Ryazan, Russia

 

Transportation

Hotels, motels and where to sleep

 

Description of Ryazan

Ryazan is the administrative center of the Ryazan region. It is located on the right bank of the Oka, at the mouth of the Trubezh River. The city was founded in 1095 under the name Pereyaslavl Ryazansky. Since 1778 it has been called Ryazan. The population is over 500 thousand people. A major scientific and military-industrial center.

Ryazan is one of the oldest cities in Russia, which for many years served as a border town with the Wild Field. Having started its development from a small guard fortress, the city turned into the capital of the Grand Ryazan principality with the corresponding buildings and paraphernalia. Then there were the years of Petrovsky and Catherine's reforms with a new master plan and the restructuring of the center. The 19th century brought with it the railroad and industrialization, the 20th century brought massive growth and giant factories.

If time for sightseeing is limited, then you can limit yourself to a walk around the Kremlin and the Cathedral Park, look into the Historical Museum and buy souvenirs in the shop. At the Kremlin pier, you can take a pleasure river tram, choosing a short one-hour route and listen to a tour of the city, admiring the Oka open spaces. At the end of the tour, the ship will take you back to the Kremlin. On the Cathedral Square on weekends you can also buy a bus sightseeing tour of the city, its average duration is about two hours. If you have more time, you can take a short walk around the Small Center, starting from Cathedral Square and moving counterclockwise, pass Seminarskaya Street, Sennaya Street, Lenin Square, Pochtovaya Street, Postal Square, Lenin Street and exit to Theater Square. If you want to go around the city outskirts, then you should visit the homeland of Sergei Yesenin - the museum-reserve in Konstantinovo, and take a walk along the Paustovsky trail in Solotcha, where you can spend the night.

 

Travel Destinations in Ryazan

Ryazan Kremlin

The oldest historical center of Ryazan. It is located on a high hill at the confluence of two rivers - the Trubezh and the Lybed. The city was founded in 1095 under the name of Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky. The walls and towers of the Kremlin have not survived to our time - they were made of wood and dismantled by order of Catherine II in connection with the development of the city according to the new master plan. Gradually, the city of Ostrog grew up around the Kremlin - a fortified urban area.

