The Buoy House

On the Volga embankment, a few dozen meters from the great Volga River, there are small, old, wooden houses. Some are well–groomed, and some are unlucky - the owner died and the house is living out its life.

The bakenshchik's house was built in 1928, as they said then – a five-wall building. In the 60s of the XX century, the house was sheathed with a board. There are four windows along the main facade. From the windows of the house there is a beautiful view of the Volga and the temples of the left bank.

Pavel Ivanovich Vytchikov, the last bakenchik of our city, lived in one of these houses on the Volga Embankment.

He was born in 1928. During the difficult war years, his mother made an agreement with the senior bakenchik and he, a 15-year-old nimble boy, was hired. The Bakenskaya booth was not large and stood on a high bank, opposite Yamskaya Street. A team of 3 people serviced 6 buoys: 3 white ones limited the ship's passage from the left bank, and the red ones from the right. The buoys were dried, cleaned and repaired. In the evening, lanterns with kerosene lamps were installed on the buoys, and in the early morning they were removed so that the ships could navigate more easily in the dark and did not run aground. In any weather, at any wave, the buoyant must go out on a wooden boat to work so that any vessels can walk safely along the Great Russian River.

In the mid-50s, batteries were installed on wooden buoys. Later, the buoys were replaced with iron ones. The profession of bakers was abolished, and Pavel Ivanovich continued his work at the Tulma flax mill. Uncle Pasha was known and respected by the whole Embankment. Until recent years, he ran his own farm, kept cattle and was reputed to be an avid fisherman.

Previously, the profession of a bakenchik in Tutaev, as in many other cities on the Volga, was not so rare. The profession is a thing of the past and seems very romantic and fanned with an aura of mystery and adventure.