Vologda

General Information

Vologda is an administrative centre of the oblast. The first reference to Vologda dates back to 1147. That is why Vologda is called Moscow's contemporary.

Territory: 11,6 thousand hectares

Population: 300,000 people

Location: 460 km to the north of Moscow, 600 km to the south-east of St.Petersburg

Geographic coordinates: latitude 59° 13", longitude 39° 53"

Transport: a railway station, an airport, a network of highways

River communication: an access to the White Sea via the Vologda river, the Sukhona and the Northern Dvina; an access to the Caspian, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean via the Northern Dvina Channel and the Volga-Baltic water system.

A legend says that the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible was going to make Vologda the capital of Russia in the XVIth century. The construction of a "brick town" in Vologda was launched by Ivan the Terrible in 1566. The Vologda Kremlin was originally meant to become a Tsar Residence since Ivan IV wanted to secure himself from a probable rebellion. But something ill-omened occurred: a piece of brick accidentally fell onto the Tsar's head, and he made his getaway to Moscow.

The whole history of Russia might have gone a different way...

The construction of the St.Sophia Cathedral was suspended. It was completed only in the 1630s. Nonetheless, the Vologodians are glad that their native town has not become Russia's capital, - Vologda has preserved intact its historical character, architecture and its original northern style.

The Vologda Kremlin is the chief historical monument and remarkably beautiful ensemble of the past.

Majestic St. Sophia cathedral was built in the pure Byzantine style, while the church tower nearby was built by a European architect in the Gothic style. It must be noted though, it is topped not with the Gothic steeple, but with the Orthodox "onion" cupola. The two architectural styles, Byzantine and Gothic, co-existed and were apprehended as the signs of the times.

Peter the Great paid much attention to Vologda, especially before Petersburg was laid. However, with the upraise of Petersburg Vologda's significance as a major transport juncture was considerably reduced. At the same time Peter the Great favoured greatly the industrial development of Russia, hence the construction of a number of industrial enterprises in Vologda.

In February, 1918, when "The Brest Truce" had already been established in the war of Russia against Germany, Sir David R. Francis, the then Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary US Ambassador to Russia, came to Vologda. Diplomatic representatives from Japan, China, Siam, and Brazil came along with him.

The decision to stay in Vologda instead of Moscow was made by the US Embassy due to US legal non-recognition of the Soviet Government and discord with the conclusion of Russia's separate peace treaty with Germany. In spite of repeated requests made by Moscow Soviet officials the foreign diplomatic delegation stayed in Vologda till July, 1918 when embassies moved on towards Arkhangelsk.

Foreigners played an important role in the development of the pre-Revolutionary Vologda. A Dane by origin, Theodore Buhmann and his wife Ida introduced rationalism of European science on dairy cattle raising into the Vologda steady way of life. On the site of Buhmann's estate, in 1911 the Russian government founded a specialized Dairy Institute with excellent for those times laboratories and a campus. The Buhmann family's contribution to the development of dairy cattle raising in the Vologda oblast is well-known and publicly recognized. Thanks to their efforts the technology of dairy products processing was perfected.

The famous in Russia "Vologda butter" is also connected with the Buhmann name. In the last century Russian scientist N. Vereshchagin opened a school for peasants in Ida Buhmann's country house and began experiments with dairy sub-products.

Vologda lace has won deserved fame and worldwide recognition for its high artistic value, rich ornament, and excellent workmanship. The earliest laces which have reached us date back to the 17th century. The lace woven from golden and silver threads decorated rich civilian and church garments and was mostly used by the nobility.

By the middle of the 19th century laces had become widely traded. At the beginning of the 20th century Vologda lace gained its distinctive artistic and stylistic features.

At the World Fair in Paris in 1937 the Vologda Lace Association was awarded Grand Prix for the novelty and artistry of its lace articles; at the Brussels Exhibition in 1958 Vologda lace was awarded Gold Medal.

Another popular handicraft, wood-carving, has been practised by Vologodians long since. Carving used to adorn window casings and porches. The art of carvers was so intricate and inventive that there were hardly two patterns alike. Today Vologda preserves fond memory of the past - cosy wooden houses are still can be seen in the streets of the town.

Vologda is the largest in the oblast and one of the most important in the North of Russia junctions of railways, automobile roads and airways. Vologda is a river port which stands on the river with the same name.

Vologda is not only a city of historical and cultural importance It is a major industrial town with numerous enterprises many of which are known for unique technologies and products having no analogues abroad.

Vologda is a machine building and metal processing centre of the oblast. The Vologda optical and mechanical plant, the bearing factory, and the machine-building plant are chief representatives of this industry.

The Vologda lace firm "Snezhinka" is the biggest in Russia. The firm produces lace items woven from flax threads.

There is also a number of food enterprises, the biggest being the Vologda Bakery, the Vologda Dairy, and the greenhouse company "Teplichny".

The development of Vologda small and medium-size businesses is boosting considerably.

Vologda is famous for the industrious and talented people it raised. Small wonder, the first Russian ambassador to Great Britain was born and brought up in Vologda.