Autumn in Optina. Photos by Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Can there be anything more wistfully charming than Optina Monastery in autumn? Surrounded by forests, lakes, the red and gold leaves, the mist, and the transition from a fruitful summer to a contemplative winter…

And doesn’t Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov), a monk of Optina Monastery, perfectly capture the autumn essence in this beautiful corner of holy Russia?

Cemetery, October 3, 2016

Cemetery, October 3, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

The quiet of an autumn forest, October 3, 2016

The quiet of an autumn forest, October 3, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

An autumn lake, October 3, 2016

An autumn lake, October 3, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Autumn in full color, October 3, 2016

Autumn in full color, October 3, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

The Optina teahouse, October 3, 2016

The Optina teahouse, October 3, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

The Monastery in gold, October 3, 2016

The Monastery in gold, October 3, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

The monastery lake

The monastery lake

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

The path to church. October 2019

The path to church. October 2019

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Golden Autumn, October 3, 2016

Golden Autumn, October 3, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

October 1, 2016 in Optina Monastery

October 1, 2016 in Optina Monastery

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

The pale colors of an Optina morning, September 12

The pale colors of an Optina morning, September 12

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Covered with a napkin, September 12, 2016

Covered with a napkin, September 12, 2016

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

After the services, September 4, 2011

After the services, September 4, 2011

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

An autumn forest, October 18, 2015

An autumn forest, October 18, 2015

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

The holy monastery, October 25, 2015

The holy monastery, October 25, 2015

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

In an autumn forest, September 28, 2014

In an autumn forest, September 28, 2014

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Skete of St. John the Forerunner, October 2019

Skete of St. John the Forerunner, October 2019

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Mirror image symmetry, October 25, 2015

Mirror image symmetry, October 25, 2015

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

A house in the Skete, September 27, 2013

A house in the Skete, September 27, 2013

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Outside the Skete, October 2019

Outside the Skete, October 2019

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Autumn leaves on the lake (Optina wall in background), October 16, 2015

Autumn leaves on the lake (Optina wall in background), October 16, 2015

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

A window to autumn, September 28, 2014

A window to autumn, September 28, 2014

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Autumn begins, September 19, 2015

Autumn begins, September 19, 2015

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

A troubled sky over Optina, September 4, 2015

A troubled sky over Optina, September 4, 2015

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Light chases away the darkness November 24, 2014

Light chases away the darkness November 24, 2014

Photo: Hieromonk Vitaly (Belov)

Comments
damjan8/9/2021 8:40 pm
Father Vitaly does great justice to a very holy place. One can see the great ones who came to Optina during all it's years.
Terenty Buterin11/6/2020 6:08 pm
So beautifully Serene.
Vera3/13/2020 9:25 pm
Absolutely beautiful! So peaceful, so heavenly. Thank you for sharing this beauty.
Anna10/26/2019 1:32 pm
So beautiful! Thank you!
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