Light guide to Kostroma. What to see in the city in 1-2 days?

Kostroma is an ancient city on the Volga, founded in the 12th century by the Kyiv prince Yuri Dolgoruky.

According to legend, once upon a time a dense, impenetrable forest grew in this place, with “kostrubata” - crooked and gnarled dry trees. Dolgoruky ordered this forest to be burned, and in its place he founded a city. Soon people began to settle near the princely fortified place and the city began to grow.

How to get to Kostroma from Moscow - an overview of methods and useful services.

• From Kostroma you should definitely stop by Yaroslavl - a little over an hour by car.
• The most interesting places in the Kostroma region and neighboring Yaroslavl region for those planning a route.
• We wrote in detail about other nearby and worth visiting cities of the Golden Ring here.

Ipatiev Monastery

Of course, the first thing you should see in Kostroma is the famous Ipatiev Monastery, which was founded in the 14th century. Here you can take a journey into the depths of ancient Russian history

.
The territory of the monastery is divided into two parts - the Old Town (1586-1590), and the New Town, built half a century later by order of Mikhail Romanov. Access to the territory of the New City is closed. The center of the monastery is the Trinity Cathedral
and the nearby high
belfry
.

Ipatiev Monastery - the main attraction of Kostroma

The territory that is accessible to tourists in the Ipatiev Monastery is small, so you will have enough time to visit the Kostroma Architectural, Ethnographic and Landscape Museum-Reserve “Kostromskaya Sloboda”,

located just south of the monastery.
In this picturesque museum you can see preserved wooden buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries
.

Museum of Wooden Architecture "Kostromskaya Sloboda"

After you have become familiar with the ancient Russian history of Russia, you can take a minibus across the bridge over the Kostroma River to Susaninskaya Square,

and move on to the second part of getting to know the city, namely, getting to know the historical and architectural appearance
of the merchant
city
of the 18-19 centuries
and the museums of modern Kostroma.

Monument to Ivan Susanin

Address: across the road from Susaninskaya Square, facing the Volga

The monument was erected in Kostroma in September 1967. The author is sculptor Nikita Lavinsky.

Despite the apparent simplicity, extraordinary strength of spirit is felt in Susanin’s entire appearance. There is a monument on the site where the Alexander Nevsky Chapel once stood.

It should be noted that this is not the first monument to the hero. Before him, there was already one in Kostroma, destroyed under Soviet rule, in which not so much Susanin was immortalized as the young Tsar Mikhail.

Susaninskaya Square

Susaninskaya Square is the main attraction of Kostroma. In and around this square you can see many monuments of provincial classicism

, making up the architectural ensemble of Susaninskaya Square, which is admired by tourists from around the world. The authorship of the buildings built on it belongs to different architects, however, all the buildings look like a single whole, merging into a complete architectural ensemble of the merchant city of the late 18th century.

Susaninskaya Square

Significant historical and architectural monuments of Kostroma are the Epiphany-Anastasinsky Monastery and the complex of unique Trading Rows.

Epiphany-Anastasinsky Convent

(Epiphany 26), in the Annunciation Cathedral of which the Russian shrine is kept -
the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God
, revered by the Romanov family, founded
in 1426
by the disciple of Sergius of Radonezh Nikita Kostroma. During the Time of Troubles, the servants of the Monastery showed unprecedented heroism - during the Polish siege, more than fifty defenders of the monastery died.

In the 16th century

Two women's monasteries were added to the monastery - Exaltation of the Cross and Anastasiin (named after the daughter of Dmitry Donskoy). Now the restored Epiphany Cathedral (mid-16th century) is the cathedral of the Kostroma diocese.

Epiphany-Anastasinsky Convent

Trading Rows deserve special attention

(18th century), which create the illusion of ongoing merchant life. Architecturally, these are one-story symmetrical lines of cells, united by a facade with separate doorways and galleries, which created a certain structure in the design of squares and streets.

Shopping arcades

The bell tower of the Savior in Rows dominates and, as it were, organizes the squat shopping rows. Large flour rows

, Red rows,
Tobacco
, Petty,
Fish
, Gingerbread, Kvass and many others are decorated with open arcades or colonnades. Built over several decades, they absorbed a huge area - the city center and the descent to the Volga.

Still shopping arcades

are used for their intended purpose - there are numerous shops and small cafes, which are very interesting to walk around.

