Where the eyes look

(Places of natural and man-made wonders of Nizhny Novgorod)

Ah, how nice it is once a year or two (this is very lucky), packing suitcases and travel bags to relax somewhere far, far away, where the horizon smoothly merges with the sky, and the waves, rolling one after another on the sandy beach, count the blessed minutes of pleasure ...

But, my friends! And what about the so-called "grey weekdays"? Do they stretch from vacation to vacation, keeping you on a short leash? I will never believe that those one and a half thousand photos you took during a week of rest, enough to give vigor to everyday life. This life is worthy of being decorated, and not only with trips to the cinema and cafes, but also with new impressions!

How sad is life for some people... It seems that a person lives from vacation to vacation. But why? What prevents you from picking up a map of our region and... go on a bright little trip? Small company, car, train, bus? Places of natural and man-made wonders?

Where are your wide-open eyes looking?

Get north!

Lake Svetloyar

Svetloyar is one of the most legendary and mysterious lakes in Russia. The lake with the purest water, almost perfect oval shape, has a depth of 29 meters. Scientists still have not come to a consensus on the origin of the Svetloyarsk lake.

Svetloyar keeps the legend of the city of Kitezh, which takes us back to the time of the Mongol-Tatar campaign, in 1239. It is believed that like Atlantis, the city of Kitezh plunged into the water to avoid desecration from the troops of Batu Khan. This legend inspired Russian painters Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Roerich to create their great paintings.

If you make a wish and bypass the lake clockwise, without saying a word, the wish will come true! Check for yourself.

SHEREMETEVSKY Castle

Sheremetyevo Castle is located in the village of Yurino, the Republic of Mari El, near the border of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

Nizhny Novgorod residents consider it their own, since the name of the castle is associated with the name of the well-known landowners in the Nizhny Novgorod province - Sheremetyev. The history of the castle and the adjacent park take from the end of the XVIII century, when General Vasily Sheremetev (grandnephew of the first count in Russia - Boris Sheremetev) settled in the Nizhny Novgorod province and bought land in Yurino. Since the construction of the castle took place during the heyday of eclecticism in architecture, its appearance combines different styles: Western European Gothic coexists with Eastern, and Romanesque architecture is intertwined with Old Russian.

Be sure to visit the castle in Jurino and see for yourself! By the way, you can spend a night in the castle... and not one!

CITY

Until now, scientists will not come to a consensus on when it arose - Gorodets. According to one source, the city was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky. According to others, Gorodets arose during the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky. In any case, Gorodets is mentioned in the annals since 1172 and we can say that he is a kind of parent of Nizhny Novgorod.

The Mongol Tatars did not ignore the city and ravaged it in 1238. However, the population, saved from invasion in impenetrable forests, in a short time rebuilt Gorodets again. Already when the Golden Horde was in alliance with the Russian land, Alexander Nevsky, returning from it to his homeland, found rest in Gorodets.

An important role in the way of life of the city played Old Believers. Merchants from this environment spared no money for the arrangement and prosperity of Gorodets. Some monuments have survived to this day, for example, the Feodorovsky Monastery and the Church of Mikhail Agkhangel.

The town is also called a museum city. You can get acquainted with the crafts of the city land and its history in the City of Masters, in the local history museum, in the House of Countess Panina, in the Museum of Gorodets gingerbread and in the museum of samovars. Just walking through the colorful streets!

But why “warriors put hats on” Sop and what is Gorodets’ middle name – it is best to know personally!

Swing south!

Ichalkovo Caves

An amazing place in the Nizhny Novgorod region is Ichalkovsky Bor. The name is taken from the nearby village of Ichalki. In the limestone rocks, which were deposited in the basin of the Pjana River about 180 million (!) years ago, as a result of karst processes, underground voids and dips were formed. On the side walls of some large dips are caves.

The caves have been known since ancient times, so they have two or three names: Cold (Ice), Nameless (Small Cold), Student (Sloping or Bottle), Warm and a number of others. In caves, nature maintains a constant temperature. If the surface temperature is +20 C, then in caves it is +3 - +5 C. The length of the caves ranges from 15 to 25 meters. A little? Of course not! But do not forget that we are on the Central Russian plain, where mountains and rocks are tight.

The place where the caves are located is thickly overgrown with forest. Among the relatively young pine trees and hardwood trees there are real relics - pine trees in two or three human girths. Ichalkovo Bor is no less famous for the caves hidden in it.

Do you want to see an underground lake, leave a wish note in the Student Cave, or walk down the Devil's Bridge? Then do not hesitate and go on an adventure in Ichalki!

Pashkov's Settlement

In the Nizhny Novgorod region there is one of the most amazing and mysterious architectural monuments of the mid-19th century - the Pashkov estate.

