The Volga, Ilet, Yushut, Bolshaya Kokshaga, and Malaya Kokshaga rivers flow through Zvenigovsky District. The Mari Chodra State Nature Park is also located in the district. Rivers and the nature park are therefore clearly identifiable nature themes of the region.
Rivers, forests, and springs
The nature park is home to pine groves, coniferous and deciduous forests, and numerous springs and mineral springs. The woodland areas and springs offer different perspectives on the landscape. Together with the district’s rivers, they provide an overview that goes beyond a single nature theme.
If you are planning your trip around landscape themes, you can explore waterways, forests, and springs separately. The Mari Chodra State Nature Park offers specific points of interest, from pine groves and various forest types to its many springs. The district’s rivers provide another nature theme to explore.
Kokshaysk: Local history and museum
Kokshaysk is considered the first Russian town in the Mari region and was founded in 1574. Its founding year and historical significance give the town a distinct place in the region’s history. Those interested in Kokshaysk’s past can learn more by following the tourist routes described there.
One tourist route passes through Kokshaysk and includes a walking tour of the town and a visit to the Museum of the History of Kokshaysk. At the museum, visitors can learn more about the first voivodes and the fortress builders. This brings together the town’s history and the history of its early administration and fortress.
Routes between history and Mari traditions
The rural tourist trail “In the Footsteps of Yemelyan Pugachev” presents the history of the Pugachev uprising in Zvenigovsky District. Its subject is an uprising and its history; the trail focuses on a different historical topic from the museum visit in Kokshaysk.
The trail known as the “Nadezhda Trail” offers a different cultural perspective. It introduces visitors to the traditions and customs of the Mari people and leads to the old village of Kokshamary. The old settlement is considered the home of I. S. Klyunikov-Palantay and Yakov Eshpay, founders of Mari music, as well as the composer Andrey Eshpay. This themed trail brings living traditions together with the village’s cultural history.
Active recreation and cultural insights
Kokshaysk is associated with opportunities for active recreation: wakeboarding, quad biking, surfing, snowmobiling, and skiing, as well as jet skis, boats, and motorboats. Activities range from watersports to driving and winter sports. They offer a different way to experience Kokshaysk than the routes that focus on history and Mari culture.
The “Krestyanskaya Usadba” guesthouse is also associated with cultural themes. A weaving ritual is demonstrated there, and visitors are also told about the national hero Pashkan, a batyr. If you would like to include these experiences in your trip, check in advance on current visiting options.
Discover more destinations: Uvinskiy District, Izhevsk, Zavyalovskiy District, Izhevsk, Sarapul'skiy District.
Go to the main travel overview: Udmurt Republic.
