Kostroma is part of the popular Golden Ring route. When deciding to go to Kostroma in February, you are acting wisely: at this time the city is not so crowded. Those who stayed here during the New Year holidays have already left, and there are no spring-summer tourist groups yet. It is easier to rent housing at an affordable price, there is more freedom in cafes and restaurants, it is easier to buy tickets to exhibitions and excursions.
Winter Kostroma welcomes guests.
Weather
Usually the weather in Kostroma in February is smooth all month: at night up to −14°C, during the day about −7°C. There have been years when the temperature dropped to −39°C in early February, but this year, of course, this is not expected.
This February, according to the weather forecast, throughout the month the air temperature will remain between −3–7°C during the day and from −6 to −12°C at night.
Weather forecast in Kostroma for February 2022.
The sun can also be expected, but infrequently - no more than five to seven days for the entire month; light snowfalls are predicted in early and mid-February. Wind is possible from the Volga, so for walking excursions you need to take warm clothes: a down jacket, a winter hat, and shoes insulated with fur.
Romanov Museum
A beautiful Art Nouveau building, similar to an ancient Russian tower, was built in 1913 in honor of the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty. At the beginning it was assumed that the Museum of Antiquities would be located here. Today the Romanov Museum is part of the Kostroma State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve.
Museum visitors will learn a lot about the history of the Romanov family, get acquainted with art objects and archaeological finds. Three exhibitions are constantly running here: “Kostroma Boyars: Personnel for the Throne”, “Western European Art from the Collection of the Kostroma Museum-Reserve” and “Peasant Artist Efim Chestnyakov” (the best works of the artist). In addition to permanent exhibitions, the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions on history, art and geography.
Excursions
You can get acquainted with the history of the city and its main attractions on the traditional walking tour “Kostroma - First Acquaintance”. Experienced guides will show you the main square - Susaninskaya - and tell you what interesting story lies behind the “fan” in the shape of which the streets of Kostroma are located. You will find out why the shopping arcades were named Red, Big Flour, Gingerbread and Kalash; you will figure out what connected the playwright Alexander Ostrovsky with this city. You will visit the Kremlin and delve into its history, as well as see in which mansions rich and noble citizens lived in the 18th–19th centuries. The duration of the excursion is 1.5 hours, the price is 1600 rubles for your whole family or company.
The most effective way to get to know the city is a sightseeing tour.
Evgeny Baranov from Moscow writes in his review:
“My wife and I have traveled a lot around Russia, but this is our first time in Kostroma. I didn’t think that this city would make such an impression on me. And all thanks to the guide Alexander. His story took us deep into the historical nuances of each stage of the city's history. We were not only given dates, but images of people, great personalities who left a bright mark on the fate of the city were revealed to us. Our communication was very emotional! It’s nice that Alexander took into account our request to change the starting point of the excursion and managed to rebuild the story, as they say, as the action progressed. Thank you!"
The excursion “Riddles of Kostroma” will be of interest primarily to families with children, because it will introduce you to the history of the city in a playful way: you will have to solve riddles, stroke a bronze dog on the nose, and climb the fire bell tower. From above, Kostroma in February, dusted with snow, is especially beautiful - it’s like looking at a map! The duration of the excursion is 1.5 hours, the price is 1800 rubles for a group of up to 6 people.
Climb the fire bell tower for an amazing view.
You can discover another Kostroma with the tour “Muravyovka: a walk with a secret.” It will be a ceremonial city of governors, emperors and significant historical events. The story is intended for adults. The duration of the excursion is 1 hour, the price is 1200 rubles for your group.
Svetlana Volkova from the Vladimir region shares her impressions:
“We came to Kostroma as three families and went on this excursion with a group that included people of different interests: a builder, a furniture maker, a journalist, a student, two teachers... Everyone liked the excursion! I didn’t even think that a story could be presented in such an interesting and unusual way. The guide loves his city very much and is proud of it, it’s noticeable!”
The excursion “The Sweet Life of Kostroma” includes a master class on chocolate; it will be interesting both for you and especially for your children. The guide will tell you how provincial Kostroma society lived and what the golden youth were interested in in the 19th century, as well as the history of confectioners. Duration - 1.5 hours, price - 3000 rubles per excursion for your company.
Those with a sweet tooth and families with children will enjoy the culinary master class.
