Hotels, motels and where to sleep
Mtsensk is a city in the Oryol region of Russia, the administrative center of which is not included. Being a city of regional importance (since 1963), the municipal district of the city of Mtsensk forms the municipal formation. It is one of the largest cities of the Oryol region, formerly the county town of the Mtsensk district of the Oryol province (1778-1925).
For many Russians, the name Mtsensk is associated with Leskov’s work Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. In our time, Mtsensk has turned into an industrial city. The city has a division into an old, interesting for tourists, city and industrial zone.
The Zusha River divides Mtsensk into two dissimilar parts. The city arose on the left bank of the river, the most ancient temples are preserved here, but there is little history here: residential buildings are low-rise and mostly wooden. The railway passes right there, and the outskirts are occupied by large industrial enterprises. The right bank of the Zushi - a new settlement - was built up according to the regular plan of the 18th century. Here, on Lenin Square, there is a modern center, and on the streets of Lenin and Mir, the buildings of the county town have been preserved. In Soviet times, high-rise buildings were built, and now most of the population lives on the right bank. On the northeastern outskirts, next to the bus station, there is a large microdistrict "B", which Mtsensk continues to develop towards Moscow.
1 Mountain Samorod (Cathedral Mountain). An ancient settlement on the
left high bank of the Zushi River, at the confluence of the Metsna River
- it was here that the city was founded and there was a wooden fortress,
protected by natural barriers. Since the 17th century, the stone
Nikolsky Cathedral has been towering on the top of the mountain, which
in 1841 was rebuilt in a majestic Empire style with a multi-tiered bell
tower. But in Soviet times, the main temple of Mtsensk was blown up, and
now only a small chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built already
in 1996, in honor of the 850th anniversary of the city, reminds of it
here. On the flat top of Mount Samorod, on the site of the former wooden
towers of the Mtsensk fortress, there are now small observation
platforms made of red brick. Now it is one of the best views of the
city, where you can drive up by car. It is especially popular with
locals at night, so there is often a lot of garbage here.
2
Church of Peter and Paul (Vvedensky Church), st. Zakharyeva, 5. The
oldest surviving temple of Mtsensk stands on the high bank of the Zushi
and was first mentioned in 1625. For a long time it was the cathedral
church of the ancient Petrovsky Monastery, which in 1694 was transferred
to a new territory, just downstream, and the church became the parish
church of the Presentation. The existing five-domed temple with aisles
was erected in the 1670s by the steward S.V. Ragozin in the style of
Moscow architecture with a characteristic decor of that time. The bell
tower was built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. In Soviet
times, the temple was closed, but already in 1947 it was reopened.
Nearby, ancient monastic tombstones of the 16th century have been
preserved, including those belonging to the boyar family of the
Ragozins. Inside the temple there is a carved image of St. Nicholas,
made in the 17th century as a copy of the image of St. Nicholas the
Wonderworker, who, according to legend, appeared in 1415 during the
second baptism of the Oryol region.
3 Church of the Ascension
(Michael the Archangel), st. Mira, 6V. ☎ +7 (48646) 24-74-0. Mon-Fri
9:00–16:00, Sat 9:00–18:00, Sun closed. The first stone temple of the
former female Archangel-Ascension Monastery, which existed until 1764 on
a low hill opposite Mount Samorod. The two-storey church was erected at
the end of the 17th century and has a complex composition with tiers
displaced from the side of the altar. In 1744, Empress Elizaveta
Petrovna visited the monastery on her way from Kyiv and allocated money
for the construction of the bell tower. But twenty years later the
monastery fell under secularization, and the Church of the Ascension
became a parish. The temple, severely damaged in the Great Patriotic
War, miraculously survived in 1945, when the Moscow-Simferopol road was
being built through Mtsensk. Local historians were able to pass off the
dilapidated church as the house of A.S. Pushkin, as a result of which
the road bypassed the temple, and the building was covered with a roof
of complex shape and began to be called "the house of the boyar Pushka."
In 1992, the temple was again handed over to believers, new bells were
hung on the belfry, and church forms were gradually restored, while
simplifying the drum, so that the style is now more like baroque. Now
the church is active, it stands out from the outside with ancient
perspective portals, but the historical interior has been completely
lost.
4 Church of St. George the Victorious, st. Komsomolskaya,
26A. It was built in 1825 in the style of classicism on the site of a
stone church of the 17th century. The new church, made of burnt red
brick, turned out to be more spacious and is a wide rotunda on a cubic
base with porticos and pediments. In Soviet times, the temple was very
dilapidated, and the bell tower was dismantled into bricks. Now the
church is located next to the railway, in the 2000s it was returned to
believers, the temple is being slowly restored.
