Staritskiy District: Manor Culture, Museums and Landscapes

• The Pushkin Museum in Bernovo opened on June 6, 1971, in the manor house of the Wulf family.
• The manor complex in Bernovo includes a house and a park with a preserved layout dating from the 18th century.
• The Verkhnekaloshinsky Gorge is about 1.5 kilometers long; a stream flows along its bottom.
• Urochishche Buchel lies on the slope of the high left bank of the Volga and features limestone outcrops 300 meters long and about 100 meters wide.
• The Konoplino estate became the property of I. I. Lashechnikov in 1835; he wrote the novel “The Infidel” at the estate.

The manor house in Bernovo is a monument to Russian Neoclassical manor culture. Together with the park and its preserved 18th-century layout, it gives the place a tangible historical setting. The Pushkin Museum is housed in the Wulf family manor house and opened there on June 6, 1971.

The exhibition rooms also explore different aspects of cultural history. One room is devoted to the artistic career of Varvara Bubnova, a great-granddaughter of the house’s first owner, I. P. Wulf. An exhibition room displays paintings by Lyudmila Yuga, a People’s Artist of the Russian Federation. The “Medallic Pushkiniana” collection from the Tver State United Museum is also on display. These themes make Bernovo a place where manor history and art can be explored side by side.

At the Staritsa Local History Museum, visitors can learn about local stone carving, blacksmithing and pottery. The exhibits also include objects from traditional folk life. One room is devoted to urban life in Staritsa from the 19th to the early 20th century. This presents craft traditions and the history of everyday city life from different yet readily comparable perspectives.

Other exhibition sections explore Staritsa’s nobility and the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century. Another topic is Iov, who was born in Staritsa and became the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Those interested in local history can therefore find insights into everyday life as well as political and religious history.

The Konoplino estate became the property of historical novelist I. I. Lashechnikov in 1835. He wrote “The Infidel” at the estate.

In Baykovo, the Church of the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God, with its bell tower, was fully built and consecrated by 1777. Together with the manor-house and museum themes, it broadens the picture of historic architecture in Staritskiy District.

The Verkhnekaloshinsky Gorge is about 1.5 kilometers long and up to 20 meters deep. Its middle section is 60 to 100 meters wide, and a stream flows along the bottom. A path leads from the village to springs at the bottom of the gorge. If you plan to take this path, check current access conditions in advance.

Urochishche Buchel offers a different landscape. Its small limestone outcrops lie on the slope of the high left bank of the Volga. The slope is covered with deciduous forest, including linden, oak, elm and other tree species; Urochishche Buchel is considered a recreation area for local residents. The descriptions are easy to compare: the gorge is characterized by its length, depth and stream, while Buchel is defined by its hillside setting, limestone and tree cover.

The Pushkin Ring route itinerary includes Staritsa and Bernovo, among other places; the Pushkin Museum in Bernovo is listed as a stop. The route can therefore be a useful starting point if you want to include the museum and manor history in a broader travel plan.

Discover more destinations: Zubtsovskiy District, Spirovskiy District, Penovsky District, Kimrskiy District, Penovskiy District, Zapadnodvinskiy District, Ostashkovskiy District, Konakovo District.

What can you see at the Pushkin Museum in Bernovo?

The exhibition topics mentioned include paintings by Lyudmila Yuga, the “Medallic Pushkiniana” collection and a room about Varvara Bubnova.

What topics does the Staritsa Local History Museum cover?

It features local crafts, objects from traditional folk life, urban life from the 19th to the early 20th century, and other topics in Staritsa’s history.

How large is the Verkhnekaloshinsky Gorge?

It is about 1.5 kilometers long and up to 20 meters deep. Its middle section is 60 to 100 meters wide.

For the broader travel overview: Tver Oblast.