Discover with Timothy
21st Anniversary as Content Creator

Kostroma (Кострома́), Russia

View of Krostoma Kremlin
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kostroma_kremlin.jpg
Author: A. Savin
photo licensing

Kostroma (Russian: Кострома́) is one of the cities of the Golden Ring, a string of cities to the northeast of Moscow. It is a historic city and the administrative capital of Kostroma Oblast. The city today has a population of 269,000 people (2012 estimate).

Kostroma was mentioned in writing for the first time in 1213, although it is widely believed to have been established earlier, in the 12th century. In 1238 it was plundered by the Mongols. It was ruled by Prince Vasily the Drunkard, who inherited it in 1271. His descendants ruled the town until the 14th century, when it was sold to Ivan I of Moscow.

Under the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Kostroma served as a retreat for its grand dukes whenever Moscow was besieged by enemies. This happened a least three times in history. Trade connections with England and the Netherlands in the 16th century fueled rapid development in the town. During this prosperous period, many of its monasteries were rebuilt in stone.

Kostroma was besieged by Polish forces twice in the 17th century. Its monasteries served as refuge for the imperial family, include the future Tsar, Michael Romanov, and the last Tsar, Nicholas II.

Today Kostroma has many beautiful historic buildings in the provincial Neoclassical style. They are excellent examples of 18th century town planning conducted after the fire of 1773. The streets radiate from a focal point near the river. According to legend, the design was based on Empress Catherine's fan. She dropped it on the map and told the architects to follow the design.

Church of the Resurrection, Kostroma
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church_of_the_Resurrection_(Kostroma)_04.jpg
Author: Mvad
photo licensing

Visiting Kostroma

You can taka an overnight train from Moscow to Kostroma.

Places of Interest in Kostroma

  1. Epiphany Cathedral

  2. Ipatyevsky Monastery

  3. Resurrection Church


 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 Discover with Timothy Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Copyright © 2003-2024 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.