Saint Petersburg – Mandrogi – Kizhi – Goritsy – Yaroslavl – Uglich – Moscow

Tver is an ancient city founded near the source of the Volga River.

Population: ~ 420,000 people (2018 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

Tver's foundation year is officially accepted to be 1135,although there is no universal agreement on this date and some estimates place it as late as the second half of the 13th century.The name of the city is of Finnish origin, Tiheverä.Originally a minor settlement of Novgorodian traders, it passed to the Grand Prince of Vladimir in 1209. In 1246, Alexander Nevsky granted it to his younger brother Yaroslav Yaroslavich (d. 1271), from whom a dynasty of local princes descended. Four of them were killed by the Golden Horde and were proclaimed saints by the Russian Orthodox church. Formerly a land of woods and bogs, the Principality of Tver was quickly transformed into one of the richest and most populous Russian states. As the area was hardly accessible for Tatar raids, there was a great influx of population from the recently devastated south. By the end of the century, it vied with Moscow for supremacy in Russia. Both Tver and Moscow were recently founded cities, so the outcome of their rivalry was far from certain.

Uglich, one of the oldest cities on the Volga, was founded in 937, where the river makes a sharp turn, forming a corner. Perhaps this feature gave the city its name.

Population: ~ 32,000 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Uglich is a popular tourist destination and visiting it is included in most weekend cruises from Moscow.

You can get here by bus or car, but it is more convenient - by ship. First, it's just comfortable. Secondly, almost all the attractions are located near the pier: the so-called Kremlin, museums, including the Museum of Hydropower plant. Here you can see a turbine that used to work at the power plant, a map that shows water stations in Russia, and even watch the process of generating energy.

Uglich has never been a big city. The attention of the whole country was drawn to it only once. In 1591 the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Dmitry, who lived here and accidentally died while playing with knives. This tragedy made an impression even on the famous writer Alexandre Dumas, who came to Uglich.

During the tour, you will get to the territory of the Kremlin. The fortress walls are not preserved and there are old churches and princely chambers. The Kovcheg ensemble loved by citizens and tourists performs here.  A small program is performed for tourists free of charge.There are more than 10 museums in this small town. In addition to the classic ones, there is, for example, the Park-Museum of the Fire Rooster or the Museum of Hydropower plant -an interactive complex where you can touch the exhibits with your hands.

A short walk from the pier, at the entrance to the Victory Park, there is a souvenir market where you can choose something to remember Uglich by. In addition, local watches are made in Uglich — the local factory is the largest manufacturer in Russia. And we advise fans of dairy products to pay attention to the brand "From Uglich".

Kostroma is a part of the Golden Ring of Russian towns; it is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma.

Population: ~ 277,000 people (2018 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

The city was first recorded in the chronicles for the year 1213, but some historians believe it could have been founded by Yury Dolgoruky more than half a century earlier, in 1152. Since many scholars believe that early Eastern Slavs tribes arrived in modern-day Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia AD 400 to 600, Kostroma could be much older than previously thought. The city shares the same name as the East Slavic goddess Kostroma.

Like other towns of the Eastern Rus, Kostroma was sacked by the Mongols in 1238. It then constituted a small principality, under leadership of Prince Vasily the Drunkard, a younger brother of the famous Alexander Nevsky. Upon inheriting the grand ducal title in 1271, Vasily didn't leave the town for Vladimir, and his descendants ruled Kostroma for another half a century, until the town was bought by Ivan I of Moscow.

Yaroslavl is one of the oldest Russian cities, the unofficial capital of the Golden Ring of Russia.

Population: ~ 609,000 (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Yaroslavl, which recently celebrated its millennium, is one of the most popular tourist cities. According to the legends, at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl, Russian Tsar Yaroslav the Wise killed a bear and ordered to found the city. During its long history, Yaroslavl was both an inconspicuous city on the border of the principalities, and one of the cultural and commercial centers, and even (for a short time) the capital of our state. In memory of its former greatness, Yaroslavl has preserved a huge number of architectural monuments that are included in the UNESCO Heritage List. There are more than 800 of them — it is not surprising that the city is called an open-air museum. During a visit to Yaroslavl, you should pay attention to the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkov, depicted on a bill of 1,000 rubles. And also visit the Volkov Drama Theater — the oldest in our country. Young travelers may be interested in the Yaroslavl zoo.

Tutayev is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia.

Population: 41,005 (2010 Census)

Time: Moscow Time.

