Things to do in Western European Russia
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R-16
Booming nightclub with a big dance floor and attached lounge. It’s next to the Tokyo restaurant.
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Assumption Cathedral
Smolensk's big green-and-white working Assumption Cathedral rises at the top of a flight of steps off ul Bolshaya Sovetskaya. A cathedral has stood here since 1101 but this one was built in the late 17th and early 18th centuries; it is one of the earliest examples of the Russo-Greek revival in architecture following the Europeanisation trends of Peter the Great's reign. Topped by five domes, it has a spectacular gilded interior, which was partially damaged by fire during WWII.
According to legend, Napoleon was so impressed that he set a guard to stop his own men from vandalising the cathedral.
Immediately on your left as you enter, an icon of the Virgin is richly encrusted…
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Fortress Walls
Built between 1596 and 1602, the impressive 6.5km-long, 5.5m-thick, 15m-high walls originally had 38 towers, with 17 still standing. The pleasant Central Park of Culture and Rest backs onto a longish southwest stretch of the walls. Overlooking the Spartak Stadium just outside the line of the walls on the west side of the park, the Korolevsky Bastion is a high earth rampart built by the Poles who captured Smolensk in 1611.
It saw heavy fighting in 1654 and 1812. The park has a 26m-high cast-iron monument to the 1812 defenders.
At the foot of the walls (southeast of the Glinka Garden) you'll find an eternal flame memorial to the dead of WWII and the graves of some of the Sov…
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Pskov National Museum of History, Architecture & Art
A very rich 17th-century merchant built his fortress-like house and treasury here in the heart of Pskov, with walls 2m thick. The original building and a newer addition now house the Pskov National Museum of History, Architecture & Art, which comprises three separate museums and a wide range of displays. The 2nd floor of the new building houses the war collection, with photos and artefacts from WWII, as well as information on more recent conflicts like Afghanistan and Chechnya. More interesting is the 1st-floor picture gallery, which has works from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, including paintings by Nikitin, Tropinin and Zhukovsky, as well as representations from th…
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Dostoevsky House
The simple, two-storey Dostoevsky House on the small Pererititsa River is now open as a museum. The house never left the family’s possession before becoming a museum, and some original pieces remain. Dostoevsky’s desk has copies from his mazelike drafts, and you can see his doodlings on the pages. His bookcase holds books from the period, and his wife’s bedroom still contains her bed and chest. A keyboard instrument that Dostoevsky supposedly tinkered with sits by a window overlooking the river. You can take a tour in Russian, or do a self-guided tour using the English-language handout available at the ticket office.
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Znamensky Monastery
The crumbling tower visible over the town's north end is the early-19th-century Znamensky Monastery. For a nice hour-long hike, follow ul Sovetskaya towards the monastery. At the fork in the road, veer right downhill to the water and cross the handmade footbridge. A bit to your left will be the base of a stone stairway leading up to the monastery. All that's left today are remnants of the old wall, the shell of a tower and an unsurpassed view over all Yelets. The large blue cupolas off to the right, as you look out from the monastery, belong to the now-abandoned Church of the Nativity (Tserkov Khristorozhdestvenskaya).
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Church of Ascension-Ilinsky
The 1786 Church of Ascension-Ilinsky was used during the Soviet era as a warehouse for the Dom Knigi bookshop, a hulking neoclassical structure placed smack in front of the strawberry-milk-hued, 18th-century church. With the fall of communism in Russia, the books were moved out and the church reopened. When a regional bank was constructed next door in 1997, tinted glass was used to reflect the church, creating the illusion that it is once again part of the main street. Inside, you can see original frescoes by famous icon painter Vasnetsov.
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Pskov State Museum
The Pskov State Museum, located near the entrance to the kremlin, is a spartan collection of archaeological finds from the Old Town. The first floor contains displays include knives, jewellery and old keys dating back to the settlement’s earliest days when Scandinavian Vikings lived in the area. An attached room has revolving displays by local artists. A second exhibit upstairs, the fairly dry Chancery Chamber, presents old documents on the administration of Pskov during the 17th century.
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Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour
The attraction here is the Unesco-protected, nonworking Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, whose 12th-century frescos are considered to be one of the most complete representations of the biblical narrative to have survived the Mongols. The frescos have been partially restored after centuries of damage from flooding, whitewashing and scrubbing; 80% of what you see today is original. The artists are unknown but were almost certainly from Greece, based on the Byzantine-style of the frescos.
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Herman Brachert House-Museum
A 15-minute walk west of the town centre in the village of Otradnoe is the charming Herman Brachert House-Museum, the former home of the sculptor whose work can be spotted all around Svetlogorsk; his bronze Nymph statue resides in a mosaic-decorated shell on the promenade. The house itself is small but the wild garden setting is lovely and decorated with more Brachert pieces, other works by contemporary sculptors and – looking forlorn in a corner; ruined statues of Lenin and Stalin.
