Sviyazhsk is an island fortress of incredible fate, lost in the middle of a vast stretch of water in the middle flow of Volga the great Russian river. It is also a place, where time, it would seem, comes to a standstill. Each of the centuries that have passed over this patch of land, has left its trace, so that any tourist who gets to Sviyazhsk in our days, gets a feeling that he’s dropped out of the 21st century time flow into timelessness.

In the 16th to 19th centuries, Sviyazhsk used to be a fortress town, a military base, and a home to three monasteries and an important trade center of the region. The 20th century saw communists close down the monasteries and turn them into penitentiary centers with a prison and a labor camp, mostly for political prisoners. Towards the 21st century, the camp and the prison were closed, monastic life was resumed, and the island has been turned into a large History and Arts Preserve. Its Dormition Cathedral and Monastery have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, with some of its unique 16th century frescos, including the one of a Saint with the head of a horse – the only such image of St. Christopher in the whole world.

And that is not all - there are more reasons to get to the island and examine the living history.