Veliky Ustyug
Encyclopedia
Veliky Ustyug is a town in the northeast of Vologda Oblast
, Russia
, located at the confluence
of the Sukhona
and Yug River
s. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance
(one of the four in Vologda Oblast). It also serves as the administrative center of Velikoustyugsky District
, by which it is completely surrounded but is not administratively a part of. The town of Krasavino
and the urban-type settlement of Kuzino
are administratively subordinated to the town of Veliky Ustyug. Municipally, it is incorporated as Urban Settlement of Veliky Ustyug of Velikoustyugsky Municipal District. Population: 36,000 (1970).
Veliky Ustyug has a great historical significance and in the past was one of the major cities of Russian North. Whereas it preserved some of the past urban structure and many of the architectural monuments, it was completely deprived of its leading role, and is currently merely a tourist attraction. It is served by Veliky Ustyug Airport.
are located on the right bank of the Sukhona. New parts of the town, mostly industrial areas, face the Northern Dvina. The only bridge in Veliky Ustyug is across the Sukhona and is located upstream of the town center.
Previously, Gleden was a fortress, and the left bank of the Sukhona was a posad
— a territory outside the fortress populated by craftsmen. In 15th century, the fortress was destroyed in an attack by Vyatka
army, and the new fortress was built in the former posad area. The fortress was eventually demolished when it became apparent than no military threat to Veliky Ustyug exists.
The first recorded settlement in the area was the monastic settlement at Gleden , founded near the confluence of the Yug and the Sukhona, where now Troitsko-Gledensky Monastery is located. The name Ustyg means "the mouth of the Yug". By the late fifteenth century the community had acquired the title Great - Veliky .
in 1207. In 1212, Mikhaylo-Arkhangelsky Monastery was founded. It was a part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (in contrast to the neighboring lands, most notably Totma
, colonized by Novgorod
. Thus Veliky Ustyug created the only obstacle in the Novgorod trade with the North, as the Sukhona and the Notrthern Dvina were the main waterway connecting Novgorod with the White Sea. Clashes between Novgorod and Ustyug became regular, in particular, throughout the whole 14th century. In 1328, Ustyug was included into the Grand Duchy of Moscow
.
The town was not immediately affected by the Mongol invasion of Rus' in 13th century, however, it rapid growth in the second half of the century was due to influx of refugees from Central Russia. In 15th century, Veliky Ustyug became notable for the war between Vasily II of Moscow and his cousin Dmitry Shemyaka
, which left Northern Russia deserted. Shemyaka took Veliky Ustyug in 1450, drowned in Sukhona those citizens who refused to accept him as a prince, and made the town his residence for two years, until he was driven off by the forces of Vasily. In 15th century, the town had a great military importance and became the base for the operations against Finno-Ugric peoples
. In 1613, during the Time of Troubles
, Veliky Ustyug was sieged by Polish troops but never taken. Located at the junction of important trade route
s, the city turned into a significant commercial and industrial centre in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Veliky Ustyug area was the birthplace of the explorers Semyon Dezhnev
, Yerofey Khabarov
, Vladimir Atlasov
, and of Saint Stephen of Perm
. Veliky Ustyug lost its key role as a river port with the diminishing importance of the Sukhona river route for trade between China and western Europe, which started with the foundation of Saint-Petersburg in 1703, whereby the trade was diverted to the Baltic Sea
.
16th and 17th centuries were also the time of the highest rise of the culture in Ustyug, in which the town acquired a national-wide significance. The town is known for its remarkable handicraft
s, such as silver
filigree
, birch bark
fretwork
, decorative copper
binding, and niello
. Ustyug developed a distinct manner of icon painting, Ustyug icon painting . In 17th century, Veliky Ustyug was a major producer of tile
s, which are still visible on many Ustyug churches and also were sold to neighboring towns of Russian North.
