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Kostroma Fire Tower

Yellow Neoclassical fire tower with a white columned portico rising over Susanin Square, lawns and pedestrians in front
Photo: Alexxx1979, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free to see outside; no climb
Hours
Outside: any time; tour office inside: daily 9:00–18:00, no lunch break or days off; no access to the viewing gallery
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
40 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Outside
Free, any time
Tour office
Daily 9:00–18:00, no breaks or days off
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Climbing the tower
Not allowed — the viewing gallery is closed to visitors
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Archaeological Portal (age 6+)
Guided only, by appointment, 90 min: groups of 5–15, 700 ₽ per person, minimum 3,500 ₽ per group
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Address
1/2 Simanovskogo Street, Susanin Square (Susaninskaya Ploshchad)
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
57.76878, 40.92593YesGo MapGoogleAppleYandex
Phone
+7 4942 31-68-37, +7 4942 47-07-40 (Russian only, as a rule)
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.

Key facts

1824–1827years the tower was built on Kostroma’s main square
2 sourcesKostroma Museum-Reserve official websiteRussian Wikipedia, “Fire Tower (Kostroma)”
Pyotr Fursovprovincial architect who designed it — and the Guardhouse across the street
2 sourcesKostroma Museum-Reserve official websiteRussian Wikipedia
About 35 mtall — the highest building in town until 1917
2 sourcesTonkosti Turizma travel guideKupibilet travel guide
6 columnswith Ionic capitals carry the pediment: the building copies an ancient temple
SourceRussian Wikipedia, “Fire Tower (Kostroma)”
1834Emperor Nicholas I visited and said: “I don’t have one like this in Petersburg!”
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaTonkosti Turizma
Karl Baumgartenthe governor who pushed for the tower to be built
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaTonkosti Turizma
2005the fire service moved out and the building passed to the Kostroma Museum-Reserve
2 sourcesKostroma Museum-Reserve official websiteRussian Wikipedia
Federallevel cultural heritage site of Russia
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaUnified State Register of Cultural Heritage No. 461410016710006
8 sidesto the tower shaft, ringed by four small porticoes and topped by a lantern with a walkway
SourceRussian Wikipedia, “Fire Tower (Kostroma)”
December 2024the restored part of the building reopened with the tour office and the Archaeological Portal
2 sourcesRunews24, 26.12.2024Kostroma Museum-Reserve official website

What is the Kostroma Fire Tower?

It’s a fire lookout dressed up as a Greek temple. A two-storey building with a portico of six columns supports an eight-sided tower, crowned by a lantern with a walkway where a watchman once scanned the wooden city for smoke. Today it’s the picture on every Kostroma postcard and the first thing you see on Susanin Square.

The provincial architect Pyotr Fursov designed it, and it went up in 1824–1827 at the urging of governor Karl Baumgarten. Kostroma had been rebuilt to a regular plan after the great fire of 1773, so a proper fire station on the main square was a matter of survival, not decoration.

Side wings for the fire depot were added later in the 19th century. The building did its original job for almost two hundred years — the regional fire service was based here until it handed the tower to the Kostroma Museum-Reserve in 2005.

Is there a museum inside?

Not a fire-fighting museum, at least for now. Many guides still mention one, but the museum-reserve’s own page for the tower doesn’t list it. After restoration, in late 2024, the tower reopened with two things inside: the museum-reserve’s tour office and an interactive exhibition called the Archaeological Portal.

The tour office is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00 with no days off, and walking in is free. Staff can tell you what’s open across the city’s museums and book guided tours of Kostroma and the region — but expect to speak Russian or use a translation app.

The Archaeological Portal (age 6+) covers local history from the Stone Age. You can’t just drop in: it runs only as a 90-minute guided session booked in advance, for groups of 5–15, at 700 ₽ per person and at least 3,500 ₽ per group. Payment is in roubles, and foreign Visa and Mastercard cards haven’t worked in Russia since March 2022, so bring cash or a Russian card. For most independent travellers it isn’t worth the hassle.

Why Kostroma is so proud of it

Because an emperor envied it. In 1834 Nicholas I visited Kostroma, admired the tower and said, “I don’t have one like this in Petersburg!” Ever since, it’s been called the finest fire tower in provincial Russia.

