!!!Kargopol

Photo by Sergey Semenov and Stas Sedov,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

26 September 2014

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Unlike southern and central Russia, in the past, there were not many
cities in the northern part of the country. For a long time Kargopol was
the only town in existence along the Onega River and all the way up to
the White Sea.

The dense woods and inaccessible marshlands that covered most of the
territory made the rivers the best way for transportation. Despite the
rapids, the full-flowing Onega River was one of those highways. Wagons
loaded with ocean fish, salt, and fur went from the north to central
Russia by water during the summer and on ice during the winter. Thus, it
is hard to overestimate the importance of Kargopol as an administrative,
business, and cultural center. Accordingly, arts and crafts have
developed in this area. In the 17th century, there were many stone
churches in the city, while the remaining structures were simply
constructed of wood. Among them is the Cathedral of the Nativity of
Christ; built in 1552 — 1562; it was one of the largest churches in the
northern territories at that time. Starting at the end of the 17th
century and proceeding through the beginning of the 18th century,
Kargopol gradually lost its status as the large center.  Instead, it was
given to the city of Arkhangelsk, the only Russian
seaport of the time. The "last straw" was the railroad that was built in
detour from Moscow to Arkhangelsk, away from Kargopol, which caused the
main shipping lines to go by rail instead of the Onega River. The city
remained the center of the county and then the center of the district,
but it never regained its former glory.

[{Image src='01_Church of John Chrysostom.jpg' caption='Church of John Chrysostom' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='750'}]

The Kargopolsky District is situated southwest of Arkhangelskaya Oblast.
It borders the Republic of Karelia on the west, Plesetsky District on
the north, Nyandomsky District on the east, Konoshsky District on the
southeast, and Vologodskaya Oblast on the southwest. The city of
Kargopol is an administrative and cultural center located in the middle
of the district, and it is five kilometers away from Lacha Lake, which
feeds the Onega River.

[{Image src='02_Church of the Epiphany.jpg' caption='Church of the Epiphany' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

The traditional culture of the Kargopolsky District has its roots in
unique social, economic, and climate conditions. It was surprisingly
well-preserved until recently: the main principles of agriculture,
traditional rites and rituals, and unique domestic customs capture the
attention of modern researchers.

[{Image src='03_Cathedral square.jpg' caption='Cathedral square' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='396'}]

The Kargopol region prospered during the 15th — 18th centuries: it was
known as a large cultural and economic center due to the active fur,
fish, lumber, and salt trade (traders from Kargopol had the privilege of
duty-free business). The Kargopol region also was known for its
utilization of the Onega River as a connecting line between Kargopol and
the northern coastal territories. In 1588 the Ambassador to the Queen of
England even included Kargopol in the list of the most important Russian
cities, alongside Moscow.

[{Image src='04_Church of John Chrysostom.jpg' caption='Church of John Chrysostom' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='600'}]

The gradual economic decline of Kargopol is associated with the
shallowing of the Onega River, as well as the devastating fire of 1765
(the city was practically destroyed by the fire, and its restoration was
possible only with the help of the Empress of Russia, who donated a
significant amount of money for this purpose). The railroad built in the
19th century branched 80 kilometers away from Kargopol, leaving the city
forsaken and making it a "bear's corner.

[{Image src='05_Kargopol, Russia.jpg' caption='Kargopol, Russia' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='384'}]

The entire history of the region is, one way or another, reflected in
the collection in the Kargopol Museum, which showcases the local customs
and traditions as well as the evidence of its former glory and
prosperity (garments and vestments adorned with embroidery and pearls,
hand-written books, and engravings and prints). In addition, there are a
number of unique examples of Russian traditional wooden and stone
architecture of the 17th — 19th centuries preserved in the Kargopolsky
District: cathedrals and churches, tent-roofed wooden temples and
chapels, many of which are now considered the museum's assets.

\\ \\
[9 Panoramas of Kargopol|Geography/Asia/Russia/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Kargopol]










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