Kostroma

Capital city, economic and cultural centre of Kostroma oblast (region), Russian Federation, situated at the junction of the Volga and Kostroma rivers some 70 km/43 mi northeast of Yaroslavl; population (1996 est) 286,000. One of the oldest towns in Russia (founded in the 1150s), Kostroma has been a centre of linen milling since the mid-18th century; other industries include engineering, clothing, and food processing.

During the 13th-14th centuries Kostroma was the capital of a principality. In 1364 it was conquered by the Muscovites and from then on became an important commercial and manufacturing centre. It contains many interesting buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th century, including the 17th-century cathedral in the Monastery of St Ipaty.