Zaokskiy: Discover Railway History and Culture

• Tarusskaya is in Zaokskiy and is a station on the Kursk line of the Moscow Railway.
• Russian Railways (RZD) reconstructed the station in 2009 to mark the Moscow Railway’s 50th anniversary; a museum room opened as part of the project.
• A bust of Polenov stands in the waiting room. A memorial marker is located in the square opposite the station.

The anniversary places the reconstruction within the history of the Moscow Railway. As part of the work, a museum room opened in 2009, with exhibits about notable figures from the region. The subjects mentioned include V. D. Polenov and V. F. Rudnev.

A bust of Polenov stands in the station waiting room, while the memorial marker is in the square opposite. In Zaokskiy, you can encounter several distinct local connections: railway history, exhibition themes, and a memorial in a public space.

In the wider destination of Tula Oblast, the exhibition “Skazanie o Mamaevom poboishche” at the “Tulskie drevnosti” Museum focuses on the Battle of Kulikovo Field. In interactive areas, visitors can weave a piece of chain mail, try on armor, and learn how to read miniature chronicle illustrations. Here, the historical subject is combined with hands-on activities and the study of chronicle imagery.

The exhibition “Sekrety tulskikh masterov” at the same museum takes a different approach: it features a pottery workshop, a blacksmith’s workshop, and household objects from the 17th to 19th centuries. This lets you distinguish an exhibition about the battle from a presentation of crafts and everyday objects.

The Yasnaya Polyana Museum Estate is also part of the wider destination of Tula Oblast. A guided tour of the central part of the estate is offered from May to October. It covers Tolstoy’s favorite places for daily walks, local flora and fauna, and the history of the Tula defensive lines and Tolstoy’s plantings. The tour therefore combines landscape themes with regional history.

The cultural heritage of Tula Oblast also includes Leo Tolstoy’s personal library, which was added to UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” Register. At the Polenovo estate, the artist Vasily Polenov designed all the buildings himself.

The Museum and Monument to the Heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo Field are in the village of Monastyrshchino, in Kimovsk District of Tula Oblast. The Kulikovo Field Horse Yard is also in this village. These locations offer further distinct themes to consider when planning a trip, from commemorative heritage to the Polenovo estate.

When searching for hotels in Zaokskiy, first decide which themes matter most for your trip: the local connection to railway history, an exhibition, or another place in the wider destination of Tula Oblast.

Discover more destinations: Kireyevsk, Bogoroditsk, Pervomayskiy, Alexin, Sudakovo, Borodinskiy, Novomoskovsk and Lukino.

Which railway line does Tarusskaya Station belong to?

Tarusskaya is a station on the Kursk line of the Moscow Railway and is located in Zaokskiy.

What can visitors try in the exhibition about the Battle of Kulikovo Field?

In interactive areas, they can weave a piece of chain mail and try on armor. They can also learn how to read miniature chronicle illustrations.

What does the tour offered from May to October at Yasnaya Polyana cover?

The guided tour takes visitors through the central part of the estate. Its themes include Tolstoy’s favorite walking spots, local flora and fauna, and the history of the Tula defensive lines and Tolstoy’s plantings.

For the wider travel overview: Tula Oblast.