Downtown!

So we made our way downtown yesterday and I finally got to explore a little bit. Steve had some volleball business to attend to, so I was on my own. Well, I was accompanied by a snowstorm. At least there weren't many people about, and the views were gorgeous, with everything blanketed in white. The downtown area is relatively small, but there's lots to see. A girlfriend of one of Steve's teammates was telling us that there are lots of beautiful buildings and churches etc... but that they aren't well maintained and not quite as nice as they could be. She was right - most buildings don't seem to be kept up - but I thought that it really added to their appeal - nothing was in ruins or completely decrepit, you could just see the effects of time in the buildings... something rarely found at home, where everything is new or remodelled, touched up or painted... and if not, then torn down.

Our Moscow and St. Petersburg guide book has a two page deal on Yaroslavl, and notes that the city is knows for its impressive church architecture... and I note that the city may be known for the number of churches in the downtown area... there were so many! And there were some interesting names, like the superfluous Church of St. Demetrius of Salonica and of the Praise of the Blessed Virgin, or the foreboding Church of Nikola the Chopped (eek... what was chopped?).

Church of Elijah the Prophet

Church of Nikola the Chopped !

The mid 17th century Church of Elijah the Prophet was gorgeous - huge, and situated on extensive grounds in the middle of a huge pedestrian square (devoid of pedestrians, full of snow). Apparently it's closed to tourists for the winter, which is unfortunate because it is supposed to have some beautiful frescoes. I'll have to check back... maybe on a Sunday.

There was also a beautiful walkway along the Volga, and lots of parks - it must be bustling and busy in the summer, very nice. I also walked up the banks of the Kotorosl river, and it was neat to think that that these rivers were ancient trade routes... and relatively modern ones too. The Moscow-Volga canal was created in 1937, and now most traffic goes straight to the capital; but prior to that Yaroslavl was an important and busy commercial centre. I stopped by the Museum of City History to see if there was anything in English... but it was closed, and looked closed for the winter.

Walkway along the Volga
At the very right of this picture is the Kotorosl River, and at the very left the Volga... (in the middle a park, with fountains... only in the summer!)

And I found a jacket! yay. And a huge market with clothes, hats, shoes, underwear, beauty products... and a fruit and veggie market! So that was a find... but it's not exactly close to where we live. By the time that Steve was done with his business, he had to get to practise and I was ready to get home... I was cold and covered in snow... it was a great day though and downtown is pretty nice... there's a lot more to see.. hopefully on a clear day! ")