Rostov the Great – old City on the shore of Lake Nero. It saw many battles, was burned more than once, but survived and was restored and flourished again and again. The heart of the city is of course Rostov Kremlin, or rather the former residence of the Metropolitan, where today the museum-reserve is located. This is where thousands of tourists who travel to Rostov strive to get.

Rostov the Great (or Yaroslavl) has a long history. The first to come to these lands were not the Slavs, but the Finnish peoples; in the surrounding area there are even remains of the ancient settlement of Sari. But already in 862, there was the city of Rostov. This date is the earliest mention of Rostov, but not even as a settlement, but as a city.

In 911, the first Christian church was already erected here, mind you, because Rus' was baptized only in 988-990. But the old faith firmly held the minds of Rostovites, and local priests had to flee for their lives, and some died at the hands of the townspeople, such as Bishop Leonty, who was later canonized.
The oldest stone church in the city is the Assumption Cathedral, built in 1162. True, the first version of the temple burned down, and the one that has survived to this day was built in 1411, and among the masters who designed the cathedral was Dionysius. There are many beliefs associated with this temple. Bartholomew was baptized here, known to the world like Sergius of Radonezh. John of Kronstadt served here. And in 1913, the last Russian Tsar prayed here.
And remember the modern cartoon “Alyosha Popovich”, where people were hiding in the church from Tugarin the Snake. It's here in this temple. And Alyosha himself, by the way, was the son of its abbot.


It is worth noting that the city did not have good defense for a long time, so it suffered more than once from raids by the Tatar-Mongol yoke, was burned out during the period of unrest and suffered serious damage during the Lithuanian intervention. Rostov was fortified with earthen ramparts and a fortress, but since by that time Rostov was already in the middle of the country, and the need for a fortress had disappeared, therefore in the 17th century it was decided to build a stone residence of the metropolitan, which we know as the Rostov Kremlin. Construction began in the 1660s, when Metropolitan Jonah arrived in Rostov and spent thirty years building his brainchild.

It was a magnificent building, the amazing panorama of which still amazes today. The Rostov Kremlin is beautiful from all angles: from the remains of the city ramparts and from the shores of Lake Nero.


Churches, outbuildings, a belfry, a bailiff, a guest courtyard, metropolitan chambers, the White Chamber, eleven towers, etc. - all this is a single complex, connected by passages and covered galleries.

Of particular note is the belfry. It was built at the end XVII century and had thirteen bells. Each of them had its own name: “Swan”, “Polyeleos”, “Hunger Man”, which rang only during the period of fasting. But the largest was “Sysoy”, named after the father of the founder of the Rostov Kremlin, Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich.


But very soon the bishop’s court was moved to Yaroslavl and the Kremlin, as pilgrims began to call the court, which was attracted to Rostov by the relics of St. Demetrius, remained empty. All other years, the Kremlin existed on the donations of pilgrims and believers.

In 1883, a museum was opened on the territory of the Kremlin. Expositions were displayed in the chambers, and the institution itself was taken under the wing of Tsarevich Alexei and the future Tsar Nikolai Alexandrovich.

Today the Rostov Kremlin is State Museum-Reserve and one of the most visited attractions not only of the city, but of the entire region. And how can one not visit a place that is already familiar to everyone who has ever watched the legendary film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession.” Yes, it was along these passages that the thieving Prince Miloslavsky ran, it was here that the “Soviet” Ivan Vasilyevich ate, and what can I say, they feasted here on “overseas, eggplant caviar.”

If you are traveling on your own, you will need at least half a day to visit the Rostov Kremlin. And if you want to visit all the exhibitions, then one day may not be enough.


What's the cover charge

At the entrance to the Kremlin there are ticket offices where you can purchase tickets to exhibitions.

A single full ticket (including viewing and museum cinema) for all exhibitions costs 400 rubles.

You can also buy individual tickets for exhibitions and master classes. Full price list can be viewed on the museum website.

Just wandering around the Kremlin costs 50 rubles.

We offer the purchase of tickets for such an interesting event as the Bell Ringing Concert. This pleasure is not cheap - 1,500 rubles per person. You can listen to the ringing of bells (a shortened version) for free, you just need to check at the ticket office what time the bells ring.

Exhibitions of the Rostov Kremlin

In the former bishop's chambers, there are several permanent exhibitions, but in addition, the museum is constantly changing and adding a whole series of portable exhibitions that are dedicated to different dates. These are exhibitions dedicated to the Great Victory, this year they are represented very widely, exhibitions of Rostov enamel and much more.
Among the permanent exhibitions, tourists can visit the Medal Cabinet exhibition. All originals and copies of medals are presented here, from the very first ones that were awarded to the soldiers “For the Battle of Poltava 1709” to the last awards of the Sochi Olympics.


