# Strelka Park, Yaroslavl > Strelka Park sits on the headland where the Kotorosl River flows into the Volga — the spot where, legend says, Yaroslav the Wise founded the city in 1010. It’s free and open 24/7. The lower level has lawns, flowerbeds, light-and-music fountains (warm season only) and the Millennium monument; the upper level has the Dormition Cathedral and the founding stone. Allow 30–40 minutes, about an hour for the evening fountain show. Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-strelka - City: [Yaroslavl](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl), Russia - YesGo score: 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 40 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — it’s a public park - Hours: 24/7, every day - Where: The tip of the headland where the Volga and Kotorosl meet; search “Park na Strelke” in a map app - Fountains: Warm season only; per Wikipedia, day mode Wed–Sun 10:00–21:00, light-and-music show Fri–Sun 21:00–24:00 - Levels: Upper: Dormition Cathedral and the founding stone; lower: alleys, fountains and the Millennium monument - On foot: ≈ 15 min from Sovetskaya Square along the Volga Embankment - Bus / trolleybus stops: Krasnaya Ploshchad or Ploshchad Volkova, then ≈ 20–25 min on foot via Sovetskaya Square - Time needed: 30–40 min; about an hour with the fountain show - Coordinates: 57.62206, 39.90270 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1010** — the founding year carved on a boulder at the edge of the Strelka — a traditional date, based on legend (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Park na Strelke”; Tonkosti travel guide) - **2010** — the Millennium monument went up on the lower level and the whole lower park was rebuilt (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Monument to the 1000th Anniversary of Yaroslavl” (10 September 2010); Tonkosti travel guide) - **3 fountains** — with lights and music on the lower level, running only in the warm season (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Park na Strelke”; local news on the fountains being shut for winter) - **≈ 9 ha** — the park’s area across both levels (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Park na Strelke”; Znanie encyclopedia, “Strelka (Yaroslavl)”) - **20+ m** — height of the monument’s granite column, topped with a gilded double-headed eagle (source: Russian Wikipedia (over 20 m); Tonkosti travel guide (20 m)) - **5 figures** — in bronze at the base: Prince Yaroslav, a warrior, a priest, a townsman and a mother with a child (source: Russian Wikipedia; Tonkosti travel guide; Rusmania) - **1071** — Yaroslavl’s first mention in the chronicles — its first fortress stood right here (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Rubleny Gorod”; Tonkosti travel guide) - **1970s** — the sandy spit at the confluence was shored up and planted, creating the lower level (source: Russian Wikipedia (late 1970s); Tonkosti travel guide (a sandy spit until 1970)) - **2005** — the Strelka is part of the Historic Centre of Yaroslavl on the UNESCO World Heritage List (No. 1170) (source: UNESCO World Heritage List; Russian Wikipedia) - **1937 → 2010** — the Dormition Cathedral at the top of the park was blown up and rebuilt for the millennium (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Rubleny Gorod” and “Park na Strelke”) > **The fountains only run in summer — and not every day** The three light-and-music fountains on the lower level are switched on for the warm season and shut down for winter. Reference sources say they are off on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the full evening show with lights and music runs Friday to Sunday. If the fountains are the point, come on one of those evenings; the rest of the time it’s simply a lovely park with a two-river view. ## What is Strelka Park? “Strelka” means “arrow” — the name locals give to the pointed headland where the Kotorosl joins the Volga. This is where Yaroslavl began: its first wooden fortress, the Rubleny Gorod, stood on the high ground between the two rivers and a ravine. Today the headland is a two-level park, the city’s best-known view and part of the UNESCO-listed historic centre. The **upper level** is the old Cathedral Square, with the [Dormition (Assumption) Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-assumption-cathedral), a Holy Trinity sculpture and a boulder marking the founding of the city; from the edge you look straight down over the whole headland. The **lower level** was a sandy spit until the 1970s, then shored up and planted, and completely rebuilt for the city’s 1,000th anniversary in 2010: straight alleys, lawns, flowerbeds, three fountains and the monument on the very tip. There are no gates and no tickets, and it never closes. It’s one of the few places in town worth seeing twice — by day for the view, and after dark when the monument and fountains are lit. ## Is Strelka Park worth it, and how long do you need? Yes. It isn’t a museum — it’s the place where Yaroslavl makes sense at a glance: the Volga on one side, the Kotorosl on the other, the cathedral and old town behind you. That’s why the YesGo score puts it on every first-day route, along with the fact that it’s free and sits right between the embankment and the Kremlin. A loop of the lower level out to the monument and back takes 30–40 minutes. Climb up to the cathedral and the founding stone and stay for the evening fountain show, and it’s closer to an hour. Lingering longer only makes sense on a warm summer night, with benches, lights and music. When not to make a special trip: in wet snow and wind the open headland is bitterly cold, the fountains are off and the view is grey. In winter, take it in on the way from the embankment to the Kremlin rather than as a destination of its own. ## What to see