In Soletsky District, designed landscapes meet tangible traces of history. The parks of Vybiti and Gorki represent garden and park art from different centuries. In Soltsy, other themes lead to workshops, wheels and museum collections. The district can thus be explored through a variety of discoveries: from comparing two eras of park design to handcrafted objects and a historic memorial site.
Park Art from Two Centuries
In the village of Vybiti, the park is a natural monument and a cultural heritage site of regional significance. It is also considered an example of garden and park art from the second half of the 18th century. In Gorki, another park lies on the banks of the Lemenka River, in the southwest of Soletsky District. This park, too, is a natural monument and a cultural heritage site of regional significance; it is an example of garden and park art from the second half of the 19th century. This contrast between the two periods offers a clear point of comparison for travelers interested in cultural history: Vybiti represents the second half of the 18th century, and Gorki the second half of the 19th.
History on the Banks of the Shelon
Another historic landmark is in Velebitsy. The Church of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist was built in 1903 on the banks of the Shelon River, at the site of the 1471 battle between the Novgorodians and the forces of Moscow Prince Ivan III. This connects the church’s history and the site of the battle in one specific place. The year the church was built and the year of the battle mark distinct layers of local history.
Soltsy: Crafts and Collections
In the 18th century, Soltsy had workshops for woodworking, wheels and gun carriages. The city’s childhood past is also linked to a wheel: rolling a wheel whose axle was attached to a long pole was once a popular pastime for children. The wheel thus appears both as an object of craftsmanship and as part of a pastime from an earlier era.
The “Museum of the Wheel” exhibition in Soltsy offers a distinct perspective through its collection. It includes various types of wooden wheels and tools for making them, models and examples of carts, as well as models of artillery pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries. It also features horse tack, including collars, reins and horseshoes. The collection therefore ranges from tools and wheels to carts, artillery models and horse equipment.
Another cultural landmark is located in the Central Library in Soltsy. On May 31, 2011, a museum room dedicated to M. M. Prishvin was officially opened there. The room displays exhibits from the period of his life. In contrast to the wheel exhibition, with its varied groups of objects, this museum room has a personal focus: it is dedicated to one named individual. If you would like to visit the museum room or exhibition, check in advance on visiting arrangements.
Discover more destinations: Krestetskiy rayon, Chudovsky District, Staraya Russa, Malovisherskiy rayon, Khvoyninskiy rayon, Malovishersky District, Okulovskiy rayon, Starorusskiy rayon.
Go to the broader travel guide: Novgorod Oblast.
