A grand day out

Victor, one of our Russian colleagues, took us out for the day to visit a town called Solikamsk famous for its cluster of 16th century churches which survived the Soviet era intact. Its about 60km north of Yaiva and is the third largest town in the Perm reigion.The churches/cathedrals are not used for worship but house museums - the Troizk cathedral and the Bogoyavlenskaya church where the most interesting ones we visited. Very different to English churches but not much bigger than parish churches really, but quite spectacular with their numerous onion domes etc. Don't forget that I come from Lincoln, so I know what a cathedral looks like!!

This is the Troizk cathedral, but houses a museum and doesn't look anything like a church inside. all the internals were destroyed destroyed during the Soviet era. One of them was turned into a brewery of all things.

The next church - Bogoyavlenskaya Church (church of the epiphany) had a museum of russian religious icons which were quite a thing to see, plus the church internals had retained wall & ceiling murals left in place as a museum in Soviet times. Very interesting in a cultural way and we surprised ourselves in taking such an interest in biblical paintings on bits of wood!

On the way back from the last church, we passed an old lady digging a trench out of the snow. She looked 70+ and it looked like it was hard physical labour clearing a 3' wide by 3' deep passage through the snow. Felts boots on and muttering away she was doing a sterling job. Couldn't quite work out why though?

The other thing that Solikamsk is famous for is the salt mines - Sol is russian for salt, and its on the river Kama. We passed the salt mines on the way into the city and they are massive in scale. All around this area - Solikamsk, Berezniki etc there is a hell of alot of heavy industry. The salt mine alone in Solikamsk employs 11,000 people, then there is the magnesium works with another 3500,so plenty going on.

Popped into Berezniki on the way back for some lunch, and then a look at the frozen river Kama. Fisherman trying hard through holes in the ice, and judging by yesterdays catch, very successful they are too.