For real beautiful villages in Russia There are not very many left, they are painstakingly collected and numbered by specialists from historical and conservation organizations in order to carefully preserve the remaining crumbs. Today there are a little more than a dozen on the list of “not yet lost” ones. Each of them is interesting from the point of view of history, architecture, and traditional way of life. Each will leave a mark on the heart after visiting.

So, the most beautiful villages Russia:

The most colorful villages

Village Desyatnikovo. Buryatia. The first mention was in 1746.

The village of Desyatnikovo consists of five streets.

Currently, 778 people live in the village of Desyatnikovo.

The village of Desyatnikovo is located near the Selenga River.

Village of Atsagat. This word translated from the Buryat language means “stone”.

There are about 100 households in the village of Atsagat.

Atsagat datsan. Founded in 1825.

The village of Tarbagatai is one of the largest Old Believer villages in Transbaikalia.

The village of Tarbagatai is located along the Kuitunka River (the right tributary of the Selenga)

The village of Tarbagatai was founded in the 1710s.

The village of Bolshoi Kunaley was founded in 1765.

The name of the village of Kunaley is “hunilla”, which translated from Buryat means “assembly” or “fold”.

The village of Kunaley preserves the identity, culture and traditions of its ancestors.

Lost among the mountains and meadows with fragrant herbs, very similar to each other and not at all similar, there are four villages in Buryatia, located approximately at the same distance to the east and south of Ulan-Ude.Desyatnikovo, Atsagat, Tarbagatai and Bolshoi Kunaley. Almost all the buildings in these villages are painted on the outside with bright colors: red, orange and blue, and the interior walls, furniture and even ceilings are painted even more brightly. Such traditional decoration was very typical for wealthy peasant houses. Traditional folk costumes are no less colorful; one gets the impression that these villages are home to the most cheerful people in the world who do not want to part with their childhood. Meanwhiletraditional culture of Tarbagatai villagewas declared a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO. And the village of Atsagat is also one of the religious centers of the region. Back in 1825, a datsan was built here, raising more than one generation of lamas. And local herbs can be found even in atlases of Tibetan medicine.

The oldest villages

The village of Staraya Ladoga was founded in 753.

Until 1703 Ladoga was a city.

According to the Novgorod Chronicle, the grave of Prophetic Oleg is located in Ladoga (according to the Kyiv version, his grave is located in Kyiv on Mount Shchekovitsa).

When the daughter of the Swedish king Olaf Shotkonung, Princess Ingigerda, married the Novgorod prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1019, she received the city of Aldeigyuborg (Old Ladoga) with adjacent lands as a dowry (veno), which has since received the name Ingermanlandia (land of Ingegerda).

Afanasyevskaya Church in Varzuga.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Varzuga.

The main source of income for the local population at all times was the sale of salmon caught in the Varzuga River.

Perhaps it was the harsh northern weather, frosts, winds and ice that contributed to the fact thatthe most ancient villages in Russialocated in the north-west, in the Leningrad and Murmansk regions: Staraya Ladoga and Varzuga. Let’s not argue about who is older; we’ll leave it to the experts; the history of both of them goes back more than 600 years. , which stands on the Volkhov River, is considered the starting point of the great journey “from the Varangians to the Greeks”; one of the three Varangian brothers called to Rus' ruled here. She was the biggest shopping center even before Novgorod, and the walls of its fortress were stormed by the Swedes. It absorbed the entire culture of the North Russian peoples. stands on the banks of the river of the same name, which flows into the White Sea. Her main decorations are wooden churches, of which there are as many as five built here, were built without a single nail, like many religious buildings of northern masters. Was herePatriarchal House of the Solovetsky Monastery, therefore, the lands and springs around are holy. And the main trade of the local residents was salmon fishing and pearl mining, which the Varzuga River gave birth to.

The harshest villages

The first mention of Teriberka dates back to the 16th century.

