Krasnogorsk.

History

Krasnogorsk was set up as an urban-type settlement in 1932 and received town status in 1940. Its life was shaped largely by the Krasnogorsk works, which produced Zorki, Zenit and Krasnogorsk cameras until the early 1990s. In 1943 the National Committee for a Free Germany, uniting German anti-fascists, was founded here. After the war, German V-2 rocket specialists brought from Germany worked in the town. Krasnogorsk grew fast in the 2010s: between 2010 and 2021 its population rose by about 60 per cent.

Culture & traditions

The town has a museum of German anti-fascists, described as the only one of its kind in the country. Major venues include the Moscow Region Palace of Culture and the Scarlet Sails concert hall with its organ and philharmonic. The area's greatest cultural treasure, though, is the Arkhangelskoye estate two kilometres to the south-west: the Golitsyns owned it in the 18th century and Prince Nikolai Yusupov from 1810. Today it is a state museum with a neoclassical palace, a terraced park full of statues and a theatre designed by Pietro Gonzaga.

Sport

Krasnogorsk is a notable bandy town: the local club Zorky has been champion three times, of the USSR, the CIS and Russia. The team plays at the 8,000-seat Zorky Stadium. The great ice hockey player Vladimir Petrov was born here.

Practical information

The easiest way to reach Krasnogorsk from Moscow is by metro to Myakinino station. The nearest major airport is Moscow's Sheremetyevo. The climate is the same as Moscow's, temperate continental, and Arkhangelskoye is at its best from late spring to early autumn, when the gardens and park are in full swing.

What to see

• Arkhangelskoye estate — the Yusupov palace, terraced park and Gonzaga theatre
• Museum of German Anti-Fascists — a rare museum about the Free Germany committee
• Scarlet Sails concert hall — organ and philharmonic concerts
• Zorky Stadium — home of the famous bandy team