One day in Gorodets is both a little and a lot. The city gives full impressions, but there is sorely not enough time to savor the atmosphere. Lately, Nina and I have only been able to go on short trips, which we used to call trips among ourselves. Having decided on a weekend trip to Nizhny Novgorod, we, unbeknownst to ourselves, divided even such a short outing into people into two parts: Gorodets and Nizhny Novgorod. At first I was skeptical about the idea of spending a day in Gorodets, but now I’m glad that I succumbed to persuasion - Nina will not give bad advice. Now I advise everyone, if possible, to visit the wonderful town of Gorodets, where every street greets you with carved bright houses, the smell of gingerbread and nice intimate museums. And Gorodets itself can well be called an open-air museum, on the banks of its native Volga.
Gorodets stands on the high bank of the Volga
Why go to Gorodets?
- Gorodets is the most ancient city in the Nizhny Novgorod region. It was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky in 1152, almost the same age as Moscow.
- In Gorodets there is the only “Museum Quarter” in the Nizhny Novgorod region, demonstrating the atmosphere of a merchant village of the 19th century, where every house is an object of cultural heritage. Small museums are welcoming. How many ancient things we saw, how many stories we heard - Gorodets knows how to reveal the secrets of the past, charm and make you fall in love.
- Get acquainted with the folk crafts of Gorodets.
- Gorodets is ready to boast of gold embroidery - one of the oldest and unique types of highly artistic folk art in Russia. It is difficult to confuse Gorodets painting and wood carving. Bright boxes, boards, and dishes show festivities, tea parties, the famous Gorodets horse and rider, and folk holidays. The carving is based on a floral ornament with dates, lions and fairy-tale coastlines.
- And on July 22-23 of each year, the All-Russian Folk Art Festival takes place in Gorodets - the streets of the city turn into a fair, full of goods made by folk craftsmen from all over Russia.
- Visit the Museum and Tourist Complex “City of Masters”. On the banks of the Volga rises an ensemble of wooden structures dedicated to the history of wooden architecture in the Nizhny Novgorod region. A luxurious princely tower, more reminiscent of a city. The only thing missing was the harnessed troikas with ringing bells and a motley crowd of Russian people in folk costumes, so I had to use my imagination. There are several exhibitions inside: works of ancient Russian painting, Gorodets paintings, gold embroidery, pottery. In an organized group or independently with advance booking, you can attend master classes in modeling, drawing, working with fabrics, and gingerbread painting.
- Try Gorodets gingerbread. Tula is not the only place where signature gingerbreads are baked; Gorodets also keeps the ancient Russian secrets of producing the delicacy. By the way, there is also a gingerbread museum, and unlike Tula, it welcomes not only groups and pre-registered tourists, but also everyone. Although they didn’t tell us anything special inside, they didn’t kick us out either.
- Visit the monastery in honor of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, founded in 1154 by Prince George (Yuri) Dolgoruky. Alexander Nevsky died within the walls of the monastery, having received monastic tonsure and schema in Gorodets. At the turn of the 14th–15th centuries, the monk Prokhor, who went down in history as Prokhor of Gorodets, an ascetic and ally of Andrei Rublev and Theophanes the Greek, labored in the monastery. It is believed that Elder Prokhor was the teacher of Andrei Rublev. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God became the patronal shrine of the Ruling House of Romanov. With this icon in 1613, the great nun Maria blessed her son Mikhail Fedorovich, the future founder of the Romanov dynasty, for the Russian kingdom. The monastery was visited by Peter I and Catherine II. In 1804, the Monk Timon of Nadeevsky, a disciple of Seraphim of Sarov, who for 14 years was the builder of the Gorodets Monastery and the abbot of the monastery, was tonsured into the mantle at the monastery. In 2009, the monastery was completely recreated and on September 12 it was consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.
- Get aesthetic pleasure among the picturesque landscapes, admire the majestic Volga from the height of the steep bank.
Carved houses in Gorodets
Churches and Temples
Gorodetsky Feodorovsky Monastery
Address: Proletarskaya Square, 34 Telephone: 8 (8316) 19‑11-08, 8 (8316) 19‑16-62 Website: https://feodorovskiy-monastyr.ru Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8:00– 17:00
There is a version that it was in this monastery that Prince Alexander Nevsky took monastic vows, but no direct evidence of this has been found at present.
A monastery has been formed on this site since the founding of Gorodets in the middle of the 13th century.
The main shrine of the monastery is the Fedorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, which, according to believers, has healing miraculous powers.
Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Address: pl. Proletarskaya, 34 Phone: Website: https://pokrovpb.cerkov.ru Opening hours: Mon-Sun 8:00–18:00
This is the main operating temple of Gorodets, built in 1824. The church is notable for the wooden image of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary above the entrance, made by local craftsmen.
Church of the Archangel Michael
Address: st. Zagorodnaya, 16 Phone: Website: https://arch-michail.ru Opening hours: Mon-Sun 08.00-18.00
Also one of the currently operating and one of the most ancient churches in Gorodets. The temple building was built in 1339 and underwent restoration under Soviet rule in the mid-40s of the last century.
Currently, the church is a state protected object as a monument of ancient Russian architecture.
The temple has several shrines:
- parts of the relics of Saints Theodore of Ostrog and Macarius of Zheltovodsk;
- the icon of Our Lady Gerontissa, brought from Athos from Greece;
- icon with holy soil from the burial of St. Paisius the Holy Mountain.
How to get to Gorodets
Gorodets is located 440 km from Moscow. This City, of course, is not suitable for a one-day trip from Moscow, but I recommend including it on a trip along the M7, at least for a day. By the way, the road to Nizhny Novgorod is now wonderful, the highway has been repaired, we usually get there in 4.5 hours.
From Nizhny Novgorod – 60 km. The journey by car from the Nizhny Moscow railway station took about 1.5 hours one way.
For tourists without a car, which we were on that trip, getting to Gorodets is not very convenient, because there is no direct train there, and we did not risk taking the infrequently running bus. We chose for ourselves the simplest, but not economical, way to travel to Gorodets from Nizhny Novgorod - we ordered an individual transfer. It would take more than two hours to travel by bus, the route starts from the Kanavinskaya bus station, see the schedule on Yandex.schedule.
Architecture of Gorodets
General information
In 1408 the city was burned by Edygei. Before this, in 1238, the city was also burned by Batu’s troops, but then Gorodets managed to quickly recover. After the burning in 1408, the political significance of Gorodets faded. In Rus' they called it Empty Gorodets.
Over time, a settlement arose there again and at the end of the 16th century the volost village of Gorodets was successively part of the Yuryevets and Balakhninsky districts. In the second half of the 19th century, Gorodets became a rich merchant city.
In Gorodets there were several factories, shipyards, a steam mill, lumber mills and gingerbread establishments. This was the heyday of the village.
In recent history, in 1922, Gorodets acquired the status of a county town.
Gorodets Museums
Gorodets Museum Quarter
Russian samovar tower
I really didn’t think that the Samovar Museum in Gorodets would give Tula a head start, with which this item of Russian everyday life is primarily associated. I recommend taking the excursion, otherwise you will not get that boost of energy that the museum employee dressed in a national sundress generously gives. He will talk about the most interesting samovars from the collection, sing songs, so much so that many visitors could not resist and spontaneously organized a choir.
Address: st. Embankment of the Revolution, 11, www.gorodets-travel.ru.
Russian Samovar Museum in Gorodets
Gallery of goodness
I took the name of the museum in its literal sense, so I wondered to myself what could be presented in the exhibition to tell about human goodness and joy? It turned out that good means something that is “acquired through backbreaking labor.” I was impressed by the collection of assorted locks and keys, various household items, as well as a real treasure that everyone would like to find. The house in which the museum is located previously belonged to the merchant T.A. Plekhanov. The condition of the building is excellent; thanks to the initiative of the creator of the exhibition, Gorodets preserves traditional architecture.
Contacts: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodets, st. N. Revolyutsii, 10, link to the site is given above.
Gallery of goodness
Gorodets Local Lore Museum
Occupies the remarkable mansion of the merchant I.P. Oblaeva
Contacts: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodets, st. Lenina, 11, www.gorodmuseum.ru
Gorodets Local Lore Museum
Museum "Gorodets Gingerbread"
Contacts: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodets, st. Gorodets, st. Lenin st., 2,
website: www.gorodmuseum.ru
Oddly enough, what struck us most in the gingerbread museum was the chest of drawers - an example of virtuoso woodwork. There was no excursion for the two of us; they offered a master class, but we did not have the necessary time for this. We briefly examined the small museum ourselves: various forms of gingerbread, recipes, cooking tools... We bought a gingerbread at the souvenir shop for the path and, chewing the spoils, walked to the next museum.
Gorodets Gingerbread Museum
Museum "House of Countess Panina"
Contacts: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodets, st. Gorodets, Rublev St., 16,
website: www.gorodmuseum.ru
The atmosphere of the museum takes you back to the distant times of lordly life. The most amazing exhibits were the musical instruments of those years: gramophones, gramophones, the caretaker even started a music box for us. Fascinated by the sounds, we looked around other rooms of the estate and saw many clocks and books of that time. In addition to the exhibition, the house of Countess Panina is interesting from an architectural point of view, because there are practically no estates in the wooden Empire style left in Russia.
