Privileges of the most beautiful villages in Russia. Six of the most beautiful villages in Russia that deserve their title
Wooden huts and fat cats, creaky wells and clay jugs with milk, mills on rivers with sedge-covered banks and absolutely fabulous grandmothers - all this will greet a tired resident of the metropolis and envelop him in peace and complete tranquility.
Our answer to the Alps, rating of the most beautiful villages Russia is an excellent reason to leave the boring city and go “to your aunt, into the wilderness” - into the blessed silence of the Russian outback. Wooden huts and fat cats, creaky wells and clay jugs with milk, mills on rivers with sedge-covered banks and absolutely fabulous grandmothers - all this will greet a tired resident of the metropolis and envelop him in peace and complete tranquility. And in the most beautiful villages there are surprisingly many historical monuments and lovely museums, so your vacation promises to be not only relaxing, but also educational.
A little history
The Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Russia was created in 2015. Initially, it included 5 of the most worthy settlements that passed a strict selection: the village must be “alive”, preserve the traditional way of life, number no more than 2000 people and have a desire to develop rural tourism. The initiative quickly became popular, and today there are more than 40 settlements on the regularly growing list. Most of the participants are from the north: from the Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Novgorod regions, Karelia, and also Buryatia, but everyone is welcome in the association; it’s not for nothing that its motto is to inspire people to love rural Russia!
Where to go?
Village Vyatskoye
The village of Vyatskoye is an honorable pioneer in the field of beauty of Russian villages: in 2015 it became the first member of the association. The village is located in the Yaroslavl region, 300 km from Moscow, on the classic Central Russian plain, riddled with rivers and decorated with a chain of lakes - there are 38 of them in the vicinity of the village! The development of the village has remained virtually unchanged since the 18th century: here you can see merchant mansions and peasant huts, taverns and tea establishments, a church and a fire tower - in total more than 50 architectural monuments. 10 museums will be dedicated to all the details of local life, including the Museum of Russian Entrepreneurship, the interactive museum “Numbers of the Merchants of the Urlov Brothers”, and the Museum of the Vyatka Peasant. Three hotels are ready to accommodate guests of the village.
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
Atsagat village
“Equator of Buryatia”, the village of Atsagat is located almost in the very center of the republic, 50 km from Ulan-Ude, in a valley surrounded by hills with a clear mountain stream. The settlement dates back to the 17th century and now has about 100 houses - wooden huts and traditional yurts. Atsagat is famous for its datsan - a Buddhist religious school where the teacher of the 13th Dalai Lama taught, and for its healing spring, the waters of which cured Nicholas II of a wound. In the village museum you can see ancient Buddhist relics and, no more, no less, a thousand Buddha figurines. Guests of Atsagat are accommodated in yurts.
Pearl Staraya Ladoga- Staraya Ladoga fortress of the 15th century with walls 7 meters thick.
Village Oshevensky Pogost
The “old man” of the list of the most beautiful villages in Russia, Oshevensky Pogost is located in the legendary Kargopolye, perhaps the most picturesque and authentic region of the Arkhangelsk region. With a population of only 73 people, the Pogost can boast of an impressive number of monuments: a block of traditional wooden houses, a wooden church with a unique octagonal dome painted “to heaven”, and the active Holy Dormition Alexander-Oshevensky Monastery of the 15th century. Guests of the village are invited to take a steam bath and learn to spin wool on ancient spinning wheels, walk along the picturesque banks of the Churiega River and participate in wedding ceremonies with the baking of special “teterki” cookies. Guests are accommodated in a restored merchant's house.
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
Kinerma village
The Karelian village of Kinerma was founded in the 16th century on the site of the original settlement of ethnic Karelian-Livviks. Today there are 16 houses and only 5 permanent residents, but guests are received with cordiality and thoroughness: they are accommodated in traditional huts with three meals a day and are entertained in every possible way with master classes and excursions. The pearl of Kinerma is the chapel of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God with an 18th century iconostasis. It is also worth examining in all details the remarkably preserved houses with carved hedges and wells. You can spend your leisure time taking a steam bath, studying the Karelian language, practicing baking “wicket cookies” and mastering the weaving loom.
