5 reasons to visit Staritsa, one of the oldest towns in Tver Region

Dina Setdikova

Jun 18 2024

5 reasons to visit Staritsa, one of the oldest towns in Tver Region — Ivan Kurinnoy

White-stone Russia came from Staritsa, the locals say. Not once will you want to return to this ancient town, which can be explored on foot in just a couple of hours.

Staritsa is shrouded in legends. According to one of them, the town near the mouth of the Staritsa (or Starchonka, how it was originally called) River was completely destroyed by the Tatar Mongols at the end of the 13th century, with only one old woman remaining alive. She took refuge in one of the white stone caves, for which the town is so famous. And as ‘old woman’ is translated as 'staritsa' in old Russian, allegedly this is why the town is called this way (and not because of the nearby Starchonka River).

That’s why it is worth visiting.

1. Find out how the old white-stone Russia was born

These days, the quarried local white stone goes to Moscow for the restoration of the Kremlin and the Tsaritsyno Palace, as well for the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Yaroslavl. But, before this, people always lined up for Staritsa white stone and took it across the whole of Russia — to the cities of Moscow, Tver, Smolensk, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk and others. It was especially convenient to float the stone down the Volga River (as Staritsa River is Volga’s tributary), before it became shallow in these places.

Since its foundation in 1297, the town was famous for its amazingly white limestone, which was nicknamed ‘Staritsa marble’. Whole local families were involved with the limestone extraction. It was quarried in layers, rolled out on logs and taken to the river by sleighs in winter. In spring, the 'precious' stone was shipped in hundreds of barges.

During World War II, partisans and locals took refuge in the unique mulit-kilometer-long catacomb caves, along with their livestock and supplies. Later, the quarries were blown up, but, even now, you can find a guide who will take you on an excursion through the preserved part of the dungeon. The ‘Seltsovskaya’ quarry, complete with bats, is suitable for beginner adventure seekers, while the ‘Barsuchya’ quarry, with its low ceilings is for advanced ones.

2. Enjoy the picturesque views & the local sights

One of the most picturesque ancient settlements in Russia and the highest point of the city is the Staritsa's Gorodishche', a historical center of the city built on ramparts of the Volga River's left bank. There is also an observation deck, which offers stunning views of the entire Dormition Monastery, the Volga River and its 'Staritsky Gate'. This is probably the most beautiful section of the river, where the Volga makes its way through the high banks.

Despite the limestone deposits, the embankments of Staritsa have always been reinforced with wood, but, to this day, on one side they are protected from landslides by white stone forges. They were built at the end of the 18th century right at the foot of the ramparts.

Along with limestone extraction, Staritsa was famous for its blacksmiths: every year, they produced up to 25,000 sickles for the whole country. Out of 50 forges, seven have survived to our day. And they look fabulous: sunk into the ground, each of them is decorated with an arch with merlons, where you can see the date of construction: “1798”.

The forges are planned to be restored for local manufacturers and a modern space is to be created there. The whole town is also being actively revived and restored - in five years, it will be unrecognizable. For instance, a picturesque embankment has already been built along the entire Staritsa River.

On the embankment, the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which is more than 200 years old, is under restoration right now. In the 1930s, a bakery was set up in the church: the Soviets dismantled all the aisles, built ceilings and made three floors. The interior decoration was completely destroyed.

Now, you can climb the bell tower of the church and listen to the bell ringing right there, looking at the entire Staritsa. You can also see miraculously preserved fragments of frescoes on the walls and even order a brick with your name to be laid in the masonry. And, thus, donate to restore the church.

All the icons there share the same style and are covered in simple foil frames. These very unusual 19th-century coverings are from the Borisovka settlement in Belgorod Province. There is also a curious double icon featuring two Christs: Christ in full height next to the Mother of God, who is holding little Jesus in her arms.

3. Discover the ancient monastery where the first holy Patriarch of all Rus’ lived

The town of Staritsa developed around the Staritsa Dormition Monastery. According to legend, a wooden church on the right bank of the Volga River above the mouth of the Staritsa River was built by two monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra back in the year 1110. And, in 1297, Tver prince Mikhail Yaroslavovich built a fortress there.