5 Znamenskaya
Church (Peter and Paul Monastery), per. Privokzalny, 11 (next to the
railway station). 8:00–13:00. The only surviving church (without a domed
part) from the Peter and Paul Monastery moved here at the end of the
17th century. This is a fairly large temple, built in 1813 in the style
of late classicism. In Soviet times, the dome was demolished, and the
building was used as a club and sports school. In 2004, the temple was
returned to believers - it is being actively restored and is
operational, and its new domes lie on the ground and are ready for
installation. At the altar part of the Church of the Sign, you can find
the remains of the monastery wall of the late 19th century, on the other
side there are the ruins of the former Intercession Church of the late
18th century. Together with the Church of Peter and Paul, this is all
that has come down to our time from the ancient Peter and Paul
Monastery.
6 Sculpture "Ancient warrior and monk Kuksha". The
monument at the entrance to the city from the side of Orel was erected
in 1996 for the 850th anniversary of Mtsensk. The warrior notes the rich
military history of the city, and the monk Kuksha acts as the main saint
of the Mtsensk land, who unsuccessfully baptized it back in 1113. At the
beginning of 2022, the sculptural composition is not in the best
condition and requires restoration.
7 Lenin Square (Khlebnaya Square). The modern
center of Mtsensk was formed at the beginning of the 19th century
around the main trading square of the city. However, there are few
historical buildings here: shopping arcades and several rebuilt
merchant houses in the style of classicism, and now the somewhat
clumsy three-story building of the city administration with a clock
and a corner tower dominates the square. It was built in 1981 on the
site of the late 18th century Pyatnitskaya Church, demolished after
the war, and many do not like it, although it is a good replica of
constructivism, especially when there is no authentic constructivism
in the city. Nearby is a typical Palace of Culture with an updated
glass facade and the only cinema in the city. There is also a
monument in honor of the 850th anniversary of the city "Russia -
Mtsensk Territory" in the form of a stele, which is crowned with a
winged sculpture of the goddess Nike - a symbol of victory. Now it
is the most spacious square in the city, where citizens walk slowly
and mass events are held.
8 The building of shopping malls,
st. Lenina, 32A. Trading rows in the Orel region, except for
Mtsensk, are only in Orel. Here they were built in 1861-1862. on the
former Khlebnaya Square, more modestly and in a one-story design.
The building has a U-shape with arches resting on powerful
tetrahedral pylons. In 1961, a second floor was added for the
department store located here. The architects did not change the
foundation and the historic first floor, but the vaults in the
arched galleries were replaced with a flat ceiling. Soviet restorers
made the top floor in harmony with the first. The color of the
building changed many times, until finally the malls turned
yellow-green. They remain the most beautiful building on the central
square of the city; now offices are located here.
9 House of
the Shenshins (house with lions), st. Lenina, 5. Pre-revolutionary
mansion of the former estate of S.N. Shenshin, a distant relative of
A.A. Fet, where the poet often stayed during his student holidays.
The house was built in the 19th century in the style of classicism -
with pilasters, cornices and entrance gates, which are decorated
with small figures of lions. Now the gate has been turned into a
solid wall, and the Mtsensk military enlistment office is located in
the building. Opposite the “house with lions” there is a square in
which a monument to A.A. Feta. Everything is very modest: the
monument is made in the form of a bust, and the square is small, but
in 2022 a large-scale renovation of this territory is planned.
10 Merchant Izmailov's house (Lady Macbeth's house), st. Lenina,
8. Before the revolution, the house belonged to the merchants
Izmailov, which gave local residents reason to consider this
building the "terem" where Katerina Izmailova lived - the main
character in Leskov's story "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District".
However, the facts do not support this. More interesting is the
neighboring house No. 10, which previously belonged to the Svechkin
merchants: it is larger, with a beautiful facade and semi-columns
made of hewn brick. It too is often referred to as "Lady Macbeth's
house". Ironically, it is in these two houses that the police
station is now located.
11 The building of the city Duma,
st. Krasnoarmeiskaya, 7. A two-story red-brick building of the 19th
century, where the Mtsensk Duma was located before the revolution,
and in 1908 a school gymnasium was opened here. The second floor is
distinguished by arched windows. Schoolchildren continued to study
here in Soviet times, and now they study in a new building built
nearby due to the emergency state of the pre-revolutionary building.
12 Trinity Church , st. Sovetskaya, 56. ☎ +7 (48646) 24-9-24.
7:00–18:00. The first stone building on the right bank of the Zushi.
The church was erected in 1700-1777. on the territory of the former
Yamskaya settlement at the expense of the merchants Inozemtsevs. The
upper windows are round, which is typical of the Baroque style, but
there are also elements of classicism, such as pediments on the side
faces. In the 19th century, according to the project of the
architect Visconti, a four-tiered bell tower with a sharp spire was
built, and a little later, in the same style of mature classicism,
the refectory was expanded. As a result of these reconstructions,
the parts of the church from different times were united into a
single harmonious ensemble. In Soviet times, the church served as a
warehouse, but after 1991 it was renovated and is now open to
visitors again.
