Village Starozolotovsky

The first mention of the Starozolotovsky farmstead dates back to 1685. This location is confirmed by the travel notes of Emperor Peter the Great of Russia, which provide a detailed description of the settlement. Legend has it that it was named so because "fish splash near the shore of the town, their scales glittering, hence the name of the town—Golden." Archaeological research on the farmstead's territory was first conducted in 1911 by the renowned historian Evgraf Savelyev. Savelyev believed he had discovered the legendary medieval Khazar city of Akhaz, which fell to the Tatars in the late 14th century. It was here that the first ancient human settlement, the earliest in southern Europe, was discovered. The village of Starozolotovskaya was flooded several times, and a general meeting of the villagers decided to move to the right bank of the Don River. As a result, some residents remained on the left bank, and the place became known as the village of Novozolotovskaya, leaving the village of Starozolotovskaya on the right bank of the Don River. In the 1990s, the Starozolotovsky farmstead began to become abandoned by its residents. If not for the efforts of caring individuals, philanthropists, the Uzdenov family, Ali Mussayevich, and Irina Vladimirovna, the settlement would likely have simply disappeared from the regional map. Today, the Starozolotovsky farmstead is a shining example of collaboration between private investment and partnership with the state. Today, the Starozolotovsky farmstead is a significant tourist attraction, attracting numerous tourists and enthusiasts of Cossack culture and life.

Attractions
The natural wonder of the Starozolotovsky hamlet is undoubtedly its steppe marmots (commonly known as bobaks), which settled here in the late 1990s and formed enviable colonies. Visitors are especially interested in the inhabitants of the protected area—red deer, roe deer, and markhor sheep—which can be seen within walking distance or simply by traveling through the reserve on a horse-drawn carriage. Particularly popular with Orthodox Christians is the Church of the Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God, located on a hill on the site of the former wooden Church of the Archangel Michael, destroyed by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War in 1941.
Since 2017, the open-air ethnographic museum "Quiet Flows the Don" has gained popularity, becoming a magnet for admirers of Don Cossack culture and a place of extraordinary strength and energy.

Food, Gastronomy, and Terroir
At the Starozolotovsky ethno-farm, you can enjoy the delicacies of Don Cossack cuisine. Dining is available at several locations within the "Quiet Flows the Don" ethnographic museum. These include the "Krasnostop Zolotovsky" restaurant (seats 86; à la carte orders by phone +79094015521; closed Monday) at 2 Ermolova St., Starozolotovsky farm; the "Kalachnaya" bakery at 3 Ermolova St. (seats 24; the menu includes yeast pastries, kalachi, and donuts; closed Monday; phone +79613212845); and the coffee corner of the "Quiet Flows the Don" shopping pavilion at 10 Ermolova St. Yesaulskaya 2a (coffee, tea, drinks, ice cream, fresh pastries, closed Monday, tel. 89613212845)
On the farmstead's premises, there's a shop (Yesaulskaya 2a) selling indigenous Don wines called "VinoMed." You can purchase unique white and red wines made from locally grown grapes, including Krasnostop Zolotovsky, Sibirkovy, Ladanny, and Tsimlyansky Cherny. Next to the shop, there's an apiary where honeybees spend the day harvesting amber honey in colorful hives. A wide selection of honey varieties, bee products, and souvenirs is available. A unique apiary is also located here, where "Sleeping on Bees" is practiced, the impact of which on the entire body is difficult to overestimate.

Accommodation
Spend an unforgettable night in Starozolotovsky Farm by staying in one of the many guesthouses. These include the Platovsky Guest House, located at 3 Ermolova Street (capacity up to 7 people), the Krasny Dom Guest House and Hostel at 1 Ermolova Street (capacity up to 25 people), the Groshevsky Guest House (capacity up to 10 people), and the Ekaterininsky Guest House (capacity 2-4 people), located at 13 Donskikh Kazakov Street. Construction is currently nearing completion on a new 4-room guest house, which will be located at 3 Ermolova Street. The general reservation number is 89613212845.


How to get there
To visit Starozolotovsky Khutor, take public transportation from Rostov-on-Don to Konstantinovsk, a 180-km drive, and then take a taxi to Starozolotovsky Khutor, about 25 km away. Or from the town of Shakhty in the Rostov region to the village of Starozolotovsky, it's about 90 km.

Museums
The Starozolotovsky hamlet is home to the open-air ethnographic museum "Quiet Flows the Don," which opened its doors to visitors in April 2017. Created through the initiative and personal involvement of the Uzdenov family of philanthropists, Ali Mussayevich and Irina Vladimirovna, the museum was built using sets used in director S.V. Ursulyak's television series, based on M.A. Sholokhov's novel of the same name, "Quiet Flows the Don." Filming took place in the Sholokhov district of the Rostov region, where the director built the Tatarsky hamlet, consisting of 32 buildings. Some of these buildings, consisting of three kurens (houses) once occupied by Don Cossacks, were transported 500 km to the Starozolotovsky hamlet and carefully erected and landscaped on the left side of the hamlet using traditional techniques. The museum displays three types of Don Cossack dwellings, featuring the Korshunov, Melikhov, and Astakhov families. The interior of the kurens has been recreated to the exact conditions as they were during filming, preserving a complete replica of the film series. The museum offers tourists a wide range of tours of the exhibits, numerous master classes, and culinary events. For this purpose, a new bakery building has been built on the museum grounds, where theatrical performances are held for museum and farm guests.

Calendar of Events
The Starozolotovsky farm is a place you'll want to visit year-round. The calendar of events begins with the traditional Maslenitsa festivities, usually held in late February or March, followed by the Easter holiday, which brings together farm guests and tourists at the Orthodox Church of the Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God of Ostrobramskaya. Since 2012, the village has hosted the annual "Zolotovsky Domes" Orthodox culture and creativity festival on Trinity Sunday. The calendar of events closes with a regional event, the "Krasnostop Zolotovsky" young wine festival, usually held from September to October.

Useful links
https://www.zolotovskiy.ru/