You can get to Nizhmozero, the ancient village of the Arkhangelsk Pomors, only in the summer, by off-road vehicle or boat.
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
Village Staraya Ladoga
One of the closest villages to cities and accessible all year round is the village of Staraya Ladoga on the Volkhov River in the Leningrad Region. The oldest traces of human activity in these places date back to the Neolithic era, and the oldest wooden buildings were made from logs from the 8th century. The collection of architectural monuments will amaze even sophisticated tourists: the Staraya Ladoga fortress of the 15th century with walls 7 meters thick, two monasteries - Uspensky and Nikolsky, the ramparts of Zemlyanoy Gorod, churches, chapels, graveyards, burial mounds, estates... Tourists are accommodated in guest houses and entertained with excursions and master classes from old Russian life.
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
Ferapontovo village
The village of Ferapontovo in the Vologda region is famous for two key attractions: the Ferapontov Belozersky Monastery and the Museum of Dionysius' Frescoes. However, the village’s place on the list of the most beautiful villages in Russia was secured not by its famous monuments, but by the authentic atmosphere of a Russian village with its wooden huts with carved frames and the picturesque expanses of the Vologda region. In addition to admiring the above-mentioned monuments, tourists are offered hikes in the surrounding area and relaxation on the lake shores. Accommodation - in guest houses and the private sector.
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
Nizhmozero village
Nizhmozero - an ancient village of Pomors in Arkhangelsk region, which can only be reached in the summer, by SUV or boat. This is one of the most remote villages from civilization: all around is the virgin nature of the endless northern expanses. All buildings in Nizhmozero are wooden, made using the traditional timber frame for these places. Guests of the village admire the picturesque surroundings, go boating on the system of lakes and channels, try traditional cuisine with an abundance of fish dishes and enjoy the ringing silence of the almost uninhabited region. Tourists are ready to be accommodated in two guest houses or provided with a place in a private house.
The most beautiful village in Russia is located in Buryatia. This is the village of Bolshoy Kunaley. The descendants of Old Believers resettled to Siberia in the 18th century live here. The All-Russian Association “The Most Beautiful Villages of Russia” held a ceremony and installed a corresponding sign at the entrance.
1. The Buryat village of Bolshoy Kunaley was settled by Semeysky Old Believers in 1765. 
2. The peculiarity of the village is its houses. Made of timber, they are all painted in bright colors, with carved shutters and painted fences, and are somewhat reminiscent of a children's fairy tale. 
3. Now the population of Bolshoi Kunaley is about 1 thousand people, who are mainly engaged in agriculture.
4. It is interesting that most of the houses in Kunaleya do not have front gardens. But they always have huge vegetable gardens - the Old Believers are always distinguished by their great diligence and thriftiness. 
5. Unfortunately, many houses on the streets of Kunaleya stand with closed shutters - the Old Believer villages, although they are not completely dying, like most villages in the country, people are still leaving. 
6. Family houses always have high windows, because most of the house is occupied by a cellar, where supplies from the garden are stored. 
7. The name of the most beautiful village in Russia comes from the name of the Kunaley river, which is translated from Buryat as “fold, assembly” - because there are many falls in the middle of the taiga. The first settlers arrived here in the 1730s. 
8. Semeyskie recreate folk costumes and preserve ritual folklore. Bolshekunaleysky folk choir is the oldest song group in Siberia and Far East, he is almost 90 years old. The famous Semey chant of Russian folk songs of the Kunalei singing school is studied in many music institutes, schools and colleges. The choir has toured abroad more than once, including in the USA, Europe, and Japan. 
9. How do you choose the most beautiful village in Russia? “Applicants” are assessed according to several criteria. Experts pay attention to how often fairs and festivals are held in a locality, get acquainted with its history, and evaluate how harmoniously it fits into the surrounding landscape. An important role is played by photogenicity, road condition, ecology and accessibility for tourists, etc. 
