Sarov, one of the spiritual Russian centres in the past where the famous Sarov Monastery being the tenement of the Reverend Serafim Sarovskiy was situated, is located in the south of the Nizhniy Novgorod Region, on the territory of the Mordva national park. The town's name originates from the name of the river, on which banks it is situated. The modern form of this name is the Sarovka river, the old one was the Sarov river. This word is of the Mordva origin, its base of "sar" means "swamped" in the translation. The Sarovka river falls into the Satis river, which flows through the whole town and separates it into two parts.

Today Sarov is a town of science. Specialists of the biggest Russian research centre, the Russian Federal Nuclear Centre - Research Institute for Experimental Physics, are working here. Academician A.D. Sakharov, the hydrogen bomb creator; Academician Y.B. Khariton, I.V. Kurchatov, Y.B. Zeldovich, B.G. Muzrukov, S.G. Kocharyants and many other outstanding scientists worked in this institute. The history of the creation of nuclear weapons from the first atomic and hydrogen bombs to modern nuclear ammunition is shown in the nuclear weapon museum, which belongs to RFNC-VNIIEF.

A part of the Sarov Monastery's architectural ensemble has been preserved in the centre of the town. Two museums are situated in the monastery building: the City History and Regional Studies Museum ad the Sarov Hermitage Museum.
In 1999, nature monuments were revealed on the territory of the town of Sarov, most of which are directly connected with the town's monastery past. These monuments include Silver Springs, a group of springs on the left bank of the Satis river, 4 km to the north-east of the town outskirts; the Far and Near hermitages and the place of the stone, on which the Reverend Serafim Sarovskiy was preying for thousands of nights.

A village of Diveyevo is situated at the distance of 16 km from Sarov, on the Vichkinze river, where the Holy Trinity Serafim-Diveyevskiy Nunnery was restored to life, the latter being one of the biggest nunneries in Russia where the relic of the Serafim Sarovskiy's body are placed in the Trinity cathedral. The Serafim source near the village of Khitriy located opposite to the town of Sarov is especially popular with pilgrims. One can see the Sarov monastery's belfry as well as modern multi-storey buildings from a small hill near the quarry where dolomites was produced formerly.

60 km from Sarov, on the banks of the Moksha river, the common Christmas-Bogoroditskiy monastery is situated, which is better known as the Sanaksarskiy monastery. The monastery is located in a picturesque place and at any time if the year its outskirts excite general admiration for the beauty of mixed forests and vast water-meadows. In spring, during the Moksha river overflow, water approaches the monastery walls on three sides, and the hermitage reminds a ship sailing in an unlimited sea. The great Russian commander, the Russian fleet admiral Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov is buried near the synodic cathedral walls.

Nearest points having a direct traffic to the town of Sarov:
Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod, Arzamas

Railways

From Moscow: Kazanskiy Terminal - Train No. 80 "Moscow - Bereshcheno", departure - 19:37 daily. Arrival at the Sarov suburban terminal - 6:00, and at the Sarov terminal in the town - 8:00.

From Sarov: Terminal - Train No. 79 "Bereshcheno - Moscow", departure - 17:50 daily. Arrival at the Kazanskiy Terminal in Moscow - 6:00.

Tickets can be bought in any railway ticket-office. As of 01.05.2003, the fare including payment for the suburban ticket and bedding in the train is as follows:
One seat in a 4-seat compartment - 500 roubles
One seat in a 2-seat higher quality compartment - 900 roubles

Motor road transport

From Nizhniy Novgorod: daily regular "Sarov" coach - departure from Bus Station at Lyadova Ploshchad at 16:00; "Gazel" microbuses go every hour from 11:00 till 21:00.

From Sarov: daily from 5:00 to 16:30 every hour.

Tickets for motor road vehicles are to be booked beforehand.

As of 01.05.2003, the fare is 120 - 130 roubles depending upon the vehicle departure time.

Approximate tariff rates for hotel accommodation

Approximate cost of meals is 250 - 600 roubles per day.

Bank plastic card services

Banks in Sarov provide services for international bank cards: VISA, Eurocard/MasterCard, VISAElectron, Maestro. For Russian specialists, it is also possible to use plastic cards issued by RF Sberbank (Savings Bank)- SBERCARDS.

INQUIRIES CAN BE MADE ON PHONE OR E-MAIL

(883130) 6-31-07, Aleksandr Leonidovich Gusev, Chairman, Programme Committee
E-mail: gusev@hydrogen.ru