Oryol, Russia

 

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Hotels, motels and where to sleep

 

Description of Oryol

Oryol is a city (since 1566) in Russia, the administrative center of the Oryol Region and the Oryol Region, which is not included in itself. As a city of regional importance, forms the municipality of the urban district of the city of Oryol. Located 368 km south-west of Moscow, on the Central Russian Upland in the European part of Russia, on both banks of the Oka River and its tributary Orlik. Oryol and Oryol region are part of the Central Federal District, as well as the Central Economic Region. It is a city of military glory (honorary title awarded April 27, 2007). The population of the city - 315 308 people. (2018).

 

Orientation

Administratively, the city is divided into four districts: Zavodskoy, Sovetsky, Zheleznodorozhny and Severny. Apart from the remote and uninteresting Northern region for tourists, the rest are logically separated by the Oka and Orlik rivers and coincide with the historical division of the city since the time of Catherine II:

The railway district is located on the right bank of the Oka: it is the Zaokskaya or Moscow part of the city
The Soviet district is located on the left bank of the Oka north of Orlik: this is the Zaorlitskaya part or the Upper Town
Zavodskoy district - on the left bank of the Oka south of Orlik; Old town or Kromskaya part
A central highway runs through the whole city, consisting of Moskovskaya (on the right bank of the Oka) and Komsomolskaya (on the left bank) streets. The first goes to the highway to Moscow, and the second - to the highway to Kromy and further to Kursk.

Tourist information center, st. Saltykov-Shchedrin, 33. ☎ +7 (4862) 50-98-58. 9:00–18:00. It is located behind the building of the regional administration next to Lenin Square. Free consultation on tourist sites of the city and region, there are paper maps and guides. You can buy souvenirs.

 

Travel Destinations in Oryol

Arrow Oka and Orlik

Here, at the confluence of the Orlik River into the Oka, in 1566 a wooden fortress was laid, from which the modern Orel originates. Although nothing has survived from the prison, the place remains the hallmark of the city with picturesque views and a landscaped area. The history is reminiscent of a small park "Oryol fortress" with a memorial stone "Detinets". Strelka is the very center of the city, from which three of its central districts diverge along the banks of the rivers.

1 Memorial of the 400th anniversary of the city. The complex was opened in 1966 in honor of the 400th anniversary of Orel. A 27-meter obelisk made of granite dominates here, on which a chronicle with significant dates in the history of the city is carved, and the coats of arms of all seven cities of the region are depicted on the back side. A monument was erected nearby in honor of the liberation of Orel from Nazi troops on August 5, 1943 - now it is the day of the city. The curved metal strip on the obelisk symbolizes the first victorious salute that thundered in Moscow on that day.
2 Monument to Ivan the Terrible. The first Russian monument to Tsar Ivan IV was created by the famous sculptor Oleg Molchanov and opened in October 2016. Although the monument caused controversy on an all-Russian scale, it was nevertheless presented to the Orlovites in the year of the 450th anniversary of the city. Initially, they wanted to install it near the building of the Free Space Theater, but under pressure from the protesters, they moved it here, closer to the site where the Oryol Fortress was founded. Now the disputes have stopped, and the monument looks great against the backdrop of the Epiphany Cathedral. The king-founder of the city solemnly sits on a horse, holding in his hands the symbols of military and spiritual power: a sword and a cross.
3  Bogoyavlensky Cathedral , Bogoyavlenskaya Sq. 1. ☎ +7 (4862) 54-31-59. 7:00–20:00. The oldest stone building in the city traces its history back to a wooden church built next to the Oryol fortress in 1641-1646. The stone temple was erected in the first decade of the 18th century in the Naryshkin baroque style, and in 1837 it was expanded and rebuilt in the style of late classicism; from the baroque, mainly the upper part and the bell tower, which was in the XVIII-XIX centuries. the tallest structure of the Eagle. By the middle of the 19th century, it tilted, becoming the local Leaning Tower of Pisa, and was dismantled in 1900, and a new one was erected in 1908 already above the gates of the temple in the neo-Russian style. However, this bell tower was also destroyed under the Soviet regime, but the temple itself survived, having managed to visit an anti-religious museum and a puppet theater. In 1994, the cathedral was returned to believers; over the next 20 years, it was completely restored and painted, and the bell tower was rebuilt according to the model of the 18th century. In front of the entrance to the temple there is a chapel above the well, 140 meters deep.
4  Monument to Seraphim of Sarov. Opened in 2016 on the square in front of the Cathedral of the Epiphany in honor of a visit to Orel by a famous Russian church ascetic, who raised funds here for the construction of his own monastery. The monument was created at the expense of the former regional governor Vadim Potomsky as a gift to the city in honor of its 450th anniversary.

 

Old city

The historical center of the city behind the former Oryol fortress was built up according to the regular plan of the end of the 18th century. Now here, in the area of modern Gostinaya Street, the most interesting part of the surviving pre-revolutionary architecture of Orel is compactly located.

5 Trade Rows (Gostiny Dvor), st. Living room, 2. A long building of old shopping malls with a bypass gallery stretched out from the Epiphany Cathedral along the even side of the Gostinaya Street. The modern building was built in the middle of the 19th century according to the project of the architect D.V. Orekhov on the site of previously existing wooden shops and a one-story stone gostiny yard of the 1780s, destroyed by fire in April 1847. The new two-storey city trade center housed the Gostiny Dvor and the best shops of the Oryol merchants. During the post-war restoration of Orel, the third floor was added to the building, as was the case with the long residential building located opposite the Central Market - an imitation of shopping arcades was also built there for symmetry. Now there are shops on the first floors of the building, and various cultural institutions, including the Regional Museum of Local Lore, on the upper floors.
6  Commercial bank building, st. Living room, 6A. One of the most prominent buildings in the city was built on the banks of the Orlik in 1897-1899. for the Oryol Commercial Bank, which was located here until 1908. The bright red building with hipped roofs and kokoshniks, stylized as Russian architecture of the 16th-17th centuries, was designed by the famous architect S.K. Rodionov and consists of two buildings connected by a covered gallery. Now the regional department of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is located here. The best view of the building opens from the Alexander Bridge, where there is even a separate observation deck for this.
7  Building of the City Duma (Magistrate), pl. Karla Marksa, 2. The majestic building in the style of classicism was built for the city council and the magistrate in 1799 and became the center of city government. It was an eight-column rotunda with a spire, which was adjoined by two two-story wings, elongated in the middle of the 19th century. After partial destruction during the war, the building was restored in the same style and adapted for the theater of the young spectator, which is now called "Free Space".
8  The building of the male gymnasium, per. Voskresensky, 3. The most prestigious educational institution of the pre-revolutionary Orel, the Oryol classical gymnasium was formed from the Main Public School, for which this strict two-story building was built in 1795. Many famous people studied within the walls of the 4-grade gymnasium, including the writer Leskov, who, however, was expelled after finishing only two classes. Now the Faculty of History of the Oryol State University is located here, and in front of the rusticated facade there are busts of famous graduates of the gymnasium, including P.A. Stolypin and writer L.N. Andreeva. Inside the building there is an exposition “From the Classical Gymnasium to the Classical University”.
9  Monument to N.S. Leskov. One of the most interesting monuments of the city was erected in 1981 on the right bank of the Orlik River for the 150th anniversary of the birth of the famous writer. Leskov is depicted sitting on a sofa in front of the gymnasium where he studied, and small sculptures of the heroes of his works are scattered around the writer: Lefty, the enchanted wanderer, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district, the stupid artist and others. The monument is popular with newlyweds and tourists who like to sit on a bronze sofa next to Nikolai Semyonovich.
10  Monument to General A.P. Yermolov. Attempts to erect a monument in Orel to the legendary general, who came from local nobles, were made as early as 1864 and 1911, but, despite the funds raised, these plans were never realized. As a result, Yermolov appeared in the square that bears his name only in 2012 as part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The work of the sculptor Ravil Yusupov in style and pedestal strongly resembles the famous Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg and looks no less impressive, especially against the backdrop of the domes of the Assumption Church.
11 Assumption (Mikhailo-Arkhangelsky) Cathedral, Mikhailo-Arkhangelsky per. 20. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-15-48. 7:00–19:00. The largest domed building in the city and a bright representative of late classicism. The temple was built in 1801-1817. on the site of the dismantled dilapidated stone church of the Assumption of the Virgin of 1678. Until the second half of the 19th century, it was the largest church in the city. In September 1823, a divine service was held here with the participation of Alexander I, and in January 1826, the body of the already deceased emperor spent the night in the temple on the way from Taganrog to St. Petersburg. The life of the writer Leonid Andreev, who was baptized here, is also connected with the church. The temple is repeatedly mentioned not only in the work of Andreev, but also in the works of other Oryol writers.

