Discover Kostroma

• Kostroma was founded in 1152.
• Mikhail Romanov was proclaimed tsar at the Ipatiev Holy Trinity Monastery in 1613; the Romanov dynasty began here.
• The Trading Rows are Russia’s largest preserved merchant complex from the late 18th century.

The Ipatiev Holy Trinity Monastery stands at the confluence of the Kostroma River and the Volga. Its history is closely linked to the beginning of the Romanov dynasty: Mikhail Romanov was proclaimed tsar here in 1613. The Church of the Resurrection on the Debra also offers a glimpse into the city’s past. Dating from the 17th century, it preserves its wall paintings. The Epiphany Cathedral of the Kostroma Kremlin has been rebuilt at its historic site.

The Fire Tower, a widely recognized symbol of Kostroma, stands on Susaninskaya Square. The Red Rows, also known as Gostiny Dvor, retain their original layout. As a merchant complex dating from the late 18th century, they are more than a historic architectural ensemble: today, they house shops, souvenir stores, cafés and a tourist information center. Their current use continues a two-hundred-year trading tradition; individual businesses may change.

The Kostromskaya Sloboda Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture was founded in 1960 and is one of Russia’s oldest open-air museums. It displays original buildings from the 18th to 20th centuries, brought here from various parts of Kostroma Oblast. The collection also includes wooden architectural monuments rescued from the area flooded by the Gorky Reservoir. Group-size conditions apply to some museum programs.

The Cheese Museum explores the history of cheesemaking in the Kostroma Governorate: the exhibition spans from the first cheese factory, opened by Vladimir Blandov in 1878, to modern production. At a tasting, guests sample Kostroma cheeses. Cheese sommeliers explain flavor and aroma nuances and suitable pairings with other foods.

A classic walking route leads from Susaninskaya Square through the Trading Rows to the Volga embankment and the Ostrovsky Pavilion, then onward to the Church of the Resurrection on the Debra. The pavilion on the Volga embankment also appeared in the film “Zhestokiy romans.” The route connects squares, merchant architecture and religious buildings in a sequence of named stops; according to the general guidance, most of the major sights in the historic center can be explored on foot in a day.

The “Mazaiskiye zaytsy” tourist route offers a different thematic perspective. It leads to places in Kostroma associated with Nekrasov’s poem about the Kostroma grandfather Masai. Rather than following the same architectural sequence as the classic walking route, it focuses on the literary connections between these places. Check local access conditions and the latest details of the route before setting out.

The wider Kostromskoy District is part of the taiga forest zone in terms of its natural geography. Forests cover 47 percent of its area, and water covers 11 percent. This regional landscape differs from the city experiences described here: in Kostroma, monastery and merchant history, museums and walking routes take center stage.

Discover more destinations: Sukhonogovo, Sharya, Chukhloma, Drenevo, Khmelevka, Glebovo, Lunëvo.

How extensive are the frescoes at Ipatiev Monastery?

The interior frescoes date from 1685. A Kostroma painters’ guild created them under the direction of Guriy Nikitin; they comprise around 450 pictorial compositions covering more than 1,000 square meters.

What will you learn on a guided tour of “Kostromskaya Sloboda”?

The guided tour covers the development of folk architecture, historic building techniques and everyday life in a Russian village.

What does the tour at the Flax and Birch Bark Museum Estate include?

It begins in the Flax Hall and explores the centuries-old history of flax cultivation. Guests can follow the plant through every stage of processing, from stalk to finished product.

See the wider travel overview: Kostroma Oblast.

Information to help plan your trip:

Kostroma on the Volga: the Golden Ring and the city’s history.