The ancient city of Russia, located on the banks of the Volga, was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky in 1152. Today, Kostroma is a famous river port, regional center and a popular tourist attraction. It can be called a pearl in the necklace of Russian cities of the Golden Ring. Their age-old history is inseparably linked with the history of the country, Russian princes and tsars. The old part of Kostroma is an open-air museum. The special flavor of the Volga merchant city in the past captivates. The ancient churches and temples of Kostroma, shrouded in a haze of legends and secrets, fascinate with their appearance.
Holy Trinity Ipatiev Monastery
The oldest monastery in Russia is located in a picturesque place where the Kostroma River flows into the Volga. There is a legend about the founder of the monastery associated with the name of the Tatar nobleman Chet from the Godunov family. During a trip to Moscow, he fell ill and stopped at the confluence of the Kostroma and Volga rivers. In a dream, the Mother of God, the Great Martyr Hypatius and the Apostle Philip appeared to him, after which Chet recovered.
Later, he was baptized into Orthodoxy under the name Zachary and built the Ipatiev Monastery in this place, which is considered the cradle of Russian tsars. Surviving prosperity, oblivion and devastation, the holy monastery today is an active male monastery. In fact, this is a monastic complex, consisting of a monastic territory, inaccessible to visitors, and the Church Historical and Archaeological Museum. The Holy Trinity Cathedral is open to everyone, where the miraculous icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God is kept.
To bow to her, pilgrims come here from all over the world. Among the monastery shrines are particles of the Lord's robe, the relics of St. Hypatius in the icon, the head of the holy fool Simon Yurevetsky, the execution stone of the Ipatiev House. It is impossible not to admire the magnificent view of the monastery buildings, the beautiful well-groomed territory of the monastery.
Church of Elijah the Prophet
The ancient stone church building of the 17th century has long been positioned as a military temple. There is no information about the builders of the main building, and the high 3-tier bell tower was built at the expense of the merchant Malyshev in 1829. Otherwise, the 3-domed church is referred to as the Cossack-Ilyinsky Church, where active military men, retirees, Afghan veterans, and participants in the battles in Chechnya come.
The bell tower was recently rebuilt, on which a spire with a cross was erected. This was done with voluntary donations from the military and actors, including Boris Galkin. Further reconstruction of the ancient shrine is planned. It is planned to rebuild a quarter of the temple, on the site of the former checkpoint of the main post office. Documents are already being drawn up, preparatory work is underway, and excavations will be carried out. The church has 3 thrones: Elijah the Prophet, the Mother of God and St. Alexei, 3 saints of the universe.
The celebration in honor of the image of the Mother of God takes place on September 1. By tradition, on the eve of the new academic year, a prayer service is held in the church for schoolchildren and students. After the prayer they are blessed to study, sprinkled with holy water.
Church of the Resurrection of Christ on Debre
Walking along Nizhnyaya Debrya Street, one cannot pass by the most beautiful building located on it. This is the Church of the Resurrection, captivating with the external beauty of its forms and colors. It is the only 17th-century townsman religious site that has survived. The name of the street comes from dense coastal thickets – wilds. And the place where the beautiful church stands was also covered with impenetrable vegetation.
According to legend, the stone church was erected at the expense of the wealthy merchant Isakov (1645-52), whose ashes are buried in the basement of the built sanctuary. The stone structure rests on a high foundation. 5 of its domes rest on massive drums, patterned towers are decorated with domes with crosses. The best traditions of Russian Orthodox architecture were embodied in the guise of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.
The holy gate at the central entrance can be regarded as an artistic masterpiece of stone architecture. Above the arched openings, three graceful faceted tents topped with cupolas were built on. They are generously decorated with carvings of multicolored tiles. Symbols of resurrection are placed on the walls of the gate – figurines of a unicorn, a lion, an owl, an eagle and a siren made of white stone. Inside, the beauty of the 5-tiered iconostasis (Trekhsvyatsky chapel) is striking – a priceless monument of applied art of Russia.
