Village Starocherkasskaya

The village of Starocherkasskaya boasts beautiful landscapes, preserved buildings, and historical significance. It is considered by some to be the most beautiful village in Russia today.
It stands on the banks of the free-flowing Don River. It was once a town, a Cossack center, called Cherkassk.
Today, the village of Starocherkasskaya is one of the main destinations in the Rostov Region, visited by tourists by car, bus, and boat. The Don River is navigable in this area. Even in late October, cruise ships dock here.
The Don River, churches and a monastery, an 18th-century bastion, preserved estates, kurens, and fortified houses are all present. History is valued and respected here, traditions are cherished, and visitors are welcome.
Starocherkasskaya is not a frozen open-air museum, but a vibrant community with infrastructure, promenades, and a landscaped embankment. Just like everywhere in villages, children play in the streets. The only difference is that it's much quieter here than in the cities.
The village of Starocherkasskaya has a centuries-old history. It was founded in 1570 and was known as the city of Cherkassk until 1805. From 1644 to 1805, Cherkassk was the capital of the Don Cossacks. In 1805, Ataman Platov, a native of Cherkassk, moved the capital to Novocherkassk, and Cherkassk became the city of Starocherkassk, and then a village. Currently, the village has a population of 2,400.

Attractions
Visitors to the village will have an unforgettable experience. Starocherkasskaya retains architectural monuments that have survived to this day: the Military Resurrection Cathedral (1706-1719), the cathedral bell tower (1725-1730), the Transfiguration Church (1751), the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (1751), a parish school from the late 19th century, the Zhuchenkov Cossack merchant house from the late 18th century, the Kondraty Bulavin house from the early 18th century, the Efremov Don Atamans' compound with the Ataman's Palace from the mid-18th century, Stepan Efremov's kitchen from the second half of the 18th century, the Monastery Inn (1891), and the Donskoy (house) Church from the mid-18th century, the St. Anna Fortress (1729), and the Monastery Tract (17th century).
The village of Starocherkasskaya is officially a member of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of Russia.

Food, Gastronomy, Terroir
Local specialties: Kokhviy with oseledets. Here, it was customary to wash down coffee not with pies, but with a slice of black bread with salted herring. "Osedets," as the Cossacks affectionately called it, went well with the thick, strong drink. Unusual, isn't it? Coffee here wasn't just borrowed from the East—it acquired its own distinctive Don flavors and rituals. And the tradition itself originated in the Lower Don region and nowhere else. It's not so much about taste as about the mood: being close, sharing simple things, and experiencing the moment together.
Café OOO "Stanitsa" (cafe/museum "Restaratsiya"), address: RO, Aksaysky District, Starocherkasskaya village, Beregovaya Street, 8.
Restaurant OOO "Stary Gorod," address: RO, Aksaysky District, Starocherkasskaya village. Starocherkasskaya, Paromny Lane, 2.
The "Pechka-Rechka" coffee shop in Cossack style; address: Starocherkasskaya metro station, 5 Pochtovaya Street, daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM https://t.me/pechka_rechka
Accommodation
"Park-Hotel Aksai," address: Rostov Region, Aksai, 34 Zapadnaya Street. https://aksai-hotel.ru/
"Optimist," address: Rostov Region, Aksai, 25 Vartanova Street. https://hotel-optimist.ru/
Directions
Arrival by plane is currently unavailable; PLATOV Airport is temporarily closed.
By car:
The nearest major city from Starocherkasskaya is Rostov-on-Don. Get there, then continue to Aksai.
The distance from Rostov-on-Don is 35 km.
The distance from Aksay is 18 km.
You can reach the village either by car or by intercity bus number 232, which departs from Rostov-on-Don.
For drivers returning from the south, on the toll section of the M4 highway, after crossing the Don River, there is an exit that leads to the village of Starocherkasskaya. The route will pass by the Kaplitsa tract. There is only one road there, and getting lost is quite difficult.
There is no railway in Starocherkassk, but there is an unusual way to get here - by boat from Rostov-on-Don. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office on the Embankment.

Museums
The Starocherkassk Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve was founded on December 30, 1970, on the site of a preserved building in the village. Starocherkasskaya, the country's only large complex of architectural, historical, and cultural monuments of the Don Cossacks from the 17th to 20th centuries.

Calendar of Events
- New Year's in Starocherkasskaya
- Christmas Events
- Maslenitsa
- Annual Don River Day Festival
- District Festival "Song Plays Over the Don"
- Cossack Religious Processions Dedicated to Cossack Traditions
- Folklore Festivals
- Fish Soup Day Festival
- National Fishing Day Festival

Useful Links
https://siamz-ro.ru/?ysclid=lws6eesv41257265207
https://vk.com/culturesiamz1970?ysclid=lws6jnni28996610414
https://video-preview.s3.yandex.net/NiPzPQIAAAA.mp4
https://yandex.ru/maps/org/starocherkassk/95898671375/reviews/?ll=40.036412%2C47.237669&z=16

Photo from Don Day by Sergei Pivovarov