Volokolamsky District: Monastery, Bible Museum and Yaropolets

Impressive monastery architecture and the cultural history of Yaropolets take center stage in Volokolamsky District. The Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery combines a long religious history with a special Bible Museum. In Yaropolets, museum tours explore estates and historic buildings; a hydroelectric power station also shapes the picture of the local sights. This gives you a clear question to consider when planning your trip: would you mainly like to explore the monastery and its collections, or are you more interested in the history of the estates and their owners?

Monastery Architecture and Bible Museum

The Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery was founded in 1479 by the Orthodox Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The architectural ensemble includes the 17th-century Cathedral of the Dormition and the late-17th-century Gate Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The cathedral also houses a shrine containing the relics of Saint Joseph. These buildings and religious artifacts offer several distinct points of interest during a visit to the monastery: its founding history, architecture and veneration are each connected to specific places within the ensemble.

The pilgrimage center offers a 90-minute tour of the monastery, introducing visitors to the architectural ensemble and the Cathedral of the Dormition. Allow time for the tour when planning your visit to the monastery. If you are particularly interested in books and the history of writing, the Bible Museum adds a distinct focus to your visit. It is located in the monastery and is considered Russia’s first Bible museum.

The collection includes a 1568 Paris Bible and an 18th-century Elizabeth Bible. Whether the 1568 Paris Bible and the 18th-century Elizabeth Bible will be on view during your visit may change. The two Bibles differ both in their place-of-origin designation and their dating: the Paris edition is associated with a specific year, while the Elizabeth Bible is assigned to a century. The museum visit therefore extends beyond the architecture, focusing on different historical book collections.

Estate History and Sightseeing in Yaropolets

The Yaropolets Museum of Local Lore offers tours of its exhibition and the local sights. One excursion, titled “The History of the Estates and Their Owners,” visits Goncharov Estate, the Church of St. John the Baptist and Chernyshev Estate in the village of Yaropolets. These stops give the visit a historical focus distinct from the monastery itinerary. Goncharov Estate is a cultural heritage site of federal significance. Alexander Pushkin visited the estate in 1833 and 1834 to visit his mother-in-law; literary evenings are held in the estate’s Pushkin Room.

The Church of St. John the Baptist is also one of the stops included in the museum excursion. Built in 1755, it remains an active church. Check current visitor access before visiting. This helps distinguish the historic stop from a museum room without separating the church from its religious context.

Another highlight of Yaropolets is the hydroelectric power station. A high bridge stands by the spillway, offering a view of the swirling currents. The Yaropolets hydroelectric power station is considered the first rural hydroelectric power station. Here, the focus is not a collection or an architectural ensemble, but the combination of hydropower and a specific viewpoint. You can weigh these different themes separately when choosing your destinations, rather than combining them into a single itinerary.

Choose the Right Base

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Volokolamsky District, it is best to choose a location based on the destinations that interest you most. The Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery is the main focus for monastery architecture and the Bible Museum; Yaropolets is the center for estate history, connections to Pushkin and the museum excursion.

Discover more destinations: Mikhaylovskoye, Blagoveshchenskoye, Litvinovo, Butakovo, Golubtsovo, Spass, Chertanovo, Yakshino, Stanovishche.

See the main travel overview: Moscow.