13 Holy Cross Church (Nikitskaya Church), st.
Karl Marx, 30. ☎ +7 (48646) 2-84-77. 7:00–18:00. The authorship of
one of the best monuments of classicism in the Oryol region is
attributed to the famous architect Abraham Melnikov. The temple was
erected on the right bank of the Zushi in 1818 and until the middle
of the 19th century it was the main city cathedral. In January 1826,
here, on the way from Taganrog, the coffin with the body of Emperor
Alexander I rested. During the Great Patriotic War, an air bomb hit
the refectory, after which the church was mothballed and has been
slowly restored since the late 1980s. Huge columns of entrance
porticos with stucco decorations are being restored, and a
multi-tiered bell tower, which was previously decorated with a high
spire, stands in the forests. But the temple is still active –
services are held in the restored refectory building, where plastic
windows already stand. Despite its dilapidated appearance, the
church dominates the panorama of the right bank of the Zushi.
14 Monument to I.S. Turgenev. Installed in the city park in
1999 to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the classic of Russian
literature and the owner of the estate in the Mtsensk district. The
seven-meter statue depicts the writer in full growth, and in front
of the pedestal there is an engraved quote with Turgenev's words
about the "feeling of the Motherland", which arose in him when he
saw the panorama of Mtsensk. At the bottom of the back of the
sculpture, traces of a knocked-down inscription can be seen: at the
opening of the monument, there was a laudatory line in honor of the
then governor of the region Yegor Stroev: “The land of Turgenev and
Fet was warmed by Stroev’s love.” But after numerous criticism from
the Amchans, the inscription was removed.
15 Monument to
mortarmen (Katyusha). A war memorial at the entrance to the city
from Moscow in the form of a BM-13 Katyusha rocket launcher mounted
on a pedestal and two ZIS-3 guns along the edges. On the front side
of the pedestal there are boards with the names of mortars who died
near Mtsensk during the heroic containment of the German offensive
in October 1941.
1 Local Lore Museum named after G. F. Solovyov,
Turgenev St., 104. ☎ +7 (48646) 2-50-49. Wed-Sun: 10:00–18:00, Mon-Tue —
days off. 50 rub. It traces its history back to 1919, but the museum was
not evacuated to the Great Patriotic War, and all of its former exhibits
were destroyed. It was rediscovered in 1960 by a local historian, whose
name it now bears. The exposition is not very large and is dedicated to
the history of the city from the Vyatichi to the 20th century. Among
other things, here you can see archaeological artifacts, a model of the
Mtsensk fortress and a collection of Mtsensk lace. In 2015, an art
department appeared in the museum on the basis of an art gallery that
existed since 1999 in a neighboring building. The museum is located on
the front side of the old Soviet five-story building, but in 2022-2023.
it is planned to move to a pre-revolutionary building along Lenina
street, 18 (as soon as its repair is completed).
2 Lace Museum, st.
Gagarina, 87. Mon-Fri: 14:00–18:00, Sat-Sun - days off. A small museum
at the children's art school, created by the efforts of teachers and
students involved in recreating the art of the famous Mtsensk lace. The
exposition is modest and adjacent to the classrooms, where those who
wish can take part in a master class on bobbin lace making. The museum
sells unique lace samples: napkins, brooches and other small souvenirs,
and you can ask to order something larger.
3 City Park of Culture and Leisure (Central Park). The
largest park in Mtsensk at the intersection of the central streets of
Mira and Turgenev. There are a lot of trees here, there is a sports
ground and not the newest rides, cafes, entertainment events are often
held. And from the side of Lenin Square there is a monument to Turgenev
with comfortable benches.
4 Square of First Guard Tankmen. Not
far from the city park there is a small square, opened in honor of the
feat of the 4th tank brigade of Colonel I.A. Katukov, which in October
1941 gave a successful battle to the German tank columns. Near Mtsensk,
Soviet troops for the first time used the tactics of tank ambushes,
which allowed three times smaller forces to destroy 133 enemy tanks and
delay the German troops of General Guderian rushing towards Moscow for a
week. For the first time in the history of the Great Patriotic War, the
tank brigade of Katukov received the title of guards. The legendary T-34
tank is installed in the square, and nearby are granite panels telling
about the birth of the tank guard near Mtsensk.
5 Pioneer Park
(Memorial of Glory). A small park on the right bank right after the
bridge across the Zusha with an eternal flame and a military memorial.
In the XVI-XVIII centuries, Red Square was located here, which at that
time was the center of the city. But already in the middle of the 19th
century, the modern Lenin Square became the center of Mtsensk, and this
place gradually fell into disrepair. After the war, a memorial of Glory
was erected here with a stele, the central monument of a stern warrior
holding a wounded comrade in his arms, and an alley of glory leading to
him with busts of heroes. The memorial complex is dedicated to the
fallen during the liberation of Mtsensk in July 1943. Next to the park
is the dilapidated Church of the Resurrection, built in the style of
classicism at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. Before the
revolution, it was a majestic temple, and now it is an abandoned ruin
with holes in the walls in the courtyard of the Mtsensk Vodokanal.
6 Kalinnikov Square. A new park in the large microdistrict "B", at
the entrance to the city from Moscow. It is planned to gradually create
a memorial complex in memory of those who died in all wars. In August
2020, a monument to participants in local conflicts was already opened
here, not far from which there is a bust of Marshal M.E. Katukov. From
2007 to 2021 the Intercession Church was erected in the square, which
repeats in enlarged proportions the famous Church of the Intercession on
the Nerl in Bogolyubovo - in the morning services are performed here for
all those who died in wartime.
By train
The Moscow-Belgorod railway line passes through the city.
From Moscow, it is most convenient to get on the Lastochka in the
direction of Orel, Kursk and Belgorod, the journey time is 3.5 hours.
Long-distance trains from St. Petersburg also stop here. From Orel, in
addition to Lastochka and long-distance trains, you can take electric
trains to Tula or Skuratovo - exactly an hour on the way, but they run
quite rarely.
1 Station "Mtsensk" , st. Privokzalnaya, 2. ☎ +7
(48646) 4-12-50. around the clock. The station building at the turn of
the 19th-20th centuries is one of the best pre-revolutionary monuments
of the city. It is made in eclectic style and looks like a castle. To
this day, the jagged ornament of the facade, the projections on the
roof, the wrought-iron balcony and even the old letters of the
inscription "Mtsensk" (with traces of a knocked down hard sign at the
end) have survived. Near the station there is a water tower (1910-1912),
the shape of which resembles the tower of a fortress. In 2013, a train
consisting of an L-1822 steam locomotive, an artillery platform and a
heating wagon was installed at the station square. This is a tribute to
the memory of the Kozma Minin and Ilya Muromets armored trains, which
distinguished themselves in the Great Patriotic War. Despite the outward
beauty, there are problems with the infrastructure at the station: there
are only 4 wooden benches and a VTB ATM in the waiting room, there is a
toilet like a toilet outside, and there are no places where you can eat,
even within a radius of one kilometer.
By bus
Buses run from
Orlovsky bus station from 6:00 to 21:00 to Mtsensk at intervals of 15-20
minutes. Intercity buses from Moscow, Tula, Kursk, Ryazan and other
cities also pass through Mtsensk.
2 Bus station, st. Turgenev,
192A. ☎ +7 (980) 361-49-54. 5:30–00:00. It is located on the
northeastern outskirts of the city next to the "B" microdistrict. There
is a waiting room, a paid toilet is located in a separate building.
Nearby are several snack bars, a souvenir shop and a Magnit store.
By car
The federal highway M2 passes through the city, along
which Mtsensk can be reached from Moscow in about 4 hours. The turn to
Mtsensk and Spasskoe-Lutovinovo will be almost immediately after
entering the Oryol region.
Small PAZ buses run around the city from 6 am to 10 pm. All
flights go through the center (intersection of Mira and Turgenev
streets). You can take bus number 1 from the railway station through
Lenin Square to the bus station - it is located before reaching
microdistrict "B", where half of all city buses go. The fare in the
city is 23 rubles. (early 2022). On the suburban bus number 140 you
can get from the bus station to the Spasskoe-Lutovinovo
Museum-Reserve.
In Mtsensk, the Yandex Taxi aggregator
operates, the average cost of a trip around the city is 100 rubles.
For 300-400 rubles. you can take a taxi to Spassky-Lutovinovo.
Mtsensk, along with the departed Lipetsk region Yelets, was a
well-known center of lace-making in the former Oryol province. Back in
the 18th century, a manufactory was opened in the Mtsensk region, which
employed 1,200 girls who adopted the Belgian experience of industrial
lace production. Products were even supplied to the royal court, and on
the basis of the accumulated experience, their own traditions were
gradually created. In 1899, Princess Anna Tenisheva's lace-making school
was opened in Mtsensk, whose products were awarded a silver medal at the
World Exhibition in Paris. Mtsensk lace is distinguished by its complex
geometry and airy texture. In Soviet times, Tenisheva's school was
closed, but in the 1990s, Mtsensk lace-making was revived in a
children's art school, on the basis of which the Museum of Lace is now
created. In the museum you can buy lace products created by local
craftswomen (from 1000 rubles for a small napkin).
Mtsensk
magnets are sold at the Museum of Local Lore and several gift shops near
Lenin Square. Bristol, Dixie, Magnit, and Pyaterochka chain grocery
stores are scattered throughout the city, and there are several small
shopping centers along Turgenev Street.
1 Shop "Necessary little
things"/ «Нужные вещички», st. Lenina, 28. ☎ +7 (48646) 2-16-22.
9:00–18:00. Here you can buy souvenirs: magnets, paintings, wooden
figurines and other Chinese trinkets. Flowers and household goods are
also sold.
2 Shopping center "Spring"/ Vesna/ «Весна», st. Turgenev,
110. 9:00–19:00. One of the popular shopping malls. It houses Magnit and
Fix Price supermarkets, an Eldorado electronics store, an MTS salon, a
hairdresser, a souvenir and gift shop, and a Sberbank ATM.
