Mass Media Overview
Dicsover a winter wonderland
12.01.2010 09:27
The Moscow News N 50/29 December-18 January
From Ded Moroz's hometown of Veliky Ustyug to rustic villages, Vologda has much to offer the discerning visitor
The Vologda Region has a remarkable place on Russia's tourist map. With a unique cultural and historical heritage, the region, abundant with architectural monuments and arts, has great tourism potential.
Tourism has been an important tool for improving the region's economy and community and conserving and restoring historical areas. Even in the current economic difficulties, visitors to Vologda have not decreased - according to preliminary estimates, this year more than 1.36 million visitors came to our region, a figure higher than 2008.
The hospitality sector is growing accordingly, hiring more people and revitalising related industries. This industry is becoming more profitable and much is being done to attract investors to this area.
For example, the project "Veliky Ustyug, the home of Ded Moroz" was created on the initiative of Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov and Vologda Governor Vyacheslav Pozgalyov in 1998. This ambitious project combines educational and economic objectives, involving national traditions and patriotic values. Veliky Ustyug is of course at its best in the winter -it's impossible not to fall in love with it at first sight when it is covered by pure-white snow. Needless to say, the attraction has become highly popular with Russian tourists.
The project has support at the highest level - President Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the State Duma give their full support to the project. In 10 years, the number of tourists to Veliky Ustyug has increased tenfold. The profitability of this project makes it very attractive for investors - and we look forward to much more development in the years ahead.
In the run-up to New Year's, Veliky Ustyug's famous envoy, Ded Moroz, completes his tours of Russia and foreign countries. The name "Veliky Ustyug" is pronounced in many languages, and thanks to Ded Moroz, many of the places he visited have expressed a desire not only to have him back again, but also to do business together with the Vologda Region.
Kostroma Governor Igor Slyunyaev has presented the Veliky Ustyug zoo with several elk calves. The zoo, an affiliate of the Moscow Zoo, is home not only to elks - not long ago, Ded Moroz got a pair of adorable husky puppies for his birthday. At the moment, more than two dozen kinds of animals and birds are at the zoo, and to the delight of children, the zoo announced plans to build a special area where children can mingle with the animals, pet them and ride on ponies, reindeer and dog sleds.
Tourism has become a powerful and attractive economic factor in the region. Considering how much success Veliky Ustyug has had, other areas do not want to be idle and are searching for new approaches to benefit from increased tourism to their region.
There are already several areas uniting in the cause of tourism. One area is "Byelo Ozero" (White Lake), which combines the Kirillovsky, Belozersky and Vashkinsky areas. The Kirillovsky district is at the centre, and already 45 per cent of the area's economy is based on tourism and service-related sectors.
For ages, the leading brand of the region was Vologda Butter. The concept of Vologda Butter is well-known not only to Russians all over but to foreigners as well, and the Gryazovetsk area has begun building a new interactive museum called "Dairy Village".
The service and technology of tourist ships in the Volga-Baltic waterway has improved significantly, and this has added to the momentum of growing tourism in the Onego lake area. The quaint originality of the Sizma village often surprises visitors to this tiny settlement, 110 kilometres from Vologda. There are barely 300 residents here, but more than 2,000 visitors come to this unique village each month. The villagers will show you the old traditional utensils used in Russian peasant life - such as locally-made chests, samovars, spinning wheels, towels and boxes. There are also tours, games and puzzles, all in the local dialect. Tourism in Vologda is varied - there's a perfect choice for every visitor. For those curious to delve into Russian history, Vologda is an ancient Russian land at the heart and soul of national culture. If you are interested in historical architecture, you can visit the famous Spaso-Prilutsky, Spaso-Kamenny and Kirillo-Belozersky monasteries.
There is something for everyone here; every nook and cranny of Vologda is distinctive and unique. We invite you to take an unforgettable trip through our wide and beautiful land!