Taldom is located a hundred kilometers from the capital and is the northernmost city in the Moscow region. The article will focus on the sights of Taldom and its environs, on the architectural and historical monuments of this small town.
Taldom: exploring the city
The ancient city is located in the northern part of the region, 110 kilometers from Moscow. Through it passes the highway R 112, as well as the Moscow-Savelovo railway line.
Taldom was founded in 1677. In the XIX century, the small town became a major center for tailoring shoes. His fame boomed throughout the empire. Then it was proudly called the "shoe capital" of Russia. In Soviet times, Taldom gradually turned into a depressive and subsidized city.
Today, the city has a technological equipment factory, a roofing and shoe factory, as well as a radio center.
What to see in Taldom? Read about the sights of the city and its immediate surroundings in the following sections of the article. Many interesting places and ancient monuments are concentrated here.
List of the main attractions of the city of Taldom
In addition to the production of shoes, Taldom is also famous for its literature. After all, many prominent poets and writers were born and worked here. Among them are Sergey Klychkov, Mikhail Prishvin, Vasily Azhayev, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin and others. In the city you can visit the literary museum and learn more about the Taldom period in the lives of all these personalities.
The most famous sights of Taldom and its environs are presented below:
- Taldom Museum of History and Literature.
- Orthodox Church of the Archangel Michael (Taldom).
- The house-museum of S. A. Klychkov (Dubrovka).
- Estate of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (Spas-Ugol).
- Porcelain factory (Verbilki).
- Fire Station Ensemble (Taldom).
- Shopping arcade (Taldom).
- The estate of D.I. Volkov (Taldom).
- Dilapidated Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Old Hotcha).
- Alexander Monastery (Maklakovo).
And this is not a complete list of historical, cultural and architectural monuments of the region. In general, there are plenty of tourist attractions in Taldom. One day can be allocated for their inspection. And if you want to carefully study the surroundings of the city, then it will take three to four days.
Museum of History and Literature
Literary Museum is the main attraction of Taldom. The institution is located in the city center at 41 Saltykova-Shchedrina Street. Which is very symbolic, because most of the exhibits in this museum are connected with the name of this particular figure of Russian literature.
In the historical and literary museum of Taldom you can see personal items, books, diaries, photographs and autographs of those writers, critics and poets, whose life and work were associated with this region. About five thousand people visit the Taldom Museum every year.
Architectural attractions of Taldom
The attention of tourists in Taldom is attracted by numerous architectural monuments. For example, the literary museum, which we already talked about above, is located in the beautiful estate of Volkov. This is the oldest stone building in the whole city. But the city library is located in the estate of the local merchant Kiselev. This house stands out among the rest with its tiny kokoshniks.
The main architectural symbol of Taldom is, of course, a fire station complex built at the beginning of the last century. In 2013, this building was rebuilt using old (authentic) bricks. After reconstruction, it housed the city registry office of Taldom.
Next to the fire tower is another architectural monument - the Church of the Archangel Michael. This temple was erected at the beginning of the XIX century. In 1870, it was decorated with a unique faience iconostasis, fragments of which have survived to this day. The interiors of the temple were badly damaged in Soviet times, when a shoe factory was located in it. Today, the shrine is gradually being restored.
Saltykov estate in the village of Spas-Ugol
Fifteen kilometers from Taldom is the tiny village of Spas-Ugol. It is the "tribal nest" of Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin. The famous Russian writer and journalist was born here on January 15, 1826. In this estate he lived until 1836. The writer's recollections of life in this village can be found in his latest book entitled Poshekhonskaya Antiquity.
In 1918, the Saltykovs estate in the village of Spas-Ugol burned down. Only the Transfiguration Church with an expressive three-tier bell tower has survived. Today there is a museum named after Saltykov-Shchedrin.
Another interesting fact about this small village: in 1887, a balloon with Dmitry Mendeleev on board landed on the outskirts of Spas-Ugla. The great scientist watched from him a solar eclipse.
Verbilki Porcelain Factory
The history of the porcelain and faience industry in Russia dates back nearly three centuries. For its development in the European part of the country there are all natural resources: kaolin, feldspar, quartz and plastic clay. One of the oldest porcelain manufacturing enterprises in Russia is the Verbilki factory, a village located south of the city of Taldom.
Porcelain factory in Verbilki was founded in 1766. The products of this manufactory were of excellent quality. Already at the end of the 18th century, on the plant’s products one could see the image of the Moscow coat of arms - a kind of quality mark of that period.
In the Soviet period of history, the plant launched the production of mass, but rather high-quality products - dishes and figurines. This enterprise managed to survive the economic crisis of the 90s. Today, it is one of three operating porcelain factories in Russia.