Why do we have a genuine love for winter Tula? For the clear air, misty sunrises, philosophical debates, icy tram windows and the smell of tangerines. Add to this a couple of intricate night walks through the frosty city, a romantic date at the main ice rink with lights, a strong shelf of shots on Friday, and fun trips, not because "everyone goes there," but because "it's really good there." Well, our (we remind you - subjective) mini-guide about "what to do in New Year's Tula".
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Of course, Tula is good at any time of the day. But it is in the evening that it lights up with a lot of garlands and New Year decorations: light figures on the squares, "lantern" installations on the embankment, and projections with congratulations on the facades. There are coniferous aromas from Christmas markets in the air, coffee shop windows wink with Christmas decor, and you begin to look at your favorite hero city in a different way. Of course, it's still a hero city, but it's very lamp-like and magical.
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Not all cities have a tram. There was a tram in some of them, but they removed it (they shouldn't have done that, of course). But the Tula tram will soon turn one hundred years old. Just get on the train, drive a couple of kilometers - pure delight. It doesn't matter what's outside the window, it's important what you draw on the icy panes. It is absolutely necessary to go to adults who, for various reasons, missed the tram in their childhood. Probably, it is here that it becomes clearly clear that the world is big – you are small, but no one will take away the "game of the machinist" from you.
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The most iconic landmark of the armory capital, known to everyone: from a schoolboy to an old-timer. It is from the Kremlin that the acquaintance with Tula, its history and legends usually begins. There is an archaeological window, an exhibition atrium, the Tula Military History Museum, siege yards, temples, souvenir shops, and access to the Kazan Embankment. Guides like to ask questions about the exact number of dovetails on the Kremlin walls. Don't guess, there are 373 of them. But if you don't believe it, you can count it. We don't mind.
Perhaps the most mentioned Tula location in the media and social networks. Beautiful, concise, with graceful forms. The dream of all architects and urbanists from other cities. The case when it's really better to see it once than to hear it a hundred times.
The only pedestrian street (known to us) in Tula, which houses museums, restaurants, workshops, tea shops, coffee shops, souvenir shops and gingerbread shops. There is an unspoken tradition – all newlyweds in the city must take a photo on Metallistov Street. On Fridays, you will definitely meet friends here who are clearly aiming to go out into the night and pick you up to look for a "bright youth". Having preserved the history on the facades, the past in the courtyards, and already loved by locals and guests, it is perhaps not yet the Tula "heart", like Pokrovka for Nizhny Novgorod or Bauman for Kazan, but it will definitely be soon. Give me some time.
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Even if digital and digital are not about you, you need to go to Octave. Firstly, this is one of the clearest examples of the subtle and competent transformation of an industrial space into a cultural one, and secondly, it is only here that you can immerse yourself in the "History of the machine", so much so that you will want to tell everyone later. There are also exhibitions of modern art, a fantastic library with technical literature, a bookstore, and a store with intelligent and witty souvenirs from local "hand-made" craftsmen from all over the country. Interactive, multimedia, and thousands more buzzwords, but in fact, "Octave" is one of those stories that usually happen in capitals, but, lucky me, it happened in Tula.
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A huge museum with five floors, in which weapons are treated primarily as an art form, considering their utilitarian functions last. Therefore, attention is paid to the aesthetics of shapes, stories about brilliant craftsmen, legends, rare technologies, collectible samples, etc. There is a lot of interactivity, a lot of guests, a lot of information, a lot of everything – so plan your visit in advance. We recommend taking a guide and taking your time. You will not be able to quickly see the museum, and most importantly, feel it.
Having grown up on the basis of the Tula Necropolis Museum, the young but ambitious THIAM is already rocking Tula residents and guests with unusual exhibitions and projects. Insisting on "total museification," the guys explore the city "for love," meanwhile mythologizing the space around them. They hold exhibitions of contemporary art, provide a platform for photographers, designers, architects, and artists. The permanent exhibition "Old Tula Pharmacy" was opened, which tells with great respect about the pharmacy of the past. It will be equally interesting for those who are used to classic excursions and those who love Breaking Bad. THIAM's audacious manifesto deserves special respect. You can fall in love with them just for him. It will be possible to figure out whether the manifest actually works later.
Well, where else, besides Moscow and St. Petersburg, can you see the originals of Aivazovsky, Malevich Kuindzhi, Ge, Shishkin, Repin, Kustodiev, Serov and other legendary artists? It turns out to be in Tula. The art museum is simply incredible for regional cities, with more than 23,000 paintings, sculptures, graphics, decorative, applied and folk art in its collections. A well-thought-out exhibition poster, work with their storerooms and collaborations with major collectors allow us to respectfully look at the nestolic museum, which has much more sincerity than in the entire "Big Four". A must-see, even if you don't understand painting at all.
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