INSTRUCTIONS AND PROPHECIES OF THE Blessed MOTHER ALIPIA GOLOSEEVSKY, Kyiv...
ancient history Smolensk land is known to us mainly according to not written sources, but archaeological excavations. About two and a half thousand years ago, the territory of the upper reaches of the Dnieper - the vicinity of Smolensk, which had not yet arisen - was inhabited mainly by the tribes of the Eastern Balts and little resembled the current landscape. Endless forests stretched around, interspersed only in places by islands of cultivated land.
In the fields, local residents grew wheat, barley, millet, and grazed cattle in the floodplain meadows. Rivers on which the Balts built their settlements, all year round provided them with fish. In the spring, during spawning, they hit the fish with harpoons in shallow water bodies, in the summer they used nets, ingenious wooden traps, closer to autumn they practiced "radiation" - they pricked the fish at night, attracting it to the surface with the light of torches. In winter, ice-holes were cut and fish were hauled out with hooks. In the forests they collected honey, nuts, mushrooms, berries, hunted. Sorrel, nettles were used as food, and acorns were used in famine years.
The Upper Dnieper region has long been a crossroads of river routes that connected the East Slavic south with the northern and northeastern lands. Later, the chronicler writes: “The Dnieper flows out of the Okovsky forest and flows to the south, and the Dvina flows from the same forest even, and heads north, and flows into the Varangian Sea. From the same forest, the Volga flows to the east and flows into the sea with seventy mouths Khvalisskoe". The Balts traded with the peoples of the Carpathians, the Caucasus (through the Scythians), the Urals. They bought copper, bronze and bronze items. Iron was smelted and processed by themselves, extracting it from local swamp deposits.
Fearing attacks by warlike neighbors, the Balts avoided settling on open places, preferring the high banks of small rivers and streams, sheltered from prying eyes by forests. At the same time, not content with natural barriers, they surrounded their villages with a whole system of fortifications: ramparts, ditches, fences, and often more powerful ones. wooden walls. In the first centuries of our era, such fortified settlements appeared on the territory of present-day Smolensk.
The development of the Balts tribes went very slowly: century after century they lived on the settlements founded by their ancestors, conducted their household according to the precepts of their ancestors. However, at the beginning of our era, such a leisurely existence was disturbed by newcomers from the south - who stood at a slightly higher stage of development. Slavic tribes. In archeology, they are known as the Zarubinsky tribes, after the name of the Ukrainian village where their settlement was first found.
Zarubintsy preferred to settle along the banks major rivers in comfortable places to live. They brought with them a completely different type of dwelling: the long ground dwellings of the Balts, in which large families consisting of several generations lived, are replaced by square semi-dugouts, clearly designed for one small family. Near the houses, the Zarubins arranged pits for storing food - grain, root crops, dried fish. These pits had a somewhat unusual shape, expanding at the bottom, due to which they received the name bell-shaped from archaeologists. The settlements of the Zarubintsy were much more populous than those of the Balts, and resembled later villages, next to which vast barrow cemeteries were invariably located.
With the advent of the Zarubintsy, part of the Balts went north, but many remained to live in their former places. About five centuries lasted a period of relatively peaceful coexistence of two cultures in the Smolensk region. The Balts adopted from the southerners the technique of sculpting ceramics and methods of processing metals, and among the Zarubintsy, the Baptist fashion for bronze jewelry inlaid with enamel spread.
Smolensk Institute of Economics
NOU HPE "St. Petersburg University of Management and Economics"
From the middle of the 13th century, the Lithuanian princes began to threaten the Russian lands. Being fragmented, weakened by the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the struggle against the German-Swedish aggression, Russia could not offer them serious resistance. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania seized the western and southern Russian regions one after another. Lithuanian feudal lords made frequent raids on the Smolensk principality, made repeated attempts to capture its capital.
And Smolensk experienced one misfortune after another. In 1308 he was gripped by famine. Thousands of people died. The dead could not be buried. The streets were littered with corpses. A terrible famine raged in the city in 1313-1314. he also took many Smolensk people to the grave. The year 1322 also turned out to be hungry. In 1340, Smolensk suffered a new disaster - a fire destroyed all the buildings in the city. the mass of Smolensk people died in 1352 from the plague. The Black Death devastated the city in 1364, 1377 and 1389. And in 1387, several dozen people remained in Smolensk, who miraculously escaped the plague. But life was reborn again. However, the troubles did not end. Many inhabitants died of starvation in 1390. then, ten years later, two famine years followed again in a row.
