Tula

Not to be confused with Tula de Allende in Mexico, also called Tula.

Tula is a city in Tula Oblast, 185 km away from Moscow. The population is over 400,000 people.

Understand

Older than Moscow, primarily the city was a major outpost of nomads. In 1503, when it became a part of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and its southern fort, a brick-walled kremlin was built. In 1552, the city withstood the 30,000-people-strong siege of Khan Devlet Geray. In the beginning of the 16th century, it was an epicenter of the Time of Troubles.

In 1712, Peter the Great ordered the establishment of a modern weapons factory, spurring development of a great industrial ironworking center, which is still Tula's main fame. Its local-made weapons, machine tools, samovars, accordions and pryaniki (gingerbread cakes) are reputed as of the highest quality.

Get in

By train

• 1 Moskovsky Vokzal (Tula-1-Kurskaya Stantsiya M Zheleznodorozhnyy vokzal), Ul. Puteyskaya (Путейская улица), 12А (western part of the city). 
• 2 Ryazhsky Vokzal (Тула-Вяземская, Ryazhskiy vokzal MZhD), Ulitsa Ryazhskaya (Ряжская улица), 13. 

Trains arrive from Moscow (2 to 3.5 hours), Oryol, Kaluga and are served by two railway stations.

Get around

Buses, trolleybuses, marshrutkas, taxi.

• Taxi Visit, phone: 360-360.
• Taxi Volga, phone: 370-370.

See

Historic samovar from Tula

• 1 Tula Kremlin (Тульский кремль), Ulitsa Mendeleevskaya (Менделеевская ул.), 8. Unusually for Russian medieval standards, this kremlin was built in perfectly rectangular shape. In five centuries, was never stormed or conquered. Inside the 9-tower rampart, there are two cathedrals and several museums. 
  • 2 Cathedral of the Assumption (Успенский собор) (Kremlin Centre). 
  • 3 Bell Tower of the Cathedral of the Assumption (Kremlin Centre). 
  • Naugolnaya tower (Наугольная башня) (Kremlin NW corner). 16th century 
  • 4 Ivanovskaya tower (Taynitskaya tower, Ивановская Тайницкая башня) (Kremlin NE corner). 
  • Tower of the Ivanovsky gate (Башня Ивановских ворот). 
  • 5 Spasskaya Tower (Спасская башня). 15th century 
  • 6 Museum of Guns (Тульский государственный музей оружия) (Kremlin NE part). cannons, rifles, sabres, pistols. 
  • 7 Museum of Samovars (Музей «Тульские самовары») (Kremlin SW part). building in the old town near the Kremlin walls. 
  • 8 Tula Art Museum (Тульский государственный изобразительного искусства.) (Kremlin NW part). Russian icons, metal-plastic art, European classics 
• 9 Tula's Gingerbread Museum (Музей «Тульский пряник»), Ul. Oktyabrskaya (Октябрьская ул.), 45a (Take tram 6, 8, 12, 15 to stop 'Арсенальная улица'), ☏ +8 4872 347070. learn how to make the Tula-style gingerbread cake. 
• 10 Transfiguration Church (Храм Преображения Господня), Ulitsa Mendeleevskaya (Менделеевская ул.), 15. The temple was built in 1842, in the style of Russian classicism, on the site of the ancient church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker "Nikola on the Square" (designed by V.F. Fedoseyeva). 
• 11 Cathedral of the Assumption (Успенский кафедральный собор), Менделеевская ул., 13. 
• 12 Administration of Tula and Tulskaya oblast (Администрация Тульской области и Тульского городского округа), Lenina (просп. Ленина), 2 (Near to Kremlin). The White House in Tula. Built in the 1970s. 
• 13 Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Hram Blagoveshcheniya Presvyatoy Bogoroditsy gorod Tuly, Храм Благовещения Пресвятой Богородицы), Blagoveshchenskaya (Благовещенская ул.), 1, ☏ +7 487 256-56-53. 
• 14 Ruins of the temple of the Holy Virgin (Храм Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы), Ulitsa Metallistov (ул. Металлистов), 7а. 
• 15 Palace of Children and Youth (Дворец детского и юношеского творчества), Ulitsa Revolyutsyi (ул. Революции), 2 (Kremlin 100m). Culture House. 
• 16 Ruins of the Old Nikita Church (Руины Староникитской церкви), Ul. Nikitskaya (Никитская ул.). 

