Pskov and surroundings

The ancient Russian city of Pskov is a unique historical monument of our Fatherland.

Being on the northwestern frontier, he often literally saved Russia. Fortifications on the territory of Pskov still amaze with their scale and original design. Pskov lands remember the invasions of Swedes, Germans, Poles. The secretary of Stefan Batory, who besieged Pskov in 1581, J. Piotrovsky, wrote in his diary: "We admire Pskov! Lord! What a big city! It's Paris! Help us, O God, to deal with him. The city admired even its enemies.

The lands of the modern Pskov region were inhabited for a long time. The autochthonous population was Finno-Ugric, as well as Baltic tribes. According to archaeology, there were settlements on the territory of the Pskov Kremlin (Kroma) long before the emergence of the city. Pskov himself is mentioned for the first time in the chronicle of 903 in connection with the arrival of the “wife from Pskov named Olga” to Prince Igor. In the 10th and early 12th centuries. Pskov was part of the Old Russian state. Pskov was not a princely patrimony, but recognized the supremacy of the Kiev prince. The growth of the influence of Novgorod - the conductor of the political and administrative influence of Kiev in the North-West of Russia - led to the inclusion of Pskov in the Novgorod land. Pskov was under the jurisdiction of the Novgorod archbishop and prince, a military leader who shared executive and judicial power with the posadniki. Pskov posadniki were appointed from Novgorod. The Novgorod Veche, the legislative (representative) body, predetermined the decisions of the Pskov Vech.

However, the Pskovites sought isolation and achieved de facto independence from Novgorod.

The city pursued its domestic and foreign policy, invited princes, actively developed trade relations with Western Europe. But in 1510 Pskov, formally voluntarily, but actually under the threat of the use of military force, is part of the Moscow state, which, after the accession in 1521 of the Ryazan Grand Duchy, became a single Russian state. The symbol of Pskov independence – the veche bell – was removed and taken to Moscow.

Fortunately, Pskov avoided the bloody massacre of Ivan the Terrible’s oprichny army. Withstood the most difficult siege of the Polish King Stefan Batory during the Livonian War, which in many respects the Moscow Kingdom, found itself at the end of the war in an extremely difficult situation. As the historian N. Karamzin wrote about this, Russia was saved “from the greatest danger, and the memory of this important merit will not be erased in our history until we lose love for the Fatherland and our name.”

However, over time, the importance of the Pskov fortress fell, in the 18th century many churches were dismantled. In the 19th century, thanks to the construction of a railway to Warsaw, the economy began to develop more actively. The 20th century brought great destruction and change to the city. During the Great Patriotic War, Pskov was occupied by fascists from 1941 to 1944. Most of the city was destroyed during the fighting, and after the war was restored.

No less interesting are the Pskov suburbs. In this case, we will talk about Pechora and Izborsk.

Pskov-Pechersk monastery invariably attracts the closest attention. Since the founding of the monastery in 1473, even in the years of turmoil and unrest, the experience of old age and spiritual service has never been interrupted. The Pskov-Pechersk Monastery is a cave monastery, like the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and it has never been closed during all the centuries of its existence. Being on the border between Russia and Livonia, the monastery was repeatedly destroyed by Germans, Swedes, Poles. The Moscow government, in view of the important strategic position of the monastery, fortified it with fortress walls. Peter the Great attached very serious importance to the monastery as a stronghold during the Northern War of 1700-1721.

In the Assumption Church, the relics of the Monk Cornelius, one of the first abbots of the monastery, who died the death of a martyr at the hand of John the Terrible, who suspected the abbot of treason, rest in copper crust. And once in the monastery, everyone passes along the “bloody path” – the road along which the body of the murdered Cornelius Ivan the Terrible personally carried in his arms.

In the sacristy of the monastery were kept many ancient jewels and relics. The library was rich in old printed books and manuscripts, some of which have survived.

After the signing of the Treaty of Tartu between Soviet Russia and Estonia in 1920, Pechora became part of the young Baltic Republic. Estonia, however, pursued a rather liberal policy, the monastery was not closed and became a stronghold of Russian culture and spiritual life in 1920-1940.

In the postwar period, the monastery was not closed either, thanks to the active position of the clergy. In 1973, treasures taken by the Nazis from the sacristy of the monastery returned to Pechora. Well, now the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechora Monastery is one of the largest and richest in male monasteries in Russia.

Izborsk.

The first mention of Izborsk refers to 862 in connection with the arrival of the Varangians in Russia. Truvor (one of Rurik’s possibly existing brothers) sat down in Izborsk, according to the chronicle. Later, the fortress and the city were more often remembered in connection with the fighting and sieges. Located 30 km from Pskov, the Izborsk fortress often took on the first blows of German knights and other conquerors. Izborsk earned the glory of the stronghold of the Land of Pskov and Novgorod, even enemies called it the “iron city”.

Like Pskov, Izborsk was annexed to the Moscow kingdom in the early 16th century. During the siege of Pskov in 1581, Izborsk was occupied by the Poles, but by the Yam-Zapol Peace was returned to Moscow.

In 1708, Izborsk was assigned to the Ingermanland province, and later became a state city of the Pskov province.

In 1920, according to the Tartu Peace Treaty between the RSFSR and the Republic of Estonia, Izborsk (like Pechora) passed to Estonia, became part of the Petserimaa County and the administrative center of the Irbosk volost. But after the annexation of Estonia to the USSR in 1940, the settlement remained within the administrative boundaries of the Estonian SSR, but due to the formation of the Pskov region, it was included in its composition in 1945.

Very picturesque and Slovenian keys, located near the fortress. They have been beating for several hundred years, and the water draining into Gorodishchenskoye Lake does not freeze even in winter, and swans live there all year round.

During the tour, you can see not only these main monuments, but also the dots of the famous Stalin Line, built in the 1920-1930s.

One-day tour to Pskov will include the following blocks:

• Track tour;
• Meeting in Pskov with a local guide, sightseeing;
• A trip to Pechora;
• Trip to Izborsk;
• Lunch;
• Departure back to St. Petersburg.
• This tour can be organized for both schoolchildren and adults.

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