Renovation and revitalization of architectural heritage of Ustye in Vologda region

Ustye is one of the oldest settlements on russian north. It was found more than thuosend years ago and during centuries survived many ups and downs. In the middle of 20th century Ustye had the last economical and cultural rise. After that period situation have been changing for the worse. Especially for last three decades number of industrial and trading companies was drastically reduced and currently the volume of production is continuing to decline. Because of economical recession one of the basic layers – small business started to quit. According to official datas the number of district residents is falling down and real income does not rise proportionally to general inflation. Young employable people prefer migration to region center or somewhere else. This factor is regular consiquence of weak financial support from gorvenmemt. Many companies were closed and people lost their jobs were forced to look for new employing be left the native town. In a situation of out-migration cultural life of Ustye is respectively has difficulties. The number of museums, art-classes and libraries was reduced to minimum ever. All above mentioned consequences of economic downturn follows to disastrous result. Ustye may lose its unique cultural idendity including architectural heritage. Although current situation looks quite pitty there is still an opportunity to revive cultural life because of vast potential of Ustye. More than twenty architectural heritage objects are preserved till now and they can play a crucial role in region’s revival. A few years ago gorvenment approved national programm about inner tourism and Ustye as a part of this programm was donated by half of million euros for reconstruction of historical buildings and gentrification of embenkment. In general programm includes also positions about developing of river navigation. All these aspects became a basis for project. Considering programmes about developing of inner tourism, river navigation for passanger purposes and reconostruction of architectural heritage so the idea of renovation of Ustye came up. After searching peculiar properties of entire region, architectural typologies, cultural features the project of renovation has been formed with following structure. Firstly it proposes touristic route including several destinations, one of them is Ustye. River navigation route starts in Vologda – center of region then it introduces architecture of others big and small settlements and finally ends in a city Belozersk. In this way route can show definitive representation of northen russian architecture. Combining many cultural layers with financial programms Ustye has become the most appropriate settlement for renovation and revitalization concept.