Once, when I studied to become a journalist, my mates and I had a chance to hear a unique singer from Ladanka folk group who came to our University. She sang folk songs of Russias various regions and commented on their characteristic features. And now, she said, Ill show you the Belgorod manner of singing. And we heard an unexpectedly heavy, stout, clanging sound that made our eardrums pop and produced a crack in the glass that stood in front of the singer
Ideal climate of the Black-soil area, excellent crops, fundamental attractiveness have always made Belgorod region different from other Russias areas, and this, as we saw, is even reflected in the local style of signing which is considered the most complicated in Russia.
But it so happened that for various reasons many ancient Russian cities have lost almost all their historic tinge. Now they sport their 70s architecture and are called modern, though quite often at the city gates we can see a foundation date proudly claiming much earlier origin. An ordinary tourist will hardly be tempted by them sacrificing more publicized places. And still one should not abandon a priori the idea to visit cities like Belgorod, at least, because priceless drops of historic heritage awaiting us here are only known to the few and emerge fresh, original and astonishing.
The Lord of the Rings
Belgorod could compete with numerous prominent historic centres in Russia if were not the World War II, that left only 4 undemolished houses in the whole town. Today the city is remarkably clean and its unique landscape and architectural solutions make you reach for your camera with a purpose other than capturing a historic monument. It is not our goal to show Yevgeny Savchenko, the regions Governor, as a politician, however, Belgorods rapid transformation from a rank-and-file Soviet-type provincial town into a European city sparkling with flowers and fountains is entirely to his credit.
Belgorod is happily situated being naturally divided into two parts: the lower one (the town) and the upper Kharkov hill which offers an astounding view of the city below the TV tower. It is from here that Belgorodians watch the fireworks and artillery salute fired every year to commemorate the city liberation on August 5, 1943. From this elevation a road had been running through a mass of rural- looking huts offering a panorama that gradually zooms in impressive central focuses: the Cathedral Square and the Glory Lane near the Diorama. Recently the humble houses were pulled down giving way to the new symbol of Belgorod a huge monument to Saint Vladimir, the Prince of Kiev who brought Christianity in Russia, with an upraised cross blessing the city below the staircase alley running to the park area.
The rows of grey 5-storeyed blocks along geometrically straight streets that used to look dull and dingy have lately been painted all colours of the rainbow, gilded with flower-beds and broadened, which somehow made the avenues more transparent and contributed to the unusual effect of the virtual three-dimensional space of the city.
Numerous boulevards and alleys of chestnuts and fir-trees much loved by the Belgorod residents have been completely renewed. Another noteworthy feature is multicoloured fancy tile pavement of the sidewalks and squares; and there is hardly any other city in Russia with so many roundabouts, which prompted drivers to call Yevgeny Savchenko the Lord of the Rings.
The number of museums and picture galleries in Belgorod is not so great (less than 10 for 360 thousand people) but they are really worth seeing. Thus, the Diorama of the Prokhorovka tank battle ranks the 3d in Russia in its importance and workmanship excellence.
Of interest is the regional study museum that for years had been housed in the Transfiguration Cathedral, the main Cathedral of the Belgorod region; now the museum occupies its own premises next to the Diorama. Just across the street renewal works on the picture gallery building looking like a fairy-tail palace is underway. The local Arts Museum housed in a nearby historic 19 century mansion displays Russian paintings, a good deal of them being of the local origin.
There is also a folk culture museum with a wonderfully decorated interior where on display can be seen curious household paraphernalia used locally in 18-19 centuries; besides, the museum is active in organizing special educative events for children of all ages. The Communication museum to be found in the Main Post Office speaks for itself.
Only a few decades ago very few people ever heard of Belgorod, now it is well known as a Russian-Ukrainian border crossing point. As a matter of fact, the frontier city rank is nothing new to Belgorod it was founded back in 1596 as a center of Belgorod abatis line (its earth ramparts are still seen scattered in the fields) to defend Russias southern boundaries against nomads raids. Certainly, tedious customs formalities do not lend charm to any city, but fortunately, Customs Service has nothing to do with visiting the city and the region.
