Moscow is surrounded by a real ring of ancient fortress cities. We have collected for you all the preserved Kremlins of the Moscow region. You can visit each of them in one day, along the way looking at the city itself - all these places are ancient, interesting, with their own unique history and monuments.
- Vereya. Kremlin of the 14th century, with high earthen ramparts. Its walls have always been wooden. The hero of the war of 1812, General Dorokhov, is buried in the Kremlin Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ. Highway M1, 98 km from Moscow Ring Road.
- Volokolamsk. Kremlin of the 12th century. The city of Volok on Lama was founded by the Novgorodians, it was besieged more than once by Moscow and Vladimir troops. The city was fortified: on a high hill a wooden kremlin was built on earthen ramparts, in total the height of the fortifications reached about 25 meters. The ancient Resurrection Cathedral of the 15th century has been preserved in the Kremlin. Highway M9, 100 km from Moscow Ring Road.
- Dmitrov. Kremlin of the 12th century. The historical center of the city is the Kremlin, surrounded by a ring of powerful earthen ramparts. As early as the end of the 16th century, the ramparts were strengthened along the top with a high wooden balustrade. During the Time of Troubles, the fortifications burned down and were no longer restored, but the shaft remained and now serves as a favorite place for walks of citizens and tourists. In the center of the Kremlin stands the ancient Assumption Cathedral of the 16th century. Highway A104, 54 km from the Moscow Ring Road.
- Zaraysk. Kremlin of the 16th century. By decree of Grand Duke Vasily III, a stone fortress was built in Zaraysk in 1528-1531. Even before it, the city was fortified with ramparts and a wooden fortress - Ostrog. Powerful walls and 7 towers have been preserved to this day. Highway M5, 140 km from Moscow Ring Road.
- Zvenigorod. Kremlin of the 14th century. On the high bank of the Moskva River, Prince Yuri Zvenigorodsky built fortifications - a high rampart and a wooden wall with towers, and built a cathedral inside, which has survived to this day. At the foot of the hill there is a spring where the locals collect very tasty water. Highway A107 between M1 and M9, 46 km from MKAD.
- Kolomna. Kremlin of the 16th century. Initially, Kolomna was fortified with a wooden wall with ramparts. The powerful stone walls of the Kolomna Kremlin, about 2 km long, 4-5 meters wide and up to 20 meters high, were built in 1525-1531 by order of Grand Duke Vasily III. This is the largest Kremlin in the Moscow region in terms of area, containing 2 active monasteries, a cathedral complex and several streets where people live to this day. Highway M5, 92 km from the Moscow Ring Road.
- Mozhaisk. Kremlin of the 13th century. The city on a high hill above the Mozhaika River was fortified partly with a wooden, partly with an adobe wall, later rebuilt in stone. In 1802 the brick walls were dismantled. But there was a magnificent neo-Gothic Nikolsky Cathedral on a hill, visible from afar. Highway M1, 93 km from Moscow Ring Road.
- Ruza. Kremlin XV-XVII centuries. Ruza was not an independent principality. A high hill, surrounded on three sides by rivers, and on the fourth by a moat, was an excellent fortification, on which only in the Time of Troubles, in 1618, a wooden fence was placed, which allowed the city to repel the attack of the Poles. This fortification can be attributed to the Kremlin with a high degree of conventionality. Highway A108, between M1 and M9, 93 km from MKAD.
- Serpukhov. Kremlin of the 14th century. Initially, the Kremlin, as in other cities, was made of wood and earth, fortifications were built under the appanage prince Vladimir the Brave. The stone fortress with wide, low sandstone walls was built in 1556. In Soviet times, the walls of the fortress were almost completely dismantled - stone blocks were used to build the Moscow metro. Highway M2, 85 km from Moscow Ring Road.
The Moscow region in 2014 celebrates its 85th anniversary. Meanwhile, many cities of the Moscow region are much older - they were founded in the Middle Ages, in the 12-14 centuries. The most ancient cities of the region can be recognized by the preserved walls of the Kremlin, temples and monasteries, ancient "fortified settlements" and earthen ramparts. Correspondents of the portal "In the Podmoskovie" chose the ten most ancient cities of the Moscow region, found out why they are remarkable, and found out which city near Moscow is older than Moscow.
