“On the stone treads of the letter”: the most unusual shrines of Russia
MOSCOW, 21 Feb — RIA Novosti, Anton Skripunov. Pilgrimage sights in Russia is not only the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the Great Bulgarians or Ivolginsky datsan. There are no less meaningful for believers, but not so widely known shrines, attracting pilgrims and the curious from around the world.
Surprisingly, this year-round one — temperature plus seven degrees. And high humidity. Resting in the caves of the body of monks and lay people does not exude smell, though just put them here without betraying burial. It even has an interesting history. Visited this place in 1994, Russian President Boris Yeltsin asked the monks: “What are you smeared?” “Nothing,” came the answer. Surprised the President did not let up in his curiosity, and then one of the monks asked him a counter question: “Boris Nikolayevich, are there any among your surroundings someone smells bad?” The expected “no” from the President the monk said, “So do you think that surrounded by the Heavenly Father someone to smell?”.
The caves themselves are called “God created”, that is miraculous. The entrance, according to legend, miraculously, opened in 1392, one of the local farmers. And 1470 m. it was founded by the priest John with his wife Mary. Some time later they built the Church of the assumption, and themselves became monks under the names Jonah and Vassa. When they died, they were buried in the grave. Soon, however, the body of monks, also miraculously appeared on the surface of the earth and just left in the caves. Since then, and the custom to bury people here, not burying it in the ground.
The monks of the monastery say that next to the Shrine (tomb), where the relics of St. Vassa, traces of fire.
In 1917, when the Bolsheviks wanted to Rob, there flashed flames and seared them. As the story goes, in the 1960s, Nikita Khrushchev became interested in this case and sent to the monastery of scientists, in order to show the Soviet people that this is nothing more than “fables of the priests”. But those unexpectedly confirmed the authenticity of the traces from the flames, so he accused them of lying.Shaman rock on Olkhon island
“By the Shamanic rock, you cannot pass on wheels, but only on horseback or in a sleigh, why in summer the communication between the Western and Eastern parts of the island is only possible on horseback, and in rare cases, as the Buryats in General are reluctant to go past the cave; in addition, if one of the clans there are dead members of this genus, there is a whole half of the island, it was forbidden to pass by the cave for a certain time”, — so described the Burkhan Cape with shaman’s rock (also called the “rock shaman”) famous Russian geographer of the twentieth century Vladimir Obruchev.
Every year shamans from different regions of Siberia perform their rites. Cape Burkhan is a reason is one of the main places of power among the Gentiles.
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According to legend, long ago the rock is entirely composed of silver and gold. And guarded by her powerful shaman that continuously sends to the earth different disasters. The mighty warriors tried unsuccessfully to kill her, managed to do it the simple hunter. And all the gold and silver benefited the people, and the place of death of the shaman rock appeared unusual shape.
And according to another legend, the rock God lived in the lake Baikal and Olkhon island. And before coming to this land of Buddhism, here it was a place of sacrifice.