a guidebookPskov to historic city centre This publication has been produced with the financial support of Latvia-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Pskov City Administration and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Programme, Programme participating countries Latvia and Russia, alongside with the European Union. 1 A specialof russian city history The ancient city of Pskov, located at the confluence of the Pskova and the Velikaya 16 Rivers, was first mentioned in the “Tale of Bygone Years” under the year 903. But its PSKOV history goes much further and IS MOTHER LAND dates back about 2000 years OF PRINCESS OLGA, according to archaeological the first Christian ruler data. of Rus and its first saint. Olga, during whose reign a fortified settlement turned into a town, is considered the founder and the patron saint of Pskov. Once, standing on the left bank of the Velikaya River, princess Olga saw the three rays of light 43 crossed at one spot on a high cliff covered with a forest and prophesied a big and glorious town to be founded there. A smithed cross and Olginskaya chapel at the place from where princess Olga saw the heavenly sign according to the legend. 2 The seal of Pskov Hospodariat Being initially the tribal centre of “krivichi” in the 10th – THE VECHE (ASSEMBLY) beginning of the 12th centuries, SQUARE Pskov was a part of Old Russian is the centre of political life state and then of Novgorod of Pskov of the 13th – 14th land. In 1348 it became the centuries. The Veche, a popular capital of Pskov Veche republic. assembly of the period of Pskov In 1510 it was incorporated republic that dealt with the into the Grand Principality Veche in Pskov. most important state matters, of Moscow. By Viktor Vasnetsov gathered here. Pskov Veche republic (Pskov Hospodariat) – a unique medieval state formation on the territory of Rus. The history of Russian democracy originates in Novgorod and THE ARCHITECTURAL MODEL OF THE KREMLIN Pskov republics. “PSKOV – THE HOME OF THE HOLY TRINITY” in the form of the 15th century, the heyday period of the city. We are admiring This city is so spacious, that Pskov. God, what a its circumference embraces Up until the beginning great city! several cities, and in of the 18th century Like Paris!... Germany Pskov was one of the there is no city the Roman Catholic biggest towns of Russia priest Piotrovsky, equal to Pskov. a personal secretary and Europe. of Stephen Bathory, 1581. Livonian chronicles, 13th century 3 The Home of the THE CATHEDRAL PskovHoly was founded as the Home 2 Trinity of the Holy Trinity. It was here OF THE HOLY TRINITY The height in the 10th century where the is the heart of Pskov and its of the Trinity first Orthodox church in Rus main symbol. The domes of Cathedral is 78 was built. Until the 14th century the Cathedral floating high metres and it was the only church devoted above the city are visible from its iconostasis to the Holy Trinity. anywhere in the city. is 42 metres high. 4 THE RELIQUARY WITH THE CHIRSKAYA ICON RELICS OF THE PSKOV SAINTS: OF THE MOTHER OF GOD A UNIQUE SEVEN-TIERED the blessed princes showed the miracle of ICONOSTASIS Vsevolod-Gabriel and lacrimation during the of the Trinity Cathedral of the Dovmont-Timothy, the martyr pestilence in 1420 and is 17th century is a rare example Ioasaph Snyatogorsky and the venerated by the Pskovites for of the “Flemish carving.” fool –for-Christ Nikolai of Pskov. making them free of the disease. Mosaic icon-over-the-gates of the Pskov Kremlin THE NAME OF THE SAINT “The Old Testament Trinity.” PRINCE VSEVOLOD-GABRIEL sketched by E. Klimov is connected with the building THE PSKOVO-POKROVSKAYA of the first stone church of the ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Holy Trinity, construction of OF THE 16TH CENTURY the Velikiye (Great) Gates and is unique not only for its subject, building of the Annunciation showing the events of the period There are 40 functional church. The legends have of Pskov siege by the troops churches within the preserved many examples of of the Polish king Stephen boundaries of modern his assistance and patronage Bathory in 1581-1582, but also Pskov. at the turning points of the for depicting a detailed plan of military history of the city. Pskov in it. 5 The fortress-city Pskov fortress is one of the mightiest and most impregnable medieval fortresses of Europe. Being the only of its kind, it had five rings of defence, three of which have been preserved up to the present day. THE KROM (KREMLIN) 1 is the heart of Pskov fortress, the historic and architectural as well as city-planning centre of Pskov. THE POKROVSKAYA 26 (INTERCESSION) TOWER is the mightiest Pskov tower and one of the largest ones in Europe. It is included into fortification system of the THE PERSI Okolny (outer) Town of the – is the “chest” of the Pskov 15th – 16th centuries – the Kremlin, its southern assault wall. fifth ring of defence of Pskov. The area of the Pskov fortress is 215 ha, the length of fortress walls is 9,5 km. The fortress had about 40 towers and 14 gates 6 THE DOVMONT TOWN 8 is a unique architectural complex that had no analogues in Rus. It was constructed as an added defence line of Krom in 1270-1280 during the period of princedom of Dovmont. It used to be the administrative and spiritual centre of Pskov land of the 14th-15th centuries. 