The Godunovs, the Romanovs and Susanin

10 points6 km3.5 hours

Kostroma is a place with a rich history. The town is linked to the Godunovs, the Romanov royal dynasty and Ivan Susanin. Be sure to see the historic center and the ancient churches and monasteries. Kostroma is a town of Russia's Golden Ring with its own local flavor.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🏰🕵️‍♂️ Discover a legend
🏛️🕰️ Compare the eras

Route points (10)

Romanov Museum in Kostroma

Point on route “The Godunovs, the Romanovs and Susanin”

Point 5

Romanov Museum

📜 Historic site • 🏟️ Architectural landmark

Historical Background

The Romanov Museum occupies an unusual white-stone building that looks like both a fairy-tale palace and an Old Russian tower chamber. It opened in 1913 for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty's reign. The town is closely tied to the dynasty's history, so it was decided to commemorate it in Kostroma in this striking way. Money for construction was raised over several years; one of the donors was Nicholas II, who personally approved the design and attended the opening.

The Museum

Besides exhibits related to the royal family and the history of Kostroma, the museum's holdings include an extensive art collection. Among them, for example, are paintings by the famous artist Boris Kustodiev, who lived and worked in Kostroma for more than ten years. There is also an exhibition devoted to the Kostroma boyars during the Time of Troubles and the fate of the Godunov dynasty.