 

Upper city

The territory on the left, steep bank of the Orlik (modern Sovietsky district) began to be actively built up in the second half of the 18th century as the number of nobles, merchants and officials grew in the city. By the end of the 18th century, the district was the leader in terms of the number of stone mansions and the level of street improvement. Here they built the governor's house, a number of administrative buildings, and later known "noble nests" also began to appear here. Now it is not only the administrative, but also the cultural center of the city, where most of the houses-museums of the Oryol writers are located.

12 Lenin Street (former Bolkhovskaya). The main pedestrian street Orla connects the Old Town with the building of the regional administration. The length of the street is 660 meters, and its significant slope gives a good view of the Smolensk Church, located quite far below. The lower part of the street starts from the well-maintained Alexander Bridge over Orlik, from where you can admire the building of the former commercial bank. The architectural appearance of the street was formed from the end of the 17th century - the best shops of the city and houses of noble people were located here, but many buildings were significantly damaged during the war, and their post-war restoration was carried out without an emphasis on historical heritage. Since 1857, the Jordan Hotel has been located in the house 19/2, where Turgenev and other famous people stayed. On the foundations of the former St. George's Church (house 22), in 1952, a large cinema "Pobeda" was built in the neoclassical style, in which, after the current reconstruction, they plan to place the central registry office. Now the street is a pleasant pedestrian area where you can walk along the remains of historical cobblestones, listen to street musicians and visit numerous cafes and coffee shops.
13  Lenin Square. The central square of the city, where the building of the regional administration, the Salyut hotel, the drama theater and several interesting historical buildings are located. One of them is the building of the former North Bank, built in the Art Nouveau style in 1908. In the 2000s, it underwent reconstruction, a third floor was added, but it all looks very stylish. In 1950-1951. Opposite, the building of the House of Communications was built in the style of classicism, with colonnades and sculptural groups - now the Main Post Office is located here. The square is the main place for all city events, and in winter there is a skating rink.
14  Monument to I.A. Bunin. The bronze sculpture of the Nobel Prize winner in literature was installed in October 1995 on Proletarian Hill. The writer is depicted by the sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov at full height with his arms crossed, and behind him there is a spacious view of the children's park and the arrow of the Oka and Orlik. Ivan Alekseevich from 1889 to 1892 worked in the local newspaper Orlovsky Vestnik. The newspaper was closed during the Soviet era, but since 1991 it has resumed its activities, and an autographed portrait of Bunin is depicted on its modern logo.
15  Monument to I.S. Turgenev. Installed on the so-called "Turgenevskiy Berezhka" next to the central park of the city for the 150th anniversary of the classic of Russian literature (1968). Although there are several more sculptures dedicated to Ivan Sergeevich in Orel, this is the most monumental and famous. The writer sits on a polished granite pedestal, looking thoughtfully at the banks of the Oka.
16  Monument to General L.N. Gurtiev. The work of one of the most famous Soviet sculptors, Yevgeny Vuchetich, is dedicated to the hero of the Great Patriotic War, who died during the liberation of Orel on August 3, 1943. A bronze statue of a general in dress uniform leaning on a saber was installed in 1954 at the site of the original burial. Across the road, don't miss the neoclassical building of the regional library (1958), which was built on the site of the Peter and Paul Cathedral blown up in 1940 and even retained several architectural elements of that old temple.
17  Holy Assumption Monastery , Monastyrskaya Sq. 3. ☎ +7 (4862) 42-36-31. 6:30–20:00. The monastery appeared in the middle of the 17th century at the Church of the Epiphany near the Oryol fortress, but after a fire in 1680 it was moved to Vvoznaya Gora downstream of the Oka. By the end of the 19th century, an extensive complex of five temples and outbuildings, as well as a cemetery where famous people were buried, grew up here. However, in Soviet times, the monastery was destroyed to the ground, with the exception of a small Trinity church-tomb of the family of the Oryol governor A.V. Kochubey, built in 1843-1845. Since 1992, the gradual revival of the monastery and the construction of modern churches began according to new projects: Uspensky (2002), Kazansky (2008) and Annunciation (2013). Currently, the territory is well landscaped and looks very modern, but construction work is still ongoing. The sparkling domes of the new temples are clearly visible from the Herzen bridge across the Oka.
18 Victory Boulevard. The second pedestrian street of the city begins immediately behind the building of the regional administration. On the boulevard you can see several busts dedicated to the heroes of the war: for example, General A.V. Gorbatov, who commanded the liberation of Orel in August 1943. At the very beginning of the boulevard in May 2010, a ten-meter granite stele "Eagle - the city of military glory" was installed.
19  Trinity Church  , st. Leskova, 17 (at the Trinity cemetery). ☎ +7 (4862) 41-67-03. 8:00–19:00. It was erected in 1828 in the forms of late classicism at the Trinity Cemetery, where in 1861, the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, General A.P., was buried next to his father. Ermolov. This was the reason for the expansion of the temple: in 1867, a special chapel was created at the donation of the emperor, where the graves of the famous general and his relatives were moved. After the revolution, the church became renovationist and did not suffer much from the actions of the new government. In 1954, a memorial plaque with a bas-relief of A.P. was installed on the eastern side of the temple. Yermolov.
20 Noble Nest. A landscape park at the very end of Oktyabrskaya Street, on the steep bank of Orlik, not far from the house where Leskov spent his childhood. Here in the first half of the 19th century there was a city estate, in which the prototype of Lisa Kalitina from Turgenev's novel "The Noble Nest" lived. The two-story wooden "Kalitins' house" is now being actively restored, but the square itself is very well landscaped. On its very edge, near the cliff, there is the so-called “Turgenev Arbor” - a rotunda, from which good views of the city open up. Opposite the pavilion stands a marble bust of Ivan Sergeevich. "Noblewoman" is an important literary place in Orel, which was opened to the general public back in 1903.

