The old Russian Vologda is a real tourist gem, capable of offering a rich excursion program. Who has not heard of the famous Vologda lace and magnificent wooden estates scattered throughout the city? Also, delicious Vologda oil and carved palisades sung in a popular song are no less famous.
The city has a large number of churches built in different architectural styles - from Russian ornamental patterns to strict classicism. For lovers of historical buildings, a walk through the city center will turn into a sheer pleasure, with colorful domes, powerful walls and quaint frames of picturesque wooden mansions appearing in front of their eyes.
The best hotels and hotels at affordable prices.
from 500 rubles / day
What to see and where to go in Vologda?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Kremlin Square and Vologda Kremlin
Kremlin Square is the heart of Vologda and its historical center. Surprisingly, until 1947 it was paved with wood, despite the fact that the first buildings appeared here during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Only for the 800th anniversary of the city was it laid out with a stone. The ensemble of the square includes three Orthodox churches and the main architectural dominant - the Vologda Kremlin. The construction of the fortress began in the 16th century for defensive purposes. By 1820, most of the fortifications were dismantled, since by that time the structure had already lost its significance. The total length of the fortress walls once exceeded 3 thousand meters. Today the Vologda Kremlin is called the complex of the Bishops' Court of the 17th century.
Revolution square
The central square of the city, located within the historic district of Nizhny Posad. It arose in 1918 as a result of the unification of the Sennaya, Spasskaya and Aleksandrovskaya squares. In the 17th century, several churches were built here, destroyed by the USSR. Today the place is adorned with monuments of the Soviet era: the Eternal Flame memorial and a stone obelisk called "Tooth" - a monument to the heroes of the Civil War.
Vologda wooden architecture
It is customary to call the Vologda wooden architecture a group of urban planning styles (modern, classical and empire style) that prevailed in urban planning at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 20th centuries. The wooden houses built during this period are reasonably well preserved. Today there are more than 100 of them, many of them are significant monuments. Among the buildings are peasant huts, merchant mansions and dwellings of the bourgeois class.
Sophia Cathedral
A religious building from the era of Ivan IV the Terrible, the oldest stone building in Vologda. It was cocked by order of the king. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the frescoes and iconostasis of the 17th century have been preserved almost intact inside. The temple belongs to the cross-domed architectural type. Due to its indisputable historical value, the building was not destroyed during the Soviet era. Today, there is a museum on the territory of the cathedral.
Resurrection Cathedral
Temple of the XVIII century, built in the Baroque style under Archbishop Joseph II of Gold. The interior was renovated in the first half of the 19th century, so the original wall painting has not survived. The cathedral was abolished in 1938, and only in 2016 it was handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church again, after which regular services were resumed. The building is a valuable architectural monument and an object of cultural significance.
Alexander Nevsky Church
A brick church built in the 18th century, originally consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and subsequently re-consecrated in connection with the rescue of Emperor Alexander II in 1866 after an attempt on his life by conspirators. The structure was built in the classical manner of "octagon on a four-sided" and crowned with a spire characteristic of Vologda churches. Inside, valuable icons are kept, among which there is an image of Alexander Nevsky with a particle of his relics.
Temple of Constantine and Helena
A picturesque church of the late 17th century, erected in the style of Moscow architecture - Russian pattern. This style was distinguished by the presence of five domes, crowning the quadrangle on a vast basement, and a tent-shaped bell tower from several tiers. The church contains icons of the 15th-18th centuries. It is believed that as far back as 1503, a wooden church built under Ivan III stood on the site of a modern building.
Church of Varlaam Khutynsky
A building in the graceful manner of early classicism, erected in 1780 at the expense of the merchant Uzdennikov instead of a dilapidated stone church. The architect of the church is unknown, but experts suggest that he could well have been a Petersburg master, since the construction clearly shows secular palace features, which are not at all characteristic of the strict religious architecture of Vologda.