House of Countess Panina
Children's Museum on Kupecheskaya
Contacts: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodets, st. Lenina, 12,
website: www.gorodmuseum.ru
We didn’t have time to visit this museum, but the website says that inside there is a model of a school class with old school paraphernalia, as well as many handmade dolls.
Public “Museum of Memory of Alexander Nevsky”
Operating mode:
Every day from 9-00 to 18-00.
Order excursions by phone. 8(83161)925-43 or 8 910 381 11 37
The duration of the excursion is from 20 to 40 minutes.
Admission is free, you can leave donations for the development of the museum
Located on the second floor of the house of the merchant G.I. Tyukalov - D.N. Lapshina
Museum "Gorodets on the Volga"
Contacts: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodets, st. Lenina 9,
website: www.gorodmuseumgorodec.ru
The museum exposition tells about the life of citizens of various professions: merchants, doctors, firefighters, etc.
Parks and monuments, streets
Monument to the Merchants of Russia
Address: st. Kirova, 2
The monument was erected in 2002, and its grand opening took place on September 15, the day of the celebration of the 850th anniversary of the founding of Gorodets.
The author of the monument was the sculptor Sergei Polegaev. This is the first example of a monument to the Russian merchants as a class.
The figure of the merchant demonstrates two pillars of the Russian entrepreneur: the Russian Orthodox Church, which the stone merchant holds in his left hand, and the wealth of his native land, expressed in the form of a casket with money.
Embankment of the Revolution
This street is considered one of the most beautiful in the city with a view of the Volga.
It is here that you can see ancient merchant mansions lined up in a row. Most of them are recognized as protected cultural and historical monuments of regional significance.
City of masters
It is rare luck in our time to find ourselves in a Russian mansion worthy of a noble person of his time. Moreover, it was made by Gorodets craftsmen, who carefully preserved the traditions of Gorodets carving. They built it from the heart, on a grand scale; the City of Masters is especially impressive after the neat colorful merchant mansions, among which we wandered for a good part of the allotted time on Gorodets. At the end of the walk, we went down to the banks of the Volga, looking forward to a fascinating walk along the carved mansion, which gathered under its roof the crafts of the Gorodets region.
City of craftsmen in Gorodets
In the City of Craftsmen, workshops represent an exposition, workplaces for craftsmen and participants in master classes, and retail showcases.
Gorodets souvenirs
We walked through workshops of ancient Russian painting, Gorodets painting, clay toys, wood carving, embroidery and fabric work, and an exhibition hall of artistic crafts. We didn’t book participation in the master classes in advance, so the craftsmen didn’t really wait for us, they just saw us off with an indifferent gaze. There were practically no visitors except us; we simply moved from one room to another, constantly encountering the indifference of the employees. In order not to be disappointed like we were, prepare for your trip to the City of Masters in advance, especially if you want to attend a master class (book a time by phone).
City of craftsmen in Gorodets
Gorodets
Master classes: pottery, Gorodets painting, clay toys, wicker weaving, embroidery, rag dolls, matryoshka painting, making Gorodets gingerbread.
Entrance without excursion: 100 rubles/50 rubles, photography - 100 rubles.
Excursion: 220 rub./110 rub.
The cost of master classes is 150 rubles, you must register by phone in advance.
Contacts: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodets, st. Alexandrovskaya embankment, 1,
website: www.muz-terem.ru
We liked the Russian style cafe. Tea and gingerbread went well in such an environment!
Cafe in the City of Masters
Gorodets tea party
Where to eat
There are no expensive restaurants in the city, but there are very cozy cafes where visitors are treated to delicious, almost home-made food and are pleased with reasonable prices.
Cafe "Uslada"
It is in high demand among tourists, as it is located in the Museum Quarter; there are many positive reviews about it, although there are also dissatisfied visitors. Here you can drink tea with pastries, or order a full lunch. The cafe is open from 12 to 1 am and is located on the street. Rubleva, 1.
Cafe "Blinolyubov"
In the cafe you can eat traditional Russian food - pancakes with different fillings. There is a summer veranda, you can pack your order with you. Address: st. Novaya, 2b. The average price tag is 300 rubles.
Cafe "Grad"
At the address: st. Novaya, 2a there is a cafe that offers a large selection of dishes. European and Russian dishes are prepared here, and there are original proposals. You can order a set business lunch. Price tag – 500 rub.
