Yaroslavl

We have arrived back home after about 24 hours of travel and back on the internet. We will post the rest of the blogs while we are awake

Monday, May 15, 2015

As we cruised this morning, we were struck by the transformation of the riverbanks we passed.  The gray winter-like bleakness of bare birch trees that characterized our first days on the water has been replaced by carpets of green grass and trees displaying the lacy pale green of early spring.  Western Russia has experienced a long, cold winter and locals and visitors alike are smiling at the changing scene; today, we even caught sight of a (very) few daffodils in bloom!  Clear skies and warmer weather drew us to enjoy the air on the sun deck this morning.

After lunch, we docked in Yaroslavl, a regional capital and one of the Golden Ring Cities, religiously and culturally important towns northeast of Moscow.  We opted for a walking tour with a local guide and Anatoly showed off his city with pride and an engaging narrative.  Yaroslavl, at the confluence of the Volga River and a major tributary, was founded in the early 11^th century and prospered as a port and manufacturing center.  It was a center of the Russian Orthodox and is liberally dotted with multi-domed churches, some of which are still active, some now operate as museums.

We began our tour with a walk along the wide and tree-lined promenade above the riverbank.  The center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, as such, development is restricted and most of the construction dates from the 18^th and 19^th century.  Many of the lovely buildings facing the embankment now house private apartments.  During the Soviet era, they had been state-owned, but throughout the country, such homes became privately owned, not through purchase, but by a process of registration and taxation.  A similar process occurred with state-owned industries and similarly, if you knew the right people and were in the right place at the right time, you stood to do very well when capitalism became the order of the day.  

We made our way to the city’s central square, with its centerpiece, the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet.  The white exterior of the large church is dominated by several green onion-shaped domes, topped by golden crosses.  We learned that the characteristic shape of the domes evolved as a design that would allow a heavy buildup of snow to drop to the ground, rather than accumulate and envelop the crosses above.  The interior of the church is covered from floor to soaring domes with brilliant frescoes, dating from the 17^th century and wonderfully preserved – without ever having been restored.  Because the church is unheated, it is used only during the summer and thus the interior has not been exposed to wood smoke and soot.  In addition to the frescoes, the iconostasis rises high above the floor, and the images remain vibrant and glowing.  Adjacent to the “summer church”, we visited a smaller chapel, used during the winter, and several galleries – all totally frescoed.  We learned from Anatoly that in Russia, frescoes can be cleaned, but cannot be restored or repaired, so any damage or fading remains “as is.”

Across several lanes of (almost no) traffic, church faces regional and local governmental buildings of both 18^th-century and Soviet style.  Despite being the center of the old town, the area is very quiet, with both foot and vehicle traffic very light.  

We walked a couple of blocks to the indoor market, with stalls of fruit and vegetables (mostly imported this early in the season), spices, meat and fish.  From there, we had some time to wander around the area independently. The adjacent outdoor market lanes were full of clothing and shoes, all of which we found strikingly unattractive; we were safe from impulse buys!  Most of the neighboring blocks of shops and restaurants were rather quiet, though we enjoyed having a look around and a visit to a quiet church before rejoining Anatoly and the rest of our small group.  

After a stop in the garden of the Governor’s House, and a look at a display of beautiful traditional lacquer boxes, we found ourselves back on the riverside promenade.  A further walk took us to the oldest remaining house in Yaroslavl, now a museum, where we were able to enjoy a short performance of Russian songs by an a cappella quartet of conservatory graduates.  The acoustics were wonderful and the male voices strong and resonant; we were happy to purchase a couple of their CDs and are looking forward to listening to more of their beautiful work once we arrive back home.

Above the confluence of the Volga and its tributary, the promenade looks down at a large and lovely park with (not-yet-blooming) formal gardens, (turned-off-because-it’s-Monday) fountains, monuments and wide walkways.  Even “dormant”, it was quite a lovely scene.  

Towering above this spot is the new Cathedral of the Assumption, its white exterior decorated with locally produced ceramic tiles, and topped with domes whose golden color is symbolic of   God.  The spare white walls and pillars of the interior space are the backdrop for glittering icons and a massive bronze chandelier.

We made our way back to the ship through another of Yaroslavl’s very lovely parks, this one featuring monuments to the nation’s civil war, the revolution, and of course, the Great Patriotic War.

We returned to the ship after 6:00, and were soon on our way, happy to have had the opportunity to explore a bit of Yaroslavl.