The Vologda Oblast is a constituent entity of the Russian Federation,
part of the Northwestern Federal District. The area is 144,527 km², the
population is 1,128,580 people. (2023).
The administrative center
is the city of Vologda (313,944 people). The distance from Vologda to
Moscow is 465 km.
Northwest
Vytegorsky, Belozersky, Vashkinsky and Kirillovsky
districts.
Central part
Vologda, Ust-Kubinsky, Vozhegodsky,
Kharovsky, Syamzhensky, Sokolsky, Mezhdurechensky and Gryazovetsky
districts.
East
Verkhovazhsky, Totemsky, Babushkinsky,
Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky, Velikoustyugsky, Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky and
Nikolsky districts.
Southwest
Chagodoshchensky, Ustyuzhensky,
Kaduysky, Cherepovets, Babaevsky and Sheksninsky districts
Vologda is the administrative center of
the region. It has its own Kremlin, many old churches and, of course,
carved palisades.
Belozersk is one of
the oldest cities in Russia, located on the White Lake and once famous
for its fishing industry.
Veliky Ustyug
is an ancient Russian city, "the birthplace of Father Frost".
Vytegra is a city on the Volga-Baltic Canal,
15 km south of Lake Onega.
Kadnikov
Kirillov
is a city on Lake Siverskoye, where the largest in terms of area in
Russia, the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery is located.
Tot'ma is a city on the Sukhona River on the
way between Vologda and Veliky Ustyug, interesting for its architecture
(including the temple) and the status of the homeland of Russian
explorers and sailors who mastered Siberia and Russian America.
Ustyuzhna is the city where the metallurgical industry of Russia was
born and the action of Gogol's "Inspector General" took place.
Cherepovets is an industrial city in the
north of the Rybinsk Reservoir on the Sheksna River.
Russian North National Park
Darwin State Reserve
the village
of Nelazskoye - the Assumption Church (1694), an outstanding
monument of wooden architecture
town Kaduy
In the Vologda region, as in the original Russian land, all
residents speak Russian. However, visitors who are not accustomed to
the northern dialect will find it unusual to pronounce the
unstressed vowel o - the so-called okanye, as well as some other
features inherent in the dialects of the Vologda group of the
Northern Russian dialect. From the locals you can also hear dialect
words unknown to the literary language.
A small group of the
indigenous population - the Vepsians - lives on the territory of the
region. However, there are only about 400 of them, and a traveler
who does not set himself the practical task of hearing Veps speech
is unlikely to succeed.
By plane
Air traffic in the Vologda Oblast, despite the long
distances and isolation of the region, is extremely poorly developed.
Throughout the region, there are only two sufficiently large airports
that you can fly to from other cities.
The first of these is
Cherepovets International Airport (IATA:CEE), which is the base for
Severstal Airlines. Medium-class planes of this airline only fly to
Cherepovets from several cities in Russia and even from Helsinki. In
summer there are seasonal flights from the resort cities of Russia and
charters from the Bulgarian Burgas.
Since 2014, the Vologda
airport has resumed its work. The Vologda Aviation Enterprise on three
Yak-40 aircraft, two or three times a week, operates flights from
Moscow, St. Petersburg, as well as from the territory of the region from
Veliky Ustyug.
By train
More than 5 trains run daily from
Moscow to Vologda from the Yaroslavsky railway station. Travel time from
7 to 9 hours. From St. Petersburg 3-4 trains per day. Travel time from
11 hours
The subject was formed on September 23, 1937 by the decision of the
Central Executive Committee of the USSR "On the division of the Northern
region into the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions."
Until the 15th
century, the western regions of the present Vologda region were part of
the Novgorod land, and the central and eastern lands were first part of
the Rostov Principality, and then the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
At
the end of the 15th century, the Vologda district was created (counties
were the main administrative-territorial units of the state).
Since 1708, the territory was included in the Arkhangelsk province and
the Ingermanland province, and since 1727 the western part was included
in the Novgorod province. In 1780, the three provinces of the
Arkhangelsk province Vologda, Veliky Ustyug and Arkhangelsk were
transformed into regions and included in the Vologda viceroy, and in
1796 the Vologda province was formed from the southern and southeastern
parts of the territory of the Vologda viceroy.
