Verkhovazhye is the administrative center of the Verkhovazhsky district of the Vologda region. Located on the left bank of the Vaga River on the border with the Arkhangelsk region. About 5 thousand people live in the village. Despite its small size, the village has a rich distinctive history, which can be found in the current museum.
Becoming
After the opening of the postal route between Vologda and Arkhangelsk in the 16th century, a graveyard was established in the area of the Vagu River crossing, which served as a temporary refuge for travelers. To store supplies, a cellar and a barn were built, you could have a bite to eat in a tavern (the so-called circular courtyard). The exact date of its foundation is not known, and the first mention dates back to 1613.
By the middle of the XVII century, the settlement had grown, and in 1678 it was given the status of a posad - a trade and craft center. From this moment begins the story of the village of Verkhovazhye, Vologda Oblast. According to archival data, there consisted of 55 houses, a market, a guardhouse, and an order hut, where the administration was located. The population was mainly engaged in hunting and fishing, harvesting wood and forest gifts, and folk crafts. Given that the postal route was quite busy (Arkhangelsk was the main port of the Russian State), a large fair operated here.
Development
By the beginning of the XIX century, the Verkhovazhie of the Vologda Oblast turned into a large settlement. In 1810, a school was opened for wealthy residents. According to 1861, in the village were located:
- 528 houses;
- wooden church of the Assumption with a bell tower;
- Annunciation Church;
- a dozen handicraft plants;
- parish school;
- the town hall;
- postal service.
After a series of fires, the Assumption Cathedral was built of stone using charitable means.
Since the 1870s, the village of Verkhovazhye has become a place of exile for many people who do not agree with the policies of the tsarist government. There were especially many exiles after the failed revolution of 1905.
Climate
Weather in the Vologda Oblast is quite severe. In winter, frosty frosts are not uncommon, in spring, during the flood period, the Vaga River floods flood meadows and surrounding lands. The village has experienced great floods more than once. They were especially strong at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1909, the flood was catastrophic, causing serious damage to the inhabitants and economy of the region. The pile bridge was constantly tested by the elements, because of which it had to be restored.
And in our time, despite the general warming, the weather in the Vologda Oblast cannot be called comfortable. The average temperature of the winter months in the Upper Volga region is below -10 ° C, sometimes dropping to -40 ° C. Warmth begins only in April, in May frosts are not uncommon. In the summer, due to a considerable distance from the seas, there are hot days. The average July temperature reaches +18 ° C. By mid-October, the days are getting colder, and in November a steady minus is set.
Architecture
08/31/1879 a strong fire almost destroyed all the buildings. From this moment, the new head of the settlement of Verkhovazhye in the Vologda Oblast begins. Their thousands of inhabitants to rebuild their homes remained a little more than five hundred. A match and paper mills, a sawmill and a steam mill, and a tannery were built. However, after the construction of the railway, which took place in the distance, the significance of the village as a shopping center was nullified.
However, Verkhovazhye owes this period to patriarchal buildings with ancient merchant houses. The Neratov building still houses important municipal structures:
- magistrate's Court;
- inventory bureau;
- bailiff service;
- tax inspection.
In the house built by the merchant Persikov, there is an Art School.
Infrastructure
The first school in the village of Verkhovazhye, Vologda Oblast, opened its doors under the leadership of Alexander Fedorovich Dilaktorsky in 1810.
In 1903, a new hospital admitted patients.
An important event for the villagers was the commissioning of the House of Culture in 1986. It has become a real home for a folk choir, various circles, films are shown here.
Two years later, a historical museum was opened.
The construction in the 1980s of the highway connecting Moscow with Arkhangelsk contributed to the revival of the village. It is interesting that in the last decade the population of the district center reached its maximum in history, exceeding 5,000 people.
In 2003, the construction of a modern bus station was completed, which allowed residents to visit the large cities of Vologda and Velsk more often.