The Golden Ring of Russia: Yaroslavl. Sights of Yaroslavl

Probably everyone has heard about the Golden Ring of Russia: Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Rostov, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal, Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky. This route is very popular among ordinary travelers, as well as pilgrims and architecture lovers. Each of these cities is interesting in its own way, and each of them is easily accessible from Moscow. But today we should talk about the unofficial capital of this route, which the whole of Russia is proud of - Yaroslavl.

History

Practically everyone knows the expression "bear corner", meaning a deaf province where there is not even basic amenities. But few will explain where it came from. Bearish corner was once called a pagan settlement, which was located near the confluence of the Kotorosl River in the Volga - on the site of modern Yaroslavl. At that time Rostov Veliky played the role of the capital, built on the same river, so that from the point of view of trade and military strategy it was a very advantageous location. Yaroslav, nicknamed Wise, Rostov prince, decided to put a fortress on this place, so he captured and burned the settlement, ravaging pagan temples. He gave her the name of his name - Yaroslavl, and the bear became the emblem, which the people who lived there before him worshiped. It happened in the beginning of the XI century, so the official year of the city's foundation is 1010 year. In 1218, he became the center of the Yaroslavl Principality, and 250 years later - part of the Moscow. Prince Minin and citizen Pozharsky began to gather the people's militia to drive out the Polish invaders, in Nizhny Novgorod, but continued right here.

Despite the fact that the city has pagan roots, in the 13th century it became the center of Christianity. Many churches and monasteries were built here. After the founding of St. Petersburg, the importance of Yaroslavl as a shopping center was somewhat lost, but industry began to develop.

Modern city

Now Yaroslavl is the capital of the region with a population of about 500 thousand people, which combines the responsibility of a living architectural monument and a dynamically developing center of the region. Location and transport accessibility make logistics convenient, but, as in most regions of Russia, the city has practically stopped in development. Now, more or less successful can be called only a recreational segment, thousands of parks were opened by the thousandth birthday, other works on ennobling were carried out. Now he is part of the so-called Golden Ring of Russia. Yaroslavl is popular with foreigners and compatriots, but it is not so big as to stay here for a long time, although it has a certain charm that makes you come back again and again.

Main Attractions

The churches of Yaroslavl are famous all over the world, and not for nothing. Most of them are concentrated in the center, in the old part of the city. A beautiful view of them opens with walking trails, but from the ship standing in the roads, the picture looks even more impressive. The two main streets of Yaroslavl are, perhaps, its embankments. The promenade, located along the Volga, attracts a lot of walking people, especially since at its end, in the bend, in the place of the almost completely destroyed Shrapnel town is the Assumption Cathedral, which was restored in 2010. In front of him is a sculptural image of the Trinity.

Here, on the Volga embankment, is one of the symbols of the city - a snow-white gazebo, built in 1840. The streets of Yaroslavl were preserved almost in their original form, they were little affected by industrial development and modern buildings. Moving to the city center, on the Epiphany Square you can see a monument to Yaroslav the Wise, a graphic image of which is on a denomination of 1000 rubles. Residents of the city in jest sometimes call it "man with a cake." Nearby, slightly closer to the Kotorosli waterfront, is the Transfiguration Monastery. In general, Orthodox churches here at every step: Michael Archangel, Elijah the Prophet, John the Baptist, Nicholas the Wet, Epiphany, Nativity of Christ, etc.

By the way, Yaroslavl theaters have the richest and longest history in Russia, because this kind of art has gone from here. The first drama troupe was created in the 18th century, after its founder, Fyodor Volkov , visited St. Petersburg. There he saw the performance of the Italian theater and set out to develop this art form in his homeland.

Yaroslavl is not in vain for the Golden Ring of Russia. It is also not for nothing that it is considered its capital - the historic center of the city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. So it's worth a visit here anyway.

For children

Theaters of Yaroslavl and its monuments are, of course, interesting, but for those traveling with children, especially small ones, other entertainments are necessary. In the city they are - here a few years ago one of the best zoos in Russia was opened. As of 2015, it is still being partially completed, but after the completion of all the works there will be a safari park and more than one and a half thousand different exotic animals will settle. The advantage of this park is that animals live not in close cages, but in enclosures, that is, conditions that are as close as possible to natural ones. Small visitors are sure to like it here.

Transport accessibility

Yaroslavl is still very conveniently located. From Moscow you can reach it by car, bus, train, or by water transport. The latter, by the way, is very popular in the summer, because from the boat you can even look at a familiar city in a completely new way.

The road takes relatively little time - rarely exceeds 6 hours, even taking into account traffic jams and stops. The advantage of the car in this case is the ability to wrap, for example, in Rostov the Great or in Pereslavl-Zalessky, also being part of the route "Golden Ring".

When to go?

Undoubtedly, all the Golden Ring of Russia (Yaroslavl, Rostov, Kostroma, etc.) is very beautiful in winter, when the domes of churches cover the snow, and the frost makes you feel the real Russian winter. But in summer these cities look no worse. The advantage of the warm season is also that you can choose a water route, and also ferries through the Volga, through which it is much easier to get to such cities in the Yaroslavl region as Tutayev, Myshkin and Uglich, also included in the "golden route" as Additional points.