Kostomarovo, Voronezh region. Map of the Voronezh region
I continue to implement little by little. On one of the dank November days, I managed to visit another cult cave of the Don region. In general, in fact, I examined several caves, but all together it is called the Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery. It is located in the Podgorensky district of the Voronezh region. Amazing place, let me tell you. Regardless of personal attitude to religion, the place and its history are simply amazing. Don't believe?
01
. The odometer for the trip from Voronezh back and forth wound almost 400 miles. Not to say that it is very far away, but the mud from the trucks flying on the windshield, of course, tired. We stopped for tea before descending to the Kostomarovskaya beam.
02 . It is a pity that the weather that day turned out to be really anti-photographic. Landscapes were out of the question.
03 . Actually, Kostomarovo. One of the oldest settlements in the Don region. " They say about the Kostomarova settlement that it has existed since time immemorial, that when this area was still very small, the robber Kostomar lived here, drowned in the nearest lake, which is why the settlement got its name". (Shcherbina F.A.) By the middle of the 19th century, the settlement had grown: there were 210 households and about 1,500 inhabitants, a distillery, a brick factory, a lard factory, 20 windmills, 2 oil mills, a fair was going to be held on Easter. The omniscient Wikipedia, meanwhile, knows at least 10 settlements with that name. Interestingly, 4 of them are located in the Tula region.
04
. The village is located under the so-called "Mount Tabor". The fact is that some people call these places Russian Palestine. Individual elements of the landscape supposedly resemble Palestinian shrines: Gethsemane, Kidron, Golgotha with a cross on top, and so on. Local "Favor" in the photo below. Those who know can compare.
05 . Ground temple in honor of the icon Holy Mother of God"Recovery of the Dead". I did not go inside, because the main purpose of the trip was all the same caves. And speaking of the latter. In the background you can see a path on a hill and 3 entrances to the so-called "gates". These are small cave-cells of hermit monks. I will talk about them in more detail below.
06
. And here is an old map-scheme of all the Kostomarovsky caves, found on the net (I had to bring it to mind a little in Photoshop). It dates back, as you can see, to the 1970s, but nothing fundamental has changed since then. Further, in the course of the story, we will look into almost each of these caves.
07.
I also googled this funny scheme. Laughter, laughter, but it is really drawn quite plausibly and gives an idea of the location and architecture of the main monastery buildings. True, the artist forgot that there were not two, but three gate cells, or he was embarrassed by the fact that the entrance to one of them was decorated with a tower. I did not visit the chapel on the mountain and "Golgotha" and did not take pictures, but they are depicted correctly. .
08 . We will begin our tour with the main attraction of the Kostomarovsky Monastery - the double-altar Cathedral of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The main altar was consecrated in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands, and the left chapel in honor of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.
09 . As we walk up the stairs, look around. These are residential buildings. Hotels for pilgrims, a sister's building and something unknown to me in the scaffolding.
10
. The entrance to the cave cathedral is carved into the so-called divas. These are the chalk remnants for which the Voronezh region is famous. Largely due to frequented by tourists, but divas, as you can see, are found not only there.
I wrote about a few more remnants.
11 . We rise even higher. Indeed, the landscape is quite deserted. There is no mobile connection here, even on the mountain.
12 . Historians are not very confident in considering the date of foundation of the monastery to the VIII-IX centuries AD. At that time, heretics were actively persecuted in Byzantium, who allegedly fled to these places and founded a monastery here.
13 . At the entrance to each cave, we are greeted by a sign asking us not to leave autographs on the walls. During the times of persecution and subsequent desolation, the Kostomarovo caves suffered greatly not only from commissars, but also from wild tourists. During the restoration of the monastery, of course, something was erased, but some deep inscriptions can still be made out.
15 . Not all corners of the Spassky Cathedral are available for visiting.
16 . The vaults of the cave are supported by 12 chalk columns. Before the revolution, the temple had a well-fortified entrance, a well, a camouflaged emergency exit and, if necessary, could withstand a long siege. On the Internet, they often copy-paste information that the temple can accommodate up to 2,000 people, but I deeply doubt this. Even if you open all-all rooms and cells. I shared my doubts with one nun and she was also extremely surprised at such a figure.
