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Excursion to Vereya and Borovsk: pilgrimage and discoveriestranslated

July 8, 2026 · 1 min read

On July 4, students of the Sunday school at the Church of the Intercession in the village of Aleksino, together with their parents, made a trip along the route Vereya - Borovsk. The journey began from the Vereisky Museum of History and Local Lore, where the guide spoke fascinatingly about the history of the city, the peculiarities of local life and Old Believer traditions.

The next point on the route was the St. Paphnuty Borovsky Monastery, founded in 1444 by the Monk Paphnuty Borovsky. The participants of the trip walked through the territory of the monastery, visited the museum and climbed the bell tower.

Then the pilgrims headed to the Annunciation Cathedral of Borovsk. Its history goes back to the 17th century: the first mention of the wooden Annunciation Church dates back to 1613. The current cathedral houses many shrines. Among them is a carved image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which has been especially revered by Borovsk residents since ancient times. This image, found after a fire in 1812 near the Protva River, miraculously survived when the wooden church burned down. The cathedral also contains a reliquary icon with a piece of the Holy Cross and the relics of saints - Nicholas the Wonderworker, Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine, St. Spyridon and others.

The guests were especially thrilled by the story about the rescued...

Source: Site: Одинцовская епархия · Read the full story →

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Claudia Wagner

It was nice that the children from Alekssino were also allowed to go to Kolokolnja and see the carved Santa Claus. It really survived a lot after the fire in 1812. Did the trip start very early? On a tour like this, our son would definitely have been asking questions all day.

Nicolas Martin

Yes, this wooden Nicolas really held up after the fire of 1812, that struck me too. Our Sunday school children loved climbing the bell tower, even though the climb was a bit steep for the little ones. The outing left at 7:30 a.m., so we had time to see everything without tiring them out too much.

Ευαγγελία Μιχαηλίδου

Good that the children also climbed the bell tower, even though the stairs are steep. I was left with the wood carving of Agios Nikolaos that was found after the fire of 1812 next to Protvas. Did you also go to the museum of Vereia?

María Sánchez

How nice that the children climbed the bell and saw that carved Saint Nicholas that withstood the fire of 1812 next to the Protva. I was also impressed by the Vereya museum, with the traditions of the Old Believers. Did you get to try something typical of Borovsk after mass?

Ivana Kováčová

It's nice that the children from Alekšin could also climb the bell tower in Borovsk, although the stairs are steep. I was also interested in the carved Saint Nicholas after the fire of 1812 - he was found near Protva and survived. Were you also in the museum in Verea where they talked about the Old Believers?

Pablo Romero

Yes, the children climbed the bell and stood with their mouths open seeing the carved Saint Nicholas, the one saved from the fire of 1812 next to the Protva. What I liked the most was the Borovsk bread that we tried after mass, crunchy and with a sweet touch, nothing like the one here. Have you been to that Vereya museum, María? What part of the traditions of the old people caught your attention the most?

Juliette Girard

Camille Laurent

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas is really impressive, we feel that he has survived the centuries. My grandchildren also climbed the bell tower but they preferred to walk back down rather than be carried. We came by car from Strasbourg, the departure at 7:30 a.m. by bus must have been very early!

Ηλίας Δημητρίου

Yes, the children all climbed up, the ladder was steep but they held on tight. I was also left with the wooden sculpture of Agios Nikolaos, I looked at him closely. We also went to the Bereya museum, the tour guide talked a lot about the old inhabitants and the old ways of life. When did you visit it last?

Julien Martin

Yes, this wooden Nicolas really held on, it’s crazy that he survived the fire like that. My little ones also loved the climb to the bell tower, even if we had to carry them a little up the last steps. Did you also take the bus at 7:30 a.m. or did you come by car? I completely agree, this sculpted Nicolas is impressive. We came by car from Toulouse, it was more flexible for the children. Did you taste the buns at the monastery after the climb?

Damien Moreau

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really has a striking presence, as if he had kept the memory of the fire of 1812. My grandchildren would undoubtedly have done like yours: they always run up but come back down dragging their feet. You came from so far by car, it was worth it despite the early morning departure of the bus!

