Starting to describe the sights of Ryazan, it should be noted that the city and the Ryazan region are rich in historical and architectural monuments. After all, so many historical events took place in this vast territory. In order to visit all the memorable places, you will need a lot of time. This article will help you learn more about the sights of the city of Ryazan with photos and descriptions and save time looking for them. It will tell about the central part of the glorious city, its museums, the Ryazan Kremlin, the Theological Monastery, the Oksky Biosphere Reserve, the old settlement and the mosque in Kasimov.
Ryazan Kremlin
After arriving in the city, the traveler has a question: “Of all the many sights of Ryazan, what is the first thing to see?” Considering that Ryazan was founded in 1095, it has a richhistory and a large number of beautiful and remarkable places. The city is located northeast of Moscow and is the administrative center of the Ryazan region. The main attraction of Ryazan is considered to be the Ryazan Kremlin.
It is located in the oldest urban area. Today it is an architectural and historical museum-reserve, located in the open air and belonging to the oldest Russian museums. The Ryazan Kremlin was built on a high hill with steep cliffs that surrounded the Lybed and Trubezh rivers.
In the Tracked Ps alter, kept in the Kremlin Museum-Reserve, there is a record about the date of the founding of the city and the beginning of the construction of the Ryazan Kremlin. In fact, it was a city-forming fortress, around which the city that is currently known appeared.
Cathedrals in the Ryazan Kremlin
Of course, the sights of the city of Ryazan can be considered cathedrals located on the territory of the Kremlin. Previously, there were many buildings and structures intended for various needs, today the following have survived:
- Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the XII century. It was the main temple of the Spassky Monastery. The cathedral is decorated with carved platbands made of white stone and highly artistically executed colored polychrome tiles.
- Assumption Cathedral, built in the 16th-17th centuries. It was erected on the site of the white-stone Assumption Cathedral, which was destroyed by time. The temple has the highest iconostasis in Russia.
- Christ Nativity Cathedral, whichwas founded by Oleg Ryazansky, the Grand Duke, in the 14th century and has survived to this day, heavily rebuilt. This temple is the tomb of the princes and princesses of Ryazan.
- The Archangel Cathedral (XV-XVII centuries) was built as a tomb for bishops and metropolitans, as well as a princely house church.
Kremlin churches
In the Kremlin itself and the cathedral park there are several churches and chapels. Here are the names of the sights of Ryazan with a photo and description. These include:
- Epiphany Church of the 17th century. It is considered the second most important in the Spassky Monastery. It is located near the monastery wall, near the Holy Gates. It was erected in the place where the old church of the 16th century used to be, which was destroyed by fire in 1647.
- Church of the Holy Spirit (XVII century) and a small chapel next to it. They were built in 1642 in the two-hipped architectural style, which was rarely seen in Russia. In the Middle Ages, the Spiritual Monastery stood in its place.
- Archbishop's home church of the 17th century. Located in the left wing of the Palace of Prince Oleg of Ryazan.
- Ilyinsky Cathedral of the 17th century. It was erected in 1699 on the site of an old wooden church. It was built of brick left over from the destroyed second Assumption Cathedral.
- Church of the Savior on Yar (XVII century). Created in 1686 on a hill called Spassky Yar.
- Chapel dedicated to the 900th anniversary of Ryazan. Erected in 1995 in connection with the celebration of the anniversary of the city. From all sides in the chapelthere are commemorative plaques that describe a brief history of the Ryazan principality.
- The Church of St. John the Evangelist (XX century) connects both buildings of the seminary, forming a building that is called the "Hotel of Nobility".
Historic center of Ryazan
Ryazan's historical center is also a striking sight. Architecture lovers and connoisseurs will love the numerous buildings and monuments. On the road from Teatralnaya to Sobornaya Street, there are monuments of architecture and architecture of the 18th-20th centuries.
Not far from Yesenin Street there is a museum named after I. P. Pozhalostin, a Russian engraver. The building itself is an architectural monument of Russian classicism of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The collection contains more than ten thousand original works of Western European and Russian painters dating back to the 15th-20th centuries. The expositions contain works made in various types and techniques of painting.
Art lovers will appreciate performances at the Ryazan Musical Theatre, the Drama Theater or the Theater on Cathedral Square. The cultural life of the city is seething and developing, and any theater-goer will find something interesting in it.
Museum dedicated to long-range aviation
There are other interesting sights in Ryazan, such as the Long-Range Aviation Museum. It was solemnly opened in 1975 in honor of the 30th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War.
A huge outdoor exhibition area showcases variousaircraft related to long-range aviation. These are heavy bombers:
- Tu-95 K.
- Tu-22 M-2.
- Tu-22 M-3.
- Tu-16.
- M-4.
As well as other representatives of long-range aviation. In addition to the open-air exposition, there are also five closed halls, which contain aircraft and other exhibits related to military aviation.
This attraction of Ryazan is also considered unique because all the combat vehicles presented are in working condition. Each of the aircraft can take off at any time and be used for its intended purpose.