17
. The main altar of the Savior Not Made by Hands. From lighting here there are only a few candles and light from lamps.
18 . The main shrine of the monastery is the Kostomarovskaya icon of Valaam Mother of God. According to legend, it was donated to the monastery by Emperor Alexander I. Bullet marks are visible on the icon. According to legend, a certain dashing Red Army soldier shot the icon 6 times point-blank, aiming at the faces of the Virgin and Christ, but he never hit. In 2002, this icon began to stream myrrh (and it was written on iron).
19 . The history of the Kostomarovskaya monastery, as I have already said, is very mysterious and little studied. It mainly consists of oral traditions and memoirs of old-timers. For unknown reasons, even in the era of consistories, which carried out a thorough accounting of all the temples and monasteries of their time, almost nothing was said about the Kostomarovsky caves. In all likelihood, in the 19th century the Savior Monastery for Women was a skete belonging to, and quite a lot of hermits labored in it. The old-timers of Kostomarovo recall the stories of their grandparents about how at night they saw monks in pointed caps by the caves at night.
20
. After 1917, as elsewhere, the ascetics were dispersed, but the small community continued to gather secretly.
Blessed old man Peter Eremeenko, well known to the inhabitants of the district, often visited here. A niche for relics is visible in the background.
21 . In this stasidia (niche), according to monastic tradition, there was a Shroud depicting the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Lost without a trace during the time of the commissars.
22 . Another especially revered icon in the monastery is the "Labor of the Holy Family". The iconography of this icon is more common in Western painting since the Renaissance.
23 . Once again I will show a close-up of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Blessed Sky". In some sources, it is called the Valaam "Shooting Room".
24
. Another old icon with the Mother of God and the baby Christ next to the Royal Doors.
25 . We pass to the left aisle of the holy martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. It is almost complete darkness here, not even the light of candles - I had to highlight the walls with a flashlight. I was stunned by what I saw. Currently, a master from Belgorod carves icons directly into the chalk! See, even scaffolding and a pile of chalk are visible on the altar? During the work, obviously, they supply electricity with the help of extension cords.
26 . Beginning in 1943, the believing inhabitants of Kostomarovo for several years asked for the opening of a parish church in the caves. Permission was obtained only in 1946. It was during this period that the passage leading deep into the Church of the Savior was expanded, and this chapel was created in this expansion. The inspirer and active builder is considered to be Blessed Andrew, who spent several years in seclusion here. Please note that when illuminated with a flashlight, hordes of mosquitoes that decided to spend the winter in the caves became visible.
27 . Emergency exit (visible on the diagram).
28 . The service is about to begin in the Church of the Savior, and I get out into the fresh air. After a couple of hours in the cave, he really intoxicates.
29 . The sisters gather for prayer.
30 . Another version of the previous picture.
31
. We turn to the inspection of the so-called. "shutters". These are cells for hermit monks who led a reclusive life, communicating with pilgrims and other monks only through small windows - to take food and notes with requests to pray. The last Kostomarov hermit (lived in the Cave of Repentance) was Father Peter, who was shot in 1937 right at the place where he took confession. Let me remind you that there are three shutters in Kostomarovo. Here is the first one. Another one I did not photograph, as it is generally very similar to this one.
32 . The chalk rock here is quite soft, so it is highly susceptible to moisture penetration and the formation of green algae. All Kostomarovskie caves suffer greatly from humidity, although even in winter the temperature in them does not fall below +13+14 degrees. They say that the recluses looked like they could scare the villagers. In the Church of the Savior there is a separate passage where the elders listened to the liturgy, hidden from the eyes of the parishioners. In this, the most cramped gate, lived a monk-stylite. He spent all his time standing in prayer, and even at night he was tied to the wall.
33 . Go ahead. Cave temple in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Construction started in 1903, but only recently completed. They write about the diva above the entrance that it has been restored, but, to be honest, it looks like it is completely composed of individual stones.
34 . From the platform in front of the temple you can clearly see the monastery refectory and the abbess's house. A little further there is a utility yard, and on the slope of the mountain you can see the local "Gethsemane Garden".
35 . We go inside. Like the chapel in the name of the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, the temple of Seraphim of Sarov is also decorated with frescoes. The spectacle is, of course, amazing.
