Vologda is a city 450 kilometers from the capital of Russia with a population of almost 330 thousand people, the largest settlement in the northern part of the country. Vologda is on the list of cities with a particularly valuable historical heritage. Many historical monuments are taken under state protection.
From the history of the city
What is Vologda famous for? First of all, by the fact that it is the most ancient city of the Russian North. The founding date is 1147. Until the XIV century, these territories belonged to the Novgorod principality. For many years the city was a real bone of contention for the princes of Tver and Moscow; they constantly tried to take Vologda away from the Novgorod princes. Only a century later, the settlement passes completely under Moscow.
In the XV-XVI centuries, the city flourishes craft and trade. However, during the Polish-Swedish intervention, the village was badly damaged. Already in the XVIII century, trade routes run through the Baltic Sea, and the importance of the city decreases.
According to one version, the name of the city comes from the Finno-Ugric word “dragging”, which means “big forest”.
Local dialect
What is Vologda famous for? Of course, the local unique dialect. Honestly, not every region can boast of having its own “highlight” in speech, like Vologda and the southern part of the Arkhangelsk region, where there is a North Russian group of dialects.
The peculiarity of the dialect is that the speech is "okay." Simply put, when pronouncing vowels in absolutely all unstressed syllables, the letters “o” and “a” sound like “o”.
From the 60s of the last century, specialists from the local pedagogical institute studied the composition of the Vologda dialect and even released more than one dictionary. The first one to see the light was published in 1983. And in 2010, even a dictionary for children was published.
Despite the fears of some modern literature, there is no tendency that the “Akane” will replace the “okane” in Vologda.
Monument to the letter "O"
To confirm the importance of the local dialect, a memorial sign (forged sculpture) of the letter “O” is installed in Sobornaya Gorka Square.
The idea of local craftsmen is simple - to perpetuate such an important letter for the inhabitants of the region. Its height is 2.5 meters, installed on a pedestal in 2012.
The nearest public transport stop is Leningradskaya.
Lace
What is Vologda famous for? Of course, lace, which is also called very poetic - "frozen colors of the northern winter." A feature of needlework is that weaving is done on wooden sticks or bobbins. The main plot is represented by a dense picture of ribbons. Most often, the drawing is applied to the patterned lattice.
This type of needlework is very original, exists in the north of Russia for more than three centuries. It has not lost its relevance and the best traditions even today, which is why Vologda is so famous for lace. Today, industrial production and handicrafts occupy a special niche in the city’s economy.
The works of the best masters were exhibited more than once at international exhibitions since 1876 and often received the highest ratings. And in Paris (1925) and in Brussels (1958), lace from Vologda received gold awards.
Lace museum
On Kremlin Square in the building at number 12 there is a lace museum, where since 2010 a permanent thematic exhibition has been opened. The building itself is an architectural monument of the 18th century, which once housed the state bank. Since 2015, the museum is included in the top ten in all of Russia. An impressive collection of exhibits dedicated to this type of folk-applied craft is collected within the walls of the museum. The exhibits gathered for many years, some were transferred from private collections, while others were specially made for the museum according to the preserved sketches of past times. Here you can see the work of needlewomen from other countries. The museum’s ground floor houses temporary exhibitions and works by contemporary needlewomen. The museum has a shop, a lace class and a workshop.
Kremlin fort
What is Vologda famous for? The story for children must necessarily include a description of the Vologda Kremlin, which is located on Sergei Orlov Street, 15 on a total area of 56 hectares. This is a special historical monument of the city, although not as magnificent as it was under Ivan the Terrible in 1567. Then the fortress had 20 towers, and the length of the fortifications was 3 kilometers. However, in the XVII century, the Kremlin loses its strategic importance, gradually becomes desolate and disassembled, suffers from floods and lack of restoration work. Therefore, today you can see only the remains of the once majestic Kremlin - this is the bell tower and some ruins of buildings.
Resurrection Cathedral
This is a real architectural monument, which is under federal protection. The cathedral is part of the architectural ensemble of the Kremlin.
