Petropavlovskoye: Church, Pilgrimage Tradition and Altai Krai

• The Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Petropavlovskoye was consecrated on June 24, 2016.
• The Holy Spring is a source near Solovikha, in the vicinity of the destination. Pilgrims from other parts of Siberia visit it.
• A procession takes place at the Holy Spring every year on the Friday before the Feast of the Trinity.

Two points of reference should be distinguished when considering the destination: the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul is in Petropavlovskoye, while the Holy Spring is a source near Solovikha, in the surrounding area. This makes it possible to distinguish the cultural attraction in the village from the pilgrimage tradition at the spring. The year of consecration, 2016, gives the church a specific point of reference in time, while the spring is the setting for a religious event outside the village.

A procession is held at the Holy Spring every year on the Friday before the Feast of the Trinity. Another date in the religious calendar is the feast day of Saint Paraskeva, in the ninth week after Easter: believers from the wider region come to the spring on foot, by car, or on horseback. The pilgrimage tradition is thus associated with both a procession held annually on a specified day and another occasion, as well as different ways of travelling to the spring. If you want to plan your trip around one of the feasts, check the exact date in advance.

Altai Krai has other, distinct nature destinations. In Belokurikha, forest health trails invite visitors to take walks; more challenging routes lead to Lonely Pine, Four Brothers Rock, and Shishi Creek. A chairlift goes to the summit of Mount Tserkovka. Check the chairlift’s operating status before your trip. These destinations are in Altai Krai and are not features of Petropavlovskoye.

Altai Foothills Nature Park also offers its own range of attractions. More than half of the park, in Smolensk and Altai districts, is designated as a recreational and tourism zone. Existing interpretive trails lead to rock formations, a former tungsten mine, abandoned mines, and factory settlements. A floristic survey recorded about 700 plant species, including relic broadleaf forest species, endemic plants, and 20 rare species listed in the Red Book. The park is also home to 19 rare animal species, including golden eagles, steppe eagles, peregrine falcons, eagle owls, and musk deer. In the steppe meadow zone, up to 70 different plants bloom in succession in a single square metre.

In Srostki, the Vasily Shukshin Museum is housed in the former wooden school building that Shukshin attended and where he briefly taught. The museum opened in 1978 and houses thousands of exhibits. A different subject is explored at the State Art Museum of Altai Territory in Barnaul: its icon collection includes works from the 17th to the 20th century and a large collection of Siberian icons. The region thus offers a range of cultural attractions, from a museum in a former school building to a collection of religious art.

Petropavlovskoye is associated with the church in the village and the nearby Holy Spring. Belokurikha, Srostki, and Barnaul are separately named destinations in Altai Krai. Focus your search on the destination you want to visit; the regional examples should not be confused with the accommodation available in Petropavlovskoye.

Discover more destinations: Yuzhnyy, Aya, Askat, S. Manzherok, Chemal, Zmeinogorsk, Rebrikha and Vlasikha.

Which church is in Petropavlovskoye?

The Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul was consecrated on June 24, 2016.

Where is the Holy Spring?

The spring is near Solovikha, in the vicinity of Petropavlovskoye. Pilgrims from other parts of Siberia visit it.

Which nature destinations are mentioned in Altai Krai?

Examples include the trails in Belokurikha and the existing interpretive trails in Altai Foothills Nature Park. These regional destinations should be distinguished from Petropavlovskoye.

For the broader travel overview: Altai Krai.