On a wooded hill above Zvenigorod, west of Moscow, the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery was founded at the end of the 14th century by Savva, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, on a site chosen for its command of the Moskva valley. Royal favour in later centuries transformed the hermitage into a walled ensemble: the white Nativity Cathedral at its centre, a tsar's palace and tsarina's chambers within the enclosure, a refectory church, a bell tower and towers along the ramparts. The composition, seen from below, is one of the most complete monastic silhouettes near the capital. Filmed in 4K from the valley, the walls and the air, the programme moves through the courtyard, the cathedral and the wooded slope leading to the spring, following the seasons of a community once again active.
