The population of the city comes to around 300 thousand people. Today it is one of the main educational, cultural and industrial centres of the region.
Tourist attractions in Kostroma.
The most popular sights are the Hypatian Monastery and the historical centre of Kostroma.
The Hypatian Monastery
The Hypatian Monastery is a men's monastery, situated on the bank of the Kostroma River just opposite the city of Kostroma. It was founded around 1330 by a Tatar convert, Prince Chet. Most of the monastery buildings date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Trinity Cathedral is famous for its elaborately painted interior.
A smaller church was demolished by the Soviet authorities. There are plans to reconstruct it and consecrate it in the name of the holy martyrs from the Romanov family.
The Hypatian Monastery was closed after the October Revolt of 1917. It has been a part of the historical and architectural reserve area, but recently the authorities decided to return it to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Merchant's Yard
In many towns of ancient Russia there were special squares where spontaneous markets appeared once in a while during a year. Later big merchants' yards were built on those sites. People from different regions came to those places and sold their products. In Kostroma the merchant's yard still exists and there are shops there.
