It was first chronicled in 1234 as Grad Mersky (lit. the town of the Merya).[citation needed] It gradually developed into one of the greatest salt-mining centers of Eastern Europe, eclipsing the southern town of Halych, from which it takes its name. In the 13th century, Galich was ruled by a younger brother of Alexander Nevsky and remained in his line until 1363, when the Muscovites seized the principality and ousted the ruling family to Novgorod.
The 15th and 16th centuries are justly considered the golden age of Galich. At that time it controlled most of the Russian trade in salt and furs. Dmitry Shemyaka and other local princes pressed their claims to the Muscovite crown, and three of them actually took possession of the Kremlin in the course of the Great Feudal War.
The early medieval earthen ramparts were further fortified in the early 15th and 16th centuries and have since been known as Shemyaka Hills. The Poles burnt it to the ground in 1612, Peter the Great had a wooden kremlin demolished, and it further declined with the transfer of Russian foreign trade from Arkhangelsk to St. Petersburg.
A 350-meter (1,150 ft) tall guyed mast for FM and TV broadcasting can be seen in the town.
Culture
Historic monuments of Galich include various buildings from the imperial period of Russian history. Particularly noteworthy is the Saint Paisiy Monastery [ru], founded in the early 14th century and featuring a 16th-century five-domed cathedral and a three-domed church from 1642.
Since 2004, Galich hosts the annual shortfilm festival "Russia's Family" (Russian: Семья России, Semya Rossii), whose stated goals are "to aid spiritual and moral healing of Russian society and to promote traditional family values".
^Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 г. Национальный состав населения по регионам России [All Union Population Census of 1979. Ethnic composition of the population by regions of Russia] (XLS). Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 года [All-Union Population Census of 1979] (in Russian). 1979 – via Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics.
Костромская областная Дума. Закон №112-4-ЗКО от 9 февраля 2007 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Костромской области», в ред. Закона №567-5-ЗКО от 24 сентября 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Костромской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Костромской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "СП — нормативные документы", №10(70), 28 февраля 2007 г. (Kostroma Oblast Duma. Law #112-4-ZKO of February 9, 2007 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Kostroma Oblast, as amended by the Law #567-5-ZKO of September 24, 2014 On Amending the Law of Kostroma Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Kostroma Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).
Администрация Костромской области. Постановление №133-а от 8 апреля 2014 г. «Об утверждении реестра населённых пунктов Костромской области». Вступил в силу 11 апреля 2014 г. Опубликован: "СП — нормативные документы", №15, 11 апреля 2014 г. (Administration of Kostroma Oblast. Resolution #133-a of April 8, 2014 On the Adoption of the Registry of the Inhabited Localities of Kostroma Oblast. Effective as of April 11, 2014.).
Костромская областная Дума. Закон №237-ЗКО от 30 декабря 2004 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований в Костромской области и наделении их статусом», в ред. Закона №496-5-ЗКО от 28 февраля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Костромской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований в Костромской области и наделении их статусом"». Вступил в силу по истечении 10 дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Северная Правда" ("Документы: СпецВыпуск"), №8, 26 января 2005 г. (Kostroma Oblast Duma. Law #237-ZKO of December 30, 2004 On the Establishment of the Borders of the Municipal Formations and on Granting Them Statuses, as amended by the Law #496-5-ZKO of February 28, 2014 On Amending the Law of Kostroma Oblast "On the Establishment of the Borders of the Municipal Formations and on Granting Them Statuses". Effective as of after 10 days following the official publication date.).