History

Kolomenskoe is the most ancient place of human habitation within modern Moscow. Archaeological sites discovered in its vicinity speak of Stone Age settlements (V-III millennia BC). In the I millennium BC, numerous unfortified settlements of an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe appear on the Moskva River and its tributaries, in the area where Kolomenskoe and Dyakovo villages would be founded much later. 

Kolomenskoe village was first mentioned in the XIV century, in ‘spiritual deeds’ (testaments) of Moscow Duke Ivan Kalita (Ivan I). Over time it became a famous Moscow Grand Dukes’ and Russian Tsars’ and Emperors’ residence. It also used to be the venue of such important events in Russian history as the Copper Riot and celebration of the victory in Kulikovo and (almost 350 years later) Poltava battles. Kolomenskoe is associated with the names of the two main Russian ruling dynasties – the Rurikids and the Romanovs. 

The most ancient site of the Tsar’s Courtyard at Kolomenskoe, the Church of the Ascension, was first mentioned in 1532. As legend has it, the church was built to celebrate the birth of an heir to the Russian throne, son of Grand Duke Vasily III – Tsar-to-be Ivan IV the Terrible. It is one of the first tent-roof churches in Russia, an example of Russian architecture that had a great influence on the architecture of East European countries. In 1994, the church was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List and became a UNESCO site along with the Moscow Kremlin and the Red Square. 

In the Ascension Square, near the Church of the Ascension, you can see three other architectural sites: St. George the Victorious Bell Tower (XVI century), Water Tower (XVII century) and a palace pavilion built in 1825 by architect Eugraph Tyurin.

At Dyakovo, you can see yet another XVI century architectural site – the Church of Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Dating back to the middle of the century, it is regarded as a prototype for St. Basil’s (Intercession) Cathedral in the Red Square in Moscow and was probably built by the same architects. 

15 May 2008, a Museum of Wooden Architecture was opened at Kolomenskoe. Three authentic monuments built in the second half of the XVII century – Passage Tower from Nikolo-Korelsky Monastery on the White Sea coast and Towers from Suma and Bratsk Stockaded Forts – make the core of this open-air museum complex. 

Kolomenskoe is a unique nationally protected landscape where an original ancient relief and a unique flora have survived. Vast park areas, picturesque ravines, high hills and the mirror-like surface of the Moskva River occupy most of its territory. The only reserve of its kind, it integrates historical, architectural, archaeological and natural sites almost in the center of Moscow. 

In 2010, the reconstruction of a Wooden Palace of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov was completed. The XVII century monument was reconstructed on the territory once known as the Dyakovo village. It houses a museum exhibition center and a permanent exhibition illustrating the XVII century Russian culture and the royal family's everyday life and shows the museum collections not permanently on display. 

The palace consists of six buildings connected by passages. Its total area is 7,230 sq.m. including 1,400 sq.m. of artistic interior reconstruction. The architecture and décor of the 24 reconstructed chambers correspond to their functions. 226 masters of 20 ethnic origins were involved in the palace interior reconstruction. 

The recently reconstructed palace has become a unique museum and tourist site with a great potential of guided tours and interactive programs on the history and culture of Russia.