Main Museums of Kostroma

You don’t need to look for a long route to the main museums of Kostroma, because they are very uniquely located in historical monuments and attractions of the central part of the city. As they say, two in one. Fire Tower

, Guardhouse,
Romanov Museum
, Museum
"Noble Assembly"
and Fish Trading Rows today make up a single
Kostroma historical, architectural and art museum-reserve
. Each of them houses a museum that you can visit on your own.

Romanov Museum

In the fire tower

There is an excursion department where you can easily book any excursion around museums, the city and the region that interests you.
In the Guardhouse
there is a Military History Museum, where you can see weapons, orders and medals, banners from the 12th century to the present day.

On display at the Romanov Museum

(Mira Avenue 5) there are ethnographic, historical and church halls. All of them are somehow connected with the history of the Romanov dynasty.

Monuments of Kostroma

What else to visit in Kostroma in 1 day on an independent trip
? The city has several monuments located in and around the square, with a truly unique history.

This is, first of all, a monument to Ivan Susanin

, the legendary folk hero, standing in the center of Susaninskaya Square with his back to it.
This monument was reinstalled in 1967
, on the site of what was dismantled during the years of Soviet power.
And the first monument to Susanin was opened in 1851
and it was a granite column on a high pedestal.

The first monument to Ivan Susanin in Kostroma. 19th century

At the top of the column there was a bust of Mikhail Romanov, and at the base of the column there was a kneeling figure of Ivan Susanin. On the front side there was a relief with a scene of Susanin’s feat and death, and on the back side of the pedestal there was the inscription “To Ivan Susanin. Grateful offspring." The height of the first monument was 15 meters. After the revolution, all monuments erected in honor of the kings and their servants were destroyed. This fate also affected this monument.

in 1967, historical justice was restored and a new Ivan Susanin appeared on the square - the pride and glory of the Kostroma residents.

Modern monument to Ivan Susanin

The second unique monument of the city is the monument to V.I. Lenin

, located in a park on the high bank of the Volga.
This is a monument to a complex historical fate. In former times, the Kostroma Kremlin
. Therefore, it was here that, for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, it was decided to erect a monumental monument, which is a polyhedron with projections for busts of historical figures in the form of a chapel. This structure was to be completed with a high tent with a double-headed eagle.

By the beginning of 1917

In the same year, a polyhedron was built, busts were brought, but the outbreak of the revolution made its own adjustments.
Then it was decided to erect a monument to the new leader on the already prepared pedestal, which was done on May 1, 1923
. And the half-finished polyhedron probably symbolizes the ruins of the tsarist empire.

Lenin monument

Going down from the Lenin monument to the embankment and river station, you can see another wonderful monument - Ostrovsky's Gazebo

"(1956), which resembles a rotunda in the style of classicism. It stands on a high embankment, preserved from the walls of the Kremlin. The view from the gazebo of the Volga flowing past is beautiful. The great Russian playwright loved to admire this view, in whose memory the gazebo was built.

Ostrovsky's gazebo

The fact is that the life and work of Ostrovsky

is inextricably linked with Kostroma and the Kostroma region - his best works were written in the
Shchelykovo
(now the playwright’s museum-reserve has been created there), and the playwright is buried in the village of Nikolo-Berezhki.

Ostrovsky House-Museum in Shchelykovo

The Kostroma Drama Theater is named after Ostrovsky. And it was in Kostroma that the filming of E. Ryazanov’s wonderful film “Cruel Romance”

based on the play "Dowry".

Where is

Kostroma occupies both banks of the Gorky Reservoir on the Kostroma Lowland. The city of Yaroslavl is 65 km away. City coordinates 57°46′ N. latitude, 40°56′ e. d.

The city has well-developed transport links:

1. Sokerkino Airport. Located 7 km from the center. Kostroma is connected by air all year round with St. Petersburg, and in the summer with the resorts of the Black Sea coast. You can get from the airport to the center by bus No. 15, minibuses No. 21, 13, 99.
2. The railway station (Shirokov Square, 1) is located 3.5 km from the center. The city is connected by railway with Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, and in the summer with Anapa. Express trains depart to St. Petersburg, 2 trains leave daily for Moscow, and 3 for Yaroslavl.
3. The bus station (Kineshemskoe highway, 21) accepts flights from Moscow, Rybinsk, Vologda, Ufa, Kazan. The suburban bus station (42 Kalinovskaya St.) serves for communication with the right bank and the Kostroma region.
4. The river port (Tchaikovsky St., 1) receives cruise ships in the summer and carries out pleasure cruises.

Kostroma is easily accessible by car, the distance from Moscow is 350 km, travelers travel along the Yaroslavskoye Highway, the M-8 highway, then along the R-132. Another option is along the M-7 highway to Vladimir, then along R-132.