36 . Interestingly, divine services are held here only twice a year on the days of the reverend's memory. In 1993, under the leadership of Archpriest Alexander Dolgushev, the clearing of the caves and the revival of the monastery began. And the first service was held here. The pilgrims from Pavlovsk and Rossosh who came to it spent the night under the open sky. In the morning, believers began to clear the caves. In 1997, the first nuns, transferred from the Zadonsky Monastery, arrived in Kostomarovo: Seraphim, Iosaph and Dionysius. On April 1, 1999, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted the Charter of the Kostomarovsky Spassky Diocesan Convent.
37 . Another view of the dining room.
38 . Entrance to the Cave of Repentance, famous throughout Russia. Even higher up the slope is a cross (see maps). The so-called "Kostomarovskaya Golgotha".
39 . This is the wettest dungeon in Kostomarovo. For understanding, I attach a photo of the ceiling. By the way, the walls in this cave do not get dirty with chalk, because they are painted with white paint.
40 . The Cave of Repentance is a long curved corridor, in the niches of which icons are embedded. Allegedly, all this together helps the sinner to reach the place of confession, having subdued pride and leaving all fuss.
41 . Icons, of course, ceramic. Icon of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.
42 . Randomly stopped at only two icons. And the second was the icon of St. Andrew the First-Called. I don’t know, for some reason it seemed to me some kind of sign from above. The corridor is really long, there are really a lot of icons, almost complete darkness, and I stopped right at the "namesake". By the way, as it turned out, there are as many as seven Saints Andrew in Christianity (!).
43
. The ceiling gets lower and lower as you go, and in the confessional, anyone (except dwarfs) will have to bow their heads. A penance was imposed on the one who confessed - he did hard physical work at the temple.
On the lectern lies a leaf, hidden from dampness in a file, with a prayer for modern pilgrims.
44 . Inspection completed. And meanwhile, night slowly descends into the Kostomarovskaya gully. It's time to go home. Almost 200 kilometers ahead.
45
. And the last photo for the traveling and photographing brethren. That is why there are almost no photos from the inside on the network.
For lovers of copy-paste and free content, due to the exclusivity of the photos in this post, I consider it useful to remind you once again that:
according to current legislation, for the use of photos without permission, the copyright holder can demand compensation in the amount of 10 thousand to 5 million rubles. The same compensation is due for the removal of information about the author. I regularly monitor my photos with special software for illegal use. To obtain permission to use these photographs or to purchase them for personal or commercial use, please contact me in any way possible. Cave Shatrische
I remind copy-pasteurs that when reprinting materials, an active indexed link to the source is required.
The Spassky Monastery near the village of Kostomarovo is located about forty kilometers southeast of the Divnogorie Museum-Reserve, again near the Don River. However, the monastery itself is not located on the banks of the Don, but in a deep Kostomarovskaya gully. There are legends about the time of the formation of the monastery. They say that the apostle Andrew himself chose the place for it. This area seemed to him very similar to Golgotha. Historians are not very confident in considering the date of foundation of the monastery to the VIII-IX centuries AD. At this time, in the Orthodox Byzantium, a theomachic campaign was taking place against heretics, who fled to these places and founded a monastery. It seems, even approximately, no one knows the date of foundation. This question is apparently waiting for its researchers. For example, not very far from these places on the banks of the Seversky Donets (Ukraine) is the Svyatogorsky cave monastery. Recently, excavations and research have been carried out in some of its caves. It was concluded that the first people who began to dig caves there were not Christians at all, and this happened a very long time ago. So the Spassky Monastery is probably very ancient. Now there are two active cave churches in the monastery, not counting the chapel, but the two-altar Spassky is considered by some researchers as two churches. Another temple of Seraphim of Sarov was built in 1903. In addition to churches, there are several more caves of the Kostomarov elders.