Volokolamsk
The oldest city in the Moscow region is Volokolamsk , or Volok Lamsky, as it was called in antiquity. In Russian chronicles, this city is mentioned as early as 1135. It is believed that he is 12 years older than Moscow. It was an important trade route from Novgorod to Moscow and Ryazan lands. Novgorodians dragged ships with goods from the Lama River to Voloshnya - hence the name. The oldest building of the Volokolamsk Kremlin, which has survived to this day, is the Resurrection White-stone Cathedral, built in the 15th century. The Kremlin itself, like most buildings of that time, was wooden, so the towers and walls have not survived to this day.
Near Volokolamsk is the Joseph-Volotsky Monastery, founded in the 15th century. Here, walls with seven towers built in the 17th century have been preserved. The oldest part of the ensemble of the monastery has also been preserved - the Church of the Epiphany, built in 1504, the ruins of a unique bell tower, the Peter and Paul Church, the Assumption Cathedral.
Kolomna
For the first time about Kolomna is mentioned in the annals in 1177 as a border fortress of the Ryazan and Moscow principalities, and it was founded several decades earlier. This city was a traditional gathering place for Russian troops before the campaigns against the Tatar-Mongolians and the richest city after Moscow, and during the feudal wars in the middle of the 15th century, the capital of Muscovy. It was not in vain that the princes of fragmented Russia fought for him - Kolomna occupied an advantageous trading position between three rivers - the Moscow River, Oka and Kolomenka.
Here, a monument of ancient Russian defensive architecture is partially preserved - the Kolomna Kremlin, built in the 16th century. Today it houses a large museum complex. Thanks to the Kremlin, the enemies could not take the city by storm. The most famous tower is Marinkina. It is believed that the name comes from the name of the great prisoner - Marina Mnishek, who, according to legend, was imprisoned in the tower in 1614 and died here. Tour guides call Kolomna Suzdal near Moscow. Now it is one of the most attractive tourist centers, with many fashionable projects.
Zvenigorod
Zvenigorod was founded in the middle of the 12th century, presumably in 1152. According to one version, Moscow and Zvenigorod have one founder - Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. At the same time, there were several cities with the same name in Russia. Historians argue about the origin of the poetic name of the "ringing" city. Versions are different - from the word "ringing", which alerted the population of the danger, to "Savenigorod", that is, the "city of Savva" - in honor of St. Savva Storozhevsky, the founder of the monastery. The city was also glorified by the famous Soviet actress Lyubov Orlova, who was born here.
Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery is the main attraction of Zvenigorod places. The monastery was founded at the very end of the 14th century on Mount Storozh by Saint Sava, a disciple of the famous Russian Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and in the 17th century, under the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, it was actually rebuilt. On the territory of the monastery, one of the oldest churches in Moscow has been preserved - the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin of the early 15th century. The ancient fortress walls with towers, the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the chambers of his wife Tsaritsa Maria Miloslavskaya, fraternal buildings with cells have survived to this day.
Dmitrov
Dmitrov - Another city on Moscow land, founded by Yuri Dolgoruky in the middle of the 12th century. In a village on the Yakhroma River, on the way from Kyiv, the prince and his wife Olga had a son - Vsevolod the Big Nest, and in baptism - Dmitry, in whose honor it was decided to name the new city - Dmitrov.
The Kremlin in Dmitrov was wooden and has not survived to this day. High, up to 15 meters, earthen ramparts surrounding the ancient settlement testify to the ancient fortifications. They are a monument of history and culture of federal significance. The Dmitrovsky Kremlin Museum-Reserve has been opened on the territory of the Kremlin.
Of the ancient buildings in the city, the Borisoglebsky Monastery of the 15th century, with a stone fence and turrets, has been preserved. The oldest temple of the monastery is the Cathedral of Saints Boris and Gleb, built in the 16th century. In the Soviet years, the monastery housed the management of the construction of the famous Moscow-Volga Canal.
