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Rozhdestvo

 

A village in Tver oblast. It is named after the local church of Nativity (Rozhdestvo in Russian means Nativity or Christmas). The church was built in 1858 and now is abandoned.

 

Going to the church in summer is not an easy task. It is completely overgrown with Sosnowsky's hogweed, there are no safe trails. Sosnowsky's hogweed is a huge and dangerous plant. It is phototoxic and even if a small drop of its juice will touch your skin you will get a terrible burn after the sun exposure. The natural habitat of the hogweed was Caucasus mountains but under the Stalin's rule it was planted all over the Soviet Union as a silage plant and as a hedge along the roads. The result was a total disaster, feeding qualities of the plant were poor, but it turned out to be a very successful invasive species that conquered the whole central Russia and the neighboring countries. Also Sosnowsky's hogweed is very hard to remove as its seeds can be viable for many years. Few Russian regions started the programs of hogweed eradication and fine the landowners who allow this plant to grow on their plots. But the fight against the Sosnowsky's hogweed if futile so far.

 

Interiors.

 

Surviving frescoes.

 

In Soviet times, the church was occupied by glass production. A separate workshop was also attached to the former priest's house.

 

The view from the window that Rozhdestvo deserves.

 

Getting in (as of June 2022): R-132 road from Tver towards Bezhetsk, take a turn left at the Arininskoye sign.

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