The Russian North has a large number of old towns and villages that are worthy of a visit. But, without a doubt, Veliky Ustyug in the Vologda Oblast stands out. It is located 450 km northeast of Vologda, almost on the border with Arkhangelsk Region.
The first mention of it dates back to the year 1147. This date makes it the same age as Moscow. In fact, people lived there even earlier.
Slavs settled on these northern outskirts, because of the favorable trade position: two rivers – Sukhona and Yug (‘Ust-Yug’ literally means “mouth of the river Yug”) – merge there, by which one can quickly reach the Northern Dvina and, further, the White Sea. And from there, it’s an easy path to both Europe and Asia.
A couple of centuries ago, the city was the largest trading center in the Russian North. Its fairs even rivaled Moscow. In the 16th century, Ustyug's trade importance increased, so Ivan the Terrible included it among the ‘oprichnye’ towns that gave money to the sovereign's household. During this period, Ustyug was given the title of ‘Veliky’ (‘Great’).
At the same time, the city became famous not only for its merchant life, but also for its craftsmen. It is the birthplace of "frost on tin", northern silver niello and other unique crafts. Many crafts have survived to this day.
Veliky Ustyug is a real museum city. There are more than 150 objects of cultural heritage there, including 28 magnificent temples of the 17th-18th centuries.
‘Sobornoye Dvorishche’ is the heart of the city, which is impossible to pass by unnoticed. It is a temple complex (17th-18th cc.) consisting of the Assumption Cathedral with a bell tower, the Cathedral of Prokopy the Righteous and the Church of John the Righteous, as well as several other household buildings.
The cathedrals stand on the embankment overlooking the opposite bank of the Sukhona River and the Dymkovskaya Sloboda with its ancient churches.
Today, Veliky Ustyug is also one of the most popular places in Russia for winter tourism, because there are two residences of ‘Ded Moroz’ there. In the city center is his first residence, which occupies a 19th-century merchant's house.
And his country house, where he hosts guests, is nearby Veliky Ustyug. During the winter vacations, special tourist trains run to the Veliky Ustyug railway station.
Dear readers,
Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
Subscribe
to our newsletter!
Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox
