Holy Trinity Cathedral was built in the beginning of the XIX century at the order of Catherine the Great, who also founded the construction. Before, since the XVI century, a wooden church stood in its place, later replaced by a stone temple. Yet, it was decided to rebuild the old cathedral and make it bigger – in fact, the largest cathedral in Kaluga!
The dome of the new temple was larger, than that of Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The construction was even slowed down when the workers refused to enter the building, deeming it unsafe. Yet, in the end, the dome was completed and still impresses visitors with its gigantic size. The four-story bell tower dominates the old city with its height.
Unfortunately, the original altar was lost during Soviet times; recently a new altar has been built.
Address: City Park of Culture and Recreation, 1

The Church of Cosmas and Damian was built in 1794 on the site, previously occupied by an old wooden church that was known since 1626. Under the Soviet regime, it was closed in 1937 and was later restored in 1992.
The architecture of the temple stands out sharply among other churches of Kaluga with its restraint, proportionality and elegance. Classical and Baroque motifs alternate in the three-dimensional construction of the church and its elaborate decoration of the facades. It almost resembles a ship with its straight, symmetrical lines and orderly silhouette. The four-story bell tower and the refectory are made in strict forms of early classicism.
Address: 177/16 Suvorov str.

The Church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin was the first stone church on the place where wooden temples once stood that was built at the end of the XVII century. For some time, the church served as a cathedral, until the new Trinity Cathedral was built. The bell tower has pronounced Gothic features. Now the temple is well restored and pleases the eye on Lenin Street together with the Gostiniy Dvor architectural ensemble.
Address: Lenin st., 106

St. George's Cathedral is one of the few temples in Moscow Baroque style that have survived to this day without any major changes. The cathedral was built in 1700-1701 in the place of an old wooden church, which had been known since 1626; its construction was funded by the famous Korobov merchants. Notably, St. George’s Cathedral was not closed under the Soviet regime, and in 1988 the church was renovated.
Address: 14 Bauman Street

Optina Pustyn Monastery is located in Kaluga region, near the city of Kozelsk. It is very popular among tourists and pilgrims; they say that visitors leave the monastery completely changed people.
Its name comes from the name of robber Opt, who repented and became a monk to later found a new monastery. The word "desert" ("pustyn") meant a monastic settlement far away from people in ancient Orthodox Russia.
Many Russian poets, writers and philosophers found their inspiration here. For example, F. Dostoevsky wrote some details of the "Brothers Karamazov" under the impression of his visit to the monastery: a monk whom he met there became the prototype of elder Zosima.
Address: Kozelsk, Optina Pustyn Monastery
Website: https://www.optina.ru/

The monastery was founded in 1884 by St. Ambrose of Optina, who in the same year tonsured S. Bolotova, the future schema-nun Sophia, as a nun. She became the abbess of the monastery and, together with the Monk Ambrose, contributed to its development. Thanks to their joint efforts, the monastery has become a significant spiritual center of the country.
With the establishment of Soviet power, persecution began against the Orthodox Church, accompanied by looting of religious buildings and oppression of priests. In 1923, the convent in Shamordino was officially closed.
Restoration work began in 1990. At the same time, the first church of the convent was consecrated and the monastery began regaining its former strength. In 2015, the it celebrated 25 years since the revival of monastic life.
Address: Shamordino
Website: https://www.shamordino-m.ru/