Dear Friends! If you would like to visit any of lacquer box village we are ready to help you with some recommendations and advises. It is easier to start with the village of

FEDOSKINO
Fedoskino is located not far from Moscow. It will take you about two hours drive to reach it by car on working day day morning from Moscow downtown. You need to take Dmitrovskoe Shosse/Highway, that goes straight to the North, and drive till you will reach the village of SHOLOKHOVO. In Sholokhovo you will see the sign: "FEDOSKINO, AKSAKOVO" and have to turn to the right. Two more miles and you are in Fedoskino! In the village take the left road at the crossing and it will take you to the local places of interest. They are: Fedoskino Factory (of Lacquer Boxes), Church of St. Nicholas, Lukutin family estate and local Art College.
We would recommend you to go to Fedoskino in the first half of working day, because this is the best time to visit Factory Museum with beautiful collection of Fedoskino Art items. If you will do the trip by yourself, just enter the Factory and ask about the excursion. BUT,there might be no English spoken there. The excursion is about 500 Roubles from a person. On this excursion you will see the Artists at work and carpenters workshops and technological process step by real step. The best way to go there is to make the appointment. Our company-Russian Lacquer Art (www.russianlacquerart.com, leosha@russianlacquerart.com)can help you to set it up! We have a great experience of doing one day or half day trips to Fedoskino! We can set up meetings with dozens of Artists in Fedoskino at their homes/apartments including Top 10 Fedoskino artists as Kozlov,Shapkin, the Rogatovs family and many others.
Sometimes it is possible to visit Art College of Fedoskino. It depends on the pupil's schedule and good will of administration. They have a very nice collection of Antique Lacquer Boxes of Lukutin Factory, but do not show it to public.
The Church used to have very interesting architecture. It is wooden and too small for rich Moscow region. It happened so because the money for the Church were collected from the local artists . During the Soviet Era it was closed, interior was destroyed . Please pay your attention to a very small Chapel in the Church yard. There is a Spring with Holy water.
The same story happened with Lukutin family estate - which was not only the place for living but the first Factory location also. Nobody took care of it during Soviet period and now it is easier to built the exact copy of it, than to restore.

If you will decide to visit the other three villages- Palekh, Mstera and Kholui, that will take at least two days. You will find them in Ivanovo and Vladimir provinces. First, you have to go to Vladimir. There you can cross the city to have a look at Golden Gates and local Cathedrals of the 12th Century or pass the city by the circle road. If you would like to visit

MSTERA(or MSTYORA)
you have to continue your way to the east. Next after Vladimir you will enter the village of Bogolyubovo, where it you can to make a stop for visiting the local Convent and the worldly famous church of Intercession on the river of Nerl (both of the 12th century). The half hour walk across the fields to this small beautiful church will be nice relaxation after long road. Around the 90th km after Vladimir look for the left turn and sign "Mstyora Museum of Lacquer Miniature". Make the turn and drive about 20 km more to reach the village (Do not make the mistake, because in 3 km from the turn you will see the sign "Mstyora" but it is only the railroad station with the same name!). Turning to the main square you'll see the building of Mstera Art Factory "Proletarian Art". Managers of the factory are very friendly to customers, but if your would like to visit them on the weekend it is necessary to confirm the visit with factory administration. At the main square with a statue of Lenin you will find the local Museum of Art with nice collection of boxes, local embroidery and jewelry. Museum is open weekly except Fri from 10am to 4pm. If you will take a look at the map, you will find out, that Mstera is not very far from Palekh and Kholui. But this is only on the map. In the real life you have to go back to Moscow direction to the town of Kovrov and there to take the road to town of Shuya. By this road you will reach Palekh in about 2 hours during Summer and about 3 hours in Winter.