In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great Veliky Ustyug was explicitly mentioned as one of the twenty towns included into Archangelgorod Governorate
. From 1719, it was the center of Ustyug Province, one of the four provinces of the Governorate. In 1780, the governorate was abolished and transformed into Vologda Viceroyalty
. The latter was abolished in 1796, and Veliky Ustyug became the center of Velikoustyugsky Uyezd of Vologda Governorate
. In 1918, the town became the administrative center of the newly established Northern Dvina Governorate
. In 1924 the uyezds were abolished in favor of the new divisions, the districts (raions).
In 1929, Northern Dvina Governorate was merged into Northern Krai
. The krai consisted of five okrugs, one of which, Northern Dvina Okrug, had an administrative center is Veliky Ustyug. In July 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts became directly subordinate to Northern Krai. In 1936, Northern Krai was transformed into Northern Oblast, and in 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Veliky Ustyug remained in Vologda Oblast ever since.
Veliky Ustyug, in contrast to the majority of historical Russian towns, managed to preserve almost all of its architectural and cultural monuments. This was in a great part due to the efforts of the local intellectuals grouped around the Regional Museum, and most notably of Nikolay Bekryashev, the museum director from 1924 to 1938. This group managed to convince the authorities that the churches and old buildings have a historical significance and must be handed in the museum rather than demolished.
Tourism is an important branch of economy in Veliky Ustyug. It started in 1960s and got a further boost in 1990s when Veliky Ustyug started to be marketed as the residence of Ded Moroz
.
and further to Kotlas
. The one to the south runs to Nikolsk
and further to Manturovo
, where it connects to the road to Kostroma
. The road to the southwest connects Veliky Ustyug with Vologda
via Totma
. It was built in the beginning of 2000s, and before this road was opened, the only way to get from Veliky Ustyug to Vologda was via Nikolsk and Totma. All these roads are paved. An unpaved road, originating from Kuzino
(which is connected with Veliky Ustyug by a ferry crossing) runs to Luza
and continues to Lalsk and further to the Komi Republic
.
The railroad connects Veliky Ustyug with Yadrikha railway station on the railroad connecting Konosha
and Kotlas. The passenger service to Veliky Ustyug has been discontinued in 2005.
The Sukhona, the Yug, and the Northern Dvina are all navigable in Veliky Ustyug, but there is no passenger navigation except for a number of ferry crossings.
Veliky Ustyug is served by Veliky Ustyug Airport with occasional passenger service to Vologda
.
Most of the architectural monuments are located on the left bank of the Sukhona, and many of these are the living houses. The exceptions are Troitsko-Gledensky monastery and the Dymkovo Sloboda, both located on the right bank of the Sukhona. Troitsko-Gledensky Monastery is located in the village of Morozovitsa, in Velikoustyugsky District.
The principal architectural ensembles of Veliky Ustyg are
The monuments of civil architecture are mostly concentrated along the Sukkhona, along Sovetsky Avenue and along Krasnaya Street.
Some of these buildings belong to Velikoustyugsky Museum of History, Art, and Architecture. The museum was open in 1909in the premises of Mikhaylo-Arkhangelsky Monastery. In 1918 it was transformed into the Museum of the Northern Dvina Culture. Between 1924 and 1938 the museum director was Nikolay Bekryashev, an artist, who devoted his energy to extending the museum to the old buildings, mostly churches, of the town, which thus were saved from destruction. In particular, a big collection of icon
s and objects of applied arts survived. Despite the efforts of Bekryashev and other museum employees, some of the buildings were destroyed by the authorities. The museum currently serves as a umbrella institution which organizes permanent and temporary exhibits in the former church buildings.
Since 1990s, Veliky Ustyug was marketed as the residence of Ded Moroz
, a fictitional character somewhat similar to Santa Claus
. In 1998, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov proposed to officially locate the residence of Ded Moroz
in Veliky Ustyug. The residence, which is a resort promoted as the Votchina
, of Ded Moroz
, is a major tourist attraction. It is actually located 16 km from the town, on the premises of Velikoustyugsky District. There is a dedicated post office there which answers children's mail to Ded Moroz and has already answered more than 1.2 million letters.