Ruza
This small town in the west of the Moscow region was founded in the first third of the 14th century, around 1328. From the city fortress, only earthen ramparts remained, which archaeologists have yet to explore, now there is the Gorodok park - a place of rest for the townspeople.
Of the architectural monuments in the city, several churches have been preserved: the Resurrection Cathedral of the early 18th century, the Pokrovskaya and Dmitrievskaya churches (the end of the 18th century), the Borisoglebsky church of the early 19th century. By the way, in the oldest local history museum of the Moscow region, opened in Ruze in 1906, they created a rich exposition about the ancient inhabitants of the lands near Moscow - the Eastern Slavs.
Mozhaisk
The first mention of the city on the river Mozhaisk found in the annals of 1231. In the 14th century, Mozhaisk was one of the religious centers of Russia thanks to the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk, there were about 20 monasteries here. Of these, only one has survived - the Mozhaisk Luzhetsky Monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, founded by the disciple of Sergius of Radonezh - Ferapont Belozersky in 1408. The monastery has preserved a number of architectural monuments of the 16th-19th centuries, including the main Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the 16th century, the bell tower with the tomb of the 17th century, the gate church and the fence with towers of the 17th century.
The city is also famous for the Battle of Borodino in 1812. The Mozhaisk Local History Museum is a branch of the Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve.
Sergiev Posad
The main "tourist magnet" of the Moscow region, the only city in the region included in the "Golden Ring" of Russia, grew up around a wooden church in the name of the Trinity on Mount Makovets, where Sergius of Radonezh founded a monastic monastery in the 14th century. 1337 is considered the year of foundation of the city. The Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, where the icons of the great icon painters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny are kept, where, according to legend, the Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy came for a blessing before the Battle of Kulikovo, where Tsar Ivan the Terrible bequeathed to bury himself and where the Moscow Theological Academy is now located, is included in the list of security UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The oldest building of the Lavra is the white-stone Trinity Cathedral, built over the tomb of St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1422-1423. According to the archives of the monastery, since 1575 the world-famous icon of Andrei Rublev "Trinity", painted in memory of the great saint and miracle worker, occupied the main place of the iconostasis of the Trinity Church - to the right of the royal gates. And the Assumption Cathedral of the Lavra (1585), with bright blue domes in gold stars, was created at the behest of Ivan the Terrible and modeled on the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The bell tower of the Lavra is the highest in Russia - 88 meters.
The Sergiev Posad Historical and Art Museum "Konny Dvor" (former monastery stables) houses a unique and one of the largest collections of ancient Russian art of the 14th-19th centuries in Russia.
Serpukhov
Serpukhov on the Nara River, presumably dates back to 1339 - it was a fortress on the borders of the Moscow principality during the long struggle against the Mongol-Tatars and the Lithuanian-Polish conquerors. The main architectural monument of the city is the Vysotsky Monastery, one of the oldest in the Moscow region, founded in 1347 by Serpukhov Prince Vladimir the Brave. This is a center of pilgrimage to the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary "The Inexhaustible Chalice", which is considered to cure the ailments of drunkenness and drug addiction.
Among other antiquities of the city are the Vladychny Convent of the 14th century, fragments of the Serpukhov Kremlin of the 16th century on Cathedral Hill, the Trinity Cathedral of the 17th century on Cathedral Hill. Of the later sights - shopping malls of the 19th century and a number of churches and temples.
Wedge
Wedge first mentioned in chronicles in 1317. The fortress was destroyed at the very beginning of the 15th century by a Tatar-Mongol raid. The Klin Kremlin did not have stone structures and fortifications. The earthen ramparts have not been preserved, but a deep ravine is visible that protected the approaches to the city.
The oldest monument of the Klin Kremlin is the Resurrection Church of the early 18th century.