Church of the Intercession on Kozlen
The building was built in the Moscow Baroque style in 1710. It is notable for the fact that inside there are unique frescoes created by the artisans of the Yaroslavl school. Later paintings date back to the 19th - early 20th centuries. The first mention of the Church of the Intercession on Kozlen dates back to 1612. According to the surviving sources, the earlier temple was burned by the Lithuanian invaders during the Time of Troubles.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Vladychnaya Sloboda
Along with the St. Sophia Cathedral and the Church of Dmitry Prilutsky on Navoloka, this temple is considered one of the first stone buildings in Vologda. From an architectural point of view, it is a typical settlement for the city, which was built in the 17th century. The interior space is decorated in the Baroque style with characteristic ornamental molding, arches and vaults, which are usually inherent in this style.
Church of the Presentation
The building was erected in 1735 and rebuilt in 1830. It is distinguished by an architectural style that is rare for Vologda - a mixture of Russian Baroque (the main building) and pseudo-Gothic (bell tower). From here come several famous icons that are now in major museums: "The Last Supper", "Beheading of John the Baptist", "Lamentation", "Descent into Hell" and other works of art.
Church of Dimitry Prilutsky on Navoloka
An architectural monument of the middle of the 17th century, which is considered one of the most valuable in Vologda. The church was named in honor of D. Prilutsky - the founder of the Savior-Prilutsky monastery. The earliest mention of the temple dates back to 1618. Inside the building, there are preserved frescoes of the 18th century, created under the influence of the Yaroslavl school. Some images contain scenes from the life of Dmitry Prilutsky.
Spaso-Prilutsky monastery
Orthodox male monastery, leading its history from the XIV century. It was founded by St. Dmitry Prilutsky, a disciple and associate of Sergius of Radonezh. The monastery is one of the most ancient and revered in the Russian North. Its complex includes churches - architectural monuments of the XVI-XVIII centuries. In 1926 the monastery was closed, in the 1930s it was used as a prison. Only in 1992 it was returned to the believers again.
Gorne-Uspensky monastery
The women's monastery, which functioned from 1590 to 1924. It was founded by Domnikia, a nun and an eldress. Initially, all buildings were made of wood; the first stone structure was erected in the second half of the 17th century. Two centuries later, a school and an orphanage were opened at the monastery. At the moment, the complex is in the process of restoration - some of its parts have been completely restored, while others have been lost forever.
Lace Museum
Vologda lace is a well-known tourist brand that plays a key role in the theme of many excursions along with wooden architecture. The museum dedicated to this craft is unique in terms of size and composition of the exposition.His collection contains not only the works of local craftswomen, but also exhibits that tell about the world history of lace craftsmanship, magnificent costumes, home textiles, jewelry and paintings.
Museum "World of Forgotten Things"
The exposition of the museum is dedicated to the pre-revolutionary Vologda, the culture and life of various segments of the urban population. In the halls you can admire the interiors of the 19th century and various objects that were in use more than 100 years ago and give an idea of how people lived in that era. The extensive collection is spread over three floors and consists of old photographs, heirlooms, furniture, and interior items.
Museum "Vologda Link"
In tsarist Russia, Vologda was one of the places where prisoners were exiled. In 2007, in a wooden house on the street. Maria Ulyanova opened a museum dedicated to this phenomenon. The building is notable for the fact that in 1911-12, for several months, IV Stalin, who was in exile, lived here. The exposition tells about famous political prisoners and their activities.
Museum “Literature. Art. Century XX "
The museum exposition is located on the territory of the former mansion of the merchant Sitnikov - a monument of the Vologda wooden architecture of the 19th century. The collection is entirely devoted to the life and career of two artists: the composer V.A.Gavrilin and the poet N.M. Rubtsov, who dedicated many of their works to the Russian North. The collection is a branch of the Vologda Museum-Reserve.
Vologda Drama Theater
The theater was founded in 1849 (it is considered the oldest in Vologda). Since then, he managed to change several buildings. At the moment, the stage is located in a building built in 1974, which has all the signs of Soviet monumental architecture. The project was developed by a Moscow team of designers and engineers specializing in the construction of buildings for shows and sporting events.
