Chapels and Churches
“They Worshipped a Stone Idol”: Sacred Landscapes - Orthodox–Pagan Syncretism in Northern Traditions
In Christian terminology—and in common popular perception—any interaction between humans and natural objects on a sacred level is usually interpreted as “pagan worship” of stones, springs, trees, or groves. As if peopl...
Roadside Chapel of Cyricus and Julitta — Magic of Old Northern Roads
In Russian folk tradition, the Road was considered a rather eerie place, where a traveler could encounter many dangers: wild beasts, ruthless men, and of course, the Unclean Force.
Gimoretsky pogost — the town of the dead of the Russian North
On a mountain, atop a high hill, behind sturdy gates and oak walls, far from human dwellings, on the border of forest and field, there has stood for nearly four centuries a town of the dead — the Gimoretsky churchyard....
The Ruins of the Agua Church Amid January Mists
In the breath of the mountains. A touch of the northern south—or the southern north.
Inversion in Russian Folk Magic: Turning the Sacred Into the Profane
The Latin term inversion (from inversio, “turning upside down; reversal”) aptly conveys the concept—negation or turning meaning on its head, a symbolic “black magic” technique aimed at causing harm or casting curses. T...
The Everlasting Footprint
On the banks of the Saba River, in the village of Raykovo, stands the Chapel of Archangel Michael. This small wooden church is unusual in its design: a log structure encircled on three sides by an open gallery, offerin...
Emigrating to Enchanted Rus’: Andoma Mountain and Its Surroundings
A glimpse of our Northern Sea — Lake Onega — captured in a few photographs.
The Assumption Chapel, or the Place Where Treasure Lies Hidden
A beautiful, small roadside chapel with a stone cross dating from the 16th (or so) century stands near the village of Vasttsy. According to local legend, a treasure is buried near the chapel, and at times, a black figu...