Ulyanovsk

Ulyanovsk

This is a much newer city, founded in 1640 hence it doesn't have a kremlin as the boundaries of the empire had expanded far beyond here. It was originally named Sinbursk, then Simbirsk and then renamed Ulyanovsk after Lenin whose real name was Ulyanov. His family home was our first stop. His father was a doctor and the family moved several times but finally bought this house where the family lived until they had to sell and move away when Lenin's brother was  executed for being a terrorist during the tsar Nicholas's reign for being involved with the assassination of Alexander III in St Petersburg.

The family home.

 You had to watch where you put your feet as there are sparklers embedded in the ground to protect the house against fire. The whole area is made from timber and this house and museum has a special sprinkler system and there is a fire station just 100 metres up the road.

 We weren't able to take photos inside without paying a large extra amount so no photos but the area does have some other interesting buildings such as this one.

 The fire station.

 Another  pretty building.

 An iconic Gazelle, a robust four wheel drive vehicle seen all over Russia but 90% are grey, a few are military green and the police have blue and the post office yellow but there are no other colours produced.

 A cathedral but all of them were destroyed and these are replicas.

 Some modern memorial in the Crown park area.

 A government building and another Gazelle.

 And a clos e up.

 The view from the top of the river bank where the park is located. This bridge is the Emperors bridge completed in 1913 and is a joint rail and road bridge 3 kilometres long. It isn't sufficient for current levels of traffic and the Presidents bridge was built a decade ago further upstream and is 6 kilometres long.