Traveling through the Russian Countryside

The newest farm will be built down this road.

This church fell on hard times during the Soviet era but is gaining new life in this village,  the roof is new since R's last trip down this road and there were several Babushkas raking and burning the weeds in the yard.

Picnic

The obelisk in the center of the pic is the war memorial.

 During the summer this is a cafe with picnic shelters, however it was not yet open.  Not knowing what would be open on Sunday or this early in the season on the rural roads between Moscow and Lipetsk, I packed a picnic lunch.  After touring the church and battle memorial I got the picnic out and we began to sit on the curb to eat our picnic, D had a fit and insisted we pack up and head down the road to the cafe to eat our lunch because you don't sit on the ground in Russia for picnics. . .We headed down the road but the picnic tables were still closed for the season, and we sat on the ground and ate our picnic anyway, totally embarrassing D.

Kulikovo Field and the Memorial Church of St. Sergius

In order to enter a Russian Orthodox Church women and girls must cover their  hair.  I had scarves in my bag, but there was a coat tree with beautiful scarves just in case I had forgotten.  

D and R

Kulikovo Field or Kulikovo Pole or literally Snipes Field is where the Battle of Kulikovo took place September 8, 1380.  Photography was not permitted in the church but it was beautiful, brilliant colored scenes from the Bible on all the ceiling and wall surfaces.