Yaroslavl: A City with a Thousand-Year History

24 points11 km3.5 hours

A bear on its coat of arms and a multitude of churches, the cradle of Russian theater and painting, one of the oldest Russian cities, the jewel of the Golden Ring: all of this is Yaroslavl. The city's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Where better to take a thoughtful stroll along the embankment than here?

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🔍🖼️ Spot interesting details
🏛️🕰️ Compare the eras

Route points (24)

Church of St. Nikita the Martyr in Yaroslavl

Point on route “Yaroslavl: A City with a Thousand-Year History”

Point 20

Church of St. Nikita the Martyr

🕍 Place of worship • 🏟️ Architectural landmark

Historical Background

The St. Nikita parish appeared in the 15th century. It is first mentioned in a charter of Vasily III from 1511. The parish had two churches dedicated to St. Nikita the Martyr. From the second half of the 17th century they formed a single church complex. The summer church was consecrated in honor of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and the winter church in honor of the Archangel Michael, Commander of the Heavenly Hosts. At the end of the 17th century a separate bell tower was added. The summer church was rebuilt in 1900–1903: it was enlarged and consecrated in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Nikita. In 1929 the parish's churches, including the unheated summer church, were slated for demolition. Before they were dismantled, the Yaroslavl Restoration Workshop documented the iconography of their murals and painted compositions. The only surviving part of the ensemble is the bell tower. It was considered the reference point for geodetic surveys in Yaroslavl, so it escaped demolition.