Tourist trips to countries of concern to religious people, are always in demand, but it is a religious tourism. Pilgrimage is in the strict sense of the word - visit the holy places to worship. It is related to the sermons and prayers at the revered shrines. If the trip takes us from one point in space to another, the pilgrimage moves into a spiritual space.
Pilgrimage existed in ancient Greece, Rome and other countries. One of the major holy places for Christians, Jews and Muslims, and today is the city of Jerusalem. Performed the pilgrimage and other holy places, in Orthodoxy, for example, to the tombs of saints, miracle-working icons, the holy sources of convents.
Traveling to the holy places were called pilgrims (from the words palmarii , palmigeri), because they returned from Jerusalem with palm branches. Already in those days there are "pilgrim pass, pilgrims who went to Jerusalem, on Mount Athos, the Russian shrines, turning it into a profession. In Russia, they played a huge role in the emergence of different "walking", and legends.
Pilgrimage to holy places is an important and deep reverence for the traditions of the Russian people. It has never been mandatory, it did not require any church or public opinion, and it was not anything outstanding. Every Orthodox simply considered it his duty at least once in your life to touch a great source of spirituality, to cleanse and nourish your inner temple, to receive power for life. And there were in Russia, town or village, of which did not go to someone on a pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage to the local shrine is part of the holiday party of Russian culture, often combined with visits to fairs, communication extends the range of dating horizons. Economic activities are often devout peasant organically combined with his walking on a pilgrimage. He cultivated the soil, sow and harvest yet ascended, went, for example, in Kiev on a pilgrimage. Autumn harvest and winter was somewhere else. So after sowing from Moscow Krestovskaya outpost went to Trinity to 5 thousand pilgrims a day.
Pilgrims in Russia loved and helped them every respect. In every house was considered a long greetings, food, lodging to the traveler. There were also dangers in the way of a pilgrim, but the love of God and the great need to reach the holy fear prevailed. There was a special system of rules of conduct during the trip. So, on the road trying not to make conversation, not to think about home affairs, not to speak evil, to keep themselves in a religious mood. Even the bread to feed did not ask for - a more affluent always shared with the poor. Already in the IV century there was a tradition to make a pilgrimage to the strict fasting - nothing is to reach the main sanctuary: so went to the Holy Sepulchre in the Middle Ages, so behave and Russian in 1903 at the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
On the charges on a pilgrimage to always know the neighbors. They ordered a remembrance, sometimes collected and funds for the road. Pilgrims came as representatives of their seats. For example, Abbot Daniel in the early XII century, bowing to the Holy Sepulcher, and the lamps hung from the whole Russian land.
History of the Russian pilgrimage has many bright pages - is the story of striving for holiness, the history of asceticism . The first pilgrims to the Holy Rus considered. Princess Olga Equal of the Apostles, in the tenth century visited Constantinople for the worship of relics, Ven. Anthony of the Caves. By the middle of the XIX century the flow of Russian pilgrims to Palestine increased so that the Emperor Nicholas I established in the Russian Spiritual Mission in Palestine and in Jerusalem, built the Russian Compound to the church, hospitals, hotels. At the end of XIX century, the French newspaper correspondent, watching Russian in Jerusalem, wrote: "The people who knew how to pray so, has a great future".
Unfortunately, these traditions in Russia was almost lost and the revival of their directly connected with the revival of spirituality. Currently, the pilgrimage to the holy places every year make more than one million inhabitants of Russia. For many it is the way to the attainment of the great spiritual heritage of our ancestors, obtaining the support of life, dear to the Church. Traditionally, the main routes of the pilgrimage: Holy Land, Sinai, St.. Mount Athos, in Bari - the relics of St. Nicholas. And even in hard times, not oskudeval stream of pilgrims to Kyiv Optina desert, Seraphim Diveevsky monastery Solovki on about. Balaam and other Russian monasteries, the ancient city.
Holy Land has always been a spiritual home for every Christian as an earthly birthplace of Christ. In the Holy Land proceeded Life Mother of God, the Apostles, hence they came to preach the Gospel throughout the world. Here the blood was shed the first martyrs for Christ, it is here were the first pilgrims. And we get every year marks a special presence of God on this earth - Holy Fire at Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, the appearance of a cloud over the favorite on the Transfiguration of Our Lord, and many other amazing wonders.
Sinai - it is the closeness of God to every Christian, is a labor of ascent unto Him. Almost tangible presence of Moses on Mount Horeb, you can touch the hand of the beautiful bride of Christ Catherine, to reach out to the Burning Bush. 33 century history of the human desire for God and retreat from him lying at the foot. "Take off your shoes - is holy ground!" - Do you hear God, as Moses.
Monastery of St.. Catherine from the first moment gets to the heart and remains there forever. Here every inch of space - a miracle. And if native. With barely holds the story of St. Helena in 1700 years - the pharaohs, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, and even Napoleon ... and no one was able to raise a hand against him, no one had been destroyed, even corrupt. Icons, mosaics, tomb, scrolls, books, security certificates ... Marvelous are thy works, O Lord!
Beautiful Italy for its wildlife, magnificent architecture, painting. But for Orthodox pilgrims Italy - it's apostolic feat Peter, Paul, the Roman catacombs and Christian martyrs of the first centuries. Italy - this is definitely the city of Bari, the relics of St. Nicholas.
Russian people have always set him apart from the Christian saints, especially honored and more often than to others, turned to him with prayers. "God is high and close to Nicolas." First thought and the first exclamation was in trouble: "St. Nicholas - help!" Noting the particular love for him Russian, foreigners are even called him "Nicola - Russian God." Traveling is especially important for Russian Christians, and almost 17 centuries St. Nicholas welcomes its guests with the world.
In Solovky convinced once again that the people, transforming themselves first, holiness transforming their lives and the world. Fifty-two lakes are connected by a complex system of canals, dikes and jetties, roads around the island, striking abbey farm. In a secluded corner of monasteries yes Pustynka ... Have a special way of monastic life, special traditions around - iconography, writing books, special chant in the liturgy. Here, on the edge of the empire people were always in the midst of historical events. Not passed the island of horrors of the XX century - thousands of martyrs and confessors of our lay there for faith in Christ. In this land of birch trees grow even cross.
"Oh, wonderful island Valaam! Hand of divine destiny erected here abode of paradise, the abode of the highest purity ..." Mysterious Island, a fairytale land "north of Mount Athos" sanctified by tradition by the Apostle Andrew. On the islands, on a deserted road in the wilds of scattered monasteries, to twenty hours. Almost primeval forest: squirrels, birds, even bigger beast is not afraid of here man, indeed - backwoods saint. This spiritual archipelago was always a stronghold of Orthodoxy in North-West Russia. Many saw it rock. The monastery was repeatedly ruined neighbors. But there was another - in the old cemetery preserved tombstone: "Schema-monk Grigory (Swedish King Magnus) +1371".
All my soul feels a particular depth of Valaam liturgy. It seems that white light exudes not only the sky but also St. cancer. Sergius and Herman, relics of St. Antipas of Valaam Valaam and the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, and those monks - all of the transformed creature.
Revived the pilgrimage, and so it is important not break away now from the spiritual foundations of Orthodoxy, to remember the purpose and a deep spiritual Russian sense of pilgrimage.

Vetkalova Valentine
guide