In the White Chamber (the same one where Ivan the Terrible-Bushma received ambassadors and feasted) there is an exhibition of church antiquities. It contains exhibits of church utensils, crosses, ancient books and documents that historians and archaeologists managed to collect. The exhibition tells about the period of the 16th-18th centuries, and there are quite valuable items that are relics.


The exhibition “Ancient Russian Art”, located in eight rooms of the Samuil Building, is slightly similar in theme to it. By the way, it was with this exhibition that the history of the museum began. There are frescoes, paintings, church vestments, and even a gilded censer that is already four hundred years old. Looking at these luxurious exhibits. Decorated precious stones and metals, you understand that people used to spare no money for a church.

The symbol of the Russian troika is the vibrant bells, presented in the “Yam Bells” exhibition. Here you can find out the history of where this tradition came from, what kind of bells there were and how they were distinguished - after all, bell making has become one of the business cards Rostov, well, like the Tula arms factories. And here you can see real sleighs.

water tower

Be sure to climb the steep wooden stairs to the Water Tower. The views from there are such as would be impossible to imagine in a fairy tale!



Museum of Enamel "Rostov Kremlin" must be included in the mandatory program of each excursion. Each one, firstly, because at one time you are unlikely to be able to appreciate the entire collection, which numbers more than three thousand exhibits, and secondly, here you can not only look at beautiful trinkets, but also try to create something yourself -class.


After viewing the exhibition, you can purchase products made from Rostov enamel from the official factory (you can read about where the Rostov enamel Factory is located and what you can buy in the store at the factory here).


Exhibition “The Ancient Past of the Rostov Land” will introduce us to mammoths and prehistoric rhinoceroses that roamed this area during the Paleolithic period, as well as to the first people and the way of life in the Stone Age.
Some exhibition halls In the Red Chamber of the State Hall there is an exhibition that tells about the history of Rostov in the period from the 7th to the 15th centuries. It was during this period that the city was born, and even then it was quite large and strategically important. It was not for nothing that the princely heirs of Kievan Rus were sent here so that they learned to rule; by the way, Rostov was a rather “obstinate” city and did not willingly obey.

Here you can see weapons from the 10th century, princely seals of Yaroslav the Wise, ancient figurines and much more.

In the Church of Hodehydria On the territory of the Kremlin there is an exhibition “Gold and Azure Shines”, which tells about the Baroque period in the church. Here you can see luxurious vestments of priests, rich icons, amazing tombstones, which in themselves are unique objects of art.

You can read in detail about the exhibition at the Museum of the Church of Hodegetria here.


And if you get tired of viewing many museum exhibitions and want to relax, you can do this in Gostiny Dvor, located on the first floor of the Red Chamber. Here you can interactively visit virtual exhibitions and find out detailed information about the section you are interested in.

Food on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin

You can also eat on site, for example in a cozy garden house. You can find it on the territory of the apple orchard.


Hotel on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin

Few people know, but on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin there is a hotel called “House on the Cellars”. The hotel has only 24 rooms and they are rarely empty. But if you book in advance, you might be lucky. Here is the hotel website.

Official site Rostov Kremlin Museum

The Rostov Kremlin is that object cultural heritage which every tourist should visit. And once you visit, you will want to come here again and again.

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The “calling card” of tourist Rostov is the Kremlin with its five churches, the Assumption Cathedral and a complex of residential buildings, surrounded by powerful fortress walls. According to its original purpose, the Kremlin was the residence of the bishops of the Rostov-Yaroslavl diocese. It can be divided into three independent parts. The central one is the bishop's courtyard itself. In the northern part there is the former cathedral square with the Assumption Cathedral, and in the southern part there is the Metropolitan Garden.

Bishop's Court

Enclosed by high walls with beautiful towers, decorated with numerous temple domes and tower tents, the Bishop's Courtyard, which is now commonly called the Rostov Kremlin, was founded in the 1660s on the site of the old and much more modest Bishop's House, from which only fragments of buildings have survived.

The first temple built, a kind of cornerstone of the ensemble, was the Church of the Resurrection of Christ above the northern gate. This is not just a church, but a whole complex architectural complex, consisting of a five-domed temple, a gate of three bays, a gallery and two towers framing the gate. The Church of the Resurrection was supposed to play the role of the Holy Gate in the Bishop's Court complex and was oriented outward, towards the Assumption Cathedral.

Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich did not have time to complete the construction of his brainchild, and his successor, Metropolitan Joasaph, completed the work. The complex turned out to be truly grandiose: two magnificent Holy Gates with gate temples, eclipsing the central temple of the courtyard in their beauty; many stone chambers, a small pond in the middle of the courtyard.

The second gigantic gate church is St. John the Evangelist, located above the western gate of the Kremlin. If the Resurrection Church was the first church of the ensemble, then St. John’s Church was one of the last. Adjacent to St. John's Church is the largest and most famous chamber in the Kremlin - the Red Chamber. Another wonderful temple of the Rostov Kremlin is the Church of the Savior on Senyakh. This is the main, central temple of the Bishop's Court, conceived by Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich as a ceremonial church. Although it is not located in the center, but is slightly covered by the building. The White Chamber, built approximately at the same time as the temple, is closely adjacent to the Spasskaya Church. It is assumed that this complex was built exactly like this, following the model of the Patriarchal Palace in the Moscow Kremlin.

Assumption Cathedral

The existing cathedral is already the fifth on this site; to him in the center ancient city four more churches were replaced. The first was Cathedral Dormition of the Mother of God “from oak trees”, wooden, founded back in 991 under Prince Vladimir, one of the first cathedrals in Rus'.

It is known that at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries the rector of the cathedral was the father of the hero Alyosha Popovich.

Built at the beginning of the 16th century, the Assumption Cathedral is a truly magnificent building worthy of being the central cathedral of Rostov, one of the main cities of medieval Rus'. Its architecture is clearly influenced by the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin - probably the architects who built the cathedral visited Moscow and carefully studied the capital's temple. The powerful walls of the Rostov Assumption Cathedral are divided by blades into three sections from the west and four from the north and south.

Initially, the domes were somewhat different (possibly helmet-shaped), and in the 18th century they were replaced by the current onion-shaped ones, covered with a ploughshare. During the Time of Troubles, the cathedral, like the entire city, was captured and plundered by the Tatars and Cossacks who were in the army of False Dmitry, and Metropolitan Philaret was captured and sent to the camp of the Tushino thief.

The luxurious baroque iconostasis, which has survived to this day, was installed in the cathedral under Archbishop Joachim in 1736 after another fire. The cathedral preserves the burial places of many Rostov princes and clergy, including the builder of the Rostov Kremlin, Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich. During the replacement of the floors in 1884, the cancer of St. Leonty was discovered in the southern apse - a gift from Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky.

The complex of the Assumption Cathedral is a separate part of the current Rostov Kremlin, and much more ancient. However, the architects were able to arrange all the other temples and walls with towers in such a way that they all became a single and harmoniously combined architectural ensemble, one of the most beautiful in Russia.

Belfry

The famous Rostov belfry was built at the cathedral in 1682-1687 in two stages. Of course, before it there was an older octagonal bell tower, the foundation of which was discovered by archaeologists south of the cathedral. The “bell towers” ​​at the Assumption Cathedral were repeatedly mentioned in Rostov chronicles. A little later, an additional pillar was built for the largest bell, and a bell weighing 33 tons was placed in it, named Sysoev in honor of the father of Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich, the customer of the bells. And now in the repertoire of the Rostov ringing there is a special “Ringing with Sysoy”.

Everyone who is even slightly interested in the history of Russia or the Golden Ring knows about the bell ringing of Rostov. The notes of many bells have been preserved and are still performed today: Ioninsky, Georgievsky, Kolyazinsky...

Helpful information

Opening hours: daily from 10.00 to 17.00, except January 1. The frescoes and fortress walls are open for viewing from May 1 to October 1.

Admission: single ticket with a discount for visiting all museum exhibitions - 700 RUB.

Rostov Museum Contemporary fine arts was opened in 2005 in the building of the former mansion of the merchant Yablokov. The house was built in 1898 in Art Nouveau style. The museum is the only place in the city, where artists can present their work without paying for rent. The museum is also engaged in educational, collecting and research work.

The museum is focused on the formation of collections of works of contemporary art created in Russia and their popularization. The museum's collection includes about 1,800 items, including works of graphics, painting and decorative arts. The museum also has an archive, a library, an expert group and a workshop for the restoration of works.

Rostov Regional Museum of Local Lore

The Rostov Regional Museum of Local History was founded in 1937.