Kashira
One of the oldest cities in the Moscow region was first mentioned in the spiritual charter of Moscow Prince Ivan the Red in 1356. The antiquity of these places is evidenced by a unique monument of archeology - the Kashirskoye settlement, dating back to the 7th-4th centuries BC. Traces of the ancient settlement can be seen on the banks of the Oka River. According to research, the settlement in Kashira It was fortified with a rampart, a moat and an oak tyn. Archaeologists have discovered more than 20 dugout dwellings with stone hearths in the center, clay items, dishes, bone arrows, harpoons, iron tools and bronze ornaments.
Source: www.inmosreg.ru
The territory of the modern Moscow region was inhabited more than 20 thousand years ago. Numerous burial mounds and settlements of the Iron Age are known within the region. Burial mounds of the 10th-12th centuries are widespread. Until the 9th-10th centuries, the territory of the Moskva River basin and the adjacent lands were inhabited mainly by the Finno-Ugric peoples Meryans and Meshchers. The Slavs began to actively develop this territory only in the 10th century.
In the middle of the XII century, the lands of the present Moscow region became part of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. The active foundation of cities dates back to the same time (Volokolamsk, 1135; Moscow, 1147; Zvenigorod, 1152; Dmitrov, 1154). In the first half of the 13th century, the entire Vladimir-Suzdal land, including the lands near Moscow, was conquered by the Mongol-Tatars.
The history of the Moscow region is inextricably linked with many military events of the Time of Troubles - the Trinity siege, the first and second militias.
Moscow principality (1263-1547)
In the XIII century, the lands around Moscow became part of the Moscow principality, which later became the center of the unification of Russian lands and a stronghold of the struggle against the Mongol-Tatar yoke. In 1380, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy led his troops from Kolomna towards the Tatar-Mongols and then won a victory on the Kulikovo field.
It should be noted that the territories of the current southern (zaoksky) districts of the Moscow region were part of the Ryazan principality, which was finally annexed to Moscow only in 1520. The defensive role of the monasteries near Moscow was significant - Joseph-Volotsky near Volokolamsk, Savvino-Storozhevsky in Zvenigorod, the Trinity-Sergius Monastery.
Russian empire
Moscow district
In 1708, by decree of Peter I, the Moscow province was established, which included most of the territory of the present Moscow region.
In 1812, the Battle of Borodino took place near Mozhaisk, which became the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812.
In the XVIII-XIX centuries, light industry (especially textile industry) developed in the Moscow province; Bogorodsk, Pavlovsky Posad, Orekhovo-Zuevo became its important centers.
In 1851, the first railway line appeared on the territory of the province, connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg; in 1862 traffic was opened along the line to Nizhny Novgorod.
Geography
The Moscow province was located in the center of the European part of the Russian Empire, bordered in the north and northwest by Tver, in the northeast and east by Vladimir, in the southeast by Ryazan, in the south by Tula and Kaluga, in the west by Smolensk province.
The area of the province was 128,600 km² in 1708, 32,436 km² in 1847, 33,271 km² in 1905, 44,569 km² in 1926.
Province until 1917
1712. The province is divided into several chief commandant provinces (in 1715-1719 they were called landrat shares), including Serpukhov, Zvenigorod, Kashir, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kostroma, Rostov.
1719. The province is divided into 9 provinces: Moscow, Pereslavl-Ryazan, Kostroma, Suzdal, Yuryev-Polskaya, Vladimirskaya, Pereslavl-Zalesskaya, Tula, Kaluga. The Moscow province included 16 cities with districts (since 1727 - counties): Moscow, Dmitrov, Klin, Ruza, Volokolamsk, Mozhaisk, Tsarev-Borisov, Maloyaroslavets, Serpukhov, Tarusa, Obolensk, Kashira, Kolomna, Zvenigorod, Vereya, Borovsk.
1727. The Uglitsky and Yaroslavl provinces of the St. Petersburg province were transferred to the Moscow province.
1760s. Borisov and Obolensky districts of the Moscow province are liquidated.
1775. The western parts of the province became part of the Smolensk viceroy, Bezhetsk and Kashinsky counties became part of the Tver viceroy.
