The approaching vacation, as always, posed a question to me: how to spend it in my native country so that pleasant memories remain and it is not financially difficult. After much thought, I determined two options for myself: a seven-day “gallop across our latitudes” tour, where long journeys are planned every day, or a six-day “combo” around the Ivanovo region, where half of your vacation you relax in some holiday home, and the second half you go on excursions. Since I was on an active bus tour last year, this summer I decided to try the combo option. The website of a well-known tour operator offered a choice of four such trips. Initially, I really wanted to go to Seliger, but the group did not gather for the desired date and the tour was cancelled. Then I gave preference to a holiday home in the Ivanovo region, because here they offered places to visit that I had not been to and which were very difficult to get to on my own, given that I did not have my own car.
Shuya in Ivanovo region
The first destination of the trip was the city of Shuya. Despite the fact that we arrived earlier than planned, this did not affect the program in any way. In Shuya the group was met by a local guide. After driving along several streets and looking at a number of monuments from the bus window, we went for lunch. True, in front of the cafe, having informed us that Shuya is famous for its soap and vodka, the guide suggested that we stop at a local liquor store and buy some liqueur as a souvenir. However, the plans were not destined to come true, as the store was closed. We had lunch at the Green Courtyard cafe. The food was average, but didn't leave me with any bad feelings. The dishes were hot, well prepared, filling, but not very tasty. The cafe premises are quite nice, but the “courtyard” itself, whose decorative decoration makes it clear that this is a favorite wedding venue in the city, is clearly in need of major renovation.
Traveling around the Ivanovo region: Semigorye, Yuryevets, Kineshma, Ples, Palekh photo 2
While the whole group gathered at the bus after lunch, those who ate earlier than others got a few minutes of free time. Almost everyone used it to go to nearby stores. I decided not to go far and went to the local supermarket, near where our bus was parked. Unfortunately, there were lines at the cash register, and I was not able to buy local liqueurs, unlike those who ran to a more distant store, but I had a personal “tour” with our guide about local goods and prices. The shelves, of course, are not bursting with products, but they are all local, although there are well-known advertised yogurts, and the prices are lower than in Moscow. We took the bus to the main tourist attraction of the city - the bell tower of the Resurrection Cathedral. This is Shuya's calling card. It has been restored, and now it stands out with its fresh paint and cleanliness among other historical buildings in the city.
Traveling around the Ivanovo region: Semigorye, Yuryevets, Kineshma, Ples, Palekh photo 3
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In addition, night lighting was made for it, Shuya’s only structure. Here the first disappointment of this trip awaited me - contrary to the ascent to the bell tower and inspection of the cathedral promised in the tour program, we stood still for a long time, listening to the guide’s story about the surrounding buildings, and then walked along two nearby streets and made a small circle.
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We were not given any free time to visit local shops and buy souvenirs. After boarding the bus, our group went to Palekh.
You can read more about what to see in Shuya here>>>
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In the city of Plyos, Ivanovo region, there is one of the most beautiful cathedrals of these places - the Temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Assumption Cathedral made of stone, erected in 1699 on the site of an old wooden temple of an equally old and destroyed fortress on the high bank of the Volga.
The temple was made in the Moscow Baroque style, popular at that time, in the 18th century. a tented bell tower was added to it. The single complex with the winter Assumption Cathedral also included the summer Kazan Church, built in the early 19th century. This ensemble was surrounded by a brick fence, its image is presented in the famous landscapes “Evening Bells” and “Quiet Abode” by Levitan, a native of these beautiful and picturesque places. Unfortunately, during Soviet times, the Kazan Church was destroyed.
Palekh - a center of folk art
Palekh greeted us with sunshine. This is one of the centers of Russian folk crafts. They mainly paint papier-mâché boxes here, so Palekh can be called a competitor to Fedoskino near Moscow.
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Palekh is a popular tourist destination. Looks clean and well maintained. There are many different museums and more than one souvenir shop. You can spend a whole day in this place, or better yet two, to have time to explore everything. Our program included visiting three museums in 1.5 - 2 hours.
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The guide clearly loves her Small Motherland, local crafts and master artists, so she tried to give us an unreal amount of information. Many people's heads were spinning and few people listened to the last third of the excursion. In addition, we were not given time for souvenirs and some left the museum for the shop located opposite.
The Museum of Palekh Art, which was number “3” in our program, turned out to be crumpled. In addition to all of the above, the group was urged on by the caretakers. It’s just that we arrived at the end of the working day and didn’t have time to complete the excursion before closing, but they really wanted to go home.
