The Pskov region is a region rich in tourist facilities. Old Russian antiquity is also here – the city is associated with Princess Olga, a well-preserved Kremlin, ancient Orthodox churches; and one of the most famous monasteries in Russia, and one of the most impregnable fortresses in the north-west of the country. But the region still seems to remain aloof from general attention – after the construction of St. Petersburg, Pskov lost its historical significance, was not spoiled with money, and was removed from the main roads. Therefore, the region is perceived as some kind of bins, where you will not get right away, but when you get there, you will be satisfied. The Pskov region was studied by the Izvestia correspondent together with the Media Intelligence project service Tutu.ru.
“He was shown the way”
The first thing people watch in Pskov is the local Krom. This is exactly what – and not the Kremlin – it is customary to call the heart of the fortress here. Defensive rings (although they are conditional rings, approximately like the Moscow Boulevard) have been preserved quite well. There were five of them, but the fourth chain did not survive. Pskov has always been a border city, impregnable. Neither the Pole Stefan Batory nor the Swede Gustav II could take him.
The very first and ancient wall is persi, that is, the chest. Behind the chest is a heart, Krom. The word just seems unfamiliar, but the language immediately suggests: a secluded place, bins. They kept an emergency supply in case of a siege and hard times: grain, bread, cannonballs and other necessities. The code of Pskov laws said: “Don’t give the belly to the Kromsky Tat.” Stealing from there was a truly mortal sin.
However, by ancient standards, the people of Pskov were democratic, the princes themselves were appointed, and they themselves were expelled. People then were harsh, but delicate – if they were dissatisfied with the prince, they wrote in the annals: “He was shown the way.”
A beautiful local legend is associated with Princess Olga. According to legend, she was standing on the banks of the Velikaya River and suddenly saw three beams converged in one place. There the princess ordered the construction of the main cathedral of the city – Trinity. It has always stood in this place, although it was rebuilt several times. By the standards of Pskov, the current cathedral is not very ancient – only the end of the 17th century. In the city, which stood far from the Tatar-Mongols, who were not very respectful of ancient temples, churches with authentic frescoes of the 12th century have been preserved.
All the temples of Pskov are outwardly similar to each other. They are white stone, without bright colors and pretentious forms, with many right angles; from decorations – a pleasant discreet ornament under the bulbs of the domes: “Pskov necklace”. Tour guide Alena Ulyanova admits that she likes such austerity more than Moscow churches, which, she says, seem to have been built by pastry architects.
Pskov has 10 temples included in the UNESCO list. And it could have been more – for example, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Paromenia of the 16th century with a separate belfry across the river from the Kremlin is not included in this list for some reason.
Bridges repaired and not
The city is not spoiled for money. One of the main bridges has different supports, and even not at the same distance from each other. It turned out that the bridge was in need of repair for a long time – two supports were added so that it would not collapse. It will soon be closed for repairs, for this, as promised, there will be money.
The airport is also not impressive, but the city is vital. A couple of years ago, the new governor began to engage in tourism and decided to at least somehow ennoble the airport, but in the absence of large funds, they simply hung it with banners. One of them is dedicated to “Azimuth” – the airline carries passengers to Pskov, and this is much more convenient than getting to the city by train. A flight from Moscow takes a little over an hour in the air.
The people of Pskov themselves admit that in general they are gloomy, unsmiling, suspicious people. This is explained by history: the population of the city constantly jumped down – either war, then fire, then plague. The farther to the south of the region, the gloomier people are, the faster their unsmiling draws in those who have moved from other regions. But if in Pskov this is explained by external reasons, then in the south the problems are exclusively internal: for example, the city with the famous name Velikie Luki has turned into a backwater, equally and far removed from all major neighbors. They desperately hope to develop tourism, but the ancient city was swept off the face of the earth during the war, and now there is not much to cling to. Perhaps for the bastion of Peter I – its outlines have been preserved, and you can find out how such bulk fortresses were created. During the war in Velikie Luki, the Germans settled down just in the bastion, so hard that they were knocked out for a long, painful time. The locals remember that the ramparts, behind which they found protection, were simply stained with blood…
In the meantime, a tourist in Velikiye Luki is such a rare guest that the bastion and all approaches to it are thoroughly littered with snow. And in the local museum (an interesting example of Soviet modernism of the second half of the 20th century with a pretty stained-glass window by Boris Talberg) they admire: “Are you from Luk? Guests of the city? From Moscow and St. Petersburg?! Oh, what an honor!