He is known primarily for his projects, many of which turned out to be socially significant: “Museum and Power”, “Don – Our Common Home”, “Forgotten Pony”, “Peace to the Peoples of the Caucasus through Culture”. Within the framework of projects, the historical worldview of the audience is formed, the fight against falsification historical facts, acquaintance with the culture of the peoples of the Don and promotion of Christian values.

Since 2001, the museum has been a member of the Union of Museums of Russia, as well as a participant in the Intermuseum festival.

The Rostov Regional Museum of Local History conducts thematic excursions and exhibitions, as well as interactive lectures.

You can get to the museum any day except Monday, from 10.00 to 18.00

Museum of Communications of the Rostov branch of "UTK"

The Communications Museum in one of the offices of the UTC company was opened in 2006. The museum's exhibitions are dedicated to the more than 120-year history of Rostov signalmen, which began with the first bell in the mayor's office in 1886.

The museum displays various telephone equipment that was used by signalmen for 120 years, including the first telephones whose subscribers were connected by “telephone ladies,” communications equipment of the First and Second World Wars, and many others. A particularly valuable exhibit is an American field telephone from 1942, donated to the museum for the 60th anniversary of the Victory.

Rostov Museum of Railway Equipment

The Museum of Railway Equipment in Rostov is a branch of the Museum of the North Caucasus Railway and is dedicated to the history railways, rolling stock and everything connected with them. The museum displays more than 60 exhibits, including rare and unique steam locomotives, electric locomotives, carriages and other equipment.

The collection of exhibits collected by the museum ranks second in Russia in terms of its uniqueness. Among the museum's exhibits, the only surviving steam locomotive from 1956 stands out, which is in working condition and capable of reaching speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour. Also in the museum you can see such rare exhibits as an English carriage from 1869, an icebox carriage from 1914, a captured freight locomotive from Germany and others. In addition, the museum gives visitors the opportunity to take a two-hour tour on a retro train.

House-Museum named after. S.M. Budyonny

The Budyonny House Museum was created in 1939 and is dedicated to the hero of the Civil War, marshal and three times hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny. The main exhibit of the museum is the dugout in which the Budyonny family lived and where things that belonged to its members are stored.

The dugout house is located inside a glass pavilion, where there are exhibitions dedicated to Budyonny’s struggle to establish Soviet power and his creation of the 1st Cavalry Army. In the house itself, where the interior of the early 20th century has been restored, several hundred exhibits are presented, including furniture, utensils and dishes that belonged to the Budyonny family. The museum is popular with visitors from all over the country; Budyonny himself and his family visited it.

Rostov Water Pipe Museum

This unusual museum, located at st. Maxim Gorky, 293, reflects the history of the development of the Rostov water supply system from the very moment of its appearance in 1865.

The museum's exposition includes water pumps, fire hydrants, pumping units and other devices that served the city well. The stands display maps, photographs and documents. Using the exhibits, you can track technical progress in the field of water supply.

The museum's collection is constantly updated; information about modern projects JSC "Vodokanal" Quite specific information is skillfully presented by the guides. It is worth visiting this museum, even if you are far from the topic.

Donetsk Museum of Local Lore

The city "Historical and Local Lore Museum" in the city of Donetsk in the Rostov region opened quite recently, in 2005. The opening of the museum was timed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the city. Near the city rich story, Donetsk was once founded by the Don Cossacks. The year of birth of the city was 1681, then the city was a village and was called Gundorovskaya.

In 1955, the city was named Donetsk after the Northern Donets river of the same name. The entire history of the city of Donetsk is reflected in the new museum. The museum has 9 halls in which you can trace the history of the city from the year of its birth. The city is developing, it has industry, cultural objects, and all this is also presented in the museum. The museum has many ancient household items, items belonging specifically to the Cossacks, documents, photographs, and books are collected.

Museum of the History of Materials of the Don Center for Chemical Education

The Museum of the History of Materials of the Don Center for Chemical Education (DCHE) opened in 2005 on the basis of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Southern Federal University.

The museum is dedicated mainly to materials science and innovations in this field. The main visitors to the museum are high school students and school science teachers. Many exhibits serve as visual aids for conducting exciting activities - materials can be studied not only visually, but also touched with your own hands.

The museum has special sections dedicated to widely used materials such as glass, ceramics, and cellulose. Thematic collections based on certain materials are presented.

Museum of Military History

The Rostov Museum of Military History was created in 2006 to highlight the history of the Russian army and its role in the life of the country. The museum displays a huge number of small arms, automotive equipment, tanks and other exhibits related to military history Don region.

