Those who want to get as close to antiquity as possible and feel the spirit of the Russian settlement should go to Gorodets, a small town located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Gorodets is the same age as Moscow. On its territory there are a large number of attractions and museums that combine deep antiquity and a rich cultural and historical heritage.
Below is a list of Gorodets museums in the Nizhny Novgorod region with a description, a visit to which should be a mandatory part of the excursion program.
Museum of Good
The rich collection of the museum contains antiques and everyday utensils of Russian life, which are commonly called “dobro”, hence the name of the museum.
The Museum of Good in Gorodets is located in a mansion built in 1906. At one time, the house was owned by a wealthy merchant Plekhanov. The museum building is very picturesque and is considered one of the city’s attractions. Most of the exhibits that visitors can see in the exhibition halls were found in the mansion during reconstruction.
Here you can see dishes, samovars, stuffed animals, old money and other small household items from Russian homes.
The museum is located at: Embankment of the Revolution, 12.
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
"City of masters"
On the Gorodets embankment there is a large-scale tourist complex built in 2009. The City of Masters Museum is the hallmark of Gorodets - this is a magnificent merchant city with houses made of massive log frames. Carved gates, platbands, window shutters and balcony sheathing deserve special attention.
In the “City of Craftsmen”, tourists will learn about the history of the origin of various artistic crafts in Gorodets and can take part in the manufacture of some simple household utensils. On the territory of the museum complex master classes on ancient Russian painting, painting, pottery, and wood carving are held. In addition, fun festivities and holidays are regularly organized on the territory of the complex, where you can try on traditional Russian costume and taste delicious dishes of national cuisine.
In addition, the museum has a large number of exhibition halls, which contain clothing and household items, and recreated rooms and other living spaces of ancient houses. In one of the halls you can take part in a traditional Russian tea party and treat yourself to gingerbread and sweets. On the territory of the “City of Masters” folklore games and magnificent holidays are held, in which everyone can take part. Such a pastime will leave an unforgettable impression and create a great mood.
Entertainment
City of masters
Address: st. Alexandrovskaya embankment, 1 Phone: , Website: https://muz-terem.ru Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Mon - day off Cost: 100 rubles
An extensive museum and craft complex, presented in the form of a number of wooden towers, hand-built by local craftsmen and decorated with carvings. Here, visitors are clearly shown the work process of Gorodets craftsmen who make pottery and clay toys, gingerbread cookies, paint boards and dishes, weave tan and engage in wicker weaving.
You can learn the basics of all these crafts by pre-ordering and paying for this service.
There are also many excursion programs for children, for example, “Making a rag doll”, “What will the brownie tell you about?” etc. If desired, both children and adults can take part in the tea ceremony.
Gorodets Local Lore Museum
The museum was opened in 1918. It is located in the building of the estate of the merchant Oblaev Jr. The building itself is already a monument to the eclecticism of the 19th century with characteristic features of the Art Nouveau style.
The rich exhibition of the Gorodets Local History Museum includes more than 15 thousand exhibits and includes halls dedicated to the history of the city and peasant life. A collection of ancient weapons is presented to guests. One of the halls is dedicated to the unique nature of the Gorodets region and the Nizhny Novgorod region.
The special pride of the museum’s collection is the Grand Duke’s helmet, which was made in the 12th century, the seal of Alexander Nevsky from the 17th century, and a carved cabinet dating back to the 19th century.
The museum displays a large collection of gingerbread boards. In addition, in the Gorodets Museum of Local Lore you can see modern products made by local craftsmen. Visitors are presented with embroidery, painted dishes and whistles.
Historical sites and museums
Samovar Museum
Address: st. Embankment of the Revolution, 11 Phone: 8 (8316) 19‑22-87 Website: https://vk.com/terem_samovarov Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10:00–17:00; Sat-Sun 10:00–16:00 Cost: from 35 to 70 rubles
The former merchant mansion of the Grishaevs displays an extensive collection of both ancient and modern Russian samovars, collected by Nikolai Polyakov, one of the officials of the Nizhny Novgorod region.
The exhibition includes more than five hundred samples of samovars and other items intended for tea drinking: teapots, silver and copper trays, spoons, saucers. The exhibits are placed on antique furniture from the 19th – early 20th centuries.
