Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl Region is located in the center of the Russian Plain and is part
of the Central economic district. The region has a temperate continental
climate with an average January temperature of -10 °C and an average
July temperature of +18 °C. Average annual precipitation is 600 mm.

The soils are mainly of the sod-podzolic type. Most of the region is
situated in the forest zone, with coniferous and mixed forests
predominating. Forests and berry bushes grow on the banks of the
region's 2500 large and small rivers. Bountiful nature, clean
pine-scented air, and an abundance of berries and mushrooms are just
what are needed for recreation and tourism.

Yaroslavl is a city of scientists and students and a center of the
engineering, chemical, textile, and processing industries. Yaroslavl
companies are the country's main suppliers of diesel engines for heavy
trucks and tractors. Products with the Yaroslavl trademark are known in
60 countries. From the early days, the city was known for its substantial
merchant families, and this tradition of entrepreneurship continues
today. Hundreds of successful state, private, and joint-stock companies
are registered in Yaroslavl, and there are excellent development
prospects for companies in the diesel engineering and tourist industries.

Masterpieces of Old Russian architecture, modern high-precision
industries, a unique historical heritage, and high scientific and industrial
potential are all part of Yaroslavl Region today.

HISTORY

Yaroslavl is one of Russia's most beautiful cities. With its wonderful and
inimitable architecture, it is truly the jewel of the Golden Ring of Old
Russian cities east and north of Moscow.

Yaroslavl was founded around 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise
(Yaroslav Mudry) of Kiev as a fortress on the site of the ancient
settlement of Medvezhy Ugol at the confluence of the Korostel and Volga
rivers. The chronicles first mention it in 1071.

The choice of location was extremely advantageous from the military
point of view. The high steep banks of the Volga and Korostel rivers and
the deep Medveditsky Ravine with a stream flowing through it formed a
natural defense. Approaching merchant ship convoys and enemy forces
were clearly visible for many kilometers.

With the breakup of the Old Russian state in the 12th century, Yaroslavl
became a guard post on the troubled border of the isolated
Rostov-Suzdal princedom.

In 1218, the log city became the capital of the Yaroslavl princedom. The
prince's palace was located there, and other wooden palaces, churches
and houses were built around it.

The first stone buildings to appear were the imposing churches in the
Kremlin and the Transfiguration of Christ Monastery outside the city.
Owing to its location on an important Volga River trade route, Yaroslavl
flourished in the 12th and early 13th centuries; but the Mongol-Tatar
invasions in the mid-13th century put an end to this burst of prosperity
for many long years. Like many other Russian cities, Yaroslavl was
burned to the ground in 1238, but did not bow to the enemy.

In 1463, the Yaroslavl princedom became part of the unified Muscovite
princedom. In 1612, during the struggle against Polish intervention, the
Popular Militia under the leadership of Kusma Minin and Prince Dmitry
Pozharsky was stationed in Yaroslavl. The all-Russian government body
known as the Council of the Land was also established here. As a reward
for its active part in uniting Russian forces during the Time of Troubles,
Yaroslavl received the right to cut and transport stone and building
timber duty-free.

Yaroslavl experienced a construction boom in the early 16th century. A
new Assumption Cathedral was built in the Kremlin to replace the ruined
13th-century prince's church, and work began on a set of beautiful stone
buildings decorated with frescoes at the Transfiguration of Christ
Monastery. The trading quarter was expanded in the mid-16th century,
and the trade and craft villages of Korovniki, Tolchkovo, Streletskaya,
and Yamskaya sprang up outside the boundaries of the Fortress City. In
the 17th century, Yaroslavl was an important trading (grain, flax, fish,
and other goods) and craft center and the second-largest city after
Moscow. Yaroslavl stonemasons, carpenters, tanners, and blacksmiths
were renowned. Stone construction continued to expand (nearly all the
wooden buildings had been destroyed by fire in 1658); and by the
mid-17th century, distinctive schools of stone architecture and fresco
painting had formed in Yaroslavl. The famous churches of Ilya the
Prophet, John the Baptist in Tolchkovo, and a set of buildings in Korovniki
with unique frescoes were built during this period. The 17th century was
truly the "golden age" of Yaroslavl art, which added one of the most
vivid pages to the history of Old Russian culture.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Yaroslavl was an important point on the
trade routes between the centralized Russian state and countries of the
East (via the Volga) and Europe (through Arkhangelsk, Russia's only
seaport at the time). Foreign merchants had their own "town house" in
the city from which they sent goods to Moscow, Kostroma, Nizhny
Novgorod, and farther on to Persia.

