Volzhsky can be explored through exhibitions with different focuses: art, archaeology, everyday history and remembrance of the war. The history of the Arlekin Puppet Theatre is another topic. When planning your cultural trip, you can use these themes as a guide and choose a focus based on your interests.
Art, Archaeology and Everyday History
The Volzhsky Art Gallery displays historical paintings in the style of Socialist Realism, as well as works by post-war artists known as the “Sixties”. Its scope therefore ranges from an art movement to a group of artists known by this name.
The Volzhsky Historical and Local History Museum has several permanent exhibitions covering different chapters of history. The “Archaeology” exhibition displays remains of prehistoric animals and a reconstruction of a Srubna culture Bronze Age grave. Another permanent exhibition, entitled “History of the Village of Verkhnyaya Akhtuba”, displays original everyday objects, tools and clothing belonging to residents of the village of Besrodnoye. Archaeological finds and objects from everyday life in different historical contexts are thus presented side by side.
The construction of the Volga Hydroelectric Power Station also has its own place in the museum: the permanent exhibition of the same name is devoted to this major 20th-century construction project. Together, the exhibitions offer different ways to explore the past—from prehistoric animal remains and the Bronze Age to the history of a village and a 20th-century construction project.
Exhibitions and Remembrance
The Museum of Remembrance for War Soldiers and Law Enforcement Officers displays wartime exhibits: a wartime dugout, weapons and decorations, as well as uniforms worn by battle participants and law enforcement officers. The exhibition “Transvolga during the Great Patriotic War” covers the construction of the railway during the war, as well as artillery, aviation, the navy and medicine in Transvolga.
The same exhibition also covers the history of the village of Besrodnoye, along with documents, letters and recollections of participants in the Battle of Stalingrad. Its themes range from wartime infrastructure and various military fields to personal and written memories. The museum also holds the historical-patriotic game “19-54” for school pupils and students. It combines elements of a guided tour with a historical quest about local history. If you are interested in taking part, ask the museum about current availability.
The History of the Arlekin Puppet Theatre
On 5 December 1990, the Volzhsky City Council decided to establish a municipal puppet theatre. In the mid-1990s, the Arlekin Puppet Theatre finally moved into the former Energetik cinema building; thousands of performances have taken place there since. The founding decision and the later move into the former cinema are two separate milestones in the theatre’s history.
Cultural and Landscape Themes in Volgograd Oblast
The wider destination of Volgograd Oblast offers additional, distinct regional perspectives alongside its cultural themes. Lake Elton lies in the east of the oblast and, at 152 km², is Europe’s largest salt lake. Since 2001, the lake and surrounding areas have been designated a specially protected natural area; Elton Nature Park was also established.
In Shcherbakovsky Nature Park, the areas known as “Volga Switzerland” lie on a plateau along the banks of the Volga. The broad Shcherbakovskaya Ravine is characterised by forest, flowers and grasses. Tsimlyansk Sands Nature Park in Chernyshevsky District is a sandy massif. Donskoy Nature Park offers hikes along tourist routes and eco-trails, as well as kayaking on the Don and Ilovlya rivers. These regional landscapes and activities offer a different choice of themes from the museums and theatre history in Volzhsky.
Discover more destinations: Golubinskiy, Troitskoye, Olkhovka, Uryupinsk, Ilovlya, Velikiy Oktyabr', Kalach-na-Donu, Parizhskaya Kommuna
Return to the wider travel overview: Volgograd Oblast.
