The Museum of Dionisy’s Frescoes was open till midnight on November 3 within the framework of the action “Night of Arts”. It united such popular festivals as “Night of Museums”, Biblio Night”, “Night of Music”, and others. 150 cultural institutions have joined it this year. Over 200 people took part in the event organized by the employees of the Museum of Dionisy’s Frescoes.
In October 2013, we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of St. Martinian – the second founder of the Ferapontov Monastery. Therefore the program of the action was opened with the lecture about this Russian saint. It was held in the Church of St. Martinian built over his grave in 1641 and restored not long ago.
At 7 o’clock in the evening, visitors were looking forward to the quest-tour “In search of a secret room”. Quest is a new tourist direction that gives a chance to combine a game and a tour when impressions of the visit are deepened with excitement of adventures and a sweet feeling of victory. Such an interactive program for children and adults was organized in the museum for the first time. Everybody could visit the Church of Annunciation (1531) and its belfry. The guests got to mysterious atmosphere, going along dark narrow stairs and looking for a real secret room. Having discovered it, the participants of the quest-tour found a treasure in the hiding-place with centuries-old history – a box with the monastery treasury. They shared their impressions in the reviews. This is one of them: “When you are in a state of mystery, you get to another world that is unknown to you. I was overfilled with emotions and it was more and more interesting for me every second. I recommend everybody to join in the quest-tour “In search of a secret room”. It won’t be boring like during the usual tour, because there are a lot of interesting things that you should see with your own eyes. Sergey, Cherepovets”.
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he museum employees also gave the lecture “Monastery meal” that evening where people learnt what brethren used to eat in the monastery in the 15th-16th centuries. The action “Night of Arts” was concluded with “The Akathist Hymn” that was performed on the porch of the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral near the portal fresco created by Dionisy in 1502. It marked the church holiday of the Kazan Icon of the Virgin and the Russian public holiday – the Unity Day. Residents of Ferapontovo, participants of the educational program “School of Dionisy”, guests from Vologda, Cherepovets, Archangelsk and Moscow were pleased to listen to the hymns and the lecture “The Akathist Hymn in the frescoes of the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral” in the church itself. The last happy visitors left the Museum of Dionisy’s Frescoes about midnight on that day.
