Vyazma is a small Russian city with a population of just over 53 thousand people, but there are many interesting places worthy of general attention. Therefore, deciding to go to this town, it is better to immediately sketch out a list of Vyazma sights (Smolensk region) that you need to visit there to get a lot of indelible impressions.
Female Ioanno-Predtechensky monastery
The first thing in Vyazma is to take a closer look at the three-hipped nunnery, which at first glance conquers the traveler with its very unusual architecture. The snow-white building of this attraction of Vyazma is noticeably already from afar, and even nearby it simply captivates the imagination. The tiles located in the kokoshniks and assembled into a step pyramid, from which the tented chapters rise, attract attention. Attractive details of the Hodegetria masonry, in which bricks of three colors are used at once - pink, red and white. And, of course, it is impossible to look away from the golden bulbs crowning the three tents. And this is only outside, but inside the monastery it is also very beautiful, and the famous icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria", which is famous for its miraculous power, is also stored there.
Church of the Ascension
Next to this nunnery is another attraction of the city of Vyazma - the famous Ascension Church, which conquers not only with its striking architectural design, but also with the monument to Juliania and Simeon Vyazemsky. It is for his sake that all lovers should come to the church to hear about the couple's tragic love, which is considered a symbol of true fidelity. Their story tells how in 1406, Prince Yuri lost his head from the beauty of a girl, because of which he killed Simeon, watered Juliana and wanted to take her by force during a feast. But the girl did not give him, so he chopped off her arms and legs, threw her body into the river. The princess did not get the beauty, but reunited with her beloved husband in heaven.
Church of the Nativity
Looking at the most beautiful nunnery, you can further appreciate the attraction of Vyazma as the Church of the Nativity of Christ, which, although it does not look elegant, but allows you to plunge into history. Indeed, in comparison with many other churches and temples of the city, this church looks rather boring, is not decorated with anything and is crowned only with a small chapter and an octagonal light top. But it was built by simple coachmen and cabmen for themselves, so that you could pray in it, making a halt on the highway between Smolensk and Moscow.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Another mandatory point of the program for visiting the sights of the city of Vyazma of the Smolensk region is the Holy Trinity Cathedral, which is beautiful both outside and inside. This building was built in 1674-1676, has been restored several times and continues to attract crowds of tourists to this day. Which is not surprising, because they really want to take a closer look at the snow-white cathedral, towering on a hill, which is crowned by a magnificent slender head and an exquisite pyramid of kokoshniks. Inside the cathedral, several very valuable icons are stored at once, among which the patronizing city dominates.
Yesenin Museum
After admiring the temples and churches of the city, you can go in search of the following attractions of Vyazma, which will allow you to learn more about the city and its inhabitants. And one of such remarkable places will be the museum of the famous Russian poet Sergei Yesenin, which was created by his fan Pavel Propalov in 1986. Now almost all of the original editions of the poet-poet are stored there. And not only them, except for 28 editions there also have a wide variety of 3,500 exhibits that fully reflect the whole image of Yesenin, as he was in creativity and in everyday life. So real romantics are simply obliged to drop in and enjoy the spirit of this museum.
Museum-Reserve "Khmelita"
Another famous attraction of Vyazma and the environs of this city is the Khmelita Museum Reserve, which covers an area of 24.6 thousand hectares. This huge museum is located 30 km from Vyazma, but not visiting it would be a real crime. Here you can see fragments of a stunning park ensemble that allows you to enjoy the beauty of nature. Here is the exquisite manor house of Griboedov, created in the style of the Elizabethan Baroque, which adjoins an outstanding external staircase. Here is the famous Nakhimov Museum, the first floor of which resembles the hold of a ship, and the upper deck. And this is far from all the noteworthy nature reserves, so it will be possible to spend on its territory at least a whole day, because whoever comes here will definitely want to see everything.
Museum of Local History
To find out what local historians say about the sights of Vyazma, listen to their stories about the history and culture of this ancient city, the first information about which is dated to the 13th century, you need to visit the famous Vyazemsky Museum of Local History, located in the Bogoroditsky Church. In the eight huge halls of the museum, which opened in the distant 1970, you can see exhibits that allow you to plunge into the historical realities of the city from the most ancient times to the present. About 16,000 museum exhibits will tell about the development of the city and its decline, about the battle of the townspeople for their independence, about their struggle during the Great Patriotic War, and of course, they will provide an opportunity to find out how urban and rural residents lived all this time, allowing them to touch to history and feel all its greatness.