1776. Borovsky, Maloyaroslavsky, Tarussky districts depart to the Kaluga vicegerency.
1777. Kashirsky district became part of the Tula viceroy, the northern provinces of the province became part of the Yaroslavl viceroy.
1778. Vladimir, Ryazan and Kostroma governorships were separated from parts of the Moscow province.
1781. From the fragments of the former Moscow province, mainly within the boundaries of the Moscow province, a new Moscow province is organized, consisting of 15 counties: Volokolamsk district, Mozhaisky district, Vereisky district, Podolsky district, Nikitsky district, Serpukhov district, Kolomensky district, Bronnitsky district, Moscow district, Voskresensky district, Klinsky district, Dmitrovsky district, Zvenigorodsky district, Bogorodsky district, Ruza district.
1796. Bogorodsky, Bronnitsky, Podolsky, Nikitsky and Voskresensky counties are liquidated.
1802. Bogorodsky, Bronnitsky and Podolsky counties were restored.
1861. Volost division introduced.
Map of the Moscow province for 1821
Province in 1917-1929
In 1919, the Sergievsky district was formed with the center in the city of Sergiev.
In 1921, the Orekhovo-Zuevsky and Voskresensky districts were formed, the Vereisky and Ruza districts were abolished.
In 1922, the Leninsky district was formed with the center in the city of Leninsk.
In 1923, Yegoryevsky uyezd from Ryazan gubernia and Kashirsky uyezd from Tula gubernia were annexed to the province.
By a decree of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of January 14, 1929, the Moscow province and all its counties were abolished, the territory of the province became part of the newly formed Central Industrial Region (from June 3, 1929 - the Moscow Region).
It was formed on December 18, 1708 and existed until the administrative reform of 1929.
It was located in the center of the European part of the Russian Empire, bordered in the north and northwest on Tver, in the northeast and east - on Vladimir, in the southeast - on Ryazan, in the south - on Tula and Kaluga, in the west - on Smolensk provinces. .
History of the Moscow province
Formed in 1708.
In 1712, the Moscow province was divided into several chief commandant provinces (in 1715-1719 they were called landrat shares), including Serpukhov, Zvenigorod, Kashir, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kostroma, Rostov.
In 1719, the Moscow province was divided into 9 provinces: Moscow, Pereslavl-Ryazan, Kostroma, Suzdal, Yuryev-Polskaya, Vladimir, Pereslavl-Zalesskaya, Tula, Kaluga. The Moscow province included 16 cities with districts (since 1727 - counties): Moscow, Dmitrov, Klin, Ruza, Volokolamsk, Mozhaisk, Tsarev-Borisov, Maloyaroslavets, Serpukhov, Tarusa, Obolensk, Kashira, Kolomna, Zvenigorod, Vereya, Borovsk.
In 1727, the Uglitsky and Rostov provinces of the St. Petersburg province were transferred to the Moscow province.
In the 1760s Borisov and Obolensky districts of the Moscow province are liquidated.
In the 1770s Borovsky, Maloyaroslavsky, Tarussky counties go to the Kaluga vicegerency, Kashirsky county - to Tula.
In 1782, a new Moscow province was organized within the boundaries of the Moscow province, consisting of 15 counties: Volokolamsk district, Mozhaysky district, Vereisky district, Podolsky district, Nikitsky district, Serpukhov district, Kolomna district, Bronnitsky district, Moscow district, Voskresensky district, Klin district, Dmitrovsky district, Zvenigorod district, Bogorodsk district, Ruza district.
In 1796 Bogorodsky, Bronnitsky, Podolsky, Nikitsky and Voskresensky counties were liquidated.
In 1802, the Bogorodsky, Bronnitsky and Podolsky counties were restored.
