Volokolamsk – Kremlin, Church Art and City History

The Volokolamsk Kremlin offers a striking gateway to the history of Volokolamsk. The complex stands on a hill surrounded by earthen ramparts; once, powerful walls here protected important sites from enemies. Volokolamsk is considered the oldest city in Moscow Oblast, with the first references in chronicles dating to 1135. The city lies in the northwest of the oblast, about 100 kilometres from the Moscow Ring Road.

Cathedrals, Bell Tower and Kremlin Museum

The complex includes the white-stone Resurrection Cathedral, built in the 15th century; the 19th-century red-brick St Nicholas Cathedral with white details; and a five-storey bell tower from the 18th century. The tower has a clock and an observation platform. At the Kremlin, you can see different periods of construction and materials in one place, from the light stone of the older cathedral to the red brick of the newer church.

In St Nicholas Cathedral, the exhibition on the history of Volokolamsk features archaeological finds, models of a medieval trade route and the city in the 15th century, weapons, objects from peasant life, and original documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Kremlin collection also includes a 15th-century fresco created by masters of the Dionysius school, and seals of the princes of Novgorod from the 12th to the 15th century. These items add religious art and evidence of earlier rule to the city’s history.

The museum and exhibition complex organises guided tours of the museum and the Kremlin grounds, as well as a sightseeing tour of the city. Ask the complex for current booking details. Workshops in painting and craft techniques are also offered at the Volokolamsk Kremlin, where children and adults can create their own souvenir. As the programme may vary, check the current schedule in advance.

Church Art in Vozmishche

Another stop on a tour of the city’s history is the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Vozmishche. Built in the first half of the 16th century as the three-domed cathedral church of the Vozmishche Monastery for Men, it is a four-pier brick church. The monastery had been founded as early as the beginning of the 12th century by Prince Mstislav of Novgorod; the church once served as its cathedral.

Paintings from the 16th century survive beneath later wall paintings in parts of the altar and on the pillars. They were partially uncovered in the 1970s. The paintings on view therefore tell not only of the church’s original decoration, but also of later overpainting and its uncovering. If you are interested in church architecture, you can make the building and its paintings a separate focus alongside the Kremlin.

City Walk and Choosing a Holiday Apartment

A city walk takes you to the Kremlin’s ramparts and cathedrals, across the grounds of the old settlement and to monuments to Volokolamsk’s military history. An observation platform offers views over the city. Check with the provider in advance whether and when the tour is currently running. When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to consider whether you mainly want to explore the city’s sights or also include destinations in the wider Volokolamsky District.

More Destinations in Volokolamsky District

The Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery is located in the wider destination of Volokolamsky District. It was founded in 1479 by the Orthodox saint Joseph of Volokolamsk in honour of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The architectural ensemble includes the late 17th-century Gate Church of Saints Peter and Paul. A tour organised by the pilgrimage centre lasts an hour and a half and introduces visitors to the monastery complex, including the 17th-century Dormition Cathedral. The monastery is also home to Russia’s first Bible museum; its collection includes a Paris Bible from 1568 and an Elizabeth Bible from the 18th century.

Yaropolets is also in Volokolamsky District and offers other cultural and historical themes. The local ethnographic museum takes visitors through its exhibition and to sights around the village. The excursion “The History of Estates and Their Owners” visits Goncharov Estate, the Church of St John the Baptist and Chernyshev Estate. Goncharov Estate is a cultural heritage site of federal significance; Alexander Pushkin visited in 1833 and 1834 to see his mother-in-law. At the Yaropolets hydroelectric power station, you can watch the swirling water from a high bridge over the spillway; it is considered the first rural hydroelectric power station.

Discover more destinations: Fedino, Ganusovo, Nudol', Pravdinskiy, Nosovo, Nikolina Gora, Kurovskoye, Kratovo.

Go to the broader travel overview: Moscow.