Small Torzhok is famous for a large number of architectural monuments. It is a pity that many of them are not in the best condition, but it is gratifying that the historical buildings, albeit slowly, are being restored, which is why the town is acquiring an increasingly presentable appearance. Here is the famous Borisoglebsky Monastery - almost the same age as the Kiev-Pechora Lavra, old churches that have survived from the 17th century, and neat mansions of merchants who made up a large part of the population of Torzhok in the 19th century.
The city is also included in the list of "Pushkin places", the great poet has been here more than once. Another interesting fact: it was in Torzhok that Pozhansk cutlets appeared, without which the menu of any restaurant of Russian cuisine can not do today. And finally - the famous architect N. A. Lvov was born here, who in his time did a good job on the appearance of St. Petersburg.
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What to see and where to go in Torzhok?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Borisoglebsky monastery
The Borisoglebsk monastery is the oldest in the Tver region. It was founded at the beginning of the 11th century, but written sources contain the earliest information, only from the 16th century. The monastery was founded by the Monk Ephraim of Novotorzhsky, who was at that time in the service of Prince Boris. The early buildings were not preserved, since the complex was seriously damaged during the Time of Troubles and was practically destroyed. The oldest building dates back to the 17th century.
Resurrection monastery
Convent of the 16th century. Currently, the monastery is not limited only to receiving pilgrims, but also actively develops cultural tourism. Indeed, the visitor has something to see: the main Resurrection Church, built in 1796, where a valuable icon of the Resurrection of Christ is kept, an earlier bell tower from 1766, the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist and monastic cells of the mid and early 19th century.
Novotorzhsky Kremlin
Ethnographic complex, opened in 2012 on the historical territory of the Upper settlement. It is an exposition of weapons, military equipment and armor, located in wooden huts and in the open air, as well as reconstruction of dwellings, workshops and shops, typical for Russian settlements of the XI-XVII centuries. Not without a stadium, where impromptu battles take place.
Monument to N. Lvov
Architect N. Lvov was born near Torzhok in the middle of the 18th century. He is the author of projects for many estates and park ensembles located in the Moscow, Tver and Novgorod regions. He also worked on the plan for the main cathedral of the Borisoglebsk monastery. A monument in his honor was erected in 2004 with funds raised by the N. Lvov with the support of the city administration.
Museum of the Torzhok Gold Embroidery Factory
Sewing with gold threads is the original craft of Torzhok. In the 18th-19th centuries, local craftswomen embroidered shoes and dresses for noble ladies, and also decorated textiles for imperial palaces. Over time, a whole factory appeared in the city and a museum with it, where items made mainly in the 20th century are exhibited (shoulder straps, edging of banners, banners, general's stars, there is even a portrait of Stalin).
"House of the Belt"
The museum was opened in 2013 on the territory of the Olenins-Balavensky estate, built in the 19th century. The main exhibit of the collection is the world's largest belt, 12 meters long and 25 cm wide. It was made by local gold embroiderers. The product is embroidered with patterns of Orthodox themes, it was even consecrated in a church. It took more than 50 km of gold thread to make the belt. The museum also houses a small exposition consisting of everyday and festive belts.
Museum named after A.S. Pushkin
A. Pushkin often visited Torzhok between 1811 and 1836. That is why the city was included in the "Pushkin Ring of the Upper Volga Region" - a tourist route with a length of more than 200 km. The museum exposition is located on the territory of a wooden mansion. It consists of the poet's manuscripts and notes, as well as engravings with landscapes of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tver.
Helicopter Museum
In the museum, visitors can see various models of helicopters produced at different times in the USSR (mainly combat models are presented). The collection was created in the 1990s on the basis of a former secret facility. It houses both old models and modern ones adopted by the Russian Air Force (for example, MI-8), as well as equipment that was exported abroad for use by foreign armies.
"Vasilevo"
Ethnographic open-air museum, created on the territory of the estate of the same name in 1976. It consists of houses - examples of wooden architecture of the 18th-19th centuries, brought from different districts of the Tver region. There is a rather interesting object here - an arched bridge made of boulders, designed by N. Lvov. The name "Devil's Bridge" was firmly entrenched behind the structure, with the light hand of the author of one of the Soviet guidebooks.
Starovoznesenskaya church
A wooden church on the outskirts of the city, supposedly built at the beginning of the 18th century. Over the next centuries, the church was repeatedly altered, given the fragility of the material, which quickly fell into disrepair and decayed. In the middle of the 19th century, the building was moved and reconstructed, and in its place it was decided to build a new stone church. Another restoration took place in the 1980s.
Transfiguration Cathedral
The magnificent five-domed cathedral adorns the center of Torzhok. It was erected in the 19th century in the solemn Empire style, presumably by the project of the architect K. Rossi. The entrances to the temple are decorated with Doric porticoes and classical columns, the roof is crowned with beautiful domes. In the 1930s, it was closed and plundered, resulting in the loss of unique frescoes and precious church utensils.
Church of Elijah the Prophet
Ilyinsky Church was erected in the first half of the 19th century on the site of two dilapidated churches. It is known for the fact that the body of Alexander I rested here for one night, which was transported from Taganrog to St. Petersburg. The building consists of a rectangular main building crowned with a large dome and a detached three-tiered bell tower, made in accordance with all the canons of the classical style.
Michael the Archangel Church
A stone five-domed temple located on a hill and therefore clearly visible from afar. It was built in the 17th-18th centuries to replace an earlier building destroyed in a fire. In Soviet times, the church was the only one functioning in the district; believers from all neighboring cities and villages came here for services. The main shrine of the temple is an icon with a particle of the relics of the Monk Ephraim (the founder of the Borisoglebsk monastery).
Estate Znamenskoye-Rajok
The mansion of the second half of the 18th century, built according to the project of a group of architects, which included N. Lvov, K. Butsi, V. Irven, F. Ruska. Of the entire ensemble, only the main building with side colonnades has survived to this day. All gazebos and pavilions that adorned the park space in the past have been lost. At the moment, the building is under restoration, after the completion of the work it is planned to open an educational institution.
Tveretskaya embankment
The city embankment, which after the last restoration has acquired a cozy and well-groomed appearance, has become the hallmark of Torzhok. During the restoration work, they tried to preserve the atmosphere of the 19th century inherent in this place.It should be noted that the craftsmen managed to cope with the task - the neat stone mansions really look like the historical houses of merchants with elegant facades.