 

Moscow part

The right bank of the Oka has historically been a center of trade, there was a large Oryol pier, but there are practically no interesting pre-revolutionary buildings here. On the other hand, the most outstanding buildings of the Orel of the post-war period were erected along the central Moskovskaya Street.

21  Monument to tankmen. The main military memorial of Orel is dedicated to the tank heroes who liberated the city. The first tank was installed right in hot pursuit, on August 7, 1943 - it was a T-70 knocked out by the Germans, later replaced by the T-34. Behind the tank is the Tank Square with a mass grave, an eternal flame, a guard of honor and a monument to Marshal Ivan Baghramyan (2016), who led the liberation of the city, and in 1963 lit an eternal flame on the square. The five-story house across the road is interesting because it was over it that the Red Banner was solemnly raised in 1943, and it is also a good example of pre-war Soviet architecture with a tangible influence of Art Deco (1936).
22 House of Books, st. Moskovskaya, 17. The three-story post-war building at the intersection of Moskovskaya and Stepan Razin streets is made in the forms of neoclassicism (1953-1956) and is richly decorated with high reliefs of Russian writers, poets and composers. On the ground floor, there is still a bookstore where you can buy, including souvenirs. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.
23  Monument to N.N. Polikarpov. The famous aircraft designer, one of the founders of the Soviet aircraft industry, was born in 1892 in the Livensky district and graduated from the gymnasium in Orel. The 1958 monument shows Polikarpov sitting on a stool with a model aircraft in his hand. Nearby is the Technological Institute of the Oryol University, built according to the project of the house of culture of the early 1930s and therefore combining the traditions of constructivism with post-war Soviet architecture. A memorial exposition was opened at the institute, telling about the life and work of Polikarpov.
24 Iverskaya Church, st. Privokzalnaya, 9. ☎ +7 (4862) 55-34-50. 7:00–19:00. The latest pre-revolutionary church in the city was built in 1899-1902. according to the project of N.I. Orlov at the expense of the Oryol railway workers and for them - it is not without reason that the temple is located near the station. This is the best building of Orel in the pseudo-Russian style: it suffered from both the Bolsheviks and the Germans, but has now been restored to its original form. Tiered domes and a hipped bell tower give the church a special elegance.
25 Station square. The complex in the spirit of post-war Stalinist architecture serves as the gates and "facade" of the city, and therefore would look incomplete without an eagle sculpture. Previously, the eagle was simply made of branches, but by the 450th anniversary of the city, it was replaced with a bronze “anniversary eagle” on a pedestal in the shape of a globe. Behind the monument is the Palace of Culture of the Railway Workers (1955) with a memorial complex opened in 2018 dedicated to the contribution of the railway workers to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. Here you can see an ER 795-11 steam locomotive, a heating wagon, a BTT-1 tank tractor, a Katyusha rocket launcher, as well as modern sculptures and granite steles.
26 Akhtyrsky Cathedral, st. August 5, 18. ☎ +7 (4862) 55-11-23. 8:00–19:30. It was erected on the old Pyatnitsky churchyard on the site of the dismantled Nikitsky church of the 16th-17th centuries. The new temple was built in 1773-1775. Oryol merchant K. Pastukhov in honor of the Akhtyrka icon, which saved him from illness during a trip to the fair in Akhtyrka, near Kharkov. Later, the church was expanded with new aisles, a high four-tiered bell tower and a refectory. It was closed before the war, but after the liberation from the German occupation, it was returned to believers and since 1962 it has been turned into a cathedral. The church is beautifully illuminated at night, and its tall bell tower is visible from different parts of the city.
27 Vvedensky convent, st. 1st Kurskaya, 92. ☎ +7 (4862) 55-49-99. 7:30–20:00. It was founded in 1686 in the center of the city on the site of the ancient Afanasyevsky churchyard, but after a fire in 1843 it was moved to the southeastern outskirts to the Church of the Nativity (1800-1822). By the beginning of the 20th century, it was one of the largest and most comfortable monasteries in the area. The monastery is mentioned more than once in the works of the Oryol writers: it is believed, for example, that it was here that Liza Kalitina left Turgenev's "Noble Nest". In Soviet times, the main Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ was blown up, and other buildings were significantly damaged. The gate Tikhvin Church (1865), as well as the Church of the Resurrection, the chapel of Elisaveta Feodorovna and part of the fence with two towers have survived to this day. All this was handed over to believers in 1996, and the monastery began to slowly recover. Now construction work continues in the monastery, and the temples are open only during worship.

 

Kromskaya part

The largest and most populated part of the city, stretched along the main Komsomolskaya (former Kromskaya) street. There are not many outstanding buildings here, since before the revolution, mainly representatives of the lower and middle strata of society lived here. But some of the surviving buildings of the second half of the XIX-beginning of the XX centuries. may be of interest on the way from the center to the bus station. On the very outskirts of the district, a modern GRINN complex was built with a developed infrastructure and many original sculptural compositions.

