The city of Yaroslavl on the Volga is nearly one thousand years old. The city is world famous for its historical and cultural heritage and an unforgettable atmosphere of an old Russian provincial town. As the city was once the center of an independent principality, it may be proud of its wonderful architecture, churches and monasteries in particular, with their bright decoration and frescoes.
There is also a great number of remarkable buildings near the monastery. The monumental Church of the Archangel Michael stands on the Kotorosl Embankment on the site of a former palace. It marked the boundary line between the Kremlin and the Torg (Market Place) which began "at the moat beyond the ramparts". The Spass-on-Gorod Church built by the townspeople is situated on the market square itself and is famous for the great variety of historical scenes depicted in the frescoes inside the church. The Church of Elijah the Prophet is located in the center of the town. The church is richly decorated with frescoes by a group of well-known artists from Kostroma Gury Nikitin and Sila Savin. These frescoes make the church a true museum of the Old Russian painting.