For several years now, I have spent every vacation working on cruise ships along the Volga River. Among other routes, we take trips to the cities of Russia’s Golden Ring. Life on a river cruiser, while interesting, is very monotonous. The schedule, routes, excursions, cities, piers, and river ports are all the same, month after month without a day off. To distract myself from the routine and add variety to the excursions, I bought a simple mirrorless camera and started photographing the beauty around me. These trips with a camera became not just a way to switch gears, but also an opportunity to rediscover cities that I was already familiar with. The series includes photos taken in the cities along the ship’s route: Myshkin, Tutayev, Uglich, Yaroslavl, Plyos, and Kostroma.
Tutayev City. Borisoglebskaya Side, the Resurrection Cathedral, and picturesque nature
The Volga divides the city into two sides. On the left bank is Romanovskaya. According to legend, the Uglich prince Roman Vladimirovich founded a fortress here. The city was named in his honor.
Tutayev feels like it was made to absorb the atmosphere of the Golden Ring—authentic, quiet, and cozy.
The next city is Uglich. Its heart is the Kremlin on the banks of the Volga River. There stands the Church of Dmitry on the Blood, an ornate structure with bright red walls, white trim, and blue domes. It was built on the site of the death of Tsarevich Dmitry, son of Ivan the Terrible. This tragedy echoed through the nation’s fate—it is from this event that the Time of Troubles is dated.
In this picturesque location—the Kremlin—are also situated the cathedrals of Transfiguration and Annunciation of the Lord.
From the river pier, there is a picturesque view of the Church of Flora and Lavra. In princely times: due to lack of space in the Kremlin, the princely stables were moved to the right bank of the Volga. Naturally, a church also appeared near the stables—Saint Flor and Lavra are revered as patrons of horses.
Mishkin is a charming town on the Volga River in the Yaroslavl region, one of the most popular destinations in the Golden Ring of Russia.
The magnificent Assumption Cathedral with unique, antique frescoes
Seagulls at Myshkinskaya Pier
We are approaching the capital of the Golden Ring of Russia—the city of Yaroslavl.
Yaroslavl welcomes a downpour
The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God Cathedral at the Monastery
The incredibly cozy and atmospheric Kostroma and the Church of Savior of All-Saints in Ryady, which is a federal cultural heritage site of the peoples of the Russian Federation.
The Belfry of the Bogoyavlensky Cathedral is the architectural dominant of the city. It stands 64 meters tall. The belfry houses a clock that chimes. Every hour, it plays the melody «Slavsya» from M. I. Glinka’s opera «Life for the Tsar.»
In Kostroma, history is palpable on almost every facade, and the atmosphere invites leisurely strolls down beautiful streets and boulevards.
The final destination of the route is Ples, in the Ivanovo region. The town spreads beautifully across the hills by the Volga River. Here, history, nature, and art are interwoven—walking through the streets is a delight.
The very place that inspired Isaac Levitan to create the paintings «Over the Eternal Rest» and «Wooden Church in Plyos at the Last Rays of the Sun”—Petropavlovsk Hill, or Levitan Hill.
The town of Plyos retains historical architecture—merchant mansions, small houses with carved window casings, and ancient churches. Furthermore, there is almost no Soviet-era construction in the city, which enhances the atmosphere of antiquity.
Sunset over the Volga River as the journey through the Golden Ring of Russia concludes.
Photo Link: https://disk.yandex.ru/d/i0WJhsiUhwQHdQ