The complex “Individual tour of Kostroma and Plyos” is interesting. Both parts of the tour are on foot. The first introduces the history of Kostroma, the second - Plyos, located 75 km away. This is the place of Isaac Levitan, here are the landscapes that inspired him, the wooden church “Above Eternal Peace”, the Assumption Cathedral - just like in the winter paintings of the great artist. You need to breathe it in and feel it. The duration of two excursions is 4 hours, the package price is 5,500 rubles for a group of up to 10 people.
Field trip to winter Plyos.
Natalya Nikishina from Tula recalls the trip:
“I’ve been meaning to see the places that Levitan loved so much for a long time, and finally my dream has come true. Plyos is a very neat, clean town that has preserved the style and spirit of pre-revolutionary Russia. We walked along the streets, enjoyed Plyos “corners” - pies stuffed with smoked bream, and admired the views from the observation deck on Cathedral Hill. The terrain from here is at your fingertips! I can imagine how beautiful it is here in the summer, but we were there in February and therefore the foliage of the trees did not obscure even a centimeter of the panorama from us. The breadth of the view is grandiose, the grandeur of the Volga is large-scale. Yes, in February we were able to get into the Levitan Museum calmly, without queues or fuss. They say there are a lot of people here in the summer!”
We recommend choosing and booking excursions via the Internet - there is a wider range here, and prices are 15–20% lower than at travel agencies and distributors in the city.
You will be able to get acquainted with descriptions of excursion programs, read reviews of tourists who have already been on excursions, look at photographs and choose what will be really interesting to you.
The widest selection of excursions in Kostroma is on the websites Tripster.ru and Sputnik8.com.
Have a nice experience!
What else should you see in Kostroma on your own? Cheese Museum! Here they will tell you not only about the Kostroma product, but about the history of cheese making in general. And don’t forget to buy cheese as a souvenir from Kostroma - it’s much tastier than in the store. The museum is located on the street. Tchaikovsky, 19.
The cheese museum will be interesting for both adults and children.
Everything is ready for tasting.
Kostroma is also considered the capital of flax, and a museum is also dedicated to it. It's called the Museum of Flax and Birch Bark. Stop by and you won't be able to leave without a souvenir. The address of the museum is st. Valentina Tereshkova, 38.
Exhibits of the Museum of Flax and Birch Bark.
Kostroma route
For city guests, it is recommended to start exploring the sights of Kostroma along a specific route. This allows you to get acquainted with the most interesting objects in a day, including the embankment, museums and temple complexes, and monuments. “ Travel Freely ” recommends starting with the large Susaninskaya Square, which previously bore the name Ekaterinoslavskaya and was built on the site of the burned New Town. On the square there are such iconic objects as the Fire Tower, Trading Places, the Guardhouse, the monument to Ivan Susanin and many others.
Then the route continues to the Holy Trinity Ipatiev Monastery, located on the banks of the Volga. This is a large architectural ensemble that forms the general appearance of the historical part of the city and includes the cathedral church, belfry, boyar chambers, and cells.
One of the iconic places is the open-air museum “Kostromskaya Sloboda”, which allows you to plunge into the atmosphere of a traditional village. The landscape reserve was founded back in 1955; today it includes the best examples of wooden architecture and is rightfully considered a real pearl among the sights of Kostroma .
The Volzhskaya Embankment with its famous Sea Gate, Staraya Pristan, and Ostrovsky's Gazebo is also perfect for walks. Nearby is Central Park with excellent views and wide alleys. For those who prefer walks in nature, it is worth visiting the famous Berendeyevvka park with a pine and birch forest, three picturesque ponds and wooden towers. For a family holiday, we recommend the Les Chudodei Museum - a unique fairy tale house with three exhibition halls, regularly held master classes and excursions dedicated to local legends and myths.
No less interesting is the winter route, which must include the Snow Maiden's Tower, walks along the snow-covered embankment or trips to the Sumarokovskaya moose farm.
A boring winter evening
You can spend a February evening at the Kostroma Regional Drama Theater named after A.N. Ostrovsky. It is located near Susaninskaya Square, in house 9 on Mira Avenue. This is the only theater in the world in which every single play by Alexander Ostrovsky was staged. Performances are performed every day except Monday. The theater poster reports that on Valentine's Day, February 14, a tour of the Moscow Art Theater will take place here. M. Gorky with the play “The Deadline” based on the story by Valentin Rasputin, and on February 23 there will be a musical performance based on the story by A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter".
