The history of our house began in the Pafnutiev Borovsky Monastery, where my spiritual father lives,. In the autumn of 1998, I sat in his cell, dangling my legs and talking about everything that was on my heart. And there was a lot of everything, and among other things - the house that my parents had been unsuccessfully looking for for half a year. My parents decided that it would be good to sell our two apartments for retirement, because the view from the window of the old city "Khrushchev", frankly, is not very good, and buy a normal house with a small plot of land somewhere in the city or nearby, because although we love nature and silence, but without fanaticism. Parents also advertised in the newspaper, and told everyone they knew, but the house was still not found. That place is somewhere in Tmutarakan with a view of the swamp, then there is no land at all, then something else.

Batiushka listened and listened to me, and then he said: “The house will be in the village.” In what other village? We are city people, we rarely go to the country. He laughs, pats me on the head: “There is a house in the village, in the village!” I shrugged my shoulders and decided that this was how the confessor wanted to show me that I should not ask questions that did not concern my restless restless soul.

We each dreamed of our own, but after a conversation with the priest, we found each other

Several months pass. Parents call: “When can you come and see the house?” The house was large, well-appointed and comfortable. And he was in the village. The owner worked in the city as a railway engineer, and the hostess sat at home and dreamed of city life. In the village, the hostess was unbearably bored, she slept and saw herself in the city. And in the city at that time we slept and saw ourselves in a large beautiful comfortable house overlooking the river and the forest. We each dreamed of our own, and all this happened in parallel universes, but after talking with the priest, something happened, and we found each other. When the owners of the house found out about our two-room apartment, they immediately wanted to move in there and offered an exchange.

After some time, I noticed small crosses made of tissue paper on the wallpaper. It turned out that the son of the former owners of the house is a priest, and he consecrated him….

It turned out to be just 9 km from the city along a beautiful highway, by car for about 15 minutes, along with traffic lights. There is just enough land for everything, including Chinese plums and mother's roses, but not enough to turn into a slave Izaura. The place is beautiful and quiet. Nearby is a forest with a beautiful birch grove and a river. In a clean, unpolluted forest, boletus, redheads, porcini mushrooms and small, palm-sized milk mushrooms grow, and the river is beautiful, and there are fish in it. In our village there is a good hospital with all the rooms, but without a queue. A wonderful kindergarten and a ten-year school. A modern sports club with a bunch of different sections, from Pilates fitness to a new rocking chair and a professional mini-football field. Everything is free. Last year, a new skating rink was opened with warm locker rooms and free skates. Post office, bank, four shops with assortment and prices, as in the city.

In the village, at first, the silence was deafening, and politeness frightened

In the village, at first, the silence was deafening, and politeness frightened. You walk down the street - the children greet you. Adults are already shy, but also often nod. And children always greet everyone. So brought up. At first we were scared, but then we got used to it and began to live like everyone else. Say hello to everyone, not just neighbors. Our neighbors are also from the city, they have four stores in Yekaterinburg. At first they invited us to pizza, they drank tea in the garden under the apple tree, and after a year they could not stand the silence. Out of boredom, the neighbor drank bitter, and then set fire to the bathhouse. Were extinguished. They sold the house and returned closer to the bustle and morning smog. And we live and rejoice. And the longer we live, the more we like it.

Here, even time flows differently. It is not fussy and hectic, but calm and joyful. And the prayer here is also different - thoughtful and unhurried. Where to hurry if you have everything? And the house, and the river across the street, and the drain under the window.

The village is boring for those who do not like to work. You can't live here without work. Otherwise, the longing is mortal. On the advice of neighbors, we got a cow Manya. By the next spring, Manya gave birth to twins. Manya was devoted like a dog. It used to be that you go fishing along the river bank, towards the herd. Manya, as soon as she sees you, forgets about everything and runs after you.

The village is boring for those who do not like to work

But it was harmful, even endure the saints! If she doesn’t want to be milked, she won’t let her near her for anything. Mom could coax the cow for hours. She happily listened, thrilled, but did not allow herself to be milked. Well, the neighbors have figured out how to act in such cases. A cow is not a cat, strictness is needed with her. Harmful cattle are tied up with a hind leg and raised to a beam or gently taken by the nostrils, and then it is like silk, docile and obedient. Our mother made cream, and cottage cheese, and soft fragrant cheese.

