The Golden Ring (Russian: Золото́е Кольцо́) is a ring of cities northeast of Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation.

These ancient towns, which also played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church, preserve the memory about the most important and significant events in Russian history. The towns have been called "open air museums" and feature unique monuments of Russian architecture of the 12th-18th centuries, including kremlins, monasteries, cathedrals and churches. These towns are among the most picturesque in Russia and prominently feature Russia's famous onion domes. Although there are some discrepancies with respect to the names of the cities that are included in the ring, most include Sergiyev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalesskiy, Rostov Velikiy, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Gus Khrustalny, Suzdal, Vladimir, Rybinsk, Uglich, and Alexandrov. Many of these cities are to be found along the M8 highway or can be reached from Yaroslavl Railway Station in Moscow.

External links

• www.zolotoe-koltso.ru (in Russian)