1 Cathedral Bell Tower, Kremlin Street, 10. Main Kremlin belfry and city chimes. The building was built on the site of the front stone Glebovskaya tower of the Ryazan Kremlin.
2 Assumption Cathedral. The main cathedral of the city. Initially, on the site of the cathedral there were "Green" (powder) chambers, in which cannons were stored, squeaked and gunpowder to them. In 1684, the chambers were dismantled, and in their place, Moscow craftsmen began to build a new white-stone cathedral. The cathedral was ready by 1692, but after standing for one night, it collapsed, destroying the church of the neighboring Spassky Monastery. A new contract was concluded with the serf master Yakov Bukhvostov, who proposed a project for a five-domed red brick cathedral. Inside the cathedral you can see the highest iconostasis in Russia.
3 Nativity Cathedral (Nativity Cathedral). The oldest of the Kremlin buildings. Initially, the cathedral was a grand-ducal cathedral church. The oldest part of the building can be seen if you approach the left side of the apse - it is freed from plaster and massive white stone blocks of the original cathedral of the 15th century are visible. The Nativity Cathedral served as the tomb of the Ryazan princes.
4 Archangel Cathedral. Almost contemporary with the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ. The temple was built as a grand-ducal house church. Later, it became the tomb of the Ryazan bishops and metropolitans. There are 22 graves in the cathedral, including a well-known religious and public figure, an associate of Peter the Great and the president of the Holy Synod Stefan Yavorsky
5 Church of the Holy Spirit. The church and a small chapel nearby were built in 1642. The building is made in a two-hipped and two-apse style, rare for Russia.
Complex of the Spassky Monastery. One of the oldest city monasteries in Pereyaslavl, built as a male one. To this day, walls, watchtowers, the Holy Gates of the monastery, the Church of the Epiphany and the Transfiguration Cathedral, several outbuildings have been preserved from the monastery.
6 Savior Transfiguration Cathedral. The main cathedral of the former Spassky Monastery. Built on donations from a Ryazan merchant. The foundation of the building is decorated with a belt of highly artistic colored polychrome tiles.
7 Epiphany Church, Kremlin Street, 5. Like the Transfiguration Cathedral, it is one of the churches of the Spassky Monastery. The building is located close to the monastery wall, next to the Holy Gates. Jan 2022 edit
12  Chapel of the 900th anniversary of Ryazan. A small chapel built by 1995 in honor of the anniversary celebrations. The dome of the chapel symbolizes the helmet of the Ryazan warrior, and on the outer walls of the chapel there are memorial plaques describing the main historical events of the Grand Duchy of Ryazan. edit
8 Church of the Savior on Yar. Spassky Yar is a corner of a high hill that cuts into the Trubezh valley. From here a beautiful panoramic view of the water meadows opens. But once the possibility of a view from here was closed by powerful defensive walls. The name given to Yar came from the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior. The wooden church in 1686 was replaced by a stone one, which has survived to this day.
9  Oleg's Palace. The largest civil building of the Kremlin after the Assumption Cathedral. It was built on the site of the wooden Grand Duke's court of Oleg Ryazansky. The building was erected as residential chambers for the Ryazan bishops. The oldest part of the 17th century building is the pediment from the side of the Nativity Cathedral. Initially, the bishops' chambers were two-story with a large open porch. It is in this part that the most beautiful painted platbands are found. Then a third floor was added to the building with a house bishop's church - it is marked by a small dome on the roof of the pediment in this part of the building. Today it houses the Historical Museum of the Ryazan Kremlin.
10 Singing Corps. Strict white-stone building, made in the architectural traditions of the XVII century. The building got its name from the rehearsals of church singers held in it. The main purpose of the building is different. It was a residential building and at the same time a reception room for the diocesan housekeeper and treasurer. Rich wall paintings have been preserved inside the building. Today, the ethnographic museum of the Ryazan Kremlin is located here.
11 Consistory building. The building of the diocesan consistory - the administrative body for the management of the diocese. The building was built in the 17th century according to a single project, along with the expansion of Oleg's Palace and the Singing Corps. Inside the building, on the second floor, there are fragments of paintings with very rare scenes - court scenes. Today the building houses the Biosphere Museum of the Ryazan Kremlin.
12  Hotel Cherni. The initial purpose of this building was barns for storing the grain of the granary (grain) and other food supplies for diocesan administration. At the end of the 19th century, the barns were reconstructed into a hotel. Each room had a separate entrance, and a gallery led to the second floor. Window and door openings were located only on the wall facing the inner side of the bishop's courtyard. The outer wall was blank and played the role of a fortress wall. Today the building houses the Museum of Military Glory of the Ryazan Kremlin.
13  Hotel of the Nobility. Once the cells of the novices of the Spassky Monastery were located here. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the cells were rebuilt and expanded, and at the very beginning of the XX century, the two buildings were connected by the Church of St. John the Theologian. Today, the task is the Ryazan Theological Seminary.
14  Monument to Yesenin. The largest of the monuments to the famous poet located in Ryazan.
Kremlin Necropolis. The territory inside the former Spassky Monastery, marking the place where one of the main city cemeteries was located. The cemetery was destroyed after the October Revolution, but the Bolsheviks still left several burials. These are the graves of the artist Ivan Pozhalostin and the writer Sofia Khvoshchinskaya. In the late 1950s, the poet Yakov Polonsky was reburied here.

 

Small Center

A small center in Ryazan is a large area that was formed and built in the period from 1778 to the 1850s according to Catherine's regular plan. If you look at it from a height, then the Small Center will be almost a regular rectangle with even, straight streets.

15  Cinema Rodina. A beautiful building of the era of Stalinist monumentalism.
16  Gostiny Dvor. The Gostiny Dvor complex was built during the 18th century. Today, the buildings of Gostiny Dvor house a chamber music hall, restaurants, souvenir shops and various offices.
17  Summer residence of the Noble Assembly. A beautiful tower with carvings, a balcony and a turret was used for meetings of the Nobility Assembly in the summer. Now it houses the Folk Art Center.
18  Monument to Prince Oleg Ryazansky. Pretty mediocre, the work of Tsereteli's workshop
Monument to General Margelov. Margelov - head of the airborne troops of the USSR

Monument to Evpaty Kolovrat. An expressive monument to the legendary Ryazan hero who fought against the invasion of the Mongols.
19  Borisoglebsky Cathedral  , Sennaya Street, 16. Large ancient Cathedral of Boris and Gleb in the Naryshkin baroque style (XVII century).
20 Annunciation Church.
21 Church of the Holy Virgin Mary.
22  Kazan convent.

 

Railway district

Museum-estate of the scientist Pavlov.
The house of the merchant Selivanov. Old wooden house in good condition

 

Moscow District

The Moscow District is a relatively young part of the city. Its mass construction began in the 60s of the XX century - then suburban settlements and factories were equipped, gradually entering the city limits. Of the historical buildings here are the complex of the Trinity Monastery and several churches.
Monument to the Soviet-Polish brotherhood in arms. Unusual, though artistically controversial, monument commemorating the formation of Polish troops in the Ryazan region in 1943.
Monument to George the Victorious. Not a very expressive monument to the military glory of the Ryazan region.
Marine Glory Park. A small park on the steep slope of Kanishevsky Hill. In honor of the Ryazan sailors, several parts of warships are installed here.
Trinity Monastery. Trinity Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Ryazan. The main church in it is Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya, built in 1824 as a monument to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. Around the temple is a war memorial.