The museum also displays clocks made more than a hundred and fifty years ago, and candlesticks. The most notable compositions are such as a stuffed fox, which seems to be guarding the dishes, and the petrified remains of hundred-year-old bread found in one of the samovars.
Gorodets Gingerbread Museum
Address: st. Lenina, 2 Phone: 8 (8316)19‑28-49, 8 (8316) 19‑22-56 Website: https://gorodetsmuseum.ru/ Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10:00–17:00; Sat-Sun 10:00–16:00 Cost: from 80 to 100 rubles
Gorodets has long been famous for baking printed gingerbreads, which were made from wild bee honey with the addition of various aromatic herbs and competed with the famous Tula gingerbreads, maintaining their freshness, softness and taste for a long time.
The Gingerbread Museum presents examples of these flour products in the form of various animals, birds, plants and children's toys. There are also special stencils in which gingerbread cookies were baked, and dishes on which they were laid out.
The collection consists not only of Gorodets and Tula, but also Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan and even foreign European gingerbread.
At the museum there is a souvenir shop where you can buy gingerbread cookies themselves, as well as magnets, postcards, plates and other products depicting the Gorodets delicacy.
Here, if you wish, you can take part in a gingerbread baking master class, as well as order a tea party.
Museum House of Countess Panina
Address: st. Andreya Rubleva, 16 Phone: 8 (8316) 19‑23-19 Website: https://sof-panina.ru Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10:00–17:00; Sat-Sun 10:00–16:00 Cost: 80 rubles
One of the few completely surviving examples of a nineteenth-century noble estate, which once belonged to Sofya Vladimirovna Panina, a representative of an ancient Russian landowner family.
The museum, opened in 2005, consists of several exhibitions:
- a living room where musical instruments and sheet music are displayed;
- an art gallery that contains portraits of the royal family and many noble people who lived in Gorodets, as well as a portrait of Charles Darwin;
- collections of ancient Russian costumes worn by wealthy citizens and members of the aristocracy;
- libraries of Old Believer literature;
- an extensive collection of antique clocks hanging on the walls of the mansion, dishes, scales and irons.
There is a photo studio at the museum where you can arrange a stylized photo shoot, trying on the images of nobles from the reign of Alexander II.
Gorodets Local Lore Museum
Address: st. Lenina, 9 Phone: 8 (8316) 19‑27-49, 8 (8316) 19‑28-49 Website: https://gorodetsmuseum.ru/ Opening hours: Tue-Sun 9:30–17:00 Cost : from 50 to 100 rubles
The museum has been operating since 1918. In the house of the merchant Oblaev, you can look at exhibits illustrating the specifics of local flora and fauna, the history of the Nizhny Novgorod region, archival documents, books and household items of Gorodets residents.
In total, the museum contains about fifteen thousand copies, which include examples of folk art and products of Gorodets craftsmen: whistles, toys, painted dishes, costumes, etc.
Museum of Good
Address: st. Embankment of the Revolution, 10 Telephone: 8 (8316) 19‑18-43 Opening hours: Tue-Thu 10:00–17:00; Fri 10:00–19:00; Sat 10:00–18:00; Sun 10:00–16:00 Cost: from 40 to 80 rubles
Since 2011, the “Gallery of Goodness” has been operating in the mansion of the Plekhanov merchants.
When the building was being renovated, a treasure trove was discovered behind the dilapidated siding of the house. These were 1,700 old Russian banknotes, which are now on display as one of the exhibits.
In addition, the museum exhibits various household items of Gorodets merchants and townspeople. The furnishings of a typical merchant's bedroom have also been recreated.
Children's Museum on Kupecheskaya
Address: st. Lenina, 12 Phone: 8 (8316) 19‑22-56 Website: https://gorodetsmuseum.ru/ Opening hours: Tue-Thu 09:00–17:00; Fri-Sun 09:00–16:00 Cost: from 40 to 80 rubles
The former mansion of local merchant F.P. Rukavishnikov now houses the Museum of Childhood. The spacious room, converted into a peasant hut, contains an extensive collection of items related to the care and education of children. These are antique wooden cradles, high chairs, strollers and gurneys.
