The island city of Sviyazhsk is an unusual and incredibly picturesque place that attracts tourists with its historical sights and beautiful panoramas. The town stands on a small piece of land in the middle of a green-blue flood formed by the waters of the mighty Volga and the Sviyaga River. Sviyazhsk can be called a large museum, where fascinating pages of history unfold before visitors.
The city has preserved monasteries and churches built 400-500 years ago. They withstood a difficult time and all the hardships, in order to be reborn afterwards and again become the spiritual centers of the Volga region. Many architectural monuments of Sviyazhsk are unique not only for Tatarstan, but for the whole of Russia. Their cultural value is recognized by international organizations.
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What to see and where to go in Sviyazhsk?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Sviyazhsky Assumption Monastery
Since its foundation in the middle of the 16th century, the monastery has been the main spiritual center of the entire Volga region and one of the richest monasteries in Russia. In the 18th century, after the secularization of the land, it gradually began to decline, and during the Soviet period it was completely plundered and closed. The revival began in 1997. The main architectural monuments of the complex are the Assumption Cathedral and the Nikolskaya refectory church with a bell tower, erected 400 years ago.
Assumption Cathedral
The cathedral is part of the ensemble of the Assumption Monastery. It is a unique example of Russian medieval architecture. The temple was erected in the classical Pskov-Novgorod style by masters from Pskov from white hewn stone. The external decoration of the facade is made in the form of patterned kokoshniks, which were completed later, in the 18th century. Inside, fresco paintings from the era of Ivan the Terrible are almost completely preserved.
Gate Church of the Ascension of the Lord
Temple of the early 18th century, erected on the site of a dilapidated wooden church. The first building was built with baroque elements. After its destruction in the 1930s, only the lower tier with fragments of frescoes remained from it. The restoration of the temple began after a thorough analysis of historical data, which allowed to recreate its original appearance. The restoration work was completed in 2015.
Bell tower of St. Nicholas refectory church
The five-tiered tower 43 matras in height, erected in the XVI-XVII centuries. Such structures on the territory of Russia are very rare. It is an integral part of the Nikolskaya refectory church (the temple seems to be specially built for it). At the beginning of the 19th century, the total number of bells reached 22, the largest of which weighed 8.5 tons. Only monks are allowed to enter the belfry.
Sviyazhsky St. John the Baptist Monastery
Now the former women's monastery is a courtyard of the Assumption Monastery, but until 1917 it was an independent institution. The first mention of it dates back to the middle of the 16th century. In 1919, the monastery was abolished and a museum-reserve was organized on its territory. The main architectural monuments are the wooden Trinity Church built in 1551, the single-domed church of Sergius of Radonezh in 1604 and the cathedral in the name of the icon of the Mother of God, erected in the neo-Byzantine style at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries.
Church of the Holy Trinity
A small church from the middle of the 16th century is the only wooden building in Sviyazhsk that has survived from those times. The church was cut down from larch and erected literally in one day. In the following centuries, the appearance of the building changed as a result of alterations and restorations, which led to a significant distortion of the historical appearance. The church resembles a wooden manor, and only the dome with a cross indicates a religious purpose.
Cathedral of Our Lady of All Who Sorrow Joy
The appearance of the cathedral is strikingly different from the appearance of the churches of Sviyazhsk. Unlike the latter, built in the manner of Russian architecture, it was erected in an elegant neo-Byzantine style. The temple has impressive dimensions - the spherical central dome reaches 32 meters in height. The external appearance of the building has been completely preserved, but the internal interior was lost during the Soviet era.
Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh
The temple was erected in 1604, initially it was built as a courtyard of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. It is a two-storey stone building: earlier on the first level there were utility and living quarters, on the second - the church itself. Inside there is a fragment of a 17th century fresco depicting the Old Testament Trinity (a copy of the icon of the same name by Andrei Rublev).
Church of Constantine and Helena
The first church was erected under Ivan the Terrible in 1551; a building built in the 18th century in the manner of Old Russian architecture has survived to this day. Since 1939, a museum has been located on its territory, until in 1993 the temple was transferred to the Orthodox community. The church is the only religious building in Sviyazhsk that does not belong to any monastery.
Annunciation Church
The church was built in the middle of the 18th century in the Baroque style, the classical bell tower was added later. At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was dismantled and all that a tourist can see today is a preserved brick foundation. Now a wooden cross has been erected on the site of the church. The commemorative plaque contains a photograph of the temple and its brief history. In recent years, restoration work has begun.
Christmas square
The main city square, founded on the site of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary destroyed in the 1930s (its ruins are nearby). The main administrative and public buildings are located here: government, post office, school, police, as well as cafes and shops. An observation deck with a view of the picturesque floods of the Volga is equipped for tourists.
Museum of the History of Sviyazhsk
The museum collection is located on the territory of the building from the middle of the 19th century. It consists of several permanent exhibitions: "Pages of the History of Sviyazhsk", "The Ancient City of Sviyazhsk", "Enchanted by the Island", "Like Mother Volga ..." and other thematic exhibitions telling about the history of the city and acquainting visitors with its cultural heritage.
Civil War Museum
The museum opened in 2016 and immediately attracted the attention of visitors. The exposition is housed in a 19th century city manor, previously owned by a wealthy bourgeois family. It is dedicated to the history of the Red and White armies, their confrontation, as well as the individuals who played a key role in the outcome of the war. A separate exhibition tells about one of the leaders of the Revolution - Leon Trotsky.
Monument to the Victims of Political Repression
In the 1940s, after the end of the Second World War, Sviyazhsk became a division of the GAUAG and was used to keep prisoners (mostly political), as well as disabled people who were injured during hostilities. The monument to the victims of repression was erected in 2011. It is a grate in a stone through which a prisoner releases a pigeon.
"House of the merchant Kamenev"
The building is located on Rozhdestvenskaya Square, it houses the hotel of the same name. The historic building of stone and wood was built in the 19th century, it belonged to the merchant F. T. Kamenev. But this building has not survived to this day. In 2011, a new house was erected in its place. The restorers have tried to recreate the original appearance and interior as much as possible.
The building of the women's gymnasium
A red brick structure built at the beginning of the 20th century.It still fulfills its purpose (the secondary school is located here). On the central facade of the building, you can see the Gothic elements - they are indicated by the lancet form of the windows and the stained glass-rose located under the roof - an architectural device characteristic of Catholic churches.
"Old water tower"
One of the numerous exhibition halls of the Sviyazhsk Island-City Museum-Reserve, located in a two-story building that was once part of the system of hydraulic structures of Sviyazhsk. The first floor - the base of the tower is made of stone, the second - of wood. Inside there is a small exhibition of paintings by local artists and an exhibition of handicrafts.
Complex "Lazy torzhok"
The complex is a historical reconstruction of Sviyazhsk, where you can immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of the past centuries. There are craft shops and shooting ranges, they regularly arrange impromptu military fights in full historical clothing and prepare national dishes. You can also visit the exhibition of ancient weapons and armor.
Horse yard
The horse yard is located near the Assumption Monastery. The ensemble of buildings is an architectural monument. After the restoration, an entertainment complex was put into operation on the territory of the courtyard. Here you can ride a horse, visit a smithy, bread and honey shops, order a carriage and ride in it all over Sviyazhsk, dine in a restaurant and buy souvenirs.
Volga river
Sviyazhsk is located on an island connected to the "mainland" by an isthmus, just at the place where Sviyaga and Volga meet, forming wide floods of incredible beauty. The city looks very picturesque from the pleasure boats passing by. In the middle of the mirror-like water surface, there are scattered small islands and land plots that give the surrounding landscape a unique flavor.
