Palekh

Palekh is a small town in Ivanovo Oblast. A very artistic town, Palekh is the origin of the prominent 19th-century Palekh school of icon and mural painting, exhibited prominently at the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross. In the 20th century the town distinguished itself by the innovation of distinctive lacquer painted miniatures, famous across Russia.

Understand
Palekh is a small village, and everything interesting is concentrated in it on the central streets of Lenin and Bazhanov or within a radius of a couple of hundred meters from them. There is no public transport. An hour is enough for an external inspection of Palekh, although it would be a mistake not to look at the museums, so try to come here during the day and expect 3-4 hours.

By train
The nearest railway station is in Shuya, where the Lastochka stops four times a day, traveling from Moscow to Ivanovo. From Moscow to Shuya it takes a little over 3 hours, and then another half hour by bus. Buses run on average every half hour. The bus station is located in Shuya next to the station. The same route can be made through Ivanovo, but the railway and bus stations there are very far from each other, and there are not much more trains than in Shuya.

By bus
Ivanovo buses stop in Palekh and go to regional centers in the southeast of the region: Yuzha, Pestyaki, Puchezh, Verkhniy Landeh, and Nizhny Novgorod. Movement interval: 1-2 times per hour, travel time is no more than one and a half hours; all these buses make an intermediate stop in Shuya. Direct buses from Moscow run a couple of times a day (7 hours).

By car
The P152 highway passes through Palekh, connecting Ivanovo (65 km) and Nizhny Novgorod (180 km). The road from Palekh to the south is essentially a dead end and will be useful only to those who go to see Kholui or Yuzha.

See

 * The ordinary buildings of Palekh are also interesting in their own way. Along Lenin and Bakanova streets there are pre-revolutionary stone houses, mostly strong and two-story, and then there are wooden houses decorated with carvings, usually modern, but no less pretty. By the standards of the Ivanovo region, there is absolutely nothing special here; fortunately, carved houses are found in every second village, and even registers of cultural heritage sparingly note the “historical center of Palekh” without detailing its individual buildings, although for those who came from Vladimir or Nizhny Novgorod, Palekh will be a good introduction to what you will see next. Don't forget about the museums too!

Buy

 * Palekh miniatures — In the 20th century the town distinguished itself by the innovation of distinctive lacquer painted miniatures, famous across Russia.