While my grandmother was alive, we kept chickens so that there would always be fresh eggs in the house. A pedigreed rooster was brought in. Our Petya was pitch black, his chest was fiery red with emerald green. You go out into the yard - he rushes to you from all legs. One wing drags along the ground, throws back its head and gurgles like a boiled samovar. This means: I can no longer live without you, master, I want to be in my arms! You stretch out your hands - he jumps on them and puts his head on your shoulder so that you stroke his neck. This is the greatest pleasure for him. And then he jumps to the ground and starts to guard you. And then all the other pets hide in the corners and do not show their nose. Our huge Ray from the police nursery hid from him in a kennel, and the cat went to catch mice. With one blow of his razor-sharp spurs, Petya could immediately cut to the bone. You are in the garden, he is in the garden. You are on the veranda, and he is on the veranda. You go to the store, he goes to the store. He ignored strangers. I considered it below my dignity to communicate with them. And he never left our side. Because we are ours, ours. Every morning he woke us up early in the morning. Because whoever gets up early, God gives him.

We all love our cat Styopa for his cheerful disposition. He is also an excellent taster.

We give him a taste of milk, sour cream, sausages and sausages that we bring from the store. He accurately determines which of them are inedible. And we don't buy them anymore. In addition to his mother, he loves the neighbor's cats, mice and birds. Cats come to us from all over the area, sit on the roof and wait for him to come out. He always brings birds to his mother, which makes her silently horrified. And he puts the mice under the roof in the bathhouse. There he has about forty of them already. And he protects them. But for all his merits, Styopa is far from the cat Vasily, who we inherited along with the house. When we brought our dog Bim from the kennel, he was about a month old, and he fit in the palm of his hand. And our Vasily was his mother and father. Licked him, played with him and raised him as best he could. In the evening he left, and in the morning he returned with a huge rat in his mouth. Little Beam rolled out onto the porch - and there was a rat. At the sight of a rat, Beam yapped loudly, pressed his ears back and backed away. But Vasily stood behind him and pushed him back with his paw. Then he turned the rat over with the most favorable side to the puppy, showing that there was nothing to be afraid of. And so it went until Beam began to fearlessly play with a rat, like a ball.

We also had sheep and Byasha. Sheep are fussy and stupid, and Byasha is a big and smart thoroughbred ram. He guarded his little flock like a border guard. As soon as a neighbor's cat or dog appeared, Byasha bowed his head low and rushed at him like a tank. When it came to his own herd, there were no friends or strangers for him. It's scary when a huge powerful ram flies at you. But as soon as he put out his foot or stick, Byasha immediately stopped, became small and kind again, wagged his tail and asked for sugar. Now Byasha is somewhere in Kazakhstan, and the cow Manya is in an orphanage. When we arrived in the village, there were a herd of 250 heads. And now there are four cows in the whole village. Because cattle in the Russian countryside is a very expensive pleasure. Hay costs so much money that the guard! Instead of cattle, villagers now have different foreign cars. But instead of the old cowsheds, we now have a modern poultry farm, where chickens are raised for poultry farms. All the locals work there. Salaries are like in the city, but you don’t have to go anywhere. Foreigners come here every month: Germans, Dutch, Poles. They exchange experiences and enjoy Russian nature. They like us very much.

Would you walk past a roe deer crying like a baby?