Counties of Moscow Governorate
Part Moscow province until 1917 it included 13 counties:
| № | county | county town | Square, miles |
Population (1897), pers. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bogorodsky | Bogorodsk (11,102 people) | 3 068,5 | 222 341 |
| 2 | Bronnitsky | Bronnitsy (3,897 people) | 2 051,0 | 130 304 |
| 3 | Vereisky | Vereya (3,707 people) | 1 623,3 | 54 074 |
| 4 | Volokolamsky | Volokolamsk (3,091 people) | 2 138,0 | 80 984 |
| 5 | Dmitrovsky | Dmitrov (4,480 people) | 2 974,6 | 119 686 |
| 6 | Zvenigorodsky | Zvenigorod (2 381 people) | 2 012,3 | 84 375 |
| 7 | Klinskiy | Klin (4 655 people) | 3 095,9 | 115 162 |
| 8 | Kolomensky | Kolomna (20,277 people) | 1 861,4 | 111 927 |
| 9 | Mozhaisky | Mozhaisk (3 194 people) | 1 621,5 | 53 967 |
| 10 | Moscow | Moscow (1,038,591 people) | 2 393,0 | 1 203 926 |
| 11 | Podolsky | Podolsk (3,798 people) | 2 160,4 | 86 311 |
| 12 | Ruza | Ruza (2 349 people) | 1 984,1 | 55 522 |
| 13 | Serpukhov | Serpukhov (30,571 people) | 2 252,4 | 112 002 |
In the early 1920s, Orekhovo-Zuevsky, Leninsky (center - Leninsk (now Taldom)), Sergievsky (center - Sergiev (now Sergiev Posad)), Voskresensky uyezds were formed, Yegoryevsky and Kashirsky uyezds were annexed. The center of the Bronnitsky district was moved to Ramenskoye. Vereisky and Ruza counties were liquidated.
In this composition, it existed until its liquidation in 1929.
the USSR
In November 1917, Soviet power was established in the province.
On January 14, 1929, in the course of consolidation of units of the administrative-territorial division of the RSFSR, the Central Industrial Region was formed. It included the abolished Moscow, Ryazan, Tver, Tula, parts of Vladimir and parts of Kaluga provinces. The region was divided into 10 districts: industrial - Moscow, Orekhovo-Zuevsky, Kolomensky, Kimrsky, Serpukhov, Tula, Tver; agricultural - Ryazan, Bezhetsk and Kaluga. Moscow became the center of the region. A few months after the establishment, on June 3, the region was renamed Moscow. On July 30, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts formed in the okrugs became directly subordinate to the Moscow Regional Executive Committee.
In January 1935, the Kalinin region was formed, 26 districts were transferred from the Moscow region to its composition.
In September 1937, during the disaggregation of the Moscow region, the Tula and Ryazan regions (77 districts) were separated.
In 1941-1942. On the territory of the Moscow region, one of the most significant military operations of the Great Patriotic War took place - the battle for Moscow.
In July 1944, the Kaluga region was formed, from the Moscow region Borovsky, Vysokinichsky, Maloyaroslavetsky and Ugodsko-Zavodsky districts were transferred to its composition. In the same year, the Vladimir region was formed, the Petushinsky district was transferred from the Moscow region to its composition.
In 1946, the districts transferred from these regions to the Moscow region in 1942 were transferred to the Ryazan region and in 1957 to the Tula region.
The Moscow region, like many other regions, territories, republics of the USSR, was repeatedly awarded the Order of Lenin: January 3, 1934, December 17, 1956, December 5, 1966.
the Russian Federation
According to the Constitution adopted in 1993, the Moscow Region is a subject of the Russian Federation.
You can admire this view from one of the surrounding hills for a very long time without stopping.
The Lavra is a real museum of the history of Russian church architecture, here you can find most of the famous styles, and their most striking examples.
There are also picturesque places outside the Lavra, although I must admit that I have studied the surroundings very poorly so far: 
The second place is Kolomna, a large historical city at a distance of about 100 km. from Moscow, which is unofficially called the "capital of the Moscow region". In the 16th century, it was the main outpost against the regular invasions of the Crimean Tatars, so even before Ivan the Terrible, a huge brick Kremlin was built here, only slightly inferior in size to Moscow. During raids, tens of thousands of residents from the surrounding volosts took refuge in it.
