Vologda

Lore & Background

The nucleus of Vologda in the 13th century was in the area known as 'Lazy ground,' close to the Resurrection church, and remained the center until 1565. No stone constructions existed in Vologda until that year; all fortifications, bridges, houses, churches, and industrial enterprises were made of wood. The city's position on waterways connecting Moscow, Novgorod, and the White Sea made it attractive to the Novgorod Republic and the princes of Tver and Moscow, who fought numerous wars between the 13th and 15th centuries. In 1397, during the reign of Vasily I, Vologda was added to the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and it was later attacked several times by Novgorod forces. During the Muscovite Civil War, Vasily II the Blind was exiled to Vologda in 1447 after being defeated by Dmitry Shemyaka, and from there he traveled to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery to be released from his oath. In 1450, Vologda was besieged by Shemyaka's troops but not occupied. After Vasily's death in 1462, Vologda passed to his son Andrey Menshoy and became the center of the Principality of Vologda, then to Ivan III in 1481.

Reader's Guide

Under Ivan the Terrible, Vologda became a major transit center for Russian trade, especially with England, Holland, and other western countries via the White Sea. In 1553, English seafarer Richard Chancellor visited, and in 1555 England opened a trading office in the city. Ivan the Terrible included Vologda in the Oprichnina lands in 1565 and decided to make it the center of Oprichnina and potentially the capital. He ordered a new fortress built, and the Saint Sophia Cathedral, the first stone building in Vologda, was constructed between 1568 and 1570, copying the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. However, in 1571 Ivan stopped construction and left, possibly due to the abolition of Oprichnina or a legend that a stone fell on his head in the cathedral. The cathedral was consecrated only in 1587 under his son Feodor I. During the Time of Troubles, Vologda initially swore to False Dmitry II in 1608 but later denounced him and supported Vasily Shuysky. In 1612, the city provided aid to the home guard of Minin and Pozharsky but was then seized and burned by a Lithuanian extortionate group on September 22, 1612. After 1613, Vologda recovered and became an important center of foreign trade, and under Peter the Great it became a main military base.

Did You Know?

• The official founding year of Vologda is 1147, based on a 17th-century tale and an 18th-century chronicler, but archaeologists have found no evidence earlier than the 13th century.
• Vologda was the birthplace of Osip Nepeya, the first Russian ambassador sent to England for negotiations.
• The Saint Sophia Cathedral, built between 1568 and 1570, was the first stone building in Vologda and was designed to copy the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
• In 1612, after sending military forces to support the second home guard, Vologda was left without sufficient protection and was seized and burned by a Lithuanian extortionate group.