More than 40 small settlements are members of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Russia. The selection criteria are strict: these must be “living” villages (that is, not museums, but those in which people actually live) numbering up to 2,000 people, ensuring the preservation of the historical appearance of their buildings and being surrounded by an interesting landscape.
Association experts also consider it important to have authentic wooden sidewalks in combination with good road infrastructure in the village so that it is accessible to tourists.
1. Vyatskoye: An ancient merchant village
If you want to see a real merchant village, go to Vyatskoye. One and a half thousand people live here permanently, and all of them are simply in love with their village. It has perfectly preserved ancient buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, including a hotel, restaurant, and trading shop.
Anastasia Stepanova / Museumfest.ru
In addition, there are unique museums of everyday life, where you can see very rare objects. For example, the “Museum of Kitchen Equipment” displays egg cookers and toasters that were used back in the Russian Empire, and the Sounds of Time museum contains antique barrel organs and gramophones.
Anastasia Stepanova / Museumfest.ru
How to get there: from Yaroslavl by bus No. 123 (from the Cosmos shopping center). Travel time is 40 minutes.
2. Totma: City of Russian-American Friendship
Valentina Pevtsova/TASS
Medieval Totma is located in a very picturesque place, on the banks of the river of the same name. There is a legend that when Peter I came here for the first time, he said: “It’s not a city, it’s darkness,” and that’s where the name comes from. And today with It's worth coming here to see churches in the "Totem Baroque" style, as they are called: tall white temples decorated with lace ornaments.
Konstantin Kokoshkin/Global Look Press
Every year on July 26, the small town of Totma celebrates Russian America Day at the same time as Fort Ross in Northern California. It would seem, what is the connection between these places? It turns out that Fort Ross was founded by a native of Totma, Ivan Kuskov, who in 1808 led a sea voyage to the shores of Western America. In 1990, the house where Kuskov spent the last months of his life became a branch of a museum complex that houses documents and objects related to California intelligence. Today, residents of Totma and Fort Ross have a tradition of jointly ringing bells in the churches of Totma and Fort Ross, which is broadcast via video link.
How to get there: From Vologda by any bus towards Veliky Ustyug. Travel time is 4 hours.
3. Kimzha: Arctic village of the 16th century
It’s hard to imagine, but the Russian Arctic was inhabited 400 years ago. The Old Believer village of Kimzha in the Arkhangelsk region is a clear confirmation of this. Here every house is a treasure trove for a historian and a monument to northern wooden architecture. Almost all the houses in the village are over a hundred years old - and families still live in them.
Tourist information center of the Arkhangelsk region
In the village you can see not only residential buildings, but also the northernmost wooden mills in the world.
Tourist information center of the Arkhangelsk region
How to get there: from Arkhangelsk by car along the Arkhangelsk-Belogorsky-Pinega-Kimzha road. Distance - 350 km.
4. Oshevensky Pogost: Wooden churches of the 18th century
Pavel Kononov/Sputnik
In the Arkhangelsk region, many wooden churches have been preserved, but many of them are not in the best condition. It’s worth coming to Oshevensk to see northern wooden architecture with your own eyes. Particularly worth paying attention to is the Church of the Epiphany from 1787, one of the largest surviving wooden churches in Russia.
Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
Here you can also see old wooden houses. The village is small - only 70 people live here permanently, but tourists are always welcome in Oshevensk. Guests are told about local customs, shown a real Russian bathhouse “black-style”, and are also taught traditional crafts.
Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
How to get there: from Arkhangelsk you first need to get to the city of Kargopol by bus No. 521 (travel time 8 hours), and then by bus to Oshevensk (travel time 1 hour).
5. Kinerma: Traditional Karelian village
Ilya Timin/Sputnik
Residents of Kinerma have still preserved their traditional way of life: they are engaged in agriculture, Karelian crafts - and are happy to share their knowledge with guests, and they also teach how to cook Karelian dishes.
Ilya Timin/Sputnik
In the village itself you can see a wooden chapel from the 18th century with a preserved iconostasis, as well as residential buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, which are already recognized as architectural monuments.