It is not difficult to imagine what the moral state of the surviving population was and whether the Smolensk people could resist the conquerors under such hardships.
Lithuanian princes, using the city's plight, began to break into it. But the Smolensk every time found the strength and drove out the uninvited guests.
In order to strengthen their dominion in the Russian lands, the Lithuanian feudal lords at the end of the 14th century began to seek political cooperation with the Polish magnates. It was enshrined in the Kreva Union. After that, Lithuanian raids on Smolensk became more frequent.
In 1401, the Lithuanian army besieged the city for almost two months, but could not take it. The invaders tried to capture Smolensk in 1402 and 1403, but also without success. Then the Lithuanian princes armed their army with heavy cannons and subjected the city to barbaric artillery fire. Smolensk survived this time as well. The townspeople bravely fought off the enemy throughout the spring of 1404. And only betrayal helped the Lithuanians to break into the city on June 26, 1404.
Since that time, Smolensk has been under the rule of Lithuania for 110 years, but having survived such a long occupation, it has not lost the features of a Russian city.
The entry into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of Smolensk and other Russian cities, as well as Ukrainian and Belarusian lands with more developed social relations and culture, contributed to the further development of socio-economic relations in Lithuania itself. Its greats borrowed from the Russians many legal norms, forms of government, and so on. The Lithuanians, who did not yet have their own written language, made Russian the state language. Thus, the course of historical events deepened and strengthened the economic and cultural ties between the Lithuanian, Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples.
By joint efforts, these peoples held back the onslaught of the army of German feudal lords, did not allow it to spread the conquests to the east. A crushing blow to the knights of the Teutonic Order was dealt by the combined forces of Lithuanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish troops with the participation of Czech troops in the famous battle of Grunwald in the north of modern Poland in 1410. Smolensk regiments also took part in this battle.
Feudal lords, peasants and townspeople made up the main population of the country. The feudal lords were not the same. There were: 1) rich and noble (princes and pans), who owned lands that were inherited and 2) medium and small (boyars), who were obliged to perform military service. In the 16th century, the boyars began to be called in the Polish manner - the gentry. The feudal lords gradually acquired more and more rights. The Grand Dukes for their support were forced to give them not only new privileges, but also lands. The distribution of land reduced state revenues and weakened the power of the Grand Duke. During the 14th - 15th centuries, the land passed into the hands of the Grand Duke, feudal lords and the church. The peasants now only used it. From whose land they used, they were divided into state, privately owned and monastic. Peasants could be "similar" (free), retaining personal freedom and the right to leave the feudal lord, and "dissimilar", deprived of this and inherited. A special group of the rural population was the "involuntary servants". They did not manage their household, lived at the court of the feudal lord, served him and were his full property.
Rural settlements consisted of households of individual families - smokes. The peasants of this village formed a community. Each family cultivated its allotment and passed it on by inheritance. But the community managed the meadows, forests, pastures for livestock. In the Smolensk region, the villages were not large, they numbered 8-12 smokes (courtyards), since large convenient non-marshy plots of land were rare. All villagers for the use of land had to perform various duties. Taxes were laid out for each smoke, and the entire community was responsible for their implementation. The main duties were dyaklo (grain was taken) and mezleva (meat, poultry, eggs). Part of the peasants paid frills with money (groschen).
City artisans and merchants, or as they were later called - petty bourgeois, performed special duties and duties. The main thing is to maintain the city castle (fortifications) in order and protect the city from enemies. Merchants paid to the treasury myto for the import and export of goods. In addition, the townspeople had to fix city roads, give carts for ambassadors and messengers, pay court, wedding and widow duties, guard the houses of governors and governors, and the city treasury in turn. In addition to merchants and artisans, servants of large feudal lords, who looked after their city houses, and subjects of bishops and other representatives of the clergy, also lived in the cities. Unlike the rest of the townspeople, they were not subject to city duties. The Smolensk land was ruled by a governor appointed by the Grand Duke. Under the governor there was a council (rada), which consisted of noble people. It necessarily included the bishop of Smolensk, okolniki, treasurer, mayor, marshal. Smolensk townspeople elected their elder. He was in charge of city affairs, collection of fees, represented the townspeople in the organs of supreme power. Smolensk land was divided into volosts, which were ruled by the Tivuns. Such a system of government ensured the participation of feudal lords in government and protected their political and economic rights and interests.
