The ancient city of Pereslavl-Zalessky was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky in the middle of the 12th century. The city is spread out on the shores of the picturesque Pleshcheyevo Lake among the endless forests and fields of the Russian Plain. This place breathes history, every inch of the earth has absorbed such a number of significant events that sometimes it seems as if it is ready to tell every traveler about them.
Pereslavl-Zalessky is a protected area of ancient temples and monasteries, a city that remembers the great Russian princes who created the history of our state. Of the more modern attractions, an incredible number of small private museums with original expositions dedicated to everything in the world can be noted: irons, sewing machines, electronics, teapots, interior items of a peasant hut.
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What to see and where to go in Pereslavl-Zalessky?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Pleshcheyevo lake
The reservoir is considered one of the most beautiful in Central Russia; it is a natural landmark of the Golden Ring route. Pereslavl-Zalessky is located on its southeastern coast, and smaller settlements are also located along the perimeter. There are many tourist centers and hotels around the lake, where people come to fish, relax in nature or go kitesurfing.
Pereslavl Museum-Reserve
Museum expositions occupy the premises of the Goritsky Monastery, which was abolished in the middle of the 18th century. Its structure includes the main building, an art gallery, the Transfiguration Cathedral, the "Boat of Peter I", the Ganshin Estate Museum and an exhibition hall in Pereslavl-Zalesky. The exhibition areas include icon painting, painting, wooden sculpture, as well as a variety of historical expositions.
Transfiguration Cathedral
An ancient Orthodox church, which was founded in the middle of the 12th century by Yuri Dolgoruky (later Alexander Nevsky was baptized here). It is a cross-domed building with three apses and a single dome - one of the earliest monuments of church stone architecture in North-Eastern Russia. The original painting has been lost; today there are white walls inside the cathedral. A valuable icon of the 15th century "Transfiguration" was discovered here and transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery for safekeeping.
Vladimirsky Cathedral and Alexander Nevsky Church
Both temples are located in the central part of the city. They were erected in the middle of the 18th century at the expense of a local merchant on the territory where the Novodevichy Bogoroditsko-Sretensky monastery was previously located. Inside the churches were valuable icons of the 16th century, precious tabernacles and other utensils, but in 1925 all the property was taken out. In the 1930s, after the building was closed, it was used as a bakery workshop until its architectural value was recognized in 1936.
Metropolitan Peter Church
A tent-roofed temple of the 16th century, a rather rare architectural monument for this area, built according to the project of an unknown author. The church has two thrones: warm and cold. Despite the restoration of the 1880s and 1970s, as a result of which the building acquired its original appearance, already in the 1990s it was in a very deplorable state. Despite the emergency condition, services are held in the church from time to time.
Church of the Forty Martyrs
The temple stands on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo in Rybnaya Sloboda. It has a very picturesque, "postcard" appearance and is often a symbol of Pereslavl-Zalessky. The church was erected in 1755 at the expense of Moscow merchants. Today, its façade is painted in a bright pink, contrasting with the blue roof, and the walls are adorned with elaborately decorated window openings. Around the building there is a circular observation deck overlooking the lake.
Nikolsky monastery
Today the Nikolskaya monastery is a women's monastery, but in the XIV century it began as a men's monastery. Several times it was ravaged by raids, but after the disaster, monastic life resumed rather quickly. In the 1920s, the institution was closed, the main cathedral was blown up, and in the rest of the premises a cattle shed, apartments and repair shops were made. In the 1990s, after the return of the Russian Orthodox Church, new sisters actually came to ruins - many churches had to be rebuilt.
Nikitsky monastery
The monastery of the XII century is one of the most ancient in North-Eastern Russia. It is located next to Lake Pleshcheyevo. The monks themselves believe that the monastery was founded in 1010, when wooden churches appeared on the shore of the reservoir - it was they who became the first temples of the monastery. Monuments of church architecture of the 16th-19th centuries, which are part of the architectural ensemble, have survived to this day.
Holy Trinity Danilov Monastery
Another monastery of a later period, founded by a monk of the Nikitsky monastery. Its main temple, the Trinity Cathedral, was built in honor of the birth of the heir to the throne (the future Ivan the Terrible). In the Middle Ages, the monastery acted as a major feudal lord, at its disposal were numerous lands and many villages with peasants. Even after being ruined during the Time of Troubles, she did not completely lose her wealth.
Feodorovsky monastery
The monastery was founded in the 15th century on the site of the battle between the Moscow and Tver prince, which took place in 1304. Until the second half of the 17th century, male monks lived in the community, then sisters settled here. At the beginning of the 20th century, 500 nuns and nuns served in the monastery, three deserts (including Alekseevskaya) were assigned to the institution. In Soviet times, the monastery practically ceased to exist; its revival took place in the 2000s.
Museum-estate "Boat of Peter I"
It is generally accepted that the "Boat of Peter I" is the very first provincial museum in Russia (it was founded back in 1803). Its central exhibit is the ship (boat) "Fortuna", made by Peter the Great. This is the only surviving vessel of this type. The structure of the museum includes a monument and an obelisk in honor of the first emperor, the Botny house, the White Palace, a gatehouse, a triumphal gate and a rotunda.