How to get there: from the Petrozavodsk bus station to regular bus towards Savinovo. Travel time is 2.5 hours.
6. Bolshoi Kunaley: Old Believer village in Buryatia
Visitburyatia.ru
Buryatia is a region where mostly Buddhists live, but not far from Ulan-Ude there is an ancient village of Old Believers. It was founded by the first 200 settlers in 1765, and to this day the descendants, more than a thousand of them, have preserved the rural way of life.
Visitburyatia.ru
Wooden houses are especially impressive local residents: bright, decorated with contrasting carved trims and unusual ornaments. You won't pass by!
How to get there: from the Ulan-Ude bus station by regular bus. Travel time is 2.5 hours.
7. Staraya Ladoga: The ancient capital of Northern Rus'
This is not only one of the most beautiful villages in Russia, but also one of the oldest! It was founded in the middle of the 8th century, and a stone fortress from the 9th century, as well as the St. George Church and the Assumption Cathedral from the mid-12th century have survived to this day.
Alexey Danichev/Sputnik
It is believed that in ancient times Staraya Ladoga was the capital of Rus'. According to legend, Prince Oleg the Prophet, who reigned at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries, is buried here, on the largest hill. Whether this is true or not is not known for certain, but you will definitely enjoy the picturesque views of Staraya Ladoga.
Ruslan Shamukov/TASS
How to get there: from St. Petersburg to the city of Volkhov by train (2.5 hours), then by bus No. 23.
Not only. Small settlements - villages, villages can also be tourist sites and arouse interest and desire to see them.
The idea of the brand “The most beautiful villages of Russia”
In 1982, France created the tourism brand “The Most Beautiful Villages”, and a little later, on the basis of this fund, the International Federation “The Most Beautiful Villages of the Earth” was created, which united 20 associations different countries. In Russia, the association “The Most Beautiful Villages of Russia” was also created in 2014. Several regions of the country held competitions for the most beautiful village in their region, and some villages themselves began to compete for the title “ The most beautiful village in Russia».
Both villages and villages could participate in such an all-Russian competition. The conditions of the competition for the title of the most beautiful village are as follows: the number of people in the village or village should not be more than two thousand people, then nature, historical buildings and monuments, the grooming and beauty of the settlement, and social facilities are considered. There are a lot of such villages and villages in Russia, despite the lack of attention to small settlements lately.
We present to your attention several villages that can rightfully be considered the most beautiful in Russia, and a village that was officially declared the most beautiful in 2015.
What are they, the most beautiful villages in Russia
Chamerevo village
Located in the Sudogodsky district, it won the competition “The most beautiful village in the Vladimir region” and received a prize of 100 thousand rubles. The village began to revive about eight years ago, when gas was installed in it, but even before that it had a rich history. The Griboedov family once lived in Chamerevo when the great writer was still small. Ivan the Terrible also passed through this land with his troops, and not just passed through, but trying to instill Orthodoxy in the population; in many villages and towns during his campaign, “ordinary” (built in one day) churches were erected.
Now in the village there is a functioning Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord with its difficult fate, like many churches in Russia, restored by the whole world. There is also a holy spring of Alexander Nevsky in the village. The source and the font into which the water flows are protected by a building, and above the font there is a very original announcement: “Dip into the water: with faith, sober, peaceful, in purity, with a cross. Three times with the prayer “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
And the place where the spring and the font are located is so picturesque that it takes your breath away. Today Chamerevo is a beautiful, well-kept village, where there is its own museum of crafts and everyday life, a House of Culture, which took first place in the regional competition for the best rural House of Culture, all social facilities: school, kindergarten, first aid station, library, post office, shops. The village itself is very neat, without spontaneous landfills and dried weeds on the roadsides, with beautiful private houses and flowers in the front gardens. And it is noticeable that the village is not withering away, but developing.
Karelian Kinerma,
also joined the association “The Most Beautiful Villages of Russia,” although there are only 16 houses and five people live in it. Of the 16 houses, 6 are architectural monuments, which are 100 and 200 years old. The village has existed since 1563 and its name translated into Russian sounds like “precious land”. Despite its small numbers, both in people and in buildings, Kinerma is very popular with tourists. Every year it is visited by several thousand tourists, both Russian and foreign.