 

Oktyabrsky district

Nikolo-Yamskaya Church. A large beautiful temple, built in 1788 at the expense of city coachmen.
Sorrowful Church. Located on the corner of the Sorrowful Cemetery of the same name, built in 1807

 

Solotcha

On the left bank of the Oka floodplain, a short distance from Ryazan, there is a vast urban area of Solotcha. Prince Oleg Ryazansky founded here his country residence-fortress - the Solotchinsky Monastery. Solotcha is beautiful at any time of the year; among the pine forest there are numerous rest houses, children's camps, sanatoriums, sports and tourist centers.

Manor of the artist Pozhalostin. Paustovsky's path begins from the estate - along it the writers Paustovsky and Gaidar went from Solotcha to the Meshchera forests. The trail is passable at any time of the year, the length of the trail is about 20 kilometers.
Solotchinskiy Monastery. Wikidata element The monastery was founded in 1390 by Prince Oleg Ryazansky on the high bank of the Staritsa River, at the confluence of the Solotchi River. For a long time the monastery was the northern outpost of Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky and a personal princely fortress.

 

Museums

State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve "Ryazan Kremlin", Kremlin, 15. Every day, except Monday, 10:00-18:00. The following museums operate within the reserve:
Museum of the History of the Ryazan Territory - Oleg's Palace
Museum of Military Glory – Cherni Hotel
Ethnographic Museum - Singing Corps
Biosphere Museum - Consistory Corps
Ryazan Ancient Storage - Oleg's Palace, Archangel Cathedral
Exhibitions are also held in each of the buildings.
Museum-Estate of Academician I. P. Pavlov, st. Pavlova, 25. Every day, except Monday, 10:00-17:00.
State Regional Art Museum. I. P. Pozhalostina, st. Svobody, 57. Every day, except Monday, 11:00-19:00.
Art gallery "Viktor Ivanov and the land of Ryazan", Pervomaisky pr-kt, 14. Daily, except Monday, 11:00-19:00.
Memorial house-museum of IP Pozhalostin, Solotcha, st. Order, 76. Daily, except Monday, 11:00-19:00.
Museum of the history of the airborne troops of Russia, st. Military motorists, 12. The museum complex includes the following museums:
Museum of the History of the Airborne Troops - st. Seminarskaya, 20
Museum of the History of Communications - st. Military motorists, 12
Historical Museum-Salon "Fragrance of Time", "Trading Rows" on the street. Koltsova, 2nd floor (Lenin square). ☎ +7 (995) 102-20-10. 12:00–18:00 by appointment. 250 rub. without excursion, 500 rubles. with a tour. The museum is dedicated to the inventor of Hollywood cosmetics Max Factor and other Ryazan pharmacists and hairdressers. The salon has the atmosphere of the late 19th-early 20th century: fashion, cosmetics, jewelry, perfumes of that era. Some exhibits can be held in your hands.

 

Theaters

Ryazan State Drama Theatre  Wikidata item, Teatralnaya Square, 7. Built in 1961, the neoclassical theater building serves as the architectural dominant of this part of the city. Under renovation until October 2022.
Ryazan State Theater on Cathedral, st. Cathedral, 16. ☎ +7 (4912) 27-52-38.

 

Cinemas

Concert halls
State Concert Hall S. Yesenin, st. Lenina, 26. ✉ ☎ +7 (4912) 28-05-56.
Ryazan Hall of Chamber Music, st. Lenina, 24. ✉ ☎ +7 (4912) 28-05-56.
Ryazan Musical Theatre, st. Tsiolkovsky, 12. ✉ ☎ +7 (4912) 44-56-64.
Ryazan State Circus, st. Levo-Lybidskaya, 34. ☎ +7 (4912) 25-64-03.

 

History of Ryazan

The area of Ryazan was settled by Slavic tribes around 6th century. It is argued that the Ryazan kremlin was founded in 800, by Slavic settlers, as a part of their drive into territory previously populated by Finnic peoples. Initially it was built of wood, gradually replaced by masonry. The oldest preserved part of the Kremlin dates back to the 12th century.

However, the first written mention of the city, under the name of Pereslavl, dates to 1095. At that time, the city was part of the independent Principality of Ryazan, which had existed since 1078 and which was centered on the old city of Ryazan. The first ruler of Ryazan was supposedly Yaroslav Sviatoslavich, Prince of Ryazan and Murom (cities of Kievan Rus').

