The Vologda Kremlin: The State Museum-Reserve (photo)

In the very center of Vologda is a historical and architectural ensemble, which was laid down by the Decree of Ivan IV as a fortress (1567) and fulfilled a defensive role in the XVI-XVII centuries. At the beginning of the XIX century, its walls and tower were dismantled. Today the Vologda Kremlin is the State Museum-Reserve. We will tell you about this monument of history and architecture.

The Vologda Kremlin - history

Construction of the Kremlin began in the spring of 1566, on the eve of the day of the apostles Sosipatra and Jason. The work was led by a visiting engineer from the UK, Humphrey Locke.

Ivan the Terrible planned to use the Vologda Kremlin as his own residence. The territory for the construction was bounded from the north by the Vologda River, from the south, a moat was dug, which today is known as the Zolotukh River, from the west the border ran along the present Leningradskaya Street.

In 1571, construction work was suspended in connection with the departure of the king. By that time, a stone wall and eleven towers had been erected, two of which, with spiers, were in the south-west corner.

Later on the territory of the Kremlin there was a cathedral church - a magnificent stone structure, St. Sophia Cathedral. At the same time appeared the royal palace, made of wood, and the church of Joachim and Anna. A wooden prison and a 21-hood tower were built. The stone wall was only from the south-east and from the north-west. Despite the fact that the Vologda Kremlin had not yet been completed, already in those days it struck with its huge size.

The next three wooden towers and four intermediate towers were built during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich.

The streets located inside the Kremlin were planned taking into account the direction of the main roads that were laid from the Spassky Gate, and led to the St. Sophia Cathedral. Between the highways were created residential streets and thoroughfares. The central square was called Sobornaya. It housed the Sophia Cathedral, the royal palace and the bishops' chambers.

The Vologda Kremlin had state services, located along the eastern wall, which led to the Zolotukh river. Opposite was a small writing hut - in it sat the clerks. In the neighborhood there was a disgraced prison, and behind it stood eight granaries, in which grain was stored, collected from the county people. A little to the south of Pyatnitskiy was organized a labial hut in which the labwalkers sat. They investigated criminal cases. Immediately there was also a prison courtyard enclosed by a high fence.

On the territory of the Kremlin was organized the famous Trade Square. In 1711, it was built twelve rows. Later, when they began to be missed, trading rows began to erect on the shore of Zolotukh.

Between Spassky and Vologda towers was located Gostiny Dvor, which in 1627 occupied a territory of 98 meters 92 meters in width. Here were the sovereign barns, built under one roof, the church of Peter and Paul.

Today the Vologda Kremlin is the historical and cultural center of the city. The remains of many defensive structures are now represented in the form of ponds and ditches in the museum park and near the river Zolotukhi.

History of the museum

The first museum in Vologda appeared in the XIX century. It was the house of Peter I, who received the first visitors in 1885. After 11 years (1896), a diocesal Ancient Vault appeared in Vologda, in which were objects of antiquity of cult significance and important documents of the Vologda diocese.

The first picture gallery in Vologda appeared in 1911. By the same time, the creation of the Museum of Homeland Studies also applies.

In March 1923, according to the decision of local authorities, all the museums of the city united.

On the basis of the regional museum of local lore, the Vologda State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve was organized.

Today it unites the Vologda Kremlin and 9 branches. It:

1. Architectural and Ethnographic Museum.
2. Museum of lace.
3. The house of Peter I.
4. "Vologda Reference" (museum).
5. The house-museum of Mozhaysky A.F.
6. Museum-apartment Batiushkov K.N.
7. "Literature. Art. Century XX »(museum).
8. "Forgotten things" (museum).
9. "Vologda at the turn of the XIX - XX centuries" (exhibition exposition).

Sophia Cathedral

This is the oldest stone building in the city. Vologda Kremlin and St. Sophia Cathedral are magnificent monuments of architecture and history of the 16th century. The temple is very impressive in size. The walls have a length of 38.5 meters, the height exceeds 59 meters.

St. Sophia Cathedral is a model of Russian church architecture of the XVI century. Such structures were distributed in the cities, they were built according to the type of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. At the same time, the Vologda Cathedral differs from other analogues in its laconic architecture, which gives the cathedral a specific northern severity.

Features of the structure

St. Sophia Cathedral has a characteristic feature. In accordance with the ancient church canon, the altar of the temple should always be facing east. At the behest of Ivan the Terrible, the cathedral's altar was built in such a way that it was directed to the north-east. According to researchers, Ivan IV wished that the altar of the temple was turned towards the river, although this contradicted the traditions of church construction.

Until now, a five-tier wooden gilded iconostasis has been fully preserved. It was created in 1738 and became the third since the construction of the cathedral. Icons for him painted the Polish painter Maxim Iskritsky.

For its long history, the Sophia Cathedral was reconstructed many times. Its modern appearance it found only in the XX century.

Belfry of the Vologda Kremlin

In 1659 an octagonal stone tent belfry was erected on the territory of the Kremlin.

In 1869, Bishop Palladius, who believed that the bell tower of the cathedral should be higher than all the bell-towers in the diocese, instructed the architect VN Schildknecht to rebuild it. The tent was dismantled, and on the old one there is an existing bell tower today, which has arched bell arches.

The main feature of this bell tower was the chimes that were made in Moscow, at the factory of the Gutenop brothers (1871). Today they are the main clock of the city.

The unique belfry

Here is a unique collection of ancient bells. Well preserved bells of the XVII century. Some of them received the original names - "Sentry" (1627), "Big Swan" (1689), "Little Swan" (1656) and others.

At the level of the base of the head is a small observation deck. From it you can admire an unusually beautiful view of the city, the river.

The head of the bell tower is gilded. The last time this work was conducted in 1982. Then it took 1200 g of gold leaf.

House of Peter I

This museum began working in Vologda in the distant 1872. It is located in the historical part of the city, on the banks of the Vologda River, in the former Gutman house. This is the only surviving building of the Dutch merchants. Here Peter I visited quite often.

Now the collection of the museum is made up of hundreds of exhibits. All of them are dumb witnesses of that ancient era. These are pieces of furniture on which the engraving "AG" (Adolph Gutman), which belonged to the owners of the house, was preserved.

Particularly valuable exhibits are the orders that Peter the Great instituted. This, of course, is the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. In those days, they were awarded 38 people.

Excursions

Today many of our compatriots come to inspect the Vologda Kremlin, a photo of which you can see in our article.

The museum includes 40 architectural monuments, the total area of which is 9000 square meters. The guests are offered literary, artistic, natural-scientific, historical and ethnographic expositions. The museum's collection includes more than 500 thousand exhibits - priceless paintings of Ancient Rus, graphics, manuscripts, ancient coins and much more.

More than 60 thousand exhibits are displayed at various exhibitions. Many samples from the collections of the museum were exhibited in England and Germany, the Vatican and France, Finland and the Netherlands, Hungary and Austria. All excursions to the Vologda Kremlin can be visited both personal and group. And the excursion programs are created for different age groups, beginning with preschool children. More than 80 excursions are regularly held on the basis of the museum and its branches.

Mode of operation of the museum

Today many tourists go to the Vologda Kremlin. Opening hours of the museum are every day from 10.00 to 17.00. The museum is closed for visits on Monday and Tuesday. The territory of the Kremlin is free entrance every day.