Language: English

Live stream event from Jerusalem
Hosted by Anna L.: Licensed Tour Guide in Russia and Israel

Key Points

• Live Walk in JERUSALEM: The Russian Compound
• Live Q&A
• Closed Captioning Available
• Contents suitable for children

Description

Step back into 19th-century Jerusalem on a live walk through the Russian Compound, one of the city’s most atmospheric historic districts and a powerful reminder of the Romanovs’ presence in the Holy Land. Built to welcome the huge wave of Russian pilgrims arriving each year, this remarkable enclave once included comfortable pilgrim hostels, administrative buildings, and the magnificent Holy Trinity Cathedral, still one of Jerusalem’s finest examples of Russian Orthodox architecture. We’ll also explore Sergei Palace, the elegant residential complex built for noble and wealthy pilgrims—a jewel of imperial hospitality. As we wander through its quiet courtyards and grand façades, you’ll discover how faith, diplomacy, and imperial ambition shaped this unique corner of the city, where every stone still whispers stories of the Romanov era. Discover the remarkable story of the Romanovs in the Holy Land—a chapter of history that begins in the mid-19th century, when the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the region at the time, allowed Christians and Jews from around the world to travel freely to Jerusalem. This openness transformed the Holy City into a global crossroads of faith, where Greek, Armenian, Latin, Jewish, and increasingly Russian pilgrims gathered in unprecedented numbers. By the 1850s and 1860s, Russia had become the largest source of Christian pilgrimage, sending tens of thousands of believers every year. The Romanovs quickly realized that caring for these pilgrims, purchasing land, and building infrastructure offered a powerful way to express both their religious devotion and their growing political ambitions in the Ottoman Middle East.

ATTENTION:

⛈️ In case of adverse weather conditions, the walking tour will be canceled and rescheduled without notice.