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Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is Vologda. The largest city is Cherepovets.Vologda Oblast is rich in historic monuments, such as the magnificent Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Ferapontov Convent , medieval towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Belozersk, baroque...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, located at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Sukhona
Sukhona River
The Sukhona is a river in the European pert of Russia, a tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The course of the Sukhona lies in Ust-Kubinsky, Sokolsky, Mezhdurechensky, Totemsky, Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky, and Velikoustyugsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It is long, and the area of its...
and Yug River
Yug River
The Yug is a river in Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky, Nikolsky, and Velikoustyugsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Podosinovsky District of Kirov Oblast in Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin...
s. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance
City of federal subject significance
City of federal subject significance is an umbrella term used to refer to a type of an administrative division of a federal subject of Russia which is equal in status to a district but is organized around a large city; occasionally with surrounding rural territories.According to the 1993...
(one of the four in Vologda Oblast). It also serves as the administrative center of Velikoustyugsky District
Velikoustyugsky District
Velikoustyugsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Velikoustyugsky Municipal District...
, by which it is completely surrounded but is not administratively a part of. The town of Krasavino
Krasavino
Krasavino is a town in the northeast of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Northern Dvina River northeast of Vologda and north of Veliky Ustyug, to which it is administratively subordinated. Municipally, it is incorporated as urban settlement of Velikoustyugsky Municipal...
and the urban-type settlement of Kuzino
Kuzino
Kuzino is an urban locality under the administrative jurisdiction of Veliky Ustyug Town of Oblast Significance, Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Northern Dvina River at the confluence of the Sukhona and the Yug, opposite to Veliky Ustyug...
are administratively subordinated to the town of Veliky Ustyug. Municipally, it is incorporated as Urban Settlement of Veliky Ustyug of Velikoustyugsky Municipal District. Population: 36,000 (1970).
Veliky Ustyug has a great historical significance and in the past was one of the major cities of Russian North. Whereas it preserved some of the past urban structure and many of the architectural monuments, it was completely deprived of its leading role, and is currently merely a tourist attraction. It is served by Veliky Ustyug Airport.
Location and etymology
Veliky Ustyug is located close to confluence of the Sukhona (flowing from the west) and the Yug (from the south). Downstream from this confluence the two rivers form a single waterway known as the Northern Dvina, sometimes referred to as the Little Northern Dvina. The historical center of the town is located at the left (high) bank of the Sukhona, and, in contrast to many historical Russian towns, there is an embankment along the Sukhona. Dymkovskaya Sloboda and Troitse-Gledensky MonasteryTroitse-Gledensky Monastery
Troitse-Gledensky Monastery is a former Russian Orthodox monastery founded in 12th century. The monastery is located in the village of Morozovitsa of Velikoustyugsky District in the north-east of Vologda Oblast, at the confluence of the Sukhona and the Yug Rivers, close to the town of Veliky Ustyug...
are located on the right bank of the Sukhona. New parts of the town, mostly industrial areas, face the Northern Dvina. The only bridge in Veliky Ustyug is across the Sukhona and is located upstream of the town center.
Previously, Gleden was a fortress, and the left bank of the Sukhona was a posad
Posad
A posad was a settlement, often surrounded by ramparts and a moat, adjoining a town or a kremlin, but outside of it, or adjoining a monastery in the 10th to 15th centuries. Usually it was inhabited by craftsmen and merchants, known as posadskiye lyudi .In the Russian Empire a posad was a small...
— a territory outside the fortress populated by craftsmen. In 15th century, the fortress was destroyed in an attack by Vyatka
Kirov, Kirov Oblast
Kirov , formerly known as Vyatka and Khlynov, is a city in northeastern European Russia, on the Vyatka River, and the administrative center of Kirov Oblast. Population: -History:...
army, and the new fortress was built in the former posad area. The fortress was eventually demolished when it became apparent than no military threat to Veliky Ustyug exists.
The first recorded settlement in the area was the monastic settlement at Gleden , founded near the confluence of the Yug and the Sukhona, where now Troitsko-Gledensky Monastery is located. The name Ustyg means "the mouth of the Yug". By the late fifteenth century the community had acquired the title Great - Veliky .