According to my observations, the chalk rock in Kostomarovo is extremely soft and snow-white. Therefore, it is more susceptible to moisture penetration and the formation of green algae. In the temples themselves, this is almost imperceptible, everything is very neat and well-groomed there - beautiful bas-relief icons are carved on the chalk walls. Services are constantly going on, so it was impossible to film anything. What you will see was filmed in the caves of the Kostomarov elders. These dungeons suffer greatly from humidity, although even in winter the temperature in them does not fall below +13, +14 degrees. They say that these elders had such an appearance that they tried not to show themselves to the eyes of the parishioners, so as not to frighten them. In one of the caves lived a "stylite", who was constantly chained to the chalk wall and slept, hanging on chains. It was not possible to film the longest of these caves - the Cave of Repentance. Small but very skillfully made ceramic icons are embedded in its walls, which do not care about moisture. On the walls of the Church of the Savior there are mosaics that are also not afraid of moisture. The researchers also seem to have very vague ideas about the length of the underground passages. They say that the ring passage around the temple has a length of 2 km. During the years of German occupation, Soviet soldiers hid in these dungeons. After the release, Stalin allowed the believers to restore the Spassky Church, but under Khrushchev it was again closed. It was restored quite recently. Now here is a nunnery. Getting to Kostomarovo without a car is not very convenient, however, bus tours are organized, there is a parking lot, hotels for pilgrims are being built.
Further, our plans were to visit the cave monastery in Belogorye, but this did not succeed, partly due to heavy rain and general fatigue, although already in pitch darkness the GPS nevertheless brought us to the outskirts of Belogorye...
Okay, let's leave Belogorye for the future.
And in conclusion, it should be said that these are only the most famous cave churches. Before the revolution of 1917, there were about four dozen cave temples in the Voronezh region, many of which were subsequently destroyed or blown up.
August 14th, 2012 03:49 pm
The picturesque banks of the Don River in the Voronezh region keep many secrets and mysteries. Here, in the multi-meter strata of chalk rocks, amazing cave temples are located, which are the most ancient monuments of Christianity in Russia.
Chalk pillars, or the so-called "divas" also formed as a result of erosion. Wind and water worked well, and the first Christians built their cloisters inside, where they prayed to God for forgiveness.
Another angle
The most preserved local miracle to this day is the Church of the Savior.
Bottom view.
The road to the temple is a stairway to heaven.
This temple was built over several centuries, by people who are clearly familiar with the Byzantine traditions of architecture.
The bell tower of the temple is arranged right between the two "divas".
Most of the temple is located deep in the thickness of the chalk mountain. The huge "Cave of Repentance" 220 meters long before the revolution was the place where the most complete sinners were sent for confession. The interiors of the temples are so vast that they can accommodate 2,000 people.
Most of the icons were destroyed or during the Soviet era. Some of them were smoked, the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God was shot... However, the prayer place withstood the onslaught of the theomachists and is living again.
Today the Church of the Savior is part of the Kostomarovsky Spassky Diocesan Convent.
Tourists are photographed against the backdrop of the holy monastery.
Local residents, like many centuries ago, come to pray.
The photographer is trying to shoot a masterpiece on film "Mamiya".
Another view of the Church of the Savior.
From the top of the stairs, from the foot of the temple, a view of the newly built church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Search for the Lost" opens. On the right side of the mountain are the rest of the caves of the monastery - there are eight of them in total.
Bottom view
Not everyone likes the tour.
In numerous caves there were utility rooms and cells of the monks, in which they led their Spartan life and turned to God. Some of the cells had a vertical shape, and it was possible to stay in them only while standing. At the time of sleep, such monks - pillars tied themselves with ropes or chains.
The entrance to the temple has recently been restored.
Tourist pilgrims.
The vaults of the temple tunnels are smooth, underground it is cold.
On the local Golgotha there is a chapel of the Crucifixion of the Lord - we saw it at the beginning of the post.
At the very top there is a traditional cross and a fantastic view of the chalk canyons.
To see these unusual places, you do not need to go to Turkey - from Moscow it is less than 700 km, from Voronezh - 160.
View from the top of the mountain to the chapel.
The dome gleams gold in the sun.
Sacrament
Not many in the parking lot expensive cars from Moscow and neighboring regions. "A respectable Lord for respectable gentlemen!"
However, bicycle pilgrims are not uncommon. In general, the Voronezh region is a great place for cycling. Interesting objects are located at a distance of a leisurely daytime haul.
The village of Kostomarovo lives its quiet, inconspicuous life.
