4 beautiful places where you can see the golden autumn. In the Moscow region and not only

The “dreary season” sung by Russian classics suits Central Russia very well – so much so that even small weekend trips are painted in cozy autumn colors and promise bright impressions and emotions. Leaving the Moscow Ring Road mostly by airplane, you risk forgetting that the amazing things are close by: in the Moscow region and nearby areas, beautiful in their diversity.

President of Pro-Vision, author of the Vinogradov.story community

Where to start getting acquainted with the poetic autumn “zakadie”, I suggest below.

Peredelkino

Formally – part of Moscow, but in essence – a true settlement near Moscow, “town of writers” Peredelkino appeared on maps in the mid-1930s. But it gained all-union fame by the 1960s – during the thaw, which made the names of Okudzhava, Yevtushenko and Voznesensky, Akhmadulina, Aksyonov and many other talented and free “sixties” far beyond the settlement.

More than half a century later, new life was breathed into Peredelkino: the House of Creativity was restored, artists’ and writers’ workshops were opened, excursions were launched and tourist infrastructure was created – a hotel and a couple of interesting gastronomic spaces.

Today, not only writers can spend a weekend in the “writers’ town”. But such diversity only fuels the creative atmosphere dispersed in the fresh pine air.

Peredelkino

Nikola-Lenivets

Founded just over 10 years ago, today Nikola-Lenivets is Europe’s largest open-air art park. In summer it hosts the “Russian Burning Man” – the Archstoyanie festival, in early spring they burn an effigy of Pancake Day.

And in autumn and winter they invite you to walk along the river, to breathe the country air without cinders and smog and to interact with art objects: from the first and symbolic “Lighthouse” at the bend of the Ugra River to constantly changing installations, exhibitions and fantasies on the theme of architecture, sculpture and painting.

Autumn gives these places a special charm: it adds morning mists and low sky, as if shading the man-made objects of the park.

Nikola-Lenivets

New Jerusalem

Today it takes four hours to fly to Jerusalem – in the XVII century a pilgrimage to the Holy Land would have taken four years. Seeking to “move” the heart of the Orthodox world a little closer to Moscow, Patriarch Nikon began to build a Palestine near Moscow – the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery – 100 kilometers west of the capital.

The abode was erected in the likeness of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Holy Land, reproducing recognizable images of Christian shrines. It stands on an artificial hill – Sion, above the river Istra, at that time renamed into Jordan, in the middle of the Garden of Gethsemane (now – a park), and the surroundings of the monastery resemble a revived landscape of Christian Palestine. The best place to get away from the hustle and bustle and reboot.

New Jerusalem

Astashovo Forest Terem

Despite the fact that Astashovo is already in Kostroma province, I couldn’t not include this location in my fall selection: I found it too extraordinary and inspiring, lost in the wilderness of the Chukhloma forests.

Going to Astashovo, I read a lot about the Terem’s past, but even more about its amazing present. Built at the junction of XIX-XX centuries, in the Soviet time it was “sheltered” by the village council, and after that it turned out to be useless and slowly destroyed. Until it was discovered by concerned enthusiasts and on pure enthusiasm they started the process of historical restoration of the monument.

Today, 10 years later, the house in Astashovo invites you to walk through the fallen leaves, raft on the forest lake, warm yourself on the tiled stove or under the ancient lampshade, and at night to come out to the clearing in front of the house, make a wish on the falling star and silently go to sleep in a charming provincial dream.

Astashovo