Svoboda

Legend has it that during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, hunters from Rylsk found the icon of Theotokos of Kursk, also known as the Kursk Root Icon, in the roots of a tree deep in the woods. A sacred, healing spring gushed up from the spot where they found the icon, and the hunters built upon it the first wooden chapel in 1295. The Kursk Root Monastery was founded on the same spot 300 years later, in 1597, by order of Tsar Feodor I. The original chapel was replaced with a stone church, through which the spring still flows. The hermitage was largely destroyed during the Time of Troubles and was despoiled by the Crimean Tatars. Only at the end of the 18th century did the monastery received its structural layout.

From 1708, the Kursk Korenskaya Fair (literally, Root Fair) was regularly held at the monastery’s walls, which by 1824 became the third largest in the Russian Empire after the Makaryevskaya (Nizhny Novgorod) and Irbitskaya fairs. Traditionally, the Korenskaya Fair began after the annual procession of the Kursk Root Icon, from which it acquired the power to do miracles. The procession of the icon from Kursk to Hermitage of the Root attracted thousands of pilgrims, and it is depicted in one of the most famous 19th century Russian paintings: "The procession in the Kursk province" by Ilya Repin, now prominently displayed at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

In the 18th century, a small village grew around the monastery, which became an official settlement in 1886, when the Korennaya Pustyn rail station opened up on the Moscow-Kursk railway. After the Russian Revolution, both the station and the village were renamed Svoboda — literally: "freedom." During the Battle of Kursk in 1943, the headquarters of the Central Front of the Red Army was set up here under the command of K.K. Rokossovsky.

In modern days, Svoboda has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in Kursk Oblast, and there is high quality tourist infrastructure for pilgrims here. It’s worth coming to the village to see the beautiful monastery, perfectly set against the backdrop of the forest-steppe landscape of the Chernozemye, to drink water from the numerous local springs, to just relax in nature, and in the summer to also take a dip in one of those cold-water wellsprings. On weekends and especially on religious holidays, the monastery is crowded, and it is better to come before noon.

The icon itself has a very storied history! After first appearing in the roots in 1295, it was credited with many miracles. Hearing of the healing waters of the spring, supplicants from Rylsk began coming to the chapel to pray. Prince Shemyaka of Rylsk ordered that the icon be brought from the chapel to the city, but went blind after not deigning to attend the celebration. After repenting and going to venerate the icon, his sight was restored, and he then had a church commissioned to house it in Rylsk. The icon, however, apparently had other plans and mysteriously vanished and reappeared at the chapel over the spring. The Rylskians tried bringing it back again, but were thwarted by continued disappearances and reappearances at the spring, leading them to relent and be satisfied with regular pilgrimages there, as well as a famous annual procession by foot of the icon between first Rylsk and the chapel, later between Kursk and the monastery.

In 1383, the Kursk region was again invaded by Crimean Tatars, who set fire to the chapel, but legend has it that the wooden chapel would not burn. Enraged, they entered the church and slashed the icon in half, but it miraculously grew whole when the priest later brought the two halves back into contact with each other. At this point, a new and sturdier chapel was built upon the wellspring.

In 1898, the icon faced a more modernist threat when anarchists conspired to undermine faith in the church by blowing it up with a time bomb. The bomb exploded with terrific force, shattering all windows, blowing the iron door right off the hinges, splitting the marble altar, but the icon itself - even its glass enclosure - was left completely untouched. The anarchist plot backfired, resulting in more widespread veneration of the icon.

The icon along with the White Russian Army escaped the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution and was temporarily housed in Belgrade before moving further west through Europe away from Soviet advances in WWII. It found a new long-term home at the Hermitage of Our Lady of Kursk in Mahopac, New York, but today is kept at the Cathedral of the Theotokos of the Sign in Manhattan's Upper East Side, from which it frequently travels the world, including trips back to Mahopac and even to Svoboda itself for its patronal feast, the Nativity of the Theokotos.

The nearest airport is in Kursk, 33 km from Svoboda, which has multiple flights per day from Moscow. From Kursk-Vostochny airport by taxi, the journey will take half an hour and will cost 600-700 руб. Another option would be to use fixed-route, minibus taxis, but then you will need a transfer at the "Railway Hospital" stop, where you can get from the airport by minibuses 81, 84 and 89.

