Kolomna

Kolomna is located at the confluence of three rivers: the Moskva River, the Oka and Kolomenka, a little more than a hundred kilometers southeast of the city of Moscow. The Oka-Moscow interfluve is characterized by the presence of a complex relief, a large number of closed reservoirs and coniferous-deciduous forests. All these factors determine the most significant natural and climatic features of Kolomna and adjacent territories.

The climate of the city is temperate continental. It is characterized by warm summers (about +18°С), moderately cold winters (about -10°С) and high variability of weather conditions. Fogs are considered a frequent occurrence in Kolomna. The average annual rainfall ranges from 480 to 640 mm. Serious temperature fluctuations and drops are observed quite rarely and do not have a significant impact on the socio-economic life of the city.

Kolomna is a very picturesque and beautiful city. The greenery of numerous forests is complemented by the blueness of reservoirs. The green massif consists mainly of pines, oaks, aspens and birches. Forest parks and sanitary protection zones, squares, parks occupy large areas and form a single green zone, which actively affects the humidity and temperature of the urban air, protecting residents from dust and poisonous gases.

Due to its favorable geographical location, the city is of great importance for the economic development of the entire Moscow region. The main routes of water and land transport pass through Kolomna, for example, the Moscow-Ryazan railway and the Moscow-Samara highway.

The origin of Kolomna goes back centuries. The conditional date of the foundation of the city is considered to be 1177. In the Laurentian Chronicle, it was in this year that Kolomna was mentioned as a trade and craft center and a border post of the Ryazan Principality. The name of the city is presumably connected with the Slavic root "coco" (circle) or with the Turkish word "kom" (cemetery, grave).

The place where the city was founded was chosen very well from an economic point of view, since the confluence of the Oka and Moscow rivers was the crossroads of important water trade routes. In addition, the location of Kolomna on the border of the Ryazan and Vladimir-Suzdal lands was strategically advantageous and made it possible to control the territories of the Oka-Moscow basin.

The importance of Kolomna especially increased during the struggle of Russia with the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Even before the invasion of Batu Khan, the city was a well-fortified fortress, and united Russian squads gathered under its walls to fight the enemy. As noted in the chronicles, many Russian voivodes and princes died in that fierce battle. The Tatars won, and the city was destroyed. The restored Kolomna was burned to the ground by the Duden Khan in 1293.

As Moscow's reach expanded, its relations with Ryazan became more and more strained. The growing Moscow Principality needed Kolomna for its offensive positions, but the city was located on the territory of the Ryazan lands. In 1300, Prince Daniel of Moscow moved troops to Ryazan, as a result of which Kolomna and the densely populated area adjacent to it joined the Moscow possessions.

Since then, the city of Kolomna has been inextricably linked with Moscow. It became the first city from which the unification of Russian territories around Moscow began. The new owners, the Moscow princes, rebuilt the Kolomna Kremlin, strengthening its towers and walls and erecting a new palace - the sovereign's court. The princely governor lived here permanently. A special diocese was also established in Kolomna, which testified to the great political and religious significance of the city.

Since then, the city of Kolomna has been inextricably linked with Moscow. It became the first city from which the unification of Russian territories around Moscow began. The new owners, the Moscow princes, rebuilt the Kolomna Kremlin, strengthening its towers and walls and erecting a new palace - the sovereign's court. The princely governor lived here permanently. A special diocese was also established in Kolomna, which experienced great political and religious significance of the city.

Over the years, Kolomna has become an important trading center. Bread, honey, salt, fish and other products were supplied here from Ryazan and Kama Bulgaria. Western European goods were brought from Veliky Novgorod: cloth, wine, linen and metal products.

The southern border of the Moscow Principality required constant strengthening. Stone construction began in Kolomna, watchtower monasteries were created. Before the Battle of Kulikovo, Kolomna was the gathering place of the valiant Russian army. Two years later, Khan Tokhtamysh defeated Kolomna. In 1385, the city was unexpectedly captured by Prince Oleg of Ryazan. A few years later Kolomna was again returned to Moscow with the help of the diplomatic mission of Sergius of Radonezh.

For many years, the city has been an important strategic object. Kolomna has always reliably defended Moscow, taking the first blows. In this regard, a stone Kremlin, fortified with 17 towers, was erected in Kolomna from 1525 to 1531 by order of Ivan III. It struck with its beauty and grandeur, giving the city a unique appearance. Since then Kolomna has become impregnable.

Gradually, due to the expansion of the borders of the state, by the middle of the 17th century, the city lost its defensive significance. Its inhabitants were engaged in trade and crafts. Through Kolomna, foreign merchants brought silk, indigo, cloth, morocco, spices, cotton to Moscow, and in return they purchased excellent fabrics, sable furs, walrus tusks and other goods.

In connection with the reforms of Peter I, industrial enterprises appeared in Kolomna: silk, linen and cloth factories, brick, malt and tanneries. Trade with Western Europe, which began with the foundation of St. Petersburg, served as an even greater impetus for the development of Kolomna. The city was the main intermediary in the trade of the south and Moscow.

Since the second half of the 19th century, the formation of Kolomna marks the beginning of a new stage. The opening of the railway connection and the construction of the corresponding workshops served as the beginning of the development of mechanical engineering in the region. The further growth of industrial enterprises contributed to the transformation of Kolomna from a commercial city into an industrial one at the beginning of the 20th century.

Despite the damage caused by the revolution and the civil war, the city was able to revive and increase due to the annexation of nearby lands: Podlipok, Hillforts, Sandyrs, Protopopov. During the harsh years of the Great Patriotic War Kolomna was the core of the formation of artillery formations and units. The Kolomna armored trains built at the machine-building plant of the city were regularly delivered to the front.

In the 60-70 years of the 20th century, the construction of residential large-panel high-rise buildings, polyclinic buildings, educational institutions, cultural and art facilities began to develop rapidly in the city. Today Kolomna is a modern independent city, a transport, cultural and industrial center of the Moscow region.

Kolomna is rightfully considered one of the most important cultural centers of the Moscow region. The cultural and historical heritage of the city is closely connected with the formation of Russia and is consecrated by the names of prominent figures of culture, art and history: Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Alyabyev, Anna Akhmatova, Ivan Lazhechnikov, Metropolitan Filaret, Boris Pilnyak and many others.

Kolomna region is famous for numerous monuments of architecture, temple architecture, history. There are 420 monuments of state and regional significance in Kolomna. On the territory of the city there are buildings of several ancient churches: the Church of John the Baptist (early 16th century), the tent Dormition (1522), the Epiphany (1680s), the Ascension (1799, arch. Cossacks), Michael the Archangel (1833), as well as monasteries: Brusnensky (late 17th century) and Spassky (14th century).

Kolomna Kremlin is one of the most interesting sights of the city. Brick walls and seven towers have been preserved intact from the Kremlin. The most famous of them is Pyatnitskaya, in the building of which there is an icon. There are many wonderful buildings on the territory of the Kremlin: the Assumption Cathedral with a bell tower (1682), the bishop's House (built in the 18th century according to Kazakov's project), the Tikhvin Church and many others.

All these monuments attract thousands of tourists who want to see the architectural structures of antiquity, remarkably preserved to this day. Historical sights together with the works of Kolomna writers, artists, musicians, local historians make up the cultural heritage of Kolomna. The spiritual values that have been formed throughout its eight-century history are preserved with gratitude and love by citizens.