GENERAL INFORMATION

XIVth International Conference “SURFACE FORCES” will take place aboard the ship traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Russia

The route will pass via Old Russian town Uglich, the architectural ensemble of Kizhi, scenic landscapes of Russian North. Attractive trips are on all stops.

The travel from Moscow to St.-Petersburg will allow you to open for yourselves the magnificent storehouse of national culture named “Russian North”. You will be amazed by the majestic northern monasteries and golden domes of the churches. From the board of the boat you will admire small wooden chapels hidden in northern woods: as surprisingly they are in such a harmony with surrounding nature!

There will be several green stops and excursions on the route.

The 1st stop is in Uglich. The name of Uglich is a derivative of “ugol” (“a corner”). The Volga makes a sharp bend at this place, forming a corner, or “ugol”, hence the name.

Founded as early as 937, it was first mentioned in chronicles only in 1148. A local legend says that the town existed in the days of Holy Equiapostolic Princess Olga.

Uglich was seriously damaged during the Polish invasion in 1611 and after the revolution in 1917. But since 1952 a team of restorers has been working in the town’s historical center and many old buildings have been saved from destruction.

The next stop is the village of Goritsy, home to the Resurrection Convent, standing at the shoreline. From Goritsy a bus will take you to the town of Kirillov, 8 kilometers away, to tour one of the major Orthodox strongholds of Old Russia, the Monastery of St. Cyril on the White Lake.

Founded in the 14th century, the monastery has preserved its remarkable architecture and fascinates the visitors by its majestic churches enclosed within austere fortress walls. The monastery is also famous for its museum of icons; some of them are the oldest in Russia.

Then goes the island of Kizhi which is located at the northern end of the Onega Lake, the second largest lake in Europe. This region is called Zaonezhye (“behind the Lake Onega”). The island is 7 km long and 1,5 km wide. The word “Kizhi” means “game” in Karelian. Probably it was a site of pagan rites for Ugrian and Finnish tribes. The island first gained significance in the 14th century as a spot on the water route for trade between the White Sea to the north and the merchant-dominated city of Novgorod on the Volkhov River.
  The collection of the Open-Air “Kizhi” Museum includes 89 monuments of wooden architecture: old chapels and houses, windmills and granaries, threshing barns and racks for drying crops…The gem of this collection is the 22 domed Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior, 37 meters height. The Church of the Intercession of Holy Mary and the Bell-Tower located nearby emphasize the harmony and magnificence of the main Church.

The guests of the museum can visit the Church of the Intercession of Holy Mary and peasant homesteads. Traditional crafts are demonstrated in peasant houses; wind flows bell-ringing over the island. Wonderful performance of the Museum folk ensemble supplements the impressions of the traditional peasant culture. The visitors whose stay on the island concurs with one of the Museum festivals will have the most lasting impressions.

The Kizhi Pogost Ensemble is enlisted in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

The last stop is a small village of Verkhnie Mandrogi, which is a romantic vision from the past. The village has been recently created by men of enterprise and artistic taste as tourist attractions. Their cosy log cabins designed in old Russian style attract visitors who can enjoy here the fanciful wood-carving, visit a museum of samovars, buy some souvenirs made by local craftsmen and have a good meal with Russian vodka or tea.
The real attraction is the Museum of Vodka. This traditional alcoholic drink is made of grain. Many dishes of Russian cuisine can be washed down with vodka, like pan cakes and caviar. The museum exhibitions show the history of the drink and the process of its productions. There is a tasting bar where the visitors can taste best sorts of Russian vodka.