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Traveling around the Ivanovo region: Semigorye, Yuryevets, Kineshma, Ples, Palekh photo 9
While we were indoors, a thunderstorm broke out outside the window, but according to the program there was still one more object to explore - the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross. It survived the Soviet era, since it was declared a museum, as it was painted by Palekh masters. Yes, it turns out that pre-revolutionary Palekh is the center of icon painting, and not lacquer miniatures. It was necessary to retrain for painting boxes after 1917.
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Unfortunately, the temple was closed. Not everyone decided to get off the bus in a thunderstorm, but our group, who didn’t know that we wouldn’t be able to get to church, decided to go out in the downpour and got a little wet. Umbrellas didn't help. In such a damp state and under heavy rain, we went to the Semigorye rest house.
You can read more about the sights of the village of Palekh here>>
Estate of an ancient Russian family
The open-air museum, located in Ples, will appeal to lovers of the history of ancient life and Russian crafts .
Based on excavations, it can be argued that the found remains of buildings were an ancient Russian city from the time of the pre-Mongol yoke
The hut dates back to the period of the 12th-13th centuries. It belonged to an ancient Russian family and burned down in a fire during a Horde raid. Some of the exhibits represent genuine finds. And some household items (weapons, children's toys and jewelry) are reliable copies of real artifacts .
For a deeper immersion into the ancient era, the museum organizes educational master classes. For example, you can learn to grind grain using old tools or write on birch bark.
Estate of an ancient Russian family
About the holiday hotel Semigorye
We lived in the Semigorye country hotel. Both from the name and from the infrastructure it was clear that it was positioned as a holiday destination in a country style. The main feature of this is a real vegetable garden on the territory, where vegetables, herbs and even currants are grown, used in the kitchen when preparing dishes for guests. The food, by the way, was great: a lot (dinner of 5-7 courses) and very tasty.
You can read more about the Semigorye holiday hotel here>>>
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The full three days that we lived here flew by unnoticed. In Semigorye, tourists were offered a lot of impressions. True, some of them were for an additional fee, but it’s not a pity to pay 300 rubles for an hour-long walk along the Volga on the roof of a floating bathhouse.
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Despite the shortcomings that were unfortunately discovered here, this place left only positive emotions. Everyone really felt refreshed.
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Where to stay in Ivanovo
Most of the places visited by tourists in Ivanovo are located on both sides of the Uvod River in the central part of the city. Some housing offers can be found there. These will be hotels, several hostels and apartments rented out to guests by local residents.
Despite the small selection of high-star ones, there are pleasant options in Ivanovo. For example, hotels with a uniform interior style, cozy restaurants, delicious breakfasts and terraces overlooking the city or a park by the river: “Ivano Hotel”, “Shaddock”, spa hotel “Best Western Russian Manchester”, “Sheremetev Park Hotel” or GC “ Sosnovy Bor" near the southern borders of the city.
- Ivanovo Hotels
- Hostels for Budget Travelers
- Flats and apartments
A way to save on your trip is to book accommodation on Booking.com with cashback Cashback promotion on Tourist. RU
Embankment of the Uvod River Photo: © Valeria Belousova
Kineshma and Yuryevets
According to the tour program, out of the four days that we were in the country hotel, one was an excursion. Kineshma and Yuryevets were waiting for us. The excursion day did not start very well, since only half an hour was allotted for breakfast. No one has ever encountered anything like this before on tour. Usually a person has time to eat and return to the room for the necessary things. The bus that was given to us also caused a lot of criticism. It was some kind of “medium size”: not a minibus, but not for 40 people. It was no longer possible for anyone to sit comfortably as they wanted. The aisle between the two rows was so narrow that people without model thinness had difficulty getting to their seats. There was no air conditioning. Instead, there was an old system in which regular fans located above each seat were powered by air that hit them during movement. Accordingly, it was impossible to be on the bus while it was standing. Considering that our tour took place on the hottest day of the summer, everyone was outraged. I was more outraged by the driver. The roads in the Ivanovo region are not distinguished by good asphalt, and our bus was rushing at a decent speed, jumping on every pothole, of which there were many. Miraculously, no one got seasick and no one was injured. First we arrived in Kineshma. A small, beautiful, ancient city on the banks of the Volga. We stopped at Revolution Square. Here we were told a little about the city, but standing in the sun, the information was difficult to digest.
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Then the excursion continued on the banks of the Volga, where there is a pedestrian zone called Volzhsky Boulevard - here we were given 40 minutes of free time. Everyone did what they could with it: some went shopping, others just bought ice cream and stood looking at the river. Several people, including me, walked along the boulevard, admiring the views from here.
