The local history museum and memorial sites offer different ways to explore Monastyrshchina. The museum hosts excursions, exhibitions, lectures and museum classes. If you plan to attend a particular tour or event during your stay, it is best to confirm the date in advance.
Memorial Sites in Monastyrshchina
On 13 October 2007, the Heroes’ Avenue was opened in the town centre, at the foot of the monument to A. I. Koldunov. It commemorates the service of Monastyrshchina’s residents—soldiers and workers—to their homeland. This dedication gives the site a different focus from memorials commemorating wartime events and liberation.
In 1978, a memorial was unveiled in Monastyrshchina in honour of the residents’ patriotic service and the courage and bravery of Soviet tank crews during the war. A T-34 tank was placed on a pedestal on the southeastern outskirts of town, at a site where fierce fighting took place during the liberation. Another memorial was added on 25 September 1983 at the town entrance, on the old Smolensk road. It commemorates the Red Army soldiers who liberated Monastyrshchinsky District in September 1943. Together, these sites reflect different historical reference points, without implying that their dedications are the same.
Culture and Nature in Smolensk Oblast
Those planning to explore beyond Monastyrshchina can also include archaeological, historical and landscape-related destinations in Smolensk Oblast. The “Gnezdovo” archaeological complex preserves around 2,500 burial mounds and a settlement. It is considered the largest complex of archaeological monuments in Russia and Europe dating from the emergence of the Old Russian state. At the same time, it is protected by the state as an archaeological monument of federal significance.
Another historical point of interest in the oblast is the “Khmelita” estate, owned by the Griboyedov family since 1680 and the centre of the A. S. Griboyedov Museum Reserve. The State Historical, Cultural and Natural Museum Reserve is located in Vyazemsky District, Smolensk Oblast. The stated distances are 260 kilometres from Moscow, 200 kilometres from Smolensk and 37 kilometres from Vyazma. This information helps place Khmelita as a separate destination in regional travel plans.
Smolensk Oblast also offers a distinct focus for nature lovers: Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park was established on 15 April 1992 in the territories of Demidovsky and Dukhovshchinsky districts. Its stated aims include protecting unique natural complexes, as well as recreation, education, science and culture. In 2023–2024, two viewing points were set up on the “K istokam” eco-trail at Lakes “Svyatets” and “Sapsho”. The trail is a loop that starts in the village of “Stary Dvor”; a track for mobile apps such as Geotreker or MAPS.ME can help you follow it independently.
Those interested in different types of terrain can visit the barefoot trail in Boroviki, which has 14 sections, each six metres long, with different natural surfaces. Visitors walk the sections barefoot. At the end, you can wash your feet and, if you wish, take a walk through the “Aptekarsky sad”. Another trail, “Poozerye bez barerov”, was created in 2017 for people with health-related limitations. It starts near the “Baklanovo” Eco Centre building.
Guided Activities and Themes at “Stargrad”
At the ethnographic village of “Stargrad”, guided tours introduce visitors to the way of life of the ancient Slavs and showcase everyday objects, weapons and clothing. Visits are possible only as part of a guided group. The extended programme includes, among other things, the “Babiy kut” workshop on traditional women’s crafts, where visitors can make their own souvenirs, and the “Polevaya kuznya”, where participants can mint coins and make chain mail. At the “Srednevekovy tir”, activities include shooting a bow and slingshot, as well as throwing axes and sulitsas. The extended programme must be arranged in advance.
Lunch can also be part of the extended guided programme: it includes historical dishes made from old recipes for maritime, marching and field cuisine, prepared in cauldrons over an open fire. This is an activity for the guided group, not a general restaurant offering. When looking for a holiday apartment in Monastyrshchina, you can also decide whether to focus your stay on the local memorial sites and the local history museum or include other cultural and nature-related destinations in Smolensk Oblast.
Discover more destinations: Przhevalskoye, Pilichki, Vskhody, Novye Bateki, Vysokoye, Sloboda, Petschorsk, Vyazma.
For the full regional travel guide: Smolensk Oblast.
