In Zhukovskiy District, you can choose between a focus on the history of 1812, Dashkova’s legacy, unusual museum themes, and seasonal activities. Tarutino represents military history, while Troitskoye and Kremyonki offer architecture and the history of education. The MUzey MUsora connects art with environmental issues.
Tarutino: monument and the history of 1812
The Monument to Russian Military Glory in Tarutino was unveiled in 1834 to commemorate the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The Tarutino Memorial grounds also include a redan from the Tarutino camp. Together, the monument and redan connect the memory of the victory with a specific feature of the camp.
The exhibition at the Tarutino Museum Complex is devoted to the Russian army’s Tarutino maneuver in October 1812. This maneuver halted Napoleon’s advance on Kaluga and Russia’s wealthy southern provinces. The focus is therefore on a specific historical event and its consequences, not solely on commemorating the war as a whole.
Dashkova, architectural history, and museum themes
The E. R. Dashkova Memorial Museum in Kremyonki is devoted to Yekaterina Dashkova and her role in the development of education and science in the second half of the 18th century. In Troitskoye, another aspect of her legacy takes center stage: the Vorontsova-Dashkova estate is a cultural heritage site of federal significance. Its features include a church, stone gates, two outbuildings, an obelisk, and a park. Little remains of the 18th-century estate.
The Trinity Church in Troitskoye was built in 1765 in the Baroque style, based on a design by E. R. Dashkova. Her burial place is in a side chapel. The year it was built, its style, and her burial place make the church a specific reference point for architectural and commemorative history; the memorial museum in Kremyonki also explores Dashkova’s importance to education and science.
At the MUzey MUsora (MU MU), the theme spans art and environmental issues. The exhibition currently features more than 500 artworks from 25 countries, including installations made from old car parts and cardboard elements. Dedicated information boards and exhibits address global environmental problems, such as pollution of the planet, as well as the principles of responsible consumption. The museum also offers workshops; check the current program before visiting.
Parks and seasonal activities
Ptits Park “Vorobji” includes an ostrich farm, a small-animal farm, and collections of minerals and butterflies. Pony or horseback rides and carriage rides are available on weekends. In winter, activities include riding an inflatable tube down an icy slide; workshops include T-shirt painting, among other things. Check in advance whether rides and carriage rides will be available on your chosen weekend, and look up the current offerings for the winter slide and workshops.
T-Park is open year-round: 24 hours a day in the warmer months and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter. Check the current opening hours before your visit. T-Park’s year-round opening hours thus differ from the seasonal activities at the bird park.
More destinations in Kaluga Oblast
The wider destination of Kaluga Oblast offers additional, different kinds of activities. On the Great Kaluga Trail, you can travel on foot, by kayak, or by bicycle while exploring the nature of Ugra National Park. Information boards and signs help you work out your location and the distance to the nearest settlement.
In Kaluga, the K. E. Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics presents the history of Russian space exploration, from the first artificial Earth satellite to modern long-duration orbital stations. Near Nikola-Lenivets, landscape installations and land art by Russian and international artists shape the art park; many of the works are considered influential in contemporary art.
The annual Archstoyanie festival near Nikola-Lenivets includes new art installations, performances, concerts, lectures, and workshops. It is usually held in late July; the specific program may vary from year to year. Thus, in addition to nature and museums, Kaluga Oblast offers contemporary art and a festival held at a particular time of year.
Discover more destinations: Chernaya Gryaz', Mosalskiy rayon, Peremyshlsky District, Maloyaroslavetskiy Rayon, Gorod Obninsk, Kaluga, Peremyshlskiy rayon, gorod Kaluga.
For the broader travel overview: Kaluga Oblast.
