Yoshkar-Ola: attractions, photos and reviews of tourists

"Red City" - this is translated from Mari as the capital of Mari El. Anyone who happened to be here recently, do not hide their surprise and the impressions that Yoshkar-Ola produced on them. The sights here are really unusual, many of them appeared quite recently.

From past

The history of Yoshkar-Ola began at a time when the Mariysk land was annexed to Russia after the defeat of the Kazan Khanate by the army of Ivan the Terrible in the middle of the 16th century. The city of Tsarev on the Kokshaga River, or Tsarevokokshaisk, was first mentioned in the annals in 1584, although, according to archaeologists, in the Mesolithic Age people already inhabited these lands.

The city began with a fortress built for the purpose of protecting the land and performing exclusively military functions. Managed the fortress of the governor, in whose hands not only military, but also administrative, fiscal and judicial power was concentrated. Gradually, merchants, artisans and peasants began to appear here, who usually did not settle in the city, but occupied the land around it. So there were settlements, settlements and villages.

Nowadays

Modern Yoshkar-Ola was formed in the period from 1941 to 1990 and continues to be built up to this day. Particularly changed its appearance over the past 10 years, after the city development program "Stolitsa" was approved.

An updated city with a rich past and a major center of Finno-Ugric culture - this is the modern Yoshkar-Ola. Attractions that must be seen are cultural, historical and architectural monuments reflecting different periods of the region's development. Among them are ancient manors, churches, historical buildings, squares, as well as numerous sculptural compositions. An important role in the cultural life of the capital city of Mari El is played by theaters and museums.

Theaters

The eventful theater life of Yoshkar-Ola is represented by all classical types of theatrical art.

In 1968, as a result of the transformation of the united drama theater. Majorov-Shketan was founded musical and drama theater. In 1994, it was renamed. Thus, the Mari State Opera and Ballet Theater was established. Erica Sapaeva, named after the Mari Soviet composer, the author of the first national opera. The basis of it was graduates of choreographic schools and conservatories of Moscow, Leningrad, Kazan, Perm, Gorky. So the formation of the young theater and the national performing school began. On his stage were delivered about 50 classical and contemporary works of ballet, opera and operetta art, as well as children's performances. Today the repertoire includes the national operas "Aldiar" by E. Arkhipova, "Akpatyr" E. Sapaeva, the ballet "Forest legend" by composer A. Luppov. Pride of the theater - choreographic productions: the ballet "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky, "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev, Don Quixote by Minkus. For 11 years, the theater hosts the international festival "Winter evenings" with the participation of opera and ballet artists from Russia, Italy, Japan, America. In 2002, the only festival in the world dedicated to the great ballerina Galina Ulanova started here. The theater successfully tours not only in Russia, but also abroad. This is China, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, South Korea, Central America, Taiwan, Lebanon and other countries. Today the theater occupies a new building, built not so long ago specially for him. In terms of equipment, it is considered the best in the Volga region.

Mari National Theater of Drama. Shketana, which is the oldest in the republic, began its history with an amateur production in November 1919. Since 1929 it is a professional cultural institution, which later became one of the best in Russia. The theater actively participates in world theater life, while preserving its national identity. Of the awards was awarded the "Golden Palm" - the prize of the Association of European Theaters.

The capital of Mari El operates the Academic Russian Drama Theater named after G. Konstantinov, which was founded in 1919. Many directors have contributed to its development. The most important role belongs to the main director Grigory Konstantinov, who was in this position from 1964 to 1994. On his initiative in 1993, the International Association of Russian Theaters was established, whose headquarters was in Yoshkar-Ola. In September 1994, the theater was named after Konstantinov. On the stage of the Russian theater, dramas are staged on the works of classics and contemporaries. Among the best can be called "Othello" by Shakespeare, "Tsar Fedor Ioanovich" by AK Tolstoy, "The Nest of Wood Grouse" by Rozov, Ostrovsky's "Mad Money", Gorky's "Meshchan", Pavlov's "Conscience."

In 1991, the Mari Theater of the Young Spectator was opened in Yoshkar-Ola, on the basis of the Russian Drama Theater named after Konstantinov. Now he has in the repertoire 35 productions on works of national, Russian, foreign classics and modern drama. For all the time on his stage were delivered more than 80 performances for children and adults in Mari and Russian. The troupe of the theater constantly goes on tour in Russia and abroad.

Museums

The history, culture, traditions and life of the Mari people are reflected in the collections of the museums in Yoshkar-Ola in different directions.

The Museum of the History of the City of Yoshkar-Ola has in its collections objects of archeology, heraldry, ethnography, works of fine and applied art, photo documents. It is housed in a two-story red brick building, which was built in 1911 in the center of the city. This house, now declared a historical and architectural monument of republican significance, belonged to the well-known local merchant-timber merchant Chulkov. The former merchant's estate consists of a main building, a wing and stone gates, which are decorated with elements of Art Nouveau. The permanent exhibition presents the history of Yoshkar-Ola from 1584 to 1917. Visitors will learn about the emergence of the city-fortress Tsareva, about how it was built, about its development, life and traditions of citizens, the fate of famous people. Each season there are thematic exhibitions. Currently, the Museum of the History of the City of Yoshkar-Ola invites you to the photo exhibition "City and Time". In unique photographs you can see what was Yoshkar-Ola in different years of the last century. Temporary exhibitions reflect the life of the modern city, introduce enterprises, the history of streets, creativity of citizens, charitable actions.

