Historic Center of Ryazan

Photo of route “Historic Center of Ryazan” — 3

19 points5 km6 hours

Ryazan is an ancient city with a distinctive history. On this route you'll find out why Kolovrat's horse is rearing while Oleg of Ryazan's stands calmly; who keeps a close watch over the city; where the “Swan Princess” from Vrubel's painting lived; and how Hollywood is connected with an inconspicuous house. And you'll simply enjoy an unhurried stroll through the old streets of the historic center.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🏛️🕰️ Compare the eras

Route points (19)

Polytechnic Institute in Ryazan

Point on route “Historic Center of Ryazan”

Point 2

Polytechnic Institute

🏟️ Architectural landmark • 📜 Historic site

Historical Background

The Polytechnic Institute building, one of the most beautiful in Ryazan, was built in the late 18th century as the town estate of the Kuznetsov merchant family. In 1808 the local nobility bought it for debts to house the First Boys' Gymnasium. Teaching at the governorate gymnasium was considered an honor, so great was the school's prestige. These walls “saw” royalty, including Nicholas I. On August 16, 1837, Tsesarevich Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander II the Liberator, climbed its steps to the rustle of the old lindens. A pupil of the gymnasium, Yakov Polonsky, who later became a famous poet, read him his verses and received a gold watch from the future tsar as a keepsake.

Architecture

There is a cautious opinion that the Moscow court architect Matvei Kazakov had a direct hand in creating the “house with columns,” the same Kazakov whose architectural masterpieces grace Moscow. The architect spent the last years of his life in Ryazan. Legend has it that the great Russian architect died of a heart attack when he learned of the 1812 fire in Moscow, a city built to his drawings.

From Gymnasium to “Polytech”

A new chapter in the history of the “house with columns” began with the growth of the Soviet economy. In 1956 the Polytechnic Institute opened here, a “forge of personnel” for the region's industrial enterprises. Today it houses the Ryazan Institute (branch) of Moscow Polytechnic University.