Pskov

Pskov (English) Псков (Russian)
—  Inhabited locality  —
Kremlin (Krom) in Pskov
Location of Pskov Oblast on the map of Russia
Location of Pskov on the map of Pskov Oblast
Coordinates: 57°49′N 28°20′E / 57.817°N 28.333°E / 57.817; 28.333Coordinates: 57°49′N 28°20′E / 57.817°N 28.333°E / 57.817; 28.333
Coat of arms
Holiday	July 23[citation needed]
Administrative status
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Pskov Oblast
In administrative jurisdiction of	Pskov Oblast[citation needed]
Administrative center of	Pskov Oblast, Pskovsky District[citation needed]
Municipal status
Municipal Status	Urban okrug
Mayor[citation needed]	Mikhail Khoronen[citation needed]
Representative body	City Duma[citation needed]
Statistics
Area	95.5 km2 (36.9 sq mi)[citation needed]
Population (2002 Census)	202,780 inhabitants[1]
- Rank	90th
- Density	2,123 /km2 (5,500/sq mi)[2]
Time zone	MSK/MSD (UTC+3/+4)
Founded	903[citation needed]
Postal code(s)	180xxx[citation needed]
Dialing code(s)	+7 8112[citation needed]
Official website	http://www.pskovgorod.ru/

Pskov (Russian: Псков, ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ Pleskov, Latvian: Pleskava, Estonian: Pihkva, Lithuanian: Pskovas, German: Pleskau) is an ancient city located in the north-west of Russia about 20 kilometers (12 mi) east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. The city of Pskov serves as the administrative center of Pskov Oblast. Population: 202,780 (2002 Census);^[3] 203,789 (1989 Census).^[4]

Early history

The name of the city, originally spelled "Pleskov", may be loosely translated as "the town of purling waters". Its earliest mention comes in 903, which records that Igor of Kiev married a local lady, St. Olga. Pskovians sometimes take this year as the city's foundation date, and in 2003 a great jubilee took place to celebrate Pskov's 1,100th anniversary.

The first prince of Pskov was St. Vladimir's younger son Sudislav. Once imprisoned by his brother Yaroslav, he wasn't released until the latter's death several decades later. In the 12th century and 13th centuries, the town adhered politically to the Novgorod Republic. In 1241, it was taken by the Teutonic knights, but Alexander Nevsky recaptured it several months later during a legendary campaign dramatized in Sergei Eisenstein's 1938 movie.

View of the Pskov kremlin from the Velikaya River.

In order to secure their independence from the knights, the Pskovians elected a converted Lithuanian prince, named Daumantas (known in Russian as Dovmont), as their military leader and prince in 1266. Having fortified the town, Daumantas routed the knights at Rakovor and overran much of Estonia. His remains and sword are preserved in the local kremlin, and the core of the citadel, erected by him, still bears the name of "Dovmont's town".

Pskov Republic

By the 14th century, the town functioned as the capital of a de-facto sovereign republic. Its most powerful force was the merchants who brought the town into the Hanseatic league. Pskov's independence was formally recognized by Novgorod in 1348. Several years later, the veche promulgated a law code (called the Pskov Charter) which was one of the principal sources of the all-Russian law code issued in 1497.

For Russia, the Pskov Republic was a bridge towards Europe. For Europe, it was a western outpost of Russia and subject of numerous attacks throughout the history. Unbelievably, the kremlin (called by Pskovians the Krom) withstood 26 sieges in the 15th century alone. At one point, five stone walls ringed it, making the city practically impregnable. A local school of icon-painting flourished, and local masons were considered the best in Russia. Many peculiar features of Russian architecture were first introduced in Pskov.

Siege of Pskov by Stefan Batory, by Karl Brullov.