A private enterprise created by local residents will not let visiting guests get bored. Immersion in ancient village life is very unusual and exciting. Accommodation in rustic, but comfortable and clean houses, dinners with national Karelian dishes, a black-style steam bath, an exhibition of the history of the village, master classes on making ritual dolls and national baking - all this attracts tourists to this small unusual village.
One of the most beautiful villages of the Russian North, the village of Varzuga,
located on the Kola Peninsula in Murmansk region. This village has existed for more than 600 years, and one of the attractions of the village is the Assumption Church, which was created in the 17th century without the use of nails and is a monument of wooden architecture. Tourists, especially English ones, really like to visit this village, where, in addition to the historical heritage and beautiful nature, you can get permission to catch Atlantic salmon and go fishing for pleasure.
Imagine a village, almost all of whose houses are painted and decorated, isn’t it a beautiful and amazing sight.
This beautiful village of Nikolo-Lenivets is located in the Kaluga region.
Like many villages in Russia, it began to fall into disrepair during perestroika. But there was an enthusiastic architect, Vasily Shchetinin, who decided to turn the village into a kind of creative gallery. His idea was liked not only by the village residents, but also by foreign architects, and now all the houses and fences of this small Central Russian village look like a gallery of folk art. Everything is made, cut and painted by hand. Now Nikolo-Lenivets has become the site of the annual folk festival “Arch-Stoyanie”.
In the Kamchatka Territory, 600 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there is a village with the poetic name Esso.
The harsh climate of Kamchatka is compensated thermal springs, which spring up in abundance from the ground in this area. They heat houses, and in a local sanatorium their water is used for various medical procedures. The remoteness from big cities does not prevent the population of Esso from feeling satisfied with life; folk art is developing in the village, there is a Rotary Club, which has close ties with the same organization in Alaska. This Far Eastern settlement can rightfully be considered one of the most unusual and beautiful villages in Russia.
The village of Bogolyubovo, Vladimir region, is located just ten kilometers from the regional center.
It successfully combines the advantages of proximity to civilization and rich historical heritage. It was founded and made his patrimony by the Kiev prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in the 12th century. Bogolyubovo earned the title of one of the most beautiful villages in Russia thanks to the abundance of Christian shrines and the ancient Church of the Intercession Holy Mother of God built on a hill. During the spring flood of the rivers, the church is surrounded by water, but is not flooded.
The village of Srostki in the Altai Territory, where the famous actor and writer Vasily Shukshin was born, can rightfully be called the most beautiful Siberian village in Russia.
There are no special ancient monuments here, and the buildings, although durable in Siberian style, are not particularly beautiful. The beauty and attractiveness of the village is created unusually beautiful nature: spacious meadows interspersed with shady groves, the majestic Katun River, on the banks of which the village stands and the invisible aura of the homeland of the famous writer. In Srostki they sacredly cherish the memory of their fellow countryman, there is a Shukshin Museum in the village, literary readings are held annually, and even a film festival was held.
A little more than a thousand people live in the village of Bolshoy Kunaley, which is located in Buryatia.
The village is located on the banks of the Kunaleyka River, and the most important thing why it attracts attention and can be considered one of the most beautiful villages in Russia is the unanimous desire of the residents to decorate their houses so that the village resembles a colorful illustration for a funny children's fairy tale. The fact is that all the houses in this locality are painted the same, the houses are red, the windows are blue, the fences are green. This village makes an indelible visual impression (in the good sense of the word), and the unanimity of the residents in decorating the village evokes respect.
Unfortunately, this village cannot participate in the competition for “The most beautiful village in Russia”, since its population exceeds 2 thousand people, but due to the beauty of nature, unusual geographical location, excellent ecology, civilized appearance and vibrant cultural and social life.
Elovo can be considered not only the most beautiful village in the Kama region, but also in Russia.