Now only a few towers and small fragments of walls remain from the Kolomna Kremlin, but they also make an indelible impression: 
Inside the former Kremlin, a magnificent ensemble of the old city has been preserved, which was given the status of a reserve. You rarely see this in Russia - everything is licked, cleaned, painted, people continue to live in small old houses. But there is also the opposite effect - a feeling of some kind of sterility, emptiness and unnaturalness of the situation. What is missing is what makes up the soul of a museumified historical center in any country in the world - streets filled with people with a thousand cafes, restaurants, shops, workshops, street musicians, artists, etc.
But it's still cool, beautiful: 
The other day I came to Kolomna for the third time since 2005 and I hope to return again.
Third place - Dmitrov, 65 km. north of Moscow. I visited this city since childhood and saw how dramatically it has changed over the past 20 years. It seems that there is a real economic boom and a new infrastructure is growing right before our eyes - shopping and sports centers, vast residential areas, central streets are being improved. I don’t remember anywhere else in Russia that the historical center was completely reconstructed in a few years, the main street was blocked and turned into a pedestrian zone, decorative shopping arcades were built, and many street sculptures were installed. More precisely, there is only one example - the above-mentioned Kolomna.
As well-maintained and cultivated as in Kolomna, the historical center of Dmitrov is still very different in itself. Its core is made up of high earthen ramparts of the former wooden Kremlin, inside which the imposing Assumption Cathedral of the 16th century is enclosed: 
Outside the ramparts, a private building area has been preserved, and behind it is another attraction in the ensemble of the historical center, the Borisoglebsky Monastery: 
This monastery impresses with its fantastic well-groomed, not to say polished. Temples and walls shine with whiteness, the whole territory is buried in flowers and is a monument of modern landscape and park art, there are even peacocks. In general, the visit causes a feeling of complete delight and respect for the residents of Dmitrov.
Fourth place - Zaraysk, the most remote city from Moscow region. It is almost undeveloped by tourists and gives the impression of some kind of reserve, a real Russian province with chickens on the streets and massive wooden buildings in the center, which is not threatened with demolition in the coming years, despite its dilapidation.
The main attraction is a completely preserved stone Kremlin of the 16th century with a regular rectangular shape: 
The surviving temples are gradually being restored in the city.
I would say that in all spirit Zaraysk is the antipode of the museumified historical center of Kolomna.
Fifth place - Serpukhov.
I went there only once in 2007 and was fascinated by the atmosphere. There was an impression that this rather large city is located not a hundred, but a thousand kilometers from Moscow and there are still 90s in the yard. A huge contrast with Kolomna and Dmitrov, although, perhaps, my impressions in this case are very subjective.
There is no compact historical center in Serpukhov. The ancient Kremlin hill stands somewhere on the outskirts. A rather modest-looking cathedral rises on it, and quiet village life flows around it: 
A very tragic story happened to the stone Serpukhov Kremlin. In the 1930s local authorities, either on their idiotic initiative, or at the request of the center, decided to dismantle the ancient walls to the ground and send the resulting stone to the decoration of the Moscow metro under construction.
Only a small fragment was left as a keepsake for posterity: 
Well, where else in Russia today can you see grazing horses near the Kremlin wall?
Sixth place - Podolsk. This large city is worth a visit, if only for the sake of seeing one of the wonders of Russia - the Znamenskaya Church on its outskirts, in the Dubrovitsy estate: 
In terms of its architecture, this temple has no analogues in Russia. It was built during the reign of Peter I by craftsmen invited from Switzerland, so the decoration corresponds more to the Catholic tradition: 
Seventh place - Zvenigorod. A small town with a sonorous name is located 30 km. west of Moscow. The main attractions are outside its modern center. On the old settlement (Gorodok) stands one of the oldest temples of Moscow land - the white-stone Cathedral of the Assumption of 1399. 
2 km. from Zvenigorod is the famous Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery with the Nativity Cathedral of the 15th century.
Eighth place - the town of Vereya, 95 km southwest of Moscow, once the capital of the independent Vereya principality.
