In Russia – with love. Kostroma. Cheese Capital

It seems that the taiga is somewhere in Siberia. Nothing like this. The taiga begins right behind Kostroma, which is only 350 kilometers from Moscow, in the central part of Russia, which, as we found out last time, is on the edge. Such is our mysterious country.

Kostroma is great. Comfortable, calm, very complete. New districts did not invade the center; it remained patriarchal. A little neglected, of course, in need of repair, a little rickety. Something reminiscent of the Soviet Moscow of my childhood, before Luzhkov’s frenzied demolition.

Stunningly beautiful Volga with a steep bank. The ship, which was filmed in Nikita Mikhalkov’s film “Cruel Romance”, is moored forever. You can admire it from the pavilion of the Besdowry. An excellent promenade, to which streets descend with small cafes, shops with linen clothes and souvenirs.

Here attention! Kostroma is rightfully considered the cheese capital of Russia. A huge amount of this milk miracle is produced here for every taste. Small cheese factories monitor the quality of their products. In any souvenir or specialty store you will be offered a rich selection of cheeses in beautiful packages. They will cost twice as much as in a regular grocery by weight. I saw the same thing in Lisbon, where the famous Portuguese ports on the tourist streets were sold for 20 – 30 euros, and in an ordinary basement shop – for 8 – 12.

There is also a cheese restaurant, where all dishes in one form or another contain this product. There are many interesting items on the menu in the city. Well, where else can you try the most tender catfish steak? The fish is specific, with the smell of mud. But not in Kostroma. A small farm specially breeds catfish for local food, without additional aftertaste.

If you stumble upon the Kologrivsky goose, then you will listen to a not entirely plausible legend about why it is necessary to cook from the Kologrivsky geese. But cutlets are certainly made from Galich pike. Milk mushrooms are simply obliged to be Vokhomsky. And what are the vekoshniks here – old Russian pies!

There are also crowds of tourists. Where they are located is not clear. There are no big hotels. Well, maybe one at the bridge across the Volga. There are many small hotels in Kostroma itself, with several rooms, since most of the buildings are compact, historical, and one-story monsters cannot be erected in their place.

At the entrance to the city there is a network hotel “Azimut”, quite roomy and inexpensive. In a terrible state, with monstrous breakfasts. But on its territory there are separate houses where you can spend the night with relative comfort.

As such, there is no Kremlin in Kostroma. The Kremlin is a picturesque hill with cathedrals and a park descending to the Volga. A year and a half ago, when I was there last time, repairs to the temple buildings were still ongoing, but even what could already be seen inspired respect. And the main thing is the views from the hill.

Since Lastochka was launched, the road to Kostroma takes four hours. By car it will take a little longer, five or six hours, depending on the workload in Moscow and the Yaroslavl region.

There are two travel options. Either, for example, for a weekend by train round-trip, or still plan a longer trip by car, because there is also something to see in the vicinity of Kostroma. And more on that next time.

Alexey Vishnevetsky.