Cathedral of St. John the Righteous

Veliky Ustyug is an ancient merchant town of the Russian North in the far northeast of Vologda Oblast. Russian tourists throng here in the winter, as it is home to Ded Moroz (Russian Santa Claus), but the architecture and history alone make this a destination worth seeking out.

Understand

This ancient Russian city lies at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug rivers, for which it gets its name: Устюг = Устье Юга = Mouth of the Yug. It received its "Great" title was given to the city by tsar for historical and commercial significance. Ustyug lay on one of the most important routes for the conquest and development of the Komi-Perm lands, the Urals, and on to Siberia. Accordingly, it was the home and birthplace to many Russian explorers. Later, the importance of the city decreased significantly. Fortunately, Ustyug's excellent ecclesiastical architectural heritage escaped Soviet destruction and abuse, preserving its wealth of 18th-century sacred architecture in the northern Baroque style.

Despite being a tough place to get to, in the last ten to fifteen years the city has experienced a real tourist boom, albeit seasonal in nature. Ustyug has the fantastical distinction in Russia of being the home of Ded Moroz (Santa Claus), which brings in the family tourism in the winter. For lovers of history and architecture, as well as harsh, but beautiful northern nature, come instead in the summer. Expect an extremely interesting, informative, and memorable trip.

Get in

By plane

1 Veliky Ustyug Airport. A small airport with a few flights from Vologda or Cherepovets (the route from Moscow goes through Cherepovets). Nearby Kotlas Airport KSZ  ^IATA has flights from Arkhangelsk. 

By train

2 Train station. In winter, there are trains direct to Ustyug. Other times of the year you'll need to transfer to bus or taxi from the stations at Kotlas or Yadrikha. (updated Jan 2016)

By car

From Moscow you can take highway M8 through Rostov, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Kadnikov, then take the Chekshino exit to take the T7 to Veliky Ustyug via Totma. The condition of the road from Chekshino to Veliky Ustyug leaves much to be desired.

By bus

Almost every hour during the day there are buses to Kotlas (1.5 hours). To Vologda (6-7 hours) and Totma (2.5-3 hours), there is officially only one bus, and even then not every day, but minibuses are available, which require a reservation by phone to pick you up at your address; they are easy to find online.

3 Bus station, ул. Транспортная, 4 (At the north end of the town). 07:00–18:10. On all route signs and timetables, this stop is designated as "ПАТП". Local transport runs quite often. (updated Jun 2018)

Get around

Ded Moroz's (Father Frost's) house!

There are a few bus routes, with rides costing 22 руб (2018), payment taken by the driver. Schedules and routes are displayed at stops. Route number 1 most often goes from the bus station ("ПАТП") through the city center to the shipyard. There are also some private minibuses.

See

• 1 Confluence of the Sukhona and Yug rivers. The confluence of the Sukhona and Yug rivers marks the beginning of the Northern Dvina River. (updated Jan 2016)

Religious architecture

Veliky Ustyug has a rich, well preserved collection of religious architecture in the "Northern Baroque" style.

• 2 Cathedral Courtyard. (updated Jan 2016)
• 3 Cathedral of Procopius the Righteous (Собор Прокопия Праведного) (Действующий кафедральный собор). Saint Procopius the Righteous - a local saint of the Orthodox Church, lived in Veliky Ustyug in the 13th century, during which he famously predicted the fall of a meteorite near the town in 1290. (updated Jan 2016)

Church of Simeon Stolpnik belltower

• 4 Cathedral of the Dormition (Успенский собор). (updated Jan 2016)
• 5 Church of John of Ustyug (Церковь Иоанна Устюжского). John of Ustyug was a "holy fool" in the 15th century. (updated Jan 2016)
• 6 Church of the Epiphany (Богоявленская церковь). (updated Jan 2016)
• 7 Bishop's house and Church of St. Alexey of Moscow (Архиерейский дом с церковью святителя Алексия Московского). (updated Jan 2016)
• 8 Mikhailo-Arkhangelsky Monastery (Михайло-Архангельский монастырь). (updated Jan 2016)
• 9 Church of the Transfiguration (Спасо-Преображенская церковь). A church of the former Monastery of the Transfiguration, which closed in 1764. (updated Jan 2016)
• 10 Stretensko-Transfiguration Church (Сретенско-Преображенская церковь). A church of the former Monastery of the Transfiguration, which closed in 1764. (updated Jan 2016)
• 11 Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Михаило-Архангельская церковь), ул. Городище. This church is located on the site of the first settlement of Ustyug. The Pokrovsky Monastery, which was closed in the 17th century, was also located here. (updated Jan 2016)
• 12 Church of the Ascension (Вознесенская церковь). 17th century. (updated Jan 2016)
• 13 Church of Simeon the Stylite (Церковь Симеона Столпника). A working church from the 18th century. (updated Jan 2016)
• 14 Church of St. Nicholas Gostunsky (Церковь Николы Гостунского). (updated Jan 2016)
• 15 Church of the Myrrhbearers (Церковь Жён-мироносиц). (updated Jan 2016)
• 16 Sretensko-Mironositskaya Church (Сретенско-Мироносицкая церковь). (updated Jan 2016)
• 17 Church of St. Elias (Ильинская церковь). (updated Jan 2016)
• 18 Church of St. George (Георгиевская церковь). (updated Jan 2016)
• 19 Pyatnitskaya Church (Пятницкая церковь). (updated Jan 2016)
• 20 Church of Leonty Rostovsky (Леонтьевская церковь). (updated Jan 2016)

