Rostov-the-Great

  Rostov-the-Great is one of the oldest Russian towns. It is almost three hundred years older than Moscow. Rostov on lake Nero was first mentioned in the XII century chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years" among the entries for the year 862. Since the XII century the town has been called Rostov-the-Great. "Great" did not mean the size of the town but the degree of the civic and religious authority concentrated in one place. From the time of Christianity strengthening on the Russian lands to the end of the XVIII century Rostov had been the centre of the eparchy. In 1207 it became the capital of the Rostov principality, and it merged with Moscow in 1474. Nevertheless, Rostov developed as an economic, religious, and cultural center because of its favorable location on the northern Russia trade route. In the XVII century, Metropolitan Iona Sysoyevch made great contribution to the town development. It was under him that the residence for Rostov metropolitans was built which, since the XIX century, came to be called Rostov Kremlin, and it was with his magic hand that bells were cast right there. The architectural ensemble of Rostov Kremlin had been built for about 30 years, and came down to us in its magnificent beauty. The State Museum of the Rostov Kremlin was established in 1883 as a museum of church antiquities. It comprises architectural monuments of the Kremlin and several museum exhibitions. One of them is the exhibition of the Russian Finift. The town preserves residential wooden two-story houses of the XIX century with pediments and balconies in the Russian classic style, and the monuments of civic architecture Myitny and Gostiny Dvors (1830s). Bell chiming echoes multitude of architectural forms. Rostov bell chiming has been known all over Russia. Different chimes have their specific names: Yegorievsky, Akimovsky, Ionophansky, Ionic chime being most solemn. Now visitors to Rostov Kremlin can enjoy melodious chimes of Russian bells. Today Rostov is a district center of the Yaroslavl Region with a population of 37,000, and developed optics, mechanics, food and folk craft industries. Rostov is the only town in Russia where the old art of finift (decorative designs and portraiture on enamel) has been preserved.