Gallery "Red Bridge"
An art museum, opened in 2003, in which the creators have collected works by artists of various styles: representatives of realism, underground, symbolism and other progressive trends. In addition to paintings, photographs and modern art objects are exhibited here. The collection contains about 1000 exhibits in total. The museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions of local, Russian and foreign authors.
Monument to the letter "O"
An unusual monument is located in one of the city squares. It symbolizes a kind of Vologda dialect, where the emphasis is on the letter "o". Thanks to this distinctive feature, Vologda residents are recognized throughout Russia. The sculpture was erected at the initiative of the students of the Institute of Business in 2012 in honor of the 865th anniversary of the founding of the city. It is made of metal lace and reaches a height of 2.5 meters.
Monument to K.N. Batyushkov
Poet K. N. Batyushkov - a native of Vologda, teacher of the genius of Russian literature A. S. Pushkin. Grateful descendants erected a monument to him in 1987. The composition consists of the figure of Batyushkov himself, dressed in the fashion of the Pushkin era, and a horse (apparently, the sculptor thus decided to hint at the participation of Konstantin Nikolaevich in the 1812 campaign of the year). Both statues stand on a granite pedestal.
Monument to the Electric Lantern
The monument was erected in 2004 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the electrification of the city (in 1904, the first power plant was put into operation here). The creator's idea is very original and controversial, since it is a lamppost and the figure of a dog peeing on it. But the residents accepted this composition without question, apparently due to the presence of a healthy sense of humor, since it is impossible to take this creation seriously.
House of Peter I
A small building of the 17th century, where Peter the Great stayed several times during his visits to Vologda. The house belonged to the Dutch merchant John Gutman. Stoves covered with 300-year-old tiles have been preserved inside. In 1872, the very first museum in the city was founded here. Today, his collection consists of personal belongings of the ruler, as well as utensils and furniture of the 17th-18th centuries.
Shalamovsky house
A two-storey stone building where VT Shalamov lived in 1907-24, a poet and writer who became famous for his work "Kolyma Tales". The museum was founded in 1991. The collection is dedicated to the life and work of the author. Here are collected his personal belongings, documents, records, publications. The building itself was erected in the 18th century and is considered an architectural monument.
House of Puzan-Puzyrevsky
The house is a wooden manor built in 1823. Until 1918, the US Embassy was located on its territory, after which the head of the diplomatic mission himself lived here for a couple of years with his family. In the period 1997-2012, a museum worked in the estate. The building is a valuable monument of wooden architecture. At the moment it is not in the best condition.
House of the Zasetskikh
A monument of wooden architecture, built at the end of the 18th century and reconstructed in the 19th century. It is the oldest wooden building preserved on the territory of Vologda. The Zasetskikh House is a one-story mansion with a classic portico and a mezzanine; a row of wide windows is framed by skillfully carved platbands. Once the building belonged to an eminent noble family.
House of the merchant Samarin
A city manor house of the early XX century, on the territory of which the museum is located. The house is a rare surviving example of this type of building. More than 100 years ago, it housed living quarters, a retail store and rented rooms. Today, the exposition, consisting of photographs, household items and documents, will tell the visitor about the traditional life of a merchant family.
Semyonkovo
Ethnographic Museum located in the village of the same name. It is a collection of wooden architecture monuments dating back to the 19th-20th centuries. Houses were brought to the territory of the exposition from remote areas of the Vologda region. The museum opened in 1979. Its main goal was to preserve the unique architecture and study the ethnographic heritage of the Russian North.
The Bryanchaninovs' estate
A noble mansion in the village of Pokrovskoye, built at the beginning of the 19th century. The style of construction can be defined as early classicism. The estate was the family estate of the Brianchaninov family until 1918, when the owners left Russia. Since 1924, there was a sanatorium on its territory, which worked until the 1990s. In 2009, the next restoration of the estate was completed, after which a cultural and educational center was opened in it.