Construction of the Great Yaroslavl Linen Mill, one of the largest of its
time, began in 1722 by decree of Peter the Great.

The city became a major industrial center in the 18th century. It became
part of St. Petersburg Province in 1708, became the capital of the same
province in 1719, then was made part of Moscow Province in 1727, and
finally became the capital of the Yaroslavl governorship (Yaroslavl
Province as of 1796). A unique work of Old Russian literature, The Song of
Igor's Campaign, was discovered in the manuscript collection of Spassky
Monastery in 1788.

Many Russian cities that became provincial capitals underwent
redevelopment in the latter half of the 18th century, changing their
appearance considerably. Yaroslavl received its regular layout in 1778. A
new city center was built, in which the dominant features were three
squares [Ilinskaya, Platsparadnaya (now Demidovsky Square), and
Sobornaya (Strelka)] that led from one to the other. New houses and
public buildings in the classicist style were constructed, and the Volga
embankment was developed (1825-1835). In 1805, nobleman P.G.
Demidov initiated and funded the establishment of the Demidov School
of Higher Sciences (reorganized into a lycee in 1833 and into a university
between 1918 and 1924). Between 1870 and 1898, Yaroslavl was
connected by rail to Moscow, Vologda, Kostroma, and St. Petersburg. A
railway bridge was built across the Volga in 1903. By 1897, there were
2755 wooden and 1099 stone houses in Yaroslavl, which was considered
one of the most beautiful cities of the Upper Volga. There were 77
churches, and branches of the State, Farmer's Land, Moscow
International, and City Public banks, offices, and docks were operating. A
city theater, a provincial hospital, and other institutions were opened.
There were annual trade fairs, where the main items of trade were glass,
porcelain, and glazed earthenware dishes. The most notable industrial
enterprises among the 57 operating factories were mills producing
cotton and linen thread and fabrics, a tobacco factory, chemical and
match factories, and sawmills.

Modern-day Yaroslavl is a versatile city with a large, diversified
industrial base and time-honored theatrical traditions. It was in
Yaroslavl that F.G. Volkov founded the first professional Russian theater
in 1750. The first provincial magazine, The Country Bumpkin, appeared in
1786; and one of the first major provincial newspapers, Northern
Territory, whose popularity extended well beyond Yaroslavl Province,
began publishing in the late 19th century.

During the planned reconstruction carried out in 1936-1937 and 1965,
construction work went on mainly in the east and south in order to
preserve the historic part of the city. New streets, parks, and squares
were built and monuments were improved and restored.

The oldest part of Yaroslavl is located on a high point called the Arrow
(Strelka) at the confluence of the Kotorosl and Volga rivers. The central
part of the city preserves the radial-ring structure that formed
spontaneously in the 17th century along with the regular development
according to the plan of 1778; thus, the main streets fan out from the
central square towards the former gates in the city wall.

No other Russian city has so many beautiful works of medieval fresco
painting. Yaroslavl artists enriched traditional Christian themes with
details of national life, reflecting a new attitude in their work that was
understandable to ordinary people.

RESOURCES

Yaroslavl Region's greatest natural resources are water and forests. This
part of Russia has enormous water reserves; Yaroslavl Region alone has
4327 rivers with a total length of nearly 20 000 km. There are also 83
lakes with total area of nearly 5 000 km2. The largest lakes are Nero Lake
in Rostovsky District and Pleshcheevo Lake in Pereslavsky District.
Pleshcheevo, Somino, Vashutinskoe, Chashnikovskoe, Ryumnikovskoe,
and Lovetskoe lakes are located in the State Natural History Park. These
lakes were formed from melting glaciers about 70 000 years ago.

