The big cultural potential of the entire region is largely made of its unique popular culture: traditions, rites, art trades, holidays dating many centuries. There are over three thousand history, archaeology and architecture monuments in the city and region which are unique, such as churches, estates, industrial buildings, mansions of merchants. Also, the town has good theaters and more than thirty history, art, literature, military museums. The latter are especially popular: the airborne museum, long-range air force museum, military technics museum, Tsiolkovskiy museum, Skobelev memorial, etc.

Ryazan Kremlin

The Ryazan Kremlin is the ancient core of the town founded at the end of 1095. Ancient wooden constructions were gradually replaced by the existing ensemble of the Kremlin built between the 15th and the 19th centuries. Its distinctive feature is a completely of stone civil buildings of the 17th century. The architecture monuments of the Kremlin have been meticulously studied and gradually restored over the last 20 years. Many of them are no longer in a critical condition and look original. The great ensemble of the Ryazan Kremlin has 18 historical and cultural monuments of the 11th through 19th centuries and occupies 64 acres.

 

Solotchinskiy Cloister

Solotchinskiy Monastery is one of the most exciting sights in Ryazan. It was founded by famous Ryazan Prince Oleg Ivanovich. According to a legend, Oleg and his wife happened to be on the bank of the Solotcha river and meet two hermits named Vasiliy and Evfimiy. They suggested the idea to build a monastery to the Grand Prince. Oleg laid it in 1390. In 1917 the monastery was shut down and a part of its buildings was lost. In April 1994 the monastery was transferred to the Ryazan Eparchy.

Holy Monastery of St John Theological

Monastery was founded by missionary monks who had come there to enlighten local heathens in the 12th and 13th centuries. They had brought the wonder-working icon of St. Ioann the Divine, one of the relics given by the Konstantinopol Church to Russia. This icon became the main relic of the cloister. A lot of relics were collected in the cloister: the wonder-working icon of the Blessed Virgin called Znamenie-Korchemna and Tihvinska. Shrines with relics of saints’ bodies such as George the Victor, healer Panteleymon, Nikolay Wonder-worker and others are stored there as well as relics related to martyrs Mihail Ryazanskiy and Iuvenaliy Ryazanskiy. Next to the monastery and ancient monastery caves is the Holy Well which has been considered as wonder-working. A lot of miraculous healings took place here.

The state museum-reserve of Sergey Esenin

The museum is situated in a picturesque place on the bank of the Oka river in the old Russian village of Konstantinovo, the native land of the greatest poet of Russia Sergey Esenin. The museum expositions are unique.The memorial exposition is connected with the poet’s relatives and describes the Ryazan period of the poet’s life. The literary exposition tells about Esenin’s creative work. In the museum you can see documentary films which demonstrate some episodes from the poet’s life.

Monument to Esenin

The monument to great Russian lyric Sergey Yesenin was opened on 2 October, 1975 when the entire country was marking his eightieth anniversary. It was set up on Trubezha embankment next to the architecture monument of Spasa-na-Yaru Church, opposite to the Ryazan Kremlin. The vast Oka plains sung by Yesenin can be seen from here. The monument is made as a bronze figure of the poet and gray and green granite surroundings.
The monument is a bit unusual. The figure looks like it is growing from the ground. Yesenin is shown enthusiastically reading his verses. His face looks inspired, the collar of the shirt is unfastened. The poet’s favorite trees grow behind the monument — birches, maples and service-trees. A special solid stone with a figure of a flying crane is an integral part of the monument.