NEW YORK: March 7, 2008
A Pilgrimage to the Russian North is Planned

Dear in the Lord Brothers and Sisters!

With the blessing of our First Hierarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, and our esteemed protector and eternal fellow pilgrim, His Eminence Archbishop Hilarion, with great thanks to God, we announce that after a two-year hiatus, we are planning our Fifth Annual Pilgrimage to the Russian North.

Itinerary 

Day 1. Thursday, 17 July. Arrival in Moscow. Pilgrims gather at Sergiev Posad. Transfer to hotel in Sergiev Posad. Lunch. Free time. Acquaintance with the program of the pilgrimage.  

Day 2. Friday, 18 July. Attendance at early morning service at Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra. Veneration of the relics of St Sergius of Radonezh. Breakfast. Departure by bus towards the city of Yaroslavl. On the way we stop at St Alexis Hermitage. Visit to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky: a brief acquaintance with the St Nicholas Convent (veneration of relics of local saints). Visit to St Nikita monastery (veneration of chains and relics of St Nikita the Stylite). Lunch.  

Transfer to Godenovo. Church of St John Chrysostom—the appearing of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. Transfer to Rostov the Great. The holy sites of the Rostov Kremlin. Visit to the Savior-St James' men's monastery. Visit to the Varnitsky monastery, the birthplace of St Sergius of Radonezh. Visit of the Orthodox high school. Supper in the monastery. (Transfer to Yaroslavl). Settle into Jubilee Hotel for the night.  

Day 3. Saturday, 19 July. Breakfast. Visit to Tolga convent. Morning service. Venerate the Tolga wonderworking icon of the Mother of God. Relics of St Ignatius Brianchaninov. Excursion through the convent. Lunch in Tolga convent refectory. Return to Yaroslavl: acquaintance with the city and its holy sites (the churches of Yaroslavl, Transfiguration monastery, Yaroslavl wonderworking icon of the Mother of God, St Theodore church) or free time. Supper. Overnight in Jubilee Hotel.  

Day 4. Sunday, 20 July. Breakfast. Transfer by bus to city of Tutaev. In Tutaev: excursion to the Resurrection cathedral and wonderworking icon of the Savior. Cross over to other side of the Volga River. Churches of the Romanov side. Protection church and the "Increase of Intelligence" wonderworking icon of the Mother of God. Lunch. Transfer by bus to the city of Kirillov. Veneration of the relics of St Cyril of Belozersk. Settle in for the night in the "Zaozerye" recreation area.  

Day 5. Monday, 21 July. Breakfast. Service in the St Cyril church (on the territory of the St Cyril of Belozersk monastery). Excursion through the monastery. Visit to the Archimandrite's building (to see icon collection, personal items of St Cyril and of Patriarch Nikon). Lunch. Transfer to the village of Ferapontovo. Visit Cathedral of the Virgin's Nativity, decorated with the frescoes of Dionysius. Visit to the active churches on the territory of the former Nativity of the Mother of God Ferapontovo monastery (relics of St Martinian). Free time. Supper. Remain for the night in the "Zaozerye" recreation site.  

Day 6. Tuesday, 22 July. Breakfast. Vacate our rooms. Excursion to the Goritsky Resurrection convent. Excursion to the Maura mountain (visit the chapel of Sts Cyril and Ferapont of Belozersk, stone with the imprint of St Cyril's foot). Lunch in the Goritsky convent. Departure for the city of Belozersk (150 km). Acquaintance with the ancient history of Belozerye (White Lake), walk on mound around the Belozersk fortress, account concerning the White Lake. Visit to Transfiguration cathedral with its unique iconostasis (18th century) and Dormition cathedral. Supper. Transfer to the city of Vologda (170 km). Settle into hotel for the night.  

Day 7. Wednesday, 23 July. Breakfast. Excursion through the city of Vologda. Visit the Savior-Prilutsky monastery (chains of SS Dimitry and Ignatius of Priluki). Excursion to the Vologda museum and its exposition of ancient Russian art). Lunch. Excursion to the Saviour-Kamenniy monastery on the Kubensk lake. Return to Vologda. Supper. Hotel in Vologda.  