Yelovo is located in the south Perm region and is a peninsula washed on three sides by the Kama River and its bays. The Kama spill on one side of the village is so wide that you cannot see the other shore, it seems like you are on the seashore. Since there are no large industries in the village, Elovo is an ecologically very clean village, in addition, it is all surrounded by greenery. Like many small settlements, the village, of course, has old buildings, and not all the streets are paved.
But at the entrance to the village and on most central streets, asphalt is laid; not only the roadway is paved, but also the pedestrian paths. In 2014, in Elovo, thanks to the support of the regional budget, the central square of the village was improved. Now this is not only one of the most beautiful places in Elovo, but also the most visited. A lawn covering, spacious tiled droshky, a playground for children with all kinds of swings, play structures, comfortable benches, a lovers' bridge, evergreen bushes, flowers - all this not only pleases the eye, but also attracts residents here.
There are many places where you can relax and have an interesting time in Yelovo and around it. This is the recreation center “Berendey” on the shore of the Kama Bay, with comfortable guest houses, a cafe with an open veranda, and a beautiful beach; and the unique natural reserve “Valley of Waterfalls”, opened and equipped by a local enthusiastic researcher, where many tourists come from different regions of Russia, and even foreign ones.
In front of the administration building, blue spruce trees rise majestically as a symbol of the village.
All social and cultural facilities and administrative buildings in the village: hospital, school, library, House of Culture, police building, fire department, administration, were built recently and are in excellent condition. The center of spiritual life, the Church of the First Apostles Peter and Paul, also located on the shore of the bay, was restored 20 years ago with funds from philanthropists and grants for social projects. 
In general, it must be said that many caring, socially active people live in Yelovo. Over the past 20 years, dozens of socio-cultural projects aimed at improving the village and region have been created and submitted to Lukoil competitions. More than 40 of them received grants. So the church was restored, including thanks to grants. And now for everyone patronal feasts Above this clean, green, well-maintained village-peninsula floats the “crimson ringing” of the bell of the Peter and Paul Church.
And in the competition for “The Most Beautiful Village in Russia,” the victory went to the village of Vyatsky, Nekrasovsky district, Yaroslavl region.
To understand why this village was awarded the title of “The Most Beautiful Village in Russia,” you need to visit it. You can’t tell in a few sentences how beautiful and unusual this village is. Already at the entrance to the village, looking at the sign with the name, “Historical and cultural complex “Vyatskoye”, you begin to understand that this is an unusual populated area. In Vyatskoye there are 10 museums of various types, and not only ordinary, historical ones, but, for example, such as the “Museum of Russian Amusements”, “Museum of Russian Bathhouse in Black Style”.
There is an active church in the village, mineral spring, even with a bathhouse. All the sights of the most beautiful village in Russia can be explored in one day, but if you want to stay in Vyatskoye, tourists can enjoy several restaurants and a hotel. The prices and names of dishes in the restaurant will pleasantly surprise you, dishes “piping hot” (as they are called in the menu), borscht “Monastic”, pike perch in a rural style, an overseas dish, salads Imperial, Kupechesky, can boast not only unusual names, but also excellent taste. Every year 100 thousand tourists come to the village.
There is a village called Vyatskoye, 38 kilometers from Yaroslavl. A village that on October 15, 2015 became the first member of the Association of the most beautiful villages in Russia! Having learned about this event, I decided to go there to see the delights of the village with my own eyes.
2. This is what one of the most beautiful villages in Russia looks like. Central square with restored mansions from the 18th and 19th centuries.
3. Hills, ravines, summer "amphitheater".
5. In some places Vyatskoye looks like this.
6. And now the fun part. Why, unlike most villages and hamlets in Russia, Vyatskoye has not collapsed, but is developing. The answer, of course, lies in money.
There is a businessman in Yaroslavl, Oleg Zharov, who, according to local residents, was looking for a place for a summer residence in the vicinity of Yaroslavl. I came to Vyatskoye, fell in love with the local beauty, and decided to take on the restoration of the village. I bought an architectural monument of the 19th century - the house of honorary citizen Bogorodsky, restored it, and the dacha is ready.
