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

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.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
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.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

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.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

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.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

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.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

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