Discover Rylsk: Churches and Culture

• The Church of the Protection of the Mother of God was built in 1822 with funds from merchants Sevastian and Fyodor Andronikov of the Shelekhov family.
• The Church of the Ascension was returned to the faithful in 1990; services resumed there in 1991, and a church parish school was opened.
• Atop a hill in Rylsk stand a chapel dedicated to Saint John of Rila and a votive cross.
• A preserved wing of the shopping arcades and the rotunda house the Aviation College Museum.

The Church of the Protection of the Mother of God and the Church of the Ascension represent different historical periods. The former was built in 1822. Its construction was funded by the merchants Sevastian and Fyodor Andronikov of the Shelekhov family. The year and the named benefactors give the building’s history a clear temporal and personal context.

The later events surrounding the Church of the Ascension are particularly revealing: it was returned to the faithful in 1990. The following year, services resumed and a church parish school opened.

Atop a hill in Rylsk stand a chapel dedicated to Saint John of Rila and a votive cross.

A museum is also connected with a distinctive part of a building: the Aviation College Museum is located in a preserved wing of the shopping arcades and in the rotunda. Nearby places also help put Rylsk in context. The Rylsk St. Nicholas Monastery for Men is located in the village of Prigorodnaya Slobodka, in Rylsky District, Kursk Oblast.

The wider destination of Kursk Oblast also offers cultural attractions with their own historical and seasonal highlights. A branch of the Kursk Regional Museum of Local Lore was established at the A. A. Fet Estate in 2010. The “Nightingale Night” is held there every year in late May, followed by the Fet Readings in early July. If you’re planning your trip around one of these events, check the exact dates in advance.

In Ponyri, the Battle of Kursk Historical and Memorial Museum covers several chapters of the region’s wartime history: the first days of the war in the district, the occupation, the partisan movement, and the liberation on February 13, 1943. A large part of the exhibition covers preparations for the Battle of the Kursk Bulge and the Ponyri defensive operation from July 5 to 11, 1943. A diorama depicts events and people in the “Battle for Ponyri Railway Station on July 10, 1943.” On the museum grounds, the open-air complex “Forward Defensive Line. July 1943” presents a section of the line with anti-tank obstacles, barbed-wire entanglements, and full-profile trenches.

Nature and landscapes are also represented by specific attractions in Kursk Oblast. The “Streltsy Steppe” and “Protected Oak Forest” ecological trails run through the Central Black Earth Biosphere Reserve. The reserve also has a natural history museum covering its history, climate, soils, plants, and animals. The reserve can only be visited as part of a guided tour; contact the reserve before your trip to confirm visiting arrangements.

The water mill in Krasnikovo is another example of regional architecture. It was built without a single nail and used two millstones to grind grain into flour and groats. The Water Mill Museum shares information about the mill’s history and technical features, as well as the miller’s working life. The region’s attractions are varied, ranging from nature trails and information about the reserve to the history of technology and exhibitions.

Discover more destinations: Oktyabrskiy, Tsvetochnyy, Zheleznogorsk, Dontsy, Lgov, Rechitsa, Gryaznoye and Ivanino.

How do the two churches in Rylsk differ?

The Church of the Protection of the Mother of God was built in 1822 with funds from two merchants of the Shelekhov family. The Church of the Ascension was returned to the faithful in 1990, and services resumed there in 1991.

What stands on the hill in Rylsk?

At its summit are a chapel dedicated to Saint John of Rila and a votive cross.

When are the events at the A. A. Fet Estate held?

In Kursk Oblast, “Nightingale Night” is held every year in late May, and the Fet Readings take place every year in early July. Check the exact event dates before your trip.

View the wider travel guide: Kursk Oblast.