The exhibition, located in the covered part of the museum, presents uniforms, household items, elements of ammunition and equipment of Russian soldiers from different eras. Among the exhibits: muskets, pistols, machine guns, machine guns, rifles, swords, sabers, checkers, mortars and a huge variety of other types of weapons. No less interesting is the exhibition located in the Nedvigovka farmstead, 20 kilometers from Rostov. Under open air and in the hangars you can see unique and rare exhibits, including tanks, armored vehicles, vehicles and artillery of the Soviet Union, Germany and the USA from the Second World War. The museum also has a store where visitors can purchase military-themed souvenirs.

Rostov Regional Museum of Fine Arts

Rostov Regional Museum fine arts was founded in 1938, its collection includes more than 6,000 works of painting, sculpture and graphics by masters foreign countries, Russia and the East.

From the first years, the museum's collection was replenished with works from the country's main museums - the Hermitage, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum. The art of the 20th century is represented by the works of Boris Lavrenko, Martiros Saryan, Alexander Laktionov, Nikolai Timkov, and other Russian masters.

Also in the structure of the organization there are science Library and restoration workshops.

From 2007 to this day, the director of the museum is Svetlana Valerievna Kruse.

You can visit the museum any day of the week from 10.00 to 18.00, except Tuesday.

Rostov Museum of Cosmonautics

The Rostov Museum of Cosmonautics is located within the walls of the Scientific and Educational Complex "Vertical" and is a structural division of the OJSC "Research and Production Enterprise for Space Instrument Engineering "Kvant".

The founder of the museum and his CEO- Vyacheslav Nikolaevich Motin. The museum was opened on September 11, 2009, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Kvant enterprise, and the first excursion in the new museum was conducted by cosmonaut pilot, hero of Russia Yu.V. Usachev.

The museum stores 392 exhibits, of which 157 are the main stock; samples of space technology, personal belongings of astronauts, on-board documentation, archival documents and much more are of particular value.

You can get to the museum on weekdays from 9.00 to 18.00, and on weekends and holidays- from 11.00 to 16.00.


Sights of Rostov-on-Don

Rostov Kremlin from above

In former times, the architectural complex served as the bishop's (or metropolitan) courtyard, that is, it was the residence of the first persons of the Rostov-Yaroslavl diocese. Later it began to be called the “Kremlin”. This is a rather controversial designation, since the walls and towers that have survived to this day were not originally intended for defense. This is evidenced by the overly wide gates, as well as windows with platbands located on the towers. However, the bishop's courtyard was built in accordance with the traditions of Russian defense architecture, and therefore it is considered a monument to military architecture of the pre-Petrine period.

The territory of the Rostov Kremlin has the status of a museum-reserve and is divided into three parts. In the center there is the bishop's courtyard, to the north of it is the cathedral square, and to the south is the picturesque metropolitan garden. The oldest building of the Rostov Kremlin is the Assumption Cathedral, which appeared here at the beginning of the 16th century. Most of the other buildings date back to the second half of the 17th century. They were erected under Metropolitan Ion Sysoevich.

Festival in the Rostov Kremlin

People come to Rostov not only to admire the architectural monuments. On the territory of the Kremlin there are about ten interesting museums, telling about the history of the city, church relics and the famous Rostov enamel. In the museum halls you can see rare works of ancient Russian art, ancient icons and church utensils. And from the walls of the Kremlin there are beautiful views of the city blocks and Lake Nero.

The architectural complex is aimed at receiving tourists. Thematic and sightseeing tours. Here you can listen to bell ringing concerts, take part in a bell ringer’s master class and attend a performance by a vocal ensemble. A hotel and restaurant are open to travelers, as well as a museum cinema and a multimedia center.

Plan of the Rostov Kremlin

History of the Rostov Kremlin

The construction of fortifications near Lake Nero began when Finno-Ugric tribes lived on its shores. In the 10th-11th centuries, these lands were settled by Slavs who came from the north-west. The center of their settlement was located where the Assumption Cathedral stands today.

New residents brought Christianity with them, and in 991 the first wooden temple was built in the city. Until the beginning of the 13th century, the center of Rostov was a wooden fortification fortified with earthen ramparts and ditches. Inside it stood the Assumption Cathedral and the Grigorievsky Shutter monastery that appeared here at the beginning of the 13th century.

For a long time, Rostov fortifications remained earthen and wooden. They could not provide sufficient defense against enemy troops, but the city was located far from the borders, and neither the Crimean Tatars, nor the Swedes, nor the Lithuanians reached it, so there was no need to build a stone fortress.