The village received its name from the Teriberka river of the same name, the name of which, in turn, according to one version, goes back to the outdated name Kola Peninsula- Rub.

Until 1984, Teriberka had no road connections and could be reached either by sea or by helicopter.

The village of Esso received its name in 1932.

Almost the entire village of Esso is heated using natural geothermal waters.

The village of Esso is called “Kamchatka Switzerland”.

Every year in March, the international sled dog race “Beringia” starts from the village.

They are harsh not because of the characters of the local residents, but because they are located in such places that it is unclear how people can live here, and even build such beautiful villages. They are scattered on the two extreme sides of our country: on the Barents Sea and Esso on . Teriberka appeared on the Kola Peninsula back in the 16th century, but became very famous only now, after filming of the film "Leviathan". Here, in the tundra zone, where the cold sky meets the cold earth and is reflected in cold water, there was a commercial whaling village. Today this village is beautiful, perhaps only because of its nature, because most of the infrastructure is abandoned and is in a very poor condition. It is the combination of the decline of civilization against the backdrop of harsh landscapes that makes this place eeriely beautiful. On the contrary, the village of Esso is full of health in the middle of snowy Kamchatka, because it is surrounded on all sides by hot thermal springs. Happy people live here who even manage to grow grapes in this climate. And every year the most famous dog sled race.

The very first and the very last villages

The ancient merchant village of Vyatskoye is located in the Nekrasovsky district - one of the most environmentally friendly and historically significant areas Yaroslavl region.

The village of Vyatskoye was first mentioned in documentary sources in 1502 as the center of the metropolitan Vyatskaya volost.

The village of Vyatskoye is a unique urban complex of the 18th – 19th centuries with more than 50 registered architectural monuments, former merchant and peasant houses, tea and tavern establishments, and almshouses.

Not long ago, Russia joined a world association that is looking for the most beautiful villages in each country on earth. The main selection criteria: the village must be alive, and not museumized, no more than 2,000 inhabitants must live in it, and the rural way of life must be preserved. Each village found is solemnly awarded the honorary title of “Most Beautiful”, given a corresponding plaque, and a special inauguration ceremony is held. After which the village is included in the list of its own kind. There are only six officially recognized beautiful villages on Russian territory, but we must not forget that the list was opened only in 2015. The village, or rather the village, was recognized as the very first beautiful . Ancient merchant houses, almost each of which is an architectural monument, as well as ten museums of completely different types: from traditional to polytechnic. The last village to be included in the listin Karelia, whose inauguration took place on June 10, 2016. The village, which was included in the scribe books back in the 16th century, and began its history with four farms, now consists of only 16 ancient Karelian houses, the Chapel of the Smolensk Mother of God and five residents, two of whom have a family tree with local roots going back 500 years.

Russian village... For some it is a relic of the agrarian past, for others it is the keeper of the Russian soul. One way or another, on average, urbanization “eats” three villages in the country every year. What are the reasons for the extinction and degradation of the Russian village? How many villages are there in Russia today? And which of them are the most beautiful? You will find answers to all these questions in our article.

Unemployment, hopelessness, despondency...

These are the unpleasant words that most often describe the modern Russian village. Broken asphalt, fragments left over from prosperous Soviet times, abandoned farms, destroyed cultural centers, dirt, lack of lighting and central sewerage - this is typical for most of the villages and hamlets of today's Russia. Of course, there are pleasant exceptions. But there are catastrophically few of them.

Many villages in Russia, due to the vast area of ​​the latter, are literally cut off from any benefits of civilization. They can be located several hundred kilometers from the nearest city or regional center. In such villages, people, just like a hundred or two hundred years ago, live by subsistence farming: they sow fields, raise livestock, fish, hunt and drink strong tea from real samovars.

A classic example of the “Russian hinterland” is the so-called Red Beach. This is an area consisting of three villages, lost in the middle of coniferous forests Vologda region. Their total population is 10 people. In fact, there are no roads to these populated areas. In winter, it can be overcome only on a snowmobile, and in summer (after heavy rain) - exclusively on a tractor. Water comes from springs, light comes from kerosene lamps, and there is one generator for three villages.

And how many similar villages are scattered across the expanses? vast Russia- it’s difficult to say.

Russian village: in facts and figures

• As of the beginning of 2018, 19.1% of the total population of the Russian Federation lives in rural settlements.
• Between 2002 and 2010. (between the last two censuses) the number of depopulated villages in Russia increased by 6 thousand.
• Today there are about 150 thousand rural settlements in the country.
• About half of them have a population of no more than 100 people.
• 17 thousand Russian villages do not have a permanent population.
• The average density in the Russian Federation is 2 people/sq. km.
• The maximum percentage of the rural population is observed in Krasnodar region- almost 45%.
• The largest villages in size are located in the North Caucasus.
• The largest village in Russia by population is Novaya Usman. 27.5 thousand people live here.

Reasons for the extinction of the Russian village

Village degradation is one of the most pressing socio-economic problems modern Russia. Over the past twenty years, the country's rural population has been constantly declining. And not only due to natural decline (high mortality against the background of low birth rates), but also due to the colossal migration outflow.

Young people categorically do not want to live in the village, trying in any way accessible ways escape to the capital or the nearest Big City. As a result, in many Russian villages only old people and openly antisocial elements remain. The share of depopulated villages in some regions of the Russian Federation has already reached 20%.

Why is the Russian village dying out? There are several reasons:

• High level unemployment.
• Degradation of social infrastructure (lack of schools, kindergartens, clinics, etc.).
• More low level life compared to an urban environment.
• Frequent lack of housing and communal services (sewage, gasification, lighting, Internet, etc.).

In order to revive the Russian village and return young people to it, a comprehensive state program is required to save it and further develop it. Of course, this also requires colossal cash.

The most beautiful villages in Russia: list

Let's try to end our article on a positive note. Not all villages in Russia look sad and hopeless. Some of them can surprise you with their color, authentic spirit and original architecture. Below are five ancient Russian villages that are definitely worth visiting at least once in your life:

1. Varzuga, Murmansk region. The village arose in the middle of the 15th century. Atlantic salmon fishing center.
2. Bolshoi Kunaley, Buryatia. Quite a large village, reminiscent of appearance illustration for a collection of children's fairy tales. The decor of all the houses here is absolutely the same: brown walls, blue windows, green fences.
3. Vershinino, Arhangelsk region. Traditional village of the Russian North. It is famous for its unique and perfectly preserved architecture of the 17th-18th centuries.
4. Okunevo, Omsk region. A colorful, amazing and mystical village in which adherents of five different religions found refuge. The village is a place of attraction for all lovers of esotericism and meditation.
5. Yelovo, Perm region. An ecologically clean village located on the banks of the Kama. It amazes all guests not only with its magnificent natural landscapes, but also with its amenities. There is asphalt, pedestrian paths, flower beds and playgrounds.

Finally…

The process of rural extinction is not a unique Russian phenomenon. In general, it is similar to similar processes in other countries and regions of the planet. But, despite everything, the Russian village still lives, with all its advantages and disadvantages. And, let's hope, in the near future it will begin to revive. After all, as one old Russian proverb says: “The city is a kingdom, and the village is paradise.”

Cultural guides

Five most attractive villages in Russia

P portal cultural heritage Russia "Culture.RF" and the Perspektiva Foundation have developed a guide to rural tourism as part of the all-Russian campaign of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation #vacationinRussia. The tourist guide, designed to increase the popularity of rural tourism, includes tempting and unexpected routes.

1. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE. Vyatskoye (Yaroslavl region)

This Russian outback found herself in caring and loving hands. The village has not only its own website (no one will be surprised by this), but also a map of attractions, the ability to online book huts and even its own press center.

