The Ostashkov local history museum brings together the history of Ostashkov and views of Lake Seliger. It has been housed in the Trinity Cathedral, built in 1697, since 1977. The museum was founded much earlier, in 1889, at the Ostashkov town school. The dates mark two distinct stages: its founding at the school and its later location in the cathedral. Ostashkov is the administrative centre of Ostashkovskiy rayon.
Collections and Views in Ostashkov
The museum’s collections include 64 samovars and 34 spinning wheels. It also has 573 paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries, including works by the renowned Ostashkov school of painting. Different subjects sit side by side: objects related to trades and crafts, and a regional artistic tradition. The permanent exhibition explores crafts in the Lake Seliger region and the cultural and historical traditions of the Ostashkov area. Materials from archaeological excavations of Stone Age settlements and Slavic burial mounds complement the exhibition. The thematic scope thus ranges from early traces of settlement to art and inherited traditions.
The location itself offers another perspective: from the observation platform in the bell tower of the Trinity Cathedral, visitors can look out over the town, Lake Seliger and its islands. The museum focuses on collections and history; from the bell tower, the townscape and lake shape the view of Ostashkov.
Nature and Culture in Tver Oblast
Within the wider destination of Tver Oblast, the Central Forest Nature Reserve offers nature experiences with a range of focuses. Guided tours are available along the “Secrets of the Okovsky Forest” and “Forest ABC” nature trails in the Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast. The “Starosselsky Mokh” educational trail in the Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast crosses a raised bog with broad, open areas completely covered in moss and unusual plants. Visitors use their own vehicle for an excursion to the “Starosselsky Mokh” raised bog in the Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast. On the hike to the “Barsuchikha” ranger station in the Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast, visitors see southern taiga forest and a raised bog. In the Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast, this hike can be done as a day trip or with an overnight stay in a forest hut.
The Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast also has a natural history museum and a visitor centre. The natural history museum of the Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast showcases the protected area’s main ecosystems and the species that live there; one room is dedicated to scientific research. The visitor centre of the Central Forest Nature Reserve in Tver Oblast is located on the grounds of the central estate and offers information about the organisation’s history and structure, a regular exhibition of children’s artwork and a souvenir shop.
Cultural attractions in Tver Oblast also have their own distinctive appeal. The Novotorzhsky Borisoglebsky Monastery, founded in 1038 and one of Russia’s oldest Orthodox monasteries, is located in Torzhok, Tver Oblast. The historic centre of Torzhok in Tver Oblast is also home to Verkhneye Gorodishche, an archaeological monument of federal significance and a tourist attraction. The “Blin s Pripyokom” and “Kuzminki in Torzhok” festivals are held every year in the Novotorzhsky Kremlin in Tver Oblast. Nilova Pustyn, a monastery and centre for religious tourism and pilgrimages, is located on Stolobny Island in Tver Oblast.
More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Konets, Novye Eltsy, Glubochitsa, Nepriye, Tverdyakino.
More destinations in Tver Oblast: Rzhevskiy rayon, Konakovskiy rayon, Selizharovskiy rayon.
Back to the main travel guide: Tver Oblast.
