Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also names in other languages) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in northwestern

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Pskov. As of the Russian Census ...

, located about east of the

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n border, on the

Velikaya River The Velikaya () is a river in Novosokolnichesky, Pustoshkinsky, Sebezhsky, Opochetsky, Pushkinogorsky, Ostrovsky, Palkinsky, and Pskovsky Districts of Pskov Oblast, as well as in the city of Pskov in Russia. It is the largest tributary o ...

. Population: Pskov is one of the oldest cities in Russia. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, it served as the capital of the

Pskov Republic The Pskov Republic () was a city-state in northwestern Russia. It is traditionally considered to have won its formal independence from the Novgorod Republic in 1348. Its capital city was Pskov and its territory was roughly equivalent to modern-d ...

and was a trading post of the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

before it was incorporated into the

Grand Duchy of Moscow The Grand Principality of Moscow, or Muscovy, known as the Principality of Moscow until 1389, was a late medieval Russian monarchy. Its capital was the city of Moscow. Originally established as a minor principality in the 13th century, the gra ...

and became an important border fortress in the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721. ...

History

Early history

Pskov is one of the oldest cities in Russia. The name of the city, originally Pleskov (historic Russian spelling , ), may be loosely translated as "

he town He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

of purling waters". It was historically known in English as Plescow. Its earliest mention comes in 903, which records that

Igor of Kiev Igor (; ; – 945) was Prince of Kiev from 912 to 945. Traditionally, he is considered to be the son of Rurik, who established himself at Novgorod and died in 879 while Igor was an infant. According to the '' Primary Chronicle'', Rurik was succ ...

married a local lady,

Olga Olga may refer to: People and fictional characters * Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha * Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga" Places Russia * Olga, Russia ...

(later Saint Olga of Kiev). 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

Vladimir the Great Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (; Christian name: ''Basil''; 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 until his death in 1015. The Eastern Orthodox ...

's youngest son

Sudislav Sudislav Vladimirovich (; ; died 1063) was Prince of Pskov from 1014 to 1036. He was imprisoned by his brother, Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev, in about 1035. He was liberated from the prison in 1059 and died as a monk in a monastery i ...

. Once imprisoned by his brother

Yaroslav Yaroslav () is a Slavic masculine given name. Its variant spelling is Jaroslav and Iaroslav, and its feminine form is Yaroslava. The surname derived from the name is Yaroslavsky and its variants. East Slavic patronymics are Yaroslavovich and Yar ...

, he was not released until the latter's death several decades later. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the town adhered politically to the

Novgorod Republic The Novgorod Republic () was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east. Its capital was the city of Novgorod. The ...

. In 1241, it was taken by the

Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

, but

Alexander Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (; ; monastic name: ''Aleksiy''; 13 May 1221 – 14 November 1263) was Prince of Novgorod (1236–1240; 1241–1256; 1258–1259), Grand Prince of Kiev (1249–1263), and Grand Prince of Vladimir (1252–1263). ...

recaptured it several months later during a legendary campaign dramatized in

Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein; (11 February 1948) was a Soviet film director, screenwriter, film editor and film theorist. Considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, he was a pioneer in the theory and practice of montage. He is no ...

's 1938 movie ''Alexander Nevsky''. In order to secure their independence from the knights, the Pskovians elected a

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n prince, named

Daumantas Daumantas ( Ruthenian: ''Dowmont'' or ''Domont''; ; ) is a given name and a surname. Given name * Daumantas of Lithuania, Grand Duke of Lithuania (1282–1285) * Daumantas of Pskov, Prince of Pskov (1266–1299), previously Duke of Nalšia, Lithua ...

, a Roman Catholic converted to Orthodox faith and known in Russia as Dovmont, as their military leader and prince in 1266. Having fortified the town, Daumantas routed the Teutonic Knights at

Rakvere Rakvere is the administrative center, or county seat, of Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia, about 100 km southeast of Tallinn and 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Rakvere boasts a distinctive architectural feature: th ...

and overran much of Estonia. His remains and sword are preserved in the local

kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

, and the core of the citadel, erected by him, still bears the name of "Dovmont's town". In 1341 the city recognized overlordship of the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