Do

• Central Park of Belousov
• 1 City Garden of Kremlin (Кремлёвский сад), Sadovyy pereulok (Right east of Kremlin). 
• 2 Circus (Тульский цирк), Ul. Sovietskaya (Советская улица), 96. Built in 1963. 
• Gladiator's Cup Tournament, 29 Belousova st (Club Vityas), ☏ +7 4872 395701, cvk@list.ru. Annual two-day battle at the walls of the wooden fort. 

Learn

• Tula State University
• Tula State L.N.Tolstoy Pedagogical University
• Tula English language school LanArk, office#10, 9th floor, 7, Krasnoarmeisky Prospekt, ☏ +7 4872 30-5757, info@lanark.ru. Practice your English with local students. 

Buy

Banks

• 1 Sberbank (Сбербанк), Ulitsa Metallistov (ул. Металлистов) and Plosch. Krestovozdvizhenskaya (Крестовоздвиженская пл.) corner, 1 (West of Kremlin), ☏ +7 4872 32-87-00. Unit № 8604 

Malls

• 2 Gostiny Dvor Shopping Centre (IND-GARNIK Trade Center, Торгово-развлекательный центр «Гостиный двор»), Ulitsa Sovyetskaya (Советская ул.), 47. Hotel, Restaurants, Offices, pub, shops and ATM 
• 3 Paradise Shopping Center (Торговый центр "Парадиз"), Lenina (просп. Ленина) (South from Kremlin 300m). 
• 4 Shopping Centre Utyug (Торговый центр «Утюгъ»), Ul. Demonshratsii (ул. Демонстрации), 1g, ☏ +7 487 2251425. 

Sleep

Mid-range

• History Hotel (История), 24, Shuhov st, ☏ +7 487 2419321, info@hotelhistory.ru. A Western hotel with 29 rooms of various classes includes sauna, a pool and a cafe-bar. 100-120-170 USD (2013). 
• Inshinka Spa (Иншинка-SPA), 23, Inshinsky, ☏ +7 920 7700505, inshinkaspa@mail.ru. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. Located outside of Tula, the hotel offers 17 rooms, spa, sauna, a pool and solarium. 80-90-120-130-170$ depend of type. 
• 1 Moskva Hotel (Gostinitsa Moskva,), (Путейская улица), 3, (Right opposite to the Moskovsky Vokzal), ☏ +7 487 2316560, Tula-Hotel@yandex.ru. Sgl / Dbl RUR2200-2500/ 2600-3200, Studio 3200-3800, Apartment for one / two / four pers. 4500 / 4500 / 5500 (2014). 

Splurge

• Grumant, 201th km Moskow-Krim, ☏ +7 487 2505050. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. Located outside of Tula (20 km), the hotel offers 50 rooms, spa, bowling, a pool? a restaurant. Sgl. from 130$ to Lux 270$ (2013). 

Connect

Free wi-fi

• Tula State University at 92 Lenina st., from 7:30 to 19:00.
• Cafe Blinnaya at 58a, Boldina st., and 6a, Khalturina st., from 10.00 to 23.00.

Go next

• Kulikovo Pole.
• Yasnaya Polyana, museum of the home of Tolstoy, author of War and Peace.
• Filimonovo, the village of old-style clay toys with a museum. You can order a tour via their contacts in Tula: filmuseum@yandex.ru, +7(4872)56-01-55.