Zaraysk - a Town that has Halted in Time

Zaraysk — a small, provincial town, which seems to be halted in an amazing timelessness, although just 145 kilometers separate it from Moscow. Walking along the merchant mansions, one can easily imagine himself a resident of the XIX century. And looking around the walls of the ancient Zaraysk Kremlin neighborhood, one can move to even more ancient times. The city dates back to 1146, but its name — Zaraysk — was adopted only in the XVII century.

Besides 1146, the second chronicle mentioning of Zaraysk is associated with the town’s acquisition of the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas in 1225. For this image, the St. Nicholas Cathedral was built, where a collection of chronicles was created — unique monuments of the history of ancient Russia. Zaraysk reflected many attacks of nomads. In the first half of the 16th century a protective wooden prison in the town was replaced with a stone one. And in 1614 Zaraysk residents built a wooden Church of the Annunciation in memory of defenders of the city. The militiamen were buried under its walls in the Lisovsky kurgan, which has survived to this day. Now the red-and-white Kremlin is the smallest one that has survived in Russia! It has a museum.

It is also interesting to see Gostiny Dvor preserved in Zaraysk, that is, the trading rows of the XVIII century. Now the bus station and the town’s market are located in these rows, where modern trading is taking place in the historical decorations. The Water tower erected in 1916 also attracts attention. A wonderful view of the town opens from the observation deck on the tower, its unique diamond-shaped squares and merchant mansions of the XVIII-XIX centuries.

It is important to keep in mind that Zaraysk is one of the most ecologically clean areas of the Moscow region. Here one can taste wonderful Russian cuisine from natural products produced by local farms. Hot shchi (cabbage soup) and crumbly porridge, pancakes and pies with hearty meat and sweet berry fillings will please everyone who enters local cafes. And the design of cafes and restaurants in the form of Russian huts or merchants’ boards adds to the guests’ appetite!

In the middle of the XIX century a new railway from Moscow to Ryazan bypassed Zaraysk, which immediately turned from a noisy trading town into a quiet province. But just thanks to such a fact this unusual and attractive illusion of a halted time has survived to this day.

Get directions

One can get to Zaraysk by bus from the bus stop Kotelniki, which is located at the same name station of the Moscow metro. The journey takes 2.5 hours.