The second historic milestone is associated with the Kursk Bulge (the place of the greatest tank battle of the Second World War). The Belgorodians feel somewhat piqued by the Bulge being called after Kursk while, in fact, it is 5 times closer to Belgorod. This toponymic injustice is explained by the fact that before 1954 Belgorod made part of the Kursk region. But still, it was Belgorod that received the honors and the first salute in Moscow in 1943 for this most important victory and has been nicknamed The City of the first salute. A traveler first gets a glimpse of the historic War memorial from the train windows about an hour before his arrival to Belgorod from Moscow: an amazing bell tower- a monument to the Victory- on the right, and a soaring Peter and Paul Cathedral on the left.
The meeting place cannot be changed
We are used to the fact that most Russian historic sights are associated with religion churches, cathedrals, cloisters Yet, among these rather similar structures one comes across really striking places which deserve tourists attention. In Belgorod it is the Kholky male monastery (Chernyanka district) with its unique chalk caves which, according to some scholars, are contemporary to the Roman catacombs and their layout is even more complicated than that of the famous Kiev Pechersk Lavra caves.
From the outside the monastery is seen as four churches scattered on a small hilly area in the picturesque valley of the Seversky Donets river. It was here, as the famous epic poem has it, that Prince Igor was waiting for his brother Vsevolod before their raid against troublesome Polovcian khan.
Having overcome 299 stairs while climbing towards the Prince Vladimir cathedral on the top of the hill (by the way, very few people manage to count the stairs correctly) one realizes why this place was chosen for the meeting.
The monastery has a long and dramatic history. Founded in 1649 it was dissolved along with many others by the orders of Catherine II who, under various pretexts, used to bestow well cultivated extensive monastery lands on her favourites. Then long oblivion, unfinished excavations of the caves in 1890, revolutionary attempts to turn them into a vegetable store, service as a bomb-shelter during the Second World War, and finally, revival of the monastery in 1999.
Monks, quite expert now in tourist guiding are pleased to lead us all the way through the 126 meters of the cave passages open to visitors today. Well, they do remind you of the Kiev chalk caves but these look fascinatingly ancient and primitive compared to the Kiev caves that seem plastered and whitewashed. 12 cells have been excavated so far, 6 of them being open to tourists. The excavations are going on.
The impression that chalk is easy to work up is deceptive, says our cassocked guide. At a depth of 20 cm it becomes pasty and at a meters depth it turns half-liquid. Due to high humidity iron and wood decay rapidly here while flowers stay alive without water for 2 months. This fact worked against the idea of the vegetable store. No more luck with the communists attempts to dynamite them the explosion only left some minor scars. The sterile air here has a healing power now we are at a depth of 15 meters but just feel how easy the breathing comes!
Count Sheremetev had a lot to choose from!
Memory of Boris Petrovich Sheremetev, one of the closest comrades-in-arms to Peter the Great, is retained not only in the name of Borisovka, a district center of the Belgorod region, where he was voivode (commander) of the Big Belgorod regiment. The eminent count chose this place to live in for its fertile chernozyom (black earth), hilly terrain and lush grasses, though he owned scores of villages in 17 other regions! At the beginning of the 18 century Borisovka had a population of 25 thousand people and it was renowned all over the Russian Empire for its craftspeople generously supported by the Count a great lover and connoisseur of arts. If other Russian villages are famous for their typical artistic products, such as Gzhels porcelain or Khokhloma painted wood, Borisovka absorbed various Russian and European handicraft styles. Today you can buy here any ceramic ware at most inviting prices.