History
The town of Veliky Ustyug was first mentioned in a chronicleChronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
in 1207. In 1212, Mikhaylo-Arkhangelsky Monastery was founded. It was a part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (in contrast to the neighboring lands, most notably Totma
Totma
Totma is a town and the administrative center of Totemsky District of Vologda Oblast, Russia,, located on the left bank of the Sukhona River at the confluence with the Pesya Denga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Totemskoe Urban Settlement in Totemsky Municipal District. Population:...
, colonized by Novgorod
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
. Thus Veliky Ustyug created the only obstacle in the Novgorod trade with the North, as the Sukhona and the Notrthern Dvina were the main waterway connecting Novgorod with the White Sea. Clashes between Novgorod and Ustyug became regular, in particular, throughout the whole 14th century. In 1328, Ustyug was included into the Grand Duchy of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
.
The town was not immediately affected by the Mongol invasion of Rus' in 13th century, however, it rapid growth in the second half of the century was due to influx of refugees from Central Russia. In 15th century, Veliky Ustyug became notable for the war between Vasily II of Moscow and his cousin Dmitry Shemyaka
Dmitry Shemyaka
Dmitriy Yurievich Shemyaka was the second son of Yury of Zvenigorod by Anastasia of Smolensk and grandson of Dmitri Donskoi. His hereditary patrimony was the rich Northern town Galich-Mersky...
, which left Northern Russia deserted. Shemyaka took Veliky Ustyug in 1450, drowned in Sukhona those citizens who refused to accept him as a prince, and made the town his residence for two years, until he was driven off by the forces of Vasily. In 15th century, the town had a great military importance and became the base for the operations against Finno-Ugric peoples
Finno-Ugric peoples
The Finno-Ugric peoples are any of several peoples of Europe who speak languages of the proposed Finno-Ugric language family, such as the Finns, Estonians, Mordvins, and Hungarians...
. In 1613, during the Time of Troubles
Time of Troubles
The Time of Troubles was a period of Russian history comprising the years of interregnum between the death of the last Russian Tsar of the Rurik Dynasty, Feodor Ivanovich, in 1598, and the establishment of the Romanov Dynasty in 1613. In 1601-1603, Russia suffered a famine that killed one-third...
, Veliky Ustyug was sieged by Polish troops but never taken. Located at the junction of important trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
s, the city turned into a significant commercial and industrial centre in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Veliky Ustyug area was the birthplace of the explorers Semyon Dezhnev
Semyon Dezhnev
Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnyov was a Russian explorer of Siberia and the first European to sail through the Bering Strait. In 1648 he sailed from the Kolyma River on the Arctic Ocean to the Anadyr River on the Pacific...
, Yerofey Khabarov
Yerofey Khabarov
Yerofey Pavlovich Khabarov or Svyatitsky Erofej Pavlovič Chabarov , was a Russian entrepreneur and adventurer, best known for his exploring the Amur river region and his attempts to colonize the area for Russia...
, Vladimir Atlasov
Vladimir Atlasov
Vladimir Vasilyevich Atlasov or Otlasov was a Siberian Cossack who was the first Russian to explore the Kamchatka Peninsula. Atlasov Island, an uninhabited volcanic island off the southern tip of Kamchatka, is named after him....
, and of Saint Stephen of Perm
Stephen of Perm
Saint Stephen of Perm was a fourteenth century missionary credited with the conversion of the Komi Permyaks to Christianity and the establishment of the Bishopric of Perm'. Stephen also created the Old Permic script, which makes him the founding-father of Permian written tradition...
. Veliky Ustyug lost its key role as a river port with the diminishing importance of the Sukhona river route for trade between China and western Europe, which started with the foundation of Saint-Petersburg in 1703, whereby the trade was diverted to the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
.