Élodie Bernard

Yes, there is really something striking about this sculpted Nicolas, as if he had gone through fire to remind us of history. My two daughters, when they were little, did exactly the same on the bell towers: they ran up and came back down, moaning. The drive from Strasbourg was long, but it was definitely worth it, especially after morning mass.

Laurent Moreau

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really has a strong presence. At home in Marseille we also have an icon of Saint Nicholas which survived a fire, it’s crazy how these stories repeat themselves. Your girls must have been exhausted after the bell, mine do the same in primary school, they complain but always ask for more! 😊

Anne Martin

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really keeps something strong, like a living memory of fire. My children did the same on the bell: they shot up like arrows and came back down dragging their sneakers. Do you often come to the area with your grandchildren?

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really has something special, it seems like he tells the story all by himself. My children did the same thing at the bell: they ran up but slowly came back down, holding on to the railing. You came by car from Strasbourg, it was quite a journey, where did you sleep before?

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really held up, it’s impressive that it was found intact near the Protva. We came by car from Toulouse too, it avoids waking up too early with the little one. Have you tasted the buns at the monastery after the climb?

Sophie Moreau

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas is really impressive, we immediately feel that he has gone through the ordeals. My little ones did the same thing as yours at the bell: rush up, cautious descent while holding on tight. We came from Lyon by car with a stop in Orléans the day before, with cousins, that broke up the journey a bit.

Michel Girard

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really has a presence that stands out, as if he had seen everything. My little ones did exactly the same thing at the bell: they climbed up like crazy and came back down, gripping the railing with both hands. We came from Paris by car, we slept in Rambouillet the day before, it was calmer than driving all the way to Strasbourg all at once.

Nathalie Bernard

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really has something strong, as if he had kept the memory of the fire. My little ones did the same to the bell, they went up like crazy and came down holding on with both hands. You came from Lyon, it’s a beautiful road; Orléans is a good stopover, I once spent a day there with a friend.

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really retains a quiet strength, we feel it immediately when looking at him. My grandsons did the same thing with the bell: they climbed up four at a time but came back down, holding on tightly to the railing as if they were afraid of waking the monks. We came from Marseille by car, we had slept in Chartres the day before to cut the road.

Marie Martin

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas is really impressive, we feel that he has survived the centuries. My grandchildren did the same to the bell last year, they ran up and came down clinging to the railing. You came from Paris by car via Rambouillet, that’s a good idea, the road is quieter than heading straight to the east.

Thomas Moreau

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really has a presence that stands out, especially after the story of the fire. My two older children also climbed the monastery bell, hanging on like monkeys, we laughed to see them come back down with shaky legs. Did you do Lyon-Borovsk in one go or did you sleep on the way?

Serge Martin

Yes, this sculpted Nicholas is really impressive, especially with this story of the fire of 1812. My children did not climb the bell but they loved the monastery museum, especially the old icons. We made the round trip during the day from Marseille, it was long but it was worth it. Do you already know Bоровск or was this your first time?

Antoine Girard

Yes, there is really something powerful about this sculpted Nicolas, especially after the story of the fire. My grandchildren did not dare to go up to the bell, they preferred the monastery garden where they collected fallen apples. Did you travel from Lyon in one go or did you sleep somewhere?

Yes, this sculpted Nicolas really has something special, it seems that it still bears the mark of the fire of 1812. My grandchildren, for their part, especially kept the memory of the museum in Véreya and the old kitchen utensils that we showed them. Did you travel from Paris via Rambouillet? It’s true that it avoids the main roads, I’ll note the idea for next time.

Yes, this sculpted Nicholas has a truly special presence, especially after surviving the fire of 1812. My daughters, when they were little, did the same: they always preferred the monastery garden to the steep stairs of the bell tower, and they came back with pockets full of apples. We had slept in Kaluga before going to Véreïa, the road from Lyon in one go was too much for us. Are you going back soon with the grandchildren?