Trinity Church in Bekhovo

In the village of Bekhovo on the bank of the Oka stands the Trinity church — the church of the Life-Giving Trinity, built to Vasily Polenov's design and at his own expense for the local peasants. The artist lived in nearby Polenovo and treated Bekhovo as his parish duty: design, construction and decoration all passed through his hands. The iconostasis is carved to Polenov's sketches; the murals and icons are tied to his circle. The artist and his wife are buried within the church fence. The village and its surroundings are the heroes of Polenov's canvases: 'Early Snow' of 1891 and the 'Winter Landscape' of 1897 were painted here. Today Bekhovo and Polenovo form a single route: two kilometres along the Oka from the estate to the church. The church is active, and a school — also founded by Polenov — once worked beside it.