Our plans for the future
As of summer of 2019, we are in the process of developing new routes and planning new itineraries. It is worthwhile to mention where our steps will take us in the future. ...
“Why to Go on a Pilgrimage to Russia”
There may be lots of reasons why someone would choose going to Russia. Whatever their reasoning, they will face a rather challenging issue of deciding how to go on pilgrimage – plan it on their own, seek help locally in their home country among various Orthodox jurisdictions, or seek assistance in Russia. ...
About Orthodox Prayer
“The Lord Himself will teach us to pray. We won’t learn prayer on our own nor will anyone else teach us. Let’s not say, ‘I have made such-and-such a number of prostrations, so I have obtained the divine grace,’ but rather let us entreat the pure light of divine knowledge to shine from within and open our spiritual eyes so we may understand His divine message.
In this way, without ever realizing it, we will love God without struggle or exertion. What is difficult for man is easy for God. We will love God suddenly as grace will take over us. If we love Christ deeply, the prayer will flow on its own. Christ will always be on our mind and in our heart.”— St. Porphyrios, Wounded by Love
A pilgrimage begins with a prayer. A prayer is a “pilgrimage” of its own kind, a silent and gradual ascent to higher levels of spirituality, to closeness with God. During our life’s struggles as Christians, we rely on prayer as our immediate assistant in times of need, or when our heart sings praises to the glory of God’s love.
What is an Orthodox prayer rule, how can one use the Jesus prayer and what else to read about prayer – the following resource will be of great assistance to anyone exploring the world of prayer. ...
Gems of Russian Christian Art
This video presents some gems of artwork by an unknown (to the authors of the website) Russian Orthodox painter. The compilation is soothingly adorned with a song “By the Quiet River” performed by “Kalina-Folk” band. ...
Sacred Sites of Russia
Source: Sacred Sites of Russia
Collecting bits and pieces about Orthodox Russia from a limited number of English language internet sources available right now is a process just as challenging as travel to Russia may seem to any unseasoned foreign pilgrim. https://sacredsites.com/europe/russia/sacred_sites_of_russia.html ...
Visiting the Orthodox Churches as a non-Orthodox
As they say – “Do as the Romans do!” Especially in Moscow, appropriately and prominently called as “the Third Rome” in the Christendom…
This article will prompt the foreign visitors to act in an Orthodox church a lot like locals, the Orthodox faithful. Its guidelines will allow visitors to show their respect of the local traditions and customs and learn about the Orthodox culture. ...
The Orthodox Church – Timothy Ware
To anyone interested in getting a deeper understanding what the Orthodoxy is about, there is no any better English-language tutorial than the book by Bishop Kallistos Ware, “The Orthodox Church.” ...
First Steps: Interior Layout of the Orthodox Church
Translated and edited from: Pravoslavie.ru
The architecture of the Orthodox church differs from any other buildings. More often than not, the foundation for a church building is laid out in the form of a cross, since it is through the Savior’s Cross that we were freed from the tenets of devil. It is quite common to see it made in the shape of a ship symbolizing the fact that the Church, akin to the ship, and similar to Noah’s Ark, leads us along the sea of life towards the quiet harbor of the Kingdom of Heaven. Occasionally, it has a circle in its foundation, as a sign of eternity, or a Star of Bethlehem, a reminder that the Church, like a guiding star, shines brightly in this world. ...
The Orthodox World-View by Father Seraphim Rose of Platina
Source: orthodoxinfo.com
This talk by a renowned American-born convert, a Russian Orthodox scholar, writer and a modern-day Orthodox theologian, hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) was published the whopping 36 “eons” (years) ago, but it is just as on point for us today as it was for him and his listeners then. He pays a lot of attention to challenges of child-rearing in the ‘me’-focused world, yet it stays ever so vividly instructive to the rest of us, the grown-ups, focused on finding our own paths to be with God in the shrinking normalcy of our lives. ...
Egeria’s Description of the Liturgical Year in Jerusalem: Translation
Source: Michael Frazer
Original story as written by Egeria herself. Written in the form of a diary of a pilgrim to the Holy Land from the 4th century AD (translation from Latin) ...