When Russia was going through the difficult Time of Troubles, the city was plundered by the troops of False Dmitry. Rostov Metropolitan Philaret was taken prisoner, and the ancient Assumption Cathedral was destroyed. By the middle of the 17th century, the fortifications were not in better condition, so it was decided to build a large stone residence for the Rostov Metropolis instead.

The inspirer and organizer of the large-scale construction project was Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich, who came to Rostov in 1664. And after Jonah’s death, work on the construction of the Kremlin was continued by his successor, Metropolitan Joasaph. The beautiful architectural ensemble was erected in about 30 years. All temples, chambers and towers were connected by covered passages and galleries.

In 1787, the metropolitanate moved to Yaroslavl, and the territory of the Rostov Kremlin was empty. Without proper care, the buildings and churches fell into disrepair, services were not held here, and at the beginning of the 19th century the question arose about the demolition of the bishop's courtyard.

However, these plans were not destined to come true. Rostov merchants collected the necessary funds and restored architectural monument and in 1883 they opened a museum of church antiquities in it. At the beginning of the last century, by decision of the State Duma, money for the maintenance of the Kremlin was allocated from the Russian treasury.

What can you see in the Kremlin


The Kremlin territory is surrounded by a high stone wall and has 11 towers covered with a ploughshare: 5 corner, 2 lookout and 4 gate. The architectural dominant of the ensemble is rightfully considered the large Assumption Cathedral. Not far from it stands a belfry. The cathedral square is surrounded on three sides by a fence. In addition, it is limited by the wall of the bishop's courtyard. There are two ways to get here. The Holy Gate leads from the city to the square, and from the museum-reserve there is a passage through the lower tier of the Resurrection Church.

The front yard of the Rostov Kremlin is surrounded by religious and civil buildings. Among them, the two-story Court Order stands out, which at one time managed all the affairs of the diocese. Next to it stands the gateway Church of the Resurrection. This temple is built on a two-tier basement, it has one light and four decorative domes and is richly decorated with brick patterns, as well as picturesque tiles.

On the other side of the courtyard you can see the complex of metropolitan choirs, which is more often called the “Red Chamber”. The porch leading to the chamber, which is crowned by two tents, looks very colorful.

Behind the Red Chamber of the Rostov Kremlin stands the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands (or the Savior on the Senya), which served the Metropolitan as a home church. On its lower floors there used to be utility services and a bakery. Wall paintings made by Russian isographers in 1675 have been preserved inside. The Rostov Metropolitan held ceremonial receptions in the White Chamber. This single-pillar structure has large windows, and due to this, the interior is well lit.

The Gate Church of St. John the Evangelist (1683) is considered one of the most picturesque buildings of the Rostov Kremlin. It is elongated upward, has elongated drums and small domes, and these features give the structure grace and lightness. Frescoes from the late 17th century have also been preserved on the walls and vaults of the temple.

The summer church in honor of the Hodegetria icon of the Mother of God was built in the Moscow Baroque style, popular at that time. This happened in 1693, when the diocese was ruled by the successor of Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich, Joasaph.

In memory of the ancient Grigorievsky monastery, which existed on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin in the Middle Ages, a separate temple of Gregory the Theologian was built. Inside, the five-domed church is decorated with frescoes painted at the end of the 19th century by an artel of artists led by N. M. Safonov.

Southern part architectural ensemble occupies the green metropolitan garden, which was founded during the time of Jonah Sysoevich. Nowadays it has been reconstructed in accordance with the traditions of the second half of the 17th century. The garden is very beautiful, and apple trees, plum trees, pears and cherries are grown in it. In the north of the green area there is a bosquet, indicating the cell building of the Grigorievsky monastery. The foundation of an ancient building was found at this site during archaeological excavations.

Assumption Cathedral

The oldest building in Rostov is the huge Assumption Cathedral. The temple that has survived to this day is the fifth cathedral on this site. The first wooden church was erected in 991 during the reign of Prince Vladimir. And the first stone cathedral appeared in the city in 1162, when Andrei Bogolyubsky ruled the Rostov lands. According to legend, at the end of the 12th – beginning of the 13th century, the priest of this temple was the father of the epic hero Alyosha Popovich.

The cathedral that can be seen today was built of white stone and brick at the beginning of the 16th century. Together with the cross, it has a height of 60 m and is crowned with a powerful five-domed dome. Architectural features The temple suggests that the builders were well acquainted with the Assumption Cathedral, which is located in the Moscow Kremlin. At first, the cathedral in Rostov had helmet-shaped domes, but in the 18th century they were replaced by onion domes. Inside, a rich carved iconostasis, installed in the temple in 1736, after another fire, has been preserved.


