This itinerary has been created to experience landmarks in the history of Russian spirituality in and around Moscow, before travelling on to The Land of St Seraphim, the region in and around Diveyevo.

In and around Moscow

In Moscow, we will visit some of the holy sites, including the small chapel in the Danilov Monastery, dedicated to St Seraphim. The Danilov Monastery, the oldest working monastery in Moscow, is centre of the Moscow Patriarchate, and residence of His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

We will walk in Red Square with St Basil's Cathedral, visit the Monastery of Martha and Mary, established by Grand Duchess Elisabeth, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and sister of the Czarina Alexandra, and visit other cultural and historical sites of interest.

 We will travel in the Moscow region to the former Zagorsk, today Sergiev Posad. The city grew up around the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra Monastery, established around 1340 by St. Sergius of Radonezh . This monastery has been the single most important spiritual center in Russia for well over 600 years, and today is a working monastery, Seminary, Theological Academy and place of pilgrimage.

In Moscow we will stay in a well-appointed 3-star hotel

From Moscow we travel to The Land of St Seraphim

In and around Diveyevo
Travelling to Diveyevo, to the region from which the focus of the radius of effect of the saint's transfiguring life began, a land, both geographic and spiritual, this part of the journey offers a way of deepening the connection between St Seraphim's inner landscape and our own.

This land, its monasteries, sketes, villages, and people are living witness:

• to one of the greatest outpourings of God's love through his servant, 'poor Seraphim'
• to the greatest persecution of Christians of all time
• to the remarkable recovery & renewal of Christian witness taking place in Russia since the 1990's.

We travel by overnight train from Moscow to Arzamas where we are met by our driver and taken on the 70 km journey to Diveyevo, where we will experience the glorious Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, where St Seraphim’s relics lie.

We will spend time in the Monastery of Seraphim-Diveyevo, where the saint's influence has been great, and dwell in a region in which his image lives in nearly every home.  Here, one may bathe in the holy springs and walk the sacred path.  We wll explore surrounding villages in which surviving monks and nuns dwelt in hiding during the soviet years, and through whose inhabitants, many of the practices and treasures of the monasteries were saved.  

Your Leader
Father John Jillions is an Orthodox priest.  He lives in Ottawa, Canada, where he serves as Dean of the Annunciation Cathedral and Professor of St Paul University’s Sheptytsky Institute.  He formerly served as Founding Principal of the Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge, UK.

Your price includes:

• Experienced English speaking leader throughout
• All excursions and entrance fees
• Train and road travel from and to Moscpw
• Group transport within the Diveyevo region
• Moscow - 3 nights accommodation, sharing twin room with private facilities, in well appointed 3 star hotel.
• Diveyevo - accommodation in a private house, sharing a twin room
• All meals

Your price does not include:

• Flight
• Visa
• Travel insurance
• Drinks and personal items
• Single room supplement
• Airport Transfers.