The 15th century was relatively peaceful for the Smolensk region, except for the first and last decades. It was also favorable for the development of the economy. It was based on rural production. As before, there were years when epidemics and surprises of nature greatly reduced the number of people. The years 1436-1438 were especially difficult. It even reached the point of cannibalism.
Disasters and wars devastated villages and villages. Some of the inhabitants moved to neighboring lands. In order to populate the especially deserted eastern regions, the Grand Duke allowed Muscovites and Tverites to settle in them. Despite everything, new settlements are growing. Land under arable land is being cleared from the forest, and the area of crops is increasing. The basis of agriculture was a two-field system. Rye and oats were sown most of all. They plowed on oxen and horses. Cattle breeding developed widely. Smolensk region at that time was a major supplier of honey and wax. Hunting gave furs. Cities were centers of crafts and trade. Most of the city dwellers were artisans.
Smolensk waged a continuous struggle against the oppressors. Especially powerful was the uprising of the townspeople in the spring of 1440, which went down in history under the name of the Great Jam. Then everyone who could hold a weapon in their hands rose up against the Lithuanian enslavers. The rebellious blacksmiths, butchers, tailors, coachmen, boilermakers and other black people destroyed the enemy garrison in Smolensk and expelled the Lithuanian governor. The city was completely liberated from the invaders.
Lithuanian feudal lords sent a large military detachment to pacify the Smolensk people. But the inhabitants of Smolensk staunchly defended themselves. They beat off all enemy attacks. The besiegers were forced to call for reinforcements. They surrounded the city from all sides, subjected it to a severe blockade and continuous artillery fire. Famine began in the city, fires broke out. But the rebels continued to fight from last strength. And the forces were unequal. Lithuanian troops outnumbered the defenders of Smolensk many times over. Nevertheless, the troops managed to break into the city in the autumn of 1441.
The Lithuanian government, trying at all costs to keep the key to the Russian state in its hands, significantly fortified Smolensk, surrounded it with an oak wall with towers, flooded with a large army. At that time, such a fortress was considered impregnable, but the Russian troops needed to capture it. This was demanded by the interests of the Russian centralized state. And the great Moscow prince Vasily III, who vigorously fought for the reunification of the Russian lands, in November 1512 undertakes his first campaign against Smolensk. However, the siege, which lasted six weeks, was not successful. The second campaign against Smolensk was undertaken in the autumn of 1513. The siege of the city lasted over four weeks, but, like the first, ended in vain. Russian troops were forced to return to Moscow.
The decisive third campaign against Smolensk began in the summer of 1514. 80 thousand people took part in it, 300 guns took part in the shelling. After several volleys, the governor of Smolensk, Yuri Sologub, requested a truce for one day, but Vasily III refused him. And the cannonade continued. Then, under pressure from the Smolensk "black people", the governor and governor decided to surrender. Smolensk opened its gates on August 1, 1514. So Smolensk was returned to Russia.
Maria Klavdievna Tenisheva and her estate in Talashkino.
In the summer of 1896, Tenisheva begged her friend Svyatopolk-Chetvertinskaya to sell Talashkino to her. Maria felt such tenderness for this place, as if it were animated. Thanks to Tenisheva, Talashkino became known to the entire cultural world.
Tenisheva was not alone in her desire to create a kind of aesthetic complex away from big cities. But nowhere was there such a scale, perfectly organized for twenty years creative work, such successes and resonance not only in Russia, but also abroad.
In Talashkino, a new school appeared with the latest equipment for those times, a public library, a number of educational and economic workshops, where local residents, mostly young people, were engaged in woodworking, metal chasing, ceramics, fabric dyeing, and embroidery. Practical work began on the revival of folk crafts. Many local residents were involved in this process. For example, only the Russian national costume, weaving, knitting and dyeing of fabrics were occupied by women from fifty surrounding villages. Their earnings reached 10-12 rubles a month, which was not bad at that time. Places where capable people quickly gained experience gradually became production.