But if you drive through the sleepy streets of the village and climb on an off-road vehicle to the top of the neighboring ridge, you can look at the monastery from the other side. This is one of those cases when, instead of pressing the shutter, you enjoy the view for a long time, not believing in its realism.
Spassky temple
Small temples
General view of the monastery
Chapel above the chalk ridge
Well done navigator Lena - it was she who found the way up)
Fascinated by the search for new angles, we went further, climbing another giant hill. From there, a wonderful view of the Kostomarovsky Monastery really opened up.
The road on chalk ruts was very steep, "Santa" roared all six cylinders, the wheels now and then tried to break into a slip.
The higher we climbed, the better the views were.
Finally, the summit has been reached! And the view is even better from here.
Surprisingly, upon reaching the top of the plateau, the broken track, along which we climbed up the mountain, was replaced by a good dirt road running along the perimeter of the endless field. Therefore, we decided not to return to the asphalt, but to continue our journey along roads that are not on the navigator. But more on that in one of the next posts! Stay tuned!
My posts about the Voronezh region
Kostomarovo
Unique chalk churches in the Voronezh region or Russian Palestine shym_v_yshah wrote on May 27th, 2016
There are amazing places not spoiled by crowds of tourists relatively close to Moscow, in the Voronezh region - cave temples located in the thickness of the chalk mountains on the Don River.
The monasteries are Cretaceous deposits on a plateau that juts out into the flat terrain of the Central region of Russia. In addition to temples, natural monuments are also interesting - chalk pillars-remnants, called by the local population "divas" (from "divo" - a miracle).
There are several hypotheses about the origin of such monasteries. Firstly, their creators could be Christians who fled from the Roman emperors. They are very similar to the ancient cave structures of Cappadocia - an area on the territory of modern Turkey. Secondly, Byzantine monks who fled from persecution to Syria, Palestine, the Caucasus and the Crimea, as well as to the territory of the present Voronezh region, could also be creators. Thirdly, the caves of the Voronezh region are similar to the Far and Near caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Zverinetsky, Kitaevsky and Gniletsky caves, and they could be created by Little Russian monks.
In total, there are about 50 underground structures in the Voronezh region, of which about 40 belong to temples and places of life of monks. Unfortunately, most of the monasteries are in an abandoned state.
We chose to visit the museum-reserve "Divnogorye", Kostomarovsky and Belogorsky monasteries.
Three days is enough for the trip. Despite the fact that the distance from Moscow to the Voronezh region is more than 700 km, most of the way passes along the M4 Don highway.
We started our inspection of the cave temples from the Divnogorye nature reserve, which is located 130 km from Voronezh and 650 km from Moscow. A visit to the cave complex in Bolshie Divy is included in a 2-hour tour, which is conducted by a historian and costs 250 rubles per person. You can not take it, but only organized groups are allowed into the Church of the Sicilian Icon of the Mother of God. The icon is a copy of the original, unfortunately the original has been lost. Inside the monastery is empty, chilly and dark. Church service is held once a year.
The monument "Mayatsky Archaeological Complex" can be reached higher along the chalk mountain, however, only pictures remained of it, the area was overgrown with grass.
With each step upward, a more and more beautiful panorama opens up.
After the tour, you can walk 3 km to the cave complex in Maliye Divy, located on the territory of the Divnogorsk Holy Dormition Monastery. The complex includes the cave church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The brethren of the monastery organize excursions to Small Divas.
Be prepared for the fact that it will take a whole day to explore the Divnogorye Museum-Reserve. There is a cafe on its territory. Please be careful while walking, we saw a couple of steppe vipers.
You can spend the night 50 km from Divnogorye, in the town of Liski.
75 km from Liski is the Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery with an underground church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, a cave of Repentance and a temple of Seraphim of Sarov.
On the territory of the monastery, on the local Golgotha, rises the chapel of the Crucifixion of the Lord. If you go even higher, then there you will find an overview of the entire enchanting area.
Voskresensky Belogorsky monastery, also known for its caves, is located 62 km from Kostomarovo, on the high bank of the Don. To enter them, you need the escort of the brethren or you can join the tour. Now there is a reconstruction of the facade.
In general, the monasteries in Divnogorye, Belogorye and Kostomarovo attract both with their amazing and peculiar beauty of nature, and with their spiritual content. These religious places fill with joy and happiness their abbots and visitors - tourists and pilgrims from Russia, Ukraine and other countries.
