Klimovsk: Parks, Art and City History

Klimovsk offers several very different starting points for a trip: time in Dubrava Park on the riverbank, an interactive sculpture of Vasily Polenov, and cultural and historical insights into the church and museum. When planning, you can decide whether you are mainly interested in relaxation and outdoor activities, art or the city’s history.

Dubrava Park: relax and enjoy activities by the river

Dubrava Park is located in the Klimovsky microdistrict of Podolsk, on the banks of the Petriza River. Visitors can relax beneath the oaks, and can also play mini-football, cycle and use a beach with facilities. The options described range from a quiet break in the shade to exercise and games. Anyone who enjoys different ways of spending time in a park will find several ideas in one named place.

A bronze sculpture dedicated to the Russian painter Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov stands in the park. It was unveiled in 2017 and depicts the artist beside a picture frame on an easel. A cloth is draped over the frame; a small dog sits at Polenov’s feet, and a cat is also part of the composition. The work tells its story through several clearly recognizable details rather than depicting Polenov alone.

The open frame also makes the sculpture an interactive photo opportunity: visitors can have their picture taken inside it and thus become part of the scene. This combines viewing the artwork with taking a photo of your own. Anyone who enjoys discovering art through a specific subject and its details can look at the artist, the frame and the animals—or step into the picture themselves.

Church art and the museum’s history

The Church of All Saints in Klimovsk has a three-tier iconostasis with bronze-colored carvings. The stained-glass windows on the east wall of the altar depict the Resurrection of Christ and two cherubim. The names of the artists are also recorded: the icons are by Elena Alexandrovna Karaulova, and the carvings by Evgeny Alexandrovich Dovchenko. The description thus links a distinctive architectural feature with the works that shape the interior.

The history of the church includes two separate steps. In March 1996, a cross was erected and consecrated at the site of the Church of All Saints. On November 2, 1997, the foundation stone of the new church was laid. These dates provide a specific timeline without conflating the two events: the cross was erected and consecrated first, and the foundation stone was laid later.

The Klimovsk Historical and Local History Museum opened in 1999, based on the collections of the Museum of Military and Labor Glory of the Klimovsk Machine-Building Plant named after V. N. Doenin. Its collections include household items, photographs, residents’ recollections of the city’s history and product samples from modern companies. The collection thus brings together different kinds of evidence: everyday objects, visual impressions, personal memories and products.

The museum has developed walks and guided tours for children and adults. When planning a trip together, this focus on different age groups can be a helpful guide; if you would like to include a tour, check the dates in advance. The park and the museum offer different focal points: the former is centered on the riverbank, relaxation and outdoor activities, while the latter focuses on collections and the city’s history. So you can start by weighing up which of these themes you would like to devote more time to during your stay when deciding which holiday apartment in Klimovsk suits your plans.

Discover more destinations

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