Tikhvin has existed since at least the 14th century and developed thanks to its location on the once vital trade route to Lake Ladoga and the Baltic Sea. It further developed following the foundation, on the orders of Ivan the Terrible, of its main sight: the Bogorodichny Uspensky Monastery. The beautiful monastery with fortified walls stands between the River Tikhvinka and a pond, and as the guardian of the Our Lady of Tikhvin Icon, it became a popular site of pilgrimage for Orthodox believers.

  In addition, the city has other pretty churches and a museum dedicated to the composer Rimsky-Korsakov. Due to its wartime history and its role in securing the Road of Life, the city has been named a City of Military Glory.