Maloyaroslavetskiy District: Estates and History

In Maloyaroslavetskiy District, historical themes range from old estates and monastery foundations to the battles around Maloyaroslavets and the Ilyinskie Rubezhi. Architecture, local history, and military history offer different insights into the region’s past.

Estates and Monastery History

Mansurovo Estate in Dubrovka is about 400 years old and is one of the oldest estates in Kaluga Oblast. Dubrovka Estate is a well-preserved example of mature Classicism. The Holy St. Nicholas Chernoostrovsky Convent was founded at the end of the 16th century on the site of a church that the princes Obolensky had built in the 14th century. These dates reveal different historical layers: a medieval church and the later founding of the convent.

The Ilyinskie Rubezhi and the Defense of Moscow

In Ilyinskoye, the “Ilyinskie Rubezhi” exhibition covers the role of the Podolsk cadets in the Battle of Moscow during the Great Patriotic War. Young cadets from the military schools of Podolsk died at the Ilyinskie Rubezhi; they held back German troops. The exhibition also includes sections on the Soviet counteroffensive near Moscow, the battles around Maloyaroslavets, and the district’s liberation from German occupation forces in 1942. According to the account of the Ilyinskie Rubezhi, German troops called the cadets “red junkers” in recognition of their bravery.

Maloyaroslavets: 1812 and 1912

Exhibitions in Maloyaroslavets also explore different chapters of history. The “Battle of Maloyaroslavets” diorama opened in a chapel on September 12, 1987. The chapel had been built in 1860 beside the mass graves of those killed in the 1812 battle. The museum complex in Maloyaroslavets comprises three buildings with two exhibitions: one on the Battle of Maloyaroslavets in the Patriotic War of 1812, and one on the county town of Maloyaroslavets in 1912. In this way, military events and a view of the town in a later year are presented side by side.

Events and Guided Tours

A reenactment of the Battle of Maloyaroslavets has been held annually since 1987. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the dates for the year in question.

On a tour of the Ryabtsevo dairy farm, visitors learn about the milk production process and agricultural occupations. They can talk to a veterinarian and take part in feeding calves. Check the current arrangements with the operator before your visit.

A visit to the Grenadier Museum is usually combined with a tour of the Grenader brewery. Visitors learn about different types of beer and how they are made. For this tour, too, it is advisable to confirm the current arrangements with the operator in advance.

Discover more destinations: Tarusskiy rayon, Ferzikovsky District, Gorod Obninsk, Dzerzhinskiy rayon, Borovskiy rayon, Kaluga, Mosalskiy rayon, Dzerzhinskiy rayon.

Return to the main travel overview: Kaluga Oblast.