In Russia, as in any other country, there are many interesting places. The most famous tourist route for Russians is the Golden Ring. It includes several amazing settlements, famous for their architecture, cultural and historical monuments. Going to the cities of the Golden Ring, you can see the Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl-Zalessky, the Rostov Kremlin, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad and many other sights that amaze with their beauty and grandeur.
Golden Ring Journey
The Golden Ring of Russia is a fascinating tourist route. People, choosing this direction, get the opportunity to get to know the ancient Russian cities, to admire the preserved monuments. Tourists will also learn a lot of new and interesting things about the history and traditions of the country.
The route includes the following settlements:
- Pereslavl-Zalessky.
- Rostov the Great.
- Sergiev Posad.
- Vladimir
- Suzdal.
- Ivanovo
- Kostroma.
- Yaroslavl
All of the above cities can be safely called pearls on the map of Russia. They are fraught with many riddles and secrets. During the trip, you can find out many names of our ancestors who made a significant contribution to the history of the country, capture the sights of the cities of the Golden Ring on the photo.
Pereslavl-Zalessky
In 1152, Yuri Dolgoruky, not far from Lake Pleshcheyev, decided to found a city. To complete this task, the prince ordered the construction of a fortress. People made an earthen rampart on which they set up long wooden walls. Inside the fortress built a cathedral of white stone. The history of Pereslavl-Zalessky began with such events.
Currently, this settlement is an amazing corner of Russia, located in the Yaroslavl region. Among the natural attractions that the cities of the Golden Ring can boast of is Pleshcheyevo Lake. It is famous for its extraordinary beauty and purity. Not for nothing that in 1988 Pereslavl National Park was created here.
Tourists are also interested in the city because it houses the oldest building in North-Eastern Russia - the Transfiguration Cathedral. Here some Pereslavl princes were baptized and buried. The cathedral survived to our days in almost complete safety, despite the fact that it was built under Prince Yuri Dolgoruky.
Rostov the Great
Another ancient Russian city is Rostov the Great, which, judging by some sources, has existed since 862. Currently, it is located in the Yaroslavl region and is a major tourist center. Every year a huge number of foreign and Russian tourists come here.
The Rostov Kremlin is one of the attractions that the cities of the Golden Ring possess. It is located in the central part of Rostov the Great, on the shores of Lake Nero. Previously, this building was the residence of the Metropolitan of the Rostov diocese. In the XIX century, a museum of church antiquities was opened here.
On the territory of the Kremlin is a six-pillar Assumption Cathedral with five onion chapters. This is the oldest building in the city. The magnificent structure is made of brick, and the base and protruding blades are decorated with white stone. Inside the cathedral, the walls are decorated with murals.
Outside the Kremlin complex there are many attractions. An example is the Spaso-Yaroslavsky Monastery, located in the southwestern part of the city, on the shores of Lake Nero. On its territory there are three temples:
- Conception Cathedral.
- Dmitrievsky Cathedral.
- Yakovlevskaya church.
Sergiev Posad
The Golden Ring of Russia includes Sergiev Posad. This city, currently located in the Moscow region, was founded in the XIV century. Its founder is the son of Rostov boyar Bartholomew. He and his brother Stefan built a cell and a church in the 40s of the 14th century. After some time, a posad began to form around these structures. Peasants began to settle nearby.
The main attraction of Sergiev Posad is the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (the monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church, the spiritual center of Orthodox Russia). It was founded by Sergius of Radonezh. Currently, the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Vladimir
The foundation of this city was associated with the name of Vladimir Monomakh. Chronicles said that the settlement arose in 1108. Then Vladimir local historians postponed the city’s foundation date to 990, as new sources were discovered. In the found texts it was noted that Vladimir Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich founded.
Centuries ago, Vladimir was the capital of North-Eastern Russia. Now it is the administrative center of the Vladimir region, one of the largest tourist centers in the European part of the country.
Vladimir is a city of the Golden Ring of Russia, rich in attractions. Travelers coming here, first of all get acquainted with the Golden Gate. They are a white-stone triumphal arch, covered by a semicircular arch. The majesty of the construction is given by the small church above. Tourists are also attracted to Vladimir in such attractions as the Assumption and Dmitrievsky Cathedrals, the History Museum, the Museum of Nature, the planetarium.