Another interesting place in the city is the art platform “Station”, where everything is dedicated to modern dance. Concerts of the Dialogue Dance school, three times winner of the National Theater Award “Golden Mask”, are held here. The site is located on the street. Erokhova, 3 a.
Church of the Resurrection of Christ on Debra
One of the most beautiful churches in Kostroma was built in 1651 on the banks of the Nizhnyaya Debra River. There is a legend associated with its construction. It was as if a wealthy merchant, expecting goods from England, found gold bars in barrels instead of the paint he was supposed to receive. The English partners never found the owner of the treasure and advised the merchant to invest the wealth in a good cause. So he did, adding his own funds and organizing a fundraiser. Unfortunately, the merchant did not live to see the completion of construction, but the result of his efforts is still admired today.
The five-domed church building is decorated with numerous details: unusual decorative elements, paintings and stone carvings depicting mythical creatures. During its rich history, the temple has undergone some changes, for example, in the 18th century, a one-story gallery with arches was built around it, and in the 19th century, a sacristy was added and the frescoes were painted in a new way. Travelers will get acquainted with local shrines: the ancient iconostasis, particles of the relics of the Kiev-Pechersk saints and the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Myra.
Leisure
You can spend a great day outdoors in good weather by going dog sledding. Not far from Kostroma there are two places where this winter type of recreation is available:
- “Northern Lights of Kostroma”, the complex is located 16 km from Kostroma, in the village of Serednyaya, telephone for inquiries;
- "Lylaps", the company is located 11 km from Kostroma, in the village of Glazovo, telephone for inquiries.
With the breeze on a dog sled.
If you are planning to go to Kostroma at the end of February, be sure to visit the municipal zoo - one of the youngest in the country. It opened in 2010, but it already has its own tradition. Maslenitsa is celebrated here every year on a grand scale. In 2022, Maslenitsa week will be celebrated from March 8 to 14, and you have a chance to take part in these events. The zoo is located on the outskirts of Kostroma, on the street. Lenina, 175. From the railway station it is easily accessible by minibus 51 (Krasnaya Mayovka stop).
Maslenitsa. Let's see off the winter in style.
Holy Trinity Ipatiev Monastery
The monastery is considered one of the oldest in Russia, it was founded at the beginning of the 14th century and is located in a picturesque place - the “arrow”, where the Kostroma River flows into the Volga. Many historical events are associated with this place, significant not only for the Kostroma region, but also for the history of Russia as a whole. Here, in the 17th century, the end of the Great Troubles began, and in 1613, on the territory of the monastery, Mikhail Romanov, the founder of the dynasty of rulers, was elected to the kingdom (that is why the monastery is called the “cradle” of the House of Romanov).
Travelers will see here more than ten historical buildings such as the chambers of the Romanov boyars, the Catherine Gate, residential cells, get acquainted with the main temple of the monastery - the Trinity Cathedral of the 17th century, and “touch” the main shrines: the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, a piece of the Robe of the Lord, pieces of the coffins of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Matrona of Moscow and a particle of the relics of the holy martyr Hypatius. In addition, you can visit the museum located on the territory of the monastery; various religious antiquities are exhibited here, and part of the exhibition is dedicated to the Romanov dynasty.
We buy souvenirs
If the items in the flax and birch bark museum seem a little expensive, look for them in specialized stores. For example, in the stores “Sudarushka” (Shagova St., 25), “Linen Palette” (Simanovskogo St., 10) or “New Linen” (Lagernaya St., 17).
And feel free to buy souvenirs in any shop - there are many of them throughout the city. And the prices are about the same everywhere. There are many interesting products in the small market near the Susanin monument or on Simanovsky Street. Or stop by the store “Souvenirs from the Snow Maiden” (Ostrovsky St., 2/1).
Be sure to bring home designer toys, majolica, wickerwork, and ceramics for the interior. These things will remind you of your trip for many years, and maybe someday, driven by your memories, you will return to this ancient city, where you have never seen so many interesting things!
Did you forget to buy gifts for your family?
The Snow Maiden's Tower
Another “fairy-tale” place that will not leave either children or adults indifferent. Kostroma is considered the birthplace of the Snow Maiden, the granddaughter of Father Frost, and here Nikolai Ostrovsky created a fairy tale about her. A tall log tower, decorated with carved lace, is part of the entertainment complex. Here the Snow Maiden meets her guests with a loaf of bread and introduces her assistants - the cat Bayun and the brownies.