Trains from Moscow run to Kursk frequently. From Kursk's train station, you will need to get to the "Railway Hospital" stop («Железнодорожная больница») by minibus or on foot (just 1.3 km). From there, there are minibuses to Svoboda every half hour.

Lastochka trains (electric commuter trains) to Kursk and Belgorod make a stop at the Zolotukhino rail station, from which it is 17 km to Svoboda, and minibuses run every half hour.

🌍 Svoboda Station. The only trains stopping here are "elektrichki" trains from Kursk and Oryol. From Kursk it takes half an hour, from Orel, 2.5 hours. But the Freedom station is in fact located in the village of Budanovka, from which it is still 5 km to Svoboda. Minibuses from Svoboda Station to the actual town run infrequently, usually about every two hours, but you can still get into town in a pinch by walking or hitchhiking. (updated Feb 2020)

From Kursk, minibuses to Svoboda leave from Severny Station from stop Ulitsa Dubrovinskovo (Ул. Дубровинского), and all of these also stop at the "Railway Hospital" stop («Железнодорожная больница» Zheleznodorozhnaya bolnitsa). From the Railway Hospital stop, minibuses go to Svoboda every half hour from 06:20 to 19:30. If you want to return to Kursk on the same day, be vigilant — the last minibus back leaves Svoboda rather early, at 19:00.

🌍 Bus stop, ул. Гагарина, 16, ☏ +7 (915) 510-15-87. Nothing more than a small cashier's booth, in the same building as the Pyaterochka (Пятерочка) supermarket. (updated Feb 2020)

A car is the most convenient way to get to Svoboda, especially since the majority of visitors to the Hermitage of the Roots try to bring spring water from the monastery back with them. From Moscow, take the M2 highway. Immediately after the Fatezh bypass, there will be a left turn signed to Zolotukhino and Korennaya pustyn (Коренная пустынь). From the turn to the monastery itself is a little more than 40 km. The roads are of excellent quality, so you can easily finish the 530 km trip from the Moscow Ring Road in six hours.

From Kursk to Svoboda, take the road to Zolotukhino and on to Ponyri (Поныри). This 30 km route is also along a good quality road.

From other regions, you can get here either from the M2 highway, or from Kursk. From southeastern Oryol Oblast, you could try to get there without detouring to the M2 by going through Shchigry on the road to Ponyri. But much of the Ponyri-Maloarkhangelsk section is a dirt road, which, after rains and without knowing where to turn, is best avoided. GPS is unlikely to be useful.

The main parking lot is right at the gates of the monastery, but on weekends and church holidays, it can be hard to find a spot even on the neighboring streets. An alternative would be to drive a little towards the Svoboda Rail Station and turn onto the dirt road immediately after the bridge over the Tuskar River. You can park there close to the left bank of the river and then walk to the monastery via a pedestrian bridge.

🌍 Kursk Root Hermitage (Korennaya Hermitage Коренная пустынь). 06:00–23:00 daily. The monastery was founded in 1597 by Tsar Feodor I at the site of the appearance of the miraculous Kursk Root Icon of Our Lady of the Sign. The icon was found in the roots of the tree. Starting in 1618, it was moved to the Znamensky Cathedral in Kursk, and on the ninth Friday after Easter brought in solemn procession to the Kursk Root Hermitage for the summer. You won't find the original the original here today. In October 1919, White Russian troops whisked it out of Russia to safeguard it from the communists, eventually storing the icon in New York. In its early days, the monastery burned several times at the hands of Crimean Tatar raiders. It reached its peak at the end of the 19th century, facilitated by the growth in the number of pilgrims and the large Kursk Korenskaya Fair, which was held near the walls of the monastery. In 1924, the monastery was closed, the Nativity Cathedral was blown up, and on the dismantled upper tier the belfries were made into an observation deck for holidaymakers staying nearby. In 1989, the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and in the early 2000s it was mostly rebuilt. Now the blue-turquoise ensemble on the high right bank of the Tuskar River looks spectacular. The monastery grounds stretch from the center of the settlement to the river, and the descent from the gates of the monastery to churches and wellsprings passes along steep stairs. (updated Feb 2020)