, in 1347 it switched allegiance to the

, and the following year it became the capital of the newly independent

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 traded with the

. Pskov's independence was formally recognized by Novgorod in 1348. Several years later, the

veche A ''veche'' was a popular assembly during the Middle Ages. The ''veche'' is mentioned during the times of Kievan Rus' and it later became a powerful institution in Russian cities such as Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod and Pskov, where the ''veche'' a ...

promulgated a law code (called the Pskov Charter), which was one of the principal sources of the all-Russian law code issued in 1497. Already in the 13th century German merchants were present in ''Zapskovye'' area of Pskov and the

had a trading post in the same area in the first half of 16th century which moved to ''Zavelichye'' after a fire in 1562.Аракчеев владимир Анатольевич
Псков и Ганза в эпоху средневековья
ООО «Дизайн экспресс», 2012 The wars with Livonian Order, Poland-Lithuania and Sweden interrupted the trade but it was maintained until the 17th century, with Swedish merchants gaining the upper hand eventually. The importance of the city made it the subject of numerous sieges throughout its history. The

Pskov Krom The Pskov Krom (), also known as the Pskov Kremlin (), is a citadel in Pskov, Russia. In the central part of the city, the Krom is located at the junction of the Velikaya and Pskova rivers.Maclean, Fitzroy (18 March 1979Pskov: A Journey Into Ru ...

(or Kremlin) withstood twenty-six sieges in the 15th century alone. At one point, five stone walls ringed it, making the city practically impregnable. A local school of

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

-painting flourished, and the local masons were considered the best in Russia. Many peculiar features of

Russian architecture The architecture of Russia refers to the architecture of modern Russia as well as the architecture of both the original Kievan Rus', the Russian principalities, and Imperial Russia. Due to the geographical size of modern and Imperial Russia, i ...

were first introduced in Pskov.

Grand Duchy of Moscow

Finally, in 1510, the city was annexed by the

.Maclean, Fitzroy (18 March 1979).
Pskov: A Journey Into Russia's Past
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' Three hundred families were deported from Pskov to central Russia, and merchants and military families from Muscovy were settled in the city. At this time Pskov had at least 6,500 households and a population of more than 30,000; it was one of the three biggest cities of Muscovy, alongside Moscow and Novgorod.

Tsardom of Russia

The deportation of noble families to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

under Ivan IV in 1570 is a subject of

Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

'' Pskovityanka'' (1872). Pskov still attracted enemy armies and it withstood a prolonged siege by a 50,000-strong Polish-Lithuanian army during the final stage of the Livonian War (1581–1582). The king of Poland Stephen Báthory undertook some thirty-one 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. "A big city, it is like Paris", wrote Báthory's secretary about Pskov. The estimates of the population of Pskov land in the middle of 16th century range from 150 to 300 thousand. Famines, epidemics (especially the epidemic of 1552) and the warfare led to a five-fold decrease of the population by 1582–1585 due to mortality and migration. The city withstood a Siege of Pskov (1615), siege by the Swedish in 1615. The successful defence of the city led to the peace negotiations culminating in the Treaty of Stolbovo.

Russian Empire

Peter the Great's conquest of Governorate of Estonia, Estonia and Governorate of Livonia, Livonia 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 served as a seat of separate Pskov Governorate since 1777. In 1897, the ethnic make-up, by mother tongue, was 80.0% Russian, , 4.7% Jewish, 4.3% German, 2.4% Latvian, 2.1% Estonian. During World War I, Pskov became the headquarters for Russia's Northern Front (Russian Empire), Northern Front, commanded by Nikolai Ruzsky. On 15 March 1917, aboard the Imperial Train#Russian Empire, Imperial train, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated here. After the Russo-German Brest-Litovsk Peace Conference (22 December 1917 – 3 March 1918), the German Army (German Empire), Imperial German Army invaded the area. Pskov was also occupied by the

n army between 25 May 1919 and 28 August 1919 during the Estonian War of Independence when the White Movement, White Russian commander Stanisław Bułak-Bałachowicz became the military administrator of Pskov. He personally ceded most of his responsibilities to a democratically elected municipal duma and focused on both cultural and economical recovery of the war-impoverished city. He also put an end to censorship of press and allowed for creation of several socialist associations and newspapers.

