Yaroslavl is a pearl among the cities of the Golden Ring. The city was founded about 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise on the bank of the Volga River. In the 17th century Yaroslavl was the biggest trading town in the northern Russia.

Main sightseeing is well known for its beauty temples of XVII century, saved since "golden century" of Yaroslavl in the period when skilful architects and icon-painters were working here. Amazing are the frescoes of Elijah the Prophet church situated on the main square. The church's wall paintings are outstanding - very picturesque, symmetric and musical, having nice, cheerful and bright combination of clean, and open shades: blue, red and golden. The Church of John the Baptist in the village of Tolchkovo is extremely interesting in the point of view of their architectural style. Moreover, there are some other interesting monuments related to the 17th century, these are the architectural ensemble in Korovniki, the Church of Nicola Mokry, the Palace of Metropolitan and the Church of Savior in Town. The embankment of the Volga River is very beautiful; local citizens admire this picturesque place. The former Savior Resurrection Convent (Cathedral and walls built in the 16th century) is located in place, where river Kotorosl flows into the Volga. That was here, when in the 18th century, the last Archimandrite of the convent, found the manuscript of "The Lay of Igor's Host" in the library of convent. This is the most significant literature monument of the ancient Russian culture.

 
At the present time there is a historic-architectural reserve museum in Spasskiy monastery, created in the result of historic-natural (1864) and historic (1895) museums confluence. Some departments of the museum keep nearly 250 thousands exhibits: historic-natural, ancient Russian and decorative applied arts, other departments have linens, objects of rules of church singing, precious metals (Russian jewelers works of the XIV-XX centuries), ancient Russian literature. An International Festival of choral and bell music is held on the museum territory.

There is also the Art Museum in town located on the Volga embankment. The museum collection includes icons, including the icon of Savior dated by the 12th century, the pictorial image of Yaroslavl the Wise, the Tolgskaya Icon of the Virgin, the finest collection of Icons of the 17th century, which all belong to the Yaroslavl school of icon painting. The display shows provincial portraits and Russian paintings of the 18-19th.