Journey to Ancient Russia. Nest-Smyadyn-Svir Sloboda, 4 hours (auto)

The cost is indicated from ...; for a tour without renting transport, depends on the season and the number of people.

Smolensk One of the oldest cities in Russia, in the dated part of the “Tale of Bygone Years” was first mentioned under 862 as the center of the tribal union of the Krivichs.

According to the Ustyuzhensky (Arkhangelogorod) vault in the record under 863, when Askold and Dir on a campaign from Novgorod to Constantinople bypassed the city, since it was strongly fortified and crowded.

In 882, the city was annexed to the Old Russian state by Prince Oleg, who transferred it to Prince Igor.

.. . And what happened next - you will learn from our 4-hour excursion program Smolensk-Gnezdovo.

In the course of our program we will follow the historical sites related to the history of Smolensk from the 9th century to the 12th century.

visit the centuries-old forest known as the Red Bor, where the Gnezdovsky largest mound complex in Europe (9-11 centuries) is located.

We will touch the historical secrets and amazing legends of the Smolensk land.

The journey begins with a story about the ancient history of Smolensk, even before the appearance of the first Old Russian state (9th century).

.. Of the treasures found in Smolensk, the most fateful was the "Big Gnezdovsky treasure", accidentally discovered by the builders of the railway in 1867 and transferred to the Hermitage.

This treasure and two more, found in 1870, marked the beginning of large-scale excavations, which have brought many important discoveries and made Gnezdovo the largest mound complex in Europe.

Excavations continue to this day, bringing new information. To date, about 6000 mounds have been identified, which makes this place absolutely unique.

We will visit the museum-reserve "Gnezdovo" - we will visit the Gnezdov archaeological complex and open-air museum "Gnezdov settlement of the 10th century".

We will go through interesting locations, you will learn about the most interesting finds - the Carolingian sword, an amphora with the oldest Russian inscription, a wooden shield, a wallet with fake dirhams and others;

In Gnezdov there is one of the most unusual Smolensk monuments.

This is a stone sign with the inscription: "Gnezdovsky archaeological complex". Here in the burial of the X century. found a unique monument of ancient Russian culture - a vessel with the oldest Russian inscription Goroushna.

During the tour you will learn about the history of the discovery (1949) of world significance - amphorae with the oldest and very unusual East Slavic inscription, made with the help of the so-called Glagolitic, Russian writing before the appearance of the Cyrillic alphabet.

This is the oldest known Russian inscription, giving reason to believe that literacy in Russia was even before the adoption of Christianity.

We will also visit the open-air museum "Gnezdovsky settlement of the 10th century", which is based on residential and household buildings of the people who lived here more than 1000 years ago.

• During the tour of the museum we will get acquainted with the customs, life and belief of the Slavs.
• In Gnezdovo, everything is real - the museum-reserve is famous for its "reconstruction spirit".
• All buildings on the territory of the museum-reserve "Gnezdovo" were designed and erected strictly according to archaeological data.
• Open hearths consisting of several layers of stones are also reconstructed here - a frequent find in Gnezdov.

On Sundays and on holiday weekends, you can shoot with archery, drink tea with pies or with ancient Russian printed gingerbread.

With the story of the mysterious disappearance of Gnezdov in the early 12th century, whether it has to do with the cessation of mentions in the annals of the names of dozens of Russian princes, we return to Smolensk;

Our journey continues to the places of princely residences, from which stone temples of the 12th century have survived to this day.

Svirskaya Sloboda was called the "princely area" on the western outskirts of Smolensk, located on the left bank of the Dnieper. In the past, it was the spiritual, political and commercial center of the Smolensk land.

Today, the former grandeur of the Svir Mountain is reminiscent of the amazing beauty of the Church of Archangel Michael, built in 1191-94 at the court of Prince David, called the Svir Church. For a long time it was the most beautiful church in western Russia.

At the foot of the Svir Hill, we will visit the place of the martyrdom of St. Gleb (Smyadyn), where in 1015 people sent by Svyatopolk overtook Prince Gleb and killed him.

• Not far from the crime scene now stands a memorial sign, built a small chapel.
• Prince Gleb and his brother Boris became the first Saints of the Russian Orthodox Church.

We will see the temple, which in ancient times was called the church “on the Varangian”, the church of John the Theologian (1173). built at the expense of the Smolensk prince Roman Rostislavich.

In this temple, the first church school in the Smolensk region was opened, numerous Smolensk chronicles were compiled here, from here writing was distributed to nearby territories.

We visit the embankment of the Dnieper, where once passed the famous trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks”, it was from Byzantium that Christianity came to Russia.

We will see the monument to Prince Vladimir - the Baptist of Russia,

During the tour you will learn about significant events in the history of pre-Mongol Smolensk from the 9th century to the 12th century.

Transportation, if necessary, is paid additionally!