Reviving the village and making it attractive for living.

In Russia, there are examples, though few, where villages, small settlements, or towns thrive. There is work and infrastructure, but even in such places, thoughts of moving often arise. How can a village transform, its population grow, and no one want to leave, but instead take pride in their place and build their future here? Vyatskoye in the Nekrasovsky district of Yaroslavl region is just such a place. In 2010, about 800 people lived here, and now there are 1,200, with the population continuing to increase.

This miracle happened thanks to the accidental arrival of a summer resident. Oleg Zharov, a native of Yaroslavl, mathematician, and entrepreneur, decided to restore the former glory of Vyatskoye. Before the revolution, it was a prosperous place where peasants lived in large stone houses, grew the famous Vyatskoye cucumbers, and traded at fairs. Oleg and his wife bought an old house for a summer residence and restored it. Then they continued to restore other houses and eventually decided to bring the entire village back to life.

Today, Vyatskoye has 15 museums, hotels, production facilities, shops, and a restaurant. They are once again pickling barrel cucumbers and producing many local products. Even the pharmacy in the village looks as if it is from the 19th century. Vyatskoye has been named "the most beautiful village in Russia" and was included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2019. Each year, about 300,000 tourists visit the village, allowing it to thrive on the funds left by guests. And this is despite the fact that Vyatskoye is not on tourist routes.

People come here and buy houses from Yaroslavl, Moscow, and other large cities, as well as from abroad. But the most surprising thing is that Oleg Zharov and his team managed to change the mindset of the local residents. Now you won't hear "it's time to leave" here.