Vologda region is a northern region with huge tourism potential. The distinctive region is known for its unique architectural monuments, picturesque nature and spiritual centers.
You shouldn’t think that autumn and winter are too cold to go on a trip to the Vologda region. On the contrary, with the onset of cold weather, the Russian North reveals itself in all its glory.
What to do in the region in autumn
Vologda
Vologda is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Russia. Autumn is a great time to stroll through the ancient quarters and admire the intricate carved frames: many examples of wooden architecture have been preserved here. You will be told more about this at the center of folk arts and crafts “Carved Palisade”.
On a chilly day, go wander around the museums, fortunately there are a lot of them in Vologda: for example, visit the Lace Museum, the “World of Forgotten Things” Museum, where the life of Vologda residents of the 19th-20th centuries is recreated, the house-museum of Peter I, the Zasetsky house. And take a look at the Vologda Kremlin, the history of which began back in 1567 at the behest of Ivan the Terrible. We definitely recommend climbing the bell tower and looking at the city from a bird’s eye view.
Monasteries and churches of the Vologda region
The region is considered a pilgrimage center of Russia for a reason: many ancient monasteries and churches are located on its territory. Autumn is a great time to travel to these places: after viewing the iconostases and old Russian architecture, you can always drink a cup of warm herbal tea or sbiten in the refectory.
The most interesting of the monasteries of the Vologda region are Kirillo-Belozersky (now a museum-reserve), Ferapontov-Belozersky (located on the UNESCO World Heritage List, this is the only fully preserved religious monument of the Russian North) and Spaso-Prilutsky. All of them were founded in the 14th century, when new spiritual centers were actively being built in the region, and all are located in very picturesque places, especially beautiful in the autumn. Each of the monasteries has its own unusual history of creation, development and life in Soviet times: for example, the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery had to serve as a transit prison for the dispossessed, who were transported to the northern Gulag camps, a military warehouse, a cinema and a home for the disabled.
Not far from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, on the banks of the Sheksna River, there is another architectural monument – Goritsky Resurrection Convent, founded in 1544. Many secrets of Russian rulers are connected with it: for example, it was founded by Princess Efrosinya Staritskaya, who was later accused of plotting against Ivan the Terrible and was forcibly drowned in Sheksna along with other nuns by order of the tsar. Then Boris Godunov’s daughter Ksenia was exiled to the monastery. And in 1739, an unknown noble girl was imprisoned here, who, as historians suggest, was Ekaterina Dolgorukova, the failed wife of Emperor Peter II. At the moment this monastery is active.
Another interesting religious building – the wooden Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Nelazkoe, built in 1694. This is a unique monument of architectural architecture, which, unfortunately, is now in disrepair and requires urgent restoration. Nevertheless, it’s worth coming here: there are fewer and fewer similar buildings left, and locals say that in a few years even this church may not exist.
Estates of the Vologda region
The history of the region is rich not only in religious figures: it was loved by many poets, writers and artists. For example, at the beginning of the last century, the poet Konstantin Batyushkov and the prose writer Alexander Kuprin lived in the village of Danilovskoye – there is the estate of the noble family of the Batyushkovs. This is a beautiful wooden building with an old terraced park on the river bank, near which there is a family cemetery of the former owners of the estate. In Cherepovets there is the Galsky estate, built in the 19th century in the style of provincial classicism, now a historical and ethnographic museum. It is famous for the fact that it has preserved not only the manor’s house, but also many other buildings, including the manager’s house, two people’s huts and a stable. The sky-blue building itself stands on the banks of the Sheksna, so it is often noticed by tourists sailing past on ships.
Photo: Sergei Afanasev/shutterstock.com
Brianchaninovs’ estate in Pokrovskoyewas built at the beginning of the 19th century in the style of early classicism. The estate includes the main house with outbuildings and galleries, the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Bryanchaninovs’ necropolis, a stable and a cellar, as well as an incredibly beautiful landscaped park with a pond. Old-timers advise visiting this park in the fall or in July, when the bells bloom.
Belozersky Kremlin
The architecture of the Belozersk Kremlin was partially lost (although some significant buildings were preserved, for example, the Transfiguration Cathedral). At the same time, the landscape has been preserved almost in its original form – for example, the rampart of 1487 still amazes with its scale. This is a picturesque place with a man-made pond, which is especially beautiful during the golden autumn. Among the attractions of Belozersk are the wooden Church of Elijah the Prophet, the Church of the All-Merciful Savior with well-preserved tiles and the Church of John the Baptist, presumably designed by the architect Vasily Bazhenov.