Museum of folk and applied art was opened for visitors in 1999 in a building declared cultural value of the Republic of Mari El. This house made of wood with openwork carvings was built in the early 20th century. Before the revolution, it was owned by the contractor Zemstvo Lokhanov. The museum acquaints with folk crafts, history and life of the Mari people. In total, about 250 exhibits are collected, including ethnographic items, samples of fine arts and decorative and applied art. Here you can see national costumes with embroidery, wicker furniture, carved scoops, musical instruments made by folk craftsmen. The Museum of Folk Applied Art organizes annual festivals and exhibitions.

In 1961, on the anniversary of the first Mari composer, who became the founder of professional national music, the Klyuchnikov-Palantay Memorial Museum was opened. It is located in a wooden house, where the composer lived in recent years. The exposition is located in three rooms, in which the home environment of representatives of the provincial intelligentsia of the early 20th century was recreated. Here are preserved original household items, furniture, manuscripts and other things of members of the Palantay family. The museum holds exhibitions, music evenings, lectures, meetings with composers.

Art museums and exhibitions

The Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Mari El, which was established in 1989, operates in several directions. It is located in a building erected by the architect V. Babenko in 1980. In addition to the works of Mari fine arts and applied art, Russian painting, sculpture, graphics, as well as individual works of West European painters and graphic artists are represented here. The public lectures are held at the museum, where you can get acquainted with the history of the arts, with the world art culture, the history of the creativity of the Mari people. In its funds there are more than 7 thousand units of storage. The museum presents paintings by Russian artists of the 19th century (Serov, Shishkin, Makovsky, Egorov). The works of modern Finno-Ugric fine arts in the genre of ethno-symbolism and ethno-futurism draw attention. These are paintings by Mari artists - A. Ivanov, S. Evdokimov, V. Bogolyubov, I. Efimov. Along with a permanent exposition in the museum you can visit thematic exhibitions, which are regularly updated.

The National Art Gallery is the main exhibition area of the capital. It was founded in 2007 as a branch of the Museum of Fine Arts. The gallery is located on the main square of Yoshkar-Ola. It has the most modern equipment: climate control, video surveillance and fire extinguishing systems, special lighting, burglar alarms, mobile exposition equipment. In the gallery there is an active exhibition activity. Visitors get acquainted with the works of Mari and Russian artists, masters of fine arts of the Volga republics, as well as collections of Russian museums. World-class exhibitions are held here. During the years of the gallery, the inhabitants of Mari El had the opportunity to see the works of Edgar Degas, Salvador Dali, Ilya Glazunov, Nikas Safronov, Benoit de Stetto. On the site were exhibited collections of the largest Russian museums: the Tretyakov Gallery, the Zlatoust Weapons Museum, the Amber Museum (Kaliningrad). The most successful exhibitions were:

• "Return. From Europe to Russia »Benoit de Stetto.
• "Faces of Time" - about the culture of the Mari region.
• Personal exhibition of the artist Nikas Safronov.
• Photo-exhibition "Private collection" by E. Rozhdestvenskaya.
• "Gold of the Baltic" - from the funds of the Museum of Amber in Kaliningrad.

After the opening in the gallery of the virtual branch of the State Russian Museum, residents of Yoshkar-Ola can get acquainted with the masterpieces of fine arts from the largest museum in the northern capital at home.

Monuments of history and architecture

Objects that represent historical, architectural and cultural value are, as a rule, in the historical district of the city. Unfortunately, in Yoshkar-Ola, few pre-revolutionary buildings were preserved. Among them merchant houses:

• House Chulkov (late 19th century), which houses the Museum of the History of the City of Yoshkar-Ola.
• The farmstead of the merchant Pchelina (18th century).
• House of Karelin (mid-18th century).
• House Bulygin (mid-19th century).
• Naumov House with decorative carvings along with wooden buildings (19-20th century). This is one of the most beautiful buildings of the old city.

Temples

Unfortunately, almost all churches of the 18th century were completely or partially destroyed during the Soviet period. Today in the city there are temples that have been reconstructed or rebuilt. Among them:

