Construction of Veliky Ustyug

Veliky Ustyug is a historic town in the Vologda region of northern Russia, on the Sukhona River close to its junction with the Yug, where they form the Northern Dvina. It is traditionally said to have been founded in the late twelfth century, and in the Middle Ages and early modern period it grew rich as a centre of the fur trade between the Russian north, Siberia and Europe. The town is known for its many churches and for local crafts such as silver work and birch bark. Since 1999 it has been promoted as the official home of Ded Moroz, the Russian equivalent of Father Christmas, and it attracts visitors from all over the country.

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