The Ryazan region is located in the centre of the European part of Russia. The total area is 40 000 sq.km (almost as big as Switzerland). The administrative center — the city of Ryazan is situated 200 km southeast from Moscow. The total population of the region is 1,153,300 people (October, 1st, 2009 Census). More than 96% of the population are Russian by nationality. Then there are the Ukrainian, the Mordvinian, the Tatar, the Belorussian. Altogether there are 70 nationalities.

The Oka Riverdivides the territory into two parts: the coniferous forest in the North, and the forest – steppe, including deciduous woods in the South. The climate of the region is moderately continental. 

Ryazan region is part of the Central economic district. The region is in an economically favorable geographical location owing to the water and land routes that pass through it. The region’s industry is noted for power industry, engineering and metalworking. The chemical and petrochemical industry is another key sector.Chemical companies produce plastic goods, viscose fiber, gasoline, diesel fuel, oils, benzene, fuel oil, as well as organic chemicals. There are such big foreign companies here as British Petroleum, Guardian Glass etc.

The uniqueness of the Ryazan region is in its rich historical past.  Altogether, there are 1000 recognized historical and cultural monuments in the region. Many of the region`s sights are worth visiting: 15th and 17th century cathedrals of Ryazan Kremlin; 15th, 16th and 18th century mosques and mausoleums in Kasimov; famous Russian poet Sergei Yesenin memorial museum in the village of Konstantinovo.

There are 100 specially protected natural areas of international significance.

For example the Oksky State National Park and Meshchera National Park.

Ryazan city (2009 pop. over 509 000), capital of Ryazan region, central European Russia, near the Oka River.

History

One of Russia’s oldest cities, Ryazan was founded in 1095 and became the capital of the Ryazan principality when the Mongols destroyed Old Ryazan in 1237. It was annexed by Moscow in 1521 and was called Pereyaslavl-Ryazan until 1778, when it became a city.

Architecture

The Ryazan Kremlin is the place to see medieval architecture. It has picturesque churches with many-colored domes and gilded ornaments. A kremlin wall, dating from 1208, surrounds two former monasteries built in the 15th and the 17th cent. Ryazan has the Archangel Cathedral (late 15th century) and the Assumption Cathedral (15th century). Ryazan main streets retain much from 19th and 20th century Russian merchants and Soviet eclectic architecture. You can also come across modern trade centers, restaurants and boutique shops.

Sights of Ryazan. Nikolo-Yamskaya Church near Teatralnaja square and Forum Congress Hotel; Drama Theater, Puppet Theater and Tsialkovki monument (1st space rocket constructor) in Teatralnaya square, Ryazan State University Russian language faculty building and Nebo 7th floor restaurant in Lenin street, Yesenin Concert Hall,  Pavlov’s Monument (Nobel Prize Winner)  and Old Crossroads souvenir  shop in Lenin Street, Fine Arts Museum with icons and canvases by world-famous Russian painters across Ryazan State University main building in Svoboda street, Children’s Circus and Pochtovaja café street, theRyazan Kremlincathedrals and churches and Duke Oleg’s Monument in Sobornaja square,  Pavlov Museum in Pavlov Street, Central Park behind the Technical radio-electronic academy  and other places of interest.

Famous people born or lived and worked in Ryazan

  • Pavlov Ivan Petrovich, the famous psychologist and founder of classical conditioning
  • Tsiolkovsky Konstantin Eduardovich, one of the inventors of the space rocket
  • Yesenin Sergei, a famous Russian poet
  • Markov Andrey, the mathematician who invented Markov chains
  • Michurin Ivan Vladimirovich, a practitioner selectionist

Due to its close location to Moscow (three hours by train) modern Ryazan has a boisterous nightlife. Every weekend local clubs and pubs host euro-dance, house and occasionally RnB and Hip-Hop parties. Clubs like Sunset, Cosmic and Fusion cocktail hall had gained popularity among Ryazan upscale youth and some foreign students. Newly launched restaurants Ozon, Neolit, Coffee  Bean, Akapulko, Spirit- also host irregular parties.

Administrative divisions

The city of Ryazan is divided into four administrative districts: Moskovsky, Oktyabrsky, Sovetsky, and Zheleznodorozhny.