And in the spring, in the evenings, on the other side of the river, our roe deer roar. Males fight for females, fight and roar all over the area. There are many of them in our area. In winter, when we walk with Bim, sometimes we meet them. The roe deer digs out a bed for itself under a pine tree and sleeps there, and here we go. Bim does not even have time to bark, as soon as they saw her. Once I even pulled one out of the loop. A noose is such a savage device that poachers put on the path where roe deer walk. It is made of flexible and strong iron wire, which is tied to a tree and stretched along the path. The roe deer gets head first into the noose, the noose falls and tightens around her neck, she suffocates and dies. Once, while walking, I suddenly hear, somewhere in the bushes, a small puppy is crying. So pitiful. I look, and this is not a puppy, but a roe deer is beating in a loop. Would you walk past a roe deer crying like a baby? And I didn't pass. He crossed himself and went to pull out. How much we fought with her to free her, I don’t remember. She almost broke my leg and ribs, but after praying to St. Nicholas, she allowed herself to be released. Beautiful, just amazing! The coat is dark brown, silky, with white spots. The eyes are black with large eyelashes. And on the head are small neat horns. She wagged her white ass and disappeared, as if she had never been.

But there is no church in our village and never has been. But we do not lose heart, we pray that at least a prayer room will be opened, and we go to the city for services. Our church grandmothers, who went to church even before the war, tell me that the church begins with a prayer. There will be a temple. And why is he needed then, if no one will pray?

All believers know each other by sight, and when they go to the liturgy in the morning, they bow affably at the bus stop. Not only old people go to work, young people too. My friend Sergei got a job in my native Pokrovsky. There is now a large-scale reconstruction, and the masters, oh, how they are needed. And my friend has golden hands, he knows how to iron, and carpentry, and knows how to build. And he couldn't find a job. Toiled, toiled, and got a job working in the temple. And now he works during the week, prays, and on weekends he goes to work with his daughter. And our parishioner Uncle Sasha breeds bees. And when the time comes for the collection, he sells it to all believing grandmothers for a penny. He himself is a pensioner, he knows how hard it is for grandmothers now. And the best jar of honey, in which the collection is collected from all over the year and from all flowers, which is considered the most healing, he takes to the temple for Christ's sake.

One evening I was cooking pork chakhokhbili. Mom was supposed to come the next day, and I put it in a cup for her and put it in the refrigerator. In the morning, the father, getting ready for work, opens the refrigerator: “Mothers?” - "Mothers!" I started cooking sausages. My brother came for dinner, fried himself scrambled eggs with sausage. The daughter-in-law returned from work hungry, cooked dumplings. Mom comes and goes to the kitchen. Calling for dinner. On the table for me is a warmed dish with chakhokhbili. I say: "Mom, this is for you!" - “Thank you, son, I ate cottage cheese and a cheese sandwich. And I left the meat for you! That's how we live. Village...

After the end of the session, many students go to the village to their grandparents. The desire to be alone with nature, to take a break from the bustle of the city is quite natural after a busy school year in the city. However, the city dweller is soon disappointed by the village boredom and wants to do something useful or not very useful. What can you do in the village? What interesting activities can be found away from civilization? Especially for you, we have prepared a small list of things that you can do in the village.

List of things to do in the village.

1. Go fishing.

For many of us, the village is associated with fishing. We were all boys and girls who tirelessly sat on the banks of a river or lake, fed mosquitoes and midges, and at the same time caught fish with a bait. This rustic fun is suitable for absolutely everyone. If you think that this is boring and uninteresting, then ask at least once with your friend or acquaintance for fishing. We assure you, next time you will beg you to take it again. Fishing is more addictive than the Internet

The best and easiest way to fish is with line fishing. This way of fishing is easy for any beginner to master. In addition, he brings the greatest pleasure when you pull the fish out of the water. Wow...unforgettable! Do not think that if you are a student now and you are somehow not old enough for this child's play. Nonsense! Fishing is for all ages

2. Go to the forest for mushrooms / berries.

What you can do in the village is to go to the forest for mushrooms or berries. In addition to fishing, the village is also associated with forests, swamps, fields, meadows... Forests in summer are almost always rich in gifts. All that is left for you is to work a little and collect these gifts. Become a "quiet hunter" for a while. Picking mushrooms is a very exciting process. When you walk through the forest in search of the treasured porcini mushroom and suddenly find it, it feels like you caught a fish with a bait (see above).

True, the same cannot be said about berries, however, there are a lot of advantages in this activity. For example, you can stock up on natural vitamins right in the forest, so to speak, directly from the "manufacturer". And your strength will still come in handy, because after the summer you will find new training tests that will slowly consume your accumulated vitamin supply throughout the school year.