28 Serebrennikov House, st. Komsomolskaya, 63. Built in 1907, the profitable house of the merchant Serebrennikov reproduces the Moscow mansion of Ryabushinsky designed by the architect Shekhtel. The modern decor was copied quite accurately, but local craftsmen worked on the shape of the building and its cladding - not quite successfully, although it is still the best Art Nouveau Orel's mansion: simply for lack of competitors. Now it houses the regional department of culture.
29 Smolensky Temple, st. Normandie-Niemen, 27. ☎ +7 (958) 569-22-51. 7:30–19:00. The majestic temple in the Russian-Byzantine style is clearly visible when descending the pedestrian Lenin Street. It was built in the Russian-Byzantine style (1857-1889) and is the largest in the city in terms of volume, but not in height, since the 52-meter bell tower was dismantled in Soviet times. The temple itself was also closed and only in 1995 was returned to believers.
30 Nikolo-Peskovskaya Church (Ilyinskaya), st. Normandie-Niemen, 73. ☎ +7 (4862) 59-17-15. The temple in the style of early classicism was built like a ship. The first chapel was erected in 1776 in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker (whence the name Nikola-on-the-Sands), and the main church with the Ilyinsky altar was completed in 1790. During the fire of 1858, the refectory and the bell tower were damaged, later rebuilt. In Soviet times, the church housed a garment factory, in 1995 the church was returned to believers.
31  Monument to Komsomol members who died in the Great Patriotic War. Monument of 1972 designed by sculptor A.N. Burganova depicts a warrior who raises the Red Banner high with one hand, and with the other supports a wounded comrade. It is located opposite the main building of the Oryol University, whose students sometimes call the sculpture a monument to drunken Komsomol members. Although the composition is made in a fairly typical Soviet style, on the way from the center to the bus station, this is one of the most remarkable places, and nearby you can go to the military history museum.
32  Topiary eagle. The first work in Orel by landscape designer V.A. Antropov, creator of the Abakan park of topiary art. Initially, the eagle was made from birch branches and installed in May 2008 in front of the railway station. The wicker bird aroused great interest not only among the guests of the city, who massively took pictures with it, but also among the townspeople, who criticized it for the violation of proportions and unnatural gray-brown color. Subsequently, the proud bird was remade from kochia branches and summer cypress, and it became less creepy. As an original symbol of the city, the eagle immediately got on magnets and souvenirs. In 2016, the station eagle was replaced with a bronze sculpture, more formulaic and less expressive, and the wicker bird “flew” to the overpass in the 909th quarter, becoming less accessible to pedestrians, although it is clearly visible from vehicles on the way to TMK GRINN. Now the sculpture has lost its popularity and is not in the best shape: the branches have thinned out and knocked out of the frame. Nevertheless, this is the longest-lived topiary object in the city, and after the success of the eagle, a lot of them were installed, but many did not last longer than 2-3 years.
33 Genre sculptures by TMK GRINN. The GRINN complex, which appeared in 2007 on the southwestern outskirts of the city, is surrounded by extraordinary sculptures. A five-meter founding eagle is installed near the landscape cafe: a formidable bird holds in its claws a commemorative plaque with the diploma of Ivan the Terrible, guarded by archers with weapons of the 16th century. Nearby is a sculptural group dedicated to Russian travelers, a little further - a literary square, where there are almost no trees, but each of the Oryol writers is busy with their own business: Bunin and Andreev are sitting on benches, Leskov is standing by the balustrade, Fet is reading, leaning on a chair, and Turgenev with a gun and a dog going hunting. At the thematic composition "Station for tourists" you can see a real steam locomotive 9Pm-178, following the route "Eagle-Paris". The original sculptures are dedicated to Russian business: for example, an entrepreneur dragging a cart of bureaucratic cargo to Russia of the future, or the composition “Officer and Entrepreneur”, where a fat and thin one rests their foreheads on watches. You can also find sculptures dedicated to a family, a tourist guide, or a gazebo for newlyweds.

 

What to do

Museums

Literary museums
1 Museum of I.S. Turgenev, st. Turgenev, 11. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-15-74. 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. except Friday. 70 rub. It was opened in 1918 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the writer's birth in the house of his distant relative. The basis of the museum composition was made up of personal belongings, furniture and a library taken out of the Spasskoe-Lutovinovo estate destroyed by fire. After the restoration of the estate, most of the things and memorial furniture were returned, but the museum opened in Orel remained an important center for Turgen studies. Now here you can see portraits, photographs, sculptures of the writer and part of his personal library, and museum staff will talk about the life and work of their famous fellow countryman. The museum building often hosts temporary exhibitions.
Next to the Turgenev Museum, in subsequent years, three more museums were opened (Orlov writers, Bunin, Granovsky), which are located in neighboring houses and form the so-called Literary Quarter - a specially preserved area of \u200b\u200bone-story houses in the noble part of the city.

2 Museum of Oryol writers, st. Turgenev, 13. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-15-74. 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. except Friday. 70 rub. Located in a noble mansion of the 19th century, the house of the Galakhovs, relatives of I.S. Turgenev - the writer's museum was originally located here, until it was transferred to a neighboring building, and this was given over to an exposition dedicated to Fet, Apukhtin, Prishvin and other classics who had not “grown up” to their own museum.
3 Museum of I.A. Bunina, Georgievsky per. 1. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-13-72. 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. except Friday. 70 rub. The museum in honor of the first Russian Nobel Prize winner in literature was opened in 1991 in a noble mansion, which has nothing to do with Bunin, but is located in the literary quarter. The personal belongings of the writer are collected here, and the exposition tells about the life and creative path of the writer with an emphasis on his Oryol period.
4 House T.N. Granovsky, st. November 7, 24. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-34-65. 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. except Friday. 70 rub. The house of the second half of the 18th century, in which the historian and public figure Timofei Nikolaevich Granovsky was born in 1813. The exposition of the museum is dedicated both to him personally and to his like-minded people, as well as to some lesser-known Oryol writers and publicists.
5  House-Museum of N.S. Leskova, st. October, 9. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-33-04. 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. except Friday. 70 rub. The only museum in Russia of N.S. Leskov was opened in 1974 in a wooden house of the 19th century, which belonged to the city estate of his father, where the future writer spent his childhood years. Personal belongings of Nikolai Semyonovich, lifetime editions of his works, portraits, photographs, documents, manuscripts are exhibited here. The two-story noble mansion is no longer located in the literary quarter, but next to another famous literary place in the city - the Noble Nest.
6 House L.N. Andreeva, st. 2nd Pushkarnaya, 41. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-48-24. 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. except Friday. 70 rub. The house of the Andreev family, where the future writer lived as a child, before his departure to St. Petersburg University. The main exhibit is the house itself, which has been preserved almost unchanged. Here you can see some personal belongings of Leonid Andreev, but the main interior items have been recreated. The museum opened in 1991 for the 120th anniversary of the writer.

 

Other museums

7 Local Lore Museum, st. Living room, 2. ☎ +7 (4862) 47-13-91. Tue–Fri 10:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00. Adult: 100 rubles, children: 50 rubles, excursion up to 15 people: 1500 rubles. The expositions tell about the history and nature of the Oryol region from mammoths to the end of the 20th century, there are ethnographic exhibitions, collections of antique furniture and household items, and many old photographs. The museum traces its history back to 1897, and since 1932 it has been located in the historic building of the old shopping arcade.
8 Military History Museum, st. Normandie-Niemen, 1. ☎ +7 (4862) 59-06-45. Tue–Fri 10:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00. Adult: 100 rubles, children: 50 rubles, excursion up to 15 people: 1500 rubles. Opened in August 1983 in the former mansion of the merchant Chikin as a museum-diorama "Oryol Offensive Operation". Now expanded to 9 rooms and two dioramas dedicated to the military history of the Oryol region. Here you can see samples of weapons, military uniforms, documents, photographs and equipment from different eras, but the main focus is on the liberation of Orel. A Soviet T-70 tank is installed in front of the entrance, which originally stood in the Square of Tankers.
9 Museum of Fine Arts, st. October, 29. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-27-41. 10:00–17:00, except Monday. The main exposition - 75 rubles. The basis of the collection is Russian painting, icons, sculptures and graphics of the 18th-20th centuries, but there is also Old Russian and Western European art. Some of the items were transferred from the local history museum, the other part of the collection was formed during the nationalization of the property of noble estates. The museum has been operating since that time - May 1919. Temporary exhibitions by various artists are often held.
10 Museum of M.M. Bakhtin, st. Gorky, 23. ☎ +7 (4862) 43-40-32. 11:00–16:00, except Sunday. Museum of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin (1895-1975) - Russian philosopher, culturologist, theorist of European culture and art. It was opened in 2005 in the former estate of the thinker's father, next to the Literary Quarter. In addition to personal belongings, photographs and documents of M.M. Bakhtin, you can often see exhibitions of contemporary artists here.
11 House-Museum of V. A. Rusanov, st. Rusanova, 43. ☎ +7 (4862) 54-45-31. Wed–Fri 10:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00, weekends: Mon and Tue. Adult: 100 rubles, children: 50 rubles, excursion up to 15 people: 1500 rubles. Museum of the geologist, geographer and polar explorer Vladimir Aleksandrovich Rusanov (1875–1913). Located in a one-story wooden house with a mezzanine, which belonged to the father of the famous polar explorer. In addition to expositions telling about Rusanov's expeditions, here you can learn about the life of the peoples of the North and the urban life of Orel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