Church of the Ascension

• 21 Church of Stephen of Perm (Церковь Стефана Пермского). A working church at the cemetery. Stephen of Perm was a 14th-century painter from Ustyug whose missionary work is credited with the conversion to Christianity of the Komi people to the northeast. (updated Jan 2016)

Secular architecture

• 22 Shilov's House (Дом Шилова). (updated Jan 2016)

Monuments

• 23 Monument to Semyon Dezhnev. Semyon Dezhnev was a local explorer who helped open up the region of Yakutia to the Russian Empire, and was the first European to sail through the Bering Strait - some 100 years before Bering himself did! (updated Jan 2016)
• 24 Monument to Yerofey Khabarov. Monument to this local explorer, known for exploring the Amur Region of the Russian Far East. (updated Jan 2016)
• 25 Monument to Glory. (updated Jan 2016)

Street in Veliky Ustyug

• 26 Bust of Admiral Kuznetsov. (updated Jan 2016)
• 27 Monument to Lenin. (updated Jan 2016)
• 28 Monument to Sergei Kirov. (updated Jan 2016)
• 29 Sculpture "Aquarius" (Скульптура «Водолей»). A fountain, upon which Aquarius merges rivers from jugs. The inscription: "Gray-haired Aquarius joins the two rivers. He joins the Sukhona and the Yug between the groves and fields." (updated Jan 2016)

Do

Church of the Transfiguration

1 Veliky Ustyug Museum-Reserve (Великоустюгский музей-заповедник), Набережная, 64. Summertime, you can climb the bell tower and for a bird's eye-view of the town. (updated Jan 2016)

• Museum of the History and Culture of Veliky Ustyug (Usov's House) (Музей истории и культуры Великого Устюга)
• Ethnography Museum (Church of St. Nicholas) (Музей этнографии)
• Old Russian Art Museum (Church of the Ascension) (Музей древнерусского искусства)
• Nature Museum (Музей природы)
• Children's Museum (Детский музейный центр)
• 2 Museum of New Year and Christmas Toys (Музей новогодней и рождественской игрушки) (Church of the Myrrhbearers). (updated Jan 2016)
• Preservation Foundation (Фондохранилище)

3 Niello Factory Museum (Музей завода «Северная чернь»), ☏ +7 931 508 76 03. Visit the exhibition hall of the factory where they produce artwork from "Northern Niello," a style of artwork dating to the Medieval period, made from a black mixture, primarily silver. There may be the option to do a master-class training. 100 руб. (updated Jan 2016)

4 Ded Moroz's House (dyehd Mahrohz) (Резиденция Деда Мороза), Советский пр., 85. The (fictitious) home of Ded Moroz, i.e, Father Frost - Russia's version of Santa Claus. This is a whimsical option and very child friendly. 100 руб. 

• 5 Ded Moroz's Mailroom (Почта Деда Мороза), пер. Октябрьский, 1А, ☏ +7 817 382 30 55. бесплатно. (updated Jan 2016)

A nielloed silver snuffbox engraved with a map of the Vologda region

• 6 Museum of the New Year's Card (Музей новогодней открытки). Template:50. (updated Jan 2016)

7 Ded Moroz's Estate (Вотчина Деда Мороза), ☏ +7 81738 5 21 20. The main Ded Moroz complex, located outside the town. (updated Jan 2016)

• 8 Ded Moroz's Zoo (Зоопарк вотчины Деда Мороза). Can be visited without paying for entry to the Estate. Template:400. (updated Jan 2016)

9 Smolnikovskoe Lake (Смольниковское озеро). In the winter, you can ride across the frozen lake on inner tubs for Template:150/hour. Snowmobile rentals are also available. (updated Jan 2016)

Buy

• Products of the Velikoustyugskiy Uzory factory: weaving, carving, and "Tues" - decorative birch bark containers
• Veliky Ustyug black silver "niello" artwork

Eat

1 Romanov Cafe (Народное кафе «Романов»), Красный пер., 15, ☏ +7 81738 2 34. 08:00-22:00. A comfortable and popular dining room with a non-alcoholic bar. (updated Jul 2018)

Drink

1 Club «Dezhnev», ул. Красноармейская, 6, ☏ +7 911 444 1996. (updated Jan 2016)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Veliky Ustyug (Гостиница «Великий Устюг»), ул.Красноармейская, д.15. (updated Jan 2016)
• 2 Hotel Dvina (Гостиница «Двина»), Красная ул., д.104. (updated Jan 2016)
• 3 Hotel Postoyalets (Гостиница «Постоялецъ»). (updated Jan 2016)
• 4 Hotel Prokopyevskaya (Гостиница «Прокопьевская»). (updated Jan 2016)
• 5 Hotel Rozhdestvenskaya (Christmas Hotel) (Гостиница «Рождественская»). (updated Jan 2016)
• 6 Hotel Sukhona (Гостиница «Сухона»), пер. Красный, 12, ☏ +78173820432. (updated Jan 2016)

Go next

The gilded iconostasis in the cathedral at Trinity Monastery of Gledinsky at the Ustyug State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve, 4 km from Veliky Ustyug at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug Rivers.

• Totma — A small and far less visited town with similar ecclesiastical and secular architecture to Veliky Ustyug
• Lalsk — Along with Totma, this is a far off-the-beaten-path town with strong historical connections to Veliky Ustyug, with a similarly impressive architectural heritage
• Kotlas
• Solvychegodsk

• 1 Trinity Monastery of Gledinsky (Троице-Гледенский монастырь), д. Морозовица, ул. Гледенская. (updated Jan 2016)
• 2 Temples of the Dymkovo settlement (Храмы Дымковской слободы), д. Дымково, 1-й проезд. (updated Jan 2016)