Discover Velsk: Museums, History and Riverside Promenade

• The Velsk Local History Museum was founded in May 1919, based on a collection of old objects belonging to local peasant Vasily Feoktistovich Kulakov.
• Its exhibition topics range from nature and history to house paintings and the history of Velsk District, also known as the Velsk Municipal District.
• The Velsk Art Gallery opens new exhibitions every month together with artists; its collection includes paintings by Vladimir Grigoryev.
• The riverside promenade is located in the center of Velsk’s historic district and is suitable for leisurely walks.

The local history museum’s exhibitions bring together natural history, regional history and art. “Nature and Natural Resources of Velsk District” dates from 1989 and was redesigned in 2014. The exhibition “History of Povazhye from Ancient Times to the Beginning of the 20th Century,” created in 1992, was redesigned between 2013 and 2016. The two topics offer different chronological and thematic perspectives on the region.

The art-focused “Museum of Povazhye House Painting” exhibition and museum complex, created in 2018, adds another area of focus. “Velsk District/Municipal District 1917–1964: History and Destinies” is devoted to a later period; a new exhibition hall also opened in 2019. The museum therefore brings together long historical periods and clearly defined topics. The current exhibition layout may change. Check which exhibitions are currently on display before visiting.

While the local history museum covers the nature and history of Velsk District as well as house paintings, the art gallery offers a different focus: its team opens new exhibitions every month with artists. The gallery also features paintings by Vladimir Grigoryev. The two venues therefore appeal to different cultural interests—an in-depth exploration of regional topics or changing art exhibitions.

The riverside promenade in the center of Velsk’s historic district is suitable for leisurely walks. A monument to the young Lomonosov stands there, giving the riverbank walk a specific cultural landmark in the historic center.

Another landmark is Karpechenko House: a bust of G. D. Karpechenko was unveiled in its courtyard on June 19, 2009. It was created by sculptor P. I. Gil of Saint Petersburg. The second floor of the house also houses the Karpechenko House Center for Science and Educational Culture. The bust and the center are distinct points of interest located in the same house; the courtyard is the specific place where the bust was unveiled.

The wider destination of Arkhangelsk Oblast offers other cultural perspectives, distinct from Velsk’s city and museum topics. The cultural and historical ensemble of the Solovetsky Archipelago includes a monastery-fortress dating from the 15th to the early 20th century, as well as sacred sites and dozens of settlements dating from the 6th to the 1st millennium BC. Its medieval road and irrigation systems are harmoniously integrated into the surrounding natural and cultural landscape.

The Malye Korely Museum offers another regional perspective: its architectural and landscape exhibition includes more than 100 monuments of wooden architecture from Arkhangelsk Oblast. The museum is also included in the state register of particularly valuable cultural heritage sites of the peoples of the Russian Federation. Examples like these help distinguish Velsk, with its own local cultural venues, from the broader themes of the wider destination.

If you’d like to explore more destinations: Nyandoma, Kotlas, Karpogory, Tsimola, Khozmino, Solovetsky, Arkhangelsk, Kapustniki.

When was the Velsk Local History Museum founded?

It was founded in May 1919, based on a collection of old objects belonging to local peasant Vasily Feoktistovich Kulakov.

How often does the art gallery open new exhibitions?

The Velsk Art Gallery team opens new exhibitions every month with artists.

Where was the bust of G. D. Karpechenko unveiled?

The bust was unveiled in the courtyard of Karpechenko House on June 19, 2009. It was created by sculptor P. I. Gil of Saint Petersburg.

For the wider travel overview: Arkhangelsk Oblast.