At about 35 metres, it was the tallest building in town until the 1917 revolution, high enough for a watchman to see the whole city, which had burned down more than once.

The lantern on top was simplified in the 1880s and restored to its original look in the 1950s. The tower is now protected as a federal-level cultural heritage site. Restoration has been done in stages: the first part reopened in December 2024, and work on the rest is still planned.

What to look for (and photograph)

  • The six-column Ionic portico and tall pediment — stand on the lawn opposite to get the whole tower in frame.
  • The double-headed eagle in the middle of the pediment, best seen up close.
  • Round rose windows behind the columns — a detail most people walk past.
  • The octagonal shaft with fine rustication and four little porticoes; it looks best from a corner of the square.
  • The lantern and walkway at the very top, where the watchman stood.
  • The later side wings of the fire depot, showing how the station grew.
  • The Guardhouse across the street — same architect, same era; both fit into one shot.
  • Early evening — the square empties and the tower’s silhouette is at its sharpest against the sky.

How to get to the Kostroma Fire Tower

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On foot

More tips

  1. The tower stands right on Susanin Square (Susaninskaya Ploshchad), the centre of Kostroma. The Trading Rows, the Guardhouse and the Volga embankment are 2–10 minutes away on foot.
  2. From Kostroma railway station (Shirokova Square) it’s about 4 km. Take trolleybus No. 2, or a bus or minibus (marshrutka) to the Susaninskaya Ploshchad stop — about 15 minutes.
  3. From the bus station, take a bus or minibus to the same stop, also around 15 minutes.
  4. Stops around the square were moved during the 2024 renovation, so check the exact stop and route number in Yandex Maps or Yandex Go before you set off — they work far better in Russia than Google Maps.
  5. A taxi from the station takes about 10 minutes; ask for Susaninskaya Ploshchad.
  6. The official address is 1/2 Simanovskogo Street; the tour office door faces the square.

Is it worth it?

Yes — as a stop, not as an attraction in itself. The tower is the best-looking building in Kostroma and sits exactly where any walk around the centre begins, so you’ll see it anyway. Give it 15–20 minutes for photos and a closer look at the portico.

Don’t come expecting a climb or a museum: there’s neither right now. If you have only one day in Kostroma, the Ipatiev Monastery deserves the bulk of your time, and the tower slots in on the way.

Before you go

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Fire Tower, Guardhouse or Ipatiev Monastery?

Fire Toweryou are hereCity emblem and Neoclassical landmark; tour office insideSusanin Square15–40 minEveryone on a day trip
GuardhouseBuilding of the same era opposite, now a military history museumAcross the streetAbout 1 hourMilitary history fans
Ipatiev MonasteryKostroma’s main monastery, cradle of the Romanov dynastyAcross the Kostroma River, edge of the centre2–3 hoursAnyone with a full day

Treat the tower as the starting point of a walk around the centre, not as a destination. If time is short, put the monastery first.

Historic sights in Kostroma compared

Every historic place in Kostroma rated by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.

Epiphany-Anastasia Convent4840 minFree7 min walk
Susanin Square4730 minFree3 min walk
Kostroma Trading Rows4740 minFree5 min walk
Church of the Resurrection on the Debre4330 minFree35 min walk
Kostroma Guardhouse4245 min400 ₽, concessions 300 ₽3 min walk
Kostroma Fire Toweryou are here3940 minFree—
Ipatiev Monastery362 h≈ 350–400 ₽, services free36 min walk
Kostromskaya Sloboda Open-Air Museum351 h 30 min450 ₽, concessions 350 ₽40 min walk
Sumarokovo Moose Farm221 h 30 min300 ₽, children from 4: 200 ₽19.6 km

The fire tower and central Kostroma in half a day

Start at the tower, cross to the Guardhouse, walk through Susanin Square to the Trading Rows and finish by the Volga at the Epiphany-Anastasia Convent. Add it to your route and YesGo will set the timings and walks.

