The Empress interfered and had him expelled first to Uglich and then to Veliky Ustyug.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Ilyinsk became a fortress due to its location on the main road from Moscow to Siberia, which went from Moscow to Veliky Ustyug and then to Cherdyn.
The cities of Arkhangelsk and Vologda, as well as many smaller towns, many of those of significant historical importance such as Veliky Ustyug, Totma, Solvychegodsk, and Kholmogory, are located in the river basin of the Northern Dvina.
The airline also has branches located on the properties of the airports serving Belozersk, Kichmengsky Gorodok, Nikolsk, Nyuksenitsa, Totma, Veliky Ustyug, and Vytegra.
In 1918, the area was transferred to the newly established Northern Dvina Governorate with the administrative center located in Veliky Ustyug.
Since the 1990s, Veliky Ustyug has been marketed as the residence of Ded Moroz, a fictional character similar to Santa Claus.