at the Strelka - **The Millennium monument** on the tip — a granite column over 20 m high with a gilded double-headed eagle, five bronze figures at its base and reliefs that run through the city’s history, from its founding to the Minin and Pozharsky militia. - **The light-and-music fountains** on the lower level — summer evenings, with music and coloured lights. - **The founding stone** — a grey boulder at the top of the slope inscribed “On this spot in 1010 Yaroslav the Wise founded Yaroslavl”. - **The confluence view** from the lookout above the slope: the Volga, the Kotorosl and the Tveritsy district on the far bank. - **The Holy Trinity sculpture** on the path between the cathedral and the lookout. - **The flowerbeds** of the lower level — in summer they’re planted as patterned carpets, best photographed from above. - **The Dormition Cathedral** at the top edge of the park — a working church with its own page. ## The Millennium monument and the founding stone The monument was unveiled on 10 September 2010, during the millennium celebrations. The design won an open competition; its authors are sculptors Mikhail Tochyonyy and Andrei Kovalchuk with architect M. Korsi. The granite column rises from a heavy, church-like pedestal, around which stand Yaroslav the Wise, a warrior, a priest, a townsman and a young mother with her baby. The upper reliefs show the founding of the city, the battle on Tugova Hill, the discovery of the Tolga icon and the militia setting out to free Moscow in 1612. The lower band carries the story on to Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, born in the Yaroslavl region. Walk all the way round — it’s the city’s history in bronze in five minutes. The founding stone is a different thing, and people often mix them up. It’s a plain boulder up top, on the path from the cathedral to the lookout. The 1010 date is traditional: the chronicles first mention Yaroslavl in 1071, and 1010 comes from the legend of Prince Yaroslav killing a bear with an axe on this headland. ## Strelka fountain show times The three fountains stand on the lower level between the alleys and the monument. They run only in the warm season — roughly late spring to early autumn; the city announces the start and end dates each year, so we don’t give them. According to Wikipedia, the regular mode runs Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–21:00, and the light-and-music show Friday to Sunday from 21:00 to midnight. We couldn’t find an official timetable, so this is marked “checking”. The best moment is a late summer evening, when it gets dark and the lights come on. ## With kids, in winter, and paying for things It’s an easy park with children: wide, smooth paths for strollers and scooters, lawns, no traffic, and in summer kids run around the fountains. Hold small hands at the edge of the upper level and on the stairs — the slope is steep, and the waterside on the lower level isn’t fenced all the way along. In winter the park stays open and the paths are cleared, but the fountains are off and the wind off two rivers is fierce. The lit monument still looks good at night; spend ten minutes here, then warm up in the [Yaroslavl Kremlin](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-kremlin) or the [Metropolitan’s Chambers](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/metropolitans-chambers). The park itself costs nothing. For cafés, taxis and museums nearby, bring roubles in cash: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards haven’t worked in Russia since March 2022. ## How to get to Strelka Park 1. From Sovetskaya Square and the [Church of Elijah the Prophet](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/church-of-elijah-the-prophet): walk down to the Volga and follow the [Volga Embankment](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-volga-embankment) downstream past the Metropolitan’s Chambers to the tip — about 15 minutes. 2. By trolleybus or bus, get off at **Krasnaya Ploshchad** or **Ploshchad Volkova**, walk 5–10 minutes to Sovetskaya Square, then about 15 minutes along the embankment. 3. From the Yaroslavl Kremlin (Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery): about 15 minutes downstream along the Kotorosl embankment (Kotoroslnaya naberezhnaya) — the Strelka is straight ahead. 4. From **Yaroslavl-Glavny** railway station: a taxi to Kotoroslnaya naberezhnaya 2/1 takes 15–20 minutes. Yandex Go works here and has an English interface; pay the driver in cash or with a Russian card. 5. If you’re driving, approach along Kotoroslnaya naberezhnaya; on weekends and holidays there’s almost no parking by the Strelka, so leave the car in the side streets of the centre. ## Before you go: checklist Tick off what’s ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] In summer — a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening if you want the fountain show - [ ] A windproof layer: it’s breezy between two rivers even in July - [ ] Route: Volga Embankment → Strelka → Dormition Cathedral → Kotorosl embankment → Kremlin - [ ] Comfortable shoes — there are stairs between the levels - [ ] Roubles in cash for cafés and taxis nearby ## Strelka, the embankment or the Kremlin? | | Strelka Park | Volga Embankment | Yaroslavl Kremlin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Park on the headland where two rivers meet | Riverside boulevard with 17th–19th-century buildings | Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery with museums | | Entry | Free | Free | Paid, separate exhibition tickets | | Open | 24/7 | 24/7 | Museum hours | | Time needed | 30–40 min | ≈ 1 h | 1–2 h | | Best for | Two-river view, the monument, summer fountains | The rotunda, old houses, a long walk | City history, the belfry | The Strelka sits between the embankment and the Kremlin, so you don’t really choose it — you pass through it. Short on time? Do the embankment and the Strelka together in about an hour and a half. ## Yaroslavl views: compare and choose Every Yaroslavl spot with a view that YesGo has rated. - [Volga Embankment](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-volga-embankment) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free, open 24/7 - [Strelka Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-strelka) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free - [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 ₽ ## The Strelka and old centre in half a day Start at the Church of Elijah the Prophet, drop down to the Volga by the Metropolitan’s Chambers, follow the embankment to the Strelka, climb to the Dormition Cathedral and finish at the Kremlin. YesGo sets the times and walks between stops. 