Reviving the village and making it attractive for living.

In Russia, there are examples, albeit few, where a village, small settlement, or town thrives. There is work and infrastructure, but even in such places, there is often a sentiment of 'it's time to leave.' How can an entire village be transformed, its population grow, and no one want to leave, but instead take pride in their village and confidently build their lives here? Vyatskoye in the Nekrasovsky District of Yaroslavl Region is just such a place. In 2010, about 800 people lived here, and now, 1200, with the population continuing to grow.

All this became possible thanks to the accidental arrival of a summer resident in Vyatskoye. Oleg Zharov, a native of Yaroslavl, mathematician, and entrepreneur, saw the former glory of Vyatskoye and could not pass it by. He and his wife bought an old house for a summer residence and restored it, then other houses as well. Falling in love with Vyatskoye, they decided to restore the entire village.

Now there are already 15 museums, hotels, production facilities, shops, and restaurants. Vyatskoye is once again pickling barrel cucumbers and producing many local products. Even the chain pharmacy looks like it’s from the 19th century. Vyatskoye was named 'the most beautiful village in Russia' and was included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage in 2019. The tourist flow is about 300,000 visitors a year. The village lives on the funds left by tourists, even though it is not on a tourist route and is not easy to reach.

People from Yaroslavl, Moscow, and other major cities, as well as from abroad, come here to buy houses. But the most surprising thing is that Oleg Zharov and his team managed to change the mindset of the locals. 'It's time to leave' is no longer heard here.