16th and 17th centuries were also the time of the highest rise of the culture in Ustyug, in which the town acquired a national-wide significance. The town is known for its remarkable handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s, such as silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
filigree
Filigree
Filigree is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork made with twisted threads usually of gold and silver or stitching of the same curving motifs. It often suggests lace, and in recent centuries remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork, and French from 1660 to the late 19th century...
, birch bark
Birch bark
Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus Betula.The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which made it a valuable building, crafting, and writing material, since pre-historic times...
fretwork
Fretwork
Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used are wood and metal. Fretwork is used to adorn...
, decorative copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
binding, and niello
Niello
Niello is a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal. It can be used for filling in designs cut from metal...
. Ustyug developed a distinct manner of icon painting, Ustyug icon painting . In 17th century, Veliky Ustyug was a major producer of tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s, which are still visible on many Ustyug churches and also were sold to neighboring towns of Russian North.
In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great Veliky Ustyug was explicitly mentioned as one of the twenty towns included into Archangelgorod Governorate
Archangelgorod Governorate
Archangelgorod Governorate , or the Government of Archangelgorod, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed from 1708 until 1780. Its seat was in Archangel...
. From 1719, it was the center of Ustyug Province, one of the four provinces of the Governorate. In 1780, the governorate was abolished and transformed into Vologda Viceroyalty
Vologda Viceroyalty
Vologda Viceroyalty was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1780–1796.The viceroyalty was established by a decree of Catherine II on , 1780...
. The latter was abolished in 1796, and Veliky Ustyug became the center of Velikoustyugsky Uyezd of Vologda Governorate
Vologda Governorate
The Vologda Governorate or Government of Vologda was a guberniya in the historical northern region of the European part of Russian Empire.In its size it was second right after the neighboring Archangelgorod Governorate...
. In 1918, the town became the administrative center of the newly established Northern Dvina Governorate
Northern Dvina Governorate
Northern Dvina Governorate was a governorate of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1918 to 1929. Its seat was in the city of Veliky Ustyug. The governorate was located in the North of European Russia, and its territory is currently divided between Arkhangelsk, Vologda,...
. In 1924 the uyezds were abolished in favor of the new divisions, the districts (raions).
In 1929, Northern Dvina Governorate was merged into Northern Krai
Northern Krai
Northern Krai was a krai of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1929 to 1936. Its seat was in the city of Arkhangelsk...
. The krai consisted of five okrugs, one of which, Northern Dvina Okrug, had an administrative center is Veliky Ustyug. In July 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts became directly subordinate to Northern Krai. In 1936, Northern Krai was transformed into Northern Oblast, and in 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Veliky Ustyug remained in Vologda Oblast ever since.
Veliky Ustyug, in contrast to the majority of historical Russian towns, managed to preserve almost all of its architectural and cultural monuments. This was in a great part due to the efforts of the local intellectuals grouped around the Regional Museum, and most notably of Nikolay Bekryashev, the museum director from 1924 to 1938. This group managed to convince the authorities that the churches and old buildings have a historical significance and must be handed in the museum rather than demolished.
Industry
There ara a number of timber industry enterprises in Veliky Ustyug, as well as the shipyard, food industry, and a number of enterprises serving the tourist industry, in particular, the jewellery production plant.Tourism is an important branch of economy in Veliky Ustyug. It started in 1960s and got a further boost in 1990s when Veliky Ustyug started to be marketed as the residence of Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz is a fictional character who in some Slavic cultures plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. The literal translation of the name would be Grandfather Frost, although the name is often translated as Father Frost....
.
Transport
A number of roads connect Veliky Ustyug with other towns. The road to the north runs to KrasavinoKrasavino
Krasavino is a town in the northeast of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Northern Dvina River northeast of Vologda and north of Veliky Ustyug, to which it is administratively subordinated. Municipally, it is incorporated as urban settlement of Velikoustyugsky Municipal...
and further to Kotlas
Kotlas
Kotlas is a town in the southeast of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Northern Dvina and Vychegda Rivers. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . It also serves as the administrative center of Kotlassky District, by which it is...
