Myshkinsky District: Museums, Village Culture and the Volga

In Myshkinsky District, the mouse is more than just a museum theme: Myshkin is known as a museum town, while Martynovo and Uchma offer insights into Katskari culture and village history. Themed orientation can help with planning your trip: in Myshkin, merchant history meets the mouse theme; in the two villages, local ways of life take center stage.

Myshkin: Mouse Themes and Merchant History

The Mouse Museum in the district is considered the only one of its kind in the world. Myshkin itself is known as a museum town, with well-preserved old merchant buildings among its defining features. The historical and ethnographic museum “Myshkin – Capital of the Barge Haulers” was established in honor of the barge haulers from Myshkin, who were considered the best on the Volga. The “Flax” Museum tells the story of flax cultivation in the Myshkin area, complementing the themes related to local history.

The exhibition “Myshkin in Old Photographs” is housed in the estate of merchant T. V. Chistov. Admission is free; check its current availability before your visit. The Chistov merchants’ mill is another special stop: it has three sections, including a machinery section and a mouse section. Myshkin is also home to the “Russian Felt Boots” Museum; independently of this, a felting and fulling workshop has been operating in the town for more than 100 years.

Just beyond the Mouse, you’ll find the boulevard, a popular walking spot for residents and visitors. The “Myshkin Palaces” tourist and educational complex offers a different take on the mouse theme: it includes a zoo with live mice and a cheese room. Visitors can also enjoy a mouse-themed royal reception; the complex also includes a center for mouse affairs. Check current admission and operating arrangements with the venue in advance.

Martynovo: Katskari Culture and Summer Program

The Katskari Ethnographic Museum is located in Martynovo. It collects and preserves the language, daily life, traditions, crafts, songs and other aspects of Katskari culture. Local history museums in Martynovo and Uchma also offer excursion and cultural entertainment programs that introduce visitors to the distinctive features of village life and the history of the villages.

The Katskari Museum’s summer program includes a visit to the museum farmstead and an opportunity to meet the domestic animals. Stewed potatoes prepared in the Katskari style, tea and a country-style meal at a shared table are also part of the summer program; advance booking is required. Since these offerings are seasonal, it’s best to coordinate your visit with the museum in advance.

Uchma: Museum Complex on the Volga Bank

The Uchma Museum Complex is housed in storehouses and a 19th-century chapel on the gently sloping bank of the Volga. The first building and the chapel tell the story of Uchma and its connections with Byzantium and Renaissance Europe. The exhibition in the second storehouse is devoted to the village, village life and “Russian Atlantis.” The museum also tells the story of the Kassian Hermitage and the fate of the Russian village.

Another exhibition, titled “The Boat of One’s Own. Old Women on Love,” features intimate monologues by Uchma’s oldest residents. It was created in 2018. A church dedicated to Saint Anastasia the Deliverer and the Venerable Kassian of Uglich has been in operation since 1994 in the former monastic settlement of Uchma.

There is a landing stage on the museum complex grounds, from which you can walk along a backwater of the Volga. The Uchma Museum is open from April to November by prior arrangement. If you plan to visit, take both the stated period and the need to arrange your visit in advance into account.

More Attractions in the District

Places visited by tourists in Myshkinsky District include the Victory Monument and the Cathedral of the Dormition. The monument is noted for its size and conceptual and artistic design. The district is also home to a museum about vodka producer Pyotr Smirnov, who was from Myshkin County. An Orthodox museum featuring private family collections and the exhibition “Secrets of the 18th Century” broaden the cultural offering with additional themes.

Discover more destinations: Pereslavl'-Zalesskiy, Rybinsky District, Pereslavsky District, Uglich, Breytovsky District, Myshkinsky District, Bolsheselsky District, Leninsky District.

For the overview of the wider region: Yaroslavl Oblast.