For visitors looking to focus on literary history and the culture of remembrance, Vskhody offers a clear thematic focus. The Mikhail Isakovsky Memorial Museum is located in the town’s cultural centre. The memorial is close to the cultural centre: a mass grave for 7,500 Soviet soldiers who fell fighting the Nazis. Remembrance and the history of the song “Katyusha” thus form two closely connected themes of the destination.
Museum, song and cultural centre
The Mikhail Isakovsky Memorial Museum opened in the summer of 1985. Initially, it was dedicated to the song “Katyusha” by Mikhail Isakovsky and Matvey Blanter. The museum offers a glimpse into a specific chapter of local cultural history, linking the poet’s name with a song that also inspires the names of other cultural events in Vskhody.
A report from 2017 described a celebration at the cultural centre on 19 January, Mikhail Isakovsky’s birthday, as an annual tradition. Another report published in 2017 listed the regional literary and music tourism festival “Katyusha” as taking place at the cultural centre in August. An article from 2020 reported on a literature and song festival on the banks of the Ugra, dedicated to the 120th birthday of the poet Mikhail Isakovsky and the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
One way to connect the museum and the riverbank around a shared theme is the educational excursion “Vykhodila na bereg Katyusha.” It takes visitors through the museum and to the high banks of the Ugra, lasts 30 to 45 minutes, and is intended for groups of 3 to 15 people from grades 1 to 11. Check availability in advance. The “Katyushin Bereg” sign stands by the Ugra River, a few kilometres from the memorial museum.
More places to explore in Smolensk Oblast
Beyond Vskhody, Smolensk Oblast offers distinct cultural and nature experiences. The Gnyozdovo archaeological complex preserves about 2,500 burial mounds and a settlement. It is considered the largest complex of archaeological monuments in Russia and Europe dating from the period when the Old Russian state was emerging. As an archaeological monument of state (federal) significance, it is protected by the state.
Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park is also part of the wider Smolensk Oblast destination. It was established on 15 April 1992 in the Demidovsky and Dukhovshchinsky districts to protect unique natural areas for recreation, educational, scientific and cultural purposes. The “K Istokam” eco-trail is a circular route that starts in the village of Stary Dvor. A track for apps such as “Geotreker” or MAPS.ME can help you follow the route independently. Two viewing platforms were installed at Lakes Svyatets and Sapsho in 2023–2024. The “Poozerye Without Barriers” eco-trail, created in 2017 for people with health conditions, starts near the Baklanovo Eco Centre.
Another regional attraction is the Stargrad ethnographic village. A guided tour introduces visitors to the way of life of the ancient Slavs and showcases everyday objects, weapons and clothing. Visits are possible only as part of a tour group. The extended tour programme includes, among other activities, the “Babiy Kut” workshop on traditional women’s crafts and “Polevaya Kuznya,” where participants can mint coins and make chainmail. Arrange your visit and any extended programme activities in advance.
Discover more destinations: Krasny, Pochinok, Roslavl, Lipuny, Luzhki, Baranovo, Sliznevo, Monastyrshchina.
For the wider travel overview: Smolensk Oblast.