Theaters

12 Academic Theater named after I.S. Turgenev   , pl. Lenina, 2. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-16-39. The main drama theater of the city. Its history began in 1815, when Count S.M. Kamensky, the son of the founder of the Saburovskaya fortress, created the first public fortress theater in the city - at that time it was one of the first public theaters in the country. After the revolution, the theater was nationalized, and in 1975 it moved to its modern building on Lenin Square. The repertoire includes both classical and modern performances. There are main and small stages.
13  Dramatic Theater "Russian Style" named after MM. Bakhtin, st. Turgenev, 18. ☎ +7 (4862) 76-20-24. The Chamber Drama Theater for 50 seats was opened in 1998 and is very popular among the residents of the city. Located in an old mansion next to the Literary Quarter. There are morning performances for children and evening performances for adults. The repertoire is more modern, but there are also classical productions.
14  Youth theater "Free space" , pl. Karl-Marx, 2. ☎ +7 (4862) 43-02-08. Founded in 1976 as the Theater of Young Spectators (TYuZ). It is located in the building of the former City Council, there is a large and small stage. The repertoire is aimed at a young and children's audience, although there are also classical productions.
15 Puppet Theatre, st. Sovetskaya, 29. ☎ +7 (4862) 55-48-03. Children's puppet theater founded in 1942 during the German occupation. Performances based on Russian fairy tales and modern children's works.

 

Parks

16  Park of Culture and Leisure. The city garden on the picturesque high left bank of the Oka was opened by the governor N.I. Schroeder on May 1, 1823 and at first bore the name of its founder. After the revolution, the city garden, previously divided into paid "aristocratic" and free "philistine" parts, was united and made public. Now the area of the park is 14.5 hectares: here, in addition to green spaces, there is a cascade fountain, attractions, a Ferris wheel, a cinema hall, and dance floors. City events are traditionally held in the park, and in the summer there are various entertainment venues and cafes. From time to time, funny topiary figures appear in the park, like an eagle in the 909 quarter.
17  Children's park. A modern landscaped park on the left bank of the Orlik is connected by a small pedestrian bridge to the Strelka. Equipped with playgrounds for all ages and walking areas along the Orlik embankment. Popular place for walking.
18 Victory Park. A large forest park with an area of 35 hectares was founded by veterans of the Great Patriotic War in the middle of the last century, but after the collapse of the USSR, it fell into disrepair and for a long time was an overgrown forest. It was recently landscaped and solemnly opened on City Day in August 2021. Now it is the most modern park with war memorials, wide pedestrian and bicycle paths, cafes, children's and sports grounds. It is connected by paths to the famous Noble Nest. On the side of the stadium there is a large free car park.
19  Botanica Park. A small park in the southwest of the city. Not as much landscaped as the central parks, but next to it is Lake Svetlaya Zhizn - the main place for a beach holiday.

 

Etymology

Folk etymology connects the name of the city with the events that allegedly took place during its founding in 1566. By order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the construction of a fortress city began to protect the southern borders of the Russian state from the raids of the Crimean Tatars. When they began to cut down an oak that grew on the bank at the confluence of the two rivers Oka and Orlik, an eagle flew from the top of the tree. “Here is the owner,” said one of the men. Ivan Vasilyevich ordered to name the city after the bird.

According to the scientific version, the name may come from the hydronym of the river Orel (Orel) - the left tributary of the Oka, mentioned in the "Book of the Big Drawing" (1627), and from the 2nd half of the 19th century as Orlik. There is a version about the Baltic origin of the name - cf. numerous Baltic hydronyms: Prus. Arle (later Orlen), Arelen, Erling; lit. Arlìnė, Ar̃liškė, Arlìškės, Arlìškiai; Latvian. Arlan̦i, Arlath, Erle; probably here are Arelen, Erling, Arley, Orley, M. Eaglet, Orel. Ultimately, hydronyms go back to lit. erlos ‘hay meadow’, other Prussian. arelis ‘eagle’, or a word from ancient European languages, ultimately ascending to the Indo-European root *er- ‘to move’, etc.

 

History of Oryol

The history of the city dates back to 1566. It was then that, on the orders of Ivan the Terrible, a wooden fortress was cut down at the confluence of the Oka and Orel rivers to protect the southern borders of the Moscow state. The city was thus named after the river, although it itself was later renamed Orlik. However, the legend is also popular that the city got its name in honor of an eagle that flew up into the sky from one of the oaks during the construction of the fortress. As a result, the proud bird ended up on the coat of arms and on numerous modern sculptures throughout the city.

The position of the city at the turn of the "wild steppes" did not play into his hands: he repeatedly suffered from the raids of the Crimean Tatars, in the Time of Troubles the first two False Dmitrys passed through it with a sword and a kind word, and Oryol joined the uprising of Ivan Bolotnikov voluntarily. At that time they even said: "Eagle and Kromy - the first thieves." As a result, by the end of the Time of Troubles, the city was left with ashes, and the local population went to Mtsensk, and only a couple of decades later the city began to be rebuilt - the need to cover the southern border of the state had not gone away. True, during the 18th century Russia grew so much with new lands that Orel was far from the border, so the rapidly dilapidated Kremlin was dismantled as unnecessary.

From the middle of the 18th century, Oryol, which found itself at the junction of routes from the fertile southern regions to Moscow, became a major grain trading center. By the end of the century, industry began to move to the city for wealth: linen, hemp spinning, cloth factories and numerous food enterprises were opened. The growth of Orel and its favorable transport position led to the fact that since 1778 it became the center of a large province, which included, in addition to the current Oryol territory, the modern Bryansk and Lipetsk regions. The city was also noted in the Napoleonic Wars - it became the rear base of the Russian army, where, among other things, an evacuation hospital was organized. In the 1860s and 70s, the main railways Moscow-Kursk and Riga-Yelets passed through Orel, strengthening its position as a transport hub, and in 1898 Orel became the second city in the Russian Empire after Kiev with tram traffic.

