Exhibition of the Museum of History and Culture of Veliky Ustyug

About exhibition

The museum's exhibition is devoted to the history and culture of Veliky Ustyug from the 12th to the 20th centuries. Archaeological finds, weapons from the 12th–16th centuries and other materials testify to the early period in the city's history and to the participation of its inhabitants in the formation of a unified Russian state. The halls display authentic items from the museum's collections illustrating the contribution of Veliky Ustyug's residents to the exploration of Siberia and the territories of Russian America, and to the development of trade with Western European countries and China. Originals from the 17th–19th centuries portray Veliky Ustyug as a major trade and craft centre. The showcases contain outstanding works by talented Ustyug craftsmen: skillfully painted icons, elegant pierced caskets, products of the finift (enamel) factory of the brothers A. and S. Popov, and filigree pieces. Here you can see magnificent silver items with niello engraving, including a unique three-part pyx (1770). A separate hall is dedicated to Veliky Ustyug's distinctive folk art—birch-bark carving and painting.