Once a summer estate frequented by Russian royalty, this popular park complex now contains museums, churches and other attractions.
Kolomenskoye Historical and Architectural Museum and Reserve is located on an elevated plateau overlooking the Moskva River. Once a grand country getaway for royals, it is now a popular public park containing numerous cultural attractions. Discover centuries-old churches and unique examples of wooden architecture in this grassy open-air setting.
Russian tsars used Kolomenskoye as a vacation home from the 14th century onward. The park once contained a splendid wooden palace constructed by Tsar Aleksey I. The original building was demolished in the 18th century. Today, view the full-scale reconstruction, which was erected in 2010.
Don’t miss the UNESCO-listed Church of Ascension, set amid lush parkland. The church was built in 1532 to mark Ivan the Terrible’s birth. Note its distinctive white tent roof. Step inside the church and browse the museum collections, which include media and artifacts relating to the church’s history.
See the park’s other famous religious site, the Church of St. John the Baptist. Note its similarity to St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square; the round shape of the church at Kolomenskoye was a source of inspiration for its Muscovite counterpart.
Stop at the Museum of Wooden Architecture to inspect examples of rare wooden constructions from all across Russia, including a Siberian jail tower and Peter I’s Archangelsk home. Tsar Aleksey’s reconstructed palace, a wonder of wooden architecture, is also interesting, with exhibits that shed light on the extravagant daily life inside the palace, including details about the kind of decadent meals the royals ate.
If the weather is nice, stroll through Kolomenskoye’s orchards. Little has changed in this picturesque and peaceful section of the park since the 17th century.
Opening hours vary at the Kolomenskoye Historical and Architectural Museum and Reserve. The park is open every day, but the buildings are closed on Mondays. Visiting the grounds is free, but you will have to pay to visit the museums. Although it’s located outside of Moscow city center, you can still take the metro here. Get off at the Kolomenskaya station.