The Volga River (Mother Volga) flows for 340 km through Yaroslavl
Region. Many dams have been built on the Volga, forming the
Uglichskoe, Rybinskoe, and Gorkovskoe reservoirs. The Rybinskoe
Reservoir, with an area of 4500 km2, is one of the largest artificial lakes
in Russia. In addition to being a source of drinking water, local residents
like to come here to relax, take part in water sports, and fish.

Surface water reserves amount to 254 km3, and underground water
reserves are also substantial. In addition, large reserves of various kinds
of mineral waters have been explored, and more than 30 wells have
been drilled to recover them. The Bolshie Soli and Stroitel health centers
and a hospital offering therapeutic bathing treatments have been built
around mineral springs in the region. Uglich mineral water is the best
known medicinal table water.

There is great emphasis on protecting water resources in Yaroslavl
Region. Thus, 55 water bodies, including 23 rivers, 16 lakes, and a
number of freshwater springs, ponds, and mineral springs have been
classified as natural monuments.

There are more than 1000 bogs covering an area of 95 600 hectares in
this part of Russia. Twenty-one of these have been declared natural
monuments. Bogs play a major role in nature by soaking up water,
retaining it, and feeding it into rivers uniformly throughout the year. Rare
plants listed in the Red Book grow in the bogs. Local residents gather
cranberries, cloudberries, and bilberries, which are considered valuable
medicinal plants. The largest nesting colony of black-headed gulls on the
left bank of the Volga is located in the Tarakan bog.

More than 40% of Yaroslavl Region (about 1 807 300 hectares) is
covered with forest, mainly coniferous and mixed forests. About 1130
different plant species, many of them rare (9 are listed in the Red Book
of the RF), grow in the forests. There are also about 230 kinds of
medicinal herbs, more than 20 of which are collected. Forests are not
only a habitat for animals and birds; they are also recreational areas for
people and a source of raw materials for industry and construction.

The region's forests are the habitat of a wide variety of wildlife, including
5 species of reptiles, 10 species of amphibians, more than 230 species of
birds, and about 50 species of mammals. Most of the fish inhabiting local
rivers are members of the carp family.

Some of the animals inhabiting the region are listed in the Red Book of
the Russian Federation. They include the muskrat, black crane, osprey,
peregrine falcon, golden eagle, white-tailed sea eagle, and common
bullhead. The Darwin Preserve and 20 game reserves have been
established in the region to protect wildlife, especially rare animals.
Beaver preserves are located on the Lakhost and Obnora rivers.

The region's mineral resource base includes brick clay and clay
aggregate, gravel and sand-gravel mix, peat, and sapropel [aquatic
ooze]. Gravel and sand-gravel mix are found mainly in Rostovsky,
Yaroslavsky, and Rybinsky districts, where 28 sand-gravel gravel
deposits with total reserves of 238 553 000 m3 have been explored.
Nineteen deposits of building materials are being worked. There are 13
recorded sand deposits, including 2 in government reserves. Total
reserves in the deposits equal 55 598 000 m3.

Sapropel reserves estimated at 250-270 million tons have been
discovered in Yaroslavl Region, most of them concentrated in Nero Lake.
Sapropel is used is raw form as fertilizer, and in processed form as a
component in manufacturing rubber and paints and in the oil refining
industry.

A total of 973 peat deposits with total reserves of 443.6 million tons
have been discovered in the region, but only 38 are operating. Several
large peat deposits have been declared natural monuments and will not
be developed.

Oil accumulations have been discovered, and there are prospects for
detecting gas fields as well. The region has no other large explored
mineral reserves; however, exploration work is being carried out.

Land reserves amount to 3 617 800 hectares, including 1 151 700
hectares of agricultural land (32% of the region's total area). The
agricultural land is divided into cultivated land (801 100 hectares),
pasture (225 000 hectares), and hayfields (109 400 hectares).

