Welcome to Smolensk

Smolensk One of the oldest cities in Russia, has the title “Hero City” (since May 6, 1985), was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Patriotic War I degree, the medal “Golden Star”.

In the dated part of the “Tale of Bygone Years”, it is first mentioned under 862 as the center of the tribal union of the Krivichi. 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 captured and annexed to the Old Russian state by Prince Oleg, who transferred it to Prince Igor, from whose youth power in the city was exercised by viceroys and squads, and the general administration was carried out from Kiev.

And what happened next - you will learn from our excursions with a story about the history of Smolensk from 862 to the present day!