Surrounded by a white-stone wall, the Staritsa monastery was revived several times over its long history. Firstly, it was razed to the ground during the feuds of the 14th century; then, in the 18th century, the land was taken away from the monastery under the secularization manifesto of Catherine the Great; finally, in 1919, under the Soviets, the wall was dismantled for other construction works and the buildings were mothballed.

In the 2010s, the monastery was restored to its original appearance. The restoration was carried out by the Foundation for the Revival of the Holy Dormition Monastery, which was established by Viktor Khristenko. They say that after the restoration, the monks witness a miracle at night: the face of Christ under the dome is illuminated by a ray of light.

The Dormition Monastery is famous for the fact that, in the second half of the 16th century, it was ruled by Archimandrite Job, who later became the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and one of the three patriarchs canonized. During the ‘Time of Troubles’, Job refused to recognize False Dmitry I - he was exiled to his native Dormition Monastery and died there.

Forty-five years later, Job’s relics were solemnly transferred to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, but the tomb remained in Staritsa. Even in Soviet times, students visited it (secretly) with a textbook before exams. They believed that if you sprinkled sand from the tombstone on the page that you had managed to memorize, then it would be the one that you get in the exam. And although the tombstone has been fenced off, schoolchildren still come here before taking their graduation exam.

4. Get to know Pushkin even better

“Pushkin’s Tver office” is what literary scholars dub Staritsa and the surrounding area. This city is included in the so-called ‘Pushkin Ring of the Upper Volga Region’. The poet visited Tver Province more than twenty times to see his friends, the Wulfs, who had property there. For example, at the Osipova-Wulf Estate in Malinniki, he wrote the seventh chapter of 'Eugene Onegin' and completed the poem 'Anchar'.

Pushkin also often visited the Wulff estate in the village of Bernovo, where a museum in his honor now operates. Every year, they organize a big festival to celebrate the poet's birthday. The cozy, hilly park around the estate attracts people from all the surrounding areas.

On his way to monastery, Pushkin visited Staritsa and ordered canes from the white stone forges, bought wine for dinner and joined the balls in merchant Filippov’s house. By the way, the balls of Pushkin era are still held there today.

In honor of Pushkin's 225th birthday, a monument to the poet was unveiled in Staritsa's renovated park next to the Dormition Monastery. Now, it is the tallest Pushkin's monument in the entire Tver Region. The locals are proud: "In Boldino, Pushkin lived because of quarantine, in Mikhailovsky he was in exile, but, in Tver Province, he came for love," they say proudly.

By the way, now until the golden fall, which the poet loved so much, a tourist can see ancient Staritsa through his eyes - you just need to join the performance-walk ‘We are all Pushkin’ by ‘Excursion Bureau № 1’. It is easy to get to know the town on your own with the free audio guide ‘Pushkin Staritsa’, recorded by the voice of Georgy Marchenko, who plays Pushkin in an immersive performance.

5. Eat Pushkin's pie, pick strawberries & stay at a cheese farm

Staritsa’s culinary calling card is Wulf's apple puffs. According to legend, Pushkin fell in love with them when he tasted them once at another Wulff estate - Pavlovskoye. It is said that, thanks to these puffs, the poet signed his letters to his beloved woman, Anna Kern, as "All Yours, Apple Pie".

Allegedly, the recipe was brought from Germany by Pavel Wulf's wife. The delicate creamy and not too sweet puff, in which the apple is not immediately recognizable, became a local attraction. Then the recipe was lost and only restored in our time. Not only tourists hunt for puff pastries, but also the locals. Therefore, it might not be possible to find the pastry, which has become one of the culinary brands of the Tver region, so readily!

Another local edible attraction are the strawberries in the neighboring village of Grigorevo. You can come to the family's berry eco-farm to pick sweet strawberries yourself.

And if you're tired of sweet things, there is a peasant farmstead not far from Staritsa, where the Yastrebov brothers make delicious cheese. There, you can stay in a village house with a stove and a bathhouse, walk in the fields where cows, goats and horses graze and learn how cheese is made. In the morning, you will be fed with homemade casseroles and fresh milk!

#volga #alexander pushkin #travel #tver