• The Trinity Church was the first stone building and one of the oldest in the city (1736). Funds for construction were provided by merchant Vishnyakov and peasant Osokin. It was a traditional two-story building, consisting of a large quadrangular with a refectory. Chetverik was crowned with five-headed, below was Nikolsky side-altar, a multi-tiered bell tower stood separately. In the 30s the church was closed, the bell tower and the upper tier were destroyed. It began to be rebuilt under a new project in 1995 and finished only in 2008. The new building retained the forms typical of the church architecture of the 18th century. It has become one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The temple is connected to the bell tower with the help of an arch, and its roof of a bizarre shape is topped by five gilded domes.
• The Cathedral of the Ascension of the Lord was built on the means of the merchant Pchelin in 1756. He was an octagon on a quadrilateral with bypass galleries, a large refectory and a separate bell tower in several tiers. The church was closed in 1937, was partially destroyed and rebuilt, then a brewery was placed in it. In 1992, the temple was returned to the faithful and restored. Since 1993 the cathedral has the status of a cathedral.
• The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ with a décor in the Moscow Baroque style was originally built in 1759. It was a one-light quadrilateral with two octal numbers, decreasing in width. The bell tower was built in four tiers in the late 18th-early 19th century. The refectory and two chapels (Feodor Stratilata and Pokrovsky) were built in the late 19th century. In 1928 the church was closed, the upper octagon and the bell tower were destroyed. Only in 1944 the building was returned to the faithful, but in 1961 the cathedral was again closed and completely destroyed. Only in 2008 the construction of a new church began, which lasted until 2010. The renovated Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, aged in the Baroque style of the 18th century, was consecrated in 2010.

• Temple of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin was founded in 2005 as an Orthodox church. The building in a style close to the new-Byzantine building was built in 2005-2006.
• The church of the icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin was built in 1774 (by the neo, in which was the St. George's chapel (not preserved) .The belfry was located above the refectory. The church was closed in 1929, after which it was partly rebuilt.Reached to believers in the 90s And the park was reconstructed at the site of the cemetery.

Monuments

In Yoshkar-Ola there are many different monuments, against the background of which people like to photograph themselves, and even the inhabitants of the city themselves. Among the most famous:

• The sculpture "Tree of Life", located in the Park of Culture and Rest, reflects the national flavor of the Mari region. The monument, authored by the artist Andrei Kovalchuk, was installed in 2008. In the center of the composition is a tree symbolizing the life and continuity of generations, and around it are three musicians from bronze, belonging to different generations, with national instruments in their hands. The old man plays the pipe, the man on the harp, the boy on the drum. The monument of three-meter height takes a good place in the park, where it can be seen from everywhere.
• Monument Obolensky-Nogotkov - the founder of the city, the first voivodeship - is installed on the square of the same name opposite the government building. The monument of six-meter height is considered a symbol of Yoshkar-Ola and one of its main sights. Prince Obolensky-Nights is portrayed on horseback and with weapons in his hands. The monument was created according to the sketches of the sculptor A. Kovalchuk in 2007.

• On the square near the railway station, a well-known Mari Soviet actor and poet were installed a bronze monument. Jyvan Kirla is depicted sitting on a trolley, as it was in the movie "A Voyage to Life", where he played the role of Mustafa - the leader of street children.
• A copy of the Tsar Cannon was made in 2007. This is a half-replicated copy of the famous original, which was cast from bronze by A. Chokhov in 1586. Mari cannon, whose weight, together with the cores is 12 tons, was manufactured at the Zvenigovsky factory. Butyakova. According to the masters, she can shoot. For this reason, the core is welded into its barrel.

Unusual Attractions

Many people are surprised by the modern Yoshkar-Ola. The sights here are incredible, even weird.

One of them - a monument to the hammer, which was installed in 2008 on the avenue opposite the office building of a construction company. A four-meter metal hammer weighing two and a half tons pockets a nail into the ground. The author of the idea - the president of this construction company - decided in this way to perpetuate the labor of workers and pay them tribute. A little later, near the hammer, a monument appeared to the worker himself in the clothes of a builder with a brick in his hand.

In front of the entrance of the same building, not far from the monument of the hammer, there are two more original sights - a blue elephant about 1.5 m high and a huge chair.

There is a strange bronze sculpture in the center of the city near the main university building. This is a monument to Yoshkin cat, which was installed in 2011. The authors of the composition - A. Shirnin and S. Yandubaev, cast a sculpture in Kazan, with the money of a Moscow businessman. In 2013, near the Yoshkin cat, which collapsed on a bench, there was a monument to Yoshkin's cat, the installation of which was timed to the opening of the eponymous cafe.

New architecture of the capital

Over the past few years, the image of the city has changed dramatically. Here construction is under way, the scale of which is simply amazing. Buildings in various European architectural styles grew right before our eyes. New streets and squares with amazing buildings seem fabulous, toy and a bit like decorations.

Unusual sights, no doubt, include the embankment of Bruges, which was named after the city in Belgium. When you get to this street, you involuntarily think that you are in the European city of Bruges. The embankment is completely built up with buildings of the Flemish style, characteristic of the medieval Flanders. It is especially beautiful here in the dark, when the backlight is turned on.

The guests note that Yoshkar-Ola has presented a grandiose surprise, having turned from a boring Soviet center of autonomy to an interesting city where one wants to return. Many people say that the architecture is controversial, but with the fact that it is unusual, memorable, positive, almost everyone agrees.

A special surprise among tourists is the Annunciation tower with chimes. This is a small copy of the Spassky Tower in Moscow. Many guests just fall into a stupor when suddenly the battle of chimes is heard, and exactly the same as in the Russian capital.

Despite the fact that the compactness of Yoshkar-Ola is different, its sights are diverse and numerous. Everyone who has visited this wonderful city with glorious traditions will have something to remember and tell friends about.