The city of Ivanovo is part of the Golden Ring route. It is located between Suzdal and Kostroma. Unlike other cities of the Golden Ring, Ivanovo is more known for constructivist architecture, rather than ancient churches and golden domes. You can also visit several interesting museums here.
The city of Ivanovo has been known for two centuries as the center of the textile industry in Russia. The buildings of the largest Ivanovo Manufactory have been preserved in the city center, however, they require reconstruction. In the Museums of Ivanovo, you can get acquainted with the history of the development of the textile industry in the region, and how Ivanovo from the city of the proletariat became the "city of brides".
Journalist Yuri Bychkov first described the route of the Golden Ring in his 1967 essays. Initially, he did not include Ivanovo as its part. Indeed, the architecture of Ivanovo is very different from the ancient cities of the Golden Ring. However, the location of Ivanovo is right on the way of this route. In addition, the city played an important role in the revolutionary movement of 1917, so Ivanovo was included in the famous route for ideological reasons.
History of Ivanovo
The village of Ivanovo appeared in the bend of the Uvod River, at the confluence of the Kokui Stream. Intercession Mountain rises above the river. The Intercession Monastery was located there in the 17th and 18th centuries. These lands have been owned by the Princes of Cherkassy since the middle of the 16th century. They took possession of them from Ivan the Terrible.
The village of Ivanovo was first mentioned in the chronicle in 1608. In the 19th century, the village of Voznesensky Posad appeared nearby. In 1871, the villages were united into a single city with the name of Ivanovo-Voznesensk. In 1932, the city was renamed Ivanovo, which became the regional center.
The lands in the Ivanovo region are unsuitable for agriculture, so in the 18th century a cluster of textile textile factories began to form here. Local craftsmen reached a high level of skill in the production of calico fabric, as well as applying various patterns to the fabric with ink. This turned Ivanovo into the center of the textile industry of the Russian Empire.
Sights of Ivanovo
Since 1905, Ivanovo has become one of the centers of the revolutionary movement for workers` rights. At the beginning of the 20th century, Russia remained an agrarian country, but there were many factories in Ivanovo and many workers lived here. In 1905, workers created the first City Soviet (Council) in Ivanovo, which coordinated a strike at the textile factories.
The Bolsheviks appreciated the effectiveness of such Soviets and by 1917 initiated their creation in other cities. After the revolution of 1917, they transferred all power to the Soviets of Workers and Peasants. But the First Soviet appeared in Ivanovo and the Museum of the First Soviet (Council) is dedicated to it.
Ivanovo`s specialization in textile allowed the city authorities to create several museums in the city, which are of great interest to tourists. In the historical center of the city there is a Museum of Industry and Art, which was created in 1912 by a local manufacturer Dmitry Burylin. In 1987, the Museum of Ivanovo Calico was opened in the neighboring house. Here you can get acquainted with the development of the textile industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Ivanovo Art Museum is located nearby.
In addition to museums in Ivanovo, you have to see houses built in the constructivist style. In gratitude for the worker movement, the Soviet government began active construction of residential buildings for workers in Ivanovo. There were houses in the style of constructivism, which symbolized the new time. In the 1920s, leading architects built a Ship-House, a Bird-House, a Horseshoe-House, a Bullet-House and several other houses in Ivanovo in the style of constructivism.
In 2000, the Trinity Church was built on the top of Intercession Mountain. There used to be many churches and a monastery in Ivanovo, but in 1932 they were destroyed. Since Ivanovo is listed among the cities of the Golden Ring, the city authorities have restored several churches and chapels in the city center.