Suzdal
An open-air museum - this is how you can describe this settlement, which is part of the Golden Ring. The city of Suzdal is rich in monuments of national culture. That is why it is most popular among tourists. People come here to see the Suzdal Kremlin, monastery ensembles (Pokrovsky, Aleksandrovsky, Vasilyevsky, Rizopolozhensky monasteries). The city also has a huge number of churches (Peter and Paul at the Pokrovsky Monastery, Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, Elijah the Prophet on Ivanova Mountain).
Blokha’s almshouse is a famous monument in Suzdal. It was built in 1844. The almshouse was designed to accommodate the elderly, sick people and people with disabilities. The building consisted of two floors, but it looked rather unusual. Blokha’s almshouse was made in the style of classicism. She resembled a noble mansion. The building has survived to the present day. Currently, it houses an art and restoration school.
Ivanovo
Travelers who buy tours of the Golden Ring and come here are attracted by architectural monuments related to the era of constructivism. An unusual building in Ivanovo is a house-ship, built in 1930. It includes two buildings. The main one resembles a ship (one of the walls is rounded towards the beveled end).
In Ivanovo there are also many historical and revolutionary monuments. A monument to the fighters of the 1905 revolution was erected on Revolution Square. It includes two elements. The first element is the statues of two people. One of them is raising a banner. The second element of the monument is a rectangular monument. It symbolizes prison dungeons. Inside the monument, a backlit crystal is installed, which acts as a symbol of the heartbeat.
On the river Talka in Ivanovo there is a memorial ensemble "Red Talka". It was established in the place where during the years of the first Russian revolution the revolutionary actions of the Ivano-Ascension workers took place. The following elements are included in the memorial ensemble: the cup of eternal flame, the obelisk monument, a memorial sign at the site of the death of F. A. Afanasyev.
Kostroma
According to the assumptions of historians, this city was founded in 1152 by Yuri Dolgoruky. For the first time, Kostroma is mentioned in chronicles in 1213. Around this time, an internecine war broke out between the descendants of one prince. Because of her, Kostroma was burned. However, the city was quickly restored. Since 1246, it becomes the center of the principality, which was ruled by the brother of Alexander Nevsky.
Now Kostroma is one of the oldest Russian settlements, the pearl of the Golden Ring. Valuable architectural monuments have been preserved here. The largest Old Russian ensemble of the city of the Golden Ring is the suburban Ipatiev Monastery. It was erected at the end of the 13th century. The architectural center of the monastery is the five-domed Trinity Cathedral, which has gilded domes.
Particular attention should be paid to monuments of monumental art. On the squares and streets of the city there are many of them. One of them is a monument in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. It consists of 26 sculptures reflecting the events that took place in the country in the past. The height of the structure is 36 m.
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl - the city of the Golden Ring, the administrative center of the Yaroslavl region. It was founded in the 11th century and reached its peak in the 17th century. The history of the city is full. You can get to know her better, learn a lot in museums, which are quite a lot in Yaroslavl. Many travelers, having arrived in the city, visit the Yaroslavl Art Museum. The collection of exhibits stored in it is versatile. There is a collection of icons, a collection of Russian avant-garde, a collection of semi-primitive “philistine portrait” of the 17th – 19th centuries.
Speaking of architectural monuments, it is worth mentioning the Transfiguration Monastery. He played a huge role in the history of the city. The monastery has long been the cultural, spiritual and economic center of Yaroslavl. From the end of the 13th century, the monastery became a princely tomb. Some Yaroslavl princes and archbishops are buried here.
Additional cities
For the first time, the term "Golden Ring" was used by journalist Yuri Bychkov. In 1967, he published essays on ancient Russian cities in a newspaper. Later, the term "Golden Ring" was assigned to the tourist route.
Eight of the above settlements are the main cities included in the Golden Ring. Moscow is also included in this list by some people. The capital of Russia is a tourist center of the country. Such sights of the city as the Moscow Kremlin, Novodevichy Convent, Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Goose-crystal, Murom, Plyos, Uglich, Rybinsk, Bogolyubovo, Alexandrov - settlements, which also sometimes are included in the Golden Ring. Moscow, therefore, is not the only additional city.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that many travel companies offer tours of the Golden Ring. The cost is different. It depends on the type of transport, the additional services provided. An important role is played by the duration of the trip. It can be from two days to a week.