PALEKH
The way to Palekh (and Kholui) from Moscow is beginning the same as to Mstera. You have to take a drive to town of Vladimir by Gor'kovskoe(Nizhegorodskoe) Shosse (or Highway) on the east of Moscow. It'll take about 2-2,5 hours. At Vladimir you have to turn to the north, to the town of Suzdal. You can use bypass road or cross the city. In the second way you'll have chance to visit all the places of interest in Vladimir. Near Suzdal you will see the right turn with the sign "Ivanovo" - this is your way. Be ready, in the town of Ivanovo it is difficult to find right directions, because there are no signs! You need to make right turn on the second light after city entry and go up the end of the street, up to the T-shape cross. There you make right turn again and continue to go by the main road. After Road Police station you will see the first sign "Palekh - 50 km". This road (it connects Ivanovo and Nizhny Novgorod) will take you to the town of Shuya. There it is better to take bypass road and not to cross the city. Very often you will not find name "Palekh" on the signs, but you can follow the "Nizhny Novgorod" directions. At the end of circle road you will see sign "Palekh - 30km". After 30 km you have to leave this road and turn to the right. After minute you will see the church of the Elevation of the Cross straight ahead and the building of Palekh Art School on your left. Church stays on the hill, which, from its top to foot, is the main square of Palekh. In a walking distance you will find all the places of interest of this village. The church of 1774 by itself, Palekh Art Factory "Tovarishchestvo" (or you can visit Cooperative "Association of Palekh Artists), Art Museum and House-museum of artist Ivan Golikov.
In the Church you will find iconostasis and frescoes of 18th century that were painted by local Palekh artists.
Going downhill you will find at the left side the red brick building of Palekh Art Factory. It is open on working days approximately from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. New director Nataliya Kozlova (former was Tatiana Kochetova) is well known for her hospitality and usually visitors have chance to get absolutely complete information about Palekh lacquer boxes.
If, by chance, it will be locked and you will not find somebody there you can go up the hill by the right side and before your half way to the top you will fund another red brick building - the Cooperative of Palekh Artists. Director of the Cooperative, Alexander Dudorov, is also very friendly and the options to learn and to buy are exactly the same there.
Having the Church in front of you look at the right. The hut on the corner is House-museum of Ivan Golikov, who is supposed to be the best artist in the Palekh history. And he was the pioneer of boxes painting there. Inside you will find the typical interior of artist's house of the 20th century beginning. This house is the branch of Palekh Art Museum and the work by the same schedule. To find Palekh Art Museum continue your walk by the road you had entered the village (in the Golikov's house they can show you the right direction). It stays on the first intersection after the main square. Again it is red brick two floors building of the 19th century. It is open weekly except Mondays and last Friday of every month from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. They display nice collections of antique Palekh icons and numerous of Palekh boxes.
If you will take the entry road and continue your way on it will bring you to the village of

KHOLUI
It will take about 30-40 minutes drive there from Palekh (about 35 km/or 25 miles). The road now is not bad. Entering the town of Yuzha you will see the sign "Kholui 8 km". There you'll have to make the right turn and go until the first street intersection. One more right turn there and you is on the direct road to Kholui. Take always the main road and it will bring you to the village. On the bank of the river of Teza you will find the buildings of Kholui Art Museum, Kholui Art Factory and the local church of 18th century. Kholui Art School is on the another bank. As everywhere factory is opened on working days, museum works like Palekh one.

Remember the following things:

1. There are only few English speaking people in each village. You have to speak some Russian or to take an interpreter with you.
2. There is a place to stay for the night in Palekh- Hotel "Kovcheg". It was opened in 2006, so it is in a good condition so far. Shover,TV, restroom, 2 beds in each room. Cafe on the first floor.
3. If your goal is to purchase boxes in the villages directly from the artists or Factories - it is better to take cash money (Russian or American) with you. There is no place to get cash and they do not accept plastic or checks.(as well as I known so far).
4. If you would like to have lunch or dinner during you trip, it is possible in to do it in Vladimir, Suzdal or Palekh. We would recommend to do it in Palekh. The choice is not rich, but you'll be surprised with low prices and friendly service. Restaurant "Palekh" is located on the left side of entry road opposite to the Palekh bus station. The other choice is to go to the cafe in Hotel "Kovcheg".
5. People usually are very friendly in these four villages and they are ready to help the travelers, but it is better to confirm your visit with factories, museums etc. before coming. You can use the service of tourist companies to make the reservations or we can set up a tour for you. We have a great experience in organizing such tours, very knowledgeable English spoken guides and connections with factories, museums, hotels etc.