This museum is one of the first in the country dedicated to this type of air force. Its territory can be accessed only by appointment. Fans of unusual and unique places will find it very interesting here.
Museum of the Airborne Forces - a description of the sights of Ryazan with a photo
At the base of the airborne school in Ryazan there is the world's only museum dedicated to airborne troops. It presents expositions with the banners of units of the airborne units that took part in the war. As well as awards for fighters, various weapons, military uniforms and documents.
The total number of exhibits of this attraction of Ryazan exceeds 35 thousand units, many of which are of unique historical value. The initiator of the founding of the museum was General Margelov VF, Hero of the USSR. Thanks to him, in 1972 the museum launchedfirst visitors. The building houses a cinema hall, which shows documentary, historical and educational films about the airborne troops.
S. A. Yesenin Museum-Reserve
To the description of the sights of Ryazan and the region, one should undoubtedly add a story about the museum-reserve of the poet SA Yesenin, who was born in 1895 in the Ryazan province, in the village of Konstantinov. This museum is one of the largest complexes in Russia.
Every year tens of thousands of connoisseurs of Yesenin's poetry come to these places. On the territory of the reserve there is the estate of the poet's parents, in which he was born and raised, the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, where he was baptized. As well as Konstantinovskaya zemstvo school, where the poet studied, and a chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit.
The literary museum presents valuable exhibits, for example, editions of Sergei Alexandrovich's works published during his lifetime, books with autographs. As well as the table at which the poet wrote his beautiful works, personal belongings and Yesenin's death mask.
St. John the Theological Monastery
Description of the sights of Ryazan would be incomplete without mentioning the St. John the Theologian Monastery, located in the village of Poshchupovo, 25 km from Ryazan, which is a male monastery. In the Ryazan diocese, this monastery is the oldest, which is not surprising, because the date of its foundation dates back to the 13th century.
According to legend, the monastery was founded by missionary monks who came to the Ryazan lands to convert the locals to Christianitypagans. The monks brought to these places the icon of St. John the Theologian to bless the newly consecrated Russian land. It is considered miraculous and is one of the main shrines of the Church of Constantinople. This face became the main shrine of the monastery.
In the monastery there are shrines with particles of the relics of the healer Panteleimon, St. George the Victorious, Nicholas the Wonderworker and other God's Saints. Not far from the monastery, next to the ancient caves, there is a holy spring, which is considered miraculous. The monastery hosts sightseeing tours that tell the rich history of the monastery.
Natural Attractions
Continuing the description of the sights of Ryazan with a photo, I would like to pay attention to the Oksky Biosphere Reserve - the only one in Russia. In total, there are 14 such reserves in the world. On its territory there are 256 species of birds, 57 species of mammals and 37 species of fish. Here they are engaged in the study, as well as the protection of rare species of animals. Particular attention is paid to the breeding of rare purebred bison, muskrat and other mammals.
In this place there is also a nursery of rare species of cranes. This is a unique reserve, which presents all types of cranes that live on our territory. While on an excursion in the Oksky Reserve, you can learn about the history of this unusual complex, the peculiarities of the flora and fauna of these places and visit the Museum of Nature.
The old settlement is another attraction of Ryazan
Not far from Ryazan are the ruins of an ancient city called StarayaRyazan. It was abandoned after the horde of Batu Khan attacked the city in 1237. The ancient settlement still keeps many secrets and mysteries in itself, since the only historical handwritten source that tells about the invasion of the Horde on these lands is “The Tale of Batu’s Devastation of Ryazan.”
Now it is quite difficult to establish what is true in the story and what was added by the chroniclers, and the very time of creation of these texts is not known for certain.
Archaeologists found the foundations of several churches here: the Assumption, Borisoglebsky and Spassky Cathedrals. Scientists have also managed to restore the exact location of the main gates of Ryazan: these are the Silver, Oksky, Water, South, Spassky, Borisoglebsky and Ryazhsky. And also draw up a general plan for their location. Thanks to the work of archaeologists, the plan of the settlement was recreated.
Khan's mosque in Kasimov
Here is another description of the sights of Ryazan with a photo. In the Ryazan region, in the city of Kasimov, there is a monument of history and architecture - the Khan's mosque of Kasim Khan and a minaret. According to legend, the mosque was built by the first Tatar ruler of the Kasimov Khanate, Kasim, in the 15th century. According to another version, the mosque was built by order of Shah Ali in the middle of the 16th century.
It is a two-storey building with a dome, located on a massive base and a minaret, consisting of two tiers of a cylindrical shape. This building is a monument to the ancient Tatararchitecture in the style of classicism. Currently, the preserved buildings are used as a historical museum. All year round it welcomes thousands of tourists who want to learn about the interesting history of the Ryazan region of that period.
Having studied the description of the sights of Ryazan and photos with names, we can conclude that when traveling around the city and the region, you can see a large number of attractive places. Each tourist will discover a lot of new things, it will be interesting here both for lovers of nature, history, and connoisseurs of architecture and poetry. Ryazan and its environs are a real treasure trove of attractions, which is why tens of thousands of tourists visit these beautiful and amazing places every year.