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)

Underground Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen in Istra

Point on route “Palestine Near Moscow”

Point 12

Underground Church of Sts. Constantine and Helen

🕍 Place of worship

Historical Background

The underground church was built at the same time as the Resurrection Cathedral, in 1650–1680. It is dedicated to Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen, the founders of the first Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and was modeled on the underground Chapel of St. Helena, Equal-to-the-Apostles, in Jerusalem.

Architectural Features

The original church in Jerusalem is cut into the rock. The Istra church, echoing its Jerusalem prototype, also goes 6 meters (20 ft) underground. To enter, you walk down 33 steps, one for each year of Christ's earthly life. In the mid-18th century a ditch was dug around the building to protect it from groundwater.