# St John the Baptist Church, Yaroslavl > St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo is a 1671–1687 red-brick church with fifteen green domes — the one on Russia’s 1000-rouble note. It belongs to the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve and is now closed for restoration: no tickets, no interior. The outside is free to see any time; 30–40 minutes is enough, plus a 10–15-minute taxi ride from the centre. Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/st-john-the-baptist-tolchkovo - City: [Yaroslavl](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl), Russia - YesGo score: 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 40 min - Opening hours: Currently closed for restoration, interior not open; exterior any time. In a normal season the museum opened it May–September, Wed–Sun - With kids: Fine with kids - Right now: Closed for restoration and repair work; no reopening date announced - Outside: Free to see any time; parts of the fence and bell tower are under scaffolding - Run by: Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve; not a working parish church - Normal season: May–September, Wed–Sun; interior shut in wet weather to protect the frescoes - Ticket in season: ≈ 150 RUB adult, under-7s free — from travel guides, not the museum site - Address: 2-ya Zakotoroslnaya Naberezhnaya 69, Yaroslavl - Museum phone: +7 910 973-77-95 - Nearest bus stop: Ulitsa Karabulina, ≈ 700 m on foot - Coordinates: 57.61082, 39.85702 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **15 domes** — five over the main church and five over each of its two side chapels — the only fifteen-domed church in Russia (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Church of St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo”; Yaroslavl city tourism portal) - **1671–1687** — built and consecrated, paid for by the parishioners of the Tolchkovo quarter (source: Russian Wikipedia; English Wikipedia, “St. John the Baptist Church, Yaroslavl”) - **1000 roubles** — the church is on the back of the Bank of Russia’s 1000-rouble note, 1997 series (source: Russian Wikipedia; Lonely Planet guide) - **45 m** — height of the free-standing late-17th-century bell tower (source: Russian Wikipedia; English Wikipedia) - **1694–1695** — frescoes painted by 16 Yaroslavl masters led by Dmitry Grigoriev (Plekhanov) and Fyodor Ignatyev (source: Russian Wikipedia; English Wikipedia; Yaroslavl city tourism portal) - **1,500+** — scenes in the wall paintings (source: Russian Wikipedia; Komsomolskaya Pravda Yaroslavl guide) - **1701** — the carved iconostasis was completed (source: Russian Wikipedia; Yaroslavl city tourism portal (1698–1701)) - **Glazed tiles** — multicoloured ceramic tiles on the walls and dome drums (source: Russian Wikipedia; English Wikipedia) - **1930s** — closed and later absorbed into a factory site, then handed to the museum-reserve (source: Russian Wikipedia; Yaroslavl city tourism portal) - **Federal heritage site** — protected as a cultural heritage monument of federal importance (source: Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata Q2084804) > **Is it open? Not inside — it’s under restoration** The Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve lists the church as closed for restoration and repair work, with no reopening date. You can walk around the outside, but you won’t see the frescoes. Even in normal years the interior only opened from May to September, so in winter it is shut regardless. Check the museum’s website before you plan around it. ## Tickets and price **There are no tickets on sale while the restoration lasts.** Looking at the church from the outside — the domes, the tiles, the bell tower and the riverside — costs nothing and has no opening hours. Before the closure, travel guides quoted about 150 RUB for an adult and free entry for children under seven; the museum website currently lists no price. When it reopens, expect to pay at the door. Bring roubles or a Russian card: Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad have not worked in Russia since March 2022. ## What is the Church of St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo? It is the largest 17th-century church in Yaroslavl and the only one in Russia with **fifteen domes**: five over the main building and five over each of the two side chapels, which would normally carry a single dome or a tent roof. Its full name is the Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist. It was built in 1671–1687 in Tolchkovo, then the richest craftsmen’s quarter of the city, south of the Kotorosl River. Tolchkovo’s parishioners paid for the church themselves — donating land, silver and pearls. You can see the money in the brickwork: patterned red brick, bands of **glazed tiles** and green domes visible from far away. Inside, sixteen masters led by Dmitry Grigoriev (Plekhanov) and Fyodor Ignatyev painted over 1,500 scenes in 1694–1695 — the high point of the Yaroslavl school. And it is the church Russians carry in their wallets: the back of the 1000-rouble note. ## How to get there from the city centre 1. From Sovetskaya Square and the [Church of Elijah the Prophet](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/church-of-elijah-the-prophet), the easiest way is a **taxi** (Yandex Go works in Yaroslavl): about 10–15 minutes over the Kotorosl via the Tolbukhinsky Bridge. Ask for 2-ya Zakotoroslnaya Naberezhnaya 69. 