  1. Kostroma Fire Toweryou are here40 min · Free to see outside; no climb
  2. 3 min walk from the previous stopKostroma Guardhouse45 min · 400 ₽, concessions 300 ₽
  3. 3 min walk from the previous stopSusanin Square30 min · Free
  4. 4 min walk from the previous stopKostroma Trading Rows40 min · Free
  5. 12 min walk from the previous stopEpiphany-Anastasia Convent40 min · Free, cathedral only

5 places · about 3 h 37 min with walks · 22 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby and on your route

Kostroma Guardhouse

Kostroma, Russia

45 min · 400 ₽, concessions 300 ₽ · 3 min walk

Susanin Square

Kostroma, Russia

30 min · Free · 3 min walk

Kostroma Trading Rows

Kostroma, Russia

40 min · Free · 5 min walk

Epiphany-Anastasia Convent

Kostroma, Russia

40 min · Free, cathedral only · 7 min walk

How to do it right

  • The best angle is from the lawn facing the portico: the tower and the Guardhouse fit into one frame.
  • Arrived without a plan? Step into the tour office in the tower to see what’s open today.
  • Don’t come for a view from the top — there’s no access; the Volga embankment is the place for panoramas.
  • Visit early evening, when the square quietens down and the tower stands out against the sky.
  • Combine it with the Guardhouse, the Trading Rows and the walk down to the river — all within ten minutes.
  • Carry roubles in cash: foreign cards won’t work for paid tours or museum tickets.

Questions

Can you climb the Kostroma Fire Tower?

No. The Kostroma Museum-Reserve says there is no access to the viewing gallery. Older guides that promise a view from the top are out of date.

What are the Kostroma Fire Tower’s opening hours?

You can see it from outside at any time. The tour office inside is open every day from 9:00 to 18:00.

Is there a museum in the Kostroma Fire Tower?

Inside are the museum-reserve’s tour office and the Archaeological Portal, an interactive exhibition by appointment only. The museum’s own page doesn’t list a fire-fighting museum.

How much does it cost?

Looking at it and walking into the tour office is free. The Archaeological Portal is a 90-minute guided session for groups of 5–15: 700 ₽ per person, at least 3,500 ₽ per group.

Where is the Kostroma Fire Tower?

On Susanin Square in the city centre; the official address is 1/2 Simanovskogo Street.

How do I get there from the railway station?

Trolleybus No. 2 or a bus or minibus to Susaninskaya Ploshchad, about 15 minutes, or a 10-minute taxi ride.

How tall is the Kostroma Fire Tower?

About 35 metres. Until 1917 it was the tallest building in Kostroma.

Who built it?

Provincial architect Pyotr Fursov, in 1824–1827, on the initiative of governor Karl Baumgarten.

Is the Kostroma Fire Tower worth visiting?

As a 15–20-minute stop, yes: it’s the city’s finest building and on every walking route. It isn’t worth a special trip, since you can’t go up.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Kostroma Museum-Reserve official website: “Fire Tower” venue page, venues list and price list, 30.10.2026
  • Russian Wikipedia: “Fire Tower (Kostroma)”; Wikidata Q2081938; Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage No. 461410016710006
  • Tonkosti Turizma: “Kostroma Fire Tower”; Kupibilet travel guide
  • Runews24, 26.12.2024, on the tower reopening after restoration
  • AB News, 26.09.2024, on bus stops around Susanin Square; Tutu.ru, transport from Kostroma railway station
  • Cyclopedia: “Bobka the Fire Dog”
  • Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedTour office hours, the ban on climbing, the address, phone numbers, what’s inside and the 2005 handover come from the tower’s page on the official Kostroma Museum-Reserve website; the Archaeological Portal price and terms come from its official price list. Building dates, the architect and Nicholas I’s remark match across Wikipedia and travel guides; facade details are from Wikipedia. The 35 m height isn’t on the official site but matches in two independent guides. The museum dates the side wings to the 1860s and Wikipedia to the 1870s, so we say “later in the 19th century”. Some listings mention a fire-fighting museum and a climb to the top; the official page lists neither and explicitly rules out the climb, so we follow it. Some English listings give 11:00–16:00 hours from a single commercial source; we use the official 9:00–18:00 for the tour office. Bus routes and stops around the square changed after the 2024 works, so we only name trolleybus No. 2 (two sources). Travel times are our estimates.

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