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The spiritual and cultural Kremlin “Bogatyr Sloboda” is an extraordinary architectural complex created by the Togliatti artist Viktor Petrov in the tradition of the old Russian wooden architecture in the most picturesque place of the Zhiguli Mountains on the banks of the beautiful River Usa.

The construction of Bogatyr Sloboda started  in 2000. Nowadays, it is surrounded by a high palisade. On the territory of the wooden city above the steep bank of the Usa, you can see the hut, a heroic rally, towers, and a consecrated chapel. And on the river bank there are three wooden boats.

A desire to see the picturesque nature and a dream to visit the fairy tale leads tourists to Samara Luka. In addition to Russian travelers, many guests from abroad come to Bogatyr Sloboda. It is noteworthy that there are not only ordinary travelers, but also heads of states. The place where Bogatyr Sloboda stands is located in the open air, away from the noisy cities, so in a wooden city you can easily forget about TVs, mobile phones, traffic jams and city bustle.

The theme park is still evolving. The Bogatyr Sloboda has no other sources of funding, except  the contributions of sponsors.

What to see and do

On the left and right of the entrance gates there are wooden figures of 33 warriors. There is a deep ditch in front of the gate, and a pedestrian bridge is thrown across it. At the entrance, according to tradition, all guests are welcomed with fresh loaf of bread with salt.

Behind the gates of the Bogatyr Sloboda a street of artisans begins.  In one of the huts on the street of artisans today there is a gold-embroidery workshop where you can see samples of Russian utensils and national clothes.

Next is a spacious refectory, where 200 people can dine at the same time. The refectory has a large stove, long wooden tables and benches, protected from the weather by flooring. It is curious that the traditional clay dishes in the refectory are adjacent to metal pots and plastic bowls.

A large territory is reserved for the place where warriors train and compete. Under the wooden canopies, masters of hand-to-hand combat compete, exciting battles with swords and spears, and even comic fights on caps take place. And viewers can watch what is happening from the wooden stands.

There is a shooting range on the side, where you can learn to shoot a bow, throw spears, knives and axes. Since Bogatyr Sloboda is located in a natural park, hunting for animals and birds is prohibited here.

The main building of the theme park is the Grand Princely Tower. It exhibits the museum of Russian weapons and armor, as well as a neat layout of the theme park. The walls of the Prince's Tower are decorated with paintings depicting heroes, as well as photos of holidays and festivals.

Another large structure of the Bogatyr Sloboda is the dormitory. On its lower floor there is a training room and classes, and upstairs there are sleeping rooms. In the summer, there is a children's camp there.

Downstairs, on the river bank, a small fishing house was built. A wonderful view of the bay opens from the veranda there. The width of the Ursa in this place reaches 1.5 km. There is also a pier, with three boats of the Bogatyr Sloboda - "Vityaz", "Slav" and "Brave".In the future, a shipyard will appear on the shore, but for the time being, in winter, the ships are being driven off to a parking lot in one of the Togliatti yacht clubs.

Arrange your visit

A group tour is designed for 4 hours. With an independent visit, the entrance to the territory is paid separately: 150 rubles per person on weekdays and 200 rubles on weekends and holidays. Lunches in the refectory are cooked only for large groups and subject to pre-order.

How to get there

The most convenient way to get to Zhiguli is to fly to Samara from Moscow (1 h. 35 min.), and from there to get to Zhiguli by bus from the Central Bus Station, the journey time is about 2 h.