Further remarks on Restoration Path Holy Simeon Verkhotursky
in opinions of Stichting Pad van Simeon, Haarlem, Holland
1. We consider the situation of this Path in fact more poor than easy imaginable. This Path is in great danger in the evil hurry of woodcutters from the north.
2. The line of this Path appeared on the Russian detailed map, the book Atlas of Swerdlovskaya Oblast, partly in about 2001. The Path in full length appeared with the parallels only in the new print of this atlas in about 2006.
3. If we may, we would like to advice you to eventually start 'wide-scaled works' (as you mention) in the 0 till 14 km part. Beside that we can imagine a good attention onto the beginning (km -3 till 0) and the end (48 till 50 km) of the Path onto decisions and permissions for works later to execute. The small bridge crossing the deep lying Sjaitan in km 48 is probably interesting to build straight ahead for a start. Also is interesting to eventually move the stores of woodwork firma in km 0. We hope you decide to that. Who will buy that piece of ground? We suggest: the Found Tropa Simeona in Makhnjewo out of your sponsoring!
4. The path in our opinion should have to become protected out of a provincial new order, streching into the activities of different wood cut firms and by the control out of increasing abilities of the Makhnjovsky militia. This protection in our view must be: strictly forbidden any motor transport along the Pathway and on both sides two kilometer beside it. The abilities of militia may become: a man in salary; a very light jeep or electrical 'ballota-frog' and later two bridges in the old railway track at train stop Sjaitan to reach the Path in the northern part in a modern way.
5. To this the last point may be known, that Gazprom is supposed to build the new parallel of the magisterial road Jekaterinburg - Serov in our part new, alongside the railway track. There has to become built a bridge crossing the brook at train stop Sjaitan.
We suppose this in future might help militia to control the Path! Our information is from Vera Kisluchina of the firma in Kordukowo, tel 23166
6. To your help may also be found, especially the Covenant that has been realized in 2008 in Moskou or Jekaterinbourg between the Patriarchate, the Nowo-Tiekhwinsky Cloister and the Gubernator of Swerdlovskaya Oblast Rossel. This Covenant concerns pro-forma the Path Holy Simeon, but we suppose also the whole Route Holy Simeon. By example: the Gubernator started the restoration of the Church at Komarowo at the Route in the south.- Out of this Covenant money and power of both Jekaterinsky partners lies in your possibilities. In fact we consider your existence the prolonging of the upper mentioned Covenant.
7. The middle part of the Path (km 20 till 30) the least is damaged. Pictures and comments on the work still to do in this part are to find in the Agro-school at Ulietsa Karla Liebknekhta in Jekaterinburg. Especially in the Foreign Affairs part, Radik Chaibulinrad, teacher Trifonov. There also is to find an excerpt of the report of Larenstein students from 2005. Stichting Pad van Simeon must in her contacts with this school apologize, that the Dutch Larenstein-daughter-school not made us possible to start stages for her students to Makhnewo. So also contra-stages for students of the upper mentioned school cannot become realized. Nevertheless the students here could still help us / help you in the work in this middle-part. The Motto of the school in their shining prospectus is to 'restore old Russia'. They asked one thousand rubel per person in a two-week camp with 10 students.
8. From the past (18th century) is discovered in the wood a division of the Holy Path in two identical appearing parallels (km 27 till ± 40). The supposed religious meaning of them is overwhelmed by the state of the north-west parallel: almost totally overgrown by wood. Conclusion: already in 19th century the system of parallels lost its meaning. In the end of 19th century has been built a high bridge crossing the contributant of Sjaitan in a short-cut from the right parallel to the left parallel. Our advice now is to follow this short-cut via an imaginable improvisated bridge to join into the road of this before bridge-way. Later eventually can become restorated the old parallel system by the building of two bridges and restoration of the right parallel in the north. Holy Simeon in fact must have been using the (for us) left parallel, where also is the Holy Well.
9. We see our advice to built floating bridges in part 5 as the follow-up of our wish to avoid tractor moving at that the least spoiled places. We suppose floating bridges no tractor or lorry can cross. But without this danger you may decide differently! - In part 8 is two times 'Directory: nothing' has the meaning: we are disturbed by tractors on the Path. As long as this danger is alive, the blockade of trees protects. As soon as the danger is over, all this wood may be sawn and cut by example as burning wood at the house at km 25. – In the description of the Path is forgotten, that we have discovered the old surface covered by very little stones (mini-gravel stones) over the whole width and length.
10. In circles of Church and Patriots in Russia people may be afraid of big European money spent on the Route or Path Holy Simeon, to develop it as a touristic glamour. This never has been our aim or wish or possibility. Only now we found you as a serious possible partner in our aim and purposes; we can imagine to ask help of European founds on some aspects of the Path or Route that is not your first aim or a possible wish of special European pilgrims. On this subject we hope to develop some more arguments and plans later.
11. To make possible that Stichting Pad van Simeon also finds a normal order in the sponsoring of rebuilding children houses at the Route Holy Simeon we want to ask you to write us a letter. That may be an email in the same order as at first you have sent to us, but then more officially with the name of your society, chairman etc. and with a signature - if possible. Thereby also we hope to receive the same text in English with a real signature by letter on paper, to send to us in protected post. - This is the letter we asked you to send in our before mailing. We hope you send the letter to Stichting Pad van Simeon, Basishuis ISP, Volhardingstraat 2, 2032 SX Haarlem - Niederlande. We thank you already for this important detail.
12. We hope you can affirm this mailing. Also we want to attend you on our website www.pelgrimsroute.nl, where is going to appear the two mailings to you as info for the potential Route-sponsors.