1 Cafe "Meeting" , st. Gagarin, 70/1. ☎ +7 (48646) 4-09-00.
10:00–22:00. Complex lunch from 160 rubles. An inexpensive cafe in the
city park, specializing on weekdays for complex lunches and pizzas, and
on weekends for banquets. On the ground floor you can drink coffee with
dessert.
2 Cafe "Forget-me-not", st. Turgenev, 92. ☎ +7 (48646)
2-48-76. 8:00–17:00. An inexpensive cafe near Lenin Square with a small
hall, you can take a business lunch or drink coffee.
3 Cafe
"Quarter", st. Turgenev, 196A. ☎ +7 (910) 748-01-13. 11:00–00:00. Hot:
from 400 rubles. Cozy cafe with an extensive menu near the bus station.
There is a bar, sushi, pizza, business lunches for 300 rubles.
✦ Restaurant "Terem" , st. Karl Marx, 140 (in the hotel "Terem"). ☎ +7
(953) 611-81-82. 12:00–23:00. Hot: from 400 rubles. The most prestigious
institution of the city is located at the Terem hotel complex. Wooden
interiors in the Russian style, billiards, business lunches from 200
rubles.
1 Cafe-bar "Vintage", st. Kuzmina, 5B. ☎ +7 (999) 601-71-68. Mon-Thu
and Sun: 12:00–00:00, Fri-Sat- 12:00–3:00. Average check - 700 rubles. A
cozy cafe on the northern outskirts of the city, in the evening it works
as a bar-club. There is a bar counter, a dance floor and a screen for
sports broadcasts.
2 Hookah bar "Mayak Lounge" , st. Turgeneva, 97B
(in the city park). ☎ +7 (910) 308-06-25. Mon-Thu and Sun: 18:00–1:00,
Fri-Sat: 18:00–2:00. Hookah in the city center. In addition to hookah,
you can drink beer or order tea. Upholstered furniture, light music, a
screen for sports broadcasts, board games and a PlayStation. Entrance
18+ (it is better to have a passport or driver's license with you).
1 Hotel "Grand" , st. Lenina, 32 (Lenin Square). ☎ +7 (999)
602-99-00. 2500 rub. for a standard room (breakfast is ordered
separately - 250 rubles). A newly opened hotel with an excellent
location - right on the central square of the city. In total, there
are 20 newly renovated rooms, the corridors are distinguished by
large chandeliers and catchy decoration. The rooms have modern
furniture, refrigerator, kettle and microwave, Wi-Fi. Air
conditioning only in suites. There is a cafe.
2 Hotel "Mtsensk",
st. Turgenev, 137B (next to the bus station). ☎ +7 (48646) 2-26-89.
From 500 rub. for single economy up to 2700 rubles. for a triple
suite. It is located at the entrance to the city from the side of
Moscow in a nice complex-shaped building of the early 1950s: it was
built as part of the roadside infrastructure for those traveling
along the Moscow-Kharkov highway. This building can be seen in the
Soviet film "To the Black Sea" in 1957. There are 18 rooms in total:
standard - a small area with private facilities on the floor, but
there are also two suites with their own toilet and shower.
3
Hotel "Terem", st. Karl Marx, 140. ☎ +7 (909) 229-46-87. Standard
double room 2600 rubles, deluxe room 4300 rubles. Breakfast is paid
separately - 150 rubles. Comfortable hotel with a large territory on
the outskirts of the city towards Moscow. The building was built in
2018 from wood in the style of a Russian hut. Spacious and cozy
rooms with wooden finishes and modern furniture, but no air
conditioning. It has its own restaurant, sauna and private parking.
The telephone code of the city is (48646). All federal mobile
operators work in Mtsensk: MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele2, Yota, mobile
Internet speed is 4G. Most hotels and restaurants have free Wi-Fi.
Post office, st. Mira, 37. ☎ +7 (800) 200-58-88. Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00,
Sat: 9:00–18:00, Sun closed. Central post office next to Lenin Square.
The index is 303030.
12 km from Mtsensk is the family estate of I. S. Turgenev
Spasskoe-Lutovinovo. This is one of the main attractions of the Orel
region, several times a day bus number 140 goes here from the
Mtsensk bus station. If you wish and the weather permits, you can
also walk along the picturesque rural road through the villages of
Zarechye and Gushchino.
Also of interest is the ancient
Bolkhov, located 50 km west of Mtsensk. This city did not become an
industrial center in Soviet times, but better than others, it
preserved the historical buildings of the 18th-19th centuries and a
scattering of ancient temples on high hills.
1 The
Shenshins' estate, the village of Volkovo. A few kilometers south of
Mtsensk is the former estate of A.A. Feta on the paternal side.
