Borovikovo: Archaeology in the village, culture in Kostroma Oblast

• The archaeological sites date from the 12th–13th centuries.
• The sites include a settlement site and several burial mound cemeteries.
• The information distinguishes sites on the edge of the village from those in the immediate surroundings.

A settlement site from the 12th–13th centuries lies on the southwestern edge of Borovikovo. Also on the south-southwestern edge is burial mound cemetery No. 1, “Pany,” from the same period; burial mound cemetery No. 2, “Krucha,” is on the southwestern edge. Two other named sites are in the immediate surroundings: “Yakova derevenka,” west-southwest of Borovikovo, and “Fedulovo,” to the south. These also date from the 12th–13th centuries.

In the wider destination of Kostroma Oblast, the Susanino Local History Museum tells the region’s story across five halls: nature, archaeology, history, culture, and everyday life. The renovated exhibition “Na perekrestke istorii i legendy” highlights Ivan Susanin and Savrasov’s “The Rooks Have Arrived” as important regional motifs. The sequence of themes in the halls and these two motifs offer different ways to explore the region’s culture and history.

The local history museum also offers walking and bus excursions to places associated with Ivan Susanin. These include the Isupovo marsh and the villages of Derevenki and Domnino. If you are planning to take these excursions, check the current dates and availability.

Another cultural landmark is Shchelykovo, the country estate of Russian playwright Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. In Kostroma, “Kostromskaya sloboda” features historic wooden houses and churches, as well as ethnographic exhibitions about the lives of the region’s peasants. The Museum of Dreams in Nerekhta tells the city’s story through the life stories of people who dared to dream big; original keepsakes bring their stories to life.

The Kologrivsky Les State Nature Reserve comprises two separate areas that preserve different landscapes of the southern taiga, with zonal and provincial physical-geographical features. The “Puteshestvie v zapovedny les” tour includes a visit to the ecological trail of the same name, which passes through a section of old-growth southern taiga forest. Check the arrangements before your visit.

The Nature Museum also offers a comparison of different time periods: its permanent exhibition presents present-day animals, birds, insects, and fungi alongside the paleontological past of the Kostroma region. Together with the landscapes of the southern taiga, this creates a regional focus on nature that differs from the oblast’s historical and cultural themes.

Discover more destinations: Khmelevka, Glebovo, Bolshaya Chezhma, Chukhloma, Lunëvo, Kostroma, Stepanovo, Gustomesovo.

What period do the archaeological sites date from?

The settlement site and the named burial mound cemeteries in Borovikovo and its immediate surroundings date from the 12th–13th centuries.

What topics does the Susanino Local History Museum cover?

The five halls are devoted to nature, archaeology, history, culture, and everyday life in the Susanino region. The renovated exhibition features Ivan Susanin and Savrasov’s “The Rooks Have Arrived” as regional motifs.

When are guided tours held at Shchelykovo?

Guided tours of the park and A. N. Ostrovsky’s house are held at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30, and 15:30. They are available for groups of five or more, or for a fee based on five people. Check the times and participation requirements before your visit.

For the overview of the wider destination: Kostroma Oblast.