Despite the fact that the estate in Vetoshkino was acquired by the Pashkov family in the late 18th century, the construction of the famous castle house began half a century later. A whole estate town was created, in which the church was located, a horse factory was built, an orchard was planted and a magnificent park was organized.

Until now, some buildings have survived almost in their original form, for example, a wine cellar and garden pantry - now there are museum expositions, as well as a guest house. In good condition are the terraces of the park and the paths lined with 19th century pavers. The castle itself was badly damaged in 1992 by fire, but still amazes with its splendor!

Of course, the walls of the castle keep a secret. Not one. Here and the mystery of the wine cellars, and the connection of the young gentleman with Freemasons, and underground passages, which are rumored to have access to the Pyana River, and the mystery of the configuration of the castle (the castle is built in the form of a key, which can be seen from a bird's eye view). Come here and immerse yourself in the mysteries of the Pashkov manor!

PESELAN

Since the 18th century, in the village of Peshelan (this is beyond Arzamas), local residents have been mining stone for their own needs. Industrial development of mines and gypsum mining began in the 20th century.

For eighty-odd years, the enterprise for the extraction of gypsum has grown significantly, and relatively recently, the “Museum of Mining, Geology and Speleology” was opened at the worked-out site of the operating mine at a depth of 70 meters.

In several expositions, which are located in different caves of the mine, you can get acquainted with the collection of minerals, stone mining tools, curious finds of miners. One of the caves will meet you with cave paintings and the parking of primitive man. For lovers of dinosaurs and lizards, there is a corresponding exhibition with these representatives of the prehistoric period.

If you have not been to the sea for a long time, then a visit to a shungite cave (they say that shungite is a healer of human souls and bodies) will serve as a partial replacement. And in order to quickly get up into the air, you need to go to the edge of the “cave of fear”.

So, forward and...down, for impressions!

(Don’t forget about warm clothes – it’s cool in a cave like in a home refrigerator!)

Drive east!

Name of the Pryklonskie-hands

Only some 50 km from Nizhny Novgorod in the village of Podvyazye is an ancient place - the estate of Podvyazye (or the estate of Priklonsky-Rukavishnikovs).

The estate complex, reminiscent of the Senate Square in St. Petersburg, is located on a high rocky cape of the Oka River. Right at the gate there are magnificent views of the bend of the river and its elders.

The beginning of the settlement Podzia leads from the 14th century, when it was a refuge of robbers who trade in robberies of merchant ships. Further, this name we meet in the early 17th century, when it was granted by Vasily Shuisky streltsy Onichkov. And its first name, taken from the surname of Priklonsky, the estate received in the 18th century. It was with this name that the construction of the estate complex began, traces of which are still visible. When Russia defeated Napoleon, in honor of this event, the Priklonskys erected a beautiful Resurrection Church with a rotunda. It is partially destroyed and can still be seen today.

The second birth of the estate happened when it was acquired by the Nizhny Novgorod merchant-millionaire Sergey Mikhailovich Rukavishnikov. With the new owner, innovations touched everything. In addition to the fact that the manor house itself was re-faced, a greenhouse appeared on the territory of the estate, in which pineapples and peaches were grown all year round, forges and stables were built. There was steam heating, electricity and running water.

How it happened that the energetic Rukavishnikov, whose ancestors were serfs, managed to acquire a chic estate from the ancient noble family of Priklonsky - find out for yourself by visiting the estate in Podvyazye!

Let's go west!

Makarjevo Monastery

One of the most famous places in Russia is the Makariev Monastery, located 100 km from Nizhny Novgorod. The monastery was founded by the monk Makariy in 1435 at the confluence of two rivers – Kerzhenets and Volga. Only a few years later, the monastery was ravaged by the Tatars, because of which Makariy himself was forced to go elsewhere.

For two centuries the monastery was in desolation, until in 1641 it was revived again. Due to its good location, the monastery became a place of bargaining, which quickly developed into a wide fair. By decree of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, duty revenues from the fair were given to the monastery, which contributed to the construction of churches and the growth of the settlement near the monastery.

The monastery was actively developing throughout the 18th century, but at the beginning of the 19th century the fair was moved to Nizhny Novgorod due to a strong fire raging in the walls of the monastery.

The history of the monastery continues to this day. But what connects Patriarch Nikon and Protopop Avvakum with the monastery, and why the second name “Yeltovodsky” was once added to the name of the monastery “Makarevsky” – you will learn when you yourself will find yourself in the ancient walls.

Go ahead!

P.S. So, as you can see, in the Nizhny Novgorod region there is something to see, and there is something to color the days “from vacation to vacation”, enriching and diversifying them. The main thing is that everything is near, everything is available and everywhere is waiting for you! A few movements are enough: a little more than driving a finger on a smartphone screen and a little less than the fees for a weekend in the garden!