However, not very far south of Pskov, there are still spectacular places. 40 km from the regional center is the town of Ostrov, where the only chain bridges in Russia built under Nicholas I have been preserved.. The emperor himself walked on them, praised the appearance and reliability of the structure. Now the bridges have been repaired and beautifully lit – worth a look. You can go there in the evening, returning, for example, from the Pushkin Mountains.
“Is there really such a beauty?”
But in the north and north-west of the region, people seem to be changing. There are more smiles and kindness. Here, tourists are commonplace. Still – such places! There is, for example, the ancient Izborsk with delightfully preserved walls. The city was nicknamed iron – it survived eight major sieges, but remained impregnable. When in the 17th century the Swedes were walking all over the Russian North, it was Izborsk that stood first, gave a chance to conclude an unpleasant, but important Stolbovsky peace.
Nearby is the Malskaya Valley with an unexpectedly good, not crowded ski resort and amazing views.
“I actually made good money in Moscow on investments,” says a gray-haired and somehow dashing-looking man in a ski suit. This is Gennady Orlov, the owner of the ski resort. “It was autumn, and the whole valley was red and yellow. I looked and gasped: can such beauty really exist? My friend Volodya brought me here, he had a small lift here – and nothing more.
Locals are free to visit Malskaya valley and ride if you have your own skis. But renting a house and staying for the night is more for St. Petersburg and Muscovites, who are the majority among the guests of the resort: you will have to pay from 4.5 to 25 thousand rubles per day.
Not far from the Malskaya Valley is one of the most famous monasteries in Russia: the Holy Dormition Pskov-Caves. In August, the 550th anniversary will be celebrated here. Preparations are now in full swing – many buildings are in the forests, excavations are underway. However, even now, in the conditions of major repairs on the territory of the monastery, it is spacious and good. You can wander around the neighborhood, admire the domes of temples, fortress walls, repeating the outlines of the hills, watch the curious roe deer living on the Holy Hill.
The Pskov-Pechersky Monastery also conducts a tour of God-given caves, you can sign up in advance through the site. Caves are a place where unnoticed Christians prayed and where later they began to bury the deceased monks. At the entrance, visitors will be given a church candle – it’s not a sin to light your way with your phone, but, as the guides say, it’s more interesting with a candle.
“A lot of food”
On the way from Pechory, you can stop by the Izborsky Straus ostrich farm. Here the animals are allowed to feed, but only carefully – ostriches love an open palm, otherwise they take food from their hands along with their fingers. And you can also eat the bird right there – the farm has a restaurant “Ostrich House”, which serves ostrich barbecue. The meat is tender, although not everyone likes it, probably because it is difficult to eat someone who has just looked into the eyes.
In Pskov itself, locals single out literally several establishments, including the Helga restaurant. – in honor of Princess Olga. There are very curious interiors here, as if from the Viking series. But not to say that everything is very “appetizing”: for example, on the wall a plot is described from the relationship of the still unbaptized Princess Olga with the Drevlyans. And here is a bizarre plot with crocodiles in Pskov. They say that this happened, but not under Olga, but several centuries later, these monsters allegedly settled in the river. The horror did not last long – exactly until the cold weather that plagued the overseas creature, but the chroniclers captured the incident for ever: eat a lot of people.”
At the restaurant, visitors will be offered Pskov Okushki in wasabi sauce. Chud perch fillet in starch breading and sauce served with beaten cucumbers, fresh chili peppers and green onions. Prices in the institution are very democratic. A perch fillet costs 495 rubles, and a signature appetizer — a Pskov cheese pie on a rye crust with onions caramelized in kvass — will cost only 280 rubles.
If in the Pskov region they try to surprise with alcoholic drinks, then they serve tinctures. In the Malskaya Valley, for a traditional Russian dinner, they will offer horseradish with ginger, mead, lingonberry, viburnum and cranberry tincture. In “Helga” you can order a “big tasting set”, where 15 tinctures and snacks for them are offered at once. Such a pleasure costs 3900 rubles.
If not tinctures, then beer. In Pskov, they are proud of the Savitsky plant, which can be visited with a tour, and then eat at the good Stary Lis restaurant at the brewery. The plant is named after a local businessman, who at one time decided that he could cook no worse than a German burgher.
#Bins #motherland #Pskov #region