Kolomna’s cultural history has several clearly distinct themes: a merchant manor house with a biographical connection, collections on the city and region, the history of pastila making, and a stone fortress dating from the 16th century. When planning your visit, you can choose whether to focus on architectural and literary history, regional collections or specific craft processes.
A Manor House with a Literary Connection
The Lazhechnikov merchant family’s manor house in Kolomna is a historic monument dating from the mid-18th to the 19th century. Ivan Ivanovich Lazhechnikov, widely known as an author of Russian historical novels, spent his childhood and youth there. This makes the manor house a special focus for anyone who wants to explore a historic building and a writer’s early life together: the biographical connection is integral to this place.
Museums: Collections, Buildings and City History
The Tram Museum is housed in a wooden urban building from the 19th century. Its collection includes almost 200 models of historic and modern trams from every continent, as well as from the islands of Japan and Great Britain. Two different time periods come together here: the history of the building and a model collection that includes both historic and modern trams.
The Kolomna Museum of Local Lore has a broader regional focus. It preserves more than 30,000 exhibits on the history, culture and nature of the region, spanning back to the earliest times. Guided tours, lectures, sociocultural programs, events and activities take place in its departments. Those who want to explore the city’s history through a range of subjects and periods, rather than through a single building, will find a different perspective here than at the Tram Museum.
Pastila and Kalach: Two Different Craft Traditions
One hall of the “Kolomenskaya Pastila. U Nikoly na posadyakh” museum is devoted to the history of pastila making. By contrast, the Muzeynaya fabrika pastily focuses on taking part in a production process using 19th-century historical techniques. The visitor program includes washing apples, removing their cores, turning the fruit into purée, beating the pastila mixture and drying it in a Russian oven. The theatrical guided tour includes a meeting with the head of the household, Pyotr Karpovich Chuprikov. Check the current booking details before your visit.
The “Kalachnaya” museum presents a reconstructed, complete process for baking kalach: from preparing the hop sourdough and mixing the flours to shaping the dough on an ice table, then baking and eating the kalachi according to special rules. The focus is clearly different: the pastila experiences introduce visitors to making a sweet, while “Kalachnaya” covers both the baking process and the special rules for eating it. Booking in advance is particularly recommended on weekends.
Kolomna Kremlin and Getting Your Bearings
The Kolomna Kremlin is a stone fortress dating from the 16th century. Seven towers and fragments of the fortress wall have been preserved. The offerings also include a 75-minute immersive audio tour titled “Kuda privodyat mechty…”. As tour offerings may change, check in advance whether the tour is available on your visit date.
The Kolomenskiy navigator is located between the Kremlin and Posad, near the old Pyatnitskiye vorota. Its address is 14 Zaitseva Street, Kolomna. Check the address before setting out.
For the main travel overview: Kolomna.