Here, in 1853, the poet met several times with Turgenev, who was
exiled in Spasskoye-Lutovinovo. In many ways, it was thanks to this
friendship that Fet became widely known in literary circles. Now
only a two-story stone house (now a village school) and an old park
remain from the estate. By the 200th anniversary of the birth of
Fet, the manor park was landscaped, now it is the main tourist
attraction of the former estate. A symbolic "stone of friendship" of
two writers, a rotunda and several art objects, including a
sculpture of a unicorn, the heraldic symbol of the Shenshin family,
were installed near the park pond. Now this is almost the only
Fetovo place left in the Oryol region (the other is the poet's tomb
in Kleymenovo). From Mtsensk to Volkovo you can take the city bus
number 2 to the stop "Neftebaza" (terminal).
2 Monastery of St.
Kuksha (Skete of St. Kuksha) (between the villages of Frolovo and
Karandakovo). ☎ +7 (910) 301-01-85. It is located 10 km from Mtsensk
at the place where, according to legend, in 1113 the Vyatichi monk
Kuksha, one of the first Christian preachers in the Oryol region,
was executed. The remains of the saint were taken back to the
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, from where he had come, and a spring gushed at
the place of his death. Here, in the forest area, even before the
revolution there was a well, over which wooden chapels were
repeatedly built, but all of them burned down long ago. The modern
skete was founded in 1999: the spring was landscaped, a font was
built, and a small church was laid next to it. In 2012, a decision
was made to establish a monastery here. Now, in addition to the
source, visitors can see the one built in 2006-2015. Church of the
Resurrection, which is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm. Entrance to
the rest of the territory of the monastery is by blessing only. From
Mtsensk you can get by car or by bus in the direction of Bolkhov and
local villages: Shashkino, Anahino, Bragino to the Frolovka stop.
The place is popular and crowded, especially during church holidays.
3 The Sheremetyevs' estate in Glazunovo (the Glazunovs' estate), p.
Glazunov. The remains of one of the richest estates in the Oryol
region, which in the second half of the 18th century was owned by
the Glazunov family, who planted a large linden garden here. The
owner of the estate A.A. Glazunov in 1814 sold one of his houses in
Orel to V.P. Lutovinova - it was in it that four years later the
famous writer I.S. Turgenev. With the proceeds, the Church of the
Intercession was built in Glazunovo in the style of classicism
(1820). In the early 1860s, the estate passed to the Sheremetev
family, who built a rich manor house, a stable and numerous
outbuildings here. But the estate has reached our time in a ruined
state. On the site of the overgrown manor garden, you can still see
the dilapidated Intercession Church, reminiscent of a park pavilion
in shape. A slightly better preserved old red-brick water tower, as
high as a four-story house, looks like part of a medieval castle.
Also here you can see the ruins of a collapsed barn and one of the
manor ponds. The rest of the territory of the former estate is
overgrown or used by local residents for vegetable gardens. The
abandoned estate is located 7 km from Mtsensk in the direction of
Bolkhov, you can get there by the same buses as to the Kuksha
monastery.
4 Novosiltsevs' estate (Sanatorium Voinovo), Pervy
Voin village. Another dilapidated estate is located south of
Mtsensk, on the road towards Orel. This is one of the largest
estates in the Oryol region. In the 19th century, it belonged to the
Novosiltsev family, whose representatives occupied major government
posts and managed to build an extensive palace and park complex
here. In 1866, the Oryol composer Vasily Kalinnikov was born in the
estate, whose father served as a manager here. In Soviet times, the
estate was looted, the buildings partially burned down, and then for
80 years a tuberculosis sanatorium was located in it. In the 2000s,
the estate was finally abandoned. Now, on the territory of the
former noble estate, interspersed with crumbling Soviet buildings,
you can find the remains of the main house of the estate,
outbuildings, old gazebos and a well-preserved park with
centuries-old linden alleys. From the Mtsensk bus station, suburban
buses No. 403 and No. 112 go here, you can also take buses to Orel -
the First Warrior stop.
5 Place of the former estate of A.A. Feta
in Novoselki, village Novoselki. A memorial stone on the site of the
former Novoselki estate, where Afanasy Fet was born in 1820. There
is nothing left of the estate, but in the first days of July, the
folk festival “Beyond the outskirts” is held here every year. A
stone with a memorial inscription is located opposite the children's
sanatorium "Jubilee". The most convenient way to get here is by car.
6 Shestakovskiy park, Drobyshevo village. A small dendrological
park, where the county doctor A.I. In the 1860s, Shestakov grew rare
species of trees and shrubs from various continents, acclimatizing
them in the conditions of the Russian Middle Zone. After the death
of the doctor and botanist, no one took care of the trees he had
grown, and in Soviet times there was a pioneer camp here. Now it is
abandoned, like the park itself. There are practically no rare trees
left, but you can admire the views of the Oka winding ribbon from
its high bank. The park is located near the village of Drobyshevo.
You can get on the same buses as to the Kukshi Monastery: stop
"Frolovka", and the remaining 4 km will have to be walked.
