Molochkovo: Chapel at the Spring and History
Accommodation in Molochkovo
Molochkovo draws attention to a chapel at an old spring and a church dating from the 19th century. It also has a traditional history of religious festivals and fairs. Two aspects are useful when planning your trip: local history and the natural and cultural attractions of Novgorod Oblast.
Molochkovo at a glance
Sixteenth-century chronicles mention a chapel over a well in Molochkovo. Dedicated to the righteous warrior Fyodor Ushakov, the chapel stands by an old spring near the church. It was built in 2002 within a few months by members of the Soltsy garrison and residents of nearby settlements. The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God and its enclosure date from the 19th century. A regional heritage listing from 1998 registers the church as a cultural heritage site.
What does the chapel’s history tell us?
Before the Revolution, processions to the chapel in Molochkovo took place on the feast days of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the Ascension of Christ. Fairs were also held in Molochkovo for the feast of the Ascension until the 1920s. The same feast thus appears in the local history both as an occasion for a procession and for a market. Together with the chapel and the church, these traditions make this a cultural and historical destination for travelers interested in religious history and local life.
What landscapes does Novgorod Oblast offer?
Valdai National Park covers 159,100 hectares and extends across the Valdaysky, Demyansky, and Okulovsky districts of Novgorod Oblast. Mount Rysokhocha is the park’s highest point. A 25-meter-high observation tower stands on it, offering views of the taiga, Lake Veljo, and other bodies of water. The trail in the Bor area offers a different landscape: it passes through typical taiga forests on hilly terrain and through diverse marshes in the hollows between the hills. These two descriptions offer a specific comparison between views from a mountain and a route through forest and marshland.
What cultural attractions are there in Novgorod Oblast?
The cultural attractions of Novgorod Oblast range from hands-on demonstrations to local history. At the Bell Museum Center in Valday, staff demonstrate bell-ringing techniques and let visitors try them out. The collection includes bells from around the world and spans designs from the 3rd century BC, through the Middle Ages, to modern souvenir bells. An exhibition at the County Town Museum, opened in 1998, covers the daily lives of townspeople, the development of local trades, and the lives of individual Valday families and well-known summer visitors. In 2017, the “Kuznetsam i kolokolnym masteram Valdaya” monument was erected in Valday. This lets you distinguish among bell-making, collections, local history, and a monument to blacksmiths and bell masters.
Discover more destinations: Vzvad, Chudovo, Petrovshchina, Pribrezhnaya, Simanikha, Polnovo, Toroshino, Volna.
FAQ
When did processions go to the chapel?
Before the Revolution, processions took place on the feast days of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the Ascension of Christ.
What can visitors try at the Bell Museum Center?
Staff demonstrate bell-ringing techniques, which visitors can try out there themselves.
What landscapes does the trail in the Bor area pass through?
The trail passes through taiga forests on hilly terrain and marshes in the hollows between the hills.
To the overview of the wider area: Novgorod Oblast.
