"In the house with the carved fence..." How much do we know about Vologda?
Vologda is one of the oldest cities in Russia. The first mention dates back to the middle of the twelfth century. More than a hundred years later (by the end of the 14th century), Vologda became part of the Muscovite Principality.
The city takes its name from the name of the eponymous river, with merchants trading throughout northern Russia moving ships along the river, and in the 16th century, during the reign of Ivan IV, the main trade routes led to the White Sea and further afield to England and the Netherlands.
By the way, Ivan the Terrible originally intended to move the capital of the kingdom to Vologda, but after he was almost knocked down by bricks that fell from the walls of an unfinished temple, the superstitious Tsar changed his mind and decided to go with the court.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the city developed positively. The master plan for urban development was approved. At the end of the 18th century, the first public bank in Russia opened in Vologda. At the same time, the city erected the first stone bridge across the Zolotuha River. 100 years later, Russia's first pawnshop was opened in Vologda.
Also in the 19th century, landscaping the city of Vologda Lace and Vologda oil appeared.
Lace Making came to Vologda from abroad, but was quickly mastered and gained its own uniqueness. Vologda's lace products have been highly acclaimed more than once at various international trade fairs.
In Vologda, you can even buy lace pistol holsters.
Vologda butter is based on a recipe invented by Nikolai Vereshchagin about 200 years ago. He also founded Russia's first dairy school and the oil mill in Vologda. The secret of the oil lies in the special nature of the herbs that vologda cows graze, as well as the boiled cream, the main ingredient of the famous oil.
Stalin exiled Vologda from 1911 to 1912. In 1918, Vologda became the "diplomatic capital of Russia" – 11 embassies worked here. Today, for example, the Museum of Diplomatic Missions is home to the U.S. Embassy.
For the first time, a famous song about Vologda was performed in the Column Hall. Concerts are broadcast live on radio and television, and for such events, a very serious audience is usually chosen to avoid any excessive behavior. Such concerts do not mean that there is any deviation from the strictly approved program, nor does it mean that they will play Encore. However, after "Pesnyary" sang their hit song for the first time, the audience erupted into such long applause, accompanied by shouts of "Do It Again" that they were finally allowed to sing the song again.
In Vologda, it is common to build churches in pairs typical of northern Russia - big cold (summer) and small warm (winter).
The bell tower of the Church of St. Nicholas Vologda is the local "Leaning Tower of Pisa", the slope of which is visible to the naked eye.
Overall, there are about 230 historical relics and monuments in the city, more than half of which are officially protected by the state.
Today, Vologda is included in the list of cities of particular value in the Russian Federation for its numerous cultural and historical monuments.
In terms of tourism potential, Vologda and Vologda Oblast rank eleventh in Russia.
