Borovsk: cultural sites and Protva excursions nearby

Borovsk has more than six hundred years of history. The memorial chapel commemorates Feodora and Evdokia Morozova, and five murals can be seen from a crossroads in the city center. Museums explore subjects including the city and the scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.

The memorial chapel is dedicated to Feodora (Theodosia Morozova) and her sister Evdokia (Urusova), who suffered in Borovsk. An annual religious procession starts at the Vvedensky Church and ends at the chapel on September 24. If you are interested in the city’s religious history, both the dedication of the site and this fixed date in the annual calendar are worth noting.

Prayer services organized by the city’s Old Believer community are currently held in the chapel. If you plan to attend a service, check the date in advance so your plans are based on the event actually taking place.

Murals are also part of the cityscape. Five can be seen from a crossroads in the city center, and they are gradually fading. The open-air gallery uses sections of walls, “blind” windows and fences as canvases. Visitors interested in this art can note two different aspects of public art: the images visible from a central crossroads and the variety of painted surfaces.

The K. E. Tsiolkovsky Museum introduces visitors to the life and work of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, regarded as the founder of theoretical astronautics. Alongside his work, the museum covers his childhood, youth and family. The Stolny Gorod Borovsk Museum focuses on a different subject: the city’s culture and everyday life, as well as its architectural and archaeological monuments. Together, the museums offer biographical and local-history perspectives.

The Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in Vysokoe is a striking example of traditional construction. The surviving wooden church dates from the 17th century and was built by Russian craftsmen from pine logs—with not a single nail.

The Pafnuty-Borovsky Monastery lies outside Borovsk, on the left bank of the Protva, three kilometers southeast of the city. Pafnuty of Borovsk founded it in 1444; the monastery’s first church was built and consecrated that same year. Its location beyond the city limits and its recorded founding story make it a destination in its own right, separate from Borovsk’s cultural sites.

Trips on the Protva are offered in the area around Borovsk. A day trip is led by a flotilla captain and experienced sailing instructors and follows a very calm, shallow river. One described rafting route is ten kilometers long and divided into two sections of six and four kilometers.

Excursions in the area use catamarans, canoes and SUP boards; tours include a guide and lunch. The season runs from May to September. If you are planning a specific trip, check the provider’s current information about the route and arrangements in advance.

Discover more destinations: Tarusa, Annenki, Vorotynsk, Kaluga, Kondrovo, Zvizzhi, Vashutino and Mamonovo.

When does the procession to the memorial chapel take place?

Every year on September 24, the religious procession starts at the Vvedensky Church and ends at the memorial chapel.

What subjects do the museums in Borovsk cover?

The K. E. Tsiolkovsky Museum presents the scientist’s life and work, as well as his childhood, youth and family. Stolny Gorod Borovsk covers the city’s culture and everyday life, along with its architectural and archaeological monuments.

What options are there for excursions on the Protva?

The options described include a day trip and a ten-kilometer rafting route, as well as excursions by catamaran, canoe and SUP board. The excursion season runs from May to September; check the provider’s current information about the route and arrangements in advance.

Go to the main travel overview: Kaluga Oblast.