What to do in the region in winter
Fairy tale city Veliky Ustyug
Photo: cad_wizard/shutterstock.com
If you are traveling with children in winter, Veliky Ustyug is perhaps the best option for a short trip on New Year’s Eve: since 1999, the “Homeland of Father Frost” project has been implemented here. Here you can not only chat with fairy-tale characters of Russian folklore, but also enjoy all the delights of a winter holiday: ride in a team drawn by horses with bells, ride a sled or cheesecake down a hill, ride a snowmobile, see ice sculptures and chat with northern animals in a small zoo.
You can stay in the Votchina itself – in the guest houses. In the city itself, on Christmas Eve and Christmastide, mummers walk the streets, and local residents flock to the skating rink even at -40°C: the main thing is to dress warmly.
Themed New Year’s fun is not the only thing that attracts tourists to Veliky Ustyug. For example, 28 churches of the 17th-18th centuries have been preserved in the city (this despite the fact that now only 31 thousand Ustyun residents live in it), there has never been Lenin Street here, and in Ustyug it is also prohibited to build standard high-rise buildings. For antiquities, go to the temple complex of five churches, the Cathedral Court, the “gingerbread” church of Simeon the Stylite, the Trinity-Gledensky Monastery, famous for its impressive iconostasis, which took craftsmen and artists eight years to create.
Veliky Ustyug is also famous for its crafts: here you can buy souvenirs made from birch bark (as well as take a tour of the factory and make something yourself), blackened silver items are also made here.
Snow-White Totma
Totma is another ancient town in the Vologda region. It is included in the list of 40 especially valuable historical cities in Russia, which have preserved both the layout and most of the ancient buildings.
The calling card of Totma is its buildings in the “Totma Baroque” style, which look especially good in winter. It is worth visiting the Church of the Entrance to Jerusalem (it is currently not operational, there is a museum of sailors inside), Trinity in Zelenskaya Sloboda, the Nativity of Christ, the Resurrection in Varnitsy and the Assumption. There are also several examples of provincial classicism in the city – the Epiphany Cathedral and the Ascension Cathedral of the Spaso-Sumorin Monastery.
Architectural and Ethnographic Museum “Semenkovo”
A place that takes you into the atmosphere of a northern village of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Here you can see what kind of houses the peasants lived in, how they lived their lives, how they earned their living, and also take part in recreating some of the rituals of the northern peoples. Today the Semyonkovo ensemble includes two religious buildings, an estate, 12 houses, 17 utility blocks (barns, glaciers, baths, etc.).
Photo: hina/shutterstock.com
“Ancient Russian settlement Sugorye”
Another historical and ethnographic complex – “Sugorye” – recreates the life of the ancient Russians and Vikings. In ancient times, Sugorye was the name given to the hilly part of the Belozersk principality, located along the left bank of the Sheksna River. In the early Middle Ages, villages arose and developed here, where representatives of various Finno-Ugric and Slavic tribes lived together. Frequent guests in this region were the Scandinavian Vikings, who followed the Volga trade route “From the Varangians to the Arabs” for wealth and glory. The rich history of these lands inspired professional historians and reenactors to create a historical complex that allows tourists to get acquainted with the way of life of the population of medieval Belozerie, immerse themselves in the mysterious and majestic era of Ancient Rus’ and take a real journey through time. On the territory of the settlement, the courtyard and estate of the Sugorsky appanage prince of the period of the 11th-12th centuries with two-story log mansions on the basement, tower, and outbuildings was recreated, and the prince’s warriors greeted the guests.
In this open-air museum there are no exhibits under glass – you can touch everything, from an 11th-century battle ax to dishes and jewelry. In winter, here you can attend one of the thematic programs dedicated to the ancient traditions of calendar holidays, for example, the winter solstice “Yol-Karachun” or the celebration of Broad Maslenitsa.
Kubenskoye Lake
This is one of the most picturesque lakes in the Vologda region: about 30 rivers flow into it, but only one flows out. In the middle of this lake there is a small island on which stands the oldest monastery of the Russian North – Spaso-Kamenny. In winter, it can be reached by ice: the temperatures here are so low that there is no doubt about the strength of the ice crust.
