Ruza has been known since the 14th century. This is a former fortress in the west of the Moscow region, and although only earthen ramparts remain of the old defensive structures here, the city has not lost its charm, retaining fragments of historical buildings and several pre-revolutionary churches. Ruza is that rare regional center near Moscow where there is no railway or multi-storey buildings. The outskirts of the city are especially interesting, one of the most secluded corners of the Moscow region with picturesque reservoirs and ancient estates.
1 Gorodok Park (Ruzsky Kremlin). The park is located on the site of
an ancient settlement - a high hill at the confluence of the Gorodyanka
and Ruza rivers. Once upon a time there stood a powerful fortress
(Kremlin), consisting of 8 towers and a wooden wall. The fortress
withstood serious siege more than once, the last time at the beginning
of the 17th century, but now only earthen ramparts, which have since
gone through several stages of improvement, remind of this. In 1905, it
was decided to lay out a park on the site of the fortress, then trees
were planted along the ramparts and paths were laid, so now it is also a
botanical garden. Then, already in the 21st century, wooden gazebo
towers were erected, from which picturesque views of the river and the
city open. The highest shaft is the western one (also known as the alley
of acquaintances), from which you can see the Intercession and
Dmitrovsky churches. In the middle part of the park there are
attractions and other tourist infrastructure facilities.
2 Partisan
Square. The main square of the city in the 16th-19th centuries. was
called Bazarnaya, later it was renamed in honor of the partisans. Many
historical buildings have been preserved here. On the eastern side you
can see snow-white two-story merchant houses from 1820-1822. (Nos.
15-16), connected at the end of the 19th century by a brick passage.
Merchants stored goods in the basements, shops were located on the first
floor, and tea rooms and hotel rooms were located on the second floor.
In the neighboring house 14 there is a local history museum, and at the
northern end of the square you will see the Eternal Flame with a war
memorial.
3 Resurrection Cathedral, pl. Partizan, 21. ☎ +7 (496)
272-49-44. 9:00–17:00. The cathedral of the early 18th century was
completely rebuilt in 1859 and acquired features of the
Russian-Byzantine style; around the same time, a refectory and a bell
tower were added, which were destroyed in Soviet times. Now the
cathedral is in the stage of sluggish restoration; the forests around
the temple have long become familiar. It is all the more surprising that
one of the 19th century frescoes has been preserved inside, although
most of the interior is already modern.
4 Solntseva Street. One of
the central streets with preserved old buildings. Named in honor of the
commander of the local partisan detachment, to whom a memorial was
erected at the very beginning of the street, on Partizan Square.
✦ Socialist street. One of the longest streets in Ruza and also better
preserved than others. Its most interesting section runs from the
Intercession Church to the Boris and Gleb Church; there are many old
wooden houses. Pay attention to house 13 - Leontyev's mansion 5, built
by Finnish carpenters in Vyborg in the wooden Art Nouveau style and
transported to Ruza in 1908. Now the House of Children's Creativity
(formerly the House of Pioneers) is located here. Of the stone
buildings, the most interesting is the two-story house 23 in the
Stalinist Empire style at the intersection with the street. Solntseva.
In 1959, a children's music school 6 was opened here, which is still
operating today. Before that, the building housed the District Committee
of the CPSU, as evidenced by the monument to Lenin still standing in
front of the building.
7 Pokrovskaya Church , st. Socialist, 2A. ☎
+7 (925) 042-76-03. 8:30–14:00. This church successfully combines the
features of Baroque and Classicism; it was built in 1781-1788. and in
the 1840s a refectory was added. The temple survived the years of Soviet
power without major losses. It was restored back in the 1980s as a local
history museum, but was soon given to believers. The interior is
entirely modern.
8 Church of Demetrius of Thessaloniki , st.
Dmitrovskaya, 12A. 8:00–15:00. The most interesting of the Ruza churches
is sometimes attributed to the authorship of Matvey Kazakov, although in
fact it turns out that even the date of construction here is not really
known: the church was erected in 1792, but was later completed. The
result is an original variation on the Baroque theme with a very
expressive geometric decoration of the external walls, which for some
reason is diluted by the awkwardly high chimney of the refectory. Walk
around the church to see it from different angles - it's worth it. The
interior is modern.
9 Monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya. The most
famous Soviet partisan intelligence officer acted closer to Vereya, but
was immortalized, among other things, in Ruza. A bronze monument by
Zurab Tsereteli was installed in 2013 next to the local House of
Culture. Nearby is St. George's Pond, a popular vacation spot.