In Talashkino they did, in fact, everything and from any material. Crockery, furniture, metal products, jewelry, embroidered curtains and tablecloths - all this went to the Rodnik store opened by Tenisheva in Moscow.
There was no end to buyers. Orders also came from overseas. Even stiff London became interested in the products of Talashka craftsmen.
This success was not accidental. After all, Tenisheva invited to Talashkino to live, create, and work those who at that time constituted the artistic elite of Russia.
In the workshops, a village boy could use the advice of M.A. Vrubel. Patterns for embroiderers were invented by V.A. Serov. M.V. Nesterov, A.N. Benois, K.A. Korovin, N.K. Roerich, V.D. Polenov, sculptor P.P. Trubetskoy, singer F.I. Chaliapin, musicians, artists - this land became a studio, a workshop, a stage for many masters.
During the day, Talashkino seemed to be dying out, and under the roofs of the workshops there was continuous work. But when evening came...
Tenisheva organized here an orchestra of folk instruments, a choir of peasant children, a studio of artistic expression. Talashkino also received a theater with an auditorium for two hundred seats. The scenery was embroidered by V. Vasnetsov, M. Vrubel, local Smolensk artists who had their “practice”. The repertoire was varied: small pieces, classics. They staged Gogol, Ostrovsky, Chekhov. The Tale of the Seven Bogatyrs, written by Tenisheva herself, went on with invariable success. She often performed on the stage of her theater as an actress.
Maria Klavdievna herself was a unique creation of nature, when beautiful appearance and inner depth are in harmony and complement each other.
They fell head over heels in love with Tenisheva. Artists, seeing her, were drawn to the brush. Only one Repin, they say, painted eight portraits of her. Of course, the beauty of the princess asked for a canvas. Large, tall, with a thick shock of dark hair and a proudly planted head, she was an enviable model. But among the images of Mary there are very few successful ones. They painted a beautiful woman, "Juno the Warrior". A man with a very difficult character, with passions raging in him, with talents and rare energy, did not fit on a canvas, limited by a heavy frame.
Perhaps only Valentin Serov managed to defeat the purely external impression of a bright, spectacular woman and leave to eternity the main thing that was in Tenisheva - the dream of an ideal that lived in her, to which she pushed her way, rolling up her sleeves, not paying attention to ridicule and failure.
The activities of the princess, who took all the time and huge sums invested in Talashkino, did not contribute to peace and tranquility in the family. Tenishev himself, to whom the school built in St. Petersburg, which later received his name, cost enormous expenses, he considered many of his wife's undertakings unnecessary. The financial assistance provided by the princess to artists, her support for cultural undertakings were expensive. Instead of a caring mistress of luxurious metropolitan mansions, busy from nothing to do with the cares of charity, he had some kind of seething stream near him, making his way along his own channel.
The princess was fond of enamel - that branch of jewelry that died out in the 18th century. She decided to revive it. Maria Klavdievna spent whole days in her workshop at Talashka, near furnaces and electroplating baths. There were photographs: she is in dark clothes with rolled up sleeves, in an apron, stern, concentrated.
Not satisfied with the enamel samples received, Maria went to study with a world-famous jeweler - Monsieur Rene Lalique. In a short time, she achieved high results in her work with enamel. Returning to Talashkino, Tenisheva received more than two hundred new shades of opaque enamels. Her work has been exhibited in London, Prague, Brussels and Paris.
In 1903, after the death of her husband, Princess Tenisheva received the right to dispose of the family fortune.
In 1905, she donated her colossal art collection to the city of Smolensk. The authorities did not want to give her a room to show her. Moreover, they were in no hurry to accept the gift of the princess. Then Tenisheva bought a piece of land in the city center, built a museum building at her own expense and placed the collection there.
But before it opened, the museum was in danger. Arson began in the city and villages, proclamations flew here and there, someone has already seen discarded icons and people with a red flag in their hands.
Secretly at night, having packed the collection, Tenisheva took it to Paris. And soon an exhibition opened in the Louvre, which was trumpeted by all European newspapers.
A rare collection of icons, a collection of Russian porcelain, ivory and walrus carvings, a collection of royal robes embroidered with silver and gold, kokoshniks decorated with pearl scattering, historical relics from Peter the Great to Alexander's time, creations of unknown folk craftsmen and the best examples of Talashka workshops.