The Decree of the
All-Russian Central Executive Committee of January 27, 1918 established
that the borders of the provinces were determined by the decision of the
Councils of these territories.
On March 26, 1918, in the city of
Cherepovets, at the congress of representatives of the Soviets of 5
districts of the Novgorod province: Tikhvin, Ustyuzhensky, Cherepovets,
Kirillovsky and Belozersky, the Cherepovets province was established (I.
V. Timokhin was elected the first chairman of the provincial executive
committee). On June 5, 1918, the People's Commissariat of Internal
Affairs of the Russian Republic approved this decision.
On April
6, 1918, the Vologda Governorate was established: the I Vologda
Provincial Congress of Soviets of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers'
Deputies gathered in Vologda, which was attended by 200 delegates from
volost and district Soviets, which decided to form the Vologda
Governorate. The Bolshevik Vetoshkin, Mikhail Kuzmich (1884-1958), was
elected the first chairman of the Vologda provincial executive committee
(which consisted of 26 people).
On June 17, 1918, at the congress
of representatives of the Soviets of 5 eastern districts of the Vologda
province: Veliky Ustyug, Nikolsky, Solvychegodsky, Ust-Sysolsky and
Yarensky, the North Dvina province was established with its center in
Veliky Ustyug. The Right Socialist-Revolutionary Albert Leontievich
(Abel Leibovich) Mentsikovsky (1871 - 02/14/1919), deputy chairman I. M.
Shumilov (Bolshevik), was elected the first chairman of the North Dvina
provincial executive committee. On June 24, 1918, the People's
Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the Russian Republic approved this
decision.
On April 10, 1924, by the Decree of the All-Russian
Central Executive Committee, the volost and district divisions were
abolished on the territory of the North Dvina province, and zoning was
carried out. The province was divided into 18 districts: Verkhnetoemsky,
Cherevkovsky, Krasnoborsky, Solvychegodsky, Lensky, Vilegodsky, Lalsky,
Kotlassky, Velikoustyugsky, Nyuksensky, Ust-Alekseevsky,
Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky, Podosinovsky, Enangsky, Oparinsky,
Voznesensko-Vokhomsky, Nikolsky, Roslyatinsky. The city of Yarensk was
transformed into a village. On February 27, 1928, Ust-Alekseevsky
(attached to Veliky Ustyug) and Enangsky (attached to
Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky) districts were abolished, and the Nyuksensky
district was renamed Sukhonsky.
In 1927, the Cherepovets
Governorate became part of the Leningrad Region, and in January 1929,
the North Dvina and Vologda Governorates became part of the Northern
Territory. On January 14, 1929, the Vologda Okrug was formed in the
region with the center in the city of Vologda, it included the
districts: Vozhegodsky, Vologda, Gryazovetsky, Kokshengsky,
Kubeno-Ozersky, Ledengsky, Sverdlovsky, Syamzhensky, Tolshmensky,
Totemsky, Ust-Kubinsky, Kharovsky, Chebsarsky and Shuisky.
On
July 23, 1930, the district division in the region was liquidated. On
July 30, 1931, the following districts disappeared: Verkhovazhsky,
formed in 1929 as part of the Nyandoma district of the Northern
Territory (the territory was transferred to the Velsky district);
Syamzhensky (entered Totemsky and Kharovsky districts); Kokshengsky and
Sukhonsky (their territory was included in the newly formed Nyuksensky
district); Tolshmensky (entered the Totemsky and Shuisky districts);
Roslyatinsky (attached to the Ledengsky district), and on September 20 -
the following: Abakanovsky (the territory was transferred to the
Cherepovets and Kaduysky districts); Ulomsky (the territory was
transferred to the Cherepovetsky district and the Vesyegonsky district
of the Kalinin region); Nikolo-Torzhsky (attached to the Kirillovsky
district). Petropavlovsky district was renamed Charozersk.
Then,
after the adoption of the Constitution of the USSR on December 5, 1936,
the eastern part of the modern region became part of the Northern
Region, formed during the division of the Northern Territory.