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After the walk, we were waiting for a story about the Assumption Cathedral of the city and a visit to it. Surprisingly, photography was not prohibited in the temple.
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Traveling around the Ivanovo region: Semigorye, Yuryevets, Kineshma, Ples, Palekh photo 17
Then everyone returned to the bus and headed to Yuryevets, agreeing that Kineshma was not “presented” to us in the best way. We stayed here for 1.5 hours, of which 40 minutes were allocated for independent exploration.
Churches, cathedrals and temples
Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God Joy of All Who Sorrow (Furmanov)
Address: Furmanov, st. Socialist, 36 Phone: Website: https://krasnaya.cerkov.ru/ Opening hours: 08.00-17.00 Mon-Sun Cost: free
The temple was built by merchant Ivan Ivanovich Skvortsov on the outskirts of Sereda (former name Furmanov) in 1886. In 1894, the daughter of the church founder, who tragically lost her son, decided to expand the small building. The temple turned into a large cathedral by 1904.
The building is designed in the style of ancient Russian architecture. The walls of the temple were painted by the famous artist Safonov together with his students.
Under Stalin, the cathedral was closed. In 1979, a city dweller, Claudia Nikolaevna Lodygina, began to fight for the return of the temple to believers. The persistent woman’s journey through the authorities took almost 10 years. The church reopened in 1988: Claudia Nikolaevna headed the church council.
Bell tower in Lezhnevo
Address: Lezhnevo, st. Oktyabrskaya, 4
The bell tower took 7 years to build; the belfry was completed in 1823. Architect Maricelli began work on the project and was completed by local architect Pavel Voronin. The bell tower, 76 meters high, is depicted on the coat of arms of the Lezhnevsky district.
In the 21st century, the upper tiers of the structure are overgrown with grass, but the clock with chimes, built into the bell tower in 1870, continues to run.
Nikolsky Convent (Privolzhsk)
Address: Privolzhsk, 2nd Ovrazhny lane, 1a Phone: 8 (49339) 3-20-99 Website: https://monpriv.blogspot.com/ Opening hours: 08.00-17.00 Mon-Sun Cost: free
The convent in Privolzhsk was approved in 1998. In the center of the building is the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, founded in the 14th century. The monastery has organized a shelter and school for girls who have lost their relatives or were removed from dysfunctional families.
Shrines of the Nikolsky Convent:
- icon of the Mother of God “of Many Names”;
- particles of the relics of St. Macarius of Unzhensk;
- Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God.
Red Church in Vichuga
Address: Vichuga, 2nd Library St., 12 Phone: 8 (49354) 2-57-77 Website: https://sobory.ru/article/?object=01503 Opening hours: 08.00-16.00 Mon-Sun Cost: for free
The brick church in neo-Russian style was founded by the wealthy manufacturer Kokorin in memory of his deceased daughter. There is not a single column inside the building, and the walls are completely painted by the artist Safonov and his apprentices. The façade of the church is decorated with majolica panels, which have no analogues in the world.
The temple was closed in 1930. In 1989, the restoration of the church began, returning to the believers.
Old Resurrection Church in the village of Bonyachki
Address: Vichuga, st. Parkovaya, 5 Phone: 8 (49354) 25-388 Website: https://vichuga-voskr.cerkov.ru/ Opening hours: 08.00-17.00 Cost: free
The stone building in the Russian-Byzantine style was founded by the merchant I. A. Konovalov in 1904. A three-tier bell tower is attached to the church.
The temple was closed in 1936. The interior was looted and destroyed. The Old Resurrection Church was re-consecrated and opened in 1992.
Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in Palekh
Address: Palekh, st. Lenina, 16 Phone: Website: https://xn—-7sbbblo1beyl3e.xn--p1ai/ Opening hours: 08.00-16.00 Cost: free
Master Egor Dubov built the church in 1764, as evidenced by the creator’s autograph on the western side of the building. The spacious temple is painted in a mixed style.
For unknown reasons, the communists did not touch the religious building. The interior decoration has been completely preserved:
- chandelier;
- main iconostasis;
- choirs, candlesticks, lamps;
- embroidered banners;
- side iconostases.
In addition to this church, there is something else to see in Palekh - this is a village famous for its lacquer miniatures and numerous house museums.
