This is on my travels to Sergiev Posad and Yaroslavl, two little towns part of the "Golden Ring", the former fiefdoms of Moscow during the Russian Tsardom and beyond. Sergiev Posad is the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church and Yaroslavl is one of the largest Golden Circle towns.
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, named after St. Sergius of Radonezh, the founder of the most venerated monastic house in Russia, and alongside St. Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most highly venerated saints in Russia.
Holy water pit. To cleanse the soul, for the spirit can only be cleansed from within.
Outside a service, people still attend to venerate their favourite saint. Churches tend to be quiet and smell of frankincense.
I found religious devotion to be just as strong than in the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico, but the fervour I witnessed in Mexico City trumps it all.
After a 3hr ride up north, I arrived in Yaroslavl. The facade of one the stations in Komsomolskaya plaza in Moscow is a replica of this station. First impressions, I thought Yaroslavl to be super quiet but it quickly dispelled that...
I found Yaroslavl to be a super energized and young city. I remember this band playing everything rock, from Gruppa Splin (Сплин) to Egor Letov to Korol i Shut (Король и Шут). Durak i Molniya (Дурак и Молния) was a staple and like nothing I've enjoyed ever since. People were having fun, guys in the band were taking turns singing and we all just sang along.