In
connection with the division of the Northern Region on September 23,
1937 into the Vologda and Arkhangelsk Regions, the city of Cherepovets
and 18 districts were transferred from the Leningrad Region to the
Vologda Region: Cherepovets, Myaksinsky, Prisheksninsky, Petrinevsky,
Kirillovsky, Charozersky, Vashkinsky, Belozersky, Babaevsky, Kaduysky,
Chagodoshchensky, Ustyuzhensky, Borisovo-Sudsky, Sholsky, Oshtinsky,
Kovzhinsky, Vytegorsky and Andomsky.
On August 13, 1944, the
Pavinsky and Vokhomsky districts were transferred to the Kostroma
region.
The Vologda Oblast is located in the northeast of the East European Plain, in the continental part of the taiga zone. It borders on eight subjects of the Russian Federation: Arkhangelsk region in the north, Kirov region in the east, Kostroma and Yaroslavl regions in the south, Tver and Novgorod regions in the southwest, Leningrad region in the west, and the Republic of Karelia in the northwest. The greatest length from north to south is 385 km, and from west to east - 650 km. As a result, in the east of the region, the Sun rises earlier than in the west, by almost 50 minutes, which is the difference in local time between the western and eastern regions of the region. In terms of territory, it ranks 26th in Russia.
The relief here is hilly - lowlands (Prionezhskaya, Mologo-Sheksninskaya), ridges (Andogskaya, Belozerskaya, Kirillovskaya) and uplands (Andomskaya, Vepsovskaya, Vologda, Galichskaya, Verkhnevazhskaya) alternate. The height of the region above sea level is 150-200 meters. The surface is a low-lying plain with many lakes, swamps, rivers and numerous low ridges and hills. On the territory of the region there is a watershed of Eurasia between the basins of the Arctic, Atlantic oceans and the basin of internal flow (Caspian Sea) - the point "Atleka". In the south-east of the region - Northern Uvaly. The lowest point is the Prionezhskaya lowland - 33 meters above sea level. The highest - 304 meters - Mount Malgora, Vepsovskaya Upland. The highest points of the Andoma Upland (293 meters), the Andog Ridge (299 meters) and the Northern Uvals (Isakova Mountain - 293 meters) are slightly inferior to Malgora.
The climate of the region is temperate continental with long moderately cold winters and relatively short warm summers. The severity of the climate increases from west to east. The average temperature in January is from -11 °C in the west of the region to -14 °C in the east, the average temperature in July, respectively, is from +16 °C to +18 °C. There is quite a lot of precipitation - 500-650 mm per year (maximum in the summer months); evaporation is much less, so the area is rich in rivers, lakes and swamps. Snow cover lies for 165-170 days. The growing season is about 130 days long.
The Vologda Oblast is rich in water resources. A dense river network
is characteristic, there are more than 2000 rivers in total, of which 13
are large: Sukhona with tributaries Vologda and Dvinitsa, South with
Luza, Mologa with Chagodoshcha, Sheksna, Suda, the upper reaches of the
Unzha, Andom. The rivers of the region are fed by mixed snow and rain.
The April-June season accounts for half of the annual river flow. Freeze
lasts 160-170 days.
There are more than 5 thousand lakes. In the
south-west there are Sheksninskoye and the large Rybinsk reservoir, in
the west there are lakes: Beloe, Kubenskoye and Vozhe. Lake Onega in the
north of the region connects the Volga-Baltic waterway with the Volga.
Swamps are widespread (12% of the region's territory), concentrated
mainly in the western regions.
The vegetation is typical for the middle and southern taiga. Podzolic
soils predominate in the northern part of the region, soddy-podzolic
soils predominate in the southern part, and bog soils are found in
places. Forests occupy about 75% of the region's territory (80% in the
northwest and southeast, up to 50% in the central part). More than half
of the forests are coniferous, mostly spruce forests. The most common
forest species are European spruce and Siberian spruce, as well as their
hybrid Finnish spruce, in second place is Scots pine. Siberian fir is
found in the eastern part of the region, and Sukachev larch (Russian, a
subspecies of Siberian larch) is found mainly in the eastern and
northern parts. Warty birch, downy birch and aspen are widespread, often
forming secondary forests. Somewhat less common are gray alder and black
alder. In areas with fertile soils, mainly in the undergrowth, less
often - in the second and first tiers of the forest stand, small-leaved
linden, smooth elm, rough elm sometimes grow, in the west of the region,
maple is added, and in the south-west - pedunculate oak, common ash and
hazel ordinary. The fauna is typical for the taiga: elk, brown bear,
wild boar, wolverine, white hare, pine marten, badger, wolf, fox; birds
- capercaillie, white partridge, black grouse, hazel grouse. Salmon,
nelma, bream, pike perch, perch, pike, etc. are found in rivers and
lakes. Several protected areas of national importance have been created
in the Vologda Oblast: the Russian North, the Darwin Reserve and other
198 specially protected natural areas of the regional level.
A
tenth of the area is occupied by meadows - the second (after the forest)
natural wealth of the region.
Of the natural resources, the main
ones are wood reserves, fresh water reserves are large, part of the
insignificant hydropower potential is realized at the Sheksninskaya HPP.
The region is not rich in minerals - there are deposits of peat,
building materials, table salt and mineral waters, river pearls are
found in the rivers, the territory on the border with the Arkhangelsk
and Kirov regions is promising for the discovery of diamond deposits.
According to Rosstat, the population of the region is 1,128,580
people. (2023). Population density - 7.81 people / km2 (2023). Urban
population - 73.1% (824981).
The Vologda Oblast ranks first among
all other regions of Russia in terms of the share of the Russian
population in the region (96.56% of Russians among the total population
of the region); and in third place after the Bryansk and Arkhangelsk
regions in terms of the share of the East Slavic population (Bryansk -
98.37%, Arkhangelsk - 98.03%, Vologda - 97.92%).
The indigenous
people are the Veps, who live compactly in the north-west of the region.
The Vologda Oblast, as a subject of the Russian Federation, has a
certain constituent power, which consists in the right to adopt its
charter, laws and other regulatory legal acts. The charter of the
Vologda Oblast establishes the foundations of the legal status, ensuring
human and civil rights, as well as the institutions of democracy, the
economic and financial foundations of the region, the foundations of
socio-cultural policy, the organization of state power,
administrative-territorial division and the organization of local
self-government.
Legislative Assembly
Legislative power is
exercised by the Legislative Assembly - a unicameral parliament of 34
deputies elected by a mixed electoral system (17 + 17) by the
inhabitants of the region for 5 years. The current convocation was
elected in September 2021. The deputies represent 5 parties: United
Russia (24), Communist Party of the Russian Federation (5), LDPR (2),
Just Russia (2), Party of Pensioners (1). Chairman - Andrey Lutsenko.
The next elections are expected in September 2026.
Executive power is exercised by the governor, the government of the
Vologda Oblast headed by him, and other executive authorities. The
government of the region includes departments, committees, departments,
divisions. The governor is elected by the inhabitants of the region for
a term of five years and cannot hold the said position for more than two
consecutive terms. The current governor is Oleg Kuvshinnikov. In
December 2011, he was appointed acting governor, and then empowered by
deputies of the Legislative Assembly. In 2012, in most subjects of the
Russian Federation, direct elections of governors were returned with a
municipal filter, a two-term limit, and the possibility of dismissal by
decree of the President of the Russian Federation. In the early
elections in September 2014, Kuvshinnikov ("United Russia") won 62.98%
of the vote and was elected for 5 years. In the elections in September
2019, Kuvshinnikov ("United Russia") was re-elected for 5 years.
The Government of the Vologda Oblast is headed by the First Deputy
Governor. The position is held by Anton Koltsov.
Initially, the region was divided into 41 districts: Andomsky,
Babaevsky, Belozersky, Biryakovsky, Borisovo-Sudsky, Vashkinsky,
Velikoustyugsky, Verkhovazhsky, Vozhegodsky, Vokhomsky, Vytegorsky,
Gryazovetsky, Kaduysky, Kirillovsky, Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky, Kovzhinsky,
Kubeno-Ozersky, Ledengsky (from 1941 - Babushkinsky), Lezhsky,
Mezhdurechensky, Myaksinsky, Nikolsky, Nyuksensky, Oshtinsky, Pavinsky,
Petrinevsky, Prisheksninsky, Roslyatinsky, Sokolsky, Syamzhensky,
Tarnogsky, Totemsky, Ust-Alekseevsky, Ust-Kubinsky, Ustyuzhensky,
Kharovsky, Chagodoshchensky, Charozersky, Chebsarsky , Cherepovets and
Sholsky.
