Velikoustyugsky District (russian: Великоу́стюгский райо́н) is an administrative
[Law #371-OZ] and municipal
[Law #1109-OZ] district (
raion
A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
), one of the
twenty-six in
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast ( rus, Вологодская область, p=vəlɐˈɡotskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Vologodskaya oblast, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is Vologda. The Oblast has a population of 1,202,444 ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. It is located in the northeast of the
oblast
An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdom of ...
and borders with
Kotlassky District
Kotlassky District (russian: Ко́тласский райо́н) is an administrative district (raion), one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.Law #65-5-OZ As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Kotlassky Municipal District. ...
of
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast (russian: Арха́нгельская о́бласть, ''Arkhangelskaya oblast'') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic Ocean, Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land ...
in the north,
Luzsky District
Luzsky District (russian: Лу́зский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #203-ZO and municipalLaw #284-ZO district (raion), one of the thirty-nine in Kirov Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northwest of the oblast. The area of the dis ...
of
Kirov Oblast
Kirov Oblast (russian: Ки́ровская о́бласть, ''Kirovskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Kirov. Population: 1,341,312 ( 2010 Census).
Geography
Na ...
in the east,
Podosinovsky District of Kirov Oblast in the southeast,
Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky District
Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky District (russian: Ки́чменгско-Городе́цкий райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #371-OZ and municipalLaw #1117-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. It is located in the ...
in the south,
Nyuksensky District
Nyuksensky District (russian: Ню́ксенский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #371-OZ and municipalLaw #1120-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northeast of the oblast and borde ...
in the west, and with
Ustyansky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in the northwest. The area of the district is .
Its
administrative center
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
is the
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
of
Veliky Ustyug
Veliky Ustyug (russian: Вели́кий У́стюг) is a town in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located in the northeast of the oblast at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug Rivers. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 31,665.
Veliky U ...
(which is not administratively a part of the district).
Population: 22,210 (
2002 Census);
Geography
![Opoki outcrop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Opoki_outcrop.jpg)
In Veliky Ustyug, the
Sukhona
The Sukhona (russian: Су́хона) is a river in the European part of Russia, a tributary of the Northern Dvina. The course of the Sukhona lies in Ust-Kubinsky, Sokolsky, Mezhdurechensky, Totemsky, Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky, and Velikoustyug ...
and
Yug River
The Yug (russian: Юг) is a river in Kichmengsko-Gorodetsky, Nikolsky, and Velikoustyugsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Podosinovsky District of Kirov Oblast in Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin is . The Yug joins the Suk ...
s form the
Northern Dvina
, image = dvina.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = Northern Dvina starts as the confluence of Yug River (on left) and Sukhona River (on top) near Veliky Ustyug (photo 2001)
, source1 = Confluence of ...
, one of the biggest rivers in Europe. Upstream from the town of
Kotlas
Kotlas (russian: Ко́тлас) is a town in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Northern Dvina and Vychegda Rivers. Population:
Kotlas is the third largest town of Arkhangelsk Oblast in terms of population (after A ...
, and especially within the limits of the district, the Northern Dvina is sometimes referred to as the Little Northern Dvina. The Sukhona, the Yug, and the Northern Dvina split the district into three roughly equal areas. The biggest
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the Yug within the district is the
Luza River
The Luza (russian: Луза) is a river in Oparinsky and Luzsky Districts of Kirov Oblast, Priluzsky District of the Komi Republic, and Velikoustyugsky District of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Yug. It is long, and ...
. Minor areas in the west of the district lie in the
basin of the
Kizema River
Kizema (russian: Кизема) is a rural locality (a settlement) in Ustyansky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, about 700 km northeast of Moscow. The population was 2,968 as of 2010.Численность населения по муниц ...
, itself in the basin of the
Vaga
VAGA is an artists collective dedicated to improving mental health and fighting cognitive decline through art therapy. The organisation brings together artists, clinicians and academic psychologists to foster research collaboration and the develop ...
. Some areas in the north of the district are in the basin of the
Ustya River
The Ustya (russian: Устья) is a river in Kotlassky, Krasnoborsky, Ustyansky, and Velsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. A very short portion of the river also forms the boundary between Kotlassky District and Velikoustyuzhsky Di ...
, a tributary of the Vaga. The whole district belongs to the basin of the Northern Dvina.
Almost the whole of the district is covered by coniferous forests (
taiga
Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruce ...
). The exception are the meadows in the
floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
s.
