Journey through Yaroslavl

An hour later, we arrived in Yaroslavl.

At the entrance to the city caught the eye of the phrase on a huge poster “Making our city the cleanest on earth”.

The stunning grooming of Yaroslavl was told even by those who visited there in pre-perestroika times. To begin, lunch in a small restaurant decorated under the hold of a schooner. Stingrays suspended from the ceiling, waiters in veins and leather aprons, false illuminators, ropes. Satisfying, tasty and fast. The first plus on the account of the tour organizers. After lunch, the bus, gathering forces for a long time, began to steer along Freedom Street in the direction of the Volga. The engine convulsions were suspicious. Forty minutes the car stood by the sidewalk between the bank and the supermarket. During this time, I looked at the Yaroslavl pedestrians.

In general, Yaroslavl resembled Moscow. If you do not know where you are, then it is a complete feeling that you accidentally wandered into an unfamiliar street of the capital. The same manner of dressing people, the same expression on faces, the same architecture of modern and not very buildings. No hint of provincialism, a modern rich industrial city. The driver tried to magic around the engine, but, in the end, only spread his hands. The exit was found quickly. Embarrassed, smiling, we were offered a walk to the next software facility. That was a march! Through the squares from Liberty Street we went down to the embankment of the Kotorosl River with fortified banks, and then took a serious pace in an unknown direction. As it turned out, closer to the Volga. For some, this was a serious test - the lack of physical training, tight build and even pregnancy on a long term. A kilometer after two marathons stopped. The long-awaited monastery was the Transfiguration Monastery. The first mention of the city dates back to 1071. Yaroslav the Wise at the confluence of two rivers lays a small outpost. As you can guess, in honor of the prince the city is named Yaroslavl. The place where the fortress settled was called Bear Corner. The city was part of the Rostov-Suzdal principality, and even at one time (1218) was its capital. Although it will be fair to note that the capitals of this principality were visited by Rostov, Suzdal, and Vladimir. Such a rotation since then is probably a good tradition for our state. In the 15th century it fell under the rule of Moscow, and in the 17th it flourished as a commercial and industrial center.

A century later, it was the center of an independent province, and in the 19th century it was already a large industrial city. The Transfiguration Monastery is one of the main attractions of the city. Founded in the 12th century, it served to protect urban settlements. Since then, the monastery became rich, had serfs, various crafts, and its own lands beyond its borders. And here were collected chronicles, eventually formed into a vast library.

What is only worth the fact that in one of the buildings is now stored "Word of Igor's regiment." The main temple also bears the name of the Transfiguration. This is Russian-Byzantine architecture with small, I would say, “laconic” gold domes.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to look into it. But the lack of visual information was more than compensated by the inspection of the temple domes from the high monastery wall. Within the walls of the monastery there is an aviary, where he is doing well, already in his own bear corner, a living symbol of the city bear Masha. After all, it is the bear with an axe on the shaft that is placed on the coat of arms of Yaroslavl. We knock on the closed door of the fence, someone responded.

The venerable caretaker was very glad that another crowd of idle onlookers fell down. Warning that Manechka worked for a fee, he launched the show, taking on an educational function. After a detailed story about the life of Sergius of Radonezh, for five minutes we admired the culbites of the round and hot Mashka. By animal standards, it was time for her to retire. But her care was good and quite worthy of the symbol of the city. She looked great like a circus star. Moreover, the old-timer mentioned that one of the famous Moscow trainers was interested in her clever tricks. Having poured money into the piggy bank so as not to lose weight, the group ran further behind the elusive guide. Another marathon round. So we rushed past the stadium. On the rise among the birches at a large tent church made a small respite. The temple was dedicated to Michael the Archangel, patron of the army. According to our guide, this temple is depicted in the painting by Savrasov “Rooks have arrived”. I had quite different information about the Rooks up to this point – the village of Molvitino of the Kostroma province. But some tourists had their own, third point of view. In the absence of a speedometer and a mileage recorder, it was difficult to judge the distance traveled. It was probably the same unforgettable experience guaranteed by the company. But, on the other hand, the picturesque floodplain of Kotorosli with its arrow, we, as they say, measured the steps.

When you're so lucky! Below, on the floodplain bank, among the transparent birches by the road, cars and summer pubs sheltered. There was a lot of people – a day off. At the beautiful white-stone gazebo, our speed dropped to zero. It was so beautiful – the place of confluence of the Volga and its tributary. Boundless distances, sails on the water surface, nascent green grass on the arrow! And then there is the Great Russian River. On the high embankment of the Volga, we slowed down. I wanted to admire the bridges, beautiful arbors, an ancient pier and a passing barge of colossal size with lights already lit at dusk.

Not far from the church of Nikola Nadein appeared lost at the stage follower of the case Susanin. She congratulated the people on the joyful news, first of all for herself - the repair of the bus.

The heated atmosphere was defused by a visit to the private museum “Music and Time”, which settled between two churches – Nikola Nadein and the Nativity of Christ, both – 17th century. Employees waited for us and immediately began a session of psychotherapy. The exhibits were bells, gramophones, gramophones, a charm, harmonia, antique clocks and other items of old life.

The wonderful girl-guide not only twisted the handle of the shingle and started a gramophone, but also played harmonia herself. She was able to capture our attention immediately. Some succumbed to hypnosis and even participated in a small ancient rite of amusing wedding. The creator of the museum is a former magician-illusionist. I am all for such private museums! Well, in principle, the whole of Yaroslavl, according to the travel agency. The fact that I caught a glimpse of the Drama Theater named after Fyodor Volkov, even while walking to the restaurant, was luck. But another pearl of the city, the church of Elijah the Prophet, was never reached.