Highlights of the city
When visiting a city, you must definitely remember to make a couple of photos of Vyazma sights, which are its real highlights and rare decoration. One of such unusual places is the most ordinary transport stop on Sovetskaya Square. It's just that it was made in the form of a huge umbrella, set against the wall, so next to it it will definitely be possible to make an interesting and unusual photograph. And next to this square there is an original monument to Russian bast shoes, which symbolizes Russian folk traditions that simply cannot be forgotten. Yes, and next to the monument, erected in honor of cosmonaut-pilot Savitskaya Svetlana, made in the form of a take-off aircraft, you can also take a picture, because you will have an unusual photo, and you will never forget about the hard work of a woman who has twice become a Hero of the USSR.
The Spasskaya Tower
When viewing the sights of Vyazma, one can not help but visit the Spasskaya Tower, located on Lenin Street in Building 2. It was built back in 1631 as one of the parts of the Vyazemsky defensive fortress, which was almost completely destroyed. Of the entire fortress, only this Spasskaya Tower has survived to our days, which looks completely nondescript and represents a massive structure with a height of 25.6 meters, of which 7 meters is the height of the sloping roof. The tower itself looks like a small snow-white building, consisting of three tiers, the walls of which are strewn with tiny windows-loopholes. It was through them that a long time ago the tower guards monitored the vicinity of the city in order to notice the enemy in time and prevent him from entering either Vyazma or Smolensk.
Famous monuments
When compiling a list of attractions and a tourist route in Vyazma, one cannot but include visiting several monuments of the city:
- The Ash-4290 steam locomotive is installed near the railway station and is dedicated to all railway workers who performed a lot of feats during the Great Patriotic War.
- The monument to General M.G. Efremov is a multi-figure sculpture with a wounded general in the center, reflects all the courage and heroism that the soldiers showed under his leadership during the Second World War.
- The monument to the Pernovsky regiment is dedicated to the soldiers of this regiment, who were able to break into the city captured by the French and liberate it from them as soon as possible.
- Another memorable attraction of Vyazma is the stela "Vyazma - a city of military glory", erected in 2011 on Kirova street in honor of the city of the same status.
- The monument to Lenin on Sovetskaya Square is curious because among all the monuments to Vladimir Ilyich, only this one is located on the granite pedestal that remained from the first monument to the Pernovsky regiment.
- The monument to the valiant ancestors in the form of a two-headed eagle, spread its wings, is located next to the Pobeda cinema on Lenin Street and is dedicated to all the heroes who fought for the victory of Russia in 1812.
- The monument to the famous actor Anatoly Papanov was erected in 2011 at the place where the house of the Papanov family was destroyed during the war and is an actor sitting on a bench next to the theater masks.
Memorial to prisoners of DULAG-184
Among the monuments of the city, a memorial erected in honor of the prisoners of the DULAG is considered to be one of the most outstanding sights of Vyazma, the reviews of tourists about which prove how impressive it is to everyone who sees it. And this is not surprising. It’s just that everyone who sees him will immediately learn about the terrible history of our region, when during the Second World War a DULAG for prisoners of war was created on the territory of the former meat processing plant, which is an ordinary corral enclosed by barbed wire where prisoners were held. They were fed only once a day with potato flour diluted in water, and for this they were forced to build dugouts and dig trenches on the territory of fortifications. Those who could not work, those just brutally killed. And on this place on June 21, 2011, a memorial was erected dedicated to the prisoners of the DULAG with photographs of prisoners of war of this camp, which were transferred to the creators of the memorial by their relatives and friends.
But the whole list of the city’s attractions is just the main, most famous places of Vyazma, and besides them there is something to see. This city in itself is a real attraction, because there are so many beautiful corners that you can discover something new in it every day. Of course, having visited Vyazma, you should definitely buy a souvenir for yourself - the famous gingerbread from the confectionery factory, which will delight you with its taste and make you come back here again for an addition.