When also who founded the ancient Russian city of Vologda

Let's begin with the fact that there are no written data left in memory to descendants about the one who and when founded the city of Vologda. However we will not despair, and we will try to fill lack of knowledge with reflection and the analysis of historical and archaeological information of the Vologda researchers which is today.

So, the first mentioning of Vologda is referred to the middle of the 12th century (1147) from the description of life of the venerable Kiev monk Gerasim on Vologda. For the reason that other earlier date in letters it is not mentioned anywhere, 1147 is considered foundation year of the city of Vologda.

However it is impossible to call 1147 date of birth of Vologda. According to the journalist and the publicist G.K. Lukomsky in the book "Vologda in Its Old Times" published in 1914: "Gerasimovsky life should be referred to the 17th century and, perhaps, not everything in this record is reliable and even a considerable part belongs to free imagination of the originator living six centuries later …". Here literally what is told by the originator of life of Gerasim by the name of Foma: "As he came (Gerasim) during reigning of the grand duke Izyaslav Mstislavovich, the grandson Vladimir Monomakh (1147), from Kiev to the river Vologda to the great forest as founded Trinity Monastery on the Kaysarovy stream"...

Let's sort in details and we will estimate this information.

First, the preacher of Christianity monk Gerasim from Kiev could not be in any way the researcher pioneer who would go from Kiev to the North in anywhere and, being in singular would found in the forest in an environment of swamps the monastery.

Secondly, the pedestrian person could physically not reach neighborhoods of Vologda. At least because in those far times Vologda was not available because of impassable swamps and the woods. Roads any during that time not was. The message between the remote Slavic settlements were performed only on water. Only the rivers were in those deep times in the binding ways.

Thirdly, the river Vologda belongs to the rivers of a drain of the northern basin. And it means what even by the boat on a water smooth surface from earlier made habitable rivers of the southern Volzhsky and the western Baltic basin was not to get to the Northern rivers in any way.

Proceeding from all this, the output arises that to the northern river Vologda from the rivers of Volzhsky of a drain the ancient trail had to be laid somewhere. On which boats and vessels in an interval between the rivers dragged on a dense grass or on the logs (laid across a way, as railway cross ties). For pass to the northern river Vologda there had to be a short way on water and a short trail on the ground. Not that modern, long and the way round on the rivers and lakes called today "North Dwin by the channel. And other idle time and a short way which ancient Slavs used. They it is necessary to consider, and were those pioneers who founded the settlement in Vologda.

Assuming need of existence of a way to Vologda on water and on a reducing die, we will attentively study the large-scale map of the Vologda region. Also we will find that the shortest way to Vologda from a drain of the southern rivers really is.

Let's climb a look the card in sources of the river of Vologda. Its right sleeve rests against the deadlock (originates in extensive swamps of modern Sheksna district). And here the left inflow of the river of Vologda (has the name Avdeyevka) to a spring high water approaches from East side foundation of Voronovsky hill. From the western party the river of Volzhsky of a drain of Ulom approaches the Voronovsky hill. Here under the hill in the lowland the Uloma River and the northern river Avdeyevka in a spring high water practically connect in one continuous reservoir. On the western slope of the Voronovsky hill the melt and rain water flows down to the southern basin of the Uloma Rivers and further to the Sheksna River and Volga. And on east slope of the hill water flows down to the northern basin of the rivers: Avdeyevka, Vologda, Sukhona and Northern Dvina. This small Voronovsky hill serves as border of a watershed of the rivers of the northern and southern basin. On the hill it nowadays there is a village of Voronovo Charomsky of the rural settlement of the Sheksna district.

Trail between the Uloma and Avdeyevka Rivers the shortest way from the rivers of the southern drain to the rivers of the northern basin. Here in the subsequent it would be possible to lay also the shortest channel binding the southern and northern rivers. However upper courses of the rivers called above are too small for pass of big courts, but quite sufficient for pass of small fishing boats. It is necessary to consider also that in the 9-12th centuries at the time of mastering by Slavs of the northern rivers the level of reservoirs in the Vologda region was higher and it is quite possible that in an autumn and spring high water because of connection of upper courses of the rivers in floods of reducing dies it was not required at all.

Let's note also other important circumstance that the Uloma River flows into the Sheksna River opposite to the ancient Russian settlement of Irma located in the beautiful place on the high river bank Sheksna. Archeological excavations in the village of Irma found out that this settlement existed in the 10th century. On average a watercourse of Sheksna in recent years the Vologda historians and archeologists A.N. Bashenkin, A.V. Kudryashov, N.A. Makarov detect dozens of Old Russian settlements, burial grounds. It says about good familiarity of this territory and high density of settling in those days.

From the village of Irma above on a watercourse Sheksna (at distance a little more than 100 km) on the bank of Lake Beloye stands even more ancient Russian city of Belozersk. According to official data of the chronicle it was founded in 862 (in the 9th century) and was a part of territories to the dreena of the Russian state with the capital in Kiev. Belozersk was the center of the Belozersk principality.

The Sheksna River belongs to the southern drain of the rivers. It originates from Lake Beloye and flows into the Volga River where there is a modern city of Rybinsk of the Yaroslavl region. The rivers of Volzhsky of a drain and lands adjoining to them were made habitable by Slavs much earlier lands on the northern rivers. Promotion of Slavs on the North on the rivers happened from the South and from the West.

Returning by the time of foundation of the city of Vologda.

According to in 1970. Vologda archeologists W.S. Bang and N.V. Pertsev: "The archeological excavations made in the fifties our (XX) century showed that in the 12th century Vologda was the city not small". It will be logical to draw from this a conclusion that smaller settlements on site of the city arose earlier.

