Fishing is like meditation; it relieves fatigue, puts people in a good mood and helps relax both the body and soul. It seems as if the area around Volgodonsk was created specifically for this reason and to go fishing all year round. True fisherman’s happiness however, is not simply sitting with a fishing pole on the water, but actually catching fish – the more elusive the better. One such fish is the Grass Carp, which can be found in many waters in Russia, yet very few fishermen can boast that they’ve been able to trick this ever-so-cautious river fish out of the water.
In 1892 in St. Petersburg a church was consecrated in honour of monk and martyr Andrew of Crete. Christians celebrate this great saint every year on October 17th. It was also on this day in 1888 that a train with the imperial family on board derailed near Kharkov. It was by some kind of miracle that Tsar Alexander III and his family were spared while many others were killed. A church was erected in order to mark the royal family’s fortunate deliverance from death. RTG TV host Nadezhda Lebedeva visited what is nowadays known as the Konstantino-Yeleninsky Monastery where she learned about the history of its construction, as well as that of the church of Saint Andrew of Crete. She also found out about the relics kept a the monastery.