41 9 On the premises in Dovmont town in THE PLOSKAYA AND VYSOKAYA the 12th – 14th centuries there were (FLAT AND HIGH) TOWERS more than 20 religious and civil stone constructions. The foundations of half in the ancient time were connected by a wall with the of them can be seen nowadays. waterway openings that were blocked by the movable lattice gates to protect the entrance to the Pskova River. PETER’S BASTIONS, 49 constructed during the beginning of the Great Northern War, became the “sixth line” of Pskov fortifications. It is one of the largest fortifications of the kind, an example of military engineering of the beginning of the 18th century. The remains of Svinorsky bastion with the monument on the occasion of 300th anniversary of defence of Pskov against the troops of Stephen Bathory located on it. 7 Garden Suare of the Fallen Fighters Kunetskaya st. Grahdanskaya st. Kuopio Park Letniy Garden 35 (Finskiy park) La Tolstogo st. Serdloa st. 50 Oktyabrskiy prosp. Belinskogo st. Gogolya st. Stakhanoskaya st. Ippodromnaya st. 34 Botanic Garden Pionerskaya st. 29 Serdloa st. Jana Fabritsiusa st. Voroskogo st. Nekrasoa st. Sportinaya st. Atoaodskaya st. Grahdanskaya st. 12 Gertsena st. Pskoa Rier Pskoa 15 12 Kutuosky Pobedy Pushkinа st.garden suare 51 Oktyabrskiy prosp. suare Alley of Heroes 14 lane lane 20 Komsomolskiy 33 Mueynuy K. Marksa st. Gertsena st. 28 49 Truda st. 19 Olega 21 27 Kosheogo st. Garden suare LeninаOktyabrskaya st. Detsky 26 park 18 Kalinina st. Volkoa st. of the people suare 24 Pskoa Rier in loe 16 25 12 Troitskiy 30 12 37 Lenina 23 Shkolnaya st. bridge 13 17 st. Georgievskaya suare 22 31 Soetskaya st. 12 st. Detskaya Embankment of the Velikaya Rier 50th of of October of Bridge 38 Garden Suare anniersary 32 st. Profsoyunaya 5 of twin cities 12 Peromayskaya st. 8 10 48 7 11 6 3 39 1 Velikaya Rier Dendropark Zastennaya st. 4 2 46 L. Poemskogo st. bridge Olginskaya embankment Krasnoarmeyskaya st. 40 9 Olginskiy 41 43 45 Rier 36 Velikaya 44 Obseration Kremlin deck Maksima Gorkogo st. The Okolny city Suare Mirnaya st. The Okolny city (Zapskoie) Pier of the 60th OUTSIDE the Okolny city anniersary Yubileynaya st. (Outer city) Cycle lane 47 of the October st. Lagernaya Krasnoarmeyskaya st. Krasnoarmeyskaya 42 st. Kommunalnaya Rihskiy prosp. Rihskiy Rosa Luxemburg st. Luxemburg Rosa Paromenskaya st. Paromenskaya Reolution 1 Pskov Kremlin Ensemble, 9th – 17th centuries, Kremlin 13 Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Oktyabrskiy prospect, 9 2 Holy Trinity Cathedral with Bell Tower, 14th – 17th centuries, Sovetskaya street, 18 21 Menshikovs’ Chambers, 17th century, 17th century, 1830, Kremlin 14 Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul “from Bui”, Sovetskaya street 50, 50-a 3 Smerdja Tower restored in the 19th century, Kremlin, 12 16th century, K. Marksa street, 2 22 Bekleshov’s Manor House (The first building 4 Kutekroma Tower (“Kutniy Koster”), 15th century, Kremlin, 16 15 Offices (Cadet Corps), end of the 18th – middle 19th, 20th of the Pskov provincial gymnasium), 17th – 19th centuries, 5 Sredniaya Tower (Middle) restored in the 20th century, Kremlin centuries, Nekrasova street, 23 Georgievskaya street, 4 6 Troitskaya Tower (Chasovaya) restored 16 Monument to the Great Equal-to-the-Apostles 23 Church of St. George from Vzvoz, 1494, in the 20th century, Kremlin Princess Olga 2003, Oktyabrskaya square Georgievskaya street 1 7 Administrative Chamber, 1695, Kremlin, 4 17 St. Nicholas Church at “Usokha” (Drained place), 1536, 24 Church of the Assumption at Polonische, 1811, 8 Dovmont’s Town Sovetskaya street, 19 Georgievskaya street 3-а 9 Ploskaya (Flat) Tower, 14th – 19th centuries, Kremlin, 4 18 Church of St. Basil the Great On the Hill, 16th century, 25 Intercession and the Nativity of the Mother of God Church 10 Holy Gates Tower restored in the 20th century, Dovmont’s Town Oktyabrskiy prospect, 5 at Prolom, 16th century, Sverdlova street, 1 11 Vlasjevskaya Tower restored in the 20th century, Kremlin, 7 19 Sculptural composition “Skobar” (Hardwareman), 2014, 26 Pokrovskaya Tower, 16th century, Embankment 12 Сomplex of fortifications of the Okolny (Outer) Detsky park of the Velikaya River, Sovetskaya street , 3 City:8 the fortress walls of the 16th – 17th centuries 20 Church of Anastasia the Roman at Kuznetsy, 1539, 27 Church of Joachim and Anna, 16th century, Kalinina street, 18 Garden Suare of the Fallen Fighters Kunetskaya st.