Amazing fine wood carving, covered with gilding and paints. There are several ancient icons and frescoes here – real masterpieces of icon painting of the 17th century. Currently, various services are regularly held in the Resurrection Church.
Church of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
Near the Ipatiev Monastery, in the former Bogoslovskaya Sloboda, there is another ancient religious site – the Church of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. Today it is a cultural and historical monument17 of federal significance. Each new century brought changes to the appearance of the temple. In the 18th century, the southern porch was added, from 3 sides it was fenced with a brick wall with 2 gates.
In the 19th century, a fence was added from the west and a refectory was erected. Reconstructions continued in the Soviet years. How not to admire the openwork of the baroque lattice, the round caps of the domes, the slender tower of the bell tower. Everything is truly wonderful here. The interiors delight the eye with wall frescoes of the 18th century, which were created by the best masters of the city. After cosmetic restoration, the mural has retained its original appearance.
The murals depict 4 storylines: the Passion of Christ, Christology, the Akathist of the Mother of God, the deeds of the Apostle John the Theologian. The paintings on the northern wall are dedicated to Nicholas the Wonderworker. The frescoes of the southern porch (end of the 19th century) illustrate the life of the Theologian and apocalyptic scenes. The form of the iconostasis of the 19th century has been preserved; there are many originals among the icons. The Church of St. John the Evangelist is a vivid example of Kostroma architecture of the 17th century and artistic paintings of the 18th century.
Bogoyavlensko-Anastasiin Convent
This monastery has been listed among the population as a miraculous place for several centuries. The main shrine of the Epiphany Monastery, the icon of the Feodorovskaya Mother of God, has a beneficial effect on the parishioners. In the 15th century, a wooden monastery was built on this site. St. Nikita, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, supervised the construction. A century later, wooden buildings were replaced with stone ones, and 2 women's cloisters were added to the male monastery – Anastasiin and Holy Cross Exaltation (1863).
Having gone through thorns and hardships, the united monastery began to revive in 1990. Of the 3 ancient cathedrals of the monastery, the Epiphany Cathedral, rebuilt in 1869, has been preserved. An unusually beautiful building that delights tourists shines with gilded domes. Here is stored the main shrine of the monastery – the miraculous icon of the Theodore Mother of God, transferred here in 1991.
In addition to it, there are other myrrh-streaming icons in the monastery: Sergius of Radonezh, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Our Lady of Kazan, etc. The relics of saints are kept, including parts of the robe of Christ. Today there are 4 active temples in the monastery. In addition to the Epiphany Cathedral, on the territory there is the Smolensk Church, the Cathedral of the Epiphany and the bell tower.
Church of Alexis, man of God
Being in the very center of the city, you involuntarily pay attention to a neat stone building with a high bell tower at the top. The unusual architectural form with baroque elements, the delicate coloring of the walls, the gilded crown on top make you stop near it. This is the church of Alexy, the man of God, which appeared here in the 18th century.
In the 17th century in this area there was Gasheevskaya Sloboda (its inhabitants extinguished lime), located on the northern outskirts. Initially, the 1-storey building, named after St. Alexis, was wooden. Instead, a stone 2-story church with a bell tower was built. Later, it was surrounded by a metal lattice fence with square semi-columns.
The crown at the top of the bell tower is evidence of closeness to the royal family. After the birth of his son Alexei by Tsar Mikhail Romanov, the new building retained its former name. There are 3 thrones in the church in honor of the saints: Basil the Great, Demetrius (Metropolitan of Rostov), St. Alexis, a man of God.
John Chrysostom Church
The church of the 18th century captivates guests of the city with its bright, colorful appearance, patterned bell tower, helmet-shaped domes. It is called St. John Chrysostom and has been serving people for 250 years. Until 1751, a church built of wood stood on this site. Its construction, according to documents, was sponsored by the first tsar of the Romanov family.
Then, instead of a wooden one, a stone church was erected, the architecture of which intertwined features of the pre-Petrine era, baroque and classicism. During all the years of its existence, services did not stop here; the doors were open for parishioners even during the years of persecution. The beautiful church appeared thanks to the financial support of the wealthy merchant Aravina.
At first, divine services were held only in the warm season, and in winter, parishioners visited the old church with heating. At the end of the 18th century, the new sanctuary was expanded with 2 heated aisles dedicated to the great martyrs Florus and Laurus, the icon of Our Lady of Tikhvin and Dmitry Salunsky.
St. Seraphim Church
A new religious object appeared in the Malyshkovo m/district quite recently. The St. Seraphim Church, built in the Roman style, was designed by the architect in 1994. Then the first stone was laid in its foundation, but construction began only in 2003. Parishioners visited the old church, located in the former district school – a historical monument of 1907.
After a fire in 2008, the wooden building burned down. Only after that, construction progressed, and in January 2015 the consecration of the new church took place. The architect Vasiliev, who designed the object, made it in the Roman style. The majestic building with 5 chapters, in beige tones, looks very picturesque, surrounded by curly green birch trees.
The bell tower with a helmet-shaped dome and a cross is attached to the side facade, forming a single whole. Experienced craftsmen and artists who managed to create three-dimensional images that carry spiritual meaning took part in the interior paintings. The themes of the frescoes are very diverse: angels, faces of the apostles, saints, sacraments, Russian princes, etc.
Temple in the name of the Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina in Selishche
This religious site is unique in that it is the only one in the world dedicated to Saints Alexander and Antonina of Rome. The story of its appearance in the village of Selishche, which entered the city in 1932, is interesting. The church chronicle (1870-1917) describes an ancient belief that during a trip of an eminent nobleman with a pregnant wife, she gave birth to twins at this very place.
This event took place on June 23 (according to the new style), the day of the Roman saints. The son was given the name Alexander, and the daughter – Antonina. The grateful father (meaning Zakhary) built a wooden church here in honor of the saints as a token of gratitude. Today the church in white and blue colors looks great. A stone building instead of a wooden building in Selishche was erected in 1779-86.
Every year, the miraculous Feodorovskaya Icon was brought here on Alexander's Day. During the period of persecution of Russian Orthodoxy, the temple was not closed, thanks to the petition of the parishioners. In the 90s of the 20th century, the Alexander-Antoninskaya Church received a new development. They installed a new bell weighing 16 pounds, brought 12 smaller bells, opened a Sunday school.
Nowadays, the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker, particles of the relics of St. Clement, Panteleimon, F. Ushakov and Valerian. The Turin hieromonk presented the temple with the main relic – a piece of Alexander's relics.
Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
The modern microdistrict Panovo was decorated with a new building of a religious cult in 2003, when it was consecrated in January. The construction of the Peter and Paul Church began in 2001 with the financial support of the printing plant and the Kostroma publishing house on the initiative of its leader P. N. Rusinov. The small consecration of the object, conducted by Archbishop Alexander of Kostroma, took place in a solemn atmosphere.
After the commissioning of the bell tower with a belfry in 2012, the Great consecration of the church premises took place. The apostles Peter and Paul are revered by believers as the most zealous disciples of Christ, who actively preached the Gospel. The new church was named after them, but besides them, Saints Adrian and Theodosius of Munzensky and Ferapont are venerated here.
The replica temple is very beautiful, has an unusual architecture and attracts everyone's attention with its originality. The side facades of the 1st floor have rounded shapes with a semicircular roof. The walls of the 2nd floor end with a roof typical of the old royal chambers. The pink-terracotta coloring of the walls makes the building joyful and cheerful.
Church of the Savior in Ryady
Visitors to Gostiny Dvor (Ryadov) always speak enthusiastically about the old church located on the territory adjacent to it. The snow-white beauty, sparkling with green domes and gilded crosses, attracts the eye. It is impossible not to admire the graceful structure – a 3-tiered bell tower.
Pay attention to the features of ancient Russian religious architecture: side chapels, 5 domes, windows-loopholes. Although the building was erected during the reign of Catherine II, the builders retained the architectural elements of the 17th century. At the beginning of the 17th century, here, at the trading place, near the Kremlin, there was a wooden Church of the Savior.
