Serpukhov 1

Serpukhov   is a town with the population of about 120 thousand people, like most Russian towns, bears the imprint of the country's exuberant history. Monasteries, churches, some museums are all there.

It was founded in 1339 by Ivan Kalita. Since then it has always been the administrative centre of the nearby area. Now it's the centre of Serpukhovsky region(the sub-division of oblast').

The town is situated in the south of Moscovskaya oblast' ( Moscow region, the larger sub-division of the country) so it used to be the military outpost in the time of the Golden Horde. It's history has some relation to the Kulikov battle, the turning point in the history of Russia under the Golden Horde; Boris Godunov's march of 1598 forced to acknowledge  him as the Tsar of Russia in the Tatar influential circles.

After the October Revolution of 1917 the monks were turned out by the Bolsheviks. The Monastery was transferred into the quarters for the Latvian Riflemen.  After 1931 the Monastery was turned into a prison where massive executions were carried out.

Vysotsky Monastery founded in 1374

Zachat'evskaya Cathedral (the Cathedral of Saint Anne's conception of the virgin Mary) was built between 1580 and 1697. The church is widely known in Russia for the miracles of the inexhaustible chalice icon.
The site of the Cathedral of Saint Anne's conception.

Somewhere in the town...

 An ordinary street

 The cat near the local museum

 Vladychny Nunnery was founded by the order of Virgin Mary in 1360.  In the 16th-17th the originally founded as monastery it was turned into the fortress with weapons. At the beginning of 19th century it was in decline and only after being turned into a nunnery it revived. In 1919 the nunnery became a millitary college.

The local historical museum is unexpectedly full of masterpieces of famous Russian artists: Makovsky, Levitan, Vasnetsov, Goncharova, Aivazovsky. The basis of the collection was the merchant's wife Marayeva's collection which she, for vague reasons, had bought from an official who was in desperate need of money. Marayeva was an old-believer, so it's not accidental that the Old Believer Church was built near her house in 1910  on the investment of Maraeva.

Old Believer Church

The town itself looks untidy and poor. Whereas, for example, Uglich gives the impression of an 18-19th century town with its cleanliness and relaxed way of life,  Serpukhov seems to be the town of the 80s 20th century with characteristic of that time abject poverty, lack of good service and prospects for the future.

Check out where to stay in Serpukhov in order not to get too much disappointed.