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)

20 Seminarskaya Street in Ryazan

Point on route “Historic Center of Ryazan”

Point 11

20 Seminarskaya Street

📜 Historic site • 🕵️ Urban legend

Historical Background

The theological seminary that gave the street its name was originally housed nearby in wooden buildings. The new stone building was begun during the Napoleonic Wars and completed after the capture of Paris, in 1816.

The Longest and Most Prestigious

The seminary was not only the longest building in 19th-century Ryazan but also the city's most prestigious educational institution. Besides the sciences and humanities, required subjects for seminarians included philosophy and the basics of architecture and music.

Thank You, Uncle Vasya

In 1918 the seminary was closed, and from then on the building would be mentioned only in a military context. Infantrymen were trained here, and it housed a combined-arms school, which, thanks to the efforts of General Vasily Margelov (the legendary “Uncle Vasya”), was transformed in 1964 into the Ryazan Airborne School, the only one in the world training officers for the “winged infantry.”