The lands of Ryazan, situated on the border of forest and steppe, suffered numerous invasions from the south as well as from the north, carried out by a variety of military forces including Cumans, but particularly the Principality was in a conflict with Vladimir-Suzdal. By the end of the 12th century, the capital of Duchy was burnt several times by the armies of Suzdal. Ryazan was the first Russian city to be sacked by the Mongol horde of Batu Khan. On December 21, 1237, it was thoroughly devastated and never fully recovered. As result of the sack, the seat of the principality was moved about 55 kilometers (34 mi) to the town of Pereslavl-Ryazansky, which subsequently took the name of the destroyed capital. The site of the old capital now carries the name of Staraya Ryazan (Old Ryazan), close to Spassk-Ryazansky.

In 1380, during the Battle of Kulikovo, the Grand Prince of Ryazan Oleg and his men came under a coalition of Mamai, a strongman of the Tatar Golden Horde, and the Grand Duke of Lithuania, against the armies under the command of the Grand Prince of Vladimir, Dmitry Donskoy.

Late in the 13th century, the Princes of Ryazan moved their capital to Pereslavl, which is known as Ryazan from the 16th century (officially renamed in 1778). The principality was finally incorporated into that of Moscow in 1521.

 

Soviet period

Ryazan was bombed by Germany in World War II and had an Extermenent Camp of Jews and Poles.

 

Ryazan after 1945

Immediately after World War II, rapid development of the city began. Ryazan became a major industrial, scientific, and military center of the European part of Russia. Massive factories were constructed in the city, occupying the entire urban areas. Such establishments included the largest refinery in Europe, the Soviet Union's only producer of potato-harvesting equipment - Ryazselmash Plant, accounting machines, a machine-tool plant, heavy forging equipment, foundry Centrolit, chemical fiber company, instrument factory and others. Leading areas of industry are heavy and non-ferrous metallurgy, oil refining and machine-tool industry, mechanical engineering and food industries. More than half of the plants produce for export.

The military potential of the city has also developed: Ryazan became the main training center of the Airborne Forces of the Soviet Union - a city surrounded by numerous training centers and military training-grounds. Several positioned MANPADS protect the urban sky. Besides the Airborne School, Ryazan hosts the Automobile School and Institute of Communications, a regiment of railway troops, airbase strategic bombers, and a training center in Diaghilev.

Ryazan developed particularly rapidly while Nadezhda Nikolaevna Chumakova served as Chair of the Council of People's Deputies of Ryazan and Ryazan mayor. Under Chumakova, the city's population increased more than seven times: from 72 to 520 thousand people. Chumakova oversaw the construction of social and cultural amenities, more than 20 urban areas, and hundreds of kilometers of trolleybus, tram and bus routes. Landscaping became a fundamental strategy for the development of the city at that time. A "green" ring of forests, parks, and garden associations surrounded Ryazan, with large parks located in each area of the city, and compositions of flowers and vertical gardening became customary, not only for the main streets, but also for industrial zones and factory buildings. Ryazan repeatedly won recognition among the cities of the Soviet Union for its landscaping. During her 26 years in office, Nadezhda Chumakova often accepted awards of the Red Banner of the USSR on behalf of Ryazan.

 

Post-Soviet period

In September 1999, Ryazan became one of the cities involved in the Russian apartment bombings episode, though it did not actually experience a successful bomb attack.

 


Transportation

By plane
Ryazan's local small airport Turlatovo doesn't operate regular flights and is being used for small aircraft and training. So, the closest air terminals are Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo of Moscow. From those airports Ryazan can be accessed by train, by bus, or by car/taxi.

Of Moscow's major airports, the closest to Ryazan is Domodedovo. A direct bus between Ryazan and Domodedovo runs several times a day. As of summer 2016, the travel time is 3-3.5 hours; the fare, 600 RUR. The schedule (in Russian) can be found at the Domodedovo Airport web site.

The new Ramenskoye (a.k.a. Zhukovsky) airport, SE of Moscow, which is being opened in 2016, will also be fairly convenient for Ryazan travelers, as it is near the Moscow-Ryazan railway.

By train
Ryazan is an important transit rail hub. There are 2 train terminals in the city (Ryazan-1 and Ryazan-2). Most trains proceed to the east and arrive at the larger Ryazan-1 terminal, while those going to the south stop at Ryazan-2.

An ordinary ride by elektrichka from Moscow's Kazansky Rail Terminal (Казанский вокзал) takes almost 4 hours and costs 320 RUR (one way).

A faster and more comfortable option is to take an express train from the same terminal. The ride takes a little less than 3 hours, the cost depends on the class of the car. There are 3 express trains daily, going in the early morning, midday and evening.