• 🌍 Sacred gates with Bell tower. From the monastery entrance you can descend a wide stone staircase to go down to the Holy Gate, erected in 1708. Restored frescoes depict biblical themes. The bell tower above was built in the second half of the 19th century, of which only the lower tier survived the Soviet era - the upper tier was destroyed and then rebuilt in the early 2000s. (updated Feb 2020)
• 🌍 Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Собор Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы). The main cathedral of the monastery is located just below the bell tower on the monastery square, which is centered on the "Reunion" monument. The current form of the cathedral, with its crossed-dome plan, was erected in 1860 on the site of the wooden chapel erected by hunters in 1295, right where the spring emerged after they removed the icon from the roots. It was destroyed by the Bolsheviks - the church you see today was built on the remaining foundation. A little past the cathedral is a monument to Saint Seraphim of Sarov as well as an observation deck, which offers a picturesque view of the Tuskar river valley and the lower buildings of the monastery. (updated Feb 2020)

• 🌍 Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Храм Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы). On the main square to the left of the cathedral, this church was erected in 1819, originally as the All Saints Church, which was used as the main winter church. A long refectory for the brethren of the monastery is built into the building. (updated Feb 2020)
• 🌍 Church of the Life-Giving Spring (Церковь Живоносного источника). On the lower tier of the monastery, closest to the river, is the Church of the Life-Giving Spring, built on the site of the spring with healing waters, found under the icon. It was built in 1713 at the expense of Field War Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev, a hero of the Northern War, commemorating the victories of the Russian army. The church is right by the water itself, and stays cool in the summer. Don't miss its unique altar, made of materials resistant to cold and moisture, faience and porcelain. In 1835, the church was connected to the monastery square via a gallery-passage, which with its steep stone vaults of eight stone ledges resembles the descent into the caves of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the gallery of the Athos monasteries. A steep iron staircase (with benches for breaks) leads from the monastery square to the lower tier. (updated Feb 2020)
• 🌍 Main wellspring (Главный источник). The main source of the spring is decorated in the style of elm roots. Next to it are well-maintained baths, and a little to the right there is an open spot for swimming. It will save you from the queue at the pool, and at the same time will allow you to take in the waters from all sources that flow directly into the river. The course of the water here is quite fast, but the river itself is shallow, about to the waist. The clean and cool water is quite refreshingǃ Away from the main source, along the riverbank, there are several smaller wellsprings with wooden chapels: the Kazan Icon, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Panteleimon the Healer and the farthest - Seraphim of Sarov. Another wellspring is located near the source of St. Nicholas. It usually has few people, but it can be closed. All these sources are located along a windbreak, and a path leads to them from the church. If you do not have containers for bringing water home, you can buy it at a kiosk at the Church of the Life-Giving Spring or at the gates of the monastery. (updated Feb 2020)

• 🌍 Monument to the 1295 discovery of the Kursk Root Icon. This fountain sculpture by Vyacheslav Klykov was installed in 2003 on Znamenskaya Square opposite the main entrance to the monastery. The sculpture is a bronze and copper composition depicting the moment the icon was found at the roots of the elm. The marble pedestal includes cast-stamped medallions dedicated to the history of the icon. There are souvenir shops around the monument. (updated Feb 2020)
• 🌍 Monument to Saint Seraphim of Sarov. The monument to Seraphim Sarovsky, born in Kursk, was unveiled in 1998 near the walls of the Cathedral of the Nativity (at that time, not yet restored). The author of the sculpture is the same Vyacheslav Klykov. Eight years earlier, a similar sculpture by the same author was installed in Sarov. According to legend, nine-year-old Prokhor Moshnin (future Seraphim of Sarov) was cured by kissing the Kursk Root Icon during the procession. Later, Seraphim repeatedly visited the monastery, and in memory of this a chapel was built over one of the wellsprings. Near the monument is an observation deck with the best views of the surrounding landscapes in the monastery. (updated Feb 2020)
• 🌍 "Reunion" Monument (Памятник «Воссоединение») (на территории монастыря). Erected in 2015 on the monastery square in honor of overcoming the split of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2007, which had developed during the years of the Russian Revolution. The bronze sculpture depicts Alexey II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and the Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, holding in their hands the Kursk Root Icon. Alexey II called the Kursk Root Hermitage the third spiritual center of Russia after the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad and the Diveyevo Convent in Diveyevo. In December 2015, a similar sculpture was commemorated in the U.S., in the state of New Jersey. (updated Feb 2020)