In the Ivanovo region of Russia - on the Teze River - there is a bright and comfortable merchant city of Shuya. The first mention of this city can be found in historical documents of the 16th century. So, in the Nikon Chronicle such a historical moment is described as the attack of the troops of Khan Safa-Giriya on the city of Shuya. In addition, this settlement was once the largest shopping center, which merchants gathered not only from nearby cities, but also from neighboring states. It became a shopping center due to its advantageous location. Today, the city attracts thousands of tourists with its magnificent buildings and monuments. The sights of Shui are, first of all, temples and churches, of which there were about 20 at one time.
Before embarking on a tour of these magnificent buildings, I want to talk about the coat of arms of the city. It does not belong to the section "Shui sights", but, nevertheless, it is of particular interest to city guests. This is because the emblem is a golden bar of soap on a red background. Why such a composition? A significant share of the city treasury in the old days was made by soap making, which received quite a lot of attention in the city. Thanks to this, the city developed rapidly. Although the soap is not brewed in the city today, the Soap Festival is held in the Shui city park, which tells about the ancient technology of soap making, various competitions are held and theatrical performances are played out.
It is better to start sightseeing in Shui from architectural old buildings. One of these is the Holy Assumption Monastery, the history of which begins in the 17th century. In addition to the temple, there are workshops, a Sunday school, a library and a hospital on its territory. One of the most beautiful creations of history is the Resurrection Cathedral, which has an amazing bell tower 106 meters high. In terms of height, it takes the second place among all the belfries of Russia. A monument to priests and laity who died for the faith during the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church by the Bolsheviks was erected near the cathedral on Green Square.
Considering the sights of Shui, one can not fail to note the Nikolo-Shartomsky monastery, built in 1425. It got its name from the river, which used to be called Chartom. Among other architectural structures of a religious nature, one can note the church of Alexander Nevsky at the Theological School, towering on Sovetskaya Street. At the Zemstvo hospital is the church of Alexei, whose building was built in 1887. And if you go to the Revolution Square, then here you can see the former Elias Church, located near the October Bridge. All buildings have a rich decoration.
But not only this is famous for the city of Shuya, the sights of a religious nature can be supplemented by the cultural heritage of the city. A huge contribution to the historical value of the city was made by merchant families who left magnificent houses worthy of attention. These include the house of the merchant Nosov, located on Sovetskaya Street. In very good condition, the estate of the landowner Pavlov has been preserved to this day. One of the oldest in Russia is considered the Spiritual School of the city of Shuya. A real monument of Russian architecture are the shopping arcades created at the beginning of the 19th century.
But this is not all the interesting places that Shuya is famous for. The sights of the city are also numerous museums, monuments and parks. The city has its own Arbat - a small pedestrian street in the central part of the city with modern shops and interesting architecture. In the immediate vicinity is the central market and the Cascade shopping center, which will satisfy many of the needs of shopping enthusiasts.