Religious tourism in Russia

Following the break with the West, a large percentage of Russian travellers have turned to domestic tourism, where religious destinations and related artistic attractions are becoming increasingly important. In this context, local operators are reviving walking pilgrimage routes, starting with the 70-kilometre route linking Moscow to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - An international tourism forum entitled Putešestvuj! (‘Travel!’) was held in the Atom hall of the large VDNKh exhibition centre in the Russian capital, dedicated in particular to pilgrimage and religious tourism, with the participation of the Moscow Patriarchate's Commission for the Development of Pilgrimage and the Exhibition of Holy Relics, chaired by Metropolitan Matfei (Kopylov) of Pskov.

The conclusions of the first international congress Edinenie (‘Union’), held on 16-17 May at the pilgrimage centre of the Dormition Monastery of the Caves in Pskov, the only one that remained open even during the Soviet era, remaining a pilgrimage destination under the atheist regime, were brought back to the discussion table.

This is the monastery where the young Tikhon (Ševkunov), Vladimir Putin's “spiritual father”, was formed. After several years as Metropolitan of the Western Russian Eparchy of Pskov, he is now the Metropolitan-symbol of Crimea, the land of the first baptism of Prince Vladimir of Kievan Rus', thus linking the ancient and modern devotions of the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church.

An attempt was made to highlight strategies for developing pilgrimage throughout Russia, a very important tradition for Christianity from Kiev to Moscow, and as far as the most distant and northern lands of European Russia and even Siberia.

The forum analysed the possibilities for collaboration with commercial tourism structures, which have undergone a major transformation in recent years following the breakdown of relations with European countries and the West in general.

In addition to a small number of wealthy citizens who can afford to visit exotic destinations in Asia or Latin America, a large percentage of Russian travellers have therefore turned to domestic tourism, where religious and related artistic destinations are becoming increasingly important.

A comprehensive plan for collaboration with federal and regional authorities will be proposed, identifying all possible purely religious itineraries, but also combining devotional aspects with artistic and recreational ones.

More traditional routes will be revived, such as the Golden Ring of the oldest towns of Rus', within a 200-kilometre radius of Moscow, starting with the city of Vladimir, which was the capital of Rus' in the second half of the 12th century, replacing Kiev and preparing for the future transfer to Moscow, which took place in the 14th century.

This and other locations will be revived with a programme of transport and infrastructure modernisation, including walking routes for pilgrims, with safety and support facilities along the way.

Pilgrim and walking trails have generally become the new focus, given the difficulties of preserving such routes from the vagaries of the weather.

Pilgrimages in Russia take place mainly in spring and summer, but there are also groups who try to cross the snow-covered expanses, even using small boats during the thaw, when much of the land is transformed into lakes and ponds of various sizes.

This aspect in particular was reported by the director of the “Road to the Lavra” project, Evgenij Orudžev, who is responsible for the main traditional pilgrimage route, the 70 kilometres separating Moscow from the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, where the remains of the most important patron saint of Muscovite Holy Russia, St. Sergius of Radonezh, and where the icon of the Holy Trinity painted by the great iconographer Andrei Rublev was recently returned from the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow at the behest of Patriarch Kirill, after much controversy.

On the occasion of the feast of the Trinity, which in the Russian calendar coincides with Pentecost, the forum highlighted the value of visiting the Lavra, a sanctuary and favourite destination for all Russians throughout the year.