In Myasnikovskiy District, the cultural landscape ranges from the excavations at the settlement of “Tanais” to Armenian history, church architecture and Don fishing traditions. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to decide on the focus of your trip first: the different places offer distinct ways to explore these subjects.
Archaeological traces at “Tanais”
The open-air exhibition at the settlement of “Tanais” covers excavations with a total area of 13,787 m². The remains include the Western City Quarter, dated from the 3rd century BC to the turn of the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. The citadel is assigned to the period from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. The different time spans make the chronological classification of the individual areas a subject of exploration in its own right.
On the excursion route through the open-air exhibition, visitors see fortifications and excavated city quarters with residential courtyards, streets and lanes. A reconstruction of a house from Tanais is also one of the stops along the route. This means that architectural remains and a recreated form of housing can be seen side by side within the same exhibition.
The “Tanais” Museum-Reserve offers interactive historical workshops on ancient crafts, writing, trade and sports. This brings practical topics into focus alongside the architectural traces. The “Den Tanaisa” theatrical festival is held there every year. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the date in advance.
Museum and folklore festivals in Chaltyr
The Historical and Ethnographic Museum of Myasnikovsky District in Chaltyr has a permanent exhibition about the resettlement of Armenians from Crimea to the Don and the lives of Armenians in the Don region. The collection includes old household items, tools and works of folk art from the late 18th to the early 20th century. The museum thus offers a look at both migration and life in the Don region, as well as objects from everyday life and traditional crafts.
Folklore festivals featuring performances by folk groups are also held at the museum. Traditional dishes and pies such as puri samsa and lapatayov bida are baked during the events. If you would like to plan specifically for a folklore festival, ask the museum about the date in advance. Route 7, “Traditsii donskikh armyan,” is a bus excursion to the village of Chaltyr; check departure times when planning your trip.
Church architecture in Chaltyr and Petrovka
The Surb Hambartsum Church in Chaltyr was founded in 1790; the building that has survived to this day was constructed in 1869. It was built to a standard design by Taganrog architect N. Muratov in the Classical style. Beside the church stands a carved stone cross, a khachkar, commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The site therefore brings together different aspects of architectural history and memorial culture.
In Petrovka, the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Zhivonosnyy istochnik” was built between 1850 and 1858 beside the Babinsky Spring. Its documented construction period differs from the history of the church in Chaltyr, for which both the founding year and the year the surviving building was constructed are significant.
Don fishing in Kalinin
The “Donskaya ryba” Museum in Kalinin has a dedicated exhibition on the history of Don fishing, its traditions and Cossack customs. At a workshop, you can paint a “fish of dreams” (“ryby mechty”). Check the current participation arrangements with the museum in advance. The workshop adds a creative activity to the exhibition; visitors primarily interested in the history and traditions of fishing will also find a clear thematic focus there.
Discover more destinations: Leninavan, Krasnosulinskiy District, Morozovskiy District, Proletarskiy District, Bataisk, Neklinovsky District, Azov District, Dubovskiy District.
Return to the overview of the region: Rostov Oblast.
