The monument to the letter "O" in Vologda appeared in 2012. It was established in honor of the 865th anniversary of the city. The initiators were students of the Vologda Institute of Business. The monument is dedicated to the special Vologda dialect with a characteristic edge, known almost throughout the country.
The appearance of the monument
The monument to the letter "O" in Vologda appeared in the square on Cathedral Hill. The choice was not made by chance. After all, this is the most favorite letter of the inhabitants of the region in the entire Russian alphabet. It is thanks to her that everyone knows perfectly well that such a Vologda dialect.
The Vologda residents have been warmly with this letter for a long time. One has only to say that almost all brands have it in their composition. The monument to the letter "O" in Vologda appeared on June 29, becoming the main gift for the celebration of City Day.
Anniversary of Vologda
It is believed that Vologda was founded in 1147. This date is determined on the basis of the annals of "The Tale of the Miracles of Gerasim of Vologda", which was published in 1666. And also the work "Chronicler", which belongs to Ivan Slobodsky. He graduated in 1716.
True, it is worth mentioning right away that both of these sources are secondary, written on the basis of earlier works that have not reached us. They talk about how the monk Gerasim arrived on the Vologda River and founded the Trinity Monastery.
According to other sources, in the XII century a small settlement already existed on the site of modern Vologda. However, it was not yet a city; it did not have a fortified child. So, perhaps, 1147 is not the year of foundation, but the year of the first mention of Vologda. Despite this, it is from this date that modern historians count down.
Therefore, in 2012, when a monument was erected to the letter "O" in Vologda, the anniversary was celebrated - 865 years from the date of foundation.
Symbols of Vologda
The monument to the letter “O” in Vologda, the description of which is in this article, clearly demonstrates one of the key symbols of Vologda. But he is far from the only one.
When any person hears the name of the city of Vologda, he immediately remembers the Vologda oil. Today it is one of the main brands in the region. Unsalted sweet cream butter is known all over Russia and far beyond, thanks to its special aroma and taste. It can be achieved using a special method of processing fresh cream under the influence of high temperatures. The nuances of technology are kept secret.
It is noteworthy that Vologda oil has an inventor. He is considered the brother of the famous battle painter Vasily Vereshchagin - Nikolai. Before engaging in the production of butter in his own country, he studied dairy farming in Europe for a long time. He wrote out the best oil workers from abroad, so that they would train Russian technologists.
It is believed that the first Vologda oil was obtained in 1871. Shortly before this, Vereshchagin returned from Paris, where the World Exhibition dedicated to dairy farming was held. There he was inspired by the oil with a pronounced nutty flavor, produced in Normandy. He set a goal - to make a product at home no worse.
Also, having heard about Vologda, everyone recalls the song of Boris Mokrousov and Mikhail Matusovsky, which is called Vologda. There is a funny urban legend about her that is told to all visitors. As you remember, the lyrical hero of this song personally carries letters to the post office to be delivered to his lover, who lives in Vologda, in a house with a carved palisade. Jokers claim that at the time of writing the song in Vologda there was only one house with a carved palisade. It housed the Dermatovenerologic Dispensary.
The idea of installing a monument
In April 2012, it became reliably known where exactly the monument to the letter "O" will appear in Vologda. The history of the appearance is associated with the initiative of students of the Vologda Institute of Business. Now it is called the Vologda Cooperative College.
It should be noted that the city authorities eagerly supported this proposal. After discussion, officials and public figures came to the conclusion that the most optimal location would be a square on Cathedral Hill, opposite the house of the famous writer, a native of Vologda Varlam Shalamov. Previously, the option to install a memorial sign on Babushkina Square was considered. But they decided to refuse it, since in the near future they were planning to carry out reconstruction.
The townspeople themselves had to decide what the monument to the letter "O" would be in Vologda. Information about the choice of the project was posted on the website of the institution. 17 sketches took part in the competition, Vologda residents had to choose the best of them.
Vologda dialect
The Vologda dialect, which served as the basis for the appearance of the monument of this particular letter, is considered one of the most distinctive in the country. He is part of a group of North Russian dialects that were widely distributed not only in the Vologda, but also in the Arkhangelsk region.
Moreover, it is the Vologda dialect that has its own individual characteristics, which have become so famous. In many ways, the Vologda prose writer Vasily Ivanovich Belov, one of the prominent representatives of Soviet "village" prose, the author of the novel "Habitual work", the novel "Eve", the documentary "Everyday Life of the Russian North" contributed to this. It was he who began often and vividly to use the features of the Vologda dialect in his works. Corresponding vocabulary is often found in the dialogues of his heroes, making them especially memorable.
What does the monument look like?
The monument to the letter “O” in Vologda, the photo of which is in this article, is made of metal. According to the results of an open online voting conducted on the website of the Vologda Institute of Business, the project was won by architect Denis Pozdnyakov.
The height of the monument is about three meters, taking into account the pedestal on which the letter itself stands. The final weight is approximately 300 kilograms. The memorial sign is decorated with traditional classical northern patterns, among which, of course, Vologda prevail. For its production, the author was issued a certificate in the amount of a quarter of a million rubles. It is worth noting that almost immediately after installation, the monument became a winner at a prestigious interregional exhibition called "Vologda - a platform for innovation." The jury appreciated the author’s idea and how it was implemented.
It took a little time to create the monument - just two weeks. But they worked hard at it in order to catch the City Day, six highly professional blacksmiths worked every day, seven days a week, in the workshop. In the development of the drawing, the developers were assisted by the chief architect of the city. I had to work with metal, bend everything strictly according to the schemes, at the last stage - paint. Ultimately, it was decided to make one side of the letter copper, and the second - golden.
Later, Vologda students, who care about the development and popularization of their region, began to develop an information tourist portal, which they called “O”. It tells about the history, architecture and culture of Vologda itself and, of course, the monument to which this article is devoted.
Tourist Information Portal
The portal, founded shortly after the opening of the monument, played a large role in the development of the tourism potential of this region. After all, on it you can find not only a description of the monument of the letter "O" in Vologda, but also information about everything for which it is worth coming to this area.
There are at least 8 reasons to visit this area. This is an educational, health-improving, active and children's holiday, gastronomic, religious tourism, ecotourism and a trip for the purpose of entertainment and shopping.
It is noteworthy that in any of these programs you can include a visit to the monument with the letter "O" in Vologda. The history of the region is rich, so you won’t be bored, and you can significantly replenish your knowledge base.
List of Attractions
The list of memorable and iconic places in the Vologda Oblast, of course, is not limited to one monument with the letter "O". For all visitors, the residence of Santa Claus, the unique museum of paper in Russia, the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery and museum reserve, the Galsky estate, the Vologda lace museum, the Bryanchaninov estate, the Semenkovo architectural and ethnographic museum, and the house-museum of Peter I are obligatory for visiting.