. The one to the south runs to Nikolsk
Nikolsk, Vologda Oblast
Nikolsk is a town and the administrative center of Nikolsky District of Vologda Oblast, Russia,, located on the right bank of the Yug River close to the point where it flows into the White Sea. Municipally, it is incorporated as Nikolskoye Urban Settlement in Nikolsky Municipal District...
and further to Manturovo
Manturovo
Manturovo is a town in Kostroma Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Unzha River , northeast of Kostroma. Population: 22,000 .-Overview:...
, where it connects to the road to Kostroma
Kostroma
Kostroma is a historic city and the administrative center of Kostroma Oblast, Russia. A part of the Golden Ring of Russian towns, it is located at the confluence of the Volga and Kostroma Rivers...
. The road to the southwest connects Veliky Ustyug with Vologda
Vologda
Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural, and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. The city is a major transport knot of the Northwest of Russia. Vologda is among the Russian cities possessing an especially valuable historical heritage...
via Totma
Totma
Totma is a town and the administrative center of Totemsky District of Vologda Oblast, Russia,, located on the left bank of the Sukhona River at the confluence with the Pesya Denga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Totemskoe Urban Settlement in Totemsky Municipal District. Population:...
. It was built in the beginning of 2000s, and before this road was opened, the only way to get from Veliky Ustyug to Vologda was via Nikolsk and Totma. All these roads are paved. An unpaved road, originating from Kuzino
Kuzino
Kuzino is an urban locality under the administrative jurisdiction of Veliky Ustyug Town of Oblast Significance, Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Northern Dvina River at the confluence of the Sukhona and the Yug, opposite to Veliky Ustyug...
(which is connected with Veliky Ustyug by a ferry crossing) runs to Luza
Luza
Luza is a town and the administrative center of Luzsky District of Kirov Oblast, Russia, located on the Luza River , northwest of Kirov. Population:...
and continues to Lalsk and further to the Komi Republic
Komi Republic
The Komi Republic is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is situated to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain...
.
The railroad connects Veliky Ustyug with Yadrikha railway station on the railroad connecting Konosha
Konosha
Konosha is an urban locality Konosha is an urban locality Konosha is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement and the administrative center of Konoshsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Konosha River, south of Arkhangelsk. It also serves as the administrative center of...
and Kotlas. The passenger service to Veliky Ustyug has been discontinued in 2005.
The Sukhona, the Yug, and the Northern Dvina are all navigable in Veliky Ustyug, but there is no passenger navigation except for a number of ferry crossings.
Veliky Ustyug is served by Veliky Ustyug Airport with occasional passenger service to Vologda
Vologda
Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural, and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. The city is a major transport knot of the Northwest of Russia. Vologda is among the Russian cities possessing an especially valuable historical heritage...
.
Culture and recreation
Veliky Ustyug preserves much of its past architectural heritage and has one of the best preserved architectural ensembles in Russia. The town contains 152 objects classified as cultural and historical heritage by the Russian Federal law, and additionally twenty-five objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local importance. The town of Veliky Ustyug is classified as a historical town by the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation, which implies certain restrictions on construction in the historical center.Most of the architectural monuments are located on the left bank of the Sukhona, and many of these are the living houses. The exceptions are Troitsko-Gledensky monastery and the Dymkovo Sloboda, both located on the right bank of the Sukhona. Troitsko-Gledensky Monastery is located in the village of Morozovitsa, in Velikoustyugsky District.
The principal architectural ensembles of Veliky Ustyg are
- The old Sobornoye Dvorishche (Cathedral Square), with the ensemble of Assumption Cathedral (1619—1659), the St. Prokopius Cathedral (1668, ProkopiusProcopius of UstyugProcopius of Ustyug was a fool for Christ , a miracle worker, saint of Russian Orthodox Church, formerly a merchant from Lübeck. He was born in Germany, a Roman Catholic merchant who converted to eastern Orthodox Christianity during his travels....
is the local saint who lived in Ustyug), the Cathedral of St. John the Righteous (1656—1663), and the Epiphany Church (1689); - Mikhaylo-Arkhangelsky Monastery with the Cathedral of Archangel Michael (1653—1656), the Presentation Church (1653), the Gate Church of St. Vladimir (1682), and the Church of Mid-Pentacost (1710), the wall with towers and the cells;
- Former Transfiguration monastery: The Transfiguration Church, the Presentation Church (1725—1739), and the St. George Church (1696—1704);
- The St. Nicholas Church with the bell-tower (17th century);
- The Ascension Church (1648);
- The Church of Women Bearing Myrrh (1714—1722);
- The Church of St. Simeon the Stylite (18th century).
