Its major historic towns include Kostroma, Sharya, Nerekhta, Galich, Soligalich, and Makaryev.

The Finno-Ugric component as a result of migration and assimilation and grew even stronger since the culture of the early Iron Age.

In the currently existing settlements and the Old-Kazhirovo Shangskoe where the capitals of the Mari principalities of Yaksha and Sanga.

At this relative independence of the Principality of Kostroma ended and later it became part of the lands of the princely House of Moscow.

In 1778, the two territories were re-united in the Kostroma governorship, which has been linked with the Yaroslavl first, then with the Nizhny Novgorod, and later with the Governor-General in one of Vladimir General Government.

The conversion of the Kostroma province center sped up its economic and cultural development, even though in 1773 and 1779, the city was completely burned in the fire fighting.

Since 1781 the city began to be built on the master plan, which was based on a radial- concentric grid of streets that converged on a large semi-circular central area in the open side of the Volga.

The end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century is rightly considered the rise in cultural development (architecture, painting, literature), not only of Kostroma but also of other county-level cities such as Galic, Nerekhta, and Soligalich.

At the first Republican Factory ( the former Big linen manufactory ), their number decreased from 7 to 1 million people in the mechanical plant of 1,300 workers have only 450.

Due to lack of fuel and raw materials factory operated for only 6 months a year, from May to October - idle.

The total cultivated area in the province in 1920 vs. 1917 dropped by 43%, including linen - 80%, barley - 62%, potatoes - by 50%, oats - by 50%, rye - 20% .

of the four high schools and three secondary special educational institutions operating in the province in the first years of Soviet power, down to seven colleges.

Essential for the region's economic development had continued at the Fifth Five-Year Plan railway construction Galich, Kostroma- length 127 km.

On 21 May 1998 Kostroma alongside Amur, Ivanovo, Voronezh Oblast, and the Mari El Republic signed a power-sharing agreement with the federal government, granting it autonomy.

Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually, the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected regional parliament.

The oblast is bound to other Russian regions by roads, railroads (6–7 hours from Moscow) and air routes.

Kostroma Airport serves to let people fly regularly inside Oblast and irregularly to Moscow.