Dante Alexey
Google
The exterior of this structure looks amazing. The interior, the paid museum tour, is a major disappointment.
You will have to wait outside with no update until the current tour is finished, which can last as long as 25 minutes. Once inside, you will be prohibited from taking pictures of anything and be asked to store your bags in small compartments because you will be fighting for space as you tour the monastery. Fret not, there is nothing special about any of the rooms you're not supposed to take pictures of. You start with some dilapidated classroom, continue onto an old attic, see some 20th century artifacts, and return to the entrance. It's just a bunch of rooms last renovated in the 40s. The people involved are not notable in any way. They were local professors who picked some low hanging fruit.
Here's the kicker. The tour guide largely acts softly dismissive until the end of the tour when he starts seeing cash. I am not even kidding. He suddenly starts smiling and singing songs as he piles up the paper money he receives. But get this: you get NO RECEIPT. He is basically not getting taxed on at least some of the tours. If you're going there, get some evidence and report him to tax authorities until they take notice.
