Pskov Region

The Pskov Region, possessing a unique network of historical monuments, is attractive for both Russian and foreign tourists.

The Pskov Land is home to 372monuments of federal significance, 3588monuments of local significance and 475 newly discovered legacy objects. The number of monuments, primarily architectural and archeological, puts Pskov into one of the leading positions in Europe. The city is the richest treasury of Russian culture. Today you can still see the rarest monuments of Old Russian architecture— fortification, civil and cult, as well as of monumental painting— the worldwide known frescos of Mirozhsky Monastery (12th c), Snetogorsky Nunnery (14th c) and Meletovo Monastery (15th c).

A pearl of Old Russian architecture is the Pskov Kremlin — the capital center of the Veche Republic, crowned by the Holy Trinity Cathedral with a 17th-century iconostasis. The Kremlin is the visit card of the Old Russian city. Many centuries ago, even before the baptism of Russ, Princess Olga, having come to the bank of the Velikaya River, showed to the spot, where a few heavenly beams were miraculously met. The Great Russian Princess prophesied that this would be the place of a great city and the Trinity Cathedral. Having been erected, both Krom and the Trinity Cathedral became the sacred symbols of Pskov and the entire Pskov Land for many centuries.

Annually the city welcomes thousands of tourists and pilgrims from Russia and abroad, who come to see the might and beauty of the Pskov Kremlin with the multiple towers, Daumantas’ Settlement and the main symbol of the city – the Trinity Cathedral, the highest construction in Pskov.

Pskov takes pride in the Cathedral of Transfiguration of Christ in Mirozhsky Monastery. Dating back to 1153, the Cathedral of Transfiguration of Christ is listed by UNESCO among the monuments of global significance. The unique frescos of Byzantine masters are the property of the world art.

The monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky is one of the brightest and significant sites of the Pskov regional monumental art. The monument is commemorated to the Ice Battle of 1242.

It is to the Pskov Land that lives and creative work of many of Russian cultural figures are connected. A.S. Pushkin, the genius of the Russian poetry was creating his works here.

Located 120 km away from Pskov, The Pushkin Museum Preserve is known worldwide. In the Svyatogorsky Monastery there is the grave of the poet. The museum preserve also includes three estates connected with Pushkin’s name: Mikhaylovskoye, Trigorskoye and Petrovskoye.

The memorial estates of the great Russian composers, M.L. Mussorgsky and N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov are carefully preserved in the Pskov Land. Here are the sites tied to the life of Great Princess Olga. This chapel on the bank of River Velikaya, established at the place, where, as the story has it, the Great Princess was given the miraculous omen: three bright rays piercing the sky and meeting on top a rocky cape. And on that cape she ordered to erect a temple in the name of the Holy Trinity.

The monuments of Vybuty, connected to the name of Saint Equal to Apostles Princess Olga, 15km away from Pskov on the most picturesque riverbank of Velikaya, are of great scientific and historical importance. As the legend goes, this was Princess Olga’s birthplace.

The two ancient fortresses of Old Izborsk (14th century, 30km from Pskov) and Pechory (16th century, 90kmfrom Pskov) are preserved. The Izborsk Preserve is a unique combination of historical and archeological sites, monuments of the Old Russian fortification, cult and civic architecture and natural landscapes.

This is the place, where the Russian history started and the first encounters with other nations took place, the place where, even now, cultures, customs and faiths are intertwining.

In Old Izborsk archeologists discovered a Slavic settlement of the 9th century. Izborsk-Malsk valley is known as a unique landscape and historical monument with a natural phenomenon known as Slavic Springs. The springs well out for at least a thousand years. Of yore they are spoken of as curative and miraculous: one brings health, another one – happiness, and the third one assists in love.

Within the Orthodox Sanctuaries of Izborsk pilgrim tour visitors can discover for themselves the unique orthodox sanctuaries of Izborsk and its environs— temples of the 15-18th centuries: Izborsk fortress on topof the Zhuravya Hill, Truvor Settlement, St. Nicholas Cathedral, as well as many other places of interest, including the multiple chapels and the rocky springs, honored in the orthodox world.

In Pechory one of the oldest Pskov-Pechory Holy Dormition Orthodox Monastery with an in-cave necropolis is functioning. The monastery is located in a scenic dale with sand caverns and is a large spiritual and cultural center, one of the largest Russian monasteries centuries-old with an uninterrupted history and a wonderful historical architectural ensembleof the 14-19th centuries. The monastery caves, used as a graveyard for monks, serve as burial places for the ancestors of V.N. Tatischev, M.I. Kutuzov, M.P. Mussorgsky and A.S. Pushkin. Today in the monastery there are 11 temples, 3 of them in the caves.

In the Pskov Region several dozen museums were founded to preserve the history of the land. Their funds number over 400thousand exhibits, including the unique collections of the Old Russian art, fancy silver, decorative appliances, ancient books and manuscripts.

Pskov Historical Architecture and Art Museum dates back to a small museum initiated by the Pskov intelligentsia in1876. At present the central complex of the museum is located at Nekrasov str. 7and occupies a number of buildings: Pogankins’ Chambers— a monument of Pskov civic architecture (17th century), the former school of artistic crafts built in the early 20th century, as well as the modern premises built in the 1970’s.All of them today serve one goal.

The high level of pictorial and applied arts, typical of the work of the ancient Pskov craftsmen, is a property to most varied types of artistic legacy of Pskov: icon-painting, frescos, miniature book illustration, jewelry, wood and stone engraving and ceramics. Pskov-crafted ware can be bought in souvenir shops.