Recent history

Under the Soviet government, large parts of the city were rebuilt, many ancient buildings, particularly churches, were demolished to give space for new constructions. During World War II, in June 1940, the 8th Army (Soviet Union), Soviet 8th Army invaded Estonia and Latvia from the city. The medieval citadel provided little protection against modern artillery of the Wehrmacht, and Pskov suffered substantial damage during the Nazi Germany, German occupation from 9 July 1941 until 23 July 1944. The Germans operated a Forced labour under German rule during World War II, forced labour camp for Jews, Jewish men and women. In February 1944, thousands of people were killed during Russian bombings of the city. A huge portion of the population died during the war, and Pskov has since struggled to regain its traditional position as a major industrial and cultural center of western Russia.

Administrative and municipal status

Pskov is the

of the oblast and, within the subdivisions of Russia#Administrative divisions, framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of Pskovsky District, even though it is not a part of it.Law #833-oz As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the City of federal subject significance, City of Pskov—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the administrative divisions of Pskov Oblast, districts. As a subdivisions of Russia#Municipal divisions, municipal division, the City of Pskov is incorporated as Pskov Urban Okrug.Law #419-oz.

Landmarks and sights

Pskov still preserves much of its medieval walls, built from the 13th century on. Its medieval citadel is called either the Krom or the Kremlin. Within its walls rises the Trinity Cathedral in Pskov, Trinity Cathedral, founded in 1138 and rebuilt in the 1690s. The cathedral contains the tombs of saint princes Vsevolod of Pskov, Vsevolod (died in 1138) and Daumantas of Pskov, Dovmont (died in 1299). Other ancient cathedrals adorn the Mirozhsky Monastery (completed by 1152), famous for its 12th-century frescoes, St. John's (completed by 1243), and the Snetogorsky monastery (built in 1310 and stucco-painted in 1313). Pskov ChurchStBasil Hill5c

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 Palace, and the Trubinsky mansion. 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 (founded in the mid-15th century) and a magnet for pilgrims from all over the country; the 16th-century Krypetsky Monastery; Yelizarov Convent, which used to be a great cultural and literary center of medieval Russia; and Mikhaylovskoye Museum Reserve, Mikhaylovskoye, a family home 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 minimal tourist infrastructure, and the historic core of Pskov requires serious investments to realize its great tourist potential. On 7 July 2019, the Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Geography

Pskov asv07-2018 Kremlin view from east img2

Ecological situation

Vehicle emissions reach 83% of total emissions from stationary and mobile sources. The volume of emissions of atmospheric pollutants from stationary sources in 2007 amounted to 16.5 thousand tons, including 7.1 thousand tons (43.2%) of carbon monoxide and 2.6 thousand tons (15.8%) of solids. The largest source of air pollution in Pskov is Pskov Poultry Farm LLC (1365.92 tons of pollutants were emitted) and the Pskov Heating Networks SE (478.12 tons). All rivers flowing through the territory of the Pskov Oblast, including the city of Pskov, are characterized by increased concentrations of total iron, copper ions, and hardly oxidizable organic compounds in the water. The following indicators characterize air pollution in Pskov: * annual average and maximum one-time concentration of sulfur dioxide – below 1 MPC * the annual average concentration of nitrogen dioxide – 1.5 MPC; the maximum single concentration – 3.4 MPC * annual average and maximum one-time concentration of carbon monoxide – below 1 MPC * average annual concentration of suspended solids – below 1 MPC; the maximum single concentration – 2.2 MPC * the degree of air pollution in general for Pskov is approximately low and is determined by the API value – 2.81 Since the late 1990s, the Clean Water project officially registered by United Russia in 2006 has been implemented. Improving the quality of drinking water is planned to be carried out by gradually abandoning surface water intake from the

and transitioning to the extraction of water from underground sources. However, underground water intake leads to the clogging of hot water supply systems (up to complete obstruction) in those facilities where this water enters due to its increased hardness.

Climate

The climate of Pskov is humid continental climate, humid continental (Köppen climate classification ''Dfb'') with maritime influences due to the city's relative proximity to the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland; with relatively mild (for Russia) but still quite long winter and warm summer. Further west in Europe on the same latitude, winters are quite a bit milder and summer highs a bit cooler. Summer and fall have more precipitation than winter and spring.

Economy

*JSC "AVAR" (AvtoElectroArmatura). Electric equipment production for cars, lorries buses and tractors (relays, switches, fuses, electronic articles) *Pskov is served by Pskov Airport which is also used for military aviation.