Then travelers will explore the fairy-tale heroine’s room and watch a puppet show. After this, Snegurochka arranges a teleconference with Father Frost for her guests. And after seeing the room of miracles and the Christmas tree room, you can visit the ice room. Its walls are lined with real ice, all the furniture and utensils are also made of ice, so that it all does not melt, a fairly cold temperature is maintained (-15 degrees), so before visiting the room, guests are given warm clothes and shoes, in addition, everyone receives a treat from ice cups.
In addition to the tower itself, there are many “fairytale” buildings on the territory of the complex. There is a belfry, stylized souvenir shops, a restaurant serving Russian cuisine and playgrounds. Signpost stones, like in fairy tales about heroes, will help you not get lost. In addition to the excursion program, there is also a play program: you can play with the brownies, run around and dance in circles.
Calculating the budget
The easiest way to get from Moscow to Kostroma is by train from the Yaroslavsky station. A ticket in a compartment costs from 1,200 to 1,700 rubles, in a reserved seat carriage - just under 800 rubles, in a seat - about 650 rubles. The journey will take 5.5–6 hours.
In February, you can rent housing with good discounts. So, in a 3* hotel located in the city center, the average price for a double room with breakfast is 2000 rubles per day, the closer to the city center, the more expensive.
To rent a one-room apartment with a good renovation and modern furniture for a day costs an average of 1,500 rubles.
You can take a taxi from the station to the hotel for ≈ 100 rubles.
So, February is a great time to travel to Kostroma. At the end of winter, you can economically, comfortably, without fuss and haste, get to know this beautiful ancient city. Dress warmly and have a safe trip!
Author: Natalya Singatullina
Article last updated: February 8, 2021
Someone else's car with bells and whistles is not always cool
In the center of Kostroma / photo by the author
I and three of my friends set off on the journey. The means of transportation was supposed to be my little Lada Kalina car. However, unexpected changes occurred at the last moment. Due to force majeure circumstances, my car had to be sent for service. To avoid interrupting the trip, my husband agreed to lend me his Lada Vesta. This added spice to the trip.
The car is foreign, not very familiar. I don't know all its nuances. And now cars are produced with such complexity, with such a mass of some buttons and devices, that just try to figure it out. So I had to call my husband more than once or twice from the road and clarify where and what was located and what I should click on.
One of the funny moments that you laugh at at the end of the trip, but which are not very happy on the way, is that our windows turned out to be open. This is in winter, at twenty degrees below zero. And we drove about two hundred kilometers with them open.
My husband loves cool weather. He usually leaves cracks on the windows and drives like that. He's hot. And I’m a freezing person, I open the car windows only in the summer. That’s why it never occurred to me that the two windows had slits open.
We are driving fast, the heater is heating up to full capacity, the car is, in theory, warm. So why does one of our ladies always complain about the cold? Why does she gradually pull on more and more things - a hat, mittens, wrap herself in a coat, put on socks and felt boots?
For half the first day of our journey this remained unclear, until the reason was discovered. Moreover, completely by accident. And this was also due to the characteristics of the car.
My car has ordinary windows, not tinted. And my husband’s car has thick tinting on the rear windows. During the day it’s okay. But at night almost nothing can be seen through it, especially if there is no lighting outside the window. For tourist purposes this is not very comfortable - like looking at something without getting out of the car.
When we approached the first attraction late in the evening - an ancient church in the village of Yuryevo, my ladies in the back seat could not see anything. I didn’t want to go out, it was too cold outside. We decided to open the windows and look outside.
We opened the windows slightly, looked out, looked at everything and raised the glass up. And then it turned out that until recently two windows - the front and back on the same side - were slightly open. They froze our poor tourist.
A little about the city
The city is located 344 km from Moscow, in the same time zone. Kostroma is located on the Kostroma Lowland, on both banks of the Volga. The population is 277,280 people. The Atlantic Ocean has a great moderating effect on the city's temperate continental climate.
Kostroma and its region are located in the southern taiga zone, so most of the flora consists of forests - coniferous and deciduous. The grass cover in meadows and forest edges consists of various grasses - mouse peas, meadow fescue, sedge and others.
The fauna of the Kostroma region is diverse; in its forests and meadows there are bears, otters, white owls, wild boars, black storks, white partridges and many other animals. Hunting without a special license for almost all animals is prohibited.
