Vologda

Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. 1147 is the official date of foundation. The city serves as a major transport hub of the Northwest of Russia.

Vologda is a city the history of which numbers eight centuries. It is among 116 Russian cities with especially valuable historical heritage. This ancient city was a gate to the North and a large trade and handicraft centre.

Vologda is an open-air museum. It is famous for the monuments of wooden architecture and churches. There are 224 monuments of architecture, history and culture in the city. The buildings constructed in baroque and classicism in the late 18^th century and the first half of the 19^th century have come down to us in the streets and embankments of the city.

Vologda is a city of 50 domes. Numerous churches and monasteries are important centres of enlightenment, history and spirituality. The majestic St. Sophia Cathedral - a pearl of the Vologda architecture - was erected by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible who intended to make it a copy of the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Vologda is a museum centre of the region. A distinctive feature of the modern city is its developed objects of the tourist infrastructure. The most important among them are: the Vologda State Museum-Preserve with several branches and 40 architectural monuments, the Spaso-Prilutsky monastery, the Vologda Picture Gallery, the Museum of diplomatic corps, the House of Peter I, the gallery “Red bridge” and others.

Vologda is a lace capital of Russia. Masters of the Vologda land have gone down in history of the Russian culture as creators of unique works of folk art. Vologda lace made of flax threads is one of the striking examples which combines a variety of patterns, cleanness of threads and unique skill. One can see these goods at the annual Fair and Exhibition “Russian flax” recognized not only by Russian colleagues, but abroad as well.

Vologda is famous for butter. In 1878 having visited the agricultural exhibition in Paris, Nikolai Vereshchagin invented a new kind of butter with unique taste and flavour which was later called “Vologda butter”.

Vologda is a festival capital of the Russian North. Along with numerous monuments of wooden and stone architecture, historical and memorial museums, green parks and public gardens with primeval nature, Vologda is a centre of festival culture and maintenance of ancient traditions. Many Russian and international cultural events are held in Vologda every year: the international theatrical festival “Voices of History”, the international festival of flax and lace “VITA LACE”, the open festival of poetry and music “Rubtsov’s autumn”, the Gavrilin international musical festival, the Vologda Independent Cinema From European Screens Festival “VOICES” etc.

Vologda charms everybody with its amazing spirit of tranquility and antiquity. One can’t remain indifferent to the fascinating domes of St.Sophia Cathedral, to this hospitable and enchanting city.

We are glad to invite you to the III International Folk Crafts Festival
“Golos remesel” (Voice of Crafts) in Vologda (16-19 June, 2016)!

For the second year in a row the ancient city of Vologda hosts the International Folk Crafts Festival "Golos remesel" (Voice of Crafts). Its important mission is to preserve, restore and promote material folk culture; to consolidate the value of creative hand work; to involve young generation into national traditions; to bring back folk culture to modern life. The man behind the idea is Evgeny Shulepov, the city mayor. The event was organized by the crafts centre “Reznoi Palisad” (Carved Palisade).

The city welcomed craftsmen from 28 regions of Russia as well as from France and Belarus. The main city square was turned into a huge fair. The highlight of the festival was the contest where more than 500 craftsmen took part. It included seven categories: “Women’s Crafts”, “Wood and Birch Bark Painting”, “Wood Carving and Traditional Materials Braiding”, “Decorative Ironwork”, “Felting”, “Pottery, Ceramics” and “Forgotten Crafts”. High qualified judges from all over Russia examined 812 craft items. As a result, 90 craftsmen were awarded.

All the workshops were included in a special route which was running through the old part of Vologda. After visiting the fair guests found themselves in the alley of various pavilions presenting their contest works. It was a rare opportunity to see all these magnificent things in one place and in such amount. Everyone could try their hand in various crafts under the guidance of skillful craftsmen.

The craftsmen’s posad (a settlement outside kremlin or city walls in the Russian Empire) along the walls of Vologda Kremlin was one of the most interesting sites of the festival where one could meet a rope and boat craftsman, a cooper and a stove setter, a blacksmith and a carpenter, a weaver and a spinner, a craftsman braiding nets who revealed the secrets of long forgotten crafts.

There was a special site for children which was decorated with an enormous wooden board consisting of small painted square panels. This board was created by children who participated in the contest “Craft in Square”.

The festival also included creative workshops, lectures and round table meetings where leading experts on folk culture shared their ideas and projects.

The festival programme was in tune with the fusion philosophy of the international feast of crafts. Combination of traditional and new genres, styles and techniques was to be felt everywhere – in fashion shows, exhibitions and concerts.

A folk orchestra playing music of all kinds, “Sage” experimental project, bands “NETE”, “Grunya”, “Unty Murugana” contributed greatly to the unique atmosphere of the festival. One could visit exhibitions of photos, folk headscarves, and Vologda wooden architecture.

The Vologda craftsmen association put on a play by Arkady Averchenko, a Russian playwright and satirist of the early 20^th century.

The festival culminated in the awards ceremony where city mayor Evgeny Shulepov congratulated boat craftsman Sergey Tokarev on his victory and awarded him with a forged lion and a money prize.

The event was attended by about one hundred thousand people. The International Folk Crafts Festival “Golos remesel” proved once again that folk culture, historical roots, the past are of great interest to everyone: craftsmen, contestants, judges, guests and children, of course. It allowed to feel the connection with some long forgotten things dear to everyone born on the Russian soil.

2^nd Festival Statistics

“Golos remesel”

100 000 guests

529 participants

28 regions of Russia,

2 foreign countries

7 contest categories

344 contestants

812 contest works

more than 90 winners in various sections

Grand Prix is established

Contacts