Novozybkov between Wooden Architecture and the Local History Museum

• The local history museum’s historical section and natural history section each span two halls.
• Three wooden churches have been preserved in Novozybkov: the Transfiguration Church, the Nikolsky (Nikolsko-Rozhdestvensky) Church, and the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
• Built in the early 20th century, the house of merchant B. I. Pevzner borders the central square and is considered a city landmark.

The museum section “History of the Novozybkov Region from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the 20th Century” covers the area’s history over that period. Collections of original objects are gathered in two halls. One hall also depicts a street in 19th-century Novozybkov. This scene gives the historical perspective a concrete cityscape, while the other collections cover the section’s broader time span.

The natural history section of the Novozybkov Local History Museum also comprises two halls: “Geological Past and the Evolution of the Organic World” and “Nature of Our Region.” The first hall displays rocks of different ages, minerals, fossils, and bones of extinct animals. This gives the section a different perspective from the historical collections, focusing on geological and natural history topics. If you are interested in both, you can consider the city’s history and natural history side by side during your museum visit.

The museum’s history is also connected to a building: in 1953, it moved into an ornately decorated mansion that had previously belonged to M. Volkov. Volkov was one of Novozybkov’s largest match manufacturers in the 19th century.

A walk through the city center reveals examples of local wooden architecture with intricate openwork carving. Many houses feature carved wooden window frames and other wooden ornaments. The frames and decorations make woodwork a recurring motif in the cityscape, while the three preserved wooden churches are distinct examples of sacred wooden architecture.

Another architectural landmark is the house of merchant B. I. Pevzner. Built in the early 20th century, it borders Novozybkov’s central square. To get a sense of the city’s architecture, you can look at its different features: the wooden ornamentation on many houses, the preserved wooden churches, and the merchant’s house, which is considered a landmark.

A city walking tour introduces Novozybkov’s history and architectural features. The listed stops include the “Rozhdestvensko-Nikolsky Church,” the “Transfiguration Church,” the former “Orlovsky Bank,” and the mansion of merchant Osipov on Kommunisticheskaya Street, along with other sights. The tour brings together themes of city history and architecture that you can also spot in the wooden buildings. Check before your trip whether the walking tour is currently available.

Discover more destinations: Pervomayskoye, Unecha, Navlya, Belyaeva, Osinovaya Gorka, Krasnaya, Klintsy and Negino.

What topics does the natural history section cover?

The two halls are called “Geological Past and the Evolution of the Organic World” and “Nature of Our Region.” The first hall displays rocks, minerals, fossils, and bones of extinct animals.

What does the museum’s historical section show?

It includes collections of original objects in two halls and a depiction of a street in 19th-century Novozybkov. Its time span runs from the earliest times to the beginning of the 20th century.

What wooden architecture can you discover in Novozybkov?

The city center features examples of local wooden architecture with openwork carving and houses with carved wooden window frames. Three wooden churches have also been preserved.

For the broader travel overview: Bryansk Oblast.