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)

Monument to St. Gerasim of Vologda in Vologda

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

Point 2

Monument to St. Gerasim of Vologda

🗿 Monument

Historical Background

This monument depicts St. Gerasim of Vologda, the founder of the first monastery in Vologda and the city's first saint. It stands on the embankment of the Vologda River. The official founding date of Vologda is 1147. This comes from the 17th-century Tale of the Miracles of Gerasim of Vologda: “In the year 6655 (1147) the Venerable Father Gerasim came from the city of Kyiv to the Vologda River, before the city of Vologda began, into the great forest, to the Middle Posad by the little market of Lazy Square, and built an honorable monastery to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, half a poprishche (a short distance) from the Vologda River.” Historians note that when Gerasim arrived, Vologda was still a village with no fortifications and no town status. The monastery was built outside the settlement and consecrated to the Holy Trinity.

When Was the Monument Erected?

The monument was unveiled on June 28, 2012, for Vologda's 865th anniversary. It was made possible by donations from local residents. The Moscow sculptor Oleg Uvarov spent two years creating it.

Brief Description

The bronze figure of St. Gerasim stands on a massive granite pedestal. The saint is shown in monastic dress, with a full beard and a black robe. Above his head is a gilded halo, and in his hands he holds an icon of the Old Testament Trinity. Gerasim gazes toward the place where his monastery once stood. The sculpture weighs about 100 kg and is made of two metals, bronze and copper.