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20:30
The candle workshop of the Valaam monastery
It is almost impossible to imagine the Russian Orthodox Church without its simple, uneven candles. In the Church the candle is a voluntary donation a believer makes to the church as well as a symbol of their prayers. For centuries monasteries have kept the secret of how these wax sticks are made. The Valaam Monastery has its own traditions and is one of the most famous monasteries in North-western Russia. For the monks, working in the candlestick workshop represents monastic obedience and obligatory monastic work. Despite the seemingly simple technology used in this process, producing these church candles requires the monks to have a surprising degree of skill and experience.
Fishing on Kilpola Island
Since ancient times the shores of Lake Ladoga, Europe’s largest lake, have been inhabited by people who have always treasured and worked to preserve their unique traditions and customs. These are lands full of ancient legends where, for centuries, local people have lived their daily lives among the beauty of untouched northern nature. The Northern Ladoga area possesses a unique charm with the relaxed majesty of Karelia’s nature being felt with the breaking of each wave on the island’s rocky shore. Igor Maximenko travelled to the island of Kilpola in the north-western part of Lake Ladoga where he tried his luck fishing and got to know some of the local culinary traditions.
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20:30
Fishing on Kilpola Island
The Yuriev monastery
Monasteries serve as a stronghold of the Orthodox faith on Russian soil. Each monastery has its own unique history and for thousands of tourists, pilgrims and those simply seeking an escape from their busy everyday lives these places truly are holy. The most remote and hidden monasteries, some of which are even hard to reach, were built by people with no interest in a connection with the outside world, only in their connection with God. The peaceful environment of such places seems to be protected by nature itself. Other spiritual centres, on the contrary, were built by those who sought to be heard by the masses — no one other than the rulers of the Russian State. Such monasteries then became a solid foundation of princely power and their superiors played an active role in local political life. One such institution is the St. George Monastery. RTG TV host Alexander Uvarov v...
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20:15