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Regional Museum
Yelets’ Regional Museum houses artefacts from its colourful past. Particularly interesting are the model of ancient Yelets and the collection of Russian coins from the 4th century BC to the Soviet era. The second room is dedicated to the Mongol cavalry that ran roughshod over Yelets in the 13th century. Upstairs is a collection of paintings by local 19th-century artist Meshchkov and information on Yelets’ devastating WWII experience. Beware of overcharging for entry tickets.
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Assumption Cathedral
At the south end of Krasnaya pl is Kursk's most distinctive building, the domed 1816-28 Assumption Cathedral. The Soviets converted the cathedral into a cinema, but it's recently been restored to its former glory. Behind the greenish-blue walls, you'll find a mix of the lavishly ornate (gilded columns, an enormous chandelier) coupled with even larger paintings depicting scenes from Christ's life.
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Trinity Cathedral
The grandeur of the 1699 Trinity Cathedral, Pskov's principal sight, is heightened by the simplicity of the skeletal kremlin surrounding it. The gilded centre dome, as high as a 28-storey building, can be seen from 30km away on a clear day. The interior, with a large collection of bejewelled icons of the Madonna, is still undergoing restoration, though services have returned.
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Restaurant Rus
This restaurant, located atop the walls of the kremlin, is a throwback to medieval times. The cool stone interior is decorated with battle gear and the views of the Velikaya are taken through the crossbow slits in the walls. Dishes are unspectacular but fresh: marinated mushrooms and potatoes; crab and tomato salad; and salmon with tomatoes and mushrooms. English menu.
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Kursk Battle Museum
Around ul Sonina is the two-room Kursk Battle Museum, upstairs in the elaborate red-and-white former House of the Nobles, now the Officers House (Dom Ofitserov). Admission buys you good views over town, documentation and artefacts from the battle, and an enthusiastic former Red Army soldier who will tell you all about it and then some.
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Sergievo-Kazansky Cathedral
A block east of ul Lenina, on a pleasant, tree-lined street, is the fine baroque Sergievo-Kazansky Cathedral, built between 1752 and 1758 and designed by Elizabeth I’s court architect, Rastrelli. The construction was ordered by a wealthy merchant who sought repentance for a murder he committed (more or less in self-defence so the story goes).
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Krasnaya pl
The foot of ul Lenina opens into Krasnaya pl , surrounded by imposing Stalinist buildings - the House of Soviets on the east side, the post office on the west, the Hotel Tsentralnaya on the northwest and the matching city council building on the northeast. At the south end of the square is Kursk's most distinctive building, the domed 1816-28 Assumption Cathedral.
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History Museum
Smolensk’s History Museum doubles as a fine-arts museum, displaying a hodgepodge of 18th and 19th century portraiture and 13th-century iconography and graffiti, along with battle maps and Soviet paraphernalia. Particularly interesting are the fragments from the 1812 war, including a French uniform from one of Napoleon’s soldiers.
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Dieteticheskoe Café
This cosy cafeé and restaurant makes a lovely spot for a light meal or a drink in the evenings. Dishes include spaghetti, small sandwiches, goulash and zhorenaya riba (smoked fish). As is usual in Russian restaurants, the portions are small, but they are cheap enough so that you can order a few courses without having to run to the ATM.
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Pushkin Museum Reserve
Pushkin’s family house is open as part of the Pushkin Museum Reserve, a 2½-hour bus ride from Pskov. The family first came to the area in the late 1700s, when Pushkin’s great-grandfather Abram Hannibal was given the land by Empress Elizabeth. The family house was destroyed during WWII and has since been rebuilt.
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Flax Museumhttp://atlas.lonelyplanet.com/ui/merge_pois/new?ids[]=494080&ids[]=1101677
The pink former Church of Trinity Monastery now houses a small Flax Museum. Historically, flax production has been one of Smolensk’s main industries as the moderate climate sustains soil ideal for growing flax. Exhibits here are sparse, but you’ll get an idea of how the process works. Walk around the back to find the entrance.
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Karl Freidrich
With its faux-fireplace and beer hall atmosphere, this place aims to recreate a little slice of Bavaria. The kitchen serves all kinds of calorie-laden dishes, including pork ribs (R190), pelmeni (R120) and cheese-stuffed veal (R320). Be aware that the prices on the English menu are lower than the Russian one (until you get the bill).
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Glinka Concert Hall
Attending a concert is the best way to get a look at the reconstructed hall where Glinka once entertained Russian nobility and launched the history of secular art music in Russia. The local orchestra uses balalaikas in lieu of violins and is quite good. Tickets run from R80 to R800, depending on who’s in town; some shows are free.
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Kafe Frigate
Overlooking the Velikaya River, Kafe Frigate specialises in seafood and the usual Russian favourites (bliny, borsch, chicken Kiev). The almost elegant, red-hued dining room is strung with rigging ropes and other nautical devices, although the real kitsch arrives in the evening when the ballad-singing band takes the stage.
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Bavaria
Although the ambience is lacking, Bavaria's eclectic menu (English available) and friendly service make it a good find. Dishes include perch in cabbage, stewed with beer; omelette with ham and mushrooms; and pork stuffed with plums, walnuts and cheese. The only drawback is Bavaria's location; it's about 200m south of pl Pobedy.
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