The monuments of civil architecture are mostly concentrated along the Sukkhona, along Sovetsky Avenue and along Krasnaya Street.
Some of these buildings belong to Velikoustyugsky Museum of History, Art, and Architecture. The museum was open in 1909in the premises of Mikhaylo-Arkhangelsky Monastery. In 1918 it was transformed into the Museum of the Northern Dvina Culture. Between 1924 and 1938 the museum director was Nikolay Bekryashev, an artist, who devoted his energy to extending the museum to the old buildings, mostly churches, of the town, which thus were saved from destruction. In particular, a big collection of icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
s and objects of applied arts survived. Despite the efforts of Bekryashev and other museum employees, some of the buildings were destroyed by the authorities. The museum currently serves as a umbrella institution which organizes permanent and temporary exhibits in the former church buildings.
Since 1990s, Veliky Ustyug was marketed as the residence of Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz is a fictional character who in some Slavic cultures plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. The literal translation of the name would be Grandfather Frost, although the name is often translated as Father Frost....
, a fictitional character somewhat similar to Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. In 1998, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov proposed to officially locate the residence of Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz is a fictional character who in some Slavic cultures plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. The literal translation of the name would be Grandfather Frost, although the name is often translated as Father Frost....
in Veliky Ustyug. The residence, which is a resort promoted as the Votchina
Votchina
Votchina or otchina was an East Slavic land estate that could be inherited. The term "votchina" was also used to describe the lands of a knyaz.The term originated in the law of Kievan Rus...
, of Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz is a fictional character who in some Slavic cultures plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. The literal translation of the name would be Grandfather Frost, although the name is often translated as Father Frost....
, is a major tourist attraction. It is actually located 16 km from the town, on the premises of Velikoustyugsky District. There is a dedicated post office there which answers children's mail to Ded Moroz and has already answered more than 1.2 million letters.
Population
The population of Veliky Ustyug was steadily growing until the second half of 20th century. Currently it is on decline, as it is pretty much everywhere in Russia outside the big cities.Further reading
Ustyug Great. Materials for the History of the XVII and XVIII centuries (1883) (Устюг Великий. Материалы для истории города XVII и XVIII столетий) at Runivers.ru in DjVuDjVu
DjVu is a computer file format designed primarily to store scanned documents, especially those containing a combination of text, line drawings, and photographs. It uses technologies such as image layer separation of text and background/images, progressive loading, arithmetic coding, and lossy...
and PDF formats
- Brumfield, William C. Velikii Ustiug (Moscow: Tri Kvadrata, 2007) ISBN 9785946070789 (in English and in Russian)
- Brumfield, W (Undated) Veliky Ustyug: A view through the lens of an American scholar-photographer. Full text available at www.pomorsu.ru/Brumfield/velikii_ustiug.htm
- Gardner, N (2005) Article in hidden Europe magazine, 5 (Nov 2005), pp.22-26. Full text available (html and pdf versions) at hidden europe website
External links
- City webportal
- Museum complex of Veliky Ustyug
- (English) historic architecture of Veliky Ustiug
- Veliky Ustiug: Northern Jewel with photos, William Brumfield, April 20 2010, Russia Beyond the HeadlinesRussia Beyond the HeadlinesRussia Beyond the Headlines is a branch of Russian state-owned newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta which publishes a number of foreign-language newspaper supplements and maintains the RBTH news website. The supplements are included in international newspapers in an effort to cultivate a positive view of...