Except Moscow, elektrichka commuter trains from Ryazan proceed to the city of Kolomna in Moscow Oblast and to Michurinsk (the 2nd-largest city of Tambov Oblast).

Ryazan is also a major stop for many long-distance trains going from Moscow to the Southern Russia and Volga Region. A few trains proceed to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Key destinations are:

Domestic
Orenburg
Samara
Sochi
Ufa

International
Almaty
Bishkek
Karaganda
Tashkent

By bus
From Moscow buses to Ryazan departure from Vykhino (Выхино) metro station. The buses leave 1-2 times per hour starting from 6-30 AM to 7-30 PM. The price is comparable with elektrichka, or even cheaper. Other destinations accessible by bus from Ryazan include:

Gus-Khrustalny (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon - 1 daily)
Ivanovo (1 daily)
Kasimov (6-10 daily)
Kolomna (9 daily)
Lipetsk (2 daily)
Murom (1 daily)
Oryol (1 daily)
Vladimir (1 daily)

The Central bus terminal of Ryazan is outside the city center, so you will probably need to get around by local bus, trolleybus, or a taxi. There is also the second and less important Prioksky terminal, serving bus routes to suburbs, e.g. Solotcha.

By car / taxi
Ryazan is about 200 km from Moscow by M5 federal road. As elsewhere in Russia, the road conditions differ greatly from a 4-lines highway to narrow bottle-necks with usual traffic-jams. Depending on traffic situation the way from Moscow may take from 2 to 6 hours (beware Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the summer).

Being unhurried, you may visit on your way to Ryazan the historical cities of Bronnitsy and Kolomna located on M5 road within Moscow Oblast.

Hiring a taxi from Moscow to Ryazan expect to pay 3,000 - 4,000 RUR for one-way journey and use only certified providers.

Get around the city
You can get around the city by taking a minibus, a taxi or a bus. The public transport system is represented by ancient trolleybuses which are pretty slow.

 

Hotels, motels and where to sleep

Lovech Hotel, Dimitrov square, 4 (Next to the train-station Ryazan-2.), ☎ +7 4912 93-69-00, fax: +7 (4912) 92-70-07, e-mail: booking@lovech.ru. The largest hotel in the city, but a bit out of the center. Next door to Ryazan-2 train station. Renovated in 2005. wi-fi. Staff may be expected to speak some English. 110-200$.
Priokskaya. Cosy small hotel right next to the Kremlin on a quiet street in the center. Bar and billiards on the 1st floor. Staff may be expected to speak English.
"New Russian" hotel http://www.monarx-ryazan.ru/ 50-180$.

 

Shopping

1  SEC "Premier", Moskovskoe shosse, 21. 10:00–22:00, Auchan supermarket: 8:00–22:00. Big food court.
2  Shopping center "M5 Mall" (at the beginning of the bypass). 10:00–22:00. Among other things, there is "Skovoroda" - a self-service restaurant similar to the Moscow "Mu-Mu".

 

Eat

Cheap
1   Cafe "Pancakes and Pasta"  , Pervomaisky prosp. 70/1. 9:00–22:00. Self-service cafe with pancakes, soups and, as the name suggests, pasta. Also in the shopping center "Premier" and "M5 Mall".
2 Emil Bonte Bakery, Pervomaisky Ave. 42. 8:00–21:00. Nice and modern, there is a cafeteria with several tables.

Average cost
3  Cafe-confectionery "That food"  , Sobornaya st. 23. 9:00–22:00. Cooking shop with its own cafeteria, a large selection of hot food and cakes.

Expensive
4 Kukhmisterskaya "Bread Square", st. Koltsova, 1. Sun–Wed 11:00–23:00, Thu–Sat 11:00–2:00. "Museum-restaurant" at the junction of noble and Soviet style. The menu is also divided into two parts - the "old regime order" and the "proletarian period".
5  Restaurant Bufet  , st. Radishcheva 42. Mon–Thu 9:00–22:00, Fri 9:00–23:00, Sat 11:00–23:00, Sun 11:00–22:00. Exquisite menu with an emphasis on Russian cuisine.

Coffee and sweet
6 Coffee Bean, st. Lenina, 9 (TC "Arcade"). 8:00–23:00. The same Coffee Bean chain that once started coffee houses in Russia. Classic selection of teas, coffees, desserts, as well as sandwiches and breakfasts.

 

Night life

1  Bar "Dudki"  , st. Lenina, 41a. 16:00–24:00, Fri and Sat: until 2:00. Craft bar with pizza and a small selection of snacks.

