Near Khokhlovka stands the stone roadside chapel of St. Nicholas. It is located right beside the Kaluga–Kozelsk–Oryol highway and is surrounded by pine trees. Relatives built it in 2004 in memory of someone who died at this spot; the person’s name is unknown.

Experience nature in Kaluga Oblast

Kaluga Oblast offers a broader natural and cultural setting. On the Great Kaluga Trail, you can travel on foot, by kayak or by bicycle while experiencing the nature of Ugra National Park. Information boards and signs help visitors determine their location and the distance to the nearest settlement. Current admission regulations may apply to the national park.

The Kaluzhskie Zaseki State Nature Reserve organizes educational tours throughout the year. These include short introductory tours, hikes lasting several hours over uneven terrain, photography tours and combined tours. If you plan to include this stop, arrange the details with the reserve before your trip.

Museums, art and history in Kaluga Oblast

The Russian Desman Museum provides information about the species, its habitat and its characteristics; the animals can be seen there on a screen, not live. In Kaluga, colorful dioramas and biological groups at the Usadba Zolotarevykh Museum Complex depict the flora and fauna of Kaluga Oblast through the changing seasons. The history section comprises eleven rooms on the second floor. The K. E. Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics in Kaluga covers Russian cosmonautics from the first artificial Earth satellite to modern long-term orbital stations.

The Nikola-Lenivets Art Park focuses on landscape installations and land art by Russian and foreign artists; many works are considered influential in contemporary art. A distinct event held at a specific time of year is the annual Arkhstoyanie Festival near Nikola-Lenivets: it usually takes place in late July. The program includes new art installations, performances, concerts, lectures and workshops; individual program details may change from year to year. If you plan to attend the festival, check the dates for the relevant year.

Optina Pustyn Monastery in Kozelsk is one of the oldest monasteries. The Optina Elders are associated with a spiritual revival in Russia in the 19th century; numerous works of Russian literature are connected with the monastery. Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky had special ties to it. The relics of the venerable Optina Elders, considered the monastery’s most important sacred treasure, rest in its churches.

In Polotnyany Zavod, the Podvor'ye Masterov Museum displays collections of folk crafts from the surrounding area. The works use traditional and more modern techniques, including installations created with a 3D printer.

Discover more destinations: Mamonovo, Tarusa, Kondrovo, Kaluga, Sukreml', Inino, Dvortsy, Luzhnoye.

For the regional travel overview: Kaluga Oblast.