Zhelnino

Zhelnino — a workers' settlement of Dzerzhinsk.

The Zhelnino places… Zhelnino is a wonderful place! — a village surrounded by oak forests stretching several kilometers all the way to the city of Dzerzhinsk; it is easy to get lost in these parts. The air is extraordinarily clean and fresh, birds are singing… Their bright song rings out across all of Zhelnino. Then everything falls suddenly silent, an immense quiet descends, and yet within that silence you can catch the soft tapping of woodpeckers (there used to be a great many of them here). At first glance there seems to be nothing particularly special about this village. But if you spend at least an hour there, you come to understand that God's grace is present. And the church in Zhelnino stands at the center of the surrounding area. The pleasant sounds of the bells truly gladden me. I want to soar into the cloudless distance, higher and higher and higher… every Sunday a service is held in the church. I attend — not always, of course — but I would like to go more often, to receive inspiration, peace, and freedom, and then, with God's strength, to carry on. Across from the church is a Sunday school; many people go there, young and old alike — the road is open to everyone! The people in these parts are very warm-hearted; there is a spark of happiness and warmth in their eyes, despite whatever setbacks they may have. The Zhelnino places have felt native and sacred to me since the day I was born, as though my true home is there, and it seems to me that the air, the birds, and even the church love and cherish me. Alysa Malysheva