The exhibition has the written travel accounts of the Russian monk Vasilij Gregorovich
Barskij (Basil Grigorovitch Barsky) as a focal point. With the use of an interactive map, the visitor can follow Barskij’s path to places, monasteries and churches linked to the Holy Cross, which he visited during his travels through Cyprus in the 18th century.
Barskij was born in Kyiv in 1701.
At the age of 15, he entered the Academy of Kyiv, yet a few years later he abandoned his studies. In 1723 he left Kyiv and began his journeys. When in Venice, he resided in the Greek church of Saint George and started learning Greek.
His aspiration was the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His path brought him to Greece and to Mount Athos, where he stayed until 1726. In the same year, he managed to go to Jerusalem.
In September 1726 the ship he was in, having Palestine as its destination, approached Cyprus for supplies and the disembarkation of passengers. Barskij stayed on the island “for one and a half days,” left a brief description and carried on with his journey to Palestine, wishing to reach Mount Sinai.