A brief history
Foundation of the city of Vologda - 1147.
Foundation of an administrative centre - September 23, 1937.
The history of the city of Vologda begins with the Trinity Monastery raised by the monk Gerasim. This fact was first mentioned in 1147 in the life description of Reverend Gerasim. And the year 1147 is considered to be the foundation date of Vologda. Vologda takes its name from the Vologda River which flows through the city. Its name means "the pure one" in the language of indigenous Finno-Ugric population.
The advantageous geographical location at the intersection of waterways made the city of Vologda an apple of discord in the 13th and 15th centuries. Late in the 14th century Moscow's grand prince Vasily Dmitrievich annexed Vologda to his possessions. Since then Vologda became an appanage of Moscow's princes.
Many princes came to Vologda at that time. And the purpose of their visits was different. Some of them visited the city with good intentions, others robbed, burnt and ravaged the city. But Vologda stood all the adversities and rebuilt the damaged territory. Fortifications, bridges, houses, churches, trade and industrial premises were originally built of wood. Throughout five centuries the Resurrection Church situated on Lenivaya Square was the centre of the city. Stone buildings were erected in the 16th and 17th centuries. The oldest among them is the St.Sophia Cathedral that was founded under tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1565-1570.
The reign of Ivan the Terrible led to the rapid expansion of Vologda. Vologda grew and quickly became one of the most important trade centres of Russia. At that time the city dealt with Siberia via the Sukhona river and the Vychegda, with England, Holland and other countries where the navy routes were laid through the White Sea.
In the 16th century Vologda witnessed a trade boon. Some foreign merchants opened their offices in Vologda. This is what a British trade agent wrote about Vologda in 1554: "This is a big city in the heart of Russia, surrounded by many good cities and towns. There is an abundance of bread here. Nearly every Russian city trades with Vologda."
Ivan the Terrible visited Vologda on several occasions. He wanted to set up a new residence in the city. A wooden palace and a church were built for the tsar family. 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. Unfortunately the Mongolian invasion in 1571-1572 into Moscow damaged the construction of the Vologda Kremlin that could compare well with the Moscow Kremlin. A legend says that the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible was eager to include Vologda in his private domain or oprichnina (special administrative élite). But something ill-omened occurred: a piece of brick accidentally fell onto the Tsar's head, and he made his getaway to Moscow.
During the interregnum known as the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century the city and the outskirts of it were devastated.
The reign of Michael, first tsar of the Romanov Dynasty was a good time for Vologda. With the return to prosperous trade with Western Europe in the 17th century, the Vologda Kremlin was rebuilt.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the city of Vologda was situated on the both banks of the Vologda River including the Kremlin and 3 posads (craftsmen's districts). The Kremlin was an administrative and trade centre of the city. It also became a military outpost. And it was from the Vologda Kremlin that Peter I started his war compaigns against Sweden which were crowned by glorious victories of the Russian Army and the foundation of St.Peterdburg. The warehouses of Vologda stored military outfit and technical equipment which were brought from Moscow to be transferred to Arkhangelsk where Peter the Great planned to built new fortresses and shipbuilding yards for the Russian navy.
Peter I contributed greatly to the city's heritage. By the middle of the 17th century, Vologda was enjoying great prosperity. It boasted highly developed flax and wood processing, tanning industry and blacksmith's work.
Under the decree of Catherine II Vologda became a centre of the Vologda gubernia (province).
Though over the following centuries the city has been modified and renovated, the administrative buildings, stone and wooden mansions raised in the 19th century are restored to their original appearance. Construction of a railway line connecting Vologda and Yaroslavl in 1872 boosted the city's development.
Early in the 20th century Vologda became an industrial centre of Russia's North-West. It focused on tanning industry, cloth, sugar and rope production. A locomotive depot, water supply system, telephone office, electric power station were built in the city. Vologda achieved renown of a city of skilled craftsmen. Original and distinctive is lace making.
Now Vologda is an administrative centre with a population of 300,000 people. Vologda's highly skilled workers are employed primarily in industrial plants, service, education, medicine and culture. Produce of the city's enterprises is in high demand in Russia, and has a ready export market in the USA, Finland, Holland, Germany, England and other countries.
