Vologda: A Northern Beauty

Among the many cities of Russia’s provinces, few have greater natural beauty than Vologda, with its historic

center, marked by cathedrals and parish churches, situated on either side of the winding, picturesque Vologda river.

At the same time, a visit to Vologda, which is readily accessible by train from both Moscow and St. Petersburg, reveals the many challenges of a difficult social and economic transition experienced by most provincial cities in Russia. Vologda is the administrative capital of a large region, or oblast, of the same name, yet it can also be considered the cultural capital of what is historically known as the “North.”