During the Civil War, the Red Army near Orel stopped the grand offensive of the White Army on Moscow: in October 1919, General Denikin, after spending a week in Orel, began his retreat to the South from here. But the city was less fortunate in the Great Patriotic War: it was taken by the Wehrmacht almost without a fight and spent two years in occupation, while remaining practically on the front line. So, even though the liberation of Orel during the Battle of Kursk became a national holiday (in honor of this event, the first artillery salute in the history of the Great Patriotic War was given in Moscow, and Orel and Belgorod, liberated at the same time, received the honorary titles of “the city of the First salute”), but industry and infrastructure were almost completely destroyed. For this reason, Orel even entered the list of the 15 most affected cities, the restoration of which had to happen first.

The priority of restoration, alas, did not play into the hands of Orel - in order to increase the pace, the city was built up with Soviet microdistricts, and most of the historical buildings were demolished. The urban industry was also updated, laying the potential for the growth of the city, so that by the collapse of the USSR, the territory of Orel had increased significantly. After the collapse of the USSR, the city managed to retain some of the enterprises, and at the same time the title of a major industrial and agricultural center of the Chernozem region. The restoration of churches and the return of pre-revolutionary names to Soviet streets began. In memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War in April 2007, Oryol, along with Kursk and Belgorod, was the first to receive the honorary title of "city of military glory", as recalled by the stele installed at the beginning of Pobeda Boulevard.

Modernity
Now Orel is one of the smallest regional centers of the Black Earth region, ahead of only Tambov in terms of population. In the old center, despite the significant losses of wartime, a lot of historical buildings have been preserved. There are many universities and foreign students in the city, and in terms of the number of students per thousand inhabitants, Oryol is among the top ten cities in the country.

Literary history plays a special role in Orel: Ivan Turgenev (1818), Afanasy Fet (1820), Nikolai Leskov (1831), Leonid Andreev (1871) and many others were born in the city and its environs. Here Ivan Bunin began his career by publishing the first collection of his own poems. There are many literary museums in the city, and in 2021 Oryol received the official title of the Literary Capital of Russia.

 


Transportation

Get in

By plane
From the former local airport "Oryol-Yuzhny", flights to Moscow were previously operated on the Yak-40. Since 2010, planes no longer fly to Oryol, and the airport itself has fallen into disrepair, and there are no prospects for its restoration in its original place. The nearest operating airports are in Kursk and Bryansk, although you can just as well fly to Moscow and get there by train.

By train
All trains from Moscow and St. Petersburg towards Belgorod and Kursk pass through the city, as well as part of the trains heading to the Krasnodar Territory. From Moscow, it is most convenient to travel by daytime high-speed Lastochka, plying 6 times a day through Tula; travel time - about 4 hours, from Tula - 1 hour 50 minutes. You can also go to Bryansk (4 pairs of rail buses, 3 hours on the way), Kursk (7-8 times a day, 1.5-2 hours on the way) and Zheleznogorsk (3 pairs of diesel trains, 2.5 hours on the way).

1   Station "Eagle", Privokzalnaya sq. 1. The modern building in the Stalinist Empire style was erected in 1949-1950. on the site of the old neo-Gothic railway station destroyed during the war (1868), the basement of which has been partially preserved. This is one of the most beautiful stations of the Soviet era. In 1968, a tower clock was installed in front of the main entrance, playing a melody from the first symphony of the Oryol composer V.S. Kalinnikov.
2 "Luzhki-Orlovsky" station, st. 6th Oryol division, 16. A small station on the southern outskirts of the city, where now mostly suburban trains stop in the direction of Liven and Zheleznogorsk.

By car
Orel passes the federal highway M2 "Crimea", bypassing the city from the east, the entrance to the city along the Moscow highway. Travel time from Moscow 4-5 hours. Between Orel and Kursk on the M2 highway there is a branch to Kyiv. Also, roads to Tambov through Lipetsk and to Smolensk through Bryansk pass through Orel.

By bus
From Moscow there are bus flights from the Shchelkovsky bus station (passing buses Moscow - Kharkov and Moscow - Chisinau), from the Krasnogvardeiskaya bus station and from the square of the Kursky station. Most direct buses from Moscow come to the Orel railway station.

In addition to Moscow, flights depart from the Orel bus station to Kharkov (every two days, 11 hours), Gomel (1 time per day, 10 hours), Belgorod (1 time per day, 5 hours), Bryansk (7-10 buses per day , 2 hours 45 minutes), Voronezh (2 times a day, 7 hours), Kaluga (2 times a day, 7 hours 30 minutes), Kursk (about 10 flights, 3 hours 20 minutes), Lipetsk (2 times a day, 7 hours), Ryazan (1 time per day, 10 hours), Smolensk (3 times a day, 7 hours), Tula (5 times a day, 3 hours 50 minutes).

3  Bus station, Bus station st. 1. ☎ +7 (4862) 72-11-11. 5:00–23:00. There is a large waiting room on the second floor.

On the ship
Although the Oryol is located on the Oka River, its depth within the city is insufficient for navigation, so only river pleasure boats can go here.

 

Get around

Public transport in Orel is represented by buses, trolleybuses, trams and fixed-route taxis. The fare is the same everywhere (2023): 25 rubles in cash or 22 rubles for contactless bank cards, there are terminals everywhere. Recently, minibuses have become the most popular and fastest transport: they run more often, faster and have a more extensive route network. Municipal buses, trolleybuses, have old rolling stock, run slowly, and now they are mainly used by pensioners and beneficiaries - but they have a lot of space.

You can get from the center directly by minibuses to any part of the city, and you don’t need transport to see the central sights - there is a convenient network of pedestrian bridges. During the repair of the central Red Bridge (at least until the end of 2023), trams passing through it have been canceled, and trolleybuses, buses and minibuses go around. Detailed and up-to-date information about all public transport routes in Orel (with their display on the map) can be found on the official website of public transport.

From 10 pm to 6 am, catching public transport, especially to a remote part of the city, is problematic - it is better to use a taxi. The Yandex-taxi aggregator operates in the city: the fare in the city is 100-200 rubles, depending on the distance and time of the trip.

 

Shopping

An unusual local souvenir will be the Oryol list - traditional red thread embroidery, usually on towels and tablecloths with strange, some kind of primitive images, which, it is believed, were supposed to be protected from evil spirits. You can see such embroidery in the museum; now only individual masters work in this style, whose products can sometimes be found in galleries selling souvenirs. As a souvenir, it is easier to find a local gingerbread, which is called “Orlovsky Souvenir”, and this is not a banal fake near Tula, but an old tradition revived by the Orlovsky bakery, which has more than a dozen branded stores throughout the city.