Sheremetev also fostered icon-painters who made Borisovka famous all over Russia. Even now the walls of Archangel Michael Cathedral in Borisovka are decorated with paintings and frescos made by local masters of Sheremetiev school. The Cathedral is of considerable interest owing to its luxuriant iconostasis made of the only one in Russia three-colored whole marble piece (protected by UNESCO) and also due to the miracle-working icon of Our Lady of Tikhvin given to Count Sheremetev by Peter the Great himself before the Poltava battle against Karl XII of Sweden. In the heat of the battle a shell exploded quite close to where the Count was and its fragments pierced the icon that saved his life being in the way of imminent death; the Count, flabbergasted at the incident and thankful for the Providence, founded the Tikhvin Monastery near St. Petersburg from where the icon one of the 7 most spiritually powerful and worshiped in Russia got its name.
From Graivoron to Khotmyzhsk
At the outskirts of Graivoron near the highway one can see an amazing structure: its architectural form is so quaint and its function so puzzling that nowadays it is called simply and unpretentiously The Round Building. In front of it lies a huge half buried boulder with an inscription saying that this marvel was built in 1790 on the estate of Lieutenant- General Ivan Khorvatov. And that its original layout makes it a unique structure not only for Belgorod and Russia but for the whole world. In 1999 when the Round Building was restored, after a lot of thinking the community decided to use it for art exhibitions. Inside there are 4 cylindrical floors tapering upwards and downwards a solution that leaves one agasp. I bet, the scheme for fire evacuation from the Round Building all circles would surely get a prize at an avant-guard drawing contest!
By the way, this place was once called Kin groost ( Leave your blues behind), now it is the name of the café in the Round Building s cellar.
The Graivoron coat-of-arms bears a flying black raven (voron). And symbolically, the main tour attraction of the town itself is connected with the birds it is a private avian zoo organized and kept by Sergey Korniyenko, a local vet. I must confess here that zoos, especially in Russia, evoke in me an association with stinking small cages where miserable beasts are imprisoned. I was pleasantly struck, I admit, to see an ordinary yard in a village street. Just imagine: two whimsically shaped ponds in the middle of the yard, cherry-trees in blossom, like Japanese sakuras, fancy railings, tenderly cared-for flower beds, stone grottos.
And no cages! Tame vulturine guinea fowls, golden pheasants, crowned cranes, Australian black swans 170 most rare birds all in all stroll calmly on tiny paths mixing with the visitors. I have only seen such paradisiacal harmony between humans and animals in the famous Bird Park in Malaysia! The entrance to this Eden is free and the means to keep this small plot of land and procure 12 yearly tons of birds feed come from sponsors.
Graivoron has repeatedly been a winner of all sorts of regional competitions as the most well kempt and the best in various nominations. And it deserves it: restored 200 years old monuments and shopping arcades looking brand new, walk only area decorated with stylish lanterns and benches, and into the bargain, - total ban on automotive transport in the center (people may only travel by bikes, like in Amsterdam!) well, you can imagine the effect!
Khotmyzhsk is well known to those interested in Slavic culture coming here each September to take part in the Khotmyzhsk autumn international festival. But even if you fail to attend the festival the place is still worth seeing, at least, for the sake of an extraordinary panoramic view of the scenery that opens up to your eyes from the Resurrection Cathedral on the hill.
It is hardly possible to list here all the sights around Belgorod that can be visited by tourists. For example, the greatest on Earth Kursk Magnetic Anomaly ore deposits that account for 50 per cent of the worlds iron ore reserves. Or Krasnoye village, the birthplace of M. Shchepkin (an outstanding 19 c. actor), where a folk fairy tale manor has recently been restored and houses a museum (by the way, everybody knows that the concept of Nikolay Gogols famous play The Inspector General was prompted by Pushkin, but very few people know that the story was told to Pushkin by Shchepkin who was full of such funny anecdotes that often served as a source of inspiration to other famous Russian writers). Tourists are welcome to visit museums dedicated to V.F. Rayevsky (a participant of Decembrist revolt in 1825), N.V. Vatutin ( a World War II General), Yusupov family mansion, relic groves of the Belogorie national park
Alyona Palazhchenko.
The author is indebted to the Belgorod regional tour center for children and teen-agers, and to Dal-tour company for their assistance in preparing the article.
Translator Tatyana Ouglova
