Vologda is one of the most ancient Russian cities. It was founded in 1147 and is a contemporary of Moscow. Vologda is also one of the best-preserved cities of Russia, with its historic image formed from the combination of stone and wooden architectural monuments.
The city has always been very important in the life of the whole country. In the 16th century it became an important international trade and transport center. Russian tsars always liked Vologda and often visited it. So, the tsar Ivan the Terrible wanted to make Vologda the center of “oprichnina” and ordered to build the St. Sofia Cathedral. The tsar Peter the Great also visited Vologda on his way to the shipyards in Arkhangelsk and stayed in the small stone house that belonged to a Dutch merchant.
Vologda is a birthplace of many remarkable people. Among them are the poet K. Batyushkov, the writer V. Gilyarovsky, the inventor of the first plane A. Mozhaisky, the aircraft designer S. Ilyushin, the cosmonaut P. Belyaev, the composer V. Gavrilin.
Today Vologda is the capital of the Vologda region and one of the largest cultural centers of Russian North. There are many cultural, architectural and art monuments in the city. The most important one is the ensemble of the Vologda Kremlin with its numerous towers and churches. The center of the ensemble is the St. Sofia Cathedral, built in 1568-1571. The walls of the Kremlin were erected in the 17th century when the tsars of Russia considered Vologda a stronghold in the North protecting Moscow from its northern enemies. The bell-tower of the Kremlin was erected in 1870. The combination of its pseudo-gothic lancet windows and traditional gilt cupola adds to the ensemble unique appearance.
Two more museums of the Vologda Kremlin are worth mentioning – the Vologda State Historical-Architectural and Arts Museum-Preserve located within the Kremlin, mainly in the former Archbishop’s Palace, and the Picture Gallery placed in the former Resurrection Cathedral. The collection of Museum-Preserve accounts for 400 thousand pieces including unique works of ancient Russian art from the 14th-16th centuries. These are oil paintings, drawings, ancient manuscripts, coins, archeological findings and other objects. Sixty thousand museum articles are displayed at the exhibitions, showing culture and art of the 16th-18th century history of Vologda. They are works of decorative-applied and folk art: lace making, birch-bark carving, northern niello. The Picture Gallery is famous for its collection of West European and Russian painting of the 17th-20th centuries.
The Vologda State Historical-Architectural and Arts Museum-Preserve has several branches. One of them is the Architectural-Ethnographical Museum of the Vologda Region. It is an open-air museum, consisting of more than 20 wooden buildings: dwelling houses, barns, ice-houses, a chapel. Different ethnographical festivals connected with main household activities, folklore and arts handicrafts of northern peasants are held there.
In the outskirts of Vologda one can see a proud fortress with a fine cathedral inside. It’s the Prilutsky monastery, which was founded in 1371.
There are also many theatres in Vologda: the Puppet Theatre, the Drama Theatre, the Theatre for Children and Youth, the Chamber Theatre. Every two years the International Festival “Voices of History” is held in Vologda. The historical performances are staged in the open air in the setting of the Kremlin. That’s why the city is sometimes called “Second Avignon”.
Another most important event in the sphere of culture is the Governor’s International Youth Music Competition named after Gavrilin. It takes place every three years and is of great significance for Russian and foreign performers.
Welcome to Vologda!