SightsSights of Kozmodemyansk
In the Historical Centre
Aleksandr Grigoriev Art and History Museum
- 10 Ulitsa Likhachyova
- http://www.kmkmuzey.ru/index.php/hudist
Kozmodemyansk's Art and History Museum is named in honour of the Mari artist and public figure Aleksandr Grigoriev. The museum was founded in 1919 and is one of the oldest provincial art galleries in Russia, sometime being called the 'Small Tretyakov Gallery on the Volga'. The museum displays work of art from the 19th and 20th centuries of various artists, including many works by Mari artists. It is run as part of the Kozmodemyansk Museum Complex. Read more »
Museum of Every Day Merchant Life
- 58 Ulitsa Sovetskaya
- http://www.kmkmuzey.ru/index.php/kupbit
The Museum of Every Day Merchant Life was founded in 1995 and is located in a late 19th century wooden house which before the Revolution was owned by a merchant family. On display at the museum are many examples of wooden furniture which were produced in Kozmodemyansk. Many of the features of the house have also been restored including the wooden flooring, the tiled ovens, the parade staircases and the moulded ceilings. The museum is run as part of the Kozmodemyansk Museum… Read more »
Museum of the Satire and Humour of Ostap Bender
- beginning of Ulitsa Sovetskaya
- http://www.kmkmuzey.ru/index.php/ostbend2
Ostap Bender was the main character from the much-loved book Twelve Chairs by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeni Petrov. Bender is a loveable rouge who is able to talk his way out of any situation and persuade people to part with their money. One such example is when he tricks the citizens of Vasyuki into believing their small provincial town can become the chess capital of the world. Many believe that the prototype of Vasyuki was Kozmodemyansk. This museum is located in an old merchant… Read more »
Open-Air Ethnographical Museum
- Ulitsa Promyshlennaya
- http://www.kmkmuzey.ru/index.php/etnos1
The most popular site in Kozmodemyansk is the Open-Air Ethnographical Museum which is located on a hill overlooking the historical part of the city and the River Volga. It was opened in 1983 after many authentic wooden structures were bought here for preservation from around the Mari Volga region. This includes a large house with a courtyard, smaller houses, trade houses, a banya and a windmill. Several of the buildings are also furnished with furniture and tools from the 19th… Read more »
Our Lady of Smolensk Cathedral
- corner of Ulitsa Sovetskaya and Ulitsa Chkalova
Kozmodemyansk's main cathedral is the impressive Our Lady of Smolensk Cathedral which is located in the historical part of the city. The cathedral was completed in 1872 in commemoration of the abolishment of serfdom and in honour of Emperor Alexander II. The cathedral was built in the traditional Russian style with a large cubic structure topped with five large domes. In 1929 the cathedral was closed and its domes were removed when it was transferred to be used as a museum. … Read more »
Our Lady of Tikhvin Old-Believers Church
- 1 Ulitsa Krivorotova
The Our Lady of Tikhvin Church is located in the west of the city and was built in 1827 in the classical style. In the 1930s the church was closed and turned into a brewery. During the process its dome and the spire of its bell tower were demolished. As of 2014 the church still stands in ruins yet to be restored and reopened. Read more »
Streltsy Chapel
- beginning of Ulitsa Sovetskaya
Although it just looks like a simple modern chapel, the small chapel opposite the Lenin statue actually dates from 1698. It is known as the Streltsy Chapel as it was built by members of the local Streltsy Regiment to commemorate the Russian capture of Azov. It is dedicated to the Miracle Image of the Saviour. Read more »
Transfiguration of the Saviour Church
- 63 Ulitsa Sovetskaya
The Transfiguration of the Saviour Old-Believers Church was built in the first half of the 19th century, possibly in 1821. It was closed in the 1930s and was heavily damaged. In 2000 it was reopened and restored, seeing its dome and belfry being rebuilt. Today the church is part of the Kazan and Vyatka Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church. Read more »
Vladimir Lenin Monument
- beginning of Ulitsa Sovetskaya
Kozmodemyansk has two main Lenin statues. The one located in the historical centre stands at the intersection of Ulitsa Likhachyova and Ulitsa Sovetskaya in front of a small park. Not too far from Lenin is a plinth with the profile of Maksim Gorky. Read more »
War Memorials
- beginning of Ulitsa Sovetskaya
At the beginning of Ulitsa Sovetskaya at the foot of Pugachyova Hill are four memorials. The main memorial here is the Glory Obelisk dedicated to local soldiers who lost their lives in the Second World War. In front of this there are three simple memorials; another WWII memorial, a memorial to those who died liquidating the disaster in Chernobyl and a memorial to soldiers who have fallen in other conflicts. Read more »
On Pugachyova Hill
Trinity Church
- Ulitsa Chernyshevskogo
The pretty classical-style Trinity Church dates from 1733. It consists of a cubic structure with a vestibule and a bell tower. The main part of the church is topped with five sparkling metallic domes. The church was closed in 1938 and only reopened in the 1990s. You can get to the church by walking up the wooden stairs which start from behind the war memorials at the beginning of Ulitsa Sovetskaya. Read more »
Twelve Chairs Sculpture
- intersection of Ulitsa Oktyabrskaya and Ulitsa Chernyshevskogo
At the intersection of Ulitsa Oktyabrskaya and Ulitsa Chernyshevskogo is a sculpture featuring 12 chairs in recognition of the city's connection with the popular Soviet book and film Twelve Chairs. In the book the main character Ostap Bender tricks the citizens of Vasyuki into believing their small provincial town can become the chess capital of the world. Many believe that the prototype of Vasyuki was Kozmodemyansk as Ilya Ilf, one of the authors, is known to have visited the… Read more »
Vladimir Lenin Monument
- 14 Bulvar Kosmonavtov
In addition to the simple Lenin statue in the historical centre of the city, there is another one in the main city centre. Lenin is striking a standard pose, but here he is surrounded by more Soviet surroundings in the form of the city and district administration building, complete with a hammer and sickle emblem. The building to the left of the statue features an image of Gagarin made out of bricks. Read more »