There are some cities in the Central Russia; they call it The Golden Ring. They are Old Russian cities with the medieval churches, fortresses, museums and traditional crafts. Some of them live because of the travel industry only (like Suzdal); others have something more serious, like Yaroslavl, the large industrial city. All of them are worth to visit and to ask a question: what’s the matter? Some of them are prosperous region centers or wealthy cities, but others look not very good, even their tourist objects. The most interesting thing is that the prosperity is not obligatory tied with the industry and location, and here are some examples of that.

1. Pure tourist centers: Suzdal and Rostov

The first pair I have chosen makes me wonder, how these two cities might have so different levels of the life. They are situated not far from Moscow and from each other, in the central Russia and were parts of the ancient Rostov-Suzdal principality. Suzdal leaves an impression of a wealthy prosperous city, while in Rostov the signs of decay strike the eye even in the centre of the city, where a famous archbishop’s residence overlooks. As far as I know, there is no serious industry in both cities, except the traditional crafts and the food industry: Suzdal produces traditional Russian honey drinks, Rostov – the chicory, a coffee surrogate. It is not enough for the city. Both the cities with their architectural monuments and landscapes are usually popular as a film set for the historical movies. The tourists in Suzdal can get everything they want, the local public looks alright and satisfied with the life. They are always busy. The city itself looks rather tidy. Rostov leaves quite another impression. The houses are very old; the civilization exists only near the so-called Kremlin (ensemble of the archbishop’s residence), hotels and the supermarkets. The people are very passive, including the small undertakers selling the souvenirs and productions of the local handicrafts. The architectural ensemble of the Kremlin is unique. The researches devote articles to its architecture and frescoes, but it doesn’t change the situation with the contemporary face of Rostov, in which only the museum and the Kremlin look rather presentable (the buildings of Kremlin are permanently restored). When the idea of the development and progress is not ignored, it gets the strange forms in the hotels in the middle of ramshackle houses. I hope that my impression was not objective.

2. Industrial cities: Yaroslavl and Vologda

The second pair, the industrial cities Yaroslavl and Vologda also distinguish from each other. Yaroslavl, one of the richest European trade centres in the Late Middle Ages. Two big museums are ready to satisfy your interest in the old icons and frescoes, painting, material culture and everything the tourists usually want to see. For the real snobs there are some restaurants with the Moscow prices (it means very expensive). Everything could be a result of the industry, which includes production of the plastic materials, tyre works and pharmaceutical manufacturer. Maybe, the reason of the prosperity is stability: Yaroslavl became an industrial centre rather long ago. But as we have seen on the Suzdal’s example, it is not obligatory so. Vologda is also an industrial centre (the main type of the industry here is mechanic engineering) and has its architectural monuments. But the portrait of the city is not so attractive, and it seems to me that I know why. Vologda was supposed to become a capital of Russia in the 16th century, but the plans of Ivan the Terrible changed in the last moment. The city cathedral stayed undedicated and incomplete. The time could destroy it, but the bishops in the late 16th and 17th centuries did their best to maintain the building. The fortresses disappeared, because nobody needed them. It was a real stress to be found suddenly in the centre of the state life and then to be left. But a real decrease of Vologda has begun with the foundation and development of St. Petersburg: Vologda lost its trading positions. In the Soviet time this city was a south frontier of the zone of the labor and prison camps. The people, whose profession is prison and everything tied with it, seem to be a very specific public, thinking about the comfort of living in this city too much. It is enough to feel unlucky fellow. Vologda became a victim of its fortune. But the last time I visited this city, everything was not so bad.

All in all the cities with similar circumstances can be prosperous or break up. The factors I here mentioned are all very important, but in my honest opinion, the people and their attitude to their cities play a pivotal role in the face of the each of them.

Yulia Buzykina