1 TSUM, pl. Mira, 1. 10:00–22:00. A four-story building of the 1960s on the site of the Pokrovsky Cathedral blown up by the Bolsheviks. There are "Pyaterochka", "Children's World", clothing, cosmetics, electronics, jewelry stores, as well as fast food and a modern cinema.
2  Central market, st. Cherkasskaya, 13. ☎ 9:00–18:00. The main market of the city, where you can buy food, clothes, household goods, as well as fix equipment or have a bite to eat inexpensive fast food.
3  Shop "Orlovskie Souvenirs"  , 1st Posadskaya st. 15. 10:00–19:00. Standard birch bark and nesting dolls, but there are also many handicrafts from local Orel craftsmen.
4 "MegaGRINN" shopping center, Kromskoe highway, 4 (on the southwestern outskirts). 10:00–22:00. The largest shopping center in the city. There is a large selection of clothing stores, restaurants and cafes at the level of the capital's shopping centers, there are walking galleries, fountains and luminous escalators. It is part of the huge tourist multifunctional complex (TMC) GRINN with a modern hotel complex and business services for business events and concerts. Around the complex there are original sculptures and a small Literary Square. The complex is quite far from the center, but there is a lot of public transport here, and there is a large free parking for motorists.
5 Hypermarket "Europe", st. Moskovskaya, 67. 8:00–23:00. Hypermarket of the Europa retail chain in the city center with a large free parking lot and several clothing and electronics stores.
6  TC "Atoll", st. Oktyabrskaya, 27. Around the clock. One of the few shopping centers in the central part of the city with a 24-hour food hypermarket. Also in the shopping center there are clothing stores, electronics, pharmacies, cafes and restaurants.
7 RIO shopping mall, 175 Moskovskoe shosse. 10:00–22:00. A large shopping and entertainment center at the entrance to the city from Moscow. Food hypermarket, McDonald's, Fix Price, chain stores of furniture, clothing, electronics, cosmetics, bowling, etc. In style and concept, it does not differ from RIO shopping centers in Moscow and other large Russian cities. Near the shopping center there is a large parking lot and a Rosneft gas station.

 

Eat

Oryol land is rich in various food products: Oryol bread, Oryol cheese, the already mentioned gingerbread, as well as Oryol ham and other meat products from the Znamensky Selection and Genetic Center, whose stores with the simple name "Fresh Meat from the Manufacturer" are found in Orel as often as the Velikoluksky Meat Processing Plant, which is familiar in the cities of Central Russia.

Cheap
1   Cafe "Yolka"  , st. Leskova, 1. ☎ +7 (930) 063-32-24. around the clock. Hot: 150-280 rubles. Inexpensive 24-hour cafe near the Victory Park and the Noble Nest; here you can order both a full meal and the whole set of fast food. From Monday to Saturday from 11:30 to 15:30 business lunches for 215 rubles.
Heat Pizza. from 79 rub. for a slice of pizza. A chain of inexpensive pizzerias where you can also order fast food chicken and potatoes, soups, salads and drinks.
2   st. Herzen, 2D. 9:00–22:00.
3   st. 1st Posadskaya, 13. 9:00–22:00.
4   Oktyabrskaya st. 27. 9:00–22:00.
5  Tavern "Pelmenov"  , st. Saltykov-Shchedrin, 34. 11:00–00:00. average check 500 rubles. A wide selection of dumplings and dishes of Russian cuisine at affordable prices, not far from Lenin Square.

Average cost
6 Burger "Karl Marx", st. Karachevskaya, 12/3. 10:00-22:30. burger 300 rub. Burgers, salads, soups, cheesecakes; in the very center of the city.
7 Restaurant "Sokol", st. Rusanova, 21A. Mon-Thu: 10:00-23:00, Fri: 10:00-01:00, Sat: 11:00-01:00, Sun: 11:00-23:00. hot from 400 rub. American restaurant with steaks and burgers. There is a summer terrace and business lunches from 12:00 to 16:00.
8 GRINN Beer Restaurant, 4 Kromskoye Shosse. Sun-Thu: 12:00–1:00, Fri-Sat: 12:00–2:00. hot from 300 rub. Nice German style restaurant with its own brewery and wooden furniture. It is located in TMK GRINN, visitors of the business events of the complex often eat here.

Expensive
9 Restaurant "Slavutich", st. Living room, 2A. 12:00–00:00. One of the most famous restaurants in the city is located in the building of the Trade Rows. Large selection of dishes of Russian and European cuisines. Focused on banquet and corporate events. In addition to the restaurant itself and the summer veranda, in the arch of the Torgovykh building nearby, there is a window with cheap hot pastries, which is very popular with the townspeople.
10 Chester Pub Restaurant, st. Komsomolskaya, 36. 12:00–1:00. hot from 500 rub. A prestigious brasserie offering beer snacks, steaks, grills, salads, soups and seafood. The interiors are decorated like an English pub.
11 GRINN Restaurant, 4 Kromskoye Shosse. 7:00–0:00, the lobby bar is open around the clock. hot from 500 rub. The most respectable restaurant in the GRINN complex with a large selection of dishes and luxurious interiors.
12 D.O.M. Park Restaurant (former cafe "Boyarskoye"), Kromskoe shosse, 4. 12:00–1:00. hot 500 rub. A landscape restaurant on the territory of TMK GRINN with a large outdoor area, summer verandas and separate gazebos for guests. In the cold season, works indoors. In front of the entrance to the restaurant complex there is a three-meter sculpture of the founding eagle, which attracts tourists.

 

Night life

1  Night club GREEN STAR  , Kromskoe highway, 4. Fri-Sat 22:00–6:00. A popular nightclub in the TMK GRINN building
2 Night club "Versailles", st. General Zhadov, 9A. 18:00–6:00. Night club with a karaoke bar and an Italian restaurant next to the Victory Park

 

Hotels, motels and where to sleep

Cheap
1  Hotel-dormitory of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Oktyabrskaya st. 53. ☎ +7 (4862) 59-52-12. Budget hotel with old furniture, where you can rent a whole room or a bed.
2 Hotel "Rus", st. Maxim Gorky, 37. ☎ +7 (4862) 47-55-50. From 800 rub. for a small single room. A Soviet-built economy class hotel with not the newest furniture and appliances, but on Lenin Square.
3 Hostel City 57, Kromskoe highway, 13 (opposite TMK GRINN). ☎ +7 (930) 063-44-24. From 670 rub. for a place in a 6- or 12-bed room. Hostel on the southern outskirts of the city, next to a large shopping and entertainment complex.

Average cost
4  Hotel "Eagle", pl. Mira, 4. ☎ +7 (4852) 55-05-25. 1800 rub. for a standard double room. A large Soviet hotel after renovation in the very center of the city. One of the most beautiful post-war buildings in Orel.
5  Salyut Hotel, st. Lenina, 36. ☎ +7 (910) 300-44-82. Standard double room: 2500 rub. A large Soviet-built hotel on Lenin Square with not the newest furniture, but all rooms include a buffet breakfast.
6 Albert Hotel (former Retrotour), st. Left Bank of the Orlik River, 15. ☎ +7 (4862) 49-05-02. From 2400  for a double room with breakfast. A small modern hotel in the center on the Orlik embankment. All rooms are air-conditioned and have Wi-Fi.

