Ancient Walls and Towers of Pskov
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The Pskov Region is located roughly 173 miles (280 km) south of St. Petersburg. This historical town similar to Novgorod dates back over 1100 years where these exterior walls protected the city from invaders.
The ancient walls and towers of Pskov's Kremlin were built on a cliff between the Velikaya and Pskova rivers. The town was defended by four rings of stone walls, and these were fortified by 39 fighting towers. The total length of the walls was 5.7 miles (9.5 kilometers), the height 40-65 feet (12-20 meters) and the thickness of 6-20 feet (2-6 meters). The strategic mission of Pskov was to serve as a shield and protect Russia from enemies for ages. Here is the official website of Pskov. |
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Trinity Cathedral
17th Century Iconostasis
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Many centuries ago before Russia was baptized, Princess Olga, Russian's first Christian woman and governor, being on the bank of the Velikaya river pointed at the place where three rays of light met in a miraculous way. The Great Russian Princess predicted that a majestic town and the Trinity Cathedral would be built there. The Kremlin and the Trinity Cathedral became the symbols of Pskov and of the whole Pskov land for many centuries.
The first wooden Trinity Cathedral was built here during the 10th century. By the 17th century this construction was substituted with a stone one. Actually, the cathedral was destroyed and rebuilt several times and what we see now is the fourth version of the Trinity Cathedral built in 1699. This magnificent white edifice is covered with carvings and crowned by five domes. For centuries it was the place where Pskov’s princes were anointed for ruling. Nowadays, the Cathedral has preserved its significance as the center of spiritual and cultural life of the city.
It is a working church and the daily morning and evening services are like a medieval scene – supplicants outside, black-robed, leather-booted acolytes at the door, chanting priests in heavy robes and hymns from the gallery. All of this occurs beneath 17th-century frescoes and a seven-tiered iconostasis. |
Monument to Alexander Nevsky |
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This monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky commemorates the Ice Battle (also know as the Battle on Lake Peipus) of 1242. It was one of the more significant defeats sustained by Roman Catholic crusaders until the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. It effectively marked the end of the Northern Crusade against Orthodox Novgorod and other Russian territories in the aftermath of the conquest of Estonia.
According to Russian chronicles, after hours of hand-to-hand fighting, Alexander ordered the left and right wings of his archers to enter the battle. The knights started to retreat in disarray onto the frozen waters of Lake Peipus and the appearance of the fresh Russian cavalry made them run for their lives. Under the weight of their heavy amour, the thin ice started to collapse and many knights drowned. The knights' defeat at the hands of Alexander's forces prevented the crusaders from retaking Pskov, the linchpin of their eastern crusade. |
