Rostov Veliky Historic Center

Rostov Veliky, Russia
9th century--early 20th century
Rostov Veliky, one of Russia's oldest cities, is also one of its first spiritual centers. Written records from 862 mention the thriving town, about 200 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Rostov Veliky became the ancient capital of Russia. After losing its significance when Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg, it influenced the development of that city as well as Moscow. Within the surviving earthen ramparts and seventeenth-century town walls, the medieval town presents a spectacular array of vernacular wooden houses and ecclesiastical domes. The Metropolitan's Palace, now called the Rostov Kremlin, is the most notable set of buildings. Until recently, this historic city center was the heart of urban Rostov Veliky, and its chief commercial and residential sector. But a rising water table undermines many of the wooden and stone structures, and many inhabitants have been leaving the historic center. Moisture has eaten away painted surfaces, ornamentation, and entire foundations. Revitalization of the area as a place for living and working depends on solving the water table problems, repairing the damaged properties, and relinking the historic core to the rest of urban Rostov Veliky.