The Vologda district was formed in 1938, and the Ulomsky
district in 1940. In 1944 Vokhomsky and Pavinsky districts were
transferred to the new Kostroma region.
In 1955, the Oshtinsky,
Petrinevsky, and Charozersky districts were abolished; in 1957,
Andomsky; 1962 - Babushkinsky, Vashkinsky, Kaduysky, Kubeno-Ozersky,
Nyuksensky, Syamzhensky, Chagodoshchensky and Chebsarsky.
In
1965, the Babushkinsky, Vashkinsky, Kaduysky, Nyuksensky, Syamzhensky,
Ust-Kubinsky, Chagodoshchensky, and Sheksninsky districts were formed.
Municipal unit
Within the framework of the municipal structure of
the region, within the boundaries of the administrative-territorial
units of the Vologda region, a total of 224 municipalities were formed:
2 urban districts (Vologda, Cherepovets)
26 municipal districts,
including
22 urban settlements,
174 rural settlements.
As
of January 1, 2006, in accordance with Federal Law No. 131 “On the
General Principles of Organizing Local Self-Government in the Russian
Federation”, 372 municipalities were initially formed in the Vologda
Oblast: 26 municipal districts, 2 urban districts, 22 urban settlements,
322 rural settlements.
The heads and deputies of municipalities
are elected by direct universal suffrage of the population of the
respective territories.
The first mention of the most ancient city of Belozersk dates back to
862. The remains of the ancient settlement are located 18 km southeast
of the modern city of Belozersk. According to legend, the city was ruled
by one of the brothers of Rurik, the founder of the dynasty of Russian
tsars Rurikovich - Prince Sineus.
In the summer of 6370 ... And Rurik
took power and handed out cities to his husband, ovom Polotesk, ovom
Rostov, another Beloozero. And in those cities, the essence is the find
of the Varangians, and the feathers of the inhabitants in Novy-gorod are
Slovene, in Polotsky Krivichi, in Rostov Merya, in Bele-Ozero all, in
Murom Murom.
- Monuments of literature of Ancient Rus'. XI - the
beginning of the XII century. M., 1978. S. 36.
By the 12th
century, the first mentions of cities such as Vologda (the first mention
in historical documents dates back to 1147) and Veliky Ustyug (first
mentioned in the annals under 1212 as Ustyug) date back to the 12th
century. The date of foundation of the cities is unknown.
Most of
the cities of the modern Vologda Oblast (including part of the lands of
the former Novgorod province) were formed during the administrative
reform of Catherine II (Cherepovets, Gryazovets, Nikolsk and others).
Some cities appeared in the 20th century, during the years of Soviet
power: Sokol, Kharovsk, Krasavino and others.
According to the
2010 population census, there are 15 cities, 9 urban-type settlements
and 8006 rural settlements in the Vologda Oblast. 2131 settlements have
no population. The table below shows the largest settlements of the
region, cities are highlighted in bold.
The main branch of specialization is ferrous metallurgy - 62.7%, in
second place is the electric power industry - 7.9%. According to the
results of 2004, it accounts for 17% of rolled products produced in the
country, 16% of steel, 11% of mineral fertilizers, 14.5% of rolling
bearings, 7% of industrial wood, 11.4% of linen fabrics, 1 .5% of the
total volume of Russian exports are products of Vologda enterprises.
The Vologda Oblast is strongly integrated into the world economy.
Foreign trade turnover in 2004 amounted to 3.082 billion US dollars.
Exported products worth 2.741 billion US dollars. In terms of exports
per capita, the region ranks 6th among the regions of Russia and 2nd in
the Northwestern Federal District. The commodity structure of regional
exports is determined primarily by the products of industrial giants -
enterprises of ferrous metallurgy, chemistry, mechanical engineering,
woodworking: Severstal PJSC, Cherepovets Steel Rolling Plant OJSC,
Cherepovets Steel Structures Plant CJSC, PhosAgro group of companies,
CJSC " Vologda Bearing Plant, OJSC Sokol Woodworking Plant.