The name of the city comes from the small river Mtsena (Metsna), which flowed into the Zusha River, on the banks of which the fortress towered. Initially, the settlement was located south along the road, then the Mtsensk fortress was built on Mount Samorod. Water barriers - Metsna with a deep canyon and Zusha - made the fortress almost impregnable for invaders. According to the archaeologist T.N. Nikolskaya, in the middle of the 1st millennium, only the northern part of the cape on Zush was fortified on the Mtsensk settlement. The burial mound of the 11th-13th centuries is located 200 meters from the Mtsensk settlement on the left bank of the Mtseny.
Flag
On May 23, 2011, by the decision of the Mtsensk City Council
of People's Deputies No. 406-MPA (adopted on May 19, 2011), the flag of
the city was approved, which on November 2 was entered into the State
Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation with registration number
7238. The flag was developed on the basis of the reconstructed
historical coat of arms of the city: “a rectangular green panel with a
ratio of the width of the flag to its length of 2: 3, with blue vertical
stripes along the edges (each 1/6 of the width of the panel), with four
yellow sheaves tied with scarlet ribbons, laid crosswise and deployed to
the edges of the panel.”
Coat of arms
The description of the
historical coat of arms reads: “In the upper part of the shield, the
Orlovsky coat of arms. At the bottom are four sheaves of wheat, as a
sign of the blessed abundance of bread in this country.
Physical
and geographical characteristics
The city is located on the Zusha
River (a tributary of the Oka), 56 km from Orel. On the left (high) bank
are the old city center, most of the churches and the railway station.
On the right (low) bank is the modern city center with the city
administration. The city stretches for 8 km from north to south and 4.7
km from west to east.
Time
Mtsensk, like the entire Oryol
region, is located in the MSK time zone (Moscow time). The offset of the
applicable time from UTC is +3:00. Time in Mtsensk is one hour ahead of
standard time.
The inhabitants of the city belonged to the East Slavic tribal union
Vyatichi.
Mechensk (Mtsensk) was first mentioned in the Nikon
Chronicle in 1146 under the name (Mtsenesk, Mtsnesk) as part of the
Chernihiv Principality.
In 1152, it was taken by the Suzdal
prince Yuri Vladimirovich "Dolgoruky" during a campaign against
Chernigov.
From the 13th century, Mtsensk was subjected to the
invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. During the invasion of Batu in 1238, the
city probably did not suffer. After a grueling siege of Kozelsk, the
Mongol-Tatars retreated to the steppes, leaving Mtsensk aside. Since
1246, Mechensk was part of the independent Novosilsky principality.
Since 1320 the city was under the rule of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania.
Since 1408, Mtsensk has been the center of the
Mtsensk-Lubutsky governorship established by the Grand Duke of Lithuania
Vitovt. By the middle of the 15th century, these cities were
subordinated to Smolensk with the preservation of a special governorship
in them.
There is a legend that in 1415 the Mtsenians were not
yet Orthodox Christians. This year, from the Grand Duke of Vladimir and
Moscow, Vasily I Dmitrievich, and from Metropolitan Photius, priests
were sent, with many troops, to bring the inhabitants to the true faith.
The Mtsenyans were horrified, began to fight, but were soon stricken
with blindness. The messengers began to exhort them to be baptized;
Convinced by this, some of the mtsenyans named: Khodana, Yushinka and
Zakey, were baptized, and having begun to see clearly, they found the
cross of the Lord, carved from stone and a carved image of St. Nicholas
the Wonderworker in the form of a warrior holding an ark in his hand.
Then, amazed by the miracle, all the inhabitants of the city hurried to
receive holy baptism.
In September 1423, the ruler of the Golden
Horde, Barak Khan, made a trip to the Lithuanian border possessions and
laid siege to Odoev, but could not take the city by storm and retreated
to the steppe, capturing a large number of prisoners. Prince Odoevsky
Yuri Romanovich and the Mtsensk governor Grigory Protasyev with their
squads rushed in pursuit of the retreating Tatars and recaptured many
prisoners from them.
In 1430, the Horde prince Aidar
unsuccessfully besieged Mtsensk, but was repulsed by the voivode Grigory
Protasyev, whom he captured by deceit. Khan Ulu-Mohammed released the
governor.
In the summer of 1492, the Russian army under the
command of the voivode Theodore Telepnya Obolensky captured Mtsensk:
“the city of Mchenesk was taken, and the land was conquered, and their
voivode, Boris Semyonov, the son of Aleksandrov, izymash and many
others, and brought them to Moscow.” According to the agreement of
February 7, 1494, Mtsensk was returned to Lithuania.
In 1500, a
new Russian-Lithuanian war began and Mtsensk voluntarily surrendered to
the Russian troops under the command of the governor Yakov Zakharyich
Koshkin-Zakharyin. On March 25, 1503, the Annunciation Truce was signed,
according to which the city remained under the control of the Russian
state.
The raids of the Crimean Tatars on Mtsensk continued until
the 16th century.
Mtsensk finally became part of the Russian
state in 1505.
In 1555, in the decree on the collection of troops
for a campaign against the Crimean Khanate, Mtsensk, Odoev, Belev and
Novosil were also named among the "Siver" (northern) cities.