10 Boris and Gleb Church, st. Socialist, 62. Church 1788-1801.
buildings in Soviet times was beheaded and relegated to the level of the
first floor. Now it is essentially being built anew.
11 Monument to
Mishka Karas. Mishka Karas is a street child from the popular 2007 TV
series “Liquidation”; In the film, the boy claims that he was born in
Ruza. The monument was erected in November 2016 in a new pedestrian zone
(“Ruzsky Arbat”) and is successfully integrated into the urban
landscape: a bronze Teddy Bear sits on the balustrade under the clock,
which is made in the style of the Stalin era and makes the small
sculpture more noticeable. In addition to the street watch, there is
also a second watch - on the hand of a street child: in the film, he
stole it from Marshal Zhukov, and, returning it, received it back as a
gift. According to the city administration, the sculpture is dedicated
to the generation of Ruza residents, whose childhood included harsh war
years, and who then participated in the post-war restoration of Ruza. In
winter, local residents, according to tradition, put socks or a scarf on
the barefoot boy.
1 Museum of Local Lore , pl. Partizan, 14. ☎ +7 (496) 272-34-83.
Tue–Sat 10:00–17:00, Sun 10:00–16:30 closed. 50 rub. The museum is
located in a merchant's house built in 1820 and is one of the oldest in
the Moscow region - it was first opened in 1906 as the Museum of the
History of the Ruza Region. The collection was formed through the
efforts of patrons and local lovers of antiquities, although commissars
later played an equally important role, bringing here objects from
plundered noble estates, in particular, Volynshchino-Poluektovo. In
1941, German troops plundered the museum itself; it was restored only in
1967. Now the exhibition is dedicated to the history, nature and life of
the Ruza region.
2 Museum of the History of the Ruza Police, st.
Solntseva, 16. ☎ +7 (926) 157-50-40. Created in 2008 by retired Russian
police officers, they also conduct excursions. It is located in a green
wooden mansion of the 19th century that survived the war - for a long
time there was a temporary detention center here, and the police are
still located in the neighboring building. The museum collection
contains historical documents, personal belongings of employees,
weapons, including a 16th-century gun found in Ruza, allegedly created
according to the design of Leonardo da Vinci. The exhibits tell about
the history of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the times of Peter
the Great to the present day. A visit must be arranged in advance by
telephone; excursions are conducted for groups of ten people or more. In
the courtyard of the museum there is a memorial with a worship cross in
memory of employees who died in the line of duty.
By train
Ruza is one of the few cities in the Moscow region that
is not located on the railway. The nearest railway station is Tuchkovo,
Belorussian direction. From here to the city it is a little more than 20
km - you can travel by bus or minibus No. 21, which runs every 10
minutes. At peak times, the number of people exceeds the capacity of the
minibuses, so you have to wait for the next one. Travel time is 30-40
minutes, fare (2022) is 44 rubles. using a contactless bank card, you
can also use Strelka or Troika transport cards. Cash is not accepted in
vehicles, as in the entire Moscow region. Bus number 22 also runs to
Ruza from Dorokhovo station, but it takes longer and less often, and the
station itself is located further from Moscow.
1 Tuchkovo
station, Tuchkovo village, pl. Privokzalnaya, 9. Quite a large station
where trains and express trains stop in the direction of Mozhaisk. In
the station building there are commuter ticket offices, a small waiting
room and a toilet. Near the station there is a Lenta supermarket and a
small market.
2 Dorokhovo station. Trains and express trains stop
from the Belorussky station towards Mozhaisk. From Moscow the drive is
10 minutes longer than to Tuchkovo.
By bus
From Moscow, bus
No. 455 runs every hour and a half from the Tushinskaya metro station.
It walks for about two hours, passing along the road through Zvenigorod
and Tuchkovo station, but does not enter the center of Ruza.
To
get to the Riga direction, use buses No. 36 and 37 to Novopetrovskaya or
a bus to Ostashevo, from where you can go further to Volokolamsk.
3 Bus station, st. Federativnaya, 17. 5:00–22:00. Soviet building
with platforms and ticket offices. From here buses depart to Moscow,
Tuchkovo and Dorokhovo railway stations, as well as more rare routes to
Mozhaisk and populated areas of the Ruza urban district. Sudden bus
cancellations and schedule disruptions often occur.
By car
Along Minsk or Novorizhskoe highway. The distance is approximately the
same (110-120 km), road congestion is unpredictable. Ruza itself is
located on the A108 highway (“Big Concrete Road”), through which it
communicates with radial routes.