Nikolo-Tikhonov Monastery in the village of Timiryazevo
Address: s. Timiryazevo Phone: 8 (49344) 2-21-87 Website: https://tihonov-mon.blogspot.com/ Opening hours: 09.00-17.00 Cost: free
The monastery appeared thanks to the Monk Tikhon, who built a cell in the village. Gradually, a monastery of believers was formed in this place. The Nikolo-Tikhonov monastery was built in 1498.
Under the communists, the monastery was closed. The decoration was completely destroyed, even the bell tower was broken. In 1991, the paint on the building fell off, and the image of Sergius of Radonezh appeared on the wall. Then it was decided to restore the monastery: in 1995 the monastery opened again. The miraculous icon of St. Tikhon has been preserved in the building.
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Yuryevets
A more eventful program awaited us in Yuryevets. We showed a memorial to soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War and other conflicts, an observation deck, as well as the Andrei Tarkovsky and Historical-Art museums. The memorial is in excellent, well-maintained condition.
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The view from the observation deck is so magnificent that it will take your breath away. Maybe the scenery here is much better than in Plyos.
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But when we went down to the main square of the city, Georgievskaya, we were horrified by the devastation that reigned in this place. It seems that if you remove modern signs, you can make films on any historical topic, from the Mongol-Tatar invasion to the life of people in evacuation during the Great Patriotic War.
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Traveling around the Ivanovo region: Semigorye, Yuryevets, Kineshma, Ples, Palekh photo 21
The city clearly needs a major overhaul. In Kineshma, where we came from, they are clearly doing landscaping. The historical center there is well maintained, some buildings have been restored, and some are under renovation. Yuryevets, apparently, is only trying to become a city interesting for a large number of tourists.
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On the way to St. George's Square we saw a small market. Several women carried on trade. More precisely, they finished. The second half of the hot day was not conducive to the sale of berries, but they were traded mainly in them. But then, fortunately for them, our group appeared. If everyone seemed to have survived the lack of time to buy souvenirs, then when they saw the berries, our people were unstoppable. The guide interrupted her story, and we all happily bought strawberries and blueberries. The price for strawberries was not too different from Moscow - 200 rubles per glass, but 50 rubles for 1.5 glasses of blueberries compared to Moscow markets, almost nothing. After stocking up on berries, we went to the Andrei Tarkovsky Museum. The city honors the memory of the director, who was born in the Yuryevets district. True, his native village now belongs to the Kostroma region, but little Andrei lived in the city itself for some time, having come here with his mother from Moscow for evacuation during the Great Patriotic War. The house where they lived is now a museum.
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Next we proceeded to the Historical and Art Museum, the exhibition of which is dedicated to the history of the city. There are few exhibits, but there are rare things. The halls themselves are interestingly designed.
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In any case, I would like to say “Thank you” to the guides who met us in Yuryevets. Very nice, intelligent women who try to tell about their city in an interesting and not tiring way. We had lunch at the Royal Cafe, not far from the square. And here I plunged into my Soviet childhood. Indeed, the atmosphere is not the best cafe of the late 80s of the XX century. Such a standard Soviet public catering. Nobody liked the food. The soup was over-peppered, and the cutlet with mashed potatoes was already described by everyone as inedible by its appearance and they dissuaded me from eating it. I didn’t like the buns anymore, although my neighbors at the table didn’t see anything criminal in them. In general, everyone came out hungry and angry. Still would! After our pickles in the dining room of the Semigorye hotel. Everyone was left hungry. It was as if there had never been lunch at all.
We were given 40 minutes to walk, but no one except a couple of people, including me, expressed a desire to walk. Everyone rushed to the grocery store opposite the cafe to have something to eat to suit their taste, and then sat on benches in the shade. I walked to the temple complex, where only the Church of the Nativity was functioning, although not in very good condition, and then decided to admire the views from the embankment. And then I came into shock! Not from the embankment, but from its absence. For the first time I see a city (not a village or village), standing on the banks of the Volga, in which there is no embankment. And the coastline is simply not at all well-groomed.
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Hungry and tired, we boarded the bus and headed to the hotel. By the way, we arrived two hours earlier than promised. So the program was quietly cut somewhere.
Ancient cities and settlements
The lands that are part of the Ivanovo region today were inhabited by Finno-Ugric peoples even before the arrival of the Slavic tribes. It was from them that the sonorous names Palekh, Purikh, Yuzha, Kokhma, Vigchuga, Sezukh, Lyulekh and Lukh were preserved.
Museum and exhibition complex "Public Places" in the city of Plyos
Of greatest interest to travelers is the ancient Volga city of Ples, mentioned in Russian chronicles since 1141.
