On October 12, the teachers and staff of the Institute of Russian Language and Culture Lomonosov Moscow State University went on the first excursion in the new academic year.

On October 12, the teachers and staff of the Institute of Russian Language and Culture Lomonosov Moscow State University went on the first excursion in the new academic year. Our friendly group traveled to Zaraysk, one of the oldest towns in the Moscow Region. We experienced a true immersion back to the past there.

Zaraysk is a cozy little town, almost of the same age as Moscow. It has managed to preserve the atmosphere of a 19-th century provincial county town and has an incredibly long history, the main symbol of which is the Zaraysk Kremlin.

We started our trip by visiting the state Museum-Reserve Zaraysk Kremlin. We were welcomed by friendly Kremlin staff at the museum that preserves a unique collection of objects of fine and decorative arts. During a fascinating excursion, our teachers learnt about everyday life of the merchants and noblemen who used to live in Zaraysk, including unique exhibits made of glass, ceramics and wood. Also, we admired porcelain and textile products, as well as works of art from the Paleolithic collection which had been found during excavations in the former Zaraysk district.

But our excursion did not end there: the teachers climbed the walls of the Zaraysk Kremlin where they learnt about the history of this monument of defensive architecture of the first third of the 16-th century and listened to a lot of marvellous legends. We were lucky with the weather too: when we arrived in the town, the sun peeked through the gloomy clouds and the sky cleared up.

After a delicious lunch at a local cafe and a short walk around the centre of the town, during which all members of our curious group stocked up on Zaraysk kovrizhki and cheese, we went by bus to the village of Darovoye located near the town. There was the Museum-Estate of Dostoevskys with the same name. Time there seemed to stand still. The territory of the estate with a small house was more than just a museum but also a key to understanding the origins of creativity of Fyodor Dostoevsky, his philosophical reflections on life: boundless fields, apple orchards, linden alleys… The local guides told us that the future writer spent his childhood in this place, and he repeatedly returned to this cozy corner of the Russian land in his thoughts and novels. Our colleagues were especially impressed by the monument to Fyodor Dostoevsky and the old sprawling oak tree which has seen more than one generation and, apparently, the writer himself.

On that note, we set off on the return journey, excited for new interesting adventures in pleasant company!