Yaroslavl.

History

The city was founded in 1010 by Yaroslav the Wise, then ruler of the Principality of Rostov. In 1612 Yaroslavl briefly became the country's de facto capital, as the militia of Minin and Pozharsky gathered here before marching on Moscow. In the 17th century the wooden town filled with stone churches. The centre was later rebuilt on a regular plan under Catherine the Great, and in 2005 UNESCO recognised its blend of Russian and Western European architecture.

Culture & traditions

Yaroslavl is called the birthplace of Russian theatre: in 1750 Fyodor Volkov founded a company here that is regarded as Russia's first, housed since 1911 in a large Neoclassical building. The Church of Elijah the Prophet is celebrated for its frescoes from around 1680. The Transfiguration Monastery is where the oldest known manuscript of The Tale of Igor's Campaign was found. The poet Nikolai Nekrasov is linked with the region, and Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, trained at the Yaroslavl Air Club.

Sport

Yaroslavl is an ice hockey city and home to Lokomotiv. On 7 September 2011 most of the team died in a plane crash, a tragedy the city still remembers. The football club Shinnik has long been part of city life as well.

Practical information

Yaroslavl is linked to Moscow by rail, including express trains, and the capital is about 250 km away. The city is served by Golden Ring International Airport at Tunoshna. It is on Moscow time. The climate is continental, with January averaging around −12 °C and warm summers. May to September is the best time to visit, when the Volga embankment is at its most pleasant.

What to see

• Church of Elijah the Prophet — celebrated late-17th-century frescoes
• Transfiguration Monastery — where the manuscript of The Tale of Igor's Campaign was found
• Volga embankment — a Neoclassical promenade of the 1840s
• Kotorosl–Volga confluence — the geographical heart of the historic centre
• Volkov Theatre — Russia's first theatre, in its 1911 building

A ready-made itinerary

Yaroslavl: rivers and painting ↗