Plyos, as well as the regional center and the village of Palekh are part of the “Golden Ring” of Russia. Since 2010, Ples has been included in the state list of historical Russian settlements. It is known for ancient temples and interesting museums, a historical embankment and is closely associated with Russian celebrities - landscape artist I.I. Levitan and singer F.I. Chaliapin.
Main city of the region
famous for its architectural monuments of the 17th-19th centuries, music festivals and good hotels. Ivanovo is located at the intersection of 57° N latitude. and 41°E There are only two cities in Russia that are located at the junction of the integer meridian and parallel.
Holy Vvedensky Convent in Ivanovo
The small town of Yuryevets is located 170 km from the regional center. It was founded at the beginning of the 13th century as a fortress on the Volga. From the old buildings, the White City, which appeared here in the 60s of the 17th century, has survived to this day. In addition, in the city you can see several Orthodox churches built in the first half of the 19th century. The most striking architectural miracle is the Church of St. George the Victorious in a five-tier bell tower
.
Even closer to Ivanovo is Gavrilov Posad, which was founded in the 13th century and received city status under Catherine II. This place has always been convenient for trade, and therefore several light industry enterprises operate in the city. Here it is interesting to visit the stud farm where they breed Vladimir heavy draft horses, as well as explore the Ilyinsky farmstead and the rich collection of the local history museum.
Trinity-Assumption Cathedral in Kineshma
On the right bank of the Volga lies the second largest regional city - Kineshma. The first mention of this settlement dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. The city has preserved many civil buildings erected at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
There are also 10 museums open here, the most popular among which are the Kineshma Felt Felt Museum with the largest felt boot in the world, the unusual Russian Izba restaurant-museum, and the Soviet Automotive Industry Museum. The routes of pilgrimage tours pass through the well-preserved temples and chapels of Kineshma. The oldest of them is the Holy Cross Chapel, which was built in honor of the victory over the Polish-Lithuanian troops in 1609.
Resurrection Cathedral in the city of Shuya
The city of Shuya has been known since the first half of the 16th century and is located 30 km from the regional center. Excavations carried out here showed that human settlements existed near Shuya back in the 10th century, when the great Volga trade route ran through the territory of the modern Ivanovo region. The famous Russian poet Konstantin Balmont was born in Shuya.
To see another literary attraction of the Ivanovo region, you need to go to the village of Novo-Talitsy. Here is the birthplace of Marina Tsvetaeva, and the memorial museum of the famous poetess is located.
How to get there
Moscow — Ivanovo
The fastest way to get from Moscow to Ivanovo is by train: 3.5 hours. Schedule here .
It takes 5.5 hours to travel by bus from Moscow to Ivanovo. Bus schedule here
Since Ivanovo is located between Suzdal and Kostroma and is an intermediate point on the route of the classic Golden Ring, there is a bus service between these cities.
Vladimir - Ivanovo
By bus from Vladimir you can get to Ivanovo in an hour and a half. Schedule here
Suzdal — Ivanovo
You can leave Suzdal every hour; the bus will take about an hour. Schedule here .
Kostroma — Ivanovo
Buses from Ivanovo also go to Kostroma quite often. Travel time is 2.5 hours. Bus schedule
Ples - Ivanovo
Buses run frequently and travel time is approximately 2 hours. Bus schedule
Vologda — Ivanovo
Travel time from Vologda to Ivanovo by bus is almost 5 hours. Schedule
"School of Crafts" in Kolomna
The School of Crafts is convinced that one can understand antiquity only through the experience of living in this atmosphere. Every corner of the museum tells about the way of life of ancient Russian inhabitants. There is a washstand in the room, next to it lies a rocker, and in the depths you can see a stove surrounded by pottery. The chests are filled with the wealth of those times - embroidered tablecloths, lace and wicker baskets.
The museum has interactive exhibitions dedicated to Maslenitsa, Easter and other holidays. Interesting programs will help you better understand the history of Russian folklore, and at master classes you can master wood carving or patchwork embroidery.
Museum "School of Crafts"
Travel and recreation in Russia
The Ivanovo region is firmly associated with light industry. And this is justified: in the region they make fabrics, produce blankets and pillows, and create lacquer miniatures. In addition, the leading branch of agriculture in the region is dairy and meat livestock farming.
But the industrial center of the country is also an artistic one. The cities and villages of the Ivanovo region are included in the Golden Ring of Russia: more than 400 architectural and historical monuments from different eras have been preserved here.
For ease of route planning, we have marked all mentioned cities and attractions on the map of the region:
