Kaluga.

History

Kaluga is first mentioned in 1371, in a letter by the Lithuanian prince Algirdas; it arose in the mid-14th century as a border fortress of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Nearby, on the Ugra River, the Great Stand of 1480 ended the Horde's rule over Russia. After a visit by Catherine the Great the town became a provincial capital in 1776 and gained new buildings. From 1892 to 1935 Konstantin Tsiolkovsky taught and pursued his research here. Kaluga was occupied in autumn 1941 and liberated on 30 December that year.

Culture & traditions

The main attraction is the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics, described as the world's first museum devoted to space. The regional drama theatre opened in January 1777. The centre preserves the Stone Bridge of 1775–1778, a 160-metre viaduct over the Berezuysky ravine, and the late 18th-century Gostiny Dvor trading arcade. Kaluga is associated with the poet Bulat Okudzhava, who worked here, and the chess grandmaster Yuri Averbakh.

Sport

The city is represented by FC Kaluga in football and the Oka volleyball club. The space theme reaches beyond sport too: cosmonaut Pavel Popovich was an honorary citizen of Kaluga.

Food & drink

Kaluga is famous for kaluzhskoye testo, "Kaluga dough", a local confection regarded as the city's signature treat. It is worth both tasting and taking home.

Practical information

Kaluga is reached from Moscow by train, on a line open since 1899, or by car. The city is served by Grabtsevo Airport. Trolleybuses, buses and minibuses run around town. The climate is temperate continental, with snowy winters and warm, rainy summers; May to September is the best time to visit.

What to see

• Museum of the History of Cosmonautics — the story of space flight from Tsiolkovsky onwards
• Stone Bridge — an 18th-century viaduct over the Berezuysky ravine
• Gostiny Dvor — late 18th-century trading arcades
• Trinity Cathedral — one of the main churches of the old centre
• Regional Drama Theatre — a stage that opened in 1777