The city has become home to the Russian theatrical festival "Voices of History", art festival "Russian North" and numerous exhibitions. No account of Vologda would be complete without mentioning exhibition and fair activity that is held in the city.
There are 224 monuments of history, architecture and culture on the territiry of Vologda (128 monuments are protected by the state).
Vologda is put on the list of 116 Russian cities of priceless historic heritage.
Outstanding events in the history of Vologda
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1147 | Vologda is first described by a chronicler, Gerasim Monastery of the Trinity is founded |
| 1203 | Vologda belongs to Veliky Novgorod |
| 1273 | Prince of Tver Svyatoslav Yaroslavich and Tatar army assault Vologda |
| 1335 | The fortified part of the city is hit by fire |
| 1371 | Spaso - Prilutsky Monastery is founded |
| 1390 | Moscow army occupies Vologda |
| 1397 | Govenor - general from the grand duchy is sent to the city |
| 1481 | Vologda uyezd belongs to the Moscow State |
| 1492 | Vologda becomes a member of the Perm diocese and home to bishops of Vologda and Perm |
| 1555 | Local merchants leave for Kholmogory to trade with foreign guests |
| 20 July 1556 | Osip Nepei (Vologda born), the first Russian ambassador, sails to Great Britain |
| 1565 | Vologda is assigned to oprichnina (special administrative elite under tsar Ivan the Terrible) |
| 23 April 1567 | Tsar Ivan the Terrible arrives in Vologda to supervise the city construction and laying of stone walls |
| 1568-1570 | The Sophia Cathedral is built |
| 1612, September | Poles and Lithuanians invade Vologda and burn the city |
| 1627-1628 | Cadastres of the city of Vologda are assembled |
| 1671-1675 | Stone walls and towers of the Vologda Kremlin are built |
| 1691 | Peter I arrives in Vologda and issues an edict on foreign trade privileges |
| 1780 | Coat-of-arms of the towns and cities belonging to the Vologda region are confirmed |
| 1788 | A bank opens in Vologda for the first time ever |
| 1796 | Vologda region ruled by governor is abolished; Vologda gubernia is formed |
| 1812, October | Values of the Moscow Kremlin, the patriarchal sacristy and Troitse - Sergeeva Lavra are taken to Vologda to be preserved there |
| 1871 | City Duma and City Council are formed |
| 1872, June | Railway traffic between Vologda and Yaroslavl is started |
| 1897, November | Train service between Vologda and Arkhangelsk is launched |
| 1898 | Telephone exchange and water - pipe start working in Vologda |
| 1 February 1904 | Electric power station is launched |
| 1911, September | Vologda Dairy Institute is opened |
| 1918, February | Diplomatic corps moves from Petrograd to Vologda |
| 15 October 1930 | State Pedagogical Institute of the North Region opens in Vologda |
| 1935, December | Construction of flax-scutching mill begins |
| 12 February 1954 | Picture gallery is offically opened |
| 30 December 1961 | National television starts working in Vologda |
| 23 January 1971 | First ball bearing is produced by the state-run bearing plant |
| 28 December 1974 | Drama theatre invites spectators to a new building |
| 4 October 1976 | First trolley-bus route is laid |
| 1978, November | Restoration works of the most stately church of the city - St.Sophia Cathedral - are completed |
| 1 March 1981 | New building of an airport opens |
| 22 July 1982 | The city is awarded order of the October Revolution for a significant contribution to the victory in the Great Patriotic War, economic and cultural development |
| 28 May 1987 | Monument to the poet K.Batyushkov is officially opened near Sobornaya hill |
| 14 November 1991 | Reform of local self-government begins |
| 31 March 1996 | The first trolley-bus is produced by the joint Russian-Czech enterprise |
| 1999, May | Construction of a bypass route |
| 2001, March | Authors of the General plan of the city are awarded a medal of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction |
| 28 April 2001 | Russian President Vladimir Putin makes an official visit to Vologda |