 Assumption Cathedral and Gate Church of the Resurrection

Belfry


To the southeast of the ancient Assumption Cathedral there is a picturesque belfry, which was built in the 80s of the 17th century. The belfry building stretches from north to south and is crowned with four domes. The belfry and the old cathedral form a harmonious architectural ensemble, although their construction is separated by more than a century.

The first floor of the belfry building is occupied by the Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem and utility rooms, and on the top floor there is a four-bay platform with an arcade, where 15 bells are mounted. You can get there via a narrow staircase inside the wall. There are many voids in the belfry, so it serves as an excellent resonator. The largest of the bells was named “Sysoy” in honor of the father of Rostov Metropolitan Jonah. It was cast at the end of the 17th century and weighs 32 tons.

Museums

The Rostov Kremlin houses several museum collections. There are so many exhibits collected here that it is simply impossible to see all the museums in one day! On the ground floor of the Red Chamber there is a museum living room equipped with multimedia screens. It was created to make it easier for tourists who came to the city to find the necessary attractions and information. In the living room you can make virtual trip to any part of the city and region, look at maps in detail and find out about the opening hours of museums and exhibitions.

In eight halls of the Samuilovsky building of the Rostov Kremlin there is a permanent exhibition dedicated to ancient Russian art. Ancient icons and valuable liturgical utensils, skillfully made embroideries, metalwork and fine wood carvings are exhibited here.


Those who look into the Temple of Hodegetria find themselves among real wealth! The collection kept in this church is called “Gold and Azure Shines.” There was a place here for unique icons, sculptures and a large collection of ancient church utensils. And in the White Chamber they recreated the exhibition of the old museum of church antiquities, which operated in the Kremlin at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

The history of Rostov land is presented in two museums at once. One of them introduces archaeological and paleontological finds, and visitors can see the remains of fossil animals and tools used by primitive people. The second floor of the Red Chamber exhibits exhibits related to the history of the city from the 7th to the 15th centuries.


An unusual medal cabinet has been opened in the Kremlin, where commemorative medals and coins are kept, as well as an interesting collection of ancient bells and bells. But most of all tourists come to the enamel museum, which began working in the Rostov Kremlin more than 15 years ago. Its popularity is explained by the great interest in traditional Rostov craft. In the halls of the enamel museum you can see beautiful products created by the skillful hands of local craftsmen, and in the store at the museum you can buy your favorite enamel crafts.

Useful information for tourists

  • Museums located in the Rostov Kremlin receive visitors daily from 10.00 to 17.00. They are closed only on January 1st.
  • Separate tickets are sold to view museum collections, displays and exhibitions, as well as a single discount ticket, which gives the right to visit all museums.
  • On the territory of the Kremlin, paid concerts of bell ringing are held, as well as interesting master classes on decoupage, creating museum postcards, painting ceramics and the secrets of making enamel.
  • In the Rostov Kremlin you can stay at the “House on Cellars” hotel, where there are single to triple rooms with all amenities.

How to get there

From the city bus station and railway station People usually get to the walls of the Rostov Kremlin on foot. The journey takes 15-20 minutes (1.5 km). If desired, this distance can be covered by taxi.

The white stone Rostov Kremlin is familiar to most residents of our country. It was here that scenes from the popular film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession” were filmed. Although it appears in stories about old Moscow, filming was carried out in similar chambers and covered passages of the Kremlin in Rostov. This city is located in the Yaroslavl region, previously known as Rostov the Great.

History of the construction of the Rostov Kremlin

There are still debates about whether the building in Rostov has the right to wear official name"Kremlin". Such medieval buildings, by definition, performed a defensive function. Their construction had to be carried out in compliance with fortification requirements regulating the height and thickness of the walls, the location of loopholes and watchtowers. The Rostov Kremlin has many elements that do not meet the required defensive standards and serve more of a decorative role. This situation arose from the very beginning of construction.

The fact is that the building was not conceived as a defensive fortress, but as the residence of Metropolitan Ion Sysoevich, head of the bishop's department in Rostov. The ruler himself supervised the development of the project and the construction process from start to finish.

Thus, during the years 1670–1683, the Metropolitan (Bishop) courtyard was erected, imitating the biblical Garden of Eden with towers along the perimeter and a pond in the middle. Yes, there are ponds too - the buildings were built near Lake Nero, on a hill, and artificial ponds were dug in the courtyards.