Day 8. Thursday, 24 July. Breakfast. Departure from Vologda to Tot'ma (230 km trip). Lunch. Excursion through the city. The Savior-Sumorin monastery complex. Visit to historical collections. Museum of church antiquity. Transfer to Velikiy Ustiug (257 km). Settle into hotel in Ustiug. Supper.  

Day 9. Friday, 25 July. Breakfast. Morning service in the church of St Procopius of Ustiug. Excursion through the town by foot. Visit to the church of St Procopius the Righteous (relics of St Procopius, St Cyprian, SS John of Ustiug and Philip of Yaikovsk). Excursion to the St Archangel Michal monastery and church of the Ascension (17th c.). Lunch. Visit by bus "To the holy sites of the Ustiug Land" - the Holy Trinity-Gleden monastery and the architectural monuments of the Dymkov sloboda (settlement). Visit to the church of St Stephen of Perm. Evening service. Supper. Hotel in Ustiug.  

Day 10. Saturday, 26 July. Breakfast. Early departure for Solvychegodsk (the former estate of the Stroganov family). Excursion through the complex of Annunciation cathedral (summer church, with exposition of the "Ancient Russian Art of the 16-17 cc.," gravesites of the Stroganovs, basements of old wooden homes, belfry). Survey of the city. Church of the Entry of the Lord into the Temple. Salt Lake, mineral spring. Lunch. Transfer to Kotlas. Take train to the city of Arkhangelsk (approx. 14:30). Supper. Overnight in train.  

Day 11. Sunday, 27 July. Breakfast. Arrival in Arkhangelsk (approx. 09:50). Excursion through the city (the banks of the Northern Dvina River, merchants' section). Acquaintance with the Museum of Wooden Buildings: "Small Korels" (30 km from Arkhangelsk). Lunch. Transfer to airport and flight to the Solovki archipelago. Hotel near Solovetsky monastery.  

Day 12. Monday, 28 July. Excursion and pilgrimage program in Solovki. Hotel for the night.  

Day 13. Tuesday, 29 July. Continuation of the pilgrimage to the Solovetsky monastery. Departure from Solovki by plane to Moscow. Arrival in Moscow and transfer to hotel and rooms. Supper.

Day 14. Wednesday, 30 July. Moscow. Holy sites of the city: the Kremlin, two monasteries, Christ the Savior cathedral. Trip to Butovo and new church of Holy New Martyrs of Russia. Overnight in Moscow hotel.  

Day 15. Thursday, 31 July. Breakfast. Depart Moscow by bus for Diveyevo.

Arrival in the city of Murom. Brief acquaintance with the monasteries of the city. Lunch in the Transfiguration men's monastery. Transfer to Diveyevo. Settle in "Diveyevo Sloboda" hotel. Evening service in convent. Procession around the convent on the Embankment (St. Seraphim's "Kanavka"). Supper. Rest in hotel.  

Day 16. Friday , 1 August. Morning services: midnight office, akathist, liturgy. Breakfast. Trip to the far spring of St Seraphim of Sarov. After returning to Diveyevo, a excursion through the convent. The Diveyevo springs (by foot through the town of Diveyevo). Lunch. Rest. Evening service. Procession around the convent on the Embankment. Supper. Overnight in same hotel.

Day 17. Saturday , 2 August. Morning services: midnight office, akathist, Liturgy. Breakfast. Excursion to the “far wellspring” of St Seraphim. After returning to Diveevo, an excursion of the Monastery. The Diveevo Springs. A walkthrough tour of the town of Diveevo. Lunch. Rest. Evening services. Procession around the convent on the Embankment (St. Seraphim's "Kanavka"). Supper. Return to Moscow.  

Day 18. Sunday, 3 Aug. Breakfast. End of the pilgrimage program. Transfer of pilgrims to airport. Depart Moscow.  

Cost of Pilgrimage (within Russia):

$3100 US plus price of airline tickets from Arkhangelsk to Solovki and Solovki to Moscow: $405 US.  

For further information, contact Galina Konstantinovna Sologub of Sologub and Partners: 
mobile: +7 (909) 940-0295 office: +7 (495) 730-2354 fax: +7 (495) 730-2355 
Email: g.k.sologub@gmail.com