Local residents care deeply about the natural resources. Construction is
carried out under special projects so as not to spoil the region's natural
beauty.

CULTURE AND ART

When Yaroslav the Wise was building and fortifying his appanage
princedom in the early 11th century, he did not forget about the beauty
and grandeur of his capital city. Houses and wooden palaces decorated
with carved fretwork and other architectural details were built on the
grounds of the prince's residence, and many-domed churches with high
belfries, galleries, and passages were constructed.

Much later, when Yaroslavl was being redeveloped according to the plan
of 1778, a new city center with three new squares was built, while at the
same time preserving Epiphany (Bogoyavlenskaya) Square, one of the
oldest in the city. The square is the site of a unique work of 17th-century
Yaroslavl architecture, the five-domed Epiphany Church, with two rows
of decorative curved gables, richly carved brick, and bright tiled friezes.
Construction began on houses and public buildings in the classicist style,
and cast-iron openwork trellises ornamented the Volga embankment.

The architectural complex known as the Strelka is made up a stone
fortress wall (1658-1668) looking out onto the Volga, part of the old city
fortifications, a tower, and a two-story metropolitan's palace (1680).
Tikhon's Church (1825-1831), the five-domed Church of the Saviour in
the City (1672), and Nikola's Church, all facing the Korostel River, and
the "Log City" (1695) with a refectory and hipped bell tower are also part
of the complex.

A tour of the city's historical sites starts at the former Transfiguration of
Christ Monastery (next to Bogoyavlenaya Square), which is now the
Yaroslavl Historical and Architectural Museum Preserve. The walls and
towers, cathedral and churches, private buildings and palaces, and the
monastery's tallest building, the belfry appear in all their splendor before
the wonderstruck visitor. These outstanding architectural monuments of
the 16th to 19th centuries have witnessed many historic events. Moscow
masters built Transfiguration of Christ Cathedral between 1506 and 1516
on the site of a 13th-century church that had burned down in 1501.

The Arcade (Gostiny dvor), one of the most beautiful buildings in the
classicist style, stands on Pervomaiskaya Street on the way to the
Transfiguration of Christ Monastery. It was built between 1813 and 1818
on the site of the demolished ramparts of the old Fortress City. Another
building, the former Pastukhov Hotel (1847-1850), is built in the late
classicist style; it is located on the north side of Bogoyavlenskaya
Square. The front of this building is covered with a multitude of forms and
continuously repeated architectural details. The first floor is designed
with arched windows with thin bands of molding, and rectangular head
moldings are sculptured above the windows on the second floor. A
simple cornice with a low attic completes the building.

Nikola Nadeina Church (1620-1621) stands on the site of the former
trade quarter in a circle of two-tiered galleries; Nativity Church (1644)
stands out with its elegant gateway bell tower; and Ilya the Prophet
Church (1647-1650) delights connoisseurs of antiquity.

Another five-domed church, Nikolai Mokry (1665-1672), with a vestibule
of colored tiles, rises in the city center not far from Epiphany Church.
Two churches are part of the ensemble in Korovniki: the large
five-domed Church of St. John Chrysostom (1649-1654), with galleries
and hipped ends, and the miniature five-domed Church of Our Lady of
Vladimir (1669), which connect their town with the "Holy Gates". There
are many other churches and monuments of the bank of the Volga and
within the city limits; many are in the process of being restored.

Yaroslavl's parks and squares are embellished with monuments to actor
and playwright F.V. Volkov, poets N.A. Nekrasov and L.E. Trefolev,
Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. Tolbukhin, and a memorial honoring the
deeds of Yaroslavl residents during the Second World War.

Karabikha, the estate (now a museum) where Nekrasov lived from 1862
to 1875, is located 15 km from Yaroslavl. A branch of the Yaroslavl
Historical and Architectural Museum Preserve in the village of Bolshoe
Nikulskoe has an exhibit called "Cosmos" dedicated to the world's first
woman cosmonaut. Valentina Tereshkova.