The city is small, the role of local transport in it is performed by commuter buses and minibuses, including those going to Tuchkovo and Dorokhovo stations. A bank or transport card must be presented both at the entrance and at the exit so that the maximum fare for travel on a suburban route is not debited. The most convenient way to get off the minibus is at the “KBO” stop (Solntseva Street), from where you can walk to all local attractions.
1 Trading house “Ruza”, st. Solntseva, 20 (opposite the
administration). ☎ +7 (496) 272-32-83. 8:00–19:00. The oldest shopping
center in the city, a former department store. On the facade, do not
miss the interesting drawing made in honor of the 650th anniversary of
Ruza. The first floor is occupied by the usual “Pyaterochka”, and on the
second there is a genuine department store: small shops with clothes,
toys, cosmetics and other goods. Here you can buy souvenirs for every
taste.
2 Ruza Khutor, st. Federativnaya, 7A. ☎ +7 (499) 519-01-18.
9:00–24:00. Four-story business center with shops and offices. There is
a pharmacy, professional cosmetics, clothing, accessories, children's
goods, DNS electronics, and jewelry stores. On the ground floor there is
a farmer's market with natural products. In “Ruza Khutor” you can go to
the “Fish There” restaurant or use cosmetic and legal services. Located
on a pedestrian street next to the monument to Mishka Karas, but you can
drive up by car from Uritsky Lane, there is underground parking.
3 Central Ruzsky Department Store, st. Federativnaya, 25 (next to the
bus station). ☎ +7 (916) 272-46-57. 8:00–22:00. A small shopping center
with a Verny supermarket, a pharmacy, clothing stores and a Myata cafe.
In addition to shopping centers, the city has many chain grocery stores:
Dixie, Magnit, Pyaterochka, and Da.
Ruza is famous for its dairy
products and bread. Ruza bread is not sold in chain stores; you can only
buy it in “Fresh Bread” kiosks next to the “Magnit” or “Dixie”
supermarkets (for example, on Sotsialisticheskaya Street). Dairy
products (milk, kefir, yogurt, cheese, etc.) are sold in the Ruzskoe
Milk brand stores:
4 Ruzskoye Moloko, Volokolamskoye Highway,
13A (next to the dairy plant). ☎ +7 (925) 258-18-37. 9:00–20:00.
5 Ruzskoe milk, st. Federativnaya, 20A, building 2 (behind the bus
station). ☎ +7 (925) 258-05-89. 9:00–21:00.
For those who did not
have time to buy milk in Ruza itself, there is another company store
near the Tuchkovo railway station.
1 Cafe “Cafe”, pl. Partizan, 3. ☎ +7 (917) 517-66-90. Mon–Sat
09:30–22:00, Sun 10:00–22:00. Hot from 300 rub. Popular cafe on the
central square. The hall is small; You can drink coffee with dessert or
order a full lunch, there are business lunches.
2 Restaurant
“Theater” , pl. Partizan, 6. ☎ +7 (925) 925-99-97. 12:00–24:00. Hot:
from 400 rub. Restaurant in a historic 19th-century mansion in the very
center of the city. A wide range of dishes of European and Japanese
cuisine, a bar counter, sushi and pizza with delivery throughout the
city.
1 Bar “Night Coyote”, pl. Partizan, 1. ☎ +7 (496) 272-09-11. Fri–Sun
18:00–23:50. Sports bar in an old cellar with DJ music, billiards,
karaoke, live broadcasts of sporting events. Good burgers and cocktails.
2 Bar “13 Rules”, st. Federativnaya, 7A. ☎ +7 (985) 537-41-69.
12:00–23:00. Chain craft beer bar with burgers and other snacks.
1 Hotel “Central”, lane. International, 7. ☎ +7 (496) 272-38-75.
From 1800 rub. for a standard room. A small hotel in the very center of
the city. The rooms are small, without air conditioning, and only liquid
soap is available for hygiene items. There is a shared kitchen with a
refrigerator and microwave, and private parking.
2 Hotel “Ruza”, st.
Krasnaya, 86. ☎ +7 (800) 100-70-09. Economy from 2000 rub. A hotel on
the southern outskirts of the city with spacious rooms equipped with the
necessary equipment, air conditioning, refrigerator, microwave. There is
a green area nearby. Stable Wi-Fi, but poor sound insulation.
In general, the city is safe, but Partizan Square is a favorite place for local drunken groups: in the morning experienced alcoholics get drunk here, during the day you can meet teenage schoolchildren drinking here, and in the evening - both of them.
All federal cellular operators operate in Ruza; the speed of mobile
Internet in the city is 4G. Almost all hotels and cafes have free Wi-Fi.
1 Post office No. 143100, pl. Partizan, 7. ☎ +7 (800) 100-00-00.
Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00. Central post office of the city.
The city is named after the Ruza River, whose name is comparable to Lithuania. ruseti - “to flow, leak”, rusnoti - “to flow slowly”, Latvian. ruosa - “a stream with a narrow meadow floodplain, located between fields and forests.”
Located on the Ruza River, 80 km west of the Moscow Ring Road, 60 km southwest of the Zelenograd Autonomous District and 40 km northwest of the Troitsky Autonomous District of the city of Moscow (“New Moscow”).
The Ruza River is one of the left tributaries of the Moscow River.
The first written mention of the city dates back to 1328, at that time
the spheres of influence of several appanage principalities intersected
here. The Ruza lands, which belonged to Moscow, were in contact with the
appanages of Veliky Novgorod, Tver and Smolensk, so a wooden fortress
with high earthen ramparts was immediately built in Ruza. The defensive
fortifications of Ruza were more powerful than neighboring Mozhaisk,
Zvenigorod and Volokolamsk and more than once withstood enemy attacks.
In memory of numerous battles, the coat of arms of Ruza depicts four
crossed swords. The name “Ruza” itself comes either from the Baltic word
for “safe” or from the Tatar word for “castle”.
In 1618, at the
very end of the Time of Troubles, the Ruza fortress successfully
withstood the offensive of Polish troops, but the territory of the
settlement around it was plundered: out of 22 churches, only 4 survived.
The city was rebuilt and was exempt from taxes for four years. After
this, there were no more wars here, Ruza lost its defensive
significance, the wooden fortress gradually collapsed, and fairs began
to be held on the territory of the ancient Kremlin. In 1782, Ruza became
a district town of the Moscow province. By that time, only earthen
ramparts remained of the powerful fortress, which now became the Gorodok
park. Since 1784, Ruza has been built up according to a regular plan
with rectangular blocks that have survived to this day, even if the
historical buildings themselves no longer exist in some places. After
the abolition of serfdom, the first industrial manufactories for the
production of bricks and textiles appeared in Ruza, and a zemstvo school
and hospital were opened.
After the revolution, the city did not
become another center of industrialization and, together with
neighboring Zvenigorod, was included in the zone of health resorts. In
the early 1930s, the House of Writers' Creativity and the House of
Composers' Creativity were opened near Ruza for the recreation of the
Moscow intelligentsia; sanatoriums and pioneer camps were built here. In
the first months of the Great Patriotic War, the city was occupied by
German troops. Not far from Ruza, in the village of Petrishchevo, the
famous intelligence officer Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was executed. Ruza
suffered greatly during the liberation from the Germans; there are
practically no buildings older than the 19th century left in the city.
All temples in the city were closed and used for economic and cultural
purposes. After the war, the construction of sanatoriums continued in
the vicinity of Ruza, and several food enterprises were opened in the
city itself.
Now Ruza is one of the smallest regional centers in the Moscow region. The city was affected by the improvement characteristic of the Moscow region, but at the same time it was bypassed by railways and large industry. In terms of its attractions, it can hardly compete with Volokolamsk or Mozhaisk, but there is a lot of interesting things in the surrounding area, and you will at least visit Ruza itself while passing through if you are exploring the western part of the Far Moscow Region. Ruza and the Ruza district are considered one of the most environmentally friendly places in the vicinity of Moscow.
1 Estate “Volynshchina-Poluektovo”. Most of the time, the estate
belonged to the noble family of the Dolgorukovs. The main house was
built in the 1770s in the classicist style, the authorship is attributed
to Bazhenov and Kazakov. It is located on the shore of the Ozerninskoye
reservoir, which swallowed up part of the estate park. The estate is
located in a closed area; you can get here only with a tour from the
local history museum.
2 Ruzskoe reservoir. A large artificial
reservoir 10 km northwest of the city, created in the 1960s to supply
water to Moscow. Now it is a popular place for fishing; recreation
centers and sanatoriums are located along the banks. Nearby there is
another one, the Ozerninskoye reservoir, where, unlike Ruzsky, there are
fewer fishermen, but there are significantly more beach areas.
3 Church of the Sign in Annino. The tent church was built in 1690 on
the estate of the Miloslavsky boyars, known for their adherence to old
traditions and, among other things, their love for tents, which by that
time had long gone out of fashion. Now the church has been restored and
is functioning.