As we have repeatedly urged you to read books in our previous articles, in this article we strongly advise you to take a few with you that you can read during the summer holidays. If you want, take paper books, if you want in electronic form - this is not so important. It is important that you do really useful things for yourself, increase your development. Reading books is one of the best ways to spend time in the village. Books are especially helpful when the weather is bad. When it rains, you can’t go to the forest or go fishing. Therefore, when collecting your "chumodan", do not forget to put a few there that will help you brighten up a few hours of your life. in the village.

4. Sunbathe.

Well, of course, how could it be without it! Summer is in the yard, yo-mine! Sunbathe, just be careful not to "burn" in the sun. It is best to sunbathe early in the morning and late in the evening. At the very peaks of solar activity, it is better not to sunbathe, because. you're doing yourself more harm than good. If, nevertheless, it so happened that you were sunbathing and you are worried about burning, then use a proven grandmother's remedy - anoint the tanned place with sour cream or kefir. You will immediately feel better. By the way, you can sunbathe in the village while reading a book. You see, the combination of pleasant and useful is very simple!

5. Surf the Internet.

We understand you very well in this. Still, a city dweller without the Internet today is no longer a city dweller. Everything we have offered so far do in the village practically did not affect the benefits of civilization. We did this intentionally to show you that people do not live on the Internet alone now. There are many other traditional ways to spend your leisure time.

And yet, sitting online for an hour or two from a phone or via a modem from a computer has not bothered anyone yet. Our friends are always there if the Internet is at your fingertips. Another thing is that in the summer the activity of Internet users drops, so you will not see the people you need online much. True, the Internet is not alive only with social networks, therefore, it will not be difficult for you to find something to your liking in the global network. But we advise you not to linger online - after all, you in the village. Rejoice in a calm environment, put the routine away, enjoy the summer and life.

[Think in advance what you will do in the village.]

We hope that this positive article will help you sketch out a rough plan of action in case you go to the countryside for the summer holidays.

Before a big vacation at sea (or maybe instead of it), I'm going to his mini version - to the village. There is only nature, a huge, vast Russian field, birch trees, a river crosses all this splendor with a bold stroke, and next to it there are 10 houses, and a church with a shop. We go there with the whole family every summer, to our grandfather, to help him with the housework and take a break from civilization.

As a child, I had fun there, but the older I became, the harder it was for me to occupy myself in the absence of this civilization. A couple of years ago, I spent my entire vacation reading a grammatical book. In recent years, with the exception of helping my grandfather with the housework, I climbed the wall from melancholy. Still, I am a resident of the metropolis to the marrow of my bones, and it is almost impossible for me to reorganize into a quiet way of village life.

This year I decided to take a comprehensive approach to the problem and, while still sitting in the city, I came up with interesting activities for myself that simply cannot but bring me pleasure) And most importantly, you can’t do most of these things in the city inconvenience).

Here is my plan of action, a lover of making lists))

Tell me, when was the last time you beat in the village? Do you travel often or do you travel at all? What are you doing there? Do you have any ideas what else you can do interestingly away from civilization?

All my conscious (I do not exclude that unconscious too) life, I dreamed of living in the countryside. I associated the countryside with peace, nature, joyful childhood. Relatives and friends made round eyes when I shared my dreams, and lowered me from heaven to earth: “Yes, what are you going to do there, there is melancholy?”, “Yes, in the village there is no work, no prospects!”, “Yes, there drunk and mud around!”, “Yes, it’s the other way around, they go from the village to the city!” - all their counter-arguments can be reduced to these theses.

I warn you - there will be many videos and links to various sources. First of all, they will be connected with life in the Republic of Karelia. Don't take it as PR - I just know the situation here a little better than in other regions.

Time has passed. The dream hid inside me, but did not leave its familiar place. Gradually she began to wake up. A lot of this contributed to life on. Then information began to pour in on me from different sides, convincing me that urban life was unnatural for a person. In any case, in the form in which it exists now. Gas pollution, remoteness from nature, frantic rhythm, street noise, crowding - all this slowly but surely undermines the physical and mental health of a person. I even came across a project that proposes to completely revise the entire concept of urban planning and make it more natural.

