Tourism in Russia >Tula

Tula

The city of Tula is located 200 km (125 miles) south of Moscow and, since time immemorial, has been famed for its weaponry crafts, as well as for its art of making the traditional Russian samovars. Samovar is the centerpiece of the Russian tea ceremony. It is a symbol of kindness, hospitality, and family values.Tula has an Armory Museum founded in the early 18th century. It also has a Museum of the Tula Spice Cakes dedicated to the legendary Russian treats.

Tula was first mentioned in the Nikon Chronicle in 1146. Throughout its whole history Tula has always been a city-guard, a solid protector of the heart of Russia — Moscow. This city is honoured with the highest award of Hero city for its prominent feat of arms in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

Tula has always been known as the city of craftsmen, city of fighters and city of toilers.

The length of the city from north to south is about 25 km. By the first of January 2012 the number of citizens was 499,5 thousand people.

"Tula state arms museum"

The museum was founded in 1724. It has unique collections of weapons that were produced during the times of Peter the Great till the present time.

The museum fund exceeds 11 thousands of storage items and covers the weapon manufacturing history in Russia since the 16th century. The biggest quantity of the museum items are the cold firearms. Weapons, created in honour of the Zhar family visited are real masterpieces. The museum houses a unique collection of small arms: a great number of army samples from the of 18-20th century, as well as guns and pistols made by European armourers. Special purpose weapons such as small-sized submachine guns, underwater and noiseless guns and pistols, shooting scout knife deserve attention amongst the present day models.

A real passion and tradition of Tula armourers is the production of operating miniature models of weapons and other "curious" things. It is deemed, that the smaller the size of the model, the higher is the level of the craftsmanship.

Tula regional art museum

The Museum's Permanent Exhibition is represented by the sculpture of Russian and European masters and excellent specimens of glass and china production by the leading European and Russian factories.

Tula regional museum of local history

The collection of the museum, founded in 1937, comprises more than 140 000 items presenting various historical periods and the nature of the Tula Region. The collection consists of Tula samovars (big Russian traditional kettles) peasant and citv residents' In the museum's halls you can find samovars varying in form, material and sizes — from a huge 70-litre samovar to an absolutely tiny one. The museum's collection comprises several unique items: one of the early Tula samovars crafted by the first Tula samovars makers, Ivan and Nazar Lisitsini; samovar "Italian Vase", awarded at the exhibition in St. Petersburg in 1870; 'children samovars' given as a present to Nicholas's II family; "Terem", the only in its kind samovar of a very peculiar form. The tea, brewed with the boiling water from a samovar, is incredibly delicious and flavoured. That is the reason why Tula samovars are still popular up to these days. Tula, Mendeleevskaya Street, 8

"Tula kremlin" museum

Tula Kremlin is a unique monument of federal importance, an outstanding monument of defensive architecture of XVI century. It was built by the Grand Prince of Moscow Vasili's III decree and protected the Russian State during 150 years. Surprisingly, but it was never seized.

"Tula-1" Station

The present Tula Kremlin is a museum relic which has national importance. Annually thousands of Russian and foreign guests visit it. The architecture complex includes not only ancient walls and towers, but also Assumption Cathedral (XVIII) with the unique monumental paintings of the Yaroslavl masters 1765 -1766), Epiphany Cathedral (XIX) , trade stalls (XIX) and the first town electric power station (XX) .

Nowadays Tula Kremlin is considered to be included in UNESCO World Heritage List.

Tula kremlin architectural monuments (1514-1521)

• Spasskaya Tower
• Tower of Pyatnitsky Gate
• Naugolnaya tower
• Tower of Water Gate
• Tower Na Pogrebu
• Ivanovskaya tower
• Tower of Ivanovsky gate
• Nikitskaya tower
• Tower of Odoevsky gate
• Bogoyavlensky cathedral of XIX century.
• Uspensky cathedral of XVIII century.
• Museum of samovars Tula. Kremlin