St. John the Baptist Monastery and His Three-Domed Temple

A three-domed temple of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria" has been preserved until now. This snow-white cathedral in the style of Russian patternwork, which resembles a palace from the Russian fairy tales, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are only three such churches preserved in Russia. The Church of "Hodegetria" is decorated with kokoshniks (kind of head-dress worn by Russian women) with multi-colored inserts which serve as a basis for the tent-shaped domes. Inside the temple, it is worth paying attention to the special architectural elements called vase-like indentations which create a unique acoustics of the church. And if you're lucky enough to hear singers in the temple, you can appreciate it. There is a wooden well next to the Church of "Hodegetria", the water from which is worth a taste.