For a collection of balalaikas painted in Talashkino by Golovin and Vrubel, Maria Klavdievna was offered an astronomical amount. The newspapers of those years wrote that the collection would never return home: its display in different countries of the world can become a real gold mine for the owners. But every single thing returned to Smolensk. Tenisheva again turned to the city authorities, renouncing property rights and stipulating only three conditions: “I would like the museum to remain forever in the city of Smolensk and that not a single thing was taken to another museum.” And one more thing: she asked to keep her right to replenish the museum with new exhibits and "maintain it at her own expense."
On May 30, 1911, the solemn transfer of the museum to the city of Smolensk took place.
The October Revolution of 1917 found Tenisheva already in France. Terrifying news came from Russia. The princess bought a piece of land near Paris and named Maloye Talashkino.
After the revolution, the museum "Russian Antiquity" suffered the fate of many art collections. The collections were regrouped, they were "survived" from their own premises, and, finally, they ended up in someone else's, completely unsuitable for storage. And, of course, they became inaccessible to people. Everything that was built in Talashkino gradually fell into disrepair, was taken away by local residents and eventually came to naught. In the Church of the Holy Spirit, built by Tenisheva and painted by N.K. Roerich, kept potatoes. Tomb of V.N. Tenisheva was ruined, and his ashes were thrown away. The name of the princess, not wanting to be known as "unreliable", tried not to mention.
It took many decades for the Smolensk region to understand: it is losing its chance to be interesting to compatriots and the world not only in history, but also in cultural treasures. Not the local officials, but ordinary museum employees took care of what was left, saved, as best they could, paintings and handwritten psalters that were suffering from dampness, no longer needed, it seemed. Someone had old plans, drawings, photographs. They took care, as is customary in Russia, "just in case." And it came, this case, when axes rattled in Talashkino. The former school building has risen again, now reserved for a museum, in which, from old photographs, the Smolensk princess calmly and a little sadly looks at the “young, unfamiliar tribe”.
Maria Klavdievna Tenisheva died in the spring of 1928 in Maly Talashkino near Paris. She was buried in the cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve de Bois.
More than three decades have passed since her death. Two old women came to the department of culture of the Smolensk city executive committee and said that, while still very young women, they were in good acquaintance with Maria Klavdievna. Now it's time for them to do their duty.
Jewels of rare beauty began to appear one after another from a shabby old-fashioned handbag: brooches, pendants, bracelets, rings, emerald placers, the brilliance of diamonds, the deep blue of sapphires set in a gold frame.
The visitors explained that, when leaving, the Smolensk princess asked to save the jewelry until better times, which, as she thought, would definitely come. In which case, she asked to transfer them to the museum. An inventory was attached to the items. The old women asked to check and accept.
This manor is a rare example of a large baroque estate.
In the fields, local residents grew wheat, barley, millet, and grazed cattle in the floodplain meadows. Rivers on which the Balts built their settlements, all year round provided them with fish. In the spring, during spawning, they hit the fish with harpoons in shallow water bodies, in the summer they used nets, ingenious wooden traps, closer to autumn they practiced "radiation" - they pricked the fish at night, attracting it to the surface with the light of torches. In winter, ice-holes were cut and fish were hauled out with hooks. In the forests they collected honey, nuts, mushrooms, berries, hunted. Sorrel, nettles were used as food, and acorns were used in famine years.
The Upper Dnieper region has long been a crossroads of river routes that connected the East Slavic south with the northern and northeastern lands. Later, the chronicler writes: “The Dnieper flows out of the Okovsky forest and flows to the south, and the Dvina flows from the same forest even, and heads north, and flows into the Varangian Sea. From the same forest, the Volga flows to the east and flows into the sea with seventy mouths Khvalisskoe". The Balts traded with the peoples of the Carpathians, the Caucasus (through the Scythians), the Urals. They bought copper, bronze and bronze items. Iron was smelted and processed by themselves, extracting it from local swamp deposits.
Fearing attacks by warlike neighbors, the Balts avoided settling on open places, preferring the high banks of small rivers and streams, sheltered from prying eyes by forests. At the same time, not content with natural barriers, they surrounded their villages with a whole system of fortifications: ramparts, ditches, fences, and often more powerful ones. wooden walls. In the first centuries of our era, such fortified settlements appeared on the territory of present-day Smolensk.