History
The area was populated by
Finnic peoples
The Finnic or Fennic peoples, sometimes simply called Finns, are the nations who speak languages traditionally classified in the Finnic (now commonly '' Finno-Permic'') language family, and which are thought to have originated in the region of ...
and then colonized by the
Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (in contrast to the surrounding areas, which were a part of the
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east, including the city of Novgorod and the Lake Ladoga regions of m ...
). Veliky Ustyug is one of the oldest settlements in the Russian North and was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1207. The Novgorod merchants used the
Sukhona River
The Sukhona (russian: Су́хона) is a river in the European part of Russia, a tributary of the Northern Dvina. The course of the Sukhona lies in Ust-Kubinsky, Sokolsky, Mezhdurechensky, Totemsky, Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky, and Velikoustyu ...
as one of the main waterways leading to the
White Sea
The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is su ...
and the
Pechora
Pechora (russian: Печо́ра; kv, Печӧра, ''Pećöra'') is a town in the Komi Republic, Russia, located on the Pechora River, west of and near the northern Ural Mountains. The area of the town is . Population:
History
Pechora was ...
, and Veliky Ustyug was the only point on this waterway not belonging to Novgorod. In the 14th century, the area became a part of the
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...
.
In the course of the
administrative reform carried out in 1708 by
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
, the area was included into
Archangelgorod Governorate
Archangelgorod Governorate (russian: Архангелогородская губерния, ''Arkhangelogorodskaya guberniya''), or the Government of Archangelgorod, was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia and ...
. Veliky Ustyug was explicitly mentioned as one of the twenty towns comprising the governorate. From 1719, it was the seat of
Ustyug Province, one of the four provinces of Archangelgorod Governorate. In 1780, the governorate was abolished and transformed into
Vologda Viceroyalty
Vologda Viceroyalty (russian: Волого́дское наме́стничество) was an administrative division (a '' namestnichestvo'') of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1780–1796. The seat of the Viceroyalty was located in Vologda ...
. The latter was abolished in 1796, and Veliky Ustyug became the seat of
Velikoustyugsky Uyezd of
Vologda Governorate
Vologda Governorate (russian: link=no, Вологодская губерния, ''Vologodskaya guberniya'', ''Government of Vologda'') was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, which existed fr ...
. In 1918, the area was transferred to the newly established
Northern Dvina Governorate
Northern Dvina Governorate (russian: Северо-Двинская губерния, ''Severo-Dvinskaya guberniya'') was a governorate ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1918 to 1929. Its seat was in the city ...
with the administrative center located in Veliky Ustyug. In 1924, the uyezds were abolished in favor of the new divisions, the districts (raions).
On June 19, 1924, Velikoustyugsky District was established.
Ust-Alexeyevsky District with the administrative center of
Ust-Alexeyevo was established at the same time. On February 27, 1928, Ust-Alexeyevsky District was merged into Velikoustyugsky District. In 1929, Northern Dvina Governorate was merged into
Northern Krai
Northern Krai (russian: Северный край, ''Severny Krai'') was a ''krai'' (a first-level administrative and municipal unit) of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1929 to 1936. Its seat was in the city of Arkhangelsk. ...
. The krai consisted of five okrugs, one of which,
Northern Dvina Okrug
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a r ...
, had its administrative center in Veliky Ustyug. In July 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to Northern Krai. On January 25, 1935, Ust-Alexeyevsky District was re-established.
In 1936, Northern Krai was transformed into
Northern Oblast, and in 1937, Northern Oblast itself was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Velikoustyugsky District has remained in Vologda Oblast ever since. In 1959, Ust-Alexeyevsky District was merged back into Velikoustyugsky District.
Administrative and municipal divisions
Within the
framework of administrative divisions, Velikoustyugsky District is one of the
twenty-six in the oblast.
The town of
Veliky Ustyug
Veliky Ustyug (russian: Вели́кий У́стюг) is a town in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located in the northeast of the oblast at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug Rivers. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 31,665.
Veliky U ...
serves as its
administrative center
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
,
despite being incorporated separately as a
town of oblast significance—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts
(and which, in addition to Veliky Ustyug, also includes the town of
Krasavino and the
work settlement of
Kuzino
Kuzino (russian: Кузино) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of the town of oblast significance of Veliky Ustyug, Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Northern Dvina Rive ...
).
[Resolution #178] The district is divided into twenty
selsoviet
Selsoviet ( be, сельсавет, r=sieĺsaviet, tr. ''sieĺsaviet''; rus, сельсовет, p=ˈsʲelʲsɐˈvʲɛt, r=selsovet; uk, сільрада, silrada) is a shortened name for a rural council and for the area governed by such a cou ...
s.
