Administrative division

156 settlements

Geographical location

Border regions: the Kostroma Region, the districts of Vologda, Sokol, Tot’ma, Gryazovets within the Vologda Oblast

Inland waters: the Sukhona River

Most of inland territory in the north of the district is taken by marshes.

Transport

Distance from Vologda: 98 km

Shuyskoye is connected by an all-seasonal road with Vologda and Gryazovets. To get to the villages on the left bank of the Sukhona by car one needs to detour via Vologda and Kadnikov.

The Sukhona is navigable in the district limits, however, there is no passenger navigation.

Economy

The economy of Shuyskoye and District of Mezhdurech’ye is based on timber industry. Agriculture and food industry also take a dominating position.

Attractions and tourism

The residents of the district are all united by a passion for cranberry picking. The cranberry was known as the “Russian berry” in Europe. The berry, which grows everywhere in Russia, has been traditionally considered a natural antibiotic and antiscorbutic. The District of Vezhdurech’ye is home to quite a rare variety of this berry. Cranberry picking is a local brand in this part of the Vologda Region.

There are two museums located in Shuyskoye, the District Museum and Nikolai Rubtsov Memorial museum. Nikolai Rubtsov, the Russian poet, never lived in Shuyskoye, it is presumed that Rubtsov visited Shuyskoye on several occasions.

Aleksandr Korkin, a Russian mathematician, was born in Shuyskoye, but left for Vologda to study in the secondary school and never lived in Shuyskoye afterwards.

Several natural monuments are also a magnet for tourists and visitors of the district.

History

The area was originally populated by the Finno-Ugric peoples and then colonized by the Novgorod Republic. The principal direction of the colonization was along the Sukhona, which at the time was the main waterway connecting central Russia with the White Sea. In the 15th century, the area gradually went under the control of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, after being split into insignificant principalities. The lands on the right bank of the Sukhona form the historical region of Mitropolye, the name originating from the fact that once they were dependent on the Metropolitan of Rostov. The selo of Shuyskoye was first mentioned in 1555 as Shuysky Nizovets and achieved prominence as a settlement of shipbuilders, delivering ships mainly to Vologda.

In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great the area was included into Archangelgorod Governorate. In 1780, the governorate was abolished and transformed into Vologda Viceroyalty. The viceroyalty was abolished in 1796, and the part of it which included Shuyskoye was made Vologda Governorate. In the 19th century, Shuyskoye was the center of Shuyskaya Volost of Totemsky Uyezd. In 1919, it was transferred to Gryazovetsky Uyezd. In 1924, Gryazovetsky Uyezd was abolished, and its area, including Shuyskoye, was transferred to Vologodsky Uyezd.

On July 15, 1929, several governorates, including Vologda Governorate, were merged into Northern Krai, and the uyezds were abolished. Instead, Shuysky District with the administrative center in Shuyskoye was established as part of Vologda Okrug. In 1931, Shuysky District was renamed into Mezhdurechensky District.