Veliky Ustyug



Veliky Ustyug

Name: Yuly Lyubeznikov and Alexandra Ivanova

Age: 23 and 19

Professions: Programmer and psychologist

City: Veliky Ustyug

How long have you been doing photography? What style or genre most interests you? 

Four years. Yuly is totally interested in photojournalism, Alexandra in social problems and everyday life.

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for?

Veliky Ustyug, in Vologodskaya oblast, is one of the oldest cities in the Russian North. It lies on the left bank of the Sukhona River, and was a important stop on the old Great Tea Road. Veliky Ustyug is the birthplace of oceanfarers and land explorers who played a key role in the acquisition of Siberia and Russian America. In 1999 it was declared the hometown of Father Frost. Many buildings in the city are designated as cultural heritage sites of the Russian Federation.

What is something about your city that only locals would know?

Some state institutions are located in cultural-historical buildings – not just museums, but the tax inspectorate, library, archives and technical colleges. For example, the Automobile Technical College is located in the cells of the former Mikhailo-Arkhangelsky Monastery.

In the center of the city you can find old merchants' homes still heated with a Russian stove, though they have been divided up into multi-room buildings where ordinary people live. In the city's older sections, many homes do not have internal plumbing. There are outdoor wellheads near such homes where people get their water even when it is -30 Celcius.

It is forbidden to construct a building higher than five stories in the city, thus if you visit the bell tower (in the summer) or rent a forklift, you can enjoy a wonderful panorama of the city.

There is normally snow on the ground in Veliky Ustyug from November to March. Some children have special winter scooters that they use to get around in the snow. Also, in the center of the city, along Sovietsky Prospekt, both children and adults get about on cross-country skis.

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city?

Actually, the most famous view of Veliky Ustyug is typically captured from the neighboring village of Dymkovo, which is located on the other side of the Sukhona River. You can get there by crossing the bridge, or, if the ice is still solid, by walking across the river. It is really a wonderful view of Veliky Ustyug and its ensemble of church buildings.

There is the miracle stone in the Church of St. Prokopia. If you sit on it and make a wish, it will surely come true.

For those interested in old religious art, we recommend the Church of the Ascension, which houses the Museum of Ancient Russian Art. They have several ikonstases as well as various important historical items from the town.

There are many souvenir stores related to Father Frost. The most interesting, in our opinion, is the Father Frost Post Office, where they read letters written to Father Frost and also answer them.

Not far from the river school is an interesting courtyard with an outdoor summer cafe. It has many hanging mirrors, paintings, posters, portraits, etc., and in the evening it is beautifully lit.

Anything else you would like to add?

A taxi in the city is far cheaper than in Petersburg. You can get from one end of the city to the other for just 100R.

Where can we see more of your images?

On our websites: http://ylyubeznikov.wix.com/photo and https://vk.com/albums109510148

Or follow us on Instagram at: @lyubeznikov and @alexandra_ivanova

 



Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955