Palestine Near Moscow

19 points5 km4 hours

Patriarch Nikon dreamed of recreating Jerusalem's Holy Land near Moscow, complete with Mount Zion, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an underground church and much more. Follow the route and judge for yourself how well this sacred landscape was transplanted.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🌲🦋 Enjoy nature

Route points (19)

Monument to the Fighters for Soviet Power in Istra

Point on route “Palestine Near Moscow”

Point 10

Monument to the Fighters for Soviet Power

🗿 Monument

Description

Near the monastery walls stands a monument in high relief. A draped flag and a Komsomol star project from the slab. Below are the names of four Komsomol members who died for the ideals of communism; their graves lie behind the slab. This forgotten monument stands in sharp contrast to the grand monastery complex and is shrouded in mystery.

Historical Background

Neither the date it was put up nor the sculptor's name is known. Today the choice of location may seem odd, since communism was no friend of the church. But in Soviet times the church complex served a very different purpose: from 1922 it housed a state museum of art and history, where church treasures became museum exhibits.