Kostroma is one of the most beautiful old Russian cities and a part of the Golden Ring of Russia. One of the most ancient cities, Kostroma is not only a cultural and historical centre boastin a wide range of sights, but also an important industrial centre of the Kostroma Region.

Kostroma is located not so far from Moscow – just 330 kilometres away. It is interesting to note that Kostroma stands on both banks of Volga river and Kostroma river. For this reason the basic transport means habitual for Kostroma dwellers is river shipping. Lots of moorings and ports are located on Kostroma quay.

There are about 288 000 people living in Kostroma, though the city is not considered to be a large one. The ethnical structure is quite simple: the Kostroma’s population is generally Russian. The language people use in everyday life is mostly Russian but there is one particularity about the pronunciation: Kostroma’s inhabitants do pronounce the letter {o} distinctly which is unusual of Central Russia’s way to pronounce words.

Kostroma is also famous for a number of prominent people who lived and acted in Kostroma. During the time of Polish-Lithuanian intervention in the beginning of the 18th century Kostroma played a prominent role in the formation of people's volunteer corps leaded by Minin and Pozharsky. Another representative of Kostroma, peasant Ivan Susanin took the enemies to thick woods and deadly swamps, where he met his death, but where the enemy troops vanished, too.

The city was destroyed by fire in 1773, nevertheless the centre was rebuilt all at once, in remarkable Russian classical style. The central district now comprise buildings and complexes built during the period between 1770-1830. It’s a fine example of a unique, monolithic complex.

Yet the nicest thing to do in Kostroma is to walk along quiet central streets with trading arcades and wooden houses. The charm of the ancient trading city remained, and its special location, right on the shore of such a large river gives it brightness and a special atmosphere. A good place to walk is also the embankment of the Volga River.

Sights of Kostroma:

On a visit to Kostroma, it is a must to take a walk in the city centre with its ancient architecture, white-stone churches, antique shopping street, and a splendid fire watchtower, which is a trademark of Kostroma.

One of the major historical monuments of Kostroma is the Ipatievsky Monastery. The unique Museum of Wooden Architecture located on the territory of the Ipatievsky Monastery exists since 1958. The city also has the unique Museum of Ivan Susanin’s Feat, the only one in the world. It is known, that Ivan Susanin was a native of one of the villages of Kostroma.

Special attention should be paid to the Kostroma State United Arts Museum, the collection of which is constantly replenished as a result of expeditions around the Kostroma Region. In Kostroma there is also a well-known Literary Museum, opened since 1996. The A.N.Ostrovsky State Drama Theatre is another worthy point of interest in Kostroma.

It is hardly possible to enumerate all the sights of Kostroma, so many there are. The list is so big that it will take more than a week to visit all the well-known places of the city. Thanks to the big number of its sights and picturesque scenery Kostroma enjoys popularity as an attractive tourist place.