RUSSIA'S AMAZING CAVE CHURCH

The Spassky Cave Church on the banks of the Don River, in the village of Kostomarovo, is one of many tourist attractions Russia has to offer. A bastion of Russian Christianity, this unique holy place welcomes thousands of pilgrims from all over Russia, every year. It has a rugged exterior that hints at Byzantine influences, but its interior is much more polished, featuring straight walls, rounded arches and Orthodox decorations (via).

It’s believed the first caves were dug into the cretaceous mounts of Kostomarovo before the adoption of Christianity in Russia. Hermit monks would use these austere cell-like spaces to hide from persecution, and it wasn’t until the 12th century that the first rock monastery was carved in the region. Those who have visited Spassky Church speak of a fantastic sense of easiness and divine bliss, and it also has a reputation for healing diseases and wounds, helping people make the right decisions and cleansing sins. In fact, there is even a Cave of Repentance inside the chalk church where condemned sinners were once confined to repent for their sins (via).

Images

CHINA'S BEAUTIFUL COLORFUL MOUNTAINS

China is a country with great diversity in people, culture, food but above all landscapes. These spectacular cliffs in the Danxia Landform in the Gansu province of China look as if they have been painted by the brush of an Impressionist. Formed of layers of reddish sandstone, the terrain has over time been eroded into a series of mountains surrounded by curvaceous cliffs and unusual rock formations. The landform is a unique type of petrographic geomorphology which is found only in China which consists of red-colored sandstones and conglomerates of largely Cretaceous age (via).

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source