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)

Epiphany-Anastasia Convent in Kostroma

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

Point 3

Epiphany-Anastasia Convent

🕍 Place of worship • 📜 Historic site

Historical Background

The monastery was founded in the 15th century by St. Nikita, a disciple and relative of St. Sergius of Radonezh. It was originally a men's monastery, but in the mid-19th century the Epiphany-Anastasia Monastery was turned into a convent. The first version of the monastery was wooden. In 1559 construction began on the Epiphany Cathedral, the oldest surviving stone building in Kostroma. Painters from Gury Nikitin's famous artel worked on its decoration. Sadly, their murals have not survived, but today the church walls are adorned with magnificent polychrome frescoes.

Architecture

The monastery's architectural ensemble includes the Epiphany Cathedral, the Smolensk Chapel and the towers of the monastery walls. The convent is active, so only the outer entrance of the Epiphany Cathedral is open to visitors. It holds the convent's greatest treasure, the legendary miracle-working Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God.