7. Zharov did not stop there, and over the past few years, more than 30 half-abandoned mansions have been restored, several museums have been opened, and a church has been restored with the businessman’s money.Ascension of Christ built in 1750.
8. There are also opponents of Zharov’s “policy”. They say he buys and restores mansions with only one goal: to sell them, and thereby become richer. And it develops everything around and ennobles it, only in order to build an elite cottage village. In any case, every year new jobs appear in the village, and abandoned architectural monuments are restored.
9. Zharov also received the state prize “For his contribution to the revival and development of traditional cultural and historical values.” He was invited to the Kremlin and seated next to Putin and Medvedev. Where Medvedev said: “How about we go, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to Vyatskoye? At least the roads will be repaired before our arrival.” .
Apparently they never made it, and part of the road from Yaroslavl to the village of Vyatskoye is a toa Yamutokanavu. This is where our short journey to the most beautiful village in Russia begins.
10. Here it is Vyatskoye, an open-air museum of Russian rural life.The main idea of the museum is to present to tourists the life of the Russian village as it was several centuries ago.
11. The village is more than 500 years old in total. AND known in the history of Russia for its crafts, noisy fairs and bazaars, schismatics, “going to the people,” and talented people. For example, the sculptor A.M. Opekushin - the author of the monument to A.S. Pushkin in Moscow (on Pushkin Square), Pyotr Telushkin - the founder of “Russian mountaineering”, who alone, without insurance, repaired the wing of the angel that crowned the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the poet Nekrasov, who found images of his heroes in Vyatsky.
12. On central square a restored fire station, now a museum in the building.
10. The parking lot next to the depot is completely filled with tourists' cars. There are even guests with overseas numbers.
11. We park next to the tourist buses.
12. And along the Ukhtomka River, which flows through all of Vyatskoye, we go to get acquainted with local life.
14. On the right bank of the river there is a museum - black bathhouse.
15. One of the central streets.
16. A rickety hut.
17. Bathhouse with a swimming pool.
18. It’s hard to believe, but, a residential building. There are even satellite dishes hanging on the front side of the façade.
19. Almost destroyed temple.
22. The restoration work of the next mansion is carried out mainly by visitors from neighboring countries.
23. Fragment of a restored mansion.
24. The restored house of the photographer Kokoshkin, an architectural monument of the late 19th century. Perhaps one day the dangling wires will disappear and it will look really good.
25. One of the most beautiful buildings in the village of Vyatskoye. Inside Museum of Russian Entrepreneurship, or “The History of a Village That Wanted to Become a City...”.
26. On the third floor The museum has a large exhibition of household items.
27. The largest collection is on the second floor musical instruments and caskets in Europe, many of which are still in use. The collection, as we were told at the museums, belongs to Zharov.
29. Organola.
30. Punched tapes for organola. And here it’s worth retelling what the museums told us.
In the old days, when a girl was married off, it was important what kind of hearing she had. And if the betrothed had problems with this, then before playing a piece of music for her future husband, a punched tape was inserted into the organola. The girl could only press the pedal and imitate playing the keys. The music sounds beautiful, the groom is happy, everyone is happy.
Maybe it's just a story, but it was told convincingly.
31. We will consider the Sberbank branch to be the ugliest building in the village, if this booth can be called a building. By the way, speaking of Sberbank, 3 days ago we closed our mortgage! We accept congratulations. Maybe one day I’ll even write about what it was like to live under the yoke of Sberbank.
32. Russian Post Office.
33. Fragment of a restored architectural monument. Everything was done quite well, even the smallest elements of stucco were preserved and restored.
34. From the yard this house looks much sadder. Perhaps it means that no one will set foot in the yard.
35. Outskirts of the village.
36. A neighboring village, and a country road home.
p.s. Perhaps some information about the businessman Zharov, and about the village of Vyatskoye, in some places does not correspond to reality. As they say, what you bought for is what you sold for. In general, the businessman is a great guy, he is developing his native land. After all, as practice shows, most of our rich people buy villas abroad, apartments in Dubai, and go live overseas.
