The settlement of Vasilyovo, formerly Vasilyova Sloboda, was one of the oldest settlements on the Volga. It is known that in 1152, Yuri Dolgoruky fought with the Cheremis, the Finno-Ugric people, conquered Small Kitezh, which he renamed Gorodets-Radilov, and put his son Vasily in charge of it.
Vasily Yuryevich, in order to have a fallback in case of defense of Gorodets from the raids of the Volga Bulgarians, Mordovians and Cheremises, built another fortress on the other side of the Volga not far from his residence. Its first settlers, the servants of the prince, were free from taxes and render. Hence the name — Vasilyova Sloboda.
Initially, Vasilyova Sloboda, together with Gorodets, belonged to Vladimir Andreyevich, the cousin of Dmitry Donskoy. Then it was the votchina of the princes Shuisky. Later, it passed to the Ascension Convent in Moscow, and after that, it became a state economic village.
Vasilyova Sloboda stood apart from the main roads, and its population was small. The village was represented by various crafts. Pottery production was widely developed. In the mid-19th century, there were up to 25 pottery workshops or, as they were called here, “factories” in Vasilyovo.
Also, Vasilyovo was somewhat of a center for barge haulers. Every spring, workers gathered there to try and get hired to work on the ships that were to set sail.
In the 19th century, the most profitable occupation in the village was to sell bread. Vasilyovo was one of the major transshipment points for the transportation of grain, brought from the lower reaches of the Volga, the Kama and Belaya Rivers.
Near the settlement was a convenient natural backwater bay, that was separated from the main channel of the Volga by a sandspit. The shallow bay was strewn with wooden houses and repair shops and was a great place for building state workshops to repair the dredging fleet. So, it was decided, and in September 1883, the construction of the workshops began.
This gave impetus to the development of the settlement. New houses and whole streets spang up on the steep Volga hill.
In 1937, Vasilyovo was renamed Chkalovsk in honor of the famous fellow townsman — the heroic pilot Valery Pavlovich Chkalov.
In the early 1950s, in connection with the construction of the Gorky Hydroelectric Station and the formation of the Gorky Reservoir, the entire lower part of Chkalovsk found itself in the flood zone. The town was later rebuilt almost from scratch.
Most of the merchant houses, distinguished by their original architecture, were located in the lower, flooded part of Vasilyov. So, unfortunately, they did not survive.
Vasily Yuryevich, in order to have a fallback in case of defense of Gorodets from the raids of the Volga Bulgarians, Mordovians and Cheremises, built another fortress on the other side of the Volga not far from his residence. Its first settlers, the servants of the prince, were free from taxes and render. Hence the name — Vasilyova Sloboda.
Initially, Vasilyova Sloboda, together with Gorodets, belonged to Vladimir Andreyevich, the cousin of Dmitry Donskoy. Then it was the votchina of the princes Shuisky. Later, it passed to the Ascension Convent in Moscow, and after that, it became a state economic village.
Vasilyova Sloboda stood apart from the main roads, and its population was small. The village was represented by various crafts. Pottery production was widely developed. In the mid-19th century, there were up to 25 pottery workshops or, as they were called here, “factories” in Vasilyovo.
Also, Vasilyovo was somewhat of a center for barge haulers. Every spring, workers gathered there to try and get hired to work on the ships that were to set sail.
In the 19th century, the most profitable occupation in the village was to sell bread. Vasilyovo was one of the major transshipment points for the transportation of grain, brought from the lower reaches of the Volga, the Kama and Belaya Rivers.
Near the settlement was a convenient natural backwater bay, that was separated from the main channel of the Volga by a sandspit. The shallow bay was strewn with wooden houses and repair shops and was a great place for building state workshops to repair the dredging fleet. So, it was decided, and in September 1883, the construction of the workshops began.
This gave impetus to the development of the settlement. New houses and whole streets spang up on the steep Volga hill.
In 1937, Vasilyovo was renamed Chkalovsk in honor of the famous fellow townsman — the heroic pilot Valery Pavlovich Chkalov.
In the early 1950s, in connection with the construction of the Gorky Hydroelectric Station and the formation of the Gorky Reservoir, the entire lower part of Chkalovsk found itself in the flood zone. The town was later rebuilt almost from scratch.
Most of the merchant houses, distinguished by their original architecture, were located in the lower, flooded part of Vasilyov. So, unfortunately, they did not survive.
