Yaroslavl (Яросла́вль), Russia

Yaroslavl (Russian: Яросла́вль) is a city located about 250 km (160 mi) to the northeast of Moscow in western Russia. It is at the confluence of the Kotorosl River with the Volga. The city spans over 205 sq km (79 sq mi) and has a population of 591,000 people (2012 estimate).

Church of St John the Baptist in Yaroslavl, Russia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_John_the_Baptist_church_in_Yaroslavl.JPG
Author: Alaexis


Yaroslavl is the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast on the East European Plain. It experiences a temperate continental climate. Average summer temperature rises to 23.3°C (73.9°F) in July while average winter temperature drops to -15.8°C (3.6°F) in January.

Human habitation in the Yaroslavl area dates back to 8th or 9th centuries, when Vikings established settlements such as Timerevo, which is about 7 km southwest of present-day Yaroslavl. The city itself was founded in 1010 as an outpost of the Principality of Rostov Veliky. The earliest recorded mention of it in writing is in 1071. This makes it among the oldest settlements along the Volga River.

Considering most of its buildings in the medieval age were built of wood, Yaroslavl suffereed from numerous big fires that devastated much of the town. By the 16th century, the tradition of building in wood was abandoned and more stone buildings were erected. As a result, some of the oldest buildings in Yaroslavl today dates from this period.

Yaroslavl was one of the few cities in Western Russia that managed to avoid Nazi occupation during the Second World War. This was because the Nazi was unable to break through the Soviet defense lines surrounding Moscow. Nevertheless it was a target of air raids, one of which in 1943 killed 120 and injured another 150 people.

Despite the industrialization of Yaroslavl, it manages to retain many of its historical buildings. In 2005 its city center was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Visiting Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl is four hours from Moscow and 12 hours from Saint Petersburg by train. There are also trains from Arkhangelsk, Ivanovo, Vorkuta and Tolyatti, among others.

Places of Interest in Yaroslavl

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