In the Vologda Oblast, on the bank of the beautiful Sukhona River, one of the oldest northern Russian cities, Veliky Ustyug, is located. This is an amazing and fabulous place, from the very name of which it smells of hoary antiquity. How the name Veliky Ustyug came about can be found by referring to the history of this small but famous town.
Ancient history of the city
The first mention of it dates back to 1207, although even then it was a large settlement. Initially, the settlement was called Gleden or Gleden, perhaps due to the fact that a good view opened from a small hill on which the town grew up.
However, Gleden is not exactly Ustyug, since it was located a few kilometers from the modern city, but was devastated in internecine wars, burned down and never rebuilt. But at the confluence of the Yuga river into Sukhotna, a new city grew up. How the name Veliky Ustyug came about is clear from its location - at the mouth of the Yuga River. More precisely, in those distant times the town was simply called Ustyug, and it will receive its title later.
Ancient historyThe city is rich in events and feats of arms. From its inception until the 16th century, Ustyug was one of the fortresses that defended the northern borders of Russia, and later the Moscow principality.
One of the interesting facts of the history of this city is that it never had serfdom. If you look at where Veliky Ustyug is located on the map of Russia, the reasons for this will become clear. The landowners did not want to go to such remote northern regions. Therefore, local peasants were free and paid taxes to the treasury of the city, which in those days was also considered free.
Finding the title
Great Ustyug got its name in the 16th century, when, thanks to the discovery of the Northern Sea Route, the city became an important center of trade. It was here that merchants from Holland and England arrived, who brought overseas goods. Then their path lay to Vologda, and from there to Moscow.
Most of the goods at that time were transported along the rivers, and Veliky Ustyug was located at the crossroads of waterways. It is not for nothing that the image of Neptune is placed on the city coat of arms. Jugs with jets of water in the hands of this mythological character are symbols of the Yuga and Sukhona rivers, which merge into the Northern Dvina. All enterprising merchants knew how to get to Veliky Ustyug.
The development of trade has become not only a source of we alth for the city, but also contributed to the development of handicrafts. The city grew, many churches and temples were built in it, and the icon painters and artists of the Great Iron became famous as unsurpassed masters of a special, northern painting.
Ustyuzhane played an important role in the development of Siberia. Moreover, not only peasants and artisans, but also merchants and industrialists take part in campaigns to develop new lands.
The decline of the city in the XVIII-XIX centuries
The conquests of Peter I, the opening of access to the sea led to the loss of Veliky Ustyug of its importance as a trading center. And the construction of railways, which took place away from the city, completely deprived it of its former greatness. 200 years after the name of Veliky Ustyug, it finally turned into a small provincial town, surviving mainly due to folk crafts, for example, the famous "northern niello" - blackening on silver.
Modern Veliky Ustyug
Currently, the city, with just over 30,000 inhabitants, has long been popular among tourists thanks to its preserved old mansions and temples. Visitors are amazed by their beauty and harmony of the snow-white churches and cathedrals of the 17th century: Epiphany, Sretensko-Preobrazhenskaya, the Church of John Ustyug, Prokopievskiy Cathedral and the oldest Church of the Ascension in the city. There are many preserved temples and churches of a later period. All of them create a special atmosphere of an ancient fairy tale in the city.
Some mansions and temples have now become museums, for example, the local history museum is located in the house of the merchant Usov, and an exhibition of folk art can be seen in the St. Nicholas Church.
One of the sights in the vicinity of Veliky Ustyug is a unique natural spring - a ten-meter waterfall called "Vaskin Klyuch". It is located near the village of Nizhnyaya Tozma. According to legend, a devil named Vaska put his paw to the emergence of this amazing source, splitting the rock from which he hammered the key.
But the most important thing is that Father Frost's estate is located in Veliky Ustyug.
Visiting Santa Claus
Now, few people think about how the name Veliky Ustyug came about, believing that this city is called Great because it is there that the main wizard of the Russian land lives. Although this city was declared his homeland relatively recently - at the end of the 20th century.
The built patrimony and the house of Santa Claus, and the gray-bearded old man himself harmoniously fit into the original architecture of the ancient city, and into the fabulous landscapes of northern nature.
And in winter, tourists from all over the country come to see with their own eyes the house of Santa Claus and the real master of the cold. A variety of entertainment programs are provided for guests who are met by the Snow Maiden and various characters of Russian fairy tales, including visits to museums, the residence of Father Frost and the Throne Room.
How to get to Veliky Ustyug? Very simple. From Moscow and St. Petersburg you need to take a train to Kotlas, and from there by bus to the homeland of Santa Claus. There is another option - to go to Vologda, from where the bus also runs. In summer, you can take a fascinating boat trip from Vologda.
