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Published: July 28th 2014
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If you haven’t been to Yelets, you haven’t seen one of Russia’s old treasures. There is a list of so-called historical towns and cities, comprising forty best (from historic viewpoint) Russian curiosities. Many of them are unknown even to the average Russian.
My initial plan was to visit Kineshma and Ivanovo, but, due to an unexpected job, I decided to shorten the trip and go to Yelets instead. I spent three hours in Yelets, with about one and a half hours devoted to sightseeing.
I took the train from Kursky Railway Station and arrived in Yelets at 8 in the morning. There were fellow passengers in the car, young men I guess from school, who disturbed my sleep a lot by their loud talking. I do hate such persons but I cannot point out to them the ethical principles.
I was one of the few passengers who got off at the station. As the train approached the town and crossed the river, I saw a magnificent tall cathedral with a golden dome. I had high expectations and they were completely fulfilled.
Nothing near the train station suggests the uniqueness of the town. There are only railway tracks
and taxis, with the centre located rather far away. If I had more free time, I’d go on foot to the centre, but I took a taxi for 200 roubles. The driver took me quickly across the river bridge and I asked him to drop me off as soon as I saw a bell-tower in the centre.
And yes, the town was listed among the best for good reasons. It was founded in 1146 and till the present has retained the old planning of XVIII and XIX centuries, the old buildings, the churches, with almost no modern constructions in the town centre. The town is situated on a hill on two banks of the river. It is also a town of Military Honour (a monument to this is located on town’s central Red Square). As I walked the streets, I felt the breath of the centuries. The people living here must be happy, at least in some extent. I bought a map enabling me to see all the major sights though it was quite expensive. The street names are doubled, the modern and the old ones.
In a very confined area, I saw three boards honouring Yelets citizens
for their merits and achievements in labour and other fields. Several of town’s churches, though, are not in perfect condition.
After the centre, I walked downhill and took a photo of the Znamensky Monastery – the final spot on my list, and started going back to the station. I also enjoyed the excellent views of the Voznesensky Church and other buildings among greenery from the bridge and the whole panorama, and saw several military monuments (tanks and Afghanistan warriors).
In the train, I slept for a couple of hours and then tried to read a book. It was stuffy and the sunlight hurt my eyes. I returned by 8 o’clock in the evening.
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