A 2.3-kilometre children’s railway, a pond with two small islands and a marble bridge showcase different sides of Kratovo. The history of its summer houses and a church in the Novgorod architectural style add to the picture. Visitors planning a stay can choose between railway history, architecture and activities for those seeking an active outing.
Children’s Railway: History and Rides
The Moscow Children’s Railway opened on 2 May 1937 with two stations: Put Ilyicha, now Yunost, and Shkolnaya. Its history therefore began well before the rides described today. The children’s railway in Kratovo is 2.3 kilometres long; this figure refers to the length of the route, not the duration of a ride.
A description from 2020 mentions rides on a six-car train from Pionerskaya station to Yunost station, and gives the operating period as late May to the last Sunday in August. Check the current operating days and details before your trip. The railway is operated by students aged 11 to 17. This educational model is another part of its history and sets it apart thematically from an ordinary railway line.
Kratovo Pond and the Marble Bridge
Kratovo Pond was created after a dam blocked the course of the Khripanka River in 1913. This formed a body of water with two small islands. The pond’s creation and the bridge’s history offer two distinct points of reference: the dam altered the river’s course in 1913, while the bridge was later rebuilt to its original design.
The marble bridge over Kratovo Pond is considered one of the settlement’s symbols. Its design is by architect Alexander Ivanovich (Oganesovich) Tamanyan. In 1999, the bridge was rebuilt from white marble to the original design. Its ornamentation includes balusters, four spires and two spheres, each one metre high. These details give a clearer picture of its construction: besides the white marble, the balustrade details and distinctive features at the top also define the structure described.
Summer Houses and Church Architecture
Summer houses were built in Kratovo from 1935 onwards. Later, among others, the writers Mikhail Zoshchenko and Alexander Serafimovich, pianist Sergei Prokofiev, actress Valentina Talyzina, director Sergei Eisenstein and composer Vladimir Shainsky lived there or spent the summer there. The houses are thus part of the settlement’s history, which is also connected with well-known figures.
Another architectural highlight is the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Derzhavnaya”. It is a two-storey, single-domed stone building with four pillars in the Novgorod architectural style. The church was solemnly consecrated on 17 November 2019. Its design and consecration offer different points of reference: one describes the building’s form, while the other marks a specific date in its more recent history.
An Active Alternative
Those looking for an activity with varying levels of challenge alongside railway history and architecture can visit the “Nebesnaya Tropa” extreme park, which has a rope course among the trees with routes of varying difficulty. Check whether the park is currently operating before your visit. This lets you consider it as a separate highlight alongside Kratovo’s historical and architectural attractions.
Discover more destinations: Aborino, Kurovskoye, Chigasovo, Pravdinskiy, Ryzhevo, Lvovskiy, Amerevo, Chasovnya.
For the main travel overview: Moscow.