Pereslavl Railway Museum
Private exposition of railway equipment, founded in 1991. Within its framework, samples of rail transport of the 19th - first half of the 20th centuries were collected, as well as various mechanisms and machines, one way or another connected with the railway. Many exhibits have been restored and are in working order, others require repair and restoration. In the museum you can see steam locomotives, motor vehicles, locomotives, railcars, carriages.
Iron Museum
The museum is a small private collection housed inside an old merchant mansion built according to a classical design: the first floor is made of stone, where a souvenir shop operates, the second is made of wood (the exposition is located here). The museum is quite popular with tourists; at least 1,000 people visit it a month. The collection consists of more than 200 irons that were ironed before the age of electricity.
Museum "House of the Teapot"
It is almost impossible to drive past the "House of the Teapot", as it is painted in bright colors that instantly catch the eye of travelers. It was founded by the owners of the Iron Museum in 2003. To attract visitors, inventive owners have come up with original invocation inscriptions and placed them on the fence and walls.After reading one of them, it is simply impossible to ignore such an insistent invitation to go inside.
Museum of Peasant Design "Horse in a Coat"
The new Museum of Pereslavl-Zalessky, which has already earned high marks from visitors. Its exposition is located in two small halls and consists of items of peasant life and interior, presented from an interesting and rather non-standard side. But the main thing in this museum is the atmosphere and the concept that allows you to look at the peasant class in a completely new way and learn a lot of interesting things.
Radio museum
Another private museum showing visitors the history and achievements of radio engineering. All of its small space is occupied by radios of various sizes and formats, brought from all over the world. The founders assembled the exposition literally in basements and attics, and the result was a rather interesting exhibition. In the museum shop, you can buy rare parts for the repair of old devices.
Museum of old sewing machines
The museum and the souvenir shop are located in the same building. The exposition consists of rare sewing machines, as you might guess from the name. The number of exhibits is more than 100. There are antique pre-revolutionary devices, Soviet cars and products of famous world manufacturers. The shop on the ground floor sells crockery, clothing and ceramics.
Alexander Nevsky Museum
The institution opened in 2012. Its exposition is dedicated to the period of the city's history when Alexander Nevsky reigned there. It has no analogues in Russia. During the excursion, you can see a model of the Pereslavl-Zalessky sample of the XII century, icons depicting a prince, awards (medals and orders) bearing the name of Alexander Nevsky, the composition "Three Warriors", consisting of figures of a Teutonic knight, a Russian knight and a Tatar-Mongolian horseman.
Museum of cunning and ingenuity
The original collection of the museum consists of various gadgets and household items, invented by savvy peasants and townspeople to facilitate housekeeping. Here you can see special dishes for mustachioed men, fruit cutters, bottle openers, pest traps and other useful little things. The work of many exhibits is allowed to be tested in practice.
"Russian Park"
A tourist complex and historical and cultural center, consisting of a Russian village with wooden houses, inside which the atmosphere and interior of the 19th - early 20th centuries are recreated. Museum expositions telling about inventions and discoveries made by compatriots, and thematic alleys where you can meet heroes of folk tales. The local tavern serves traditional Russian cuisine to tourists.
"House of Berendey"
A small museum complex combining an exposition, a playground, an atmospheric café and a gift shop. During the excursion, visitors are told about the traditional Russian way of life, customs and traditions, while actively involving them in the theatrical performance. The main character of the whole action is the fabulous Berendey. The excursion programs of the museum are very diverse, you can choose any to your taste.
Museum "The Birth of a Fairy Tale"
The museum is located about 30 km from the city, it is part of the structure of the complex "Tridevyatoe kingdom". The exposition consists of characters from fairy tales, as well as heroes of Slavic myths, made by a local sculptor and artist A. Tikhonov. During the excursion, guests enter the wonderful world of ancient legends. To enhance the effect, special music and decorations were selected.
Pereslavl dendrological garden
The garden appeared in the 1950s, since 1998 it has been included in the Pleshcheyevo Lake National Park. Plants from different parts of Russia and the world are planted in eight zones: Crimea, the Caucasus, the Far East, Siberia, Western Europe, China, Japan, Central Asia are represented. For visitors, walking alleys are laid between the thickets, small stone bridges are thrown across artificial reservoirs.
Blue stone
A mysterious block, presumably used as a ritual object in the days of pagan Russia. The ancient Slavs also used it in their rituals. In dry weather, the stone has the usual gray color, and when it rains, it turns blue. After the adoption of Christianity, residents continued to gather around the site to dance and make fires, which infuriated the monks of the nearby monastery. The brothers constantly frightened people that evil spirits dwell in the Blue Stone.
Alexandrova mountain
Aleksandrova Gora is the place of settlement of the Finno-Ugric tribe Merya, which came to these places in the 7th century. Some experts believe that pagan dances and games were held here during the holidays. According to another version, it is believed that the hill was poured by order of Alexander Nevsky. In the 13th century, the Alexandrov Monastery was built on the mountain, which ceased to exist after 500 years.