Where to go in Kostroma in 2-3 days

If you are not limited by time and have the opportunity to stay in the wonderful city of Kostroma for more than one day, then you can see all the same things, only slowly, more thoughtfully and in detail.

It is better to devote the first day to the Ipatiev Monastery and the Museum of Ancient Russian Architecture, and the second to the Historical Center of the city with the architectural ensemble of Susaninskaya Square.

Ipatiev Monastery

In your free time, you can simply walk along the unique streets of the city. In addition, the city has unusual and original museums created by enthusiasts, a visit to which will pleasantly surprise you.

These museums include the Museum of Flax and Birch Bark

(Tereshkova, 38), in which you will get acquainted with the collection of Russian costumes, see with your own eyes how they weave and spin, and you will be able to purchase unique handmade items.

Very unusual Museum of unique dolls and toys

(Gornaya, 26), created on the basis of the private collection of N.V. Sheiko, who brought dolls from around the world. There are absolutely amazing exhibits made from various materials.

Museum of unique dolls and toys

You can go to Shchelykovo, to the museum-estate of A.N. Ostrovsky

, where you will be enchanted by the nature of “Berendey’s kingdom”, and the museum will tell you about the work of the playwright.
It is also interesting to visit the village of Susanino
, whose museum will once again tell you about the legendary feat of Ivan Susanin. The museum, by the way, is located in the church depicted in Savrasov’s painting “The Rooks Have Arrived.”

There is also an amazingly beautiful place called “ Gorodishche”

the Ilyinskaya Church
(Dachnaya, 17a), built in the mid-17th century by the boyar G.I. Morozov, is compactly located After his death, the estate passed to his widow, known to us from the painting by V.I. Surikov, Old Believer F.P. Morozova. And after her arrest, the settlement went to the royal treasury.

In the inventory of the property of noblewoman Morozova

The Ilyinskaya Church was listed, which was originally called the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and had five domes. After fires and repairs, it was restored with one chapter on a low drum. From the high hill on which the church is located, a majestic panorama of Kostroma will open before you.

Elias Church

Another wonderful attraction of Kostroma that cannot be ignored is the Church of the Resurrection on Debra

, an architectural monument of the 17th century.
Posad church
that has survived to this day .

Church on Debra

The building is given an amazing decorative effect by carved white stone inserts depicting animals and birds, as well as ornamental forms of plants. The interior decoration of the church is also amazingly elegant. In ancient times there were impenetrable forests here - wilds

. With the development of the city, they gave way to residential buildings, next to which Orthodox churches were built. This church was built with a donation from local merchant Kirill Isakov.

Museum of Flax and Birch Bark

Address : st. Tereshkova, 38 Website: https://linenmuseum.ru/ Phone: (4942) 31‒05‒89 Opening hours: Tuesday - Friday from 9.30 to 17.00, Saturday from 9.30 to 18.00, Sunday from 9.30 to 17.00. In summer, Mon-Sun 9:30-18:00 Cost of visiting: for adults - 100 rubles, children - 50 rubles, excursion - 250 rubles / person, master classes - 150 rubles / person. Duration – 45 minutes.

A snow-white and durable fabric, known since the second millennium BC, is linen. They made a lot of things out of it - clothes, carpets, even sails on ships. It is called “northern silk”, and not in vain, because it is not inferior in strength.

In Kostroma, you have the opportunity to see the process of turning flax grains into fabric and even try to make such a flap yourself - all this in the museum. Experienced guides will guide you through all the stages of growing this crop, telling you how the canvas was bleached and how it was dyed.

Here you will get acquainted with the art of weaving from birch bark, see ancient birch bark letters, and you can also make a small souvenir from birch bark, or buy a ready-made one.

What to see in Kostroma with a child

If you are traveling with children, then you must first focus on their tastes and preferences. What do children like to watch? Something that you can touch, where you can run and see something very interesting and close to their understanding.

the Museum of Wooden Architecture with children

, where you can go inside houses and look at unfamiliar interiors and household items.
They will, of course, also like the Snegurochka Tower
(Lagernaya St., 38), in which the owner of the tower herself will communicate with them.
But in order for you to have an interactive, unforgettable excursion, your visit must be pre-coordinated with the museum, because this place is very popular among tourists, especially in winter
.

Snow Maiden's tower

Not far from the monument to Susanin is the Museum of the Snow Maiden

(May 1, 4/9), which will also be interesting to you and the children.