The stone building was erected in the middle of the 18th century at the expense of the noble merchant S. S. Belov. At first, the church was consecrated in honor of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, but the parishioners continued to call it Spasskaya. The former name has stuck with it to this day. Dear antiquity, imprinted in the Church of the Savior, pleases the soul.
Church of the Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign
In 1993, the Znamensky Women's Monastery was opened in the city, including 2 ancient places of worship: the Znamenskaya and Resurrection Churches. Both structures survived a difficult fate, were closed for a long time and did not function. The Church of the Sign is the main sanctuary of the monastery. The first mention of it dates back to the 17th century. like St. George's Church.
Presumably, it was erected before 1628. But in 1799-1802, after reconstruction, it was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. Rare icons of the Mother of God of the Sign, Cosmas and Damian and Procopius of Ustyuzhansky are kept here. The multi-tiered bell tower was thoroughly destroyed in the 1930s. It is known that in 1913 the royal family of Nicholas II climbed it, admiring the Volga landscapes. Restoration of the religious site began in 2001.
With charitable financial support, a high bell tower was rebuilt, captivating others with its slender elegance. The building that adorns the territory of the monastery is really magnificent. After the repair work, the church acquired its original appearance.
Transfiguration Church
A snow-white church building, an elegant bell tower with a cone-shaped belfry of the Transfiguration Church makes an irresistible impression on everyone. The building looks especially beautiful in summer among curly greenery against the background of the blue sky. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior was erected at the turn of the 18th century instead of the old wooden church with public donations.
When the Old Believers, who left the borders of central Russia during the schism, were allowed to return to Kostroma at the end of the 20th century, they were given this object. Since 1998, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior has become the cathedral church of local Old Believers. Thanks to the text on the foundation slab, the temple was able to return to its original appearance. The square quadrangle of the main building with 3 apses has 5 domes.
The corners are decorated with small decorative domes, and the center is crowned with a more massive cupola. Old kokoshniks are sculpted above the windows. On the wall of the entrance portal, there is a tiled image of George the Victorious piercing a snake. Inside, restored frescoes shine under the ceiling.
Church of the Savior on Zaprudnya
Almost every religious site in the city is shrouded in legends associated with the names of saints. A striking example is the Church of the Savior on the Dam. There is a belief about the history of its appearance about the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Her image appeared to Prince Vasily Yaroslavich (the younger brother of A. Nevsky) in the middle of the 13th century on the banks of the river. Dam. Here they built a church and a monastery, later replacing the wooden buildings with stone ones.
Representatives of noble Kostroma families are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the sanctuary. The territory of the Spaso-Zaprudnensky Church is surrounded by a brick fence with corner turrets and arched gates. Many shrines are kept inside: relics of saints: Agapit, the doctor of the Pechersk; Blessed Augustine and others. The main symbol of worship is the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands.
CIAM
A unique organization – CIAM (Church Historical and Archaeological Museum) – an institution created by the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is located in the Ipatiev Monastery. The formation of the museum institution began in the 19th century, when portraits of 24 persons of the royal family were hung in the “Mikhail Romanov Palace”. With them began a voluminous collection of the future museum. On the eve of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanovs (1912), the Church Historical Society was organized in Kostroma, which operated at the Ipatiev Monastery.
Religious rarities were collected in the ancient repository created here: icons, ritual accessories, monuments of ancient Russian writing and sewing. The current CIAM received the status of a museum in 2004. Its funds include more than 3,000 truly unique exhibits. Most of them are items that belonged to the royal dynasties of the Godunovs and Romanovs. Among them are liturgical books in luxurious bindings, both handwritten and printed.
Items of religious sculpture and painting, ancient coins, medals and signs, items of church use, etc. Thematic exhibitions demonstrating the cultural and artistic heritage of the Russian Orthodox Church are regularly held here. The art of ancient jewelers, icon painters, casting and carving masters is widely represented at them. Among the items there are true masterpieces.