A city with a strange name

My most recent outing from Kostroma to nearby places was last weekend. Recently, we visited almost all major cultural and historical sites near my city. The geography of our trips increased and increased. There was a feeling that the distance of 300-400 kilometers to an interesting object is not so great for us.

But last weekend my wife, suddenly, shows me on the map a small town. It is located on the bank of the Volga River not far from Yaroslavl.

The city is called Tutaev.

We immediately began to look on the Internet, what kind of city it is and whether to go there. Studying this question showed that it is worth to go and see. On Sunday morning we got into the car and went on a trip.

The road from Kostroma to Tutaeva is not remarkable. This way can be done very quickly, since the condition of the roads is in excellent condition. We set off very early. Or rather, not as early as we wanted, but still.

It turned out that Tutayev is a city divided by the Volga. On the one hand, Romanov and the other Borisoglebsk. The union of them into one administrative unit occurred in 1822.
For a long time since then the city was called Romanov-Borisoglebsk. At the beginning of the Soviet period, the city with the mention of the Romanov family could not exist and it was decided to rename it. There were many disputes and proposals for a new name. As a result, the city was named in honor of the deceased Red Army man Tutayev, who suppressed the White Guard rebellion in Yaroslavl.

In our time, they began talking about the reverse renaming of the city in Romanov-Borisoglebsk, but people living in the city did not support this decision. They said they grew up in Tutayev and do not want to change anything. It turned out that in the State Duma decided to rename the Governor of the region listened to the opinion of the inhabitants. And now with the name of the city a complete mess. On ads in the city, I saw both the old name and the new one at the same time.

As I said, the city is divided by the Volga River. There is no bridge, but there is a ferry. The ferry leaves from one shore to the other twice an hour.

Looking ahead, I will tell you about the ferry crossing.

On the ferry worked a colorful ferryman, who checked tickets. He looks like an old sea-wolf.

If you walk, then next to the big ferry works small. People on boats chase back and forth, carrying people. The cost of moving on a large ferry and boat is the same. The ferry costs 30 rubles per person. It's about 0.5 USD.
If you want to ferry the car it depends on how big the cas it but my car ferry costs 300 rubles. It's about 5 USD.

In the city of Tutayev we arrived on the right bank of the Volga. It's like the former Borisoglebsk. We have a beautiful view of the left bank - the former city of Romanov.

We went on foot to the ferry and on a large ferry moved to Romanov. There, the view is attracted by beautiful churches on the shore. For example, the red Kazan Transfiguration Church.
It stands on a hillside, along with the bell tower. It looks very nice both from the Volga and from the shore.
A large pier for tourist boats is right there. When we arrived at the pier, not a single ship was moored. But I know there are times when there are boards to board up to 5 large ships.

This is the visiting card of Tutayev - the church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the Savior of the Transfiguration. This complex name is explained by the fact that it was erected in 1758 on the site of the ancient wooden Transfiguration Church.

The three-tiered temple complex includes the lower, "warm" church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the "summer" church of the Transfiguration of the Lord located above it on the second level with a high porch, an open gallery and a refectory. The tent belfry stands separately further up the slope. In the corners of the building there are four small chapters on low drums. The fifth chapter of a much larger diameter rises in the middle of them on a drum with 6 dormer windows.

A bit of history

According to the legend, the church was founded by a Romanov resident Gerasim Trifonov, to whom the Mother of God appeared and ordered her miracle-working icon to be brought to this place. In the construction took part all the inhabitants of the city. The stones for its foundation were delivered by passing merchant ships.
The icon of the Kazan Mother of God, in honor of which the church was erected, was taken to Yaroslavl in the Time of Troubles, when Romanov was burned by Polish invaders. No effort to return it back failed. The icon, now displayed here, is a copy from the original, made in 1609 by the order of the patriarch Hermogenes. But this does not in the least interfere with the sincere reverence of the relics of believers.

Information on the history was taken here

When we got to this temple inside there was a service. The children sat on the porch. I stood and looked at the Volga, enjoyed a warm day and a real Russian landscape.

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If you want to know where in this provincial city the museum of the Russian fleet and how Tutayev is connected with the artist Kustodiev - watch my blog.

To be continued

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