The courtyard served as the place of residence and service of the highest spiritual authority for more than a century. In 1787, the bishops moved to Yaroslavl, and the architectural ensemble in which the warehouses were located gradually fell into disrepair. The clergy was even ready to scrap it, but Rostov merchants did not allow destruction and restored it in the years 1860-1880.

After this, Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, the future Russian emperor, took the Metropolitan Court under his patronage and initiated the opening of state museum. The Rostov Kremlin Museum-Reserve opened for visits in 1883. Today it is an object of cultural heritage of Russia.

The current state of the Rostov Kremlin

IN last years The restoration of many objects of the Rostov Kremlin was actively carried out. In some places it has already been completed, so visitors can see restored frescoes, walls and interior items. In some buildings and structures, renovations are still being planned. The entire architectural ensemble of the museum-reserve is financed from the federal budget, with the exception of the Assumption Cathedral, which has been the property of the Orthodox Church since 1991.

Behind the stone walls with eleven towers are: ancient chambers, churches, a cathedral, bell towers, and outbuildings. They are divided into three zones, each of which has its own courtyard. The central zone is the Bishop's Courtyard surrounded by churches with residential and outbuildings. Northern part – Cathedral Square with the Assumption Cathedral. Southern zone – Metropolitan Garden with a pond.

What to see in the Kremlin?

Excursions around the Rostov Kremlin are available to everyone. Admission to some buildings is free, but most exhibitions and spaces can only be visited after purchase. entrance ticket. The following excursions are in greatest demand among city guests:

  • . The five-domed church was built in 1512 on the remains of the Leontyevsky cave chapel, which still contains the relics of St. Leonty, Bishop of Rostov and Suzdal. In this chapel, in 1314, a baby was baptized, who later became Sergius of Radonezh. The reconstruction of the temple was not completed; the frescoes were only partially preserved. The temple is operational, its architecture is similar to the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. Admission is free, free, through Cathedral Square.
  • . The bell tower was built in 1687. All 15 bells are preserved in their original configuration. The largest bell on the belfry is “Sysoy”, it weighs 32 tons, “Polyeleiny” - 16 tons. The rest of the bells weigh less; their names are very original: “Goat”, “Ram”, “Hunger Man”, “Swan”. There is a fee to climb the tower, but visitors are prohibited from ringing the bells. At the base of the building there is a souvenir shop of black-polished ceramics. In the belfry itself there is the Church of the Entry into Jerusalem.
  • Church of the Resurrection (Gateway). Built around 1670 over two gates, travel and pedestrian, which open the road to the Bishop's Courtyard. When passing through the gate, they purchase a ticket to view the Bishop's Court and its churches.
  • . A former residential building with utility cellars on the lower floor. Nowadays, the “House on Cellars” has become a hotel of the same name, where everyone who wants to spend the night stays within the boundaries of the Rostov Kremlin. The level of comfort in the hotel is low, but guests have the opportunity to stroll through the empty Kremlin, and in the morning wake up to the sound of bells ringing.
  • . A description of the Rostov Kremlin would not be complete without mentioning this recreation area. You can walk around the garden and relax on the benches. The garden is especially beautiful in the spring, when apple trees and other trees are in bloom.

The most popular excursions on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin are listed above. Don’t forget to take photo or video equipment with you to capture views of the ancient architectural ensemble and take your photos against the backdrop of memorable interiors from Leonid Gaidai’s film.

Additional information about the Kremlin

Opening hours of the museum-reserve: from 10:00 to 17:00 all year round (except January 1). Tours of the walls and passages of the Kremlin are conducted only in the warm season, from May to October.

Museum address: Yaroslavl region, city of Rostov (note, this is not the Rostov region). From the bus station or train station, the path to the Kremlin takes 10-15 minutes on foot. Its towers and gilded domes are visible from any outskirts of Rostov, so it is simply impossible to get lost along the way. In addition, any city dweller can easily tell you where the main attraction of the city is located.

At the ticket office of the museum-reserve you can purchase both separate ticket for visiting one building or exhibition, and a single ticket “Crossing the walls of the Kremlin”. Prices for individual exhibitions are low, from 30 to 70 rubles.

Master classes on bell ringing, making museum postcards, and painting with Rostov enamel cost from 150 to 200 rubles.

The “House on Cellars” hotel has been opened, where tourists stay for any time, from one night to several days. Rooms with private facilities are designed for one to three people. Meals are provided at the Sobranie restaurant, open to everyone on the premises of the Red Chamber. The restaurant serves classic Russian cuisine, including fish and meatless dishes. It is possible to order a banquet for a wedding or anniversary in a Kremlin restaurant.