Paths of pilgrims. Ezekievo

I'll start with the background to get a little into the picture.
On June 25, 1290, near the village of Kotovalovo, about 20 km north-west of the city of Velikiy Ustyug, a meteorite fell from a “cloud of clouds”, which local priests witnessed. This event was described in "The Life of Procopius the Righteous" (XVI century). In fact, it was a meteor shower, several attempts were made to search for its traces, but they did not lead to any finds of celestial bodies, although interesting results were obtained during the expeditions.

Then it was thought that St. Procopius saved Veliky Ustyug, taking her far to the side with the help of prayers. The foundation of the church of Procopius the Righteous in Veliky Ustyug laid a gray stone. According to legend, it is one of the stones, in memory of the "stone cloud" brought from the area of ​​meteorite rain. Various studies that have been conducted by scientific groups over the past 15 years have shown that this is not a meteorite, but a diabase boulder brought here from the north during the last glaciation.

In the summer of 1997, the priest of this church, the priest Yaroslav Gnyp, presented a small stone that was chosen in our time from the site of the fall of the “Stone Cloud” to Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov in honor of the approaching 850th anniversary of the Russian capital with the wish to build a stone in the wall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior under construction._

In the place of the fall of the meteorite rain, a wooden chapel was built near the village of Olbovo, and then a stone church. For several centuries, this place is regularly visited by pilgrims on the day the stone cloud falls. By the Decree of the Most Holy Synod of Sept. 7, 1860, the residents of Veliky Ustyug were even officially allowed to “perform a procession from Ustyug Uspensky Cathedral to the chapel on the 25th of June” to the chapel, “where in 1290, as the ancient legend goes, a stone cloud fell out.” At present, only the ruins and the old churchyard have survived from the Prokopevsk stone church._

We decided to try on our own to get to these mystical places. First you need to get to the village Budrino , and then follow the seven kilometers more road (or go ) to the villages of Ezekievo and Olbovo.

As it turned out, even in boots on such a road is very difficult to walk.

The road is a clay mash.

Somehow along the edge of the road came to the bridge over the Striga River, just behind which is located the abandoned village of Ezekievo.

Further along the road there is another residential village of Kuznetsovo, where the family lives, which is engaged in village tourism. They carry out tours on a "stone cloud", arrange entertainment programs. But we want to find everything ourselves, without help.

In Ezekievo, there are a couple of houses in a more or less whole form, which are still used by hunters or summer residents.

The rest of the houses is all abandoned.

Inside, little has survived.

Someone had a good rest in the 98th year.

And now it's dangerous to enter the houses.

Many houses have failed roofs or on the verge of collapse.

Near the river Striga beavers gnawed on all the trees.

They have already trampled down the path to the river.

It can be seen that beavers wielded their teeth quite recently.

They live somewhere here.

And here the wood was destroyed by time.

Once there was a vegetable garden. Bushes, it seems to me, still still bear fruit.

Gloomy weather emphasizes the surrounding atmosphere.

The terrain here is very hilly.

And here is the first huge stone that met us on the way to the "stone cloud".

If you fall into this well, then you will not be able to get out on your own.

It’s hard to imagine how the interior of this house was.

Nature quickly takes back its territory.

Next, you need to go a small stream and climb a tall hill.

Melt water blurs the road.

This small stream replenish the Striga river, which replenish Northern Dvina River.

And here is the hill. With one approach, it is impossible to rise, as it is too high. You need at least once to stay and restore breathing.

But it's worth it! While breathing is restored, it is necessary to turn back and see that amazing look, which opens from the height of the hill.

To be continued ...