Reshma: Monastery History, Wooden Houses and Hiking Trail

Discover Reshma through the history of the Makaryev-Reshma Monastery, the carved details of its wooden houses and a hiking trail to the Volga landscape. These themes take you from village life and religious heritage to the surrounding forest and cedar grove. They can help you plan your stay by choosing a focus among local history, architecture and outdoor activities.

Museum and Monastery History

Opened in 2016, the Reshma Museum and Exhibition Centre is dedicated to the history of the village of Reshma, monastic service and the folk traditions of the Upper Volga. Two themed exhibitions are open at the centre: “Pages of the History of the Makaryev-Reshma Monastery” and “Museum of Peasant Life”. Before your visit, check whether the exhibitions are still open.

The Makaryev-Reshma Monastery was looted and destroyed in 1927; religious life there has been revived since the 1990s. The architectural ensemble is characterised by fortified walls, watchtowers and a massive gate. The entrance leads through a gateway and, at the same time, through a gate church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. An old icon of the same saint is kept inside. The complex thus brings together defensive architecture and a religiously significant entrance.

Another historical landmark is a simple wooden church built by Makariy in honour of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. He erected it on the bank of the Volga, below a hill. This story adds another chapter in local history to the picture of the monastery.

Wooden Houses and the Trail to Cape Lyubvi

A walk through Reshma also draws attention to distinctive details on its simple wooden houses. Look out for carved window frames, turned “ears” and “earrings”, decorated cornices and columns, relief carvings and closed shutters. The variety of these features makes the façades a subject in their own right: rather than simply taking in the houses as a whole, you can look closely at individual shapes and ornaments.

For an outing in the countryside, a hike along an ecological trail is recommended. The route leads from Reshma through forest and a cedar grove to Cape Lyubvi, where views open up across the Volga landscape. The trail offers a different focus from a walk through the village: here, the forest and the views take centre stage. If you plan to hike it, check the current condition of the trail in advance.

This makes it possible to define the focus of your trip without assuming anything about the features of a particular accommodation.

Crafts in the Wider Destination of Ivanovo Oblast

Other places in the wider destination of Ivanovo Oblast also have their own cultural attractions. In Palekh, the State Museum of Palekh Art includes an icon museum and a lacquer miniature museum. Its icon collection brings together works from the 14th to the 19th century; their origins range from Novgorod to the Urals and from the Volga region to the Russian North. Workshops are held at the lacquer miniature museum, where you can paint a small papier-mâché object featuring the Firebird, a symbol of Palekh. If you would like to take part, check in advance whether a workshop is currently available.

In Kholuy, the State Museum has more than 5,000 exhibits and a constantly updated display. The house museum of Vasily Dmitrievich Puzanov-Molev, founder of Kholuy lacquer miniatures, showcases simple tools and everyday objects from an ordinary village home. At the Kholuy Embroidery and Sewing Artel, the tradition of old embroidery is being revived; the pieces are made entirely by hand. Together, these examples offer a distinct insight into crafts and everyday life in the wider destination of Ivanovo Oblast.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Kokhma, Navoloki, Lezhnevo, Verbino, Ignatovo, Novoye, Berezhok, Gaydorovo Bolshoye.

Back to the wider travel overview: Ivanovo Oblast.