From an Ancient Settlement to the City of Vologda

15 points2 km4 hours

This route takes you deep into the city's history, from the first settlements to the heyday of merchant Vologda. Along the way, layer after layer of the city's past is revealed: traces of fortifications, the sites of former squares, and corners with carefully preserved wooden houses and carved front gardens that tell of the everyday life and tastes of Vologda's people through the ages.

Route author

Vologda Tourism

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🌆🌿 Soak up the atmosphere
🍲🎶 Local culture

Route points (15)

Karaulov House in Vologda

Point on route “From an Ancient Settlement to the City of Vologda”

Point 3

Karaulov House

🏟️ Architectural landmark • 📜 Historic site

Historical Background

The Karaulov House is a monument of wooden architecture in the provincial Art Nouveau style. The house originally stood on Nikolskaya Street (now Dobrolyubova Street) in the Zarechye district. It was probably built by the merchant Alexander Fyodorovich Konkov in the 1880s and passed to Karaulov in 1912–1914; the decoration that survives today most likely dates from his time. In 1977 the house was listed as an architectural monument, and in the 1970s it was moved to its current site and restored. Today people still live in it.

Wooden Vologda

Vologda rightly ranks among the three Russian cities with the best-preserved wooden architecture, alongside Tomsk and Irkutsk. In the early 20th century the city seemed to be drowning in a “wooden sea”: stone buildings made up only five percent of all structures. This remained the norm until the 1960s, when old houses began to be replaced en masse by standard five-story apartment blocks. Some examples of wooden architecture were nevertheless saved and given protected status. The Karaulov House is a vivid example. The local tradition is especially known for fretwork carving — the “wooden lace” that has become the city's calling card. The house stands out for its deep projecting cornice with delicate carved valances, an ornate carved frieze and, of course, luxurious window surrounds. This architectural monument is still lived in today, as if it kept the breath of bygone eras.