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Ivanovo is a big city in Central Russia, on the Golden Ring circuit. It is the capital of Ivanovo Oblast and a former world capital of the textile industry. It was a hotbed of revolutionary and terrorist activity in the late 19th–early 20th centuries. For the hundreds of thousands of women who worked in the textile industry, Ivanovo is jokingly called "The City of Brides." Since the Russian economy opened up to competition from Asia, however, the textile industry has gone into decline along with the city.

If you visit Ivanovo, you will immediately see that this is a different sort of destination from most of the historic and pretty "Golden Ring" destinations. Ivanovo is a true Russian industrial city, with its Soviet heritage of pollution, dismal and blocky apartment buildings, and gloomy, dirty streets. Most likely, you will just want to pass through this city, but of course it might be interesting to overnight here and get a feel for such an archetypical gritty Russian city—to get a taste of what life is like for millions upon millions of Russians.

[edit] Get in

A daily overnight train arrives early in the morning from Moscow's Yaroslavskaya Station.

A bus from the main bus station in Moscow runs several times a day and the cost is between 250-350 rubles depending upon how much lugguage you have. They are usually very busy and the buses are usually old.

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

There is not much in particular to see in Ivanovo, and frankly, you could get a good idea of the city by just passing through on the bus to Kostroma. But the main street in the city center with restaurants and cafes is Lenina ulitsa.

• Museum of Industry and Art. Ivanovo's premiere museum is the place to go for anyone interested in the city; founded by the local 19th century industrial magnate, Diador Burilin  edit
• Palace of the Arts, 2 Pushkina ul.. Built in 1940, this was the 3rd largest drama theater in the USSR  edit
• Museum of Ivanovo Chintz, 11 Baturina ul.. Located in Burilin's former house  edit
• LTD BIM Factory, at the corner of Lenina and Baturina ul.. A monster of a factory, initially constructed in 1751  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• Sovremenik Cinema, 85 F.Engels prospekt, [1]. The most centrally located movie theater shows contemporary movies in Russian  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

• The Stitching and embroidery factory of Ivanovo, 83 Khmelnitskovo ul., ☎ +7 0932 23-49-03. offers traditional Ivanovo folk embroidery of Ivanovo (linens, decorated curtains, etc.)  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Aragvi, 1 K.Zor ul., ☎ +7 0932 41-72-08. from 17:00. Georgian cuisine  edit
• Priboy, 117 F.Engels prospekt, ☎ +7 0932 37-12-11. Russian cuisine, dancing on Tu,We,Su in the evening  edit
• Troyka, 102 Lenina ul., ☎ +7 0932 30-03-16. from 17:00. Russian cuisine  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Tet-A-Tet, 42 Lenina ul., ☎ +7 0932 32-99-04. A bar  edit
• Zaglyani, 62 Lenina ul., ☎ +7 0932 41-77-83. Another bar  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Sovetskaya Hotel, 64 Lenina ul., ☎ +7 0932 37-25-47. Located near the city center  edit
• Turist Hotel, 9 Naberezhnaya ul., ☎ +7 0932 37-64-36.  edit

[edit] Get out

• A full seven buses depart daily from the main bus station (and stop next to the rail station) for Kostroma (3 hours, 60 RUR). Another four buses travel to Vladimir (3 hours, 60 RUR).

• Regional buses also can take you to nearby Palekh, which has much more charm than Ivanovo, and is a center of Russian icon and miniature painting.

• A Taxi to Moscow will cost you about 4000-5000 Rubles depending where you wish to go.