Veliky Ustyug
Veliky Ustyug has a great historical significance and was one of the major cities of the Russian North. It preserved some of the past urban structure and many architectural monuments. The name Ustyug means "the mouth of the Yug". By the late 15th century, the name changed to Veliky (Great) Ustyug. It was first mentioned in the chronicle in 1207 and was a part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. In those times Veliky Ustyug created the only obstacle to Novgorod's trade with the north and clashes between Novgorod and Ustyug became regular, especially throughout the whole 14th century.
In the 15th century, Veliky Ustyug became notable for the war between Vasily II of Moscow and his cousin Dmitry Shemyaka. Finally, Shemyaka took Veliky Ustyug in 1450, drowned in the Sukhona those citizens who refused to accept him as a prince, and made the town his residence for two years, until he was driven off by the forces of Vasily. So in the 15th century the town had a great military importance and became the base for the operations against the Finno-Ugric ethnic group. Later on at the junction of important trade routes the town turned into a significant commercial and industrial center in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Veliky Ustyug area was the birthplace of the explorers Semyon Dezhnyov, Yerofey Khabarov, Vladimir Atlasov, and of St. Stephen of Perm. Veliky Ustyug lost its key role as a river port with the diminishing importance of the Sukhona River route for trade between China and western Europe, which started with the foundation of Saint-Petersburg in 1703. The 16th and 17th centuries were the time of the highest rise of the culture in Veliky Ustyug. The town was known for its remarkable handicrafts, such as silver filigree, birch bark fretwork, decorative copper binding and niello. The town developed a distinct manner of icon painting — Ustyug icon painting.
In the 17th century, Veliky Ustyug was a major producer of tiles, which are visible on many Ustyug churches and were sold to neighboring towns of the Russian North. Afterwards, the city’s development was together with the country ‘s development and was connected with historical changes in Russia itself. Veliky Ustyug, in contrast to the majority of historical Russian towns, managed to preserve almost all of its architectural and cultural monuments. This was in a great part due to the efforts of the local intellectual class. This group managed to convince the authorities that the churches and old buildings have a historical significance and must be handed in the museum rather than demolished.