2. By **bus**: guides list routes 7, 19 and 19k to the **Ulitsa Karabulina** stop, then about 700 m, 7–10 minutes on foot. Route numbers differ between sources, so check in Yandex Maps or 2GIS before you go. Pay on board in cash or with a Russian card. 3. **On foot** it’s about 40–45 minutes from Sovetskaya Square: south along Prospekt Tolbukhina to the Tolbukhinsky Bridge; the church stands at the south end of the bridge. The last stretch runs past an old industrial area — not a scenic walk. 4. Back to the centre: the same bus stop or a taxi. Combine it with the [Yaroslavl Kremlin](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-kremlin), about 2 km away, also on the Kotorosl. ## What to see while it’s closed - **The fifteen domes** — walk all the way round; the three groups of five line up differently from every side. - **The glazed tiles** around windows, cornices and dome drums — restorers are cleaning them and recreating the lost ones. - **The 45-metre bell tower** — free-standing, late 17th century. It leaned badly in Soviet times; the tilt was later reduced. - **The Holy Gate and fence** — patterned brick and tiles on the gate too; the iron railings have already been restored. - **The view from the Tolbukhinsky Bridge** — the whole ensemble with the river, the angle closest to the banknote. - **The banknote shot** — bring a 1000-rouble note and hold it up against the real thing. ## What’s being restored This is the biggest restoration of the church in decades. According to the regional governor in autumn 2025, a Moscow restoration workshop won the main contract, with most of the money coming from the federal budget. The work covers emergency repairs, roofs, windows and facades, the central and side iconostases, the tile decoration and new gilding on the crosses. In summer 2026 scaffolding stood inside the main church, the bell tower facade was being cleaned and its vaults repaired. No completion date has been given. ## Is it worth visiting? Yes, if you like architecture or have two days in Yaroslavl: the fifteen domes and the tilework are unlike anything else in Russia, and a taxi gets you there in a quarter of an hour. Half an hour on site is plenty. Skip it on a single day if you’re after interiors: you can’t go in, and the neighbourhood is industrial. For frescoes of the same Yaroslavl school, go to the Church of Elijah the Prophet in the centre instead. The YesGo score takes both the closure and the detour into account. ## Before you go - [ ] I know the interior is closed for now - [ ] Checked the museum-reserve website for a reopening - [ ] Taxi booked, or bus to Ulitsa Karabulina checked - [ ] Comfortable shoes — building site and industrial streets around - [ ] A 1000-rouble note for the photo - [ ] Way back to the centre planned ## Tolchkovo vs the Church of Elijah vs the Kremlin | | St John at Tolchkovo | Church of Elijah the Prophet | Yaroslavl Kremlin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Fifteen-domed church, museum branch | Church museum with frescoes | Former Transfiguration Monastery, now a museum | | Where | Across the Kotorosl, ≈ 3 km out | Sovetskaya Square, centre | Centre, on the Kotorosl | | Now | Closed for restoration, outside only | Museum rules | Museum rules | | Time needed | 30–40 min + travel | ≈ 30–40 min | 1–2 h | | Best for | Architecture, tiles, the banknote view | 17th-century murals | City history, the belfry view | All three fit into one day: taxi to Tolchkovo first, then the Kremlin and Elijah on foot. Frescoes at Elijah for now, architecture at Tolchkovo. ## Churches of Yaroslavl compared Every place of faith in Yaroslavl rated by YesGo. - [Assumption Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-assumption-cathedral) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Church of Elijah the Prophet](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/church-of-elijah-the-prophet) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ 200–250 ₽, May to October - [Metropolitan's Chambers](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/metropolitans-chambers) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 200 ₽, concessions 100 ₽ - [Church of St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/st-john-the-baptist-tolchkovo) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Outside free, interior closed - [Tolga Convent](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/tolga-convent) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry - [Yaroslavl Kremlin (Transfiguration Monastery)](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-kremlin) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Grounds 100 ₽, combined ticket 800 ₽ ## Tolchkovo first, then the centre Morning taxi to Tolchkovo, then the Kremlin, the Church of Elijah, the Volga Embankment and the Strelka. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Church of St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/st-john-the-baptist-tolchkovo) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Outside free, interior closed 2. [Yaroslavl Kremlin (Transfiguration Monastery)](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-kremlin) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Grounds 100 ₽, combined ticket 800 ₽ 3. [Church of Elijah the Prophet](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/church-of-elijah-the-prophet) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ 200–250 ₽, May to October 4. [Volga Embankment](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-volga-embankment) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free, open 24/7 5. [Strelka Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-strelka) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free ## Good to know You’ll see it called the Church of St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo, the Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist or simply St John the Baptist Church, Yaroslavl — all the same building. Yaroslavl has other churches of St John, but this is the one on 2-ya Zakotoroslnaya Naberezhnaya. ## Tips - The best photo is from the Tolbukhinsky Bridge or the Kotorosl embankment — the whole church with its bell tower. - Make it the first stop of your day, then walk the centre. - Taxis are cheap in Yaroslavl and much simpler than working out the bus routes on this side of the river. - When it reopens, pick a dry day — the interior is closed in the rain to protect the frescoes. ## Questions ### Is the Church of St John the Baptist in Yaroslavl open? Not inside. The Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve lists it as closed for restoration, with no reopening date. You can see the outside any time for free. ### How much are tickets? None are sold during the restoration. Before it closed, guides quoted about 150 RUB for adults, with children under seven free. ### What are the opening hours? There are none while it’s closed. In normal years the museum opened it seasonally, May to September, Wednesday to Sunday, and not in wet weather. ### How do I get to the church from the centre? A taxi takes 10–15 minutes over the Tolbukhinsky Bridge. Buses run to the Ulitsa Karabulina stop, 7–10 minutes’ walk away. Walking from Sovetskaya Square takes about 40–45 minutes. ### Is it the church on the 1000-rouble note? Yes — the church and its bell tower are on the back of the 1000-rouble note, 1997 series. ### Why does it have fifteen domes? Five over the main church and five over each of the two side chapels. Chapels usually had one dome or a tent roof, which makes this the only fifteen-domed church in Russia. ### Is it a working church? No. It’s a museum site of the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve; prayer services are held only occasionally. ### Is it worth the trip? For architecture lovers, yes — even from outside. If you only have one day and want frescoes, see the Church of Elijah the Prophet in the centre instead. ## How we checked The closure, address and phone come from the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve website, which currently shows no hours or prices. The usual season (May–September, Wed–Sun) and the price of about 150 RUB come from a Komsomolskaya Pravda guide, so those rows are marked “verifying”; Wikipedia and the city portal say May to October, another listing says closed from 1 October to 1 May. Bus routes to Ulitsa Karabulina differ between guides. Sources disagree on the bell tower’s date (mid-1690s or around 1700) and number of tiers (6 or 7). Distances and walking and taxi times are our estimates from the map. ## Sources - Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve, official website: Church of St John the Baptist page — status, address, phone, 30.10.2026 - Russian Wikipedia: Church of St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo; Wikidata Q2084804 - English Wikipedia: St. John the Baptist Church, Yaroslavl - Yaroslavl city tourism portal: Church of St John the Baptist at Tolchkovo - Yarreg news, contractor for the restoration, 07.10.2025; YarNews and Vesti Yaroslavl on the restoration, 22.07.2026 - Komsomolskaya Pravda Yaroslavl guide: Church of St John the Baptist — transport, season, prices - Lonely Planet: John the Baptist Church at Tolchkovo - Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.