Veliky Ustyug is a town with a population of about 30,000 people located in the northeast of the Vologda region, 446 km from Vologda. In 1999, it was declared the birthplace of the All-Russian Father Frost.

Founded in 1147, Veliky Ustyug is one of the oldest towns in the Russian North that has preserved a rich cultural heritage, a popular tourist center. Covered with snow, the town looks especially picturesque on a clear sunny day. Veliky Ustyug on Google Maps. Photos by: Marina Lystseva.

walk around Veliky Ustyug

Tags: Veliky Ustyug city · Vologda oblast

Nelazskoye is a small village with a population of about 200 people located in the Cherepovets district of the Vologda region, about 30 km north-west of Cherepovets.

The main attraction of the village is the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady – a wooden church of unique shape built in 1694. Nelazskoye on Google Maps. Photos by: Denis Spirin.

beautiful monument of wooden architecture

Tags: Cherepovets city · churches · Vologda oblast

Today, Vytegra is a small town (since 1773) with a population of about 10,000 people standing on the banks of the Vytegra River, 337 km north-west of Vologda, in the Vologda region.

You can see how this place looked like 108 years ago, in 1909. It is possible due to unique color photographs made by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky. Source.

General view of Vytegra and the Vytegra River.

back to the past

Tags: Russian Empire · Vologda oblast

Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, situated on the shore of Lake Siverskoye in the town of Kirillov of the Vologda region, is the largest monastery in ​​Europe.

In the 15th-17th centuries, it was one of the largest and richest monasteries in Russia, the spiritual center of the Russian North. In 1924, the monastery was turned into a historical, architectural and art museum-reserve. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

fly over the monastery

Tags: Vologda oblast

Architectural and Ethnographic Museum of the Vologda region “Semyonkovo” invites you into the world of the Russian village of the late 19th – the early 20th centuries. Here you can learn more about the traditions, cultural background, and mentality of the Russian people.

The museum was opened in 1979. It is a monument of national value. The museum covers an area of 12.7 hectares and has a lot of monuments of wooden architecture of the middle 19th – the early 20th centuries. Photos by Denis Spirin

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Tags: museum · Vologda oblast

Belozersk is one of the oldest towns in Russia. It was first mentioned in 862 as Beloozero (“White Lake”). The town was located away from the present day Belozersk, on the northern shore of Beloye Lake, near the village Kisnema.

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Tags: churches · Vologda oblast

The second part of photos captured in several villages of Kich-Gorodetsky district of Vologda oblast by Olya Ivanova (Part 1)

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Tags: Vologda oblast

Totma is a small town located in Vologda oblast of Russia, about 215 km northeast of Vologda city. The settlement was first time mentioned in the year of 1137. Totma is known for several unique and unusual churches. The following beautiful winter views of Totma town were captured by Petr Ushanov.

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Tags: churches · Vologda oblast

Spaso-Prilutsky monastery is an Orthodox monastery located in Vologda oblast of Russia. The monastery was founded in the year of 1371. It is one of the most ancient and largest monasteries of Russian North. The photos of the monastery were captured by John Sinterson.

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Tags: monastery · Vologda oblast

Ferapontov monastery located in Kirillovsky district of Vologda oblast is Russian historical and cultural monument of state importance. The monastery is in the list of UNESCO World Heritage and is one of the main places of interest of the region. The following photos of Ferapontov monastery were captured by av_otus.

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Tags: monastery · Vologda oblast