Before 1918, it was called Romanov-Borisoglebsk, and before 1822, when an order of the Tsar united them, there were two separate towns: Romanov (on the left bank of the Volga) and Borisoglebsk (on the right bank). Romanov had existed in the 14th century and Borisoglebsk— in the 15th century. In the 15th century, Romanov was ruled by the khans of Nogay Horde. The majority of the population lives on the right bank of the river (the former Borisoglebsk). The areas of town nearest to the Volga's right bank have many old wooden houses and historical buildings (including the Resurrection Cathedral), but further away from the river, Soviet-era apartment buildings predominate. There is no bridge across the Volga in Tutayev, so people have to use a ferry or, alternatively, travel north to Rybinsk or south to Yaroslavl to cross.

Dubna is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It has a status of naukograd (i.e. town of science), being home to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, an international nuclear physics research center and one of the largest scientific foundations in the country.

Population: 70,663 (2010 Census)

Time: Moscow Time.

Fortress Dubna belonging to Rostov-Suzdal Principality was built in the area in 1132 by the order of Yuri Dolgoruki and existed until 1216. The fortress was destroyed during the feudal war between the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest. The village of Gorodishche was located on the right bank of the Volga River and was a part of the Kashin Principality. Dubna customs post was located in the area and was a part of the Principality of Tver. Before the October Revolution, few villages were in the area: Podberezye was on the left bank of the Volga, and Gorodishche, Alexandrovka, Ivankovo, Yurkino, and Kozlaki were on the right bank. Right after the Revolution one of the first collective farms was organized in Dubna area. In 1931, the Orgburo of the Communist Party made a decision to build the Volga-Moscow Canal. Genrikh Yagoda, then the leader of the State Political Directorate, was put in charge of construction. The Canal was completed in 1937. Ivankovo Reservoir and Ivankovo hydroelectrical plant were also created as a part of the project. Many villages and the town Korcheva were submerged under water. Dubna is mentioned in Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's book The Gulag Archipelago as the town built by Gulag prisoners. Since 2007 Dubna is a headquarters and primary location of international jazz festival MuzEnergo with free for public one-day open air festival in summer and one-week events in local venues in spring and autumn.

There are several museums in Dubna, including:

• Museum of Archeology and Local History of Dubna
• The JINRMuseum of the History of Science and Technology
• Museum of Natural History at Dubna International University
• Museum of Locks

Kalyazin is a town and the administrative center of Kalyazinsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volga River, 175 kilometers (109 mi) northeast of Tver.

Population: 13, 867 people (2010 Census)

Time: Moscow time.

A sloboda (a settlement for people relieved from paying taxes) appeared on the site of modern Kalyazin in the 12th century. Its importance grew significantly with the foundation of the Makaryevsky Monastery on the opposite bank of the Volga in the 15th century. This abbey used to be the most conspicuous landmark of Kalyazin and comprised numerous buildings of historic interest, including a refectory from 1525. The name of the town originates from certain Kolyaga, a land proprietor in the 15th century. In the 18th century, the area was included into Moscow Governorate. In 1775, Kalyazin was granted town rights and Kalyazinsky Uyezd was established. It was a part of newly established Tver Viceroyalty. In 1796, the Viceroyalty was abolished and transformed into Tver Governorate. Kalyazinsky Uyezd was abolished, but in 1803, it was re-established. On May 30, 1922, Kalyazinsky Uyezd was abolished and merged into Kashinsky Uyezd. On October 3, 1927, Kashinsky Uyezd itself was abolished and split between Bezhetsky and Kimrsky Uyezds. On August 12, 1929, Tver Governorate was abolished, with its territory transferred to Moscow Oblast.  Uyezds were abolished as well, and Kalyazinsky District, with the administrative center in Kalyazin, was established within Kimry Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast.  On January 29, 1935, Kalinin Oblast was established, and Kalyazinsky District was transferred to it.

Population: 312,310 (2010 Census).

Time: Moscow Time.

The origin of the word «Cherepovets» is a subject of much debate among the local historians. According to one version, the city supposedly received its name from the word "skull". In antiquity, a pagan sanctuary was there in honor of the god Veles on the hill at the confluence of the Sheksna and Yagorba Rivers. The top of the hill was called the skull. Another version suggests that the word «Cherepovets» originates from the name of the tribe «Ves», who inhabited the Sheksna's banks. According to this version, "Cherepovets" in the language of local indigenous Veps means «Veps' fish hill».