Before this cathedral, another church stood in the same place, where the service was first held in the 18th century. However, immediately, the building was recognized as flimsy and dismantled in speed. The existing cathedral was erected in 1776. By the way, the temple is almost completely built of stone from one of the Kremlin towers. Today, the building is preserved almost in its original form, with the exception of the entrance group, which was slightly redone. And the interior was made in the 19th century.
Museum "World of Forgotten Things"
What to see? The attraction of Vologda is the museum “World of Forgotten Things” (Leningradskaya Street, 6). Here you can see how the people of the city lived in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The rooms recreated a completely pre-revolutionary interior. The museum itself is located in the mansion of the century before last.
It hosts musical and literary evenings, holidays for children.
Sophia Cathedral
Description and photos with the name of the sights of Vologda are in the catalogs of each travel company, some of them can be seen in our article. St. Sophia Cathedral on Sergey Orlov Street is the oldest stone monument in the city. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, work began on its construction (in 1568). Despite the fact that after 2 centuries the Resurrection Church appeared nearby, the significance of Sophia did not decrease at all.
The construction lasted about 20 years, the main example for the architectural style was the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow.
In the next Polish war, the building was badly damaged, but it was quickly reconstructed.
In Soviet times, churches were much more fortunate than others in the country. Of course, it was closed, but not destroyed, but transferred to the local history museum. And the temple received the status of a historical monument back in 1935, probably, for this reason, it survived.
Today, the building is maintained in good condition, two large-scale renovations have already been carried out.
Inside the church there is a unique fresco. It is the largest in area (400 sq. M) in all of Russia and is dedicated to the Last Judgment.
House-Museum of Peter I
What is Vologda famous for yet? The first museum in the city, the exhibition of which is dedicated to Peter I. It was founded in 1885 and is located on Sovetsky Prospekt, in house number 47.
Until 1872, the house belonged to a merchant, but local authorities decided differently. They bought it for 4 thousand rubles from Vitusheshnikov E.
Within the walls of the house-museum you can learn about the life of the Slavs of the XVII-XVIII centuries. The clothes of Peter I, his death mask, and other rare things have also been preserved here.
Spaso-Prilutsky Dimitriev Monastery
What is the city of Vologda famous for? Of course, a man’s monastery in the district of Priluki. This is the most revered and largest monastery in the entire north of the Russian Federation.
According to the official version, the monastery was founded by a student of Radonezh - Dmitry Prilutsky. But the most important thing is that over all centuries it has been possible to maintain the original appearance of the buildings, and they founded it in 1371. Some buildings were erected later, for example, Spassky Cathedral.
The relics of Prilutsky, which was credited with the gift of salvation, are stored in the monastery.
After the revolution, the monks were expelled from their monastery and were able to return only in 1990.
Museum "Vologda Link"
Below you can see another photo. The name of the Vologda sights is the Vologda Link Museum. A wonderful exposition is collected here, you can find out about what famous people were exiled to the city since the 15th century. One of the first in exile was Prince Vasily II the Dark. In the future, the tradition of exiling to Vologda was supported by Ivan the Terrible and the Romanov dynasty. Under Stalin, tradition is not only maintained, but also assumes a mass character.
The museum is located on the street M. Ulyanova, 33.
Veil for Trading
On Torgovaya Square in Vologda there is a beautiful stone church of the Intercession on Torgu. It was built in 1780 instead of wooden.
In the revolutionary years, the temple was closed, there were trained future teachers. The doors of the church for believers were open only after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The building is made in the late Baroque style with an adjacent refectory. Upstairs is a classic tented bell tower.
Finally
All these sights of Vologda can be visited in 1 day. In addition, walking along the city streets, you can see many monuments: the poet and native of these places Batyushkov, a brick and even a monument dedicated to the 100th anniversary of electric lighting. There are many bridges in the city, especially in the central part. The largest is called the “Bridge of the 800th anniversary of Vologda”, 160 meters long.
From souvenirs, from the city you can bring not only the most beautiful lace, but also household items with local flavor. These are bread bins and kitchen items, containers for storing bulk products, and painted ceramic dishes. Many things are made of birch bark (the top layer of the birch bark), which after special processing acquires a golden light. Vologda also produces beautiful boots.