As a
municipal division, the district is incorporated as Velikoustyugsky Municipal District and is divided into three urban and nineteen rural settlements, with the town of oblast significance of Veliky Ustyug being incorporated within the municipal district as Veliky Ustyug Urban Settlement.
The town of Krasavino and the urban-type settlement of Kuzino are also incorporated within the municipal district as urban settlements—Krasavino Urban Settlement and Kuzino Urban Settlement, correspondingly.
Economy
The economy of the district is based on timber production. Food industry is present, and tourism plays an important role.
Transportation
A number of roads connect Veliky Ustyug with other towns. The road to the north runs to
Krasavino and further to
Kotlas
Kotlas (russian: Ко́тлас) is a town in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Northern Dvina and Vychegda Rivers. Population:
Kotlas is the third largest town of Arkhangelsk Oblast in terms of population (after A ...
. The one to the south runs to
Nikolsk
Nikolsk (russian: Нико́льск) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
Modern localities Urban localities
*Nikolsk, Nikolsky District, Penza Oblast, a town in Nikolsky District of Penza Oblast
*Nikolsk, Vologda Oblast, a t ...
and further to
Manturovo
Manturovo (russian: Мантурово) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Manturovo, Kostroma Oblast, a town in Kostroma Oblasthttp://manturovo.org/
;Rural localities
* Manturovo, Ivanovo Oblast, a village ...
, where it connects to the road to
Kostroma
Kostroma ( rus, Кострома́, p=kəstrɐˈma) is a historic city and the administrative center of Kostroma Oblast, Russia. A part of the Golden Ring of Russian cities, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma. Popu ...
. The road to the southwest connects Veliky Ustyug with
Vologda
Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda (river), Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. ...
via
Totma
Totma (russian: То́тьма) is a town and the administrative center of Totemsky District in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Sukhona River at its confluence with the Pesya Denga, northeast of Vologda, the administrati ...
. All these roads are paved. An unpaved road, originating from
Kuzino
Kuzino (russian: Кузино) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of the town of oblast significance of Veliky Ustyug, Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Northern Dvina Rive ...
(which is connected with Veliky Ustyug by a ferry crossing) runs to
Luza and continues to
Lalsk
Lalsk (russian: Лальск) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Luzsky District of Kirov Oblast, Russia, located northeast from Luza, the administrative center of the district. Population:
History
It takes its name from the ...
and further to the
Komi Republic
The Komi Republic (russian: Республика Коми; kv, Коми Республика), sometimes simply referred to as Komi, is a republic of Russia located in Eastern Europe. Its capital is the city of Syktyvkar. The population of the ...
.
The railroad connects Veliky Ustyug with
Yadrikha railway station
Yadrikha (russian: Ядриха) is a rural locality (a village) in Privodinskoye Urban Settlement of Kotlassky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. The population was 175 as of 2010. There are 9 streets.
Geography
Yadrikha is located 15 km so ...
on the railroad connecting
Konosha
Konosha (russian: Коноша) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Konoshsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Konosha River, south of Arkhangelsk. It also serves as the administr ...
and Kotlas. Passenger service to Veliky Ustyug was discontinued in 2005. Two more railroads cross peripheral parts of the district: one connecting Konosha and Kotlas in the north (west of Yadrikha) and another one connecting
Kirov and Kotlas in the northeast.
The Sukhona, the Yug, and the Northern Dvina are all navigable within the limits of the district, but there is no passenger navigation except for a number of ferry crossings.
Veliky Ustyug is served by the
Veliky Ustyug Airport. There are no scheduled passenger flights.
Culture and recreation
![Обрадово 092](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/%D0%9E%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE_092.jpg)
The district contains one object classified as cultural and historical heritage by the Russian Federal law, and additionally forty-one objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local importance. Most of these are wooden farms and churches built prior to 1917. These numbers do not include the protected monuments in Veliky Ustyug.
The only object protected at the federal level is the archaeological monument "Palemsky Gorodok".
Troitse-Gledensky Monastery in the village of
Morozovitsa, close to the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the Sukhona and the Yug, is located in the district.
Since the 1990s, Veliky Ustyug has been marketed as the residence of
Ded Moroz
Ded Moroz (russian: Дед Мороз, ; Russian diminutive: russian: Дедушка Мороз, Dedushka Moroz, label=none; sk, Dedo Mráz; pl, Dziadek Mróz) or Morozko (russian: Морозко) is a legendary figure similar to Saint Nicho ...
, a fictional character similar to
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
. The residence, which is a major tourist attraction, is actually located outside of the town, on the territory of Velikoustyugsky District.
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
{{Use mdy dates, date=August 2012
Districts of Vologda Oblast