The countryside of Ryazan is beautiful, the tall majestic pines and birches are plentiful. The markets, at least twelve of them, are plentiful and full of healthy, organic food products, cheap by western standards. The main market is a sight to see with food products from all over the RSF and former socialist republics. Their Kremlin, although small, is very beautiful and contains a number of historical treasures which in numbers pale in comparison with those in Moscow, but nevertheless display the rich culture of the area and Orthodox Church. Some in fact are older than others in Moscow or St Petersburg. There are a number of active churches with exquisite icons and tapestries dating back to the 14th c and 15th c. Two active monasteries are located nearby and could be well worth a half day trip to visit one of them. Please note that the churches are «conservative» Russian Orthodox and therefore skirts and kerchiefs are mandatory for women and proper attire for men (no muscle shirts, shorts etc). Some churches will provide wrap around skirts and kerchiefs for women, but it best if you are prepared.

Interesting routes

  1. Excursion to the Ryazan Kremlin, one of the oldest Russian museums, acquaintance with the history of orthodox churches of Ryazan, a unique ensemble of architectural monuments of  XV – XIX centuries). “Wonderful animals” — acquaintance with the world of animals of the middle zone of Russia (the Ryazan Kremlin).
  2. Boat trip on the Oka River.
  3. Excursion to the house–museum of the first Russian Nobel prize winner academician I. Pavlov.
  4. Excursion to Art museum, where all the handicrafts are widely presented, acquaintance with the traditions and history of the Ryazan land
  5. Excursion to Konstantinovo, acquaintance with the life and creative work of the Great Russian poet Sergey Yesenin.                                  
  6. Trip to Solotcha (near Ryazan), excursion to the Solotchinsky Rozhdestva Bogoroditsy Convent, acquaintance with the history and life of the Convent, acquaintance with archeological finds hidden on the territory of the old capital of Ryazan princedom.
  7. Trip to the village of  Poshchupovo, acquaintance with the peculiarities of monastery life of the Sviato – Ioanno- Bogoslovskiy   Monastery, bathing in the holy spring on the territory of the monastery.
  8. Trip to Rybnovskiy area, excursion to the horse-breeding, acquaintance with the history of horse – breeding, different races of  horses, horse rides.
  9. Travel to Oksky National Park, acquaintance with rare kinds of animals (bisons, Russian cranes).
  10. Trip to Moscow (Pushkin Fine Art Museum,the Kremlin, Arbat etc.)
  11. Trip to St. Petersburg (Nevsky Prospekt,Peterhof — «Capital of Fountains”,Hermitage, etc.)

Sergey Yesenin — Great Russian Poet

Born — 3 October 1895, Konstantinovo, Ryazan.

Died — 27 December 1925, St.Petersburg.

Sergei Esenin was born to a peasant family. He began to write poetry at the age of nine. His early poetry was inspired by Russian folklore. In 1915 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he became acquainted with fellow-poets Alexander Blok, Sergey Gorodetsky, Nikolai Klyuev and Audrey Bely. In 1916, Yesenin published his first book of poems, Ritual for the Dead (Radunitsa).

His first marriage was in 1913 to Anna Izryadnova, a co-worker from the publishing house, with whom he had a son, Yuri. In August 1917 Esenin married for a second time to an actress, Zinaida Raikh. They had two children, a daughter Tatyana and a son Konstantin. In the fall of 1921 Yesenin met the Paris-based American dancer Isadora Duncan who knew only a dozen words in Russian. He spoke no foreign languages. His marriage to Duncan was brief and in May 1923, he returned to   Moscow. He almost immediately became involved with actress Augusta Miklashevskaya. The same year he had a son by the poet Nadezhda Volpin. In 1925 Yesenin met and married his fifth wife, Sophia Andreyevna Tolstaya, a granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy. She attempted to get him help but he suffered a complete mental breakdown and was hospitalized for a month. Two days after his release for Christmas, he allegedly cut his wrist and wrote a farewell poem in his own blood, and then the following day hanged himself from the heating pipes on the ceiling of his room in the Hotel Angle Terre. He was 30 years old.

  

The Ryazan State University is named for S.Yesenin. Through his collections of poignant poetry about love and the simple life, Sergey Yesenin became one of the most popular poets of the day. His poems are taught to Russian schoolchildren and many have been set to music, recorded as popular songs. For example, extracts from his suicide note were featured in the song, «It Was Written In Blood» recorded by the popular British band, Bring Me The Horizon. The early death, unsympathetic views by some of the literary elite, adoration by ordinary people, and sensational behavior, all contributed to the enduring and near mythical popular image of the Russian poet.