1. [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 2. [Metropolitan's Chambers](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/metropolitans-chambers) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 200 ₽, concessions 100 ₽ 3. [Strelka Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-strelka) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free 4. [Assumption Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/yaroslavl-assumption-cathedral) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free 5. [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 ₽ ## Not to be confused with Yaroslavl’s isn’t the only Strelka. Nizhny Novgorod has a famous one where the Oka meets the Volga, with the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and Kostroma has its own. The Strelka Institute in Moscow and bars of the same name have nothing to do with it either. This page is about the park on the Kotorosl–Volga headland in Yaroslavl. ## Tips - The best photo of the Strelka is from above, by the founding stone: the monument, the flowerbeds and both rivers in one frame. - On a summer evening, watch the fountains below first, then climb up to the cathedral — the lit headland looks completely different from the top. - Walk it as a loop: down the Volga Embankment, through the Strelka and back up along the Kotorosl — no retracing your steps. - On City Day and big holidays there are concerts and crowds here; for quiet and the view, pick a weekday. - Toilets and cafés are at the start of the Volga Embankment — there are hardly any in the park itself. - On a second summer day, take a boat up the Volga towards the [Tolga Convent](https://yesgo.io/russia/yaroslavl/tolga-convent) and see the Strelka from the water. ## Questions ### Is Strelka Park in Yaroslavl free? Yes. It’s a public park with no gates or tickets, open 24 hours a day, every day. ### Where is Strelka Park? On the headland where the Kotorosl flows into the Volga, at the southern end of the Volga Embankment, right below the Dormition Cathedral. Search “Park na Strelke” in a map app. ### When do the Strelka fountains work? Only in the warm season. Per Wikipedia, Wednesday to Sunday by day, with the light-and-music show Friday to Sunday from 21:00 to midnight. There’s no official timetable online, so check on the spot. ### What is there to see at the Strelka? The Millennium monument on the tip, the fountains, the founding stone, the view of the two rivers meeting, the Holy Trinity sculpture and the Dormition Cathedral. ### Is Strelka Park worth visiting? Yes — it’s where Yaroslavl began and the best place to see how the city sits on its two rivers. In cold, wet weather it’s better as a quick stop on the way to the Kremlin. ### How long do you need at the Strelka? 30–40 minutes for the lower level and the monument; about an hour if you climb to the cathedral and the founding stone and watch the evening fountains. ### How do I get to Strelka Park from the centre? About 15 minutes on foot from Sovetskaya Square, downstream along the Volga Embankment. From the Yaroslavl Kremlin it’s about 15 minutes along the Kotorosl embankment. ### What is the monument at the Strelka? The Monument to the 1000th Anniversary of Yaroslavl, unveiled in 2010: a granite column over 20 m tall with a gilded eagle, five bronze figures and reliefs on the city’s history. ### Is it good for kids and strollers? Yes: the lower paths are wide and flat with no traffic. Use the embankment rather than the stairs to get a stroller between levels, and keep small children close at the edges. ## How we checked The park has no official website, so nothing on this page carries the “official” badge. Free, round-the-clock access is a given for a public park and every guide agrees. The fountain timetable appears only in Wikipedia (regular mode Wed–Sun 10:00–21:00, light-and-music show Fri–Sun 21:00–24:00); no city source publishes it for 2026, so it is marked “checking”. Sources give the monument’s height as “over 20 m” (Wikipedia) and 20 m (Tonkosti), so we say “20+ m”. We found no installation date for the founding stone and give none. The lower level’s origin is dated “late 1970s” in Wikipedia and “a sandy spit until 1970” in Tonkosti, so we say “1970s”. Only Wikipedia mentions the Tu-104 airliner that stood on the Strelka in 1979–1988, so we leave it out. Walking times and stops are our own estimate from the map and are marked “checking”. ## Sources - Russian Wikipedia: “Park na Strelke”, “Monument to the 1000th Anniversary of Yaroslavl”, “Rubleny Gorod”; Wikidata Q19909049 - Tonkosti travel guide: “Strelka and the Monument to the 1000th Anniversary of Yaroslavl” - Visit Yaroslavia, the official tourism portal of the Yaroslavl Region: “Strelka Park” - Rusmania: “Millennium of Yaroslavl Park” - Znanie encyclopedia: “Strelka (Yaroslavl)” - UNESCO World Heritage List: Historic Centre of the City of Yaroslavl, No. 1170, 2005 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.