From the village of Irma to the Voronovsky hill, following through villages: Yakunin Gore, Knyazhe and Toporishchevo (characteristic ancient Russian names) of only 14 kilometers. And if from Irma to float top down the river to Uloma, then to the Voronovsky hill about 20 kilometers. To Slavic hunters and fishermen of the village of Irma did not make work in May in the period of a flood of the rivers in search of a game and fish to float by boats in Uloma riverhead to the foot of the Voronovsky hill. Spring waters of Uloma spread and flooded low marshy neighborhoods in the district. Large fish from Sheksna, rose down the river to Uloma up and spawned in a grass in heated-up shallow water on water meadows, in the same place fishermen also beat fish with a spear. From other party to the Voronovsky hill floods of the northern river of Avdeyevka rose. In the spring of water of the rivers merged in the general flood and fishermen by boats easily crossed line of a watershed and thus came into the northern river Vologda, and, having gone down its current, got to extensive network of the rivers of the Northern basin. Without knowing that, fishermen from the village of Irma opened the shortest pass from the southern rivers to northern. In the summer when water level in the small rivers considerably decreased, on section of a watershed it was required to drag boats on small distance dragging.

From the ancient village of Irma to Vologda (on the Uloma, Avdeyevka, Vologda Rivers) a little more than 100 kilometers. By boats Slavs could overcome this transition in 1-2 days.

With high probability that fishermen in the period of a spring spill of waters passed around the Voronovsky hill to the Northern rivers and founded on site present Vologda the settlement (originally as the place of the hunting parking). Appropriate here to note also the name of the river Avdeyevka. Avdey in translation from the dreena of Greek means a name the servant Boga (priest). It is possible that the Russian fisherman by the name of Avdey, by name which the river was called found this short pass between the rivers. Having gone down by boats to the northern river opened by them called literally Dragged … - yes, selected the high place which by the form is very reminding the native settlement of Irma on the Sheksna River on its right coast. As it was already told above, otherwise, by land through forests and fenny swamps to Vologda was not to pass physically.

It is possible that hunters from the nearest Russian settlement of Irma in the 10th century also founded Vologda. Hunters and fishermen people "light on the feet". Besides according to modern data of the Vologda archeologists A.N. Bashenkin, I.P. Kukushkin: "No other Slavic settlements in the neighborhood of Vologda in the 10-12th century existed".

Also the fact that else before the 10th century on site of the city of Vologda there was a previous settlement of one of northern fino-Ugrian tribes is not excluded (slightly, merya, everything, Veps and others). As in 40 km. lower on a watercourse of Vologda ashore the Sukhona River in 1980 it was revealed and the fino-Ugrian settlement dated by the middle of the I millennium and till the 12th century, which received called Vyoksa (by name the small small river flowing nearby into the Sukhona River) is so far inspected.

The short, easy pass to the Northern rivers opened by fishermen from Irma became soon known also to the Belozersk princes. On this the way after, having taken in conductors of fishermen from Irma, the Belozersk princes with teams came to river banks Vologda on big flat-bottomed rowing planes. They, having landed on the high river bank, also delivered the town of Vologda. Which in the subsequent became a starting point for mastering by Slavs of novel Northern lands and the device of new settlements: Totma, Velikiy Ustyug and others in the basin of the northern Sukhona Rivers, Northern Dvina and further with an entry in the White Sea.

And here, only, two centuries later after the basis of Vologda, after deep penetration and resettlement of Slavs along the northern rivers, also the Christian preacher from Kiev monk Gerasim came to the Vologda forest. Gerasim Road to Vologda, apparently, ran in the shortest known way through that Slavic village of Irma. By the boat down the river to Sheksna, then up the Ulom River, then on foot around the Voronovsky hill and further down the rivers Avdeyevka and Vologda.

Following to Vologda, Gerasim was well informed that is there where he goes to preach Christianity, there are already Russians the settlement. Otherwise he would have be no need to go. By these times the Belozersk and Novgorod princes well knew about existence of the northern rivers and lands. For example, the name of Vologda is officially mentioned in the Novgorod diplomas 1203, 1265 and 1270 of years (about what writes in the book G.K. Lukomsky).

"By the 13th century Novgorodians seized already all Zavolochy, and Vologda is repeatedly mentioned in their diplomas and documents as the Novgorod volost". (Write in 1979. Moscow art critics G.N. Bocharov and doctor V.P. Vygolov).

On a reducing die between the Uloma and Avdeyevka Rivers, several centuries possibly used the shortest road to Vologda until on the Vologda Zavolochye the number of inhabitants and settlements did not increase enough. When people had enough forces to begin to arrange between villages of the road on the ground, splitting break-throughs on the wood, covering with earth and dimming a sill flooring of the swamp.

Concerning the name of the city of Vologda.

Most likely, the city received the name from the river Vologda. The river in turn received the name from a Slavic word "reducing dies" by which it was necessary to drag on the river Vologda of the boat. So there was a name at the river, and then it passed also to the settlement of "Volokda", and extended to the city of Vologda later. There is other assumption that the word Vologda in translation from tribe language all is meant by "clear water", but it is impossible to check it owing to disappearance of the tribe and loss of language. Besides it is impossible to call the river Vologda clear more likely on the contrary, because of a great number of people around and swamps feeding it in any way, it is possible to call the river "dark water".

Sometimes it happens that some the open new this very well forgotten old.

Insist that all aforesaid the absolute Truth is impossible, but also it is impossible to deny it due to the lack of any other information too.

The best confirmation of the aforesaid will be to repeat the shortest way of ancient Slavs from the settlement of Irma to Vologda. - Pass the specified way in May in the period of a spring flood by boats …

• Vladimir Garmatyuk
• Vologda.
• 9/9/2016