Vereya won me over with her picturesqueness, if you go down from a high hill, where city life is in full swing, and cross a pedestrian bridge, you immediately find yourself in some kind of fairy-tale world of rural childhood: 
Right on the bank of the river, the hostesses milk the cows, and there are almost no souls on the surrounding streets.
View of the district from the city Kremlin hill: 
The city has several rather interesting temples, including the Nativity Cathedral of the mid-16th century (heavily rebuilt), but still the main reason for coming here is the picturesque landscape.
The top ten most interesting cities in the Moscow region, of course, includes Mozhaisk, 110 km west of the capital. Once it was an outpost of Moscow from invasions from the west, a border fortress (hence the expression "Drive beyond Mozhay"). The Mozhaisk Kremlin has existed since the 12th century, at the beginning of the 17th century it received stone walls, which, unfortunately, were dismantled long before the revolution.
Now the historical center, the Kremlin hill, is the very outskirts of Mozhaisk. At the entrance to the city from the west, the new Nikolsky Cathedral of the early 19th century dominates the entire area in the style of Gothic romanticism: 
To the left of it you can see the old Nikolsky Cathedral, much more modest in size.
Within the city there is an interesting Luzhetsky Ferapontov Monastery with a cathedral from the times of Ivan the Terrible.
Of course, there are many more interesting and beautiful historical cities in the Moscow Region, and I hope that I will tell you about them over time.
Finally, in the top ten, I would include the city of Bogorodsk (better known under the Soviet name Noginsk), which originates from the village of Rogozhi since 1389: 
Although this city does not shine with architectural masterpieces and such a rich history as the previous ones, and has not retained most of the environment of the old center, it has many interesting and picturesque corners. Also noteworthy are the efforts of local authorities to improve the most attractive places, create local areas where citizens would be pleased to come for recreation.
Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra
Story Moscow region is inseparable from the history of the formation of the Russian state, and then the Russian Empire. The territory of the modern region was inhabited by Slavic tribes at the end of the 1st millennium AD, however, some historical data suggest an earlier period. The first mention of Moscow dates back to 1147, and already from the end of the 13th century. it becomes the center of a separate principality. During the reign of Dmitry Donskoy, Moscow occupies a dominant role in the Russian lands.
In 1708, by decree of Peter I, a province was established, which received the name of Moscow. Then, in the course of enlarging the objects of the administrative-territorial division of the RSFSR, at first this region was defined as the Central Industrial Region, and on 06/03/1929 it was renamed the Moscow Region.
According to the law "On the administrative-territorial structure of the Moscow region", there are 36 districts, 31 cities of regional subordination, as well as 5 closed administrative-territorial entities.
The Moscow region got its name from the name of the city of Moscow. However, the capital of Russia has a separate status and is an independent subject of the Russian Federation and is not part of the region of the same name. Public authorities are located on the territory of the capital and the region.
Today, there are 77 cities in the Moscow region, 19 of which have a population of more than 100,000 people.
According to the population census in 2002, the following results were obtained on the ethnic composition of the region (data are given as a percentage of the total population).
Russians made up 91%, Ukrainians - 2.23%, Tatars - 0.8%, Belarusians - 0.64%, Armenians - 0.6%, Jews - 0.15%, and 2.6% - persons who do not indicate their nationality.
Kolomna district, Moscow region. Bobrenev Monastery
There are many defense research centers in the Moscow region: Zhukovsky (aviation engineering), Reutov (rocket engineering), Klimovsk (development of small arms), Korolev (space technology). And also there are centers of fundamental sciences - Chernogolovka and Troitsk (chemistry and physics), Protvino and Dubna (nuclear physics). The city of Pushchino is the most important center for biological research. The flight control centers for military satellites (Krasnoznamensk) and spacecraft (Korolev) are also located here.
The centuries-old history has left a huge number of different attractions that cannot be visited in one visit. There are 22 ancient unique cities in the region, with their own history, architectural structures and cultural heritage. The most popular among tourists are Sergiev Posad, Mozhaisk, Zvenigorod, Dmitrov and Serpukhov.