There are also many toys from the 19th and 20th centuries: dolls, teddy bears, rocking chairs in the shape of horses, bicycles, doll dishes and furniture decorated with Gorodets paintings.
The second hall of the museum is a recreated classroom from the 50s of the last century. There are massive desks, where benches are connected to tables, and old Soviet textbooks, exercise books written with ink pens. There is even a slingshot - an integral attribute of all hooligan boys of that era.
Children and adults can take part in a master class on making Zhbannikov whistles, samples of which are presented at a special stand.
Museum "Gorodets on the Volga"
Address: st. Lenina, 9 Opening hours: Tue-Sat 9:30-17:00, Sun 10.00-16.00, Mon - day off Cost: from 40 to 80 rubles
This museum displays an urban panorama of the area from the early twentieth century.
In addition, the museum’s collections are aimed at showing the life and working environment of representatives of various professions that have long been popular in Gorodets. There are also church items and a collection of porcelain.
Musical antiquities box
Address: st. Embankment of the Revolution, 4 Telephone: Opening hours: Tue-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, Mon - day off Cost: from 15 to 30 rubles
An extensive exhibition of musical instruments collected by local collector and philanthropist Nikolai Fedorovich Polyakov. The museum is located in the former house of the Lapshin merchants.
Here you can find ancient and more modern string, bowed, wind and keyboard instruments.
Gorodets earthen rampart
Coordinates: 56.635012,43.476782, at the intersection between Maslova and Zagorodnaya streets
These are the ruins of an ancient fortress wall, which began to be built back in the twelfth century. Previously, this defensive structure occupied most of the city; now only a small part of approximately three and a half hectares has survived. A ditch three to four meters deep and the rampart itself, overgrown with grass, have been preserved.
Samovar Museum
The samovar museum welcomed guests for the first time in 2009. It is located in the house of the merchant Grishaev. The richest collection of samovars in Russia and the world is presented here. The exhibition includes more than 200 samovars, which are made in various techniques.
The variety of exhibits is amazing. The pride of the museum is a huge samovar with a capacity of 53 liters, as well as the world’s smallest samovar, designed to hold 75 ml. It is recommended to visit the museum with a guided tour. Qualified guides will tell you a lot of interesting things about this simple device for heating water and answer all your questions. The museum building is located at: st. Embankment of the Revolution, 11.
Attractions in the surrounding area
Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Church
Address: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodetsky district, village. Kiryushino How to get there: by car 24 km from Gorodets to the village. Kiryushino (about 20 min.)
The temple was erected at the end of the 19th century from red brick. Now this church is not working and needs restoration, although the skeleton of the building has been preserved in almost untouched condition.
The period of prosperity of this temple occurred at the end of the century before last, when priest Pavel Alekseevich Gaginsky spent a lot of his own money on the church and even opened a Sunday school here.
After the October Revolution, the church stopped working and holding services. The temple is not active to this day.
Nizhegorodskaya HPP
Coordinates:
56°39'2″N 43°22'32″E
Address: Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodetsky district, Volzhsko-Kama cascade, Zavolzhye How to get there: regular bus No. 101 Gorodets-Zavolzhye or by car 20 km from Gorodets to Zavolzhye (about 15 min.)
Not far from Gorodets on the Volga, on the territory of the Gorky Reservoir, the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station, built in 1951-52, is located, which is one of the oldest structures of this type in Russia. The station generates electricity with a capacity of 520 MW.
Next to the hydroelectric power station there is a dam with a total length of 18 and a half kilometers. The structure itself includes a two-level lock, three dams, seven earthen dams, one dam for draining water and the hydroelectric power station itself.
A highway passes through the hydroelectric dam, which connects two cities located on the opposite banks of the Volga - Zavolzhye and Gorodets.
Gingerbread Museum
One of the most popular museums in Gorodets is the Gorodets Gingerbread Museum, which is located in the house of the merchant Petelin. Gorodets gingerbread has its own distinctive characteristics and is completely unlike other Russian gingerbreads. It is distinguished by its own recipe, shape, and design.
All the secrets of making Gorodets gingerbread can be learned during a tour of the museum. You can buy delicious gingerbread in the souvenir shop located at the museum.
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
