!!!Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma 

by Stas Sedov and Sergey Shandin,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Kostroma, an ancient Russian city, is situated 344 kilometres from
Moscow on both banks of the Volga River. Kostroma is a part of the
Golden Ring of Russia: only about ten cities, which have preserved the
most unique historic and architectural monuments, are included in this
tourist route.

[{Image src='01_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Having been founded in 1152, the city of Kostroma is almost the same age
as Moscow (the year of its foundation is 1147). For many centuries the
city was at the centre of events and even was the capital of an
independent principality. There were always battles for ownership of
Kostroma, including those between Russian kniazes (‘princes' or ‘dukes')
who wanted to rule this city. During the 13th — 14th centuries several
fortified monasteries were built here. One of them is the Holy Trinity
Ipatyevsky Monastery.

[{Image src='02_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='380'}]

Since its foundation, the monastery was a very important outpost on the
northeastern frontier of Russia. The history of the cloister is
associated with the names of great Russian kniazes, such as Vasily
Yaroslavich (Vasily of Kostroma), Dmitry Donskoy (Dmitry of the Don),
Vasily Tyomniy (Vasily the Blind), and Russian tsars: Ivan the Terrible,
Fyodor Ivanovich, and Boris Godunov. Sometimes the monastery is called
‘The cradle of the Romanov Dynasty': in 1613, it was where young Mikhail
Romanov found refuge and later was crowned. Thus the period of the Time
of Troubles, full of national, economic, and social problems, ended
exactly within the walls of the Holy Trinity Ipatyevsky Monastery.

[{Image src='03_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='268'}]

The first temples and walls of this abode were made of wood. But even
those later constructions made of stone didn't remain to today. For
example, in 1649 the explosion of gunpowder, which was stored in its
basement, destroyed the Trinity Cathedral of the monastery. The further
building of the Trinity Cathedral continued through 1652; and in the
years that followed, as any other object of the monastery, it was being
constantly rebuilt.

[{Image src='04_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

In 1919 the monastery was closed. Until 1958 its buildings were used for
different purposes of the Soviet State, beginning with living
accommodations and ending with exhibition halls. Nowadays the Holy
Trinity Ipatyevsky Monastery functions again. Besides the main building
of the Trinity Cathedral with a bell turret, there are the Bishops'
building (18th century), the Chambers of the Romanov Boyars (16th -19th
centuries), the walls and towers built in the 16th-17th centuries, and a
lot of other structures, which are interesting due to their religious,
cultural, and historical meaning.

[{Image src='05_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='612'}]

The Holy Trinity Ipatyevsky Monastery is not the only landmark of
Kostroma. The main square of the city bears the name Susaninskaya, but
due to its form people often call it ‘Skovorodka' (Russian for ‘frying
pan'). Several streets radiate from here in a manner resembling a fan.
According to a legend, Catherine the Great threw her fan on the map of
the city and told architects to take it into account when designing the
street plan for Kostroma.

[{Image src='06_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='531'}]

There is a 35-metre-tall fire-observation watchtower in this square,
which is the great landmark of the city. It was constructed in 1827 at a
time when 80% of the buildings in Kostroma were made of wood and
suffered continuous fires. The tower, designed in later classicism,
following the model of an antique temple with a portico, turned out so
well that the emperor Nicolas I admired it. When visiting the city in
1834 he said, "Even in Saint Petersburg I do not have anything like
that!" So since then it has been considered to be the best fire tower in
Russia.

[{Image src='07_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='826'}]

To the south of the square, in the direction of the Volga River, there
is a Trade Quarter consisting of several streets. This is the unique
monument of urban planning of the 18th — 19th centuries. There are
numerous shops, trade galleries, and a temple in the Trade Quarter.

[{Image src='08_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='350'}]

Previously, on a hill on the left bank of the Volga River, there was a
kremlin fortress, like in any other Russian city. Within its walls there
was The Uspensky Cathedral, which was built during the reign of Ivan the
Terrible (in the middle of the 16th century) and was the first stone
edifice in the city of Kostroma.

[{Image src='09_Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma.jpg' caption='Golden Ring of Russia, Kostroma' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Unfortunately, the majority of significant buildings of the Kostroma's
kremlin fortress were destroyed during the Soviet period. We can learn
something about them only from the research of historians and
archaeologists. However, Kostroma has preserved its charm of old times
as well as many great historical monuments. Our panoramas will give you
the opportunity to visit this beautiful ancient town.

\\ \\
[13 Panoramas of Kostroma|Geography/Asia/Russia/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Golden_Ring_of_Russia_(Kostroma)]










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