The
coefficient of per capita production for rolled ferrous metals is 20,
for the production of synthetic ammonia - 8.3, for the export of timber
- 7.6.
Economic growth in the region was previously achieved
mainly due to ferrous metallurgy. This attachment made the economy of
the region, its social sphere directly dependent on the financial and
economic situation of the enterprises of the Severstal Group holding
located in the region. Nevertheless, the region exports significant
volumes of food products: milk, poultry, meat, the famous Vologda butter
from the Vologda Dairy Plant. In 2008, industrial production in the
region fell by 47%. The fall in the index of industrial production,
according to the State Statistics Committee of the Russian Federation,
in the 1st quarter of 2009 amounted to 57% (1st place in the Russian
Federation in terms of fall), mainly due to a sharp decline in demand on
world markets for goods produced in the region, primarily metal.
The largest enterprises in the region in terms of revenue for 2015 were
Severstal PJSC, PhosAgro-Cherepovets JSC, Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Vologda
LLC, Vologda Optical and Mechanical Plant JSC and Vologda
Lesopromyshlenniki Group CJSC.
Some traditional art crafts have
survived to this day: Vologda lace, the largest lace-making center in
Russia - the Vologda enterprise "Snezhinka"; the unique crafts of Veliky
Ustyug are Shemogoda carved birch bark and blackening on silver.
As of mid-2021, 21 power plants with a total capacity of 1,432.3 MW were in operation in the Vologda Oblast, including three hydroelectric power plants and 18 thermal power plants. In 2020, they produced 10,212 million kWh of electricity. The largest power plant in the region is Cherepovetskaya GRES with a capacity of 450 MW.
The rural population, as of January 1, 2021, is 313,822 people - 27%
of the total population of the Vologda Oblast.
The leading branch
of agriculture is dairy farming, which accounts for 75% of all
agricultural products. The production and industrial potential of the
agro-industrial complex makes it possible to meet the needs of the
population in meat, milk, eggs, and potatoes.
In 2020, the share
of animal husbandry is 25,442 billion rubles, crop production - by 8,242
billion rubles in the total agricultural output of 33,685 billion
rubles.
At the end of 2020, the number of cattle is 160.7
thousand heads (+1.1%), of which 76.8 thousand heads are cows (+0.6%),
pigs are 53.8 thousand heads (-0, 3%), sheep and goats - 11.1 thousand
heads (-5.9%), poultry - 3709 thousand heads (+1.7%).
Livestock
production in farms of all categories of the Vologda Oblast for 2020:
meat (in live weight) - 51.5 thousand tons (+9.8%), milk - 586.3
thousand tons (+4.6%)[28] , eggs - 617.6 million pieces (-0.9%).
In 2020, in agricultural organizations, the average milk yield per feed
cow is 7969 kg (+389 kg, or 5.1% compared to 2019), which is 18% higher
than the average for Russia. In 2020, milk production in farms of all
categories amounted to 586.3 thousand tons (+4.6% compared to 2019),
which was the highest figure in 27 years. The trend of annual production
growth by 5-6% continues.
The length of communications in the Vologda Oblast at the end of
2007[34]: highways - 15,595 km, including federal significance - 641 km,
inland waterways - 2116 km, railway lines - 1889 km.
Automotive
Federal highway - M8 "Kholmogory" (Moscow - Yaroslavl - Vologda -
Arkhangelsk)
Federal road - A114 (Vologda - Novaya Ladoga - highway
M18)
Federal road - A119 (Vologda - Medvezhyegorsk)
Sukhonsky
tract (Totma - Nyuksenitsa - Veliky Ustyug)
P6 (Cherepovets -
Belozersk - Lipin Bor)
R7 (Chekshino - Totma - Nikolsk)
P157 (Uren
- Sharya - Kotlas) - the route directly passes through the territory of
the Vologda region, connecting Nikolsk, Kichmengsky Gorodok and Veliky
Ustyug.