And visiting such unusual places as the Wonderland Forest Museum

(Ostrovsky, 63) and
the Puppet Museum
(Gornaya, 26) will give you an unforgettable experience for a long time.

You can take a walk with your child in the park “On Nikitskaya”

, where there is everything - both attractions and cafes. For children there is also a Puppet Theater and a Circus in the city. And if you come in winter, it would be great to attend the New Year's Ball and the New Year's Tree festival, which are held in the building of the former Assembly of the Nobility.

Hotels

There are about 250 hotels open in Kostroma.

Hotels of different budgets are presented in the table:

The available choice allows you to choose housing to suit every taste.

When is the best time to come to Kostroma?

Kostroma is a quiet, calm, environmentally friendly and historically rich city. Whenever you come here, you will have a wonderful time. Here you can relax, take many walks, and see many interesting historical and architectural monuments. In summer

To this will be added swimming in rivers and lakes,
in winter
- meetings with the Snow Maiden and participation in New Year's balls. And any other holiday you spend in the homeland of Tsar Berendey and Snow Maiden will be original and unique.

Weather, best time to travel

The temperate continental climate of Kostroma is the reason why fluctuations from -80C to +170C are recorded throughout the year, the wind is moderate, and the average humidity is 76-80%. The coldest month of the year is January , when there are frosts and clear days are rare. The above-zero air temperature starts in April; by June the air warms up to +150C.

Summer in the city is not hot, on average +15-170C. The sun shines often, it rains rarely. September is still warm, and in October climate autumn sets in, the air cools down to +40C, and it often rains.

The first snow falls in November, becoming densely covered by December. Cloudy, frosty winter days seem colder due to the piercing humidity, which in winter is 80-86% with a wind speed of 3.5 m/s.

How to navigate

The majority of passengers in Kostroma are transported by the bus network; it includes 30 minibus lines and 40 bus lines. The fare is 20 rubles. There are 6 trolleybus routes throughout the city, and the cashing system is poorly developed. A single portal has been created to track the movement of vehicles.

During the navigation period, passenger transportation by river transport opens in 2 directions: to Borshchino and Gomonikha. The fare is 40-50 rubles.

You can see Kostroma in 1 day, but it’s worth coming to this ancient town for the weekend to fully experience the atmosphere of comfort and tranquility, stroll along the embankment, look into ancient temples, taste local delicacies, and visit museums and theaters.

Where to eat

In Kostroma, tourists will not go hungry; there are numerous restaurants, taverns, and cafes at their service. One of the iconic places in the city on the street. Molochnaya Gora, 9. The Staraya Pristan restaurant is located on a landing stage on the Volga; at one time it became a film location for the film Cruel Romance. The restaurant is open from 12 noon to midnight, average bill is 800 rubles.

The restaurant offers dishes of Russian and European cuisine, as well as unique events - excursions, “merchant” tea parties and liqueur tastings.

Jazz restaurant "Muravyovka" on the street. Dzerzhinsky, 10, open from 12 noon to midnight. The average bill is 1500 rubles. The restaurant plays live music in the style of blues, jazz and soul. You can rest and relax on the street. Sovetskaya, 14a, in the Shesh-Besh restaurant, this is a great place for an evening relaxation. In this establishment you can enjoy dishes of Uzbek, Georgian and Azerbaijani cuisine until midnight. The average bill is 800 rubles.

Craft beer, an assortment of snacks, as well as sports broadcasts await guests in the Hott@bych pub; a stay will cost 600 rubles. The pub is open on the street. Sovetskaya, 59/48, in the same building there is a trattoria “Pinocchio”, specializing in Italian cuisine. The trattoria is open from 11 a.m. to midnight, the cafe has a children's corner, and there is animation on Sundays. The average bill is 700 rubles.

In a historical mansion in the center of Kostroma on the street. Simanovsky, 6, there is a cafe-pancake "Skovoroda". Lunch will cost 250-300 rubles; guests will be offered pancakes with various fillings. In the same building there is the Samovar cafe, where on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. they serve set lunches (up to 200 rubles), and Russian dishes are prepared in the evenings and weekends. The average bill in a cafe is 400-500 rubles.

The family establishment “Susanin House” (54 Ivan Susanin St.) serves European, Asian and Russian cuisine in a homely atmosphere. On weekends, musical groups perform, and a playroom is open for children. Lunch costs up to 700 rubles, the establishment is open from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Tourists can have a quick, inexpensive, but tasty lunch at the Limpopo cafe (Sovetskaya St., 13) and the Izbushka cafe (Sovetskaya Sq., 4). The average bill is 200 rubles, dishes are served using a self-service system.