Vyshny Volochek is a small town in the Tver region. The settlement is spread on the banks of the Tsna River and the Vyshnevolotsk Reservoir, here the Tvertsa River originates. About 48 thousand people live in it, there is a railway station, and Tver is 119 kilometers away.
Historical background
The first mention of the settlement is in letters from 1437. In that year, a delegation of the Orthodox Church proceeded through the city to the Florentine Cathedral. Historian Tatishchev V. N. has a different opinion, he believes that he was first mentioned in 1135. There are entries in the Moscow chronicle of 1196, which speaks of dragging. The whole problem with the exact dating of the founding of the city boils down to the fact that in ancient times the annals very often talk about portage, but which one is unclear.
In any case, 1471 is considered to be the official date of foundation today. The settlement was founded as a land staging post on the watershed of two seas:Caspian and B altic. Then it grew into a large craft settlement, but in troubled times it was captured by the Poles and almost completely destroyed.
During the reign of Peter I, the first artificial waterway appeared here in the entire state. The canals were constantly equipped and developed, resulting in the Vyshnevolotsk water system.
Vyshny Volochek became a city on the water, where the local population grew rich in trade, later industrial enterprises began to appear. However, the status of an urban settlement was assigned to it only in 1770.
After the revolution, as in the whole country, there was an acute shortage of food in the city. The Soviet government nationalized industrial enterprises. In 1919, a large anti-Bolshevik movement began in the Vyshnevolotsk district, everyone was outraged - from peasants to workers. To suppress the rebellion, regular troops were sent to the county from Moscow and Tver.
During the Second World War, there was a front line here, so the German raids were regular. 21 hospitals were located in the city, and 1727 Red Army soldiers found their last resting place in the cemetery.
Today, despite its small size, the city is of interest to tourists.
Water system
It would seem that what you need to see in Vyshny Volochyok, first of all, is the system of canals that was built under Peter the Great. Then a trade route passed through the city: Moscow - Novgorod.
In urbancanals you can see the reflection of the whole city, the golden domes of churches and houses of merchants. There are many footbridges across the canals, where you can walk indefinitely.
Tveretsky Canal stretched along the perimeter of the city for 3 kilometers, the average width is 15 meters. But due to the fact that the Dutch were engaged in construction, many features of the relief and climate were not taken into account, as a result, the building soon fell into disrepair. A local self-taught person corrected the situation in 4 years, and the system started working. In the same period of time, a reservoir is being built. You can see the canals in full in the district of the city, in it there is only the Bypass Canal.
Today, the Vyshnevolotsk water system is a monument of Russian engineering thought, connecting St. Petersburg with the center of the state. You can learn more about the history at the museum.
Local History Museum
Another attraction of Vyshny Volochyok, where you can learn almost everything about the city and the construction of the canal system. It was opened in 1932. After a long reconstruction (1982), the renovated museum opened its doors in 2005.
Multiple exhibits will tell about the flora and fauna of the region, the history and development of the settlement, the art department works. In total, you can see more than 40,000 exhibits in an area of 1, 2 thousand square meters.
Kazan Convent
The next attraction of Vyshny Volochyok, which is recommended to visit, is the nunnery.
The construction of this architectural monument began in1872. Initially, a women's Orthodox community was founded. As the community grew, new buildings appeared.
In the post-revolutionary years, harsh times came for the monastery, instead of nuns, the military was “in charge” here, and a military unit was located in the complex. Domes were removed and many relics disappeared without a trace.
The monastery was returned to believers only in 1993.
Entrance to the territory of the complex for the laity is allowed only on Sundays and on Christian holidays, when there are services. The nuns of the parish lead a skete way of life. But you can enjoy the beauties of the external decoration of buildings even from afar.
Epiphany Cathedral
Another very interesting sight of Vyshny Volochyok is the Cathedral of the Epiphany. It was built on Otmoyny Island, on the ring between the Obvodny Canal and the Tsna River. Construction work lasted from 1810 to 1814.
At the same place in 1771 a wooden church flaunted, but fell into disrepair in just 4 years. Initially, it was planned to only transfer the throne to the Kazan Cathedral, but according to preliminary calculations, it became clear that the church would not be able to accommodate all the parishioners, so they built a new one on the island.
To make the building last longer, it was covered with iron. The interior of the cathedral was made in the Empire style, which was an innovation at that time.
In the period from 1864 to 1866, the cathedral was thoroughly rebuilt. As a result of the reconstruction, the temple gets a completely new look, made in the pseudo-Russian style.
In 1931, the cathedral was closed, not used for a long time, later warehouses were placed here. The opening to believers takes place in 1945.
Not a very pleasant story is connected with the temple. In 1984, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God disappeared from the cathedral, but it was never found. Despite this, the Cathedral of the Epiphany still remains one of the main attractions of Vyshny Volochyok. There are many icons dating back to the 17th-18th centuries. And one of the most important shrines is the miraculous list of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
In the cathedral daily statutory services are held, always accompanied by a choir.
Drama theater
What to see in Vyshny Volochek? An attraction that cannot be ignored is the Drama Theatre. Externally, the building resembles a merchant's house or an ancient tower. There are multiple scrolls on the façade. The building itself was built in the best traditions of Central Russian architecture.
The building was built at the turn of the two centuries XIX-XX and was conceived as a place for public meetings. In parallel with the construction, a theater group worked in the city, which eventually moved to the theater building and became a real troupe.
The work of the creative team did not stop even in the most difficult periods for the country. And today you can enjoy performances based on the works of the best playwrights here.
The theater even hosts two festivals:
- “Theatrical Encounters.”
- Small Town Theater Festival.
In the theater building is notguided tours are held, you can see the interior decoration only before the performance.
Museum "Russian felt boots"
A visit to this sight of the city of Vyshny Volochek is necessarily included in any excursion program.
The museum is located at a factory that produces felt boots by hand felting. By the way, this is the only such enterprise in Russia.
Visitors of the museum will learn what special devices are for hand felting, as it was done in the old days. There are paintings and even sculptures.
The pride of the museum is a two-meter felt boot. If desired, shoes can be ordered for manufacturing according to an individual drawing. Here you can see a cat-bench, a bride and groom, Peter I, an airplane and other unique exhibits, most importantly - made by hand felting.
Museum of the glass factory “Red May”
As a rule, a review of the sights of Vyshny Volochyok is not complete without a tour of this museum. The plant itself has been known since 1880, then it was called Bolotinsky, now it does not work. But the employees of the enterprise managed to create the richest collection of glass. The exhibits are made of technical and artistic colored glass.
The museum is located in a two-story building, the first one houses the Pyaterochka store, the second one displays exhibits of glass craftsmanship. The building is located on Muslim Magomayev Street, 17.
Train station
All attractionsVyshny Volochyok is long to list, but the first thing a traveler who arrives by train sees is the building of the railway station. The current building was erected before the revolution, the former has not been preserved.
The modern station has an elevated passage for passengers. In pre-revolutionary times, it was almost the only building of this type in all of Russia. And the cast-iron structure inside the building is nothing more than a ladder support. And on the second platform, a separate pavilion for the stairs was erected.
How to get there
To get acquainted with the history and sights of Vyshny Volochyok, you can get to the city by train, bus or private car.
The settlement is located along the Moscow-Petersburg railway line. Estimated travel time from both cities is 2 hours. In addition to long-distance trains, there is a high-speed train that departs every 2 hours.
If you go by bus, you should first get to Tver, then transfer to any bus heading towards Udomlya and Firovo.
If you go by private transport, then the M10 highway passes through Vyshny Volochek. From the capital to the city - 300 kilometers.