In
1622, the outskirts of Mtsensk were plundered by the Crimean Tatars, but
the city was not taken.
In the XVI-XVII centuries, the Mtsensk
fortress became one of the largest in the south of the Russian state,
but in the second half of the XVII century it lost its military
significance.
In 1708, Mtsensk became part of the Kyiv province,
since 1719 it was assigned to the Oryol province. In 1727 the province
became part of the Belgorod province.
In 1778, Mtsensk became the
county town of the Mtsensk district of the Oryol viceroy (since 1796 -
the Oryol province). In 1780, the general plan of the city was approved.
From the beginning of the 19th century, the city began to develop
rapidly as a trading city with a river pier. In 1868, the Moscow-Kursk
railway passed through the city, which led to the decline of the grain
pier.
In the 19th century, an underground wooden water supply
system, about 1 km long, operated in the city. At the end of the 19th
century, there were 164 stone and 1673 wooden houses in the city.
Mtsensk was famous for its crafts, especially for the production of
Mtsensk lace.
On October 14, 1919, units of the Kornilov Regiment
of the 1st Army Corps of the Volunteer Army made a short raid on
Mtsensk, quickly taking the city, but soon withdrew, shooting the red
commandant, former General Sapozhnikov. Mtsensk became the extreme point
of the offensive of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia under the
command of Denikin.
On May 19, 1924, after the abolition of the
Mtsensk district, Mtsensk was transformed into an urban-type settlement,
but on July 6, 1925, Mtsensk was again declared a city.
In 1928,
the city became the center of the Mtsensk district of the Oryol district
of the Central Chernozem region (since 1937 it has been part of the
Oryol region).
The German 3rd Panzer Division of the 2nd Panzer
Army broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops northwest of
Mtsensk.
During the Battle of Oryol-Kursk in 1943, fierce battles
took place for the city. On July 20, 1943, the city of Mtsensk was
liberated by units of the Bryansk Front.
February 1, 1963 Mtsensk
was classified as a city of regional subordination.
From January
1, 2006, the city forms the urban district "City of Mtsensk".
Factories operating in the city are OAO MLZ (Mtsensk Foundry), OAO
Mezhgosmetiz-Mtsensk, OAO Plant of Special Equipment, Mtsenskprokat,
communal engineering Kommash, Mtsensk distillery Orlovskaya Krepost (at
place of the former biochemical), as well as meat and bakeries.
OAO Mtsensk Foundry was registered in 2000. Engaged in the production of
iron castings. According to IA "KredInform", the main shareholders are
offshore companies. So, Trigonia Anstalt (Liechtenstein) owns 33%,
Mapleto Investments Ltd (Cyprus) - 27%, Halden Management Ltd (Cyprus) -
25%. Another 15% is owned by other shareholders. The company's turnover
in 2010 amounted to 2.39 billion rubles, net profit - 1.259 million
rubles.
OAO Mezhgosmetiz-Mtsensk is a manufacturer of
high-quality welding consumables.
JSC "Mtsenskprokat" - production
and processing of non-ferrous metals and alloys: full-cycle foundry
production, rolling of products from non-ferrous metals and alloys based
on them.
OAO Mtsensk Municipal Machine-Building Plant (Kommash)
manufactures machines and equipment for municipal and municipal services
and road maintenance services.
LLC "Mtsensk distillery" Oryol
fortress "" - one of the largest enterprises for the production of vodka
and alcoholic beverages (Closed).
Furniture factory CJSC
"Mtsenskmebel" - one of the largest enterprises in the city for the
production of cabinet furniture (Closed).
Mtsensk Non-Ferrous Metal
Processing Plant LLC (MZOTsM LLC) is a manufacturer of non-ferrous metal
products, one of the three best non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises in
Russia.
JSC "Plant of Special Equipment" is one of the largest
enterprises in Russia for the development, manufacture and repair of
airfield equipment, as well as equipment for public utilities and road
services.
As of mid-2011, metals and products from them prevail in
the commodity structure of exports. The leading position within the
group is occupied by aluminum and products from it. The second line
belongs to engineering products. And almost the entire cost volume in
this group falls on municipal equipment and spare parts for it. Foreign
trade is dominated by partners from non-CIS countries. The CIS countries
account for only 8%. Export partner countries include Ukraine (38%),
Japan and Germany (20% each), followed by Mongolia (12%) and the Czech
Republic (6%).
The shops
The largest networks operate in
Mtsensk: food products (Magnit, Pyaterochka, Dixie, Fix Price, Home
Market) mobile phone stores (Beeline, Svyaznoy, Euroset, MTS, Megafon,
TELE2, Rostelecom), stationery (Ostrov, Optimist), Red & White , Lyubava
- branded stores of the Mtsensk Meat Processing Plant, which is part of
the Agrosoyuz Lyubava.
Banks
A territorial office of the Bank
of Russia, branches of Sberbank, Rosselkhozbank, Bank Rublev,
Lanta-Bank, and Sovcombank have been opened in Mtsensk.