In the meantime, the spread of such settlements remains a matter of an uncertain future, many people are slowly beginning to turn their gaze to the village and return life there.

Perhaps the most striking example here is the village of Preobrazhenovka. It is a rare case when something is made from nothing. Truly worthy of respect, admiration and imitation. However, when people have a desire, a head on their shoulders, and even hands grow from these very shoulders (and not from another place), then such results are natural.

We often hear that there are no jobs in rural areas. Only, here, in many villages there are schools, kindergartens, libraries, state farms, shops, after all. If you can't find a job there, you can bring your work with you.

Or like this:

Among other things, in the modern world there is such a thing as remote work via the Internet.

Well, what else to do there, in the village, then? Well, it worked, and then what to do? Drink vodka? Look, no matter what village you come to, everyone becomes an inveterate drunkard. Well, there is, but there are other examples. Here, I recently learned about Yakutia.

There are already plenty of examples of such initiatives that can change the lives of many. I can add a few more to the above, which relate to the local village of Pryazha, dear to my heart. Life is in full swing here. In the village itself and in the Pryazha district, ethnocultural centers are being opened, where there are museums, where master classes and meetings are held. And a group of local citizens created the Mill Foundation in order to implement bright ideas that will help improve the social life of the area. And it really works! For example, not so long ago they collected the necessary amount to create an ice rink. Work in the village and in the region

Of course, we are far from Stanislavsky, but let's be honest - we do not believe you. We agree that it can be boring in the countryside, especially if you live there and do not feel the contrast between the noisy city and the silence of rural streets, but even in the village there is something to do. Especially if you have the Internet, and judging by this question, you have it.

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• If you are tired of digging in the garden, as your mother or grandmother does, do something masculine. Go fishing with dad all night - the experience will be unforgettable, or help your father fix something, at the same time you will learn how, for example, a radio or an outdoor shower works, and you can show off your knowledge in a conversation with the guys.
• Plant your own garden. Let your parents give you a small area where you can grow peonies, tulips, daisies or ordinary onions. Watching how it grows is very interesting, and in the end both you and your parents will be proud of you. Well, if even a cactus can die in you, break a rock garden, now it's fashionable. At the same time, let's check, maybe you are a born landscape designer?

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• Have a picnic. In the village it is very simple and fun - you can burn fires, roast bread, sing along with the guitar until late, and no one will tell you anything. Just don't forget to tell your mom.
• Take up an unusual hobby. Take wood carving, for example. Well, or start weaving from beads and open your own small business. The internet is full of ideas.
• Start a blog and talk about the difficult rural life: how you heroically fight the birds stealing your cherries, how a regiment of weeds attacked you and the strawberry beds tonight, but you defeated it, and how a pig escaped from you last week, and the whole village caught it. If you write about everything with humor, you will definitely find readers - checked!

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• Take pictures. Everything you see: grass, dandelions, spider Goshu, who settled in the gazebo under the ceiling - become an ace of macro photography and share your pictures on Instagram. By the way, you can combine this with the previous option.
• Make a list of movies you were going to watch but there was not enough time. Or not going to, but friends insist. Make a schedule and see them all in a week.
• Read. It's trite, but it's so nice to read in the fresh air! You can read summer novels and get inspired, or you can master the literature curriculum for the next semester (okay, the pleasure is doubtful - just read).

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• Don't want to read? Write! Short stories, poems, or even entire novels. If others can, why can't you? Create a VKontakte group, a profile on the Fanfiction Book or on Samizdat, and maybe in a couple of years your book will be published. After all, JK Rowling wasn't always JK Rowling :)
• Draw. It is very pleasant to draw in the summer. You can master the technique of the Impressionists or Post-Impressionists (painting with dots or strokes), create abstractions or paint beautiful watercolors in the garden, and then hang them all over the house. And if watercolors do not appeal to you, buy markers, a sketchbook, open YouTube and go ahead - video tutorials will teach you everything!
• Ride a bike or run in the morning. So you will become healthier, slimmer, fitter and better explore the place in which you live.