InterCarto. InterGIS (Jan 2014)
PLANTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE KURSK ROOT MONASTERY AND ITS LANDSCAPE AS A NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE SITE
Abstract
Kursk Root monastery (hermitage) is a unique monument of Russian Orthodox Church, a cultural heritage site of Kursk region. It is located in the nature area of the forest-steppe 30 km north of Kursk. Primarily the monastery is known as a site of the marvelous finding of the Kusrk Root icon “Sign of the Virgin”. This icon was found in the XIII century by Russian hunters in roots of a big elm in a dense forest near the river Tuskar. A chapel was built in this place and many miracles happened there. Even the name of the monastery keeps the memory of the miraculous tree. Kursk region is one of south Russian regions greatly harmed by Tatar invasion. A case of the miraculous rescue of a hunter from Tatars in branches of a big oak near the chapel with icon is known. Once a priest who lived near the chapel was taken captive by Tatars who pitched icon into two halves and and threw them in different directions. Priest returned from captivity found the icon seeing unusual flowers or bunches of fresh herbs not rotten in the winter. What were these flowers or herbs it is not known exactly. May be they were outstanding representatives of local flora. So the elm and the oak are memorial plants of the Kursk Root monastery. The elm whose icon was found was venerated for a long time. In the early XX century was a chapel over a frame of the dead elm tree. Old elm gave young shoots. Trunks of these young trees passed right up through the roof of the chapel. One day a sick woman was cured by touching them. Oak tree is the most common tree species of the South Russian forest-steppe. This tree was esteemed by all nations at all times. But in the Kursk region it is extra esteemed, his image applied in heraldry. The coat of arms of Kursk region is framed by oak branches. It is also interesting that an oak-elm alliance exists in a famous homestead Mar’yno visited by tourists and recognized a cultural heritage site of Kursk region. There are growing these two trees accreted into one. So there are all prerequisites to name oak and elm symbolic trees of the Kursk region. Kursk Root hermitage was developed as a big monastery with unique architecture harmoniously blended in the surrounding landscape. The monastery placed on a hilltop has a picturesque descent to the river Tuskar which in the valley Kursk icon was found. Holy source streams in the place of finding of the icon. Сovered descents to the source are unique. They haven’t analogue in the monastery architecture. A Forest of Virgin was existеd near the monastery. Many of old valuable trees grew there, but the forest was destroyed after the revolution of the 1917. 537 Currently the forest recovers, holy sources of the healing water run out roots of trees. Some few chapels built near sources. Monastery buildings and living restore. Many pilgrims arrive to the monastery. The miracle of finding of the icon is immortalized in the monument on the principal source and in other monuments. In the monastery as in the Kursk region on the whole the memory of Great Russian Saint Serafim Sarovsky who born in Kursk is carefully honored. Kursk Root monastery with its landscape and surrounding vegetation is an integral harmonious complex which may be proposed for consideration to the inclusion of this territory in the list of monuments not only cultural, but natural-cultural heritage of Kursk region and all Russian Federation.
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