Between Mice and Merchants’ Houses
A mouse museum said to be the only one of its kind in the world gives Myshkinsky District an unusual starting point. In Myshkin, this distinctive museum theme meets old merchant buildings: the town is known as a museum town, and its historic merchants’ houses are well preserved. Just beyond the Mouse, the boulevard begins—a popular place for a stroll among residents and visitors. In Myshkin, museum visits and a walk through the town go hand in hand; the other collections explore very different subjects.
The Myshkin Palaces tourist and educational complex includes a zoo with live mice and a cheese room. There is also a mouse-themed royal reception and a center dedicated to the affairs of mice. If you plan to visit these unusual attractions, confirm current admission and opening arrangements in advance.
Other museums focus on history and crafts. The Myshkin—Capital of the Barge Haulers Historical and Ethnographic Museum was established in honor of the barge haulers from Myshkin, who were considered the best on the Volga. The Flax Museum tells the story of flax cultivation in the Myshkin area. The Russian Felt Boots Museum focuses on felt-making; Myshkin has also had a felt and fulling workshop for more than 100 years. Other local attractions include an Orthodox museum of private family collections, the exhibition Secrets of the 18th Century, and a museum about vodka producer Pyotr Smirnov, who came from Myshkin County.
Katskari Culture in Martynovo
In Martynovo, the Katskari Ethnographic Museum preserves the language, daily life, traditions, crafts, songs and other aspects of Katskari culture. It therefore focuses not only on individual objects, but also on the cultural expressions of a community. The summer program combines a museum visit with a visit to the museum courtyard and an opportunity to meet domestic animals. Check seasonal visiting arrangements with the museum in advance.
The summer program also includes a shared meal of Katskari-style stewed potatoes, tea and country hospitality. This offering requires an advance inquiry. The local history museums in Martynovo and Uchma also offer excursions and cultural entertainment programs, introducing visitors to the distinctive features of village life and the history of each village. These programs complement the museum collections with insights into rural life.
Uchma on the Volga Shore
The Uchma Museum Complex is housed in granaries and a 19th-century chapel on the gently sloping bank of the Volga. The first building and the chapel introduce Uchma’s history and its connections with Byzantium and Renaissance Europe. The second granary houses an exhibition devoted to the village, its people and “Russian Atlantis.” Another exhibition, My Own Boat. Old Women on Love, was created in 2018 and comprises intimate monologues by Uchma’s oldest women residents. The Uchma Museum also explores the history of the Kassian Hermitage and the fate of the Russian village.
There is a landing stage on the museum complex grounds, from which you can take a walk along an old channel of the Volga. The complex is open from April to November by prior arrangement. Please contact the museum in advance to arrange your visit. Uchma’s history also includes a church in the former monastic settlement: it has been in operation since 1994 and is dedicated to Saint Anastasia the Deliverer and the venerable Kassian of Uglich.
Other frequently visited sights in Myshkinsky District include the Victory Monument and the Dormition Cathedral. The monument is noted for its size and its conceptual and artistic design. Together with the museums in Myshkin, Martynovo and Uchma, these places show how varied discoveries in the district can be—from an unusual museum collection to village culture and the history of Uchma.
Discover more destinations: Rybinsky District, Breytovsky District, Pereslavsky District, Rostov, Uglich, Gavrilov-Yamsky District, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Tutaevsky District.
For the regional travel overview: Yaroslavl Oblast.