The development of the Balts tribes went very slowly: century after century they lived on the settlements founded by their ancestors, conducted their household according to the precepts of their ancestors. However, at the beginning of our era, such a leisurely existence was disturbed by newcomers from the south - who stood at a slightly higher stage of development. Slavic tribes. In archeology, they are known as the Zarubinsky tribes, after the name of the Ukrainian village where their settlement was first found.
Zarubintsy preferred to settle along the banks major rivers in comfortable places to live. They brought with them a completely different type of dwelling: the long ground dwellings of the Balts, in which large families consisting of several generations lived, are replaced by square semi-dugouts, clearly designed for one small family. Near the houses, the Zarubins arranged pits for storing food - grain, root crops, dried fish. These pits had a somewhat unusual shape, expanding at the bottom, due to which they received the name bell-shaped from archaeologists. The settlements of the Zarubintsy were much more populous than those of the Balts, and resembled later villages, next to which vast barrow cemeteries were invariably located.
With the advent of the Zarubintsy, part of the Balts went north, but many remained to live in their former places. About five centuries lasted a period of relatively peaceful coexistence of two cultures in the Smolensk region. The Balts adopted from the southerners the technique of sculpting ceramics and methods of processing metals, and among the Zarubintsy, the Baptist fashion for bronze jewelry inlaid with enamel spread.
And in the second half of the 7th century, another wave of Slavic colonialists came to the territory of the Upper Dnieper - the Krivichi tribes. Unlike Zarubintsy, the Krivichi, apparently, were belligerent. It is with their appearance that scientists connect the traces of numerous fires in the Baltic cities of refuge and the final assimilation of the Balts by the Slavs. Several centuries later, the author of The Tale of Bygone Years, monk Nestor, who had a good understanding of the ethnographic situation in Kievan Rus, mentioned the first inhabitants of many Slavic lands, but did not say a word about the eastern Balts - these tribes were so firmly forgotten by that time.
Like the Balts, the Krivichi were attracted by the place on the left, elevated bank of the Dnieper, occupied by the current Smolensk. Near the settlement, the Krivichi arranged a barrow cemetery, which is usual for pagan Slavic tribes. Now it is the famous Gnezdovsky burial ground, which scientists date back to the 10th century. But by the end of this century, under the influence of spreading Christianity, more and more Smolensk people began to refuse cremation - an important part of the pagan funeral ritual. With the baptism of Smolensk in 1013, the Gnezdovsky burial ground ceases to be replenished.
The history of the origin of the name of the city is still not entirely clear. According to one of existing legends, the founder of Smolensk was a certain leader Smolich, who inhabited the city and named it after himself. Others take the name from the Smolka River, later known as the Yegoryevsky Creek, and even from the Smoligov Well, located within the city. There is also a more prosaic version: rich pine forests in the vicinity ancient city were a rich source of resin traded by the locals.
It is known that Smolensk did not have its own prince for a long time and was ruled by elders and veche. For the same reason, there was no citadel in it - the princely fortress, and the city fortifications covered the entire city, including its trade and craft part - the settlement. For ancient Russian city this was not quite usual, and therefore, according to legend, the governors of the Novgorod prince Rurik Askold and Dir, who in 863 asked him to leave for a campaign against Tsargrad (Constantinople), passing by Smolensk, did not dare to attack him "outside the city is great and many people ".
The next mention of Smolensk is associated with the name of Prince Oleg, who, heading from Novgorod to Kyiv after the death of Rurik, subjugated Smolensk. One of the chronicle versions of this event says that he did not begin to besiege Smolensk, but spread a camp with multi-colored tents under the city. And when the Smolensk people, amazed by such magnificence, left the city, asking what kind of great king came to them, Oleg brought to them the young prince Igor, whom the Smolensk people recognized as their sovereign. But, apparently, Oleg did not manage to gain a foothold in Smolensk for a long time: there is no mention of the city in Oleg's agreement with the Greeks, concluded after the brilliant campaign of the Russian prince against Constantinople in 907, although it lists all the cities recognizing Oleg's authority. After 882, Smolensk disappeared from the chronicles for almost a century