The ancient merchant village of Vyatskoye is located in the Nekrasovsky district - one of the most environmentally friendly and historically significant areas of the Yaroslavl region. You can easily get here by car from Yaroslavl, the journey will take less than an hour. What is special about Vyatsky and why was it recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in the country?

The village of Vyatskoye is a unique urban complex of the 18th–19th centuries with more than 50 registered architectural monuments, former merchant and peasant houses, tea and tavern establishments, and almshouses. There are 10 museums on its territory.

The festival “Province is the Soul of Russia” is held in Vyatskoye. During the festival, young musicians, artists, and sculptors come here.

In 2015, at the Intermuseum festival, the museum community recognized the historical and cultural complex “Vyatskoye” as the best museum of the year in Russia, awarding the Grand Prix of the international festival.

View of the village from the bell tower of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Photo: krasaderevni.ru/villages/vyatskoe

Black bathhouses on the banks of the Ukhtomka River. Photo: krasaderevni.ru/villages/vyatskoe

Church of the Resurrection of Christ in autumn. Photo: krasaderevni.ru/villages/vyatskoe

2. THE MOST HISTORICAL AREA. Uvek ( Saratov region)

Few people know that in the Saratov region you can find objects from all historical eras: from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. These unique monuments make the region one of the richest in cultural and historical terms in the entire Eurasian space. One of the main attractions of the region is now the outskirts of Saratov, in which, since the 8th century AD, there has been the largest urban center of the Golden Horde - Ukek.

Today the festival of historical reconstruction “One Day in the Life of a Medieval City” is held here. In 2016, the event will take place from September 2 to 4. Guests will see the work of medieval artisans, take part in master classes on birch bark weaving, and try their hand at archery and belt wrestling.

The historical site will feature several main locations: “Emir’s Headquarters”, “Russian Quarter”, “European Embassy”, “Bazaar”. In each of them the past of the Golden Horde will be recreated.

Village Uvek (Saratov region). One day in the life of a medieval city. Photo: ukekfest.ru/gallery

Village Uvek (Saratov region). One day in the life of a medieval city. Photo: ukekfest.ru/gallery

3. THE HAPPIEST VILLAGE. Esso (Kamchatka region)

Getting here is not so easy. The village of Esso is located 600 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, on the very border of the tundra.

Numerous thermal springs They turned a simple village into a geothermal resort. They also feed the pool, which is open all year round. main square. Locals it is said that Esso can lay claim to the title of "The Happiest Village".

After all, there are no such coniferous forests as in Esso anywhere else in Kamchatka, and the Ichinsky volcano (3621 m) is the second largest (after Klyuchevskaya Sopka) from active volcanoes Eurasia. Hot springs heat houses and greenhouses in which cucumbers, tomatoes and even grapes grow! The climate in Esso is sharply continental, so in summer Esso is the warmest place in Kamchatka, and in winter the thermometer needle here can drop to −47 °C!

Festivals are held in Esso every year. The main event is held on the last Sunday of February: on this day the Beringia, an extreme sled dog race, starts.

The village of Esso (Kamchatka Territory). Photo: kamchatkatravel.net/special/esso-selo.html

The village of Esso (Kamchatka Territory). Photo: strana.ru/places/37245

4. THE OLDEST VILLAGE. Varzuga (Murmansk region)

Varzuga is located just 20 kilometers from the White Sea and is considered one of the oldest villages on the Kola Peninsula. She is almost 600 years old. Besides its age, its main attraction is the wooden tented Assumption Church. The temple was erected in 1674 without a single nail.

And here, every spring, Atlantic salmon rises up the river - this used to be the main fishery of the villagers. Today, the movement of fish attracts more and more tourists. Some people come to see a unique natural phenomenon, and others come to go fishing - along the Varzuga River of the same name, camps for fishing tourists stretch for hundreds of kilometers.

