Borovsk has a history spanning more than six hundred years. Its cultural and historical attractions include a memorial chapel, five murals visible from a crossroads in the town center, and museums covering everything from the life of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky to everyday life in the city. Nearby, the Protva is another destination for guided excursions. You can plan your stay around a clear focus: culture and architectural history in Borovsk, or an additional trip on the river.
Memorial Chapel and Art in the Cityscape
The memorial chapel is dedicated to Feodora (Theodosia Morozova) and her sister Evdokia (Urusova), who suffered in Borovsk. Every year on September 24, a small cross procession goes from the Vvedensky Church to the chapel. Prayer services organized by the city’s Old Believer community are currently held there. If you plan to attend a service, check with the community in advance.
Five murals can be seen from a crossroads in the town center; they are gradually fading. An open-air gallery uses sections of walls, “blind” windows and fences as canvases. For the murals, the view from the crossroads is central, while the gallery focuses on the choice of surfaces used as picture supports.
Museums and Architectural History
The K. E. Tsiolkovsky Museum introduces visitors to the life and work of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the founder of theoretical astronautics. It also offers insights into his childhood, youth and family. The “Stolny Gorod Borovsk” Museum offers a different perspective on Borovsk: it explores the city’s culture and everyday life, as well as its architectural and archaeological monuments. The focus of each is therefore distinct: one covers a biography and theoretical astronautics, while the other explores the city itself and its heritage.
Borovsk is also home to the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God at Vysokoe. The surviving wooden church dates from the 17th century. Russian craftsmen built it from pine logs without using a single nail. For a trip outside the city, the Pafnuty-Borovsky Monastery offers another historical attraction: Pafnuty of Borovsk founded it in 1444. The monastery lies on the left bank of the Protva, three kilometers southeast of Borovsk; its first place of worship was also built and consecrated in 1444.
Excursions on the Protva
River excursions vary in duration and format. A one-day trip on the Protva is led by a flotilla captain and experienced sailor-instructors, and follows a very calm, shallow stretch of river. The rafting route is ten kilometers long and divided into two sections of six and four kilometers. This gives you a choice between a full-day trip and a route with a specific distance.
Excursions by catamaran, canoe and SUP board are also offered in the vicinity of Borovsk. They include a guided tour and lunch; the season runs from May to September. If you’re planning a river excursion, check the operator’s latest information in advance, especially about the route, season and arrangements. That way, you can fit the excursion around your cultural program without combining visits to the city and time on the water into a single activity.
Discover more destinations: Tarusa, Vashutino, Savinovo, Berdy, Kozelsk, Karaskovo, Vorotynsk, Ermolino.
For the broader travel overview: Kaluga Oblast.