It is interesting that the Voronezh region, where the monasteries are located, is a dynamically developing region of Russia. Roads between settlements in the Voronezh region are of relatively good quality. Most of the houses and settlements in the Voronezh region are supplied with gas.
I would like to note that many Ukrainians live in the region. In fact, this is one land where a single people lives, separated by history.
You can spend the night in Voronezh, 170 km from Belogorye. There are no historical sights in the city, because. the city was completely destroyed in the Great Patriotic War. In general, it makes a good impression with a large number of walking areas, restored facades, cleanliness and beauty.
Chalk pillars, or the so-called "divas" also formed as a result of erosion. Wind and water worked well, and the first Christians built their cloisters inside, where they prayed to God for forgiveness.
Another angle
The most preserved local miracle to this day is the Church of the Savior.
Bottom view.
The road to the temple is a stairway to heaven.
This temple was built over several centuries, by people who are clearly familiar with the Byzantine traditions of architecture.
The bell tower of the temple is arranged right between the two "divas".
Most of the temple is located deep in the thickness of the chalk mountain. The huge "Cave of Repentance" 220 meters long before the revolution was the place where the most complete sinners were sent for confession. The interiors of the temples are so vast that they can accommodate 2,000 people.
Most of the icons were destroyed or during the Soviet era. Some of them were smoked, the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God was shot... However, the prayer place withstood the onslaught of the theomachists and is living again.
Today the Church of the Savior is part of the Kostomarovsky Spassky Diocesan Convent.
Tourists are photographed against the backdrop of the holy monastery.
Local residents, like many centuries ago, come to pray.
The photographer is trying to shoot a masterpiece on film "Mamiya".
Another view of the Church of the Savior.
From the top of the stairs, from the foot of the temple, a view of the newly built church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Search for the Lost" opens. On the right side of the mountain are the rest of the caves of the monastery - there are eight of them in total.
Bottom view
Not everyone likes the tour.
In numerous caves there were utility rooms and cells of the monks, in which they led their Spartan life and turned to God. Some of the cells had a vertical shape, and it was possible to stay in them only while standing. At the time of sleep, such monks - pillars tied themselves with ropes or chains.
The entrance to the temple has recently been restored.
Tourist pilgrims.
The vaults of the temple tunnels are smooth, underground it is cold.
On the local Golgotha there is a chapel of the Crucifixion of the Lord - we saw it at the beginning of the post.
At the very top there is a traditional cross and a fantastic view of the chalk canyons.
To see these unusual places, you do not need to go to Turkey - from Moscow it is less than 700 km, from Voronezh - 160.
View from the top of the mountain to the chapel.
The dome gleams gold in the sun.
Sacrament
There are a lot of expensive cars from Moscow and neighboring regions in the parking lot. "A respectable Lord for respectable gentlemen!"
However, bicycle pilgrims are not uncommon. In general, the Voronezh region is a great place for cycling. Interesting objects are located at a distance of a leisurely daytime haul.
The village of Kostomarovo lives its quiet, inconspicuous life.
But if you drive through the sleepy streets of the village and climb on an off-road vehicle to the top of the neighboring ridge, you can look at the monastery from the other side. This is one of those cases when, instead of pressing the shutter, you enjoy the view for a long time, not believing in its realism.
Spassky temple
Small temples
General view of the monastery
Chapel above the chalk ridge
Well done navigator Lena - it was she who found the way up)
Fascinated by the search for new angles, we went further, climbing another giant hill. From there, a wonderful view of the Kostomarovsky Monastery really opened up.
The road on chalk ruts was very steep, "Santa" roared all six cylinders, the wheels now and then tried to break into a slip.
The higher we climbed, the better the views were.
Finally, the summit has been reached! And the view is even better from here.
Surprisingly, upon reaching the top of the plateau, the broken track, along which we climbed up the mountain, was replaced by a good dirt road running along the perimeter of the endless field. Therefore, we decided not to return to the asphalt, but to continue our journey along roads that are not on the navigator. But more on that in one of the next posts! Stay tuned!
My posts about the Voronezh region
Belogorye
Kostomarovo
Divnogorie