Although Aleksandrov is not included in the list of cities in the "Golden Ring" of Russia, all lovers of Russian history are eager to visit here. The historical center of the city has been preserved so well that once you find yourself in the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda, you seem to be transported several centuries ago. Aleksandrov is known as the capital of the Russian oprichnina, the royal residence and the place where the first Russian Icarus, the servant Nikita, flew from the high bell tower.
History of the ancient city
The first village on the lands, where the city later grew, appeared in the XIV century. In the historical annals it is known as the Great Sloboda, and later - the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda. The settlement stood in the way from Moscow Kremlin in Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and the princes who rode on a pilgrimage stopped in it to rest.
Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda
Under Tsar Vasily III, a large palace and temple complex for the Russian sovereigns began to be built in the settlement. Ivan IV the Terrible repeatedly stayed in the settlement, and in 1564 he moved here, making the settlement the unofficial capital of Russia. Here the tsar and his family waited out the terrible plague epidemic that took place in the Moscow lands in 1568. Three years later, he held the famous bride show in the settlement, after which Martha Sobakina became the king's wife. And 10 years later, in one of the palaces, his son, Tsarevich Ivan, died at the hands of the sovereign. After this tragedy, the sovereign left his country residence forever and returned to the capital.
After the devastating Time of Troubles, the settlement and the surrounding villages were rebuilt for a long time. And by the decision of the tsar, a female Orthodox monastery was created here.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the first manufactories appeared in Aleksandrov. When the railway was built in 1870, the local industry began to develop at a rapid pace. In 1930, the first power plant was built here. Under Soviet rule, radios and televisions were produced in the city. Nowadays Aleksandrov is recognized as one of the historical cities of the country. There are 103 architectural monuments on its territory.
Church of the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God
Independent journey through Alexandrov
The city center is located on Sovetskaya Square, which locals simply call the Square. It stands 1.3 km east of the Aleksandrov I railway and the bus station and is connected with them by Lenin Street. Under Ivan the Terrible, the clerk hut, the Ambassador's yard and the market were located on the square. Later, it housed a parish school, and today you can see a cinema and the building where the district court sits here.
From the square to the east, past the Alexandrovsky Art Museum, Sovetskaya Street leads. It crosses the valley of the Seroy River and leads to the historical center of the city - Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda. The territory of the palace and temple complex, built in the 16th-18th centuries, is surrounded by a brick wall, and therefore it is often called the Alexander Kremlin.
Church of Seraphim of Sarov
Once there was a royal residence. From this place, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ruled the country for about 17 years. Nowadays, on the territory of the Kremlin there is a museum-reserve and the Holy Dormition women's monastery, and here you can see several outstanding monuments of Russian architecture.
In the center of the city there is a majestic Nativity of Christ Cathedral and temple of Seraphim of Sarov, and not far from the central market is located Church of the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God... In addition, on the streets of Aleksandrov, houses built in the late 19th - early 20th centuries have survived, and some of them are home to local museums.
Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ
Alexandrov Museums
Article: Alexandrov Museums
The provincial city is small in size, less than 58 thousand people live in Aleksandrov, but there are several museums here. Most tourists come to the museum-reserve in the former Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda. There are so many expositions and exhibitions in ancient palaces and temples that it is worth planning at least 3-4 hours for a visit.
Fans of paintings and folk crafts are happy to drop in to the city art museum, and connoisseurs of poetry - to the memorial museum of the Tsvetaev sisters. Only in Aleksandrov you can see amazingly beautiful artificial stones that were grown by specialists from the Research Institute of Mineral Raw Materials. Fancy crystals are on display at the Museum of Man-Made Stone.
Aleksandrovsk Museum of Art and Local Lore
Interesting facts about Alexandrov
- Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda is the place where the first human flight took place. Serf Nikita jumped on makeshift wings from the highest building of the royal residence - the Crucifixion church-bell tower. According to legend, he made wings from wood and bird feathers and fastened them with wax. Nikita miraculously survived and landed on the banks of the Seroy River. Nevertheless, the king ordered the execution of the slave, his head was cut off, and his wings were burned.
- In 1568, the first Russian printing house was created here. The first book printed in the settlement was the Psalter.
- Alexandrov is considered the most likely place to look for the missing library of Ivan the Terrible.
- The longest city street, Krasny Lane, stretches for about 2 km.
- In the last century, the city was known as the capital "101 km". It was home to many Russians who had gone through political repression.
- In 1970, a feature film based on the poem by A.S. Pushkin "Ruslan and Lyudmila".
Literary and Art Museum of Marina and Anastasia Tsvetaev
How to get there
A railway connecting the capital and Yaroslavl passes through Aleksandrov, so it is convenient to get to the city by train. Suburban trains run from the Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow to Aleksandrov every hour. Travel time 1 h 30 min - 1 h 45 min. 3-5 electric trains run from Yaroslavl to Aleksandrov every day, and one train from Ivanovo. In addition, long-distance trains run through Aleksandrov.
The city is connected by motorways with the M8 highway leading from the capital to Arkhangelsk, as well as with Karabanovo and Kolchugino. To get to Aleksandrov by car, you need to drive 110 km from the capital, 120 km from Vladimir and 190 km from Yaroslavl.
Regular buses run from Aleksandrov to Moscow, Vladimir, Kolchugino, Kirzhach and Yuryev-Polsky.
