Merchant Totma: From Salt Works to Sea Discoveries

17 points7 km0 hours

This route introduces you to the unique salt-making trade that made Totma one of the richest towns of the Russian North. This old town of seafarers and explorers also preserves the memory of the Totma merchants who conquered Alaska and California. We'll begin the tour at “Totma Salt,” a cultural and historical landscape complex in the village of Varnitsy, Totma District, Vologda Region. It introduces the ancient salt-making trade, which played an important role in the town's development. Here you'll learn all about salt making and see open-air museum exhibits and the Kokorev Garden. The route was prepared as part of the “Vsyako Doyedem” (“We'll Get There Anyway”) project.

Route author

Yulia Drugashkova

Things to do

История
Парки
Ремесло

Route points (17)

“Black Fox” Memorial Sign in Totma

Point on route “Merchant Totma: From Salt Works to Sea Discoveries”

Point 7

“Black Fox” Memorial Sign

История • 📸 Take photos • 🏰🕵️‍♂️ Discover a legend

History

In 1764 merchants from Totma and Vologda asked Catherine II to accept a map of newly discovered islands of the Aleutian chain. They presented the empress with a black fox with fluffy silvery fur. Afterward this animal became an important source of furs and was placed on the town's coat of arms, symbolizing the feat of the local merchant seafarers. The memorial sign was unveiled on August 13, 2017, the year of Totma's 880th anniversary and the 205th anniversary of the founding of Fort Ross in California.

The Town's No. 1 Photo Spot

By the memorial sign you can take vivid photos that will be sure to remind you of your trip to Totma, rest on a nearby bench, and read about the town's history.