Savior-Transfiguration Monastery

#Savior_Transfiguration_Monastery

The Cathedral was founded in 1198 and has been rebuilt many times due to age/erosion and many wars in the area
The Monastery was established in 1213 as the first school of religion, then in 1747 the first logical seminary was established within the building

Cannot really say how i gained access to the bell tower (my secret) as its usually restricted to the monks or members of the religious order who maintains it......so i feel blessed 🙏

Visitors can typically only go to the designated areas such as chapels, guests houses and gardens
This was designed for visitors to experience the monastic lifestyle without disrupting the religious community

As i make my way up to the top i am reminded the Monastery was devasted by the Great Fires of 1500s
but it was rebuilt and restored plus evolved from the wooden structures into stone cathedral fortifications
Thus reflecting in the changing architecture styles and needs of the different eras

As you can see with this narrow opening the Monastery had to protect itself from attacks, for example like the one in 1238 by the Khan Baty and his troops
He was the Mongolian ruler (who was the grandson of Genghis Khan) and founder of the Golden Horde which would control Eastern Europe for about 250 years

Monks History
It comes from the Greek word "monos" meaning alone or solitary
In the beginnings, they were responsible for the coping / preservation of texts which made them important scholars and scribes

Some Fun Facts;
A) Monks in medieval England were involved in the creation of the first public clocks
B) Trappist Monks have a long history of brewing beer which was a source of income for the Monasteries ( today....13 designated locations worldwide)
C) Buddhist Monks are associated with the practice of the Chinese martial art of King-Fu 
They also have a vegetarian diet to follow their beliefs in non-violence and minimizing harm to all living things

The bell tower was to serve as a call to prayer as a reminder of Gods presence plus for the Monks to practice their vows
But beyond the monastic community the bells were used to alert the surrounding villages of important events, of  incoming danger, plus a symbolic message to ward off evil or natures storms 

From the bell tower i am overlooking the Volga River and Yaroslavl
Its a city located 250 kms (155 miles) northeast of Moscow and is the part of what they call the Russia Golden Ring
That is a tourist route connecting ancient and historically significant Russian cities north of Moscow which some include Kostroma, Ivanovo, Vladimir and Suzdal

Not sure it was my time to leave jajajja.....but the bells were chiming and it was loud
So as John Donne wrote "the bell tolls for thee" and i remember the meaning of that; its a common bond of humanity that no one is truly isolated

Great Words for All to Live By

After being the center of education for centuries the monastery was closed in 1787 and converted into a residence for archbishops
Then during the Soviet era it again changed and became the home to the Yaroslavl Historical / Architectural Museum-Reserve