Penza is a small but incredibly cozy town that combines provincial tranquility and a large number of cultural sites. The city is considered one of the greenest in the country. Tourists are fascinated by the beauty of the old streets and the sights of Penza.
Moscow Street
The main street of the city - Moskovskaya - is located in the historical center. She is one of the oldest in Penza. In addition, Moskovskaya Street is a pedestrian street. Therefore, all guests should certainly take a walk along the local Arbat. Here you can find a large number of souvenirs and purchase portraits or paintings by artists.
Moskovskaya street in itself is a landmark of Penza. Its history began in the middle of the seventeenth century, almost from the moment the town was founded. Over the past century, its appearance has changed a lot. Once it was called Spasskaya, and later it was renamed Bolshaya Posadskaya. And only in the eighteenth century, the modern name was assigned to it, which was due to the fact that it was along this street that the road to Moscow passed. Initially, it was considered the shopping center of the city. Here, local merchants began to build the first two-story houses. Now there is a drama theater, shopping centers, banks and hotels on Moskovskaya Street. But its main attraction is the cuckoo clock and a large thermometer.
Fountain Square is also located here. It hosts events on holidays and folk festivals. But on weekdays it is no less crowded. In winter, the main Christmas tree is placed on the square. One of the main attractions of the city of Penza is also located here - a color and musical fountain, which was installed back in 1977.
One Painting Museum
Museum of one painting is one of the most visited and famous sights of Penza. There is no other such place in Russia. People come to the museum in order to focus their attention on only one piece of art. Here you will not see large expositions and serious exhibitions. Within the walls of the museum, only one painting is exhibited, and not just any, but the most worthy one.
The institution was opened in 1983. The hall of the museum is designed for only 40 people. The session lasts for 45 minutes. During this time, guests are offered to watch a movie about the creation of a masterpiece and its author, and at the end they are offered to watch the picture itself.
The idea of opening such an unusual museum belonged to Myasnikov G. V.others.
Park them. Belinsky
The sights of Penza can safely be attributed to the park named after Belinsky, which is one of the oldest in the country. Its history began back in 1821, when Emperor Alexander the First issued a decree on the improvement of cities. During this period, the process of ennoblement of provincial cities began. Each was to have its own garden. The governor of Penza invited the German gardener Ernst Magzig to take up the creation of the park. Construction lasted until 1836. During its existence, the park has changed many names. In 1911, they decided to rename the garden in honor of the 100th anniversary of Belinsky's birth. The park has a gate with a bas-relief of the famous critic. The basis for the formation of the garden was the style of a natural oak forest. It is very pleasant to relax here in any weather. In pairs, not only guests of the city come, but also its residents who walk here with their children.
Some of the trees in the garden are over 300 years old. On the territory of the modern park there are cafes, attractions and dance floors. And by cable car from here you can quickly get to the Central square of the city. For hikers, there is a he alth trail. There are also two springs in the park.
Penza circus
The circus can safely be called the main attraction of Penza. The fact is that Penza is the birthplace of the Russian circus. In this city, the first such stationary institution appeared in 1873. A little later, the circus appeared in Saratov. The first impressions were very different frommodern. They were held on the ice of the Sura River. Straw was laid out on the ice surface, and poles were placed inside the ice, and a tarpaulin was pulled on top. It turned out to be a pretty good arena. In 1906, the circus already had its own wooden building, which was destroyed during the Civil War. In the future, the troupe worked in various temporary buildings. Later, a wooden tent appeared. There were always so many visitors to the circus that in 1941 the local authorities decided to build a new building. But all plans collapsed because of the war. Until the 1950s, the troupe gave performances in various parts of the city. The careers of many famous artists began in the Penza Circus. For example, Tereza Durova and Oleg Popov worked here for some time.
And only in 1965 a new circus appeared in the city, which immediately became a cultural landmark of Penza. The building was so large that it could accommodate 1,400 spectators at once. The local troupe toured all over the world. In addition, the circus building has become a real concert venue in the city, where Valery Leontiev, Sofia Rotaru and Alla Pugacheva performed. In 2002, the circus was named after Teresa Durova. Currently, the building is being reconstructed, it was partially dismantled and a more spacious and modern building with a transforming hall is being built on its basis.
Church of the Transfiguration
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is a historical landmark of Penza. This is the oldest building that has survived in the city. Experts say that historybuildings began as early as the seventeenth century. In 1689, a monastery was erected on the same spot. But the church itself was built later, in 1735-1750. The new temple became part of the monastery.
The church had its own peculiarity, it consisted of two parts: lower and upper. The latter was not heated. Therefore, service was conducted in it in the warm season. The lower temple, on the contrary, was very warm, so it worked in winter. In 1794, due to the growth of the city, the church was moved outside of it. In 1931 the temple was closed. In the next building there was an archive. And only in 1993 the church was reopened.
Tarkhany
Penza and the Penza region are rich in sights. One of the most interesting places is the Tarkhany Museum-Reserve, located 100 kilometers from the city. The Russian poet M. Yu. Lermontov grew up in this estate. A unique historical and cultural monument is located in the village of Lermontovo. The museum-reserve is included in the lists of especially valuable cultural monuments. On its vast territory there are quite a few objects that are associated with the childhood of the poet. In the center of the estate there is a manor house where Lermontov was born, his belongings and family heirlooms are kept here. The complex includes the temple of Mary of Egypt, a people's hut, a monument to the poet, a place for children's entertainment, a distant garden, a windmill, three ponds, a green theater, a park with an oak grove, the Church of Michael the Archangel.
Currently, the museum-reserve is a collection of original and rare household items of landlords of the period of the 17th-18th centuries. Especially thisthe place is dear to the heart of admirers of the poet's talent. The museum hosts tours, folklore festivals, poetry evenings, folk craft workshops and other events.
Trinity-Skanovsky Monastery
The real pearl of the sights of Penza and the Penza region is the Trinity-Skanovsky convent, located in the village of Skanovo. The history of the architectural complex began at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Unfortunately, during the fire, all the papers associated with the construction were burned. After that, a wooden bell tower and a church were rebuilt, which in 1795 were replaced with stone buildings. The complex includes a five-domed cathedral church with painted outer walls. At present, the Trinity Cathedral is located in the center of the monastery. Also on the territory you can see the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Forerunner Church. All buildings of the complex are designed in approximately the same architectural style. Even before the revolution, the monastery was for men. And after 60 years of Orthodox oblivion, a women's institution was established. The main shrine of the monastery is the icon of the Mother of God, which is included in the list of miraculous.
Cave complex
Of the sights of Penza and the region, a three-level cave complex is very interesting. There are two healing springs on its territory. The cave monastery was founded by Arseny II, who was the first to retire to a cell underground. Later, several more people joined him. By their joint efforts, a stone church and a chapel were built. The length of the underground passages was 2.5 kilometers. According to legend, at the lowestthe seventh level was a spring with clean water. In the thirties, the chapel and the temple were completely destroyed, and the cave itself was dismantled brick by brick for household needs.
This caused the lower tiers to collapse. Now the cave labyrinths are only 600 meters long and are divided into three tiers. The height of the central corridors and passages was two meters. For the last decade, strengthening and restoration work has been carried out. However, such a large cave object remains unexplored to this day. From the entrance to the dungeons, a long staircase leads to the mountain, which previously served as an ascent to the church. Now you can climb up it and admire the panorama of the surroundings.
Museum of glass and crystal
A description of the sights of Penza would be incomplete if we do not recall the museum of crystal and glass in the town of Nikolsk, which is even called the "crystal heart of the Penza region." At one time, the museum was opened on the basis of a glass factory. It is based on a collection of factory works. Over the years, the exposition has been replenished with products made of English, French, Bohemian, Polish crystal.
The plant was opened by decree of Catherine II. By order of the Empress, the best samples of foreign products were brought to it for copying. The owner of the village Bakhmetev N. A. brought the plant to the level of one of the best in Russia. The next generations improved and expanded production. In 1923 the plant was nationalized. But his collection of glass gradually increased, and then washoused in a separate building. Now everyone can visit the exhibition halls and appreciate the work of the best masters.
Local History Museum
Among the sights of the city of Penza, you should pay attention to the museum of local lore. It is located within the walls of a two-story old red brick mansion. The museum can safely be called a real storehouse of the history of the city. Its halls house 125,000 exhibits. All of them are invaluable heritage of previous generations. The museum currently does not have a permanent exhibition, so the exhibits change periodically. Its rich collection is filled with unique things and historical values from different times. The museum acquired the status of a local history museum in 1924. Even during the war, he did not stop his work. In the future, its exposition was significantly enriched due to the active work of the museum staff.
Traffic tree
There is so much to see in the city. The sights of Penza are so diverse that every tourist can find something interesting for themselves. In the city center, at the intersection of Oktyabrskaya and Suvorov streets, you can see a very unusual art object - a traffic light tree.
The modern landmark appeared in the city quite recently, in 2011. The idea of creation came after all the old traffic lights were removed in Penza, and new ones were put in their place. Unnecessary instances were combined into a single composition. The initiator of the installation of an unusual tree was the mayor of the city. The prototype of the composition is a similar tree inLondon, which is large. Initially, the art object was planned to be turned on only on holidays and weekends. But everyone liked the wonderful tree so much that now it lights up every day at dusk. An interesting fact is that there is no such facility anywhere else in Russia.
Defensive rampart
The sights of Penza include the memorial "Defensive Wall", located in the historical center. The complex is complemented by a sculpture called "First Settler". The memorial was erected on the site of a wooden defensive fortress. Unfortunately, nothing remains of it, so only the monument reminds of the heroic past of the region.
Historians say that the Penza fortress was built to protect the southern borders of the Russian Empire from nomads. Plots of land ramparts can still be found in some places in the city, but the buildings of those times have not been preserved at all. All those buildings that are an invariable addition to the fortress were built not so long ago with a hint of antiquity.
Zolotarevsky settlement
One of the interesting sights of Penza (photos of some of them are given in the article) and its region is the Zolotarevsky settlement, which is located near the village of Zolotarevka. Back in 1882, archaeologists found an ancient settlement dating back to the 3rd-4th century. As a result of excavations that have been going on for several decades, it was possible to reach a large settlement, the area of which is 16 hectares. Historians believe that the settlement was on the way to Kyiv from Bulgar. For many years it servedborder zone. Fenced on all sides by high ramparts and deep ditches, as well as forests, the city was an impregnable fortress for many centuries. The excavation materials show that Mordovian culture prevailed in the settlement from the eighth to the tenth century. Perhaps the settlement would have continued to exist safely further, but during the invasion of the Mongols during the battle, the fortress was destroyed. Numerous body remains and Mongolian weapons were found under small layers of greenery. After a terrible battle, people no longer inhabited the area. And the settlement itself was never touched until our times.
Currently, excavations are still underway, during which something new appears. Zolotarevsky settlement is considered a unique historical medieval monument.
