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Verkhnyaya Uftyuga — a quiet northern village where history lives

Imagine such a place: A river flows quietly, forests everywhere, wooden houses, birds can be heard in the distance — and in the centre stands a tall and austere church, built of wood, with a tent roof pattern. This is not a film — this is Verkhnyaya Uftyuga, a village on the banks of the Uftyuga River in the Arkhangelsk region.

The main feature of the village is the Church of St. Demetrius of Salonika. According to official data, it was built in 1784. It is a tent house — "octagon on a cube," typical for the Russian North. The height of the cathedral, including the tent, reaches up to 45 metres. Once, it served as a summer church. During the Soviet era, services were halted; the building stood empty and began to decay. But then — restorations, careful restoration, the care of volunteers, locals, and enthusiasts of wooden architecture. Now, when you look at it, you feel the connection to different eras: the XVIII, the XX, to our time.

But the village is not just a temple. It is a craft that has survived to this day. Uftyuga painting — a special folk style: painted wooden vessels, spinning wheels, chests, everyday items. Such things are not exhibits behind glass, but part of daily life. They remind us of the hands of masters who inherited the craft from those who lived here dozens and hundreds of years ago.

When you look at a painted container, at the gentle patterns, the colourful ornaments, — you feel: This is not just a pattern, this is memory. Memory of people, forests, family, and a home by the riverbank.

Verkhnyaya Uftyuga is not a tourist attraction, but real life: people, a school, a library, a kindergarten, a medical station, and houses where families live. Here you can feel the tranquility of the northern land: the small river, the forest, the sky, hear how the wind whispers in the crowns. It is a bridge between the past and the present: old architecture, folk art, a living tradition that breathes.

For those interested in the culture of the Russian North — this is an opportunity to see a holistic picture: not just a museum, but a living village where history is part of everyday life.

📍 Coordinates of the place (map point) available here

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