Vychegda

The area was originally populated by Finno-Ugric peoples, and was home to Vychegda Perm, which was later colonized by the Novgorod Republic. Novgorod established two trade routes to the Ob River, both starting from the town of Ustyug. The first route went along the Sukhona and Vychegda, then along the Usa to the lower reaches of the Ob. Solvychegodsk was founded in the 14th century, Yarensk has been known since 1374. The area was attractive primarily because of the fur trade. From the Northern Dvina, the merchants went to the Vychegda, and further they could get directly to the river basin of the Pechora either via the Cherya and the Izhma, or via the Mylva. == Name ==

The Russian name – Vychegda – is believed to come from an ancient Ob-Ugric name with the meaning "meadow river" (reconstructed as *vič-oxt, compare Mansi wānsi "grass" and āxt "stream"). Komi Ežva is a calque from this name: eža "meadow" and va "water, river". == References ==