Vologda region: festive Vologda.

We arrived to Vologda in the evening of the second day of our trip around Vologda Region. It was May Day holiday, the weather was sunny, and the locals put on their best clothes and go out to walk along the bank of the Vologda River. We spent in Vologda about 4 hours full of festive and joyful atmosphere. Spring, the first warm evening of the year, light-green birch leaves, cheerful people… I’ll try to reproduce this feelings here in this post.

Vologda started its history in 1147 when the Trinity Monastery was founded close to the Vologda River. In the 16th century, during the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, Vologda became one of the major transit centers of Russia’s trade. In 1566, Ivan the Terrible ordered to found Vologda Kremlin which became the start point of our walk.

Vologda Kremlin:

Saint Sophia Cathedral (built in 1570) is the oldest surviving building in the city of Vologda. The Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin served as the model during Saint Sophia Cathedral construction.

From the Kremlin you can walk towards the Vologda River and promenade along the bank.

There are lots of old churches in Vologda, I had never seen such great number of cathedrals per 1 square meter. Church of St. John Chrysostom (1664):

Church of the Presentation (1735):

Church of Barlaam of Khutyn (1780):

Another thing what Vologda is famous for is carved palisades and window platbands. There is a well-known and loved in Russia song about a guy who loves a girl living in Vologda in a house with a carved palisade (see on Youtube).

A typical Vologda private house of the 19th century:

Wooden ornaments:

In the center of Vologda, every house is a real masterpiece of wooden architecture. The buildings are being thoroughly restored, it seems that even the owners of the new cottages tried to build them in Vologda style.

The carved ornaments and the first leaves complete each other giving a feeling of airiness and tenderness.

From the historical wooden private sector, we moved to the modern center of Vologda. This shopping arcade was built in 19th century and operates nowadays.

Architectural monuments of 19th century:

The Square of the October Revolution, built during the Soviet Union period, is the next layer of Vologda’s history. To be honest, I like this style of architecture; it characterized by feeling of expanse and fresh air which the modern cities are lack of. The bitter truth is that Soviet architects trying to reach this expanse pulled down old buildings. Vologda is not the exception: the Church of the Saviour built in 1688 was destroyed in 1972 to free space for the Square.

Having finished our walk around Vologda, we started the way home via Ustuzhna.

D&M

Other parts:

Vologda region: downhearted Vytegra.

Vologda region: unshakable Kirillov.

Vologda region: forgotten Ustyuzhna