Notable people

* Valery Alekseyev (footballer), Valery Alekseyev (born 1979), professional association football player * Alexander Bastrykin (born 1953), Head of The Investigative Committee of Russia * Irina Podnosova (born 1953), Chief Justice of the Russian Federation, Chief Justice of Russia * Valentin Chernykh (1935–2012), screenwriter * Semyon Dimanstein (1886–1938), Soviet state activist, killed in Stalin's purges, a representative of the Soviet Jews * Oxana Fedorova (born 1977), Miss Russia 2001, Miss Universe 2002 ''(dethroned)'' * Mikhail Andreyevich Galitzine, Mikhail Golitsyn (1639–1687), statesman, governor of Pskov * Eugeniusz Grodziński (1912–1994), Polish philosopher * Veniamin Kaverin (1902–1989), writer * Yakov Knyazhnin (1740–1791), dramatist and playwright * Vasily Kuptsov (1899–1935), painter * Oleg Lavrentiev (1926–2011), Soviet, Russian and Ukrainian physicist * Kronid Lyubarsky (1934–1996), journalist, dissident, human rights activist * Boris Meissner (1915–2003), German lawyer and social scientist * Mikhail Minin (1922–2008), First soldier to hoist the Soviet flag atop the Reichstag building during the Battle of Berlin * Elena Neklyudova (born 1973), singer-songwriter * Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin (1605–1680), Russian statesman of the 17th century. * Yulia Peresild (born 1984), stage and film actress * Georg von Rauch (historian), Georg von Rauch (1904–1991), historian * Nikolai Skrydlov (1844–1918), admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy * Vladimir Smirnov (businessman), Vladimir Smirnov (born 1957), Russian businessman * Grigory Teplov (1717–1779), academic administrator * Aleksander von der Bellen (1859–1924), politician, provincial commissar of Pskov * Maxim Vorobiev (1787–1855), landscape painter * Ferdinand von Wrangel (1797–1870), explorer and seaman * Vsevolod of Pskov, Novgorod Republic, Novgorodian prince, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as Vsevolod-Gavriil * Aleksandr Vasiliev (politician), Aleksandr Vasiliev (born 1982), politician

Sport

* Nina Cheremisina (born 1946), former rower * Mariya Fadeyeva (born 1958), former rower * Sergei Fedorov (born 1969), hockey player * Sergey Matveyev (born 1972), former Olympic rower * Igor Nedorezov (born 1981), professional footballer * Aleksandr Nikolayev (canoeist), Alexander Nikolaev (born 1990), sprint canoer * Svetlana Semyonova (born 1958), former rower * Konstantin Shabanov (born 1989), track and field athlete * Aleksei Snigiryov (born 1968), professional footballer * Galina Sovetnikova (born 1955), former rower * Marina Studneva (born 1959), former rower * Ruslan Surodin (born 1982), professional footballer * Valeri Tsvetkov (born 1977), professional footballer * Vladimir Vagin (footballer), Vladimir Vagin (born 1982), professional footballer * Nikita Vasilyev (footballer, born 1992), Nikita Vasilyev (born 1992), professional football player * Sergei Vinogradov (footballer, born 1981), Sergei Vinogradov (born 1981), professional football player

Twin towns – sister cities

Pskov is Sister city, twinned with: * Arles, France * Białystok, Poland * Daugavpils, Latvia * Gera, Germany * Kuopio, Finland * Neuss, Germany * Nijmegen, Netherlands * Norrtälje Municipality, Norrtälje, Sweden * Perth, Scotland, Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom * Rēzekne, Latvia * Roanoke, Virginia, Roanoke, United States * Tartu, Estonia * Valmiera, Latvia * Vitebsk, Belarus In February 2023, it was announced that Roanoke, Virginia, Roanoke, United States was officially pausing its sister city affiliation with Pskov due to the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine.Hunter, Molly. "Sister City ties on hold Roanoke's relationship with Russian city paused, flag to be removed." ''Roanoke Times, The (VA)'', February 22, 2023: 1A.

References

Notes

Sources

* *

Bibliography

External links

* * Nortfort.ru
Pskov fortress

The Pskov Power. Archive of the Pskov area of regional studies
* * *
The murder of the Jews of Pskov
during World War II, at Yad Vashem website * * {{Authority control Pskov, Cities and towns in Pskov Oblast Pskovsky Uyezd World Heritage Sites in Russia Trading posts of the Hanseatic League