Yaroslavl Where My Wallet Weeps and My Toes Freeze
okay so let’s talk about this place called yaroslavl. turns out it’s one of those russia towns that just...happens. like you blink and suddenly you’re standing on a frozen volga river with a *student pass that’s thinner than the ice beneath your boots. i just peeked at the weather app and it’s...well it’s actively trying to kill me out here so maybe pack thermal underwear if you value your pinky toes. currently reading 0.6°C but feels like -4 because apparently god forgot to press the ‘dry’ button when making this town. humidity’s at 100% which is just science’s way of saying ‘your socks will betray you.’
first thing you notice? churches. everywhere. like someone sneezed orthodox architecture and it stuck to every surface. i heard a rumor from this grandma in a babushka that the spassky monastery has ghosts but also the best cheap blini in town. then some drunk dude at a bus stop swore the volga embankment glows blue at midnight if you’ve got ‘soul vision’ whatever that means. spoiler: it doesn’t. it’s just fog and bad lighting.
honestly though? the local market is where it’s at. got these potato pancakes called draniki that cost like 50 cents and taste like heaven’s tears. also found this vodka stall where the guy named sergey looked like he’d wrestled a bear for his recipe. he kept winking and saying ‘strong like russian mother’ which i think was a compliment? if the town starts feeling too small remember that kostroma is basically next door by marshrutka - perfect for escaping when your hostel’s radiators sound like dying cats.
someone warned me that the state drama theatre has seats that haven’t been updated since gorbachev was in power. true. but also true that their student tickets are cheaper than a fancy coffee. pro tip: bring hand warmers. your bus ticket back will cost more than your entire food budget here. oh and avoid the river cruise* unless you enjoy looking at icebergs while hypothermic sets in. learned that one the hard way.
for real though, check out this yelp guide before you go - that babushka’s blini stand isn’t on google maps but it should be. and this tripadvisor forum has actual useful tips instead of ghost stories. maybe. anyway, my fingers are numb so i’m done. yaroslavl: where your budget survives but your dignity doesn’t.
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