets the opportunity not only to comprehend logically, but also to feel in his soul the essence of the Christian faith. Pilgrimage is the cultivation of faith in the soul; it has no less influence on a person than prayer or fasting.
Moscow pilgrimage services are developing their own routes for Orthodox Christians. Their goal is to help a person visit the most important centers of Orthodoxy from the point of view of believers, to see and touch the shrines with their own eyes. Pilgrimage trips from Moscow are designed in such a way as to expand knowledge and spiritual experience, to familiarize with the peculiarities of life in monasteries and churches.
Orthodox trips allow you to delve deeper into the spiritual life of people who have devoted their entire lives to serving the Lord, renouncing worldly goods and worries. On a pilgrimage, worldly vanity disappears from consciousness, and new world- spiritual joys, self-denial and service. The human soul is renewed, feelings of bright joy and peace appear.
A pilgrimage trip along the route ZADONSK - VORONEZH - ELETS is an opportunity to visit Orthodox places where the luminaries of the Russian land lived and worked. You will be able to venerate miraculous relics and icons, take a bath in holy natural springs, and take part in divine services. The first mention of the emergence of a temple in Zadonsk in honor of the miraculous salvation from the invasion of Tamerlane dates back to the 14th century. Holy Mother of God with the heavenly army she appeared to the invader in a dream and ordered to leave the Russian lands. After a significant vision, he did not go to Moscow, but decided to turn home. Thanks to spiritual intercession, the city of Yelets became an extreme northern point Tamerlane's empire.
A pilgrimage is an opportunity to touch shrines with your soul and body, show love for the Lord, show the strength of your faith and cleanse your mind of sinful thoughts. To make a pilgrimage, it is not at all necessary to go on a long journey and spend a lot of money. Christ is among us, and his shrines are next to us. Therefore, we offer you a wonderful two-day trip, during which you can turn your gaze to God, enjoy the beauty of the temple decoration and the warm flame of candles, euphonious singing and the enchanting aroma of incense.
Trip to Nikologory
For many years now the fame of Nativity of Christ temple located in the modest village of Naguevo (Vyaznikovsky district, Vladimir region). Built and consecrated in 1819, the church did not close its doors to Orthodox Christians even during times of persecution. A small church in the village has become an object of pilgrimage and a real spiritual center where thousands of Christians want to come.
Crimea, with its great Orthodox shrines, is called the cradle of Russian Orthodoxy, the Russian Bethlehem. Here, from the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, it expanded and multiplied Christian faith. Here, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, who brought Orthodoxy to Russian soil, received Holy Baptism. Here the great physician, St. Luke of Crimea, rests with his holy relics, abundantly exuding healing to the suffering.
Travel dates are based on air travel. For travel By minibus you need to take into account another 2 days of travel.
The price of the voucher is 19,900 rubles, the cost of a trip by minibus is included in 6,000 rubles (i.e. the voucher is 13,900 + minibus 6000 rubles) . By minibus from Moscow to Port Caucasus, 1500 km, about 19 hours. If you leave at 7.00, you will arrive at 3.00. The crossing takes up to 2 hours. From Port Crimea to Kachi 300 km - 4-5 hours. Arrival at 10.00.
The price of the tour includes: accommodation, meals, pilgrimage trips.
Not included: paid visits to museums.
The sea is a 3-minute walk away. Not a deep clear sea.
We invite everyone to a pilgrimage trip for two days - and these will be happy days when you breathe freely and easily, finding yourself in places far from the bustle of earthly life.
Rylsky St. Nicholas monastery will greet you with the soft smiles of the inhabitants and the peace of God's services.
For half a thousand years the monastery has stood on Russian soil, glorifying the Lord through the lips of successive generations of monks.
Our invitation to a pilgrimage trip along the route Zhokino-Zakharovo-Pushkari-Ryazan is for everyone who wants to do good for their soul.
You can turn to God with heartfelt prayers when you visit the ancient church of St. Apostle John the Theologian in the village of Zhokino.
This temple was built a long time ago, back in the 60s. XIX century, on the site of a dilapidated wooden church (1783). In the Theological Church, miraculous healings of the sick often took place, as recorded in church history.
Nowadays, the influence of the devil on human minds is unusually great: after all, many temptations have increased that were unprecedented before. And it is through them that demons lead people away from God...
Carried away by worldly seduction, these unfortunate people sometimes do not understand what is happening to them.
But the degree of obsession can increase so much that evil spirits, having completely enslaved the will of a person, they use his body for their actions, they speak through the lips of the possessed.
The spiritual wealth accumulated over the centuries by the monasteries of the Smolensk region becomes available to all pilgrims of our country and foreign countries. The schedule of pilgrimage trips is relevant at any time of the year; every month on their days off, everyone can visit the holy places of the Smolensk region. New, interesting routes allow you to get up close and personal with the abundance of Orthodox shrines and monasteries of the Smolensk Metropolis. A short pilgrimage tour is full of shrines in different monasteries and excursions. You will be able to venerate holy icons and relics, take part in divine services, and experience the healing power of holy springs.
Nilo-Stolobensky Monastery (Lake Seliger): the road of spiritual change in your life
We all, due to human weakness, often deviate from the rules of Christian life. And although we reproach ourselves for this, we still don’t always have the strength to live without deviating from God’s institutions
Therefore, we need to make regular pilgrimages, which deepen our knowledge about the holy people who shone in the Russian land, and strengthen our desire to zealously serve Jesus Christ.
A trip to Diveevo-Arzamas: to increase faith in the Lord in your heart
The topic of faith is the most important issue for every believer. Unfortunately, many can say about themselves that the bustle of our lives distracts us from spiritual values, replacing them with worldly ones, and faith gradually weakens.