Finally, in 1510, the city fell to Muscovite forces. The deportation of noble families to Moscow is a subject of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera Pskovityanka (1872). As the second largest city of Muscovy, Pskov still attracted enemy armies. Most famously, it withstood a prolonged siege by 50,000-strong Polish army during the final stage of the Livonian War (1581–1582). The king of Poland Stefan Batory undertook some 31 attacks to storm the city, which was defended mainly by civilians. Even after one of the city walls was broken, the Pskovians managed to fill the gap and repel the attack. "It's amazing how the city reminds me of Paris", wrote one of the Frenchmen present at Batory's siege.

Modern history

Location

Peter the Great's conquest of Estonia and Latvia during the Great Northern War in the early 18th century spelled the end of Pskov's traditional role as a vital border fortress and a key to Russia's interior. As a consequence, the city's importance and well-being declined dramatically, although it has served as a capital of separate government since 1777. It was here that the last Russian tsar abdicated in March 1917.

During World War I, Pskov became the center of much activity behind the lines, and after the Russo-German Brest-Litovsk Peace Conference (December 22, 1917–March 3, 1918), the Imperial German Army invaded the area. Pskov was also occupied by the Estonian army between February 1919 and July 1919 during the Estonian War of Independence.

Dozens of quaint old churches are scattered throughout Pskov.

The medieval citadel provided little protection against modern artillery, and during World War II Pskov suffered substantial damage during the German occupation from July 9, 1941 until July 23, 1944. However, many ancient buildings, particularly churches, suffered destruction before the Wehrmacht could occupy the city. Though a huge portion of the population died during the war, Pskov has since struggled to regain its traditional position as a major industrial and cultural centre of Western Russia.

Landmarks and sights

Pskov still preserves much of its medieval walls, built from the 13th century on. The Krom, or medieval citadel, looks as impressive as ever. Within its walls rises the 256-foot-tall Trinity Cathedral, founded in 1138 and rebuilt in the 1690s. The cathedral contains the tombs of saint princes Vsevolod (died in 1138) and Dovmont (died in 1299). Other ancient cathedrals adorn the Mirozhsky abbey (completed by 1152), St. John's (completed by 1243), and the Snetogorsky monastery (built in 1310 and painted in 1313).

Pskov is exceedingly rich in tiny, squat, picturesque churches, dating mainly from the 15th and the 16th centuries. There are many dozens of them, the most notable being St. Basil's on the Hill (1413), St. Kozma and Demian's near the Bridge (1463), St. George's from the Downhill (1494), Assumption from the Ferryside (1444, 1521), and St. Nicholas' from Usokha (1536). The 17th-century residential architecture is represented by merchant mansions, such as the Salt House, the Pogankin chambers, and the Trubinsky mansion.

A Russian coin commemorating Pskov's 1,100th anniversary

Among the sights in the vicinity of Pskov are Izborsk, a seat of Rurik's brother in the 9th century and one of the most formidable fortresses of medieval Russia; the Pskov Monastery of the Caves, the oldest continually functioning monastery in Russia and a magnet for pilgrims from all over the country; the 16th-century Krypetsky Monastery; Elizarovo Monastery, which used to be a great cultural and literary centre of medieval Russia; and Mikhailovskoe, a family nest of Alexander Pushkin where he wrote some of the best known lines in the Russian language. The national poet of Russia is buried in the ancient cloister at the Holy Mountains nearby. Unfortunately, the area presently has only a very minimal tourist infrastructure, and the historic core of Pskov requires serious investments to realize its great tourist potential.

Pskov is served by Pskov Airport which was also used for military aviation.

Notable people associated with Pskov

• Sergei Fedorov, NHL and Russian hockey legend
• Oksana Fedorova, Miss Universe 2002
• Konstantin Luzyanin, chemist
• Modest Mussorgsky, Russian composer

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Pskov is twinned with the following cities:

Copyrighted photos

• Pskov in modern and old photos
• Pskov at night
• Pskova river in Pskov
• A tower of the kremlin
• Assumption church at the Ferryside (1521)
• 12th-century Mirozhsky abbey
• Alexander Nevsky monument

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pskov

External links

• Poets of Pskov: An Anthology of Poems
• Pskov fortress on NortFort.ru
• The list of Pskov restaurants
• Pskov city architecture photos

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