Culture of Krasnoyarsk. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Krasnoyarsk boasts quite a lot of world-famous attractions. This is a beautiful ancient city that has prepared for its guests an interesting excursion program and a lot of entertainment for every taste. The city's main landmark is Stolby Nature Reserve - this picturesque corner of unspoiled nature attracts travelers from around the world. Hundreds of hiking trails pass through the reserve; this is the brightest natural sight of the city and its surroundings.

The most recognizable architectural monument is the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel rising on Karaulnaya Mountain. The beautiful chapel was built in the old Russian style in the middle of the 19th century. In 1996, the chapel has gone through a complete reconstruction, and today it appears before visitors in all its glory. Unforgettable panoramic views from the top of the mountain will be another pleasant surprise for participants of the tour.

The Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum opened more than a hundred years ago is considered a famous cultural center of the city. This is where cultural valuables of Krasnoyarsk Krai are stored, the museum's collection includes more than 400 thousand historical artifacts. In the heart of the city is a park founded back in 1828. Today, the area of the park is much more extensive than a few centuries ago. Here you can relax on a hot day and admire exotic plants. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

A must-have for fans of theatrical art is the State Opera and Ballet Theater. It often hosts bright premieres and well-liked productions with the participation of popular actors. An interesting attraction is the Trinity cemetery and the Holy Trinity Cathedral located on its territory. It can be safely called an open-air museum, here you can see a lot of beautiful architectural monuments, as well as burial sites of prominent figures.

Connoisseurs of painting would be interested in visiting The Surikov Art Museum that occupies a beautiful historical building. One of the largest museums in Siberia has a rich collection of more than 14 thousand exhibits. To further your acquaintance with the great Russian artist, you can go on a tour of the museum-estate of Surikov. The artist spent his childhood and youth in this very house whose 19th-century interior was restored as accurately as possible. The museum contains more than a hundred works by the artist, as well as about 1,500 interesting historical artifacts and antiques.

Krasnoyarsk has many famous mansions, and each one is worth a visit for their magnificent exteriors and interiors. For example, Houses of Kudryavtseva, Erofeev, Kalugin, Telegin. All the monuments breathe the spirit of past times so history and architecture buffs always get wonderful impressions here. A symbol of the city is the “Hourglass” sculpture that often serves as a meeting place for lovers. Sculptors tried to bring a focus on antiquity but aphorisms written on the sculpture are considered the most interesting part of the monument.

The Transfiguration Church, which is sometimes referred to as the Organ Hall due to its excellent acoustics, is a wonderful monument of sacral architecture. The construction of the neo-Gothic building was completed in 1910 by the architect Vladimir Sokolovskiy. Nearby is the Priest's House, another beautiful monument and a masterpiece of wooden architecture. Once it was the house where the clergymen lived (hence the name). Today the building is occupied by a musical school. Just like the church, the house was built in 1910. Another shrine, the Great Mosque of Krasnoyarsk, was built in 1995. It is built of red brick, which is quite unusual for a muslin temple. In all other respects, this is a traditional monument of Islamic architecture.

Another interesting religious landmark is the St. Nicholas Church and a Monument for Victims of Political Repression, which was built in 2000, and, as the name suggests, is a kind of memorial to those who didn't survive the Stalinist terror. This is because it is built on the site of a point for sending away political prisoners (it was located on the right bank of the Yenisei). Inside the building, you can see lists of victims of repression. The city has many beautiful churches built in a typical Orthodox style, which cannot be ignored - they conquer everybody with their grandeur. These are, for example, the Holy Protection Cathedral, as well as the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith.

The First Fire Station in Krasnoyarsk built at the beginning of the 20th century is of great architectural value. There was a need for its construction: since the city had many wooden buildings, frequent fires have accompanied it for many years. Local architects could not but create a perfect masterpiece of architecture. Another remarkable building belongs to Olginskiy Orphanage that presently houses a school for visually impaired children. Designed and built by Sergey Drizhenko in 1913, it has always been used as intended, except for the years of the Second World War, when a hospital was based here.

It’s impossible to pass by such a beautiful building as the Officers' House. This is another project of the architect Sokolovskiy implemented in 1913. The majestic Empire was chosen as a style, the construction was timed to the victory of Russian troops in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte in 1812. Once the building was used for government needs, but today it hosts exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances, so it's worth following the theater's news so as not to miss an interesting show. Another monument preserving history is the Garrison Military Hospital. It was originally built as a theological seminary at the end of the 19th century. In the days of the October Revolution, it served as a military hospital. This place has always been associated with some mystical stories.

The city also has a number of interesting museums. These include the open-air museum St. Nicholas Memorial Steamship built in 1886 as the fastest vessel on the Yenisei of that time. The ship could accommodate about 200 passengers on its board, among whom were Tsarevich Nikolai, the future Russian emperor, and Vladimir Lenin who was exiled to Eastern Siberia on this very steamship. Many tourists are interested in the History Museum of the Krasnoyarsk Railroad, which is divided into several thematic zones: In one hall one can see passenger trains, in the other - cargo ones, there are separate rooms with interactive exhibits, as well as a cinema hall.

For those with a sweet tooth, it would be nice to visit the Honey Museum where tours end with a sweet tasting. And it’s also a great idea to expand your horizons by learning a lot of interesting information about honey production. Krasnoyarsk can also offer the Planetarium, thanks to which one can have a great time watching the starry sky, as well as learn interesting facts about astronomy and our solar system. A wonderful monument of wooden architecture is V. Astafiev Literary Museum, a 19th-century mansion built in Art Nouveau style. Inside, you can find a collection reflecting the creativity of Siberian writers.

Not only Paris has a triumphal arch - in Krasnoyarsk, this monument also deserves special mention. It was erected in 2003, and when tourists drive along Prospekt Mira, it certainly catches the eye, being a symbol of victory. The city has many monuments to great people - Surikov, Pushkin and his wife, Dzerzhinsky, Chekhov, and even musicians who have made significant contributions to the history of Russian rock - Viktor Tsoi and Mikhail Gorshenov. Tourists can see beautiful symbolic sculptures - besides the already mentioned "Hourglass", of great interest are the compositions “Children of War”, Rocket "Kosmos" Monument, “Uncle Vasya the Drunkard”, a monument to the teacher. This is just a small part of all the local sculptures, it is always nice to meet them while walking down the street.