Voronezh: Museums, Theaters and City History

Voronezh brings together very different cultural themes: A historic museum ship stands alongside theater and literary history, an old city district and a square that has long been a place for strolling. Each site has its own focus—from Russian naval history to the city’s literary life.

Museums, Theaters and Literature

The museum ship “Goto Predestinatsiya” is a working historical replica of the first ship of the line in the Russian Navy, dating from the time of Peter I. It provides a tangible point of reference for naval history; other cultural themes in Voronezh revolve around the performing arts, literature and theater history.

The Voronezh Regional Theater of Opera and Ballet at 7 Lenin Square is described as the only music theater in the Central Black Earth Region. The exhibition “Teatr i vremya” at the Museum of the Voronezh State Academic Theater offers a historical look at the stage: it covers the history of Voronezh’s oldest theater, from its founding in 1787 to the present day. Thus, the regional significance of a music theater and the long history of a single venue offer two distinct perspectives.

The Voronezh Regional Literary Museum dedicates its exhibition to the lives and works of Koltsov, Bunin, Ertel, Platonov, Mandelstam and Zhigulin. The focus here is on six writers and their works. The Voronezh Puppet Theater “Shut” offers a different perspective on the performing arts: its foyer houses a theater puppet museum, described as the second largest in Russia.

The Museum-Diorama, in turn, focuses on the history of the Russian Navy, the Air Force and the Airborne Forces. Together with the museum ship, it offers another way to explore military history; the literature exhibition and theater venues provide clearly defined cultural points of focus.

Historic Sites and Walks

The historic Devichok district is a notable neighborhood where the atmosphere of the old city has been preserved. It emerged in the late 17th century around the Aleksievo-Akatov Monastery.

Koltsov Square is also part of city life in Voronezh. Since the end of the 19th century, it has been a popular place for residents of Voronezh to stroll and relax.

In the wider destination of Voronezh Oblast

In the wider destination of Voronezh Oblast, the territory of the Khopyor Nature Reserve extends across the Novokhopersky, Povorinsky and Gribanovsky administrative districts. The “Legendy Khopra” walking excursion is five kilometers long and takes three hours; the route is closed during the spring flood. The “Tur de Khopyor” cycling tour is 26 kilometers long and takes four hours.

The Nature Museum in the Khopyor Reserve is also part of the wider destination of Voronezh Oblast. Its two halls showcase the reserve’s wildlife and its habitats. The exhibitions cover beavers, the Russian desman, water-dwelling and predatory birds, as well as wild boar, elk, fallow deer and red deer; there is also a large relief map of the reserve. The subject matter thus ranges from individual animals to a spatial representation of the protected area.

In the wider destination of Voronezh Oblast, the “Divnogorye” Museum-Reserve is known for its chalk landscapes, steep slopes, chalk cliffs and large ridge-like chalk ravines. Divnogorskiy Canyon is about one kilometer long and up to 200 meters wide. The same museum-reserve also includes six ritual caves and cave complexes carved into the chalk massif on the right bank of the Tikhaya Sosna and Don rivers, extending for about 8.5 kilometers. The “Paleoliticheskie masterskie” recreate the Stone Age and host workshops on making stone tools.

Another archaeological focus in the wider destination of Voronezh Oblast is the “Kostenki” Museum-Reserve. Its Archaeology Museum completely covers a Stone Age settlement site. The reserve also includes 25 protected zones with around 60 Upper Paleolithic sites; it covers an area of nine hectares.

The Khrenovskoy Stud Farm in the wider destination of Voronezh Oblast connects the history of the Orlov Trotter breed with a horse-breeding museum. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Orlov Trotter and as Russia’s oldest stud farm. Count Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov-Chesmensky founded it on October 24, 1776; it is located in the southeast of Voronezh Oblast. The horse-breeding museum displays old studbooks, the pedigree of the Orlov Trotter breed, and horse blankets, trophies and medals won by the stud farm’s horses at racetracks in Russia and abroad. Guided tours are held daily but must be arranged in advance. A pre-arranged guided tour also includes the old stables and modern horse stalls, where visitors can see Orlov Trotters.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Kantemirovskiy rayon, Povorinskiy rayon, Ramonskiy rayon, Bobrovskiy rayon, Novousmansky District, Nizhnedevitskiy rayon, Bogucharskiy rayon, Anninskiy rayon.

To the wider travel overview: Voronezh Oblast.