Railway
The Vologda junction (Vologda I, Vologda II
and Losta-Sortirovochnaya stations) is the largest railway junction of
the Northern Railway, and the Vologda II-Losta-Sortirovochnaya section
is the busiest on the entire Russian railway network (in terms of the
number of train pairs in both directions per day and tonnage of
transported goods). Directions: southern (Yaroslavl - Moscow), western
(Volkhovstroy - St. Petersburg), northern (Arkhangelsk, Murmansk,
Severodvinsk, Kotlas, Syktyvkar, Vorkuta, Sosnogorsk), eastern (Kirov -
Perm - Astana).
Direct, transit trains and trailer cars as part
of passing trains connect Vologda with such cities as: Moscow, St.
Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Omsk,
Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Vorkuta, Syktyvkar, Simferopol, Kharkov,
Zaporozhye, Belgorod, Kursk, Oryol, Stavropol, Mineralnye Vody, Barnaul,
Astana, Karaganda, Alma-Ata, Minsk.
Aviation
International
airport in Cherepovets (flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk,
Helsinki)
Domestic airport in Vologda, Dorozhny settlement (flights
to Moscow and St. Petersburg)
Water
The port in Cherepovets is
one of the largest on the Volga-Baltic waterway. At the mooring wall
with a length of more than 900 meters, river and mixed, “river-sea”,
navigation vessels can be handled. The port has a self-propelled and
non-self-propelled cargo fleet with a total tonnage of more than 61
thousand tons, towing ships, floating mechanization and portal cranes
with a lifting capacity of 5 to 40 tons, a passenger fleet, open and
closed storage areas.
In addition to the Volga-Balt, in the
central and western parts of the region, the Sukhona River, a tributary
of the Northern Dvina, is of great importance. Both arteries are
connected by the North Dvina water system.
Fixed telephone connection. Operators: Vologda Branch of Public Joint
Stock Company Rostelecom and MegaFon.
Mobile communications: several
all-Russian operators operate in the region: MegaFon, MTS, Beeline,
Tele2, Yota, Rostelecom. Cellular communication services are provided on
the territory of almost all districts, but the coverage of the territory
is uneven - mainly the industrialized south, as well as the center and
west of the region; in the eastern regions, mobile communications in key
settlements. The total number of subscribers is more than 600 thousand
people.
Postal service: Administration of the Federal Postal Service
of the Vologda Oblast.
As of July 2016, there are 5 universities and 6 branches in the
Vologda Oblast.
Since April 1, 2010, the Vologda Oblast has been
participating in an experiment in teaching the course "Fundamentals of
the Spiritual and Moral Culture of the Peoples of Russia" (includes
"Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture", "Fundamentals of Islamic Culture",
"Fundamentals of Buddhist Culture", "Fundamentals of Jewish Culture", "
Fundamentals of World Religious Cultures, and Fundamentals of Secular
Ethics).
Main article: Media of the Vologda Oblast
The oldest regional
newspaper is Krasny Sever (since 1917). Other regional newspapers:
Premier, Khronometr, weekly Moskovsky Komsomolets in Vologda. in
Cherepovets.
Regional television is represented by TV channels:
CHANNEL 7 (Vologda), Russia-Vologda, Russian North TV Channel, Channel
12 (Cherepovets), Province TV Company (Cherepovets, Veliky Ustyug).
Regional radio is represented by: Radio of Russia - Vologda, Premier,
Transmit, Rosradio, Vologda Radio, Sheksna-Record, Retro, Mayak,
Avtoradio, Road radio”, “Russian Radio”, “Europe Plus”, “DFM”, “Echo of
Moscow”, “Our Radio”.
News agencies: IA Vologda Region, Vologda
Oblast News, Sever-Inform, IMA Cherepovets, IA SeverInfo (formed as a
result of rebranding of IA Sever-Inform), Media Center (Cherepovets).
A number of cities and towns of the region: Belozersk, Veliky Ustyug,
Vologda, Ustyuzhna, Totma and others, have the status of historical and
are open-air museums. Since 1998, Veliky Ustyug has been considered the
birthplace of the Russian Father Frost.
