otrotvo

Otrotvo is a rural locality (a selo) situated within the Vologodsky District of Vologda Oblast, Russia. It lies approximately 35 kilometres southeast of the administrative centre, the city of Vologda, and is accessible via a secondary road that connects to the regional highway network. The settlement is positioned on the floodplain of the Kholodny River, which flows into the larger Sukhona River system. The surrounding landscape is characterised by mixed coniferous–broadleaf forest, interspersed with pasture fields and small lakes typical of the Northern Russian taiga.

The first documented mention of Otrotvo dates to the early 18th century, when it appeared in the Tverskaya Administration land register as a small farming community. Over the centuries, the village has maintained a modest population, which fluctuated between 80 and 120 residents in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The most recent census in 2010 recorded a population of 57 individuals, reflecting broader demographic trends of rural depopulation in the region. Contemporary Otrotvo remains primarily agrarian, with residents engaged in crop cultivation, dairy farming, and timber harvesting. Small technical equipment for processing livestock and wood products is available locally.

Otrotvo preserves local cultural traditions associated with the Vologda region, including folk embroidery and religious festivals linked to the Orthodox Church. The community celebrates its yearly patron saint day on the annular feast of Saint George, which includes a procession, communal meal and folk music. Academic references to Otrotvo appear primarily in regional statistical yearbooks and ethnographic studies focusing on the Vologda Oblast’s rural settlements.