The village of Varzuga (Murmansk region). Photo: v-varzugu.ru

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What is impossible to complain about in Russia, even if one wants to, is the lack of beautiful settlements. In this regard, the space is limitless: here and historical monuments, and wonderful landscapes, and extreme naturalness, and even modern architectural finds. Let's talk about ten most picturesque villages in Russia(we present them in conditional order, since we would not like to distribute them by place, compiling the top 10).

Vyatskoe

This village, which invariably appears on all lists and ratings, hardly needs any introduction; it is enough to point out the fact that the settlement has ten museums and a colossal number of pre-revolutionary buildings. Nature is also conducive to relaxation and study: Vyatskoye is “framed” on all sides by rivers and valleys. This is an ideal option for those travelers who do not like to give up comfort: there are three hotels, a restaurant, and a cinema.

Kinerma

Getting here is not easy: the village is located in Karelia. Structure - seventeen structures, ten of which belong to architectural monuments. In the center you can see the cemetery from Catherine's times; there is also a restored chapel. There is a black bath, a well, a barn; not without a small and already quite modern hotel.

Kosmozero

The wonderful location of the lake, which has a unique shape (similar to a river), determines the popularity of the settlement. Hayfields, ancient huts, courtyards and, of course, the mesmerizing tented Assumption Church (built in 1720) - this is what appears before the eyes of those who arrive in the village.

Staraya Ladoga

Speaking about the oldest villages in Russia, it is impossible to omit old Ladoga- a settlement whose history began more than a thousand years ago. Although not many people live here today, once upon a time the path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” began in this place (it was one of the largest settlements in Ancient Rus').

Yasnaya Polyana

A trip to Yasnaya Polyana is recommended not only for those who are partial to the classics of critical realism and connoisseurs of Leo Tolstoy’s novels, but also for everyone who appreciates the combination of natural naturalness and architectural grace. Being discreet, the village amazes the imagination precisely with its laconicism. Among the attractions: the writer's house, the remains of a greenhouse, the Middle Pond, and a park.

Nikolo-Lenivets

Initially, the settlement did not stand out in any way: it seemed that Nikolo-Lenivets was another of the gradually desolate villages in Russia. However, through the efforts of Vasily Shchetinin, a famous architect-enthusiast, who appeared here, it turned into a real creative gallery of folk art. What is most striking is the fact that absolutely everything here is made by hand.

Tarbagatai

There are many wonderful villages in Buryatia (among the famous ones: Desyatnikovo, Bolshoi Kunaley, Atsagat); the most famous of them is Varbagatai, which is located fifty-two kilometers from Ulan-Ude. Founded in the 18th century, the settlement at one time served as the home of the Old Believers; You can still see the buildings they erected here, distinguished by their colorful colors, wonderful fences and unusual shutters.

Chamerevo

The village boasts rich history: Once upon a time the family of the writer Griboyedov lived here (and Alexander Sergeevich himself as a child), Ivan the Terrible also came here. Also in the village there is the holy spring of Alexander Nevsky. The panoramic landscapes around and the well-groomed village itself make this place one of the most interesting for Russian travelers.

Vorzogory

The village is located right on the shore of the White Sea and traces its history back to the 16th century. It was already known then: wooden ships were built here for the monks of the Solovetsky Monastery. In the village itself you can see the wooden temple of Zosima and Savvaty Solovetsky (erected in the mid-19th century) and the “wooden tee”, consisting of St. Nicholas Church (17th century), Vvedenskaya Church (late 18th century) and a bell tower (18th century) .

Oshevensky Pogost

You shouldn’t be afraid of the name: the village of Pogost, which is also called Oshevensky Pogost, has been a wonderful place and one of the most beautiful villages in Russia for several centuries. Here is the monastery of St. Alexander Oshevensky, the Church of the Epiphany (18th century), a bell tower, and Popov’s house-yard.