This medieval house makes a very appropriate location for an immense collection of ancient Russian iconography. Yaroslavl’s position as one of the most important merchant cities in the country peaked in the 17th Century and the city’s many wealthy merchants commissioned more than 50 churches to be built during that time and filled them with icons by the greatest masters of the day, which are now displayed here. Many of the museum’s oldest icons came from the Cathedral of the Assumption which was destroyed by the Soviets and has recently been rebuilt and include the museum’s oldest icon which dates from the 13th Century.