Expensive
7  GRINN Hotel, Kromskoe shosse, 4. ☎ +7 (4862) 44-01-94. From 3750 rub. for a standard three-star double room up to 23,500 rubles. for a presidential suite in a five-star complex. The largest and most modern hotel in the city, paired with a shopping and entertainment complex, offers a wide range of services for business events and entertainment. It consists of two parts: a three-star business hotel and a five-star luxury hotel.
8  Hotel "Atlantida", st. Fomina, 4. ☎ +7 (4862) 71-72-33. Standard double room from 3000 rubles. on weekends, on weekdays: from 3700 rubles. Modern hotel in the city center with a spa complex. All rooms with hot tub. Jan 2022 edit
9  Hotel "DejaVu", st. Moscow, 24A. ☎ +7 (4862) 54-16-66. From 3600 rub. for a double room. A small hotel with a SPA complex and a restaurant in the city center.
10  Hotel "The Enchanted Wanderer"  , st. Maxim Gorky, 23 (opposite the theater "Russian Style"). ☎ +7 (4862) 73-16-23. From 3400 rubles for a single standard with air conditioning. A three-star hotel complex with a restaurant and billiards in the style of a provincial noble estate, not far from Lenin Square. Nicely renovated rooms, delicious breakfasts.

 

Connection

The telephone code of the city is (4862). All federal mobile operators MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele 2, Yota work in Orel - 4G mobile Internet speed. Most hotels and restaurants in the city have free Wi-Fi.

Main post office, st. Lenina, 43. ☎ +7 (800) 100-00-00. 🕑 Mon–Fri 8:00–22:00, Sat–Sun 9:00–18:00. Zip code: 302000. Located in the House of Communications on Lenin Square.

 

Precautionary measures

Orel has a standard criminal environment for a large city. During the day it is safe everywhere, and at night it is better not to walk in the areas north of the railway station and south of TMK GRINN.

 

Neighborhood

The Oryol region, which suffered during the war, is not very rich in sights. The glory of the literary region is brought to it, mainly, by Turgenev's estate Spasskoe-Lutovinovo and neighboring Mtsensk. Bolkhov is also interesting - a small town typical for the Black Earth region with the surviving old buildings and temples, picturesquely standing on the high bank of the river. In the southern direction, there will be nothing remarkable until Kursk itself, although you can turn to Zheleznogorsk, where the Mikhailovsky mine is located - the center of the Kursk magnetic anomaly.

75 km northwest of Orel, at the junction of mixed forests and forest-steppe, there is the Oryol Polesye National Park. The local bison population is the largest in Russia and the second in the world after Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In addition, there is a good zoo.

If you do not plan to leave Orel far, then you can see the surrounding area.

1  Saburovskaya fortress , p. Saburovo. The former estate of the Counts Kamensky, stylized as a Turkish fortress, was built at the end of the 18th century. The perimeter of its brick walls is about 1.5 km, the height reaches 4 m. This is one of the few fake fortresses built in those years when real fortresses were still relevant, and it is all the more surprising how well it has been preserved. Despite its uniqueness, the fortress is in a dilapidated state: parts of the walls, four towers and parts of the walls of the fortress theater have been preserved. From the count's house located in the center of the complex, only fragments of the foundation remained, and instead of a luxurious garden, now there are high thickets. Of particular interest are two brick pyramids in the western part of the fortress, made in the form of Turkish powder magazines, which, apparently, were used as glaciers for storing food, although some visitors see them as Masonic symbols with mystical properties. Next to the fortress is the Church of Michael the Archangel, built in 1755 in the Baroque style - the authorship of the temple is attributed to Rastrelli or his students. Here was the tomb of the Counts Kamensky, plundered in 1930. Now the church is active, but is in the process of restoration. The fortress is located 10 km southwest of Orel, can be reached by car (there is a sign on the road). Access is free.

2 "Vyatsky Posad" Spiritual and Orthodox Center, Vyatsky Posad village, st. South, 1A. ☎ +7 (4862) 59-20-64. 8:00–19:00. A modern Orthodox complex built in 2015-2017. funded by state-owned companies a few kilometers south of Orel. In the center is a seven-domed two-story Sretensky temple, built in the neo-Byzantine style with a 40-meter bell tower. Nearby, on a beautiful well-groomed territory, an Orthodox gymnasium, a school of crafts, a refectory and a font with changing rooms were built. On ordinary days, there are practically no people here, but on weekends there are themed Orthodox holidays and events that attract visitors. Since 2018, the annual international festival "Traditions of Holy Rus'" has been held in Vyatsky Posad. The most convenient way to get there is by car (there is a large parking lot), there are also bus 356 and minibus 444 from Orel.

3 Crypt of Athanasius Fet, p. Kleymenovo. For several centuries, the Shenshin family estate, to which the father of the famous poet belonged, was located on these lands. Here, according to his will in 1892, Afanasy Afanasyevich himself was buried. His grave, along with the grave of his wife, is located in the family crypt at the local Intercession Church. The tomb of Fet is attached to the existing temple and is closed at night with a castle, a memorial bas-relief is installed near the entrance. Although nothing remains of the Shenshin estate, literary and musical holidays in honor of Fet are held here annually in May.
You can get to Kleymenovo from Orel by car: first drive 25 km along the M2 highway towards Moscow, and in the village of Stanovoye turn left following the sign for Kleymenovo. There will be another 10 km to the grave of the poet along a road that is not of the highest quality, but passable.

 

Physical and geographical characteristics

Timezone

Orel is located in the time zone MSK (Moscow time). The offset of the applicable time from UTC is +3:00. According to the applied time and geographic longitude, the average solar noon in Orel occurs at 12:36.

 

Climate

The climate of the city is temperate continental. Winter is moderately cold. Its first half is somewhat softer than the second, with frequent thaws. In January - February, the weather is mostly frosty, sometimes severe frosts are possible. February is the most severe month of winter. March is moderately cool, climatic spring comes in the second half of March. From year to year, depending on atmospheric circulation, March can be like a full-fledged "spring", with a positive average daily temperature, virtually complete absence of snow cover, the beginning of the growing season (1989, 1990, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020) and absolutely “winter” (2011, 2012, 2013, 2018). Summer is followed by periods of heat and relative coolness. Both periods of intense heat without rains, and periods of heavy rains and cool weather are possible. Autumn is quite warm. The average annual temperature is +6.7 °C. Oryol is one of the few cities in Russia where the absolute minimum temperature was recorded in March.

The lowest temperature since 1960 was recorded on March 7, 1964: -37.8 ° C. The highest ever observed was in 2010, when the absolute record was broken more than once in just a few days. On August 5, 2010, the air warmed up to a maximum of 39.5 °C.

The annual average sunshine is 1,852 hours, with minimums between November and February.

 

Water resources

The main river of the city and the region is the Oka (a tributary of the Volga), which flows meridionally from south to north and makes a number of turns within the city. In the center of the city, its left tributary, the Orlik River, flows into the Oka. The rivers are not navigable. The level of rivers is increased by dams.

In the southern part there is Lake Svetlaya Zhizn (a former sand pit). Other lakes and ponds are mainly located in the northern and northeastern parts of the city along its outskirts. Their mirror area is very small.

 

Ecology

The air pollution index in the city was 5.26 units (2010), which is considered favorable for living (norm: 4 - 7 units), but compared to 2006, this figure increased by 7.8%. Motor transport accounts for the bulk of emissions of harmful substances, including: carbon monoxide - 94.4%, nitrogen dioxide - 86.5%, sulfur dioxide - 79.0%, hydrocarbons - 97.3%.