Kostromskoy District: Forest, Volga and Culture

• Geographically, the district belongs to the taiga forest zone.
• Forests cover 47% of the area, while water covers 11%.

The figures show that forest and water are important features of Kostromskoy District. Its position along rivers also provides geographical context: the district lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kostroma. Within the district, the Volga runs for 48 km along a section of the Gorky Reservoir. This gives a specific length while highlighting the distinctive relationship between the river and the reservoir, without treating them as the same body of water.

The smaller rivers in the district include the Kuban, Shacha, Sushchyovka and Sendega. The Gorky Reservoir’s flood zone is colloquially known as the “Kostromskoye More.” This gives an overview of the area’s waterways, naming both larger river landscapes and several smaller rivers.

At the Museum of the History of Karavaevo, Elena Mikhailovna Tsypylova can show visitors the exhibition and tell them about the history of the settlement and its breeding facility. If you plan to visit, check the current arrangements in advance.

From 1999 onward, annual Pushkin celebrations were held in the park of the Shakhovskikh estate in Vasilyovo. This festival tradition connects the park with a recurring cultural theme, but does not imply anything about current dates.

In the wider destination of Kostroma Oblast, the Kologrivskiy 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 zapovednyy les” tour includes the ecological trail of the same name, which passes through an area of old-growth southern taiga forest. Check the current arrangements before planning your visit.

Kostroma Oblast’s cultural attractions also include Shchelykovo, the estate of Russian playwright Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Guided tours of the park and the House of A. N. Ostrovsky are scheduled for 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30 and 15:30. They are intended for groups of five or more, or can be booked by paying for five people. As the tour schedule may change, check the times before your visit.

At the Susanino Local History Museum, exhibits in five halls tell the story of the Susanino region in sequence, covering nature, archaeology, history, culture and everyday life. The museum also offers walking and bus tours to places associated with Ivan Susanin, including the Isupovo bog and the villages of Derevenki and Domnino. Visitors can choose between a museum visit organized by theme and excursions to named locations.

Other museums in Kostroma Oblast focus on different themes. At Kostromskaya Sloboda in Kostroma, visitors can see historic wooden houses and churches, as well as ethnographic exhibitions about regional peasant life. The Museum of Dreams in Nerekhta tells the city’s history through the life stories of people who dared to dream big; original memorabilia bring these stories to life. The Natural History Museum’s permanent exhibition juxtaposes present-day animals, birds, insects and fungi with the paleontological past of the Kostroma region. The themes range from landscapes and natural history to everyday culture and personal memories.

Discover more destinations: Volgorechensk, Kostromskoy District, Makaryevsky District, Sharyinsky District, Nerekhtsky District, Mytishchinsky District.

Which smaller rivers are in Kostromskoy District?

The smaller rivers in the district include the Kuban, Shacha, Sushchyovka and Sendega.

What is called the “Kostromskoye More”?

This is the colloquial name for the Kostroma flood zone of the Gorky Reservoir.

What themes are featured in the renewed exhibition in Susanino?

The exhibition “Na perekryostke istorii i legendy” keeps Ivan Susanin and Savrasov’s “The Rooks Have Arrived” present as important themes for the region.

For the wider travel overview: Kostroma Oblast.