Leading museums: Vologda
State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve,
Kirillo-Belozersky, Veliko-Ustyugsky; Totma and Cherepovets museum
associations. The Architectural and Ethnographic Museum of the Vologda
Region is located near Vologda.
A number of old Russian noble
estates have been preserved in the Vologda Oblast, including the
Bryanchaninov estate near Vologda, the Batyushkov and Kuprin estate near
Ustyuzhna, the estate of Igor Severyanin on the Suda River, the Galsky
estate, and the Kachalov estate "Khvalevskoye" in Borisovo-Sudskoye.
Of particular interest are the monuments of religious architecture,
including the ensembles of Spaso-Prilutsky, Kirillo-Belozersky and other
monasteries. The most famous Ferapontov Monastery, thanks to the fresco
ensemble, made in 1502 by the ancient Russian artist Dionysius, is
included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Vologda region is
famous for the abundance of preserved monuments of wooden architecture.
However, due to various reasons, the number and preservation of wooden
architecture objects is steadily declining. So, in 1963, the Church of
the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos near Vytegra, the immediate
predecessor of the famous Transfiguration Church in the Kizhi
churchyard, burned down. It may also be interesting to visit the
princely Gridnitsa in the city of Belozersk. Hunting and fishing tourism
is well established in the region, a good base for the development of
the so-called. rural tourism.
The Vologda Territory, as part of
the Russian North, has managed to preserve a significant number of
monuments of the ethnic heritage of the Russian people (songs, legends,
epics, chronicles). In the XIX-XX centuries, the best examples of
folklore, church and secular literature were “discovered” here. In
everyday life and cultural life of the modern population of villages and
villages of the Vologda Oblast, the traditions and crafts of the peasant
way of life continue today (see the article about the village of
Logduz).
The area is interesting for its natural monuments. So,
70 km from Veliky Ustyug, opposite the village of Porog, there is a
famous geological fault - Opoki: high, 60-meter banks on a steep bend of
the Sukhona River expose the rocks of the Upper Permian.
There
are five theaters in the region: the Vologda State Drama Theatre, the
Vologda Regional Puppet Theater "Teremok", the Vologda Regional Theater
for Young Spectators, the Cherepovets Chamber Theater, the Cherepovets
Children's Musical Theatre.
The region is known for its athletes, who have earned fame for
Russian sports at international competitions.
Albina Akhatova
(born November 13, 1976 in Nikolsk) is a Russian biathlete. Honored
Master of Sports.
In relay races, Albina Akhatova won a silver
medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, a bronze medal at the 2002
Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin. At the same time, Albina Akhatova became a bronze medalist in
the individual 15 km race, after Olga Pyleva's medal was withdrawn due
to doping. She won the second bronze medal in the 10 km pursuit.
Anna Bogaliy-Titovets (born June 12, 1979 in the village of Vozhega) is
a Russian biathlete. Honored Master of Sports, International Master of
Sports. Two-time Olympic champion.
Sergei Fokichev (born December
24, 1962) is a Soviet speed skater, Honored Master of Sports (1984).
Olympic champion in 1984 at a distance of 500 m, two-time champion of
the USSR at the same distance (1985, 1987).
Gulyaev, Nikolai
Alekseevich (born January 1, 1966 in Vologda) is a famous Soviet and
Russian speed skater. Olympic champion in 1988 in the 1000m, world and
European champion in 1987 in the classic all-around, two-time national
champion (1987, 1992). Nikolai Gulyaev became the last Soviet speed
skater - the world champion in the classic all-around. Honored Master of
Sports of the USSR (1987).
Spitsov Denis Sergeevich (born August
16, 1996 in Vozheg) is a Russian skier, three-time winner of the 2018
Olympic Games, Honored Master of Sports of Russia. At the Winter
Olympics in Korea, in the skiathlon at the start, Denis found himself in
a blockage along with the Norwegian athlete Kruger (as it turned out
later, the Olympic champion at this distance). But, having managed to
catch up with the leading group, during the second segment he was among
the leaders and only at the finish line he let three Norwegians go
ahead, taking fourth place and becoming the first among young skiers
under the age of 23 years. In the 15 km time trial, Spitsov showed third
time and won his first Olympic medal.