 

Hotels

Average cost
Hotel "Priokskaya", Seminarnaya street, 13. Within walking distance from the Kremlin.
Leisure center "Geneva". From 1000 rub.
Hotel Aragon. From 1000 rub.
Peak Hotel.
Hotel complex "Oka", Kuibyshevskoe shosse 25, building 15.
Hotel complex "Armand".
Hotel complex "Breeze".
Flotel "1000 and one night". Hotel for owners of yachts and boats. It is located near the confluence of the Trubezh River with the Oka, next to a large forest park. Just below the mouth there is a gas station and a service station for yachts edit
Hotel "Odyssey", Pervomaisky prospect, 11a. ☎ +7 (4912) 52-85-55.

Expensive
Hotel "Old City" (4 *), Munsterskaya st., 2. ☎ 8(4912)700-005. The newest and most luxurious hotel in the city, in the Anglo-German eclecticism. Facades of the hotel on the street. Munster are stylized as German houses, and a real red double decker is parked at the entrance to the hotel. Excellent location and service. Excellent breakfast. Two floors of underground parking.
"Apart-Hotel".
Forum Hotel Congress. A large multi-storey four-star hotel with advanced business services. Inside you can find premium apartments, congress halls for congresses or meeting rooms.
Lovech Hotel, Dimitrova Square, 4. ☎ 8-800-100-17-07. A large four-star hotel in the city center, not far from the Ryazan II railway station.
Hotel complex "1000 and one night".

Around
Hotel complex "Konyushenny Dvor". An expensive hotel complex located on the shore of a picturesque lake. Separate bungalows, saunas, swimming pool available
Hotel complex "In a certain kingdom". A premium-class complex in the middle of the Meshchersky forest, not far from the Solotchinskoye highway. Can be used as a recreation center.

 

Connection

All mobile operators in Russia work.

 

Precautionary measures

Precautions in Ryazan are no different from those in any other Russian city. Guests of the city should avoid staying at night in deserted places, on the outskirts and industrial zones.

 

Physiographic characteristics

Geographical position

Ryazan is located in the center of the East European Plain, between the Oka and Volga rivers in the western part of the Ryazan region at 54° north latitude and 39° east longitude.

The city's territory is 224 km². Its main part is located on the high right bank of the Oka, 28 km² is occupied by the Solotcha resort area on the left bank of the Oka, 12 km away from Ryazan.

The highest point of Ryazan is the 50th Anniversary of October Square, located in the Railway District, the lowest is in the floodplain of the Oka oxbow in Solotch. The geographical center of the city, indicated by a memorial sign, is located at the intersection of Gagarin and 4th Line streets.

The distance from the center of Ryazan to the center of Moscow is 202 km, to Old Ryazan - 50 km.

 

Timezone

Ryazan is located in the MSC time zone (Moscow time). The applied time offset relative to UTC is +3:00. In accordance with the applied time and geographic longitude, average solar noon in Ryazan occurs at 12:21.

 

Climate

The city's climate is moderate continental. According to observation data for the period from 1980 to 2010, the average annual precipitation is about 580 mm, of which 390 mm falls between April and October. The area is not characterized by strong winds. Generally, weak and moderate winds from the west and southwest prevail.

Summer in Ryazan is warm; heat can reach almost +40 °C in the shade. Winters are moderately cold; in some severe winters, night temperatures can drop below −40 °C. Such significant deviations from the norm are possible when a blocking anticyclone is established, the air mass in which quickly warms up or cools down depending on the season.

 

Vegetation

Ryazan is located on the border of two plant zones separated by the Oka River - the left-bank forest zone (Meshchera Lowland) and the right-bank forest-steppe zone. The main part of the city is located on the right bank of the Oka. The southern outskirts of the Meshchersky National Park are included within the city in the form of the Solotcha resort area - there are numerous recreation centers, sanatoriums and children's camps.

One of the oldest forest parks in the city is Ryumin Grove, planted by the famous Ryazan philanthropist G.V. Ryumin, who built his estate here. Many of the park's trees have crossed the 300-year threshold.

Other large green areas of the city are the Prioksky Forest Park, the Central City Park (CPKiO), the Yu. A. Gagarin Park, the Lukovsky Forest, the Soviet-Polish Brotherhood Park, and the Memorial Park. In the 1960s, a green ring of forest plantations and gardening partnerships was formed around the city, which served as a fence from major highways and industrial enterprises. Part of this ring are recreational forests.

In urban landscaping and parks, mixed species of temperate trees predominate: birch, maple, chestnut, ash, oak, linden, rowan, spruce, larch, fir, pine. In many parks and on the grounds of kindergartens and schools, fruit trees are planted: apple trees, pear trees, cherries, hazel trees. Coniferous trees predominate in Solotch.

The city is decorated with numerous flower arrangements and vertical topiary flower beds.

 

Soils

The soils of Ryazan, like the entire region, were formed mainly on Quaternary sediments. Swampy soils predominate near Solotcha; their formation was facilitated by excess moisture and a weak slope of the relief. Organic matter accumulates here in the form of peat. One of the largest peat mining operations in the region - the Solotchinsky peat mining enterprise with its own narrow-gauge railway - is located there.

On the Oka coast there is a narrow strip of podzolic and sod-podzolic soils; they have high water permeability, so the vegetation on them does not suffer from excess moisture.

Under the Oka floodplains there are floodplain soils, which are the basis of the fund of natural forage lands. These soils are rich in silt, making the floodplains an ideal place for forage pastures and lands.

Chernozem is not typical for Ryazan.

 

Hydrography

The main water artery of the city is the Oka River, on which the main river port is located in the Borkovsky backwater area. During the spring flood, the Oka spills over nearby floodplains and meadows over an area of over 10 km, while the water level in it rises by an average of 8-9 m. In this regard, some urban areas, such as Lesoparkovy and Borki, are specially designed for annual flooding, and the suburban villages of Zaokskoye and Korostovo are completely cut off by water, turning into islands with constant motor traffic.

Water in the Prioksky floodplains lasts up to 4-5 weeks, in meadows - 3-4 weeks. At this time, a small layer of silt is deposited here - a nutrient that promotes the favorable growth of forage and cereal crops cultivated in the city and region. Go to the “#Agriculture” section

In addition to the Oka, about a dozen small rivers flow through the territory of Ryazan. The largest of them are Trubezh, Lybid, Pletenka and Pavlovka. Lybid, along almost its entire course, is hidden in an underground sewer, forming a pedestrian Lybidsky Boulevard above it.

Most of the reservoirs of Ryazan are floodplain lakes and oxbow lakes, which are the remnants of the old channels of the Oka, which changed its course over the centuries. The largest bodies of water - the network of Borkovsky ponds - are man-made flooded sand pits with a gently sloping soft bottom; There is a network of city beaches here.

Not far from Solotcha there are exogenous moraine lakes: Laskovskoye, Chernenkoye, Segdeno, Chernoye, Urzhinskoye, glorified in numerous stories by K. G. Paustovsky. The writer’s trail runs between Laskovsky and Black lakes. Not far from the lakes there are extensive low-lying swamps that are used for recreational use.

 

Animal world

Back in the 15th-17th centuries, large animals were found in the forests surrounding Ryazan: wolves, wild boars, moose, bears, and roe deer. Today their habitat is dense thickets, the territories of nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in the Ryazan region.

In the city's parks and squares you can find hedgehogs and moles. The rivers and lakes of Ryazan are home to waterfowl, the Oka and small rivers are rich in fish.

 

Society

Civil society

Several public supervisory organizations constantly operate in Ryazan. One of them, the Committee for the Defense of the Ryazan Kremlin, created in 2006 to oppose the transfer of the federal reserve into the ownership of the metropolis, today, in fact, carries out all architectural and cultural supervision in the city. Thanks to the work of environmental organizations in Ryazan, a program has been adopted to clean up unauthorized landfills, the presence of which is indicated by citizens themselves, an arboretum is being created, water areas are being cleaned, and green patrols are operating.

The Public Committee of the Ryazan Cycling Movement is independently building bicycle highways in the central part of the city. This activity has attracted the attention of the authorities, who promise to build several similar highways passing through the entire territory of Ryazan.

Public hearings, which are required by law during the construction of projects in the city, almost always attract full houses. Often, the construction of many objects is canceled to the detriment of the city.

 

Policy

Political activity in the city changes over time. In the early 1990s, political changes in the country had the most active support in the city, including riots, dual power, the demolition and protection of monuments to Lenin, and armed barricading in the city council building.

In 1996-2004, the political course changed sharply in favor of the communists and the monopoly of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in governing the city and region. These years were marked by a time of stability. The subsequent change in the vector of power, the gubernatorial elections of Georgy Shpak in 2004, led to a revival of economic, political and civil life. The elections of heads of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2012 showed how much the socio-political life in Ryazan has improved compared to the previous decade. The Ryazan region received the largest number of gubernatorial candidates in Russia - 10 people, with the active work of opposition parties. However, over the past 20 years, Ryazan has remained one of the “red” regions of the country.

 

Religion

Ryazan is the center of the Ryazan Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church, which includes 3 dioceses. The Assumption Cathedral of the Ryazan Kremlin is a cathedral. The Metropolis is the holder of the majority of confessional churches in the city and the only holder of the monasteries.

The cathedral church of the Old Believers is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Sorrowful Cemetery in Ryazan. In addition to them, the city also houses religious communities of Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, the Autonomous Church, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Seventh-day Adventists, as well as the kingdom hall of Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mukhtasibat of Muslims, for whom an Islamic cultural center is being built.

 

Crime

In the 1990s, one of the largest criminal groups in the country, the Slonovskaya organized crime group, operated in Ryazan. “Elephants” managed to monopolize the criminal market of the city and region. Starting in 1991 with petty racketeering and playing thimbles, members of the organized crime group progressed to raiding industrial enterprises, trading in cars and real estate, contract killings, and armed attacks. By 1995, they managed to briefly take over the entire business market of the city, but already in 1996, the Ryazan Organized Crime Control Department began work to detain the bandits, who were completely eliminated only by 2000. At the same time, the largest trial chamber in Russia had to be built for the trial. The former mayor of Ryazan and chairman of the city duma Fyodor Provotorov, who ruled the city for 8 years, is associated with activities in this organization.

Today, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the crime rate in Ryazan is one of the lowest among the cities of the Central Federal District. For example, in the first six months of 2012, the crime rate was 579.6 crimes per hundred thousand population. This is slightly more than in the region as a whole, but almost two times less than in the Central Federal District, where this figure is 839. The city, in addition to police crews, is patrolled by students of military universities and voluntary people's squads, whose headquarters are located in all city districts.

At the moment, Ryazan is almost completely covered by a video surveillance network. Police alarm buttons are equipped on the central streets and squares of the city, as well as at train stations and near large shopping centers.

 

Terrorism

One of the first terrorist acts in the modern history of Russia was the explosion on April 3, 1994 on Voznesenskaya Street in Ryazan. He was connected with the fight between the Slonovskaya organized crime group and other criminal groups in the city. Thanks to a technical malfunction, only the terrorist himself, one of the members of the Airapetovskaya organized crime group Sergei Manikin, was destroyed by the explosion, but he planned to destroy the Ascension Church along with all the people who were there during the service.

On September 22, 1999, an incident occurred in Ryazan in connection with the discovery of three bags of a substance similar to sugar in the basement of one of the residential buildings on Novoselov Street, which later became known as “Ryazan sugar.” The operational group that arrived at the scene established the presence of hexogen in these bags (later the analysis was found to be erroneous). An electronic watch shaped like a pager and three batteries connected by wires were also found in one of the bags. The device's response time was set at 5:30 am. On September 23, at a test site near Ryazan, a test detonation of one kilogram of the detected substance was carried out, but the explosion did not occur, since, according to experts, the terrorists mistakenly calculated the proportions of the components

 

Economy

Industry

The city is home to the Ryazan Oil Refinery, which produces gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, bitumen and other petroleum products. Before the Great Patriotic War, 2/3 of the city's gross industrial output came from the food, light and woodworking industries. After the war, Ryazan turned into an important industrial center with a predominance of mechanical engineering, petrochemical and food industries, as well as the production of radio-electronic devices (mainly military). Since the mid-1950s, the construction of factories began in the city, which currently occupy most of the Oktyabrsky district and a small part of Zheleznodorozhny.

Currently, the city provides 60% of the region's gross industrial output. The presence of large universities and design bureaus in the city makes it possible to provide industrial personnel with qualified labor.

Since 2010, construction of the Ryazan special economic zone began in the Pronsky district of the Ryazan region near Novomichurinsk. An aerospace valley complex is being built not far from Solotcha.

 

Agriculture

Ryazan is one of the few cities in Russia that carries out agricultural activities within the city limits and the nearest suburban area. The extensive flooding of the Oka and small rivers creates rich soil for the subsequent growth of forage grasses and cereal crops. K. G. Paustovsky, while resting and working near Ryazan, noted:

In the meadows the old riverbed of the Oka stretches for many kilometers. His name is Prorva... The density of the grasses in other places on Prorva is such that it is impossible to land ashore from a boat - the grasses stand like an impenetrable elastic wall. They push people away. The grasses are intertwined with treacherous blackberry loops and hundreds of dangerous and sharp snares.

Today, on the water meadows of Ryazan there are cattle pastures and various crops are cultivated. There is a particularly large amount of arable land on the left bank of the Oka. The government of the Ryazan region, as part of the work on creating the Ryazansky tourism cluster, plans to adopt a special program developing ecological farming and rural tourism. One of its directions will be the construction of an agricultural center on the border of Ryazan near Polyany, designed to show the potential of Russia, the region and the city in this sector of the economy. It is planned that the created center will demonstrate the achievements of the national economy, host agricultural seminars and exhibitions for both specialists and ordinary citizens.