Discover Petschory: Monastery Culture and Crafts

• In Sobornaya Square, in front of the Church of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, stands a monument to a grandmother.
• Museum offerings include textile printing with wooden blocks and a program with a workshop on traditional Seto dress.
• An exhibition on church painting is scheduled to run from September 22, 2026, to September 8, 2027.

The monument to a grandmother stands in Sobornaya Square in front of the Church of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Its precise location makes it a specific point of interest for anyone interested in the religious and cultural themes of the area.

The craft offerings differ in their materials and results. One workshop teaches textile printing with wooden blocks; participants can decorate a piece of fabric with a pattern. The program “Po plat'yu vidno, kto idet” concludes with a different format: in its workshop, a wooden doll is painted with elements of traditional Seto dress. Those interested in textile design will therefore find a different focus here than in the work on the doll. You should confirm the current availability of the textile-printing workshop with the museum.

Church painting is a distinct exhibition focus. The exhibition “Tserkovnaya zhivopis'. Peterburgskaya shkola pervoy poloviny XIX veka” is scheduled to run from September 22, 2026, to September 8, 2027, at the Picture Gallery of the Pskov-Pechory Monastery. The State Russian Museum is showing church paintings from its collection there. The subject is the St. Petersburg school of the first half of the 19th century; the stated dates help you plan when to visit. Check the visiting requirements before making plans.

Advance booking is required for tours of the grounds of the Pskov-Pechory Monastery. Pilgrim groups must also submit an application in advance on the official letterhead of their parish or organization. Tours are listed as running daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since booking and a group application are part of the visit, it is advisable to confirm the current procedures before your trip.

Advance booking is required for the Bogomzdannye Caves, also known as the Far Caves. Visiting hours are listed as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Far Caves are closed on Mondays and Thursdays. The listed daily opening hours for the Near Caves are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Confirm the current conditions before your visit rather than basing your plans solely on these time slots.

For individual pilgrims, group visits to the Museum of the Elders are organized daily at 2:30 p.m. Here, too, it is a good idea to check the current visiting procedures in advance. The different times apply to different offerings: monastery tours, cave visits, and group visits to the museum should not be treated as a single schedule.

In the broader travel destination of Pskov Oblast, the UNESCO World Heritage property of the Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture comprises ten religious architectural monuments in the historic city of Pskov and on the banks of the Velikaya River. Their architectural styles and decorative elements date from the 12th century to the beginning of the 17th century. This regional overview offers a broader perspective on the architectural history of the oblast, while the workshops, exhibitions, and visiting options mentioned above concern specific topics in Petschory.

Discover more destinations: Perelaz, Pskov, Novorzhev, Shershni, Bragino, Stanki, Buraya and Mogilevo.

First decide which topics will shape your stay: the exhibition and its stated dates, a museum workshop, or a visit to the monastery and caves, each with its own booking and timing requirements. This lets you choose accommodation based on your plans without assuming any particular accommodation feature.

When is the exhibition on church painting scheduled?

The stated dates are September 22, 2026, to September 8, 2027. The exhibition is scheduled to take place in the Picture Gallery of the Pskov-Pechory Monastery.

How do you book a monastery tour?

Advance booking is required for a tour of the monastery grounds. Pilgrim groups must also submit an application in advance on the official letterhead of their parish or organization.

When can the Far Caves be visited?

Advance booking is required for the Bogomzdannye Caves; visiting hours are listed as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are closed on Mondays and Thursdays. Check the current conditions before your visit.

How do the museum workshops differ?

In the textile-printing workshop, participants decorate a piece of fabric with a pattern using wooden blocks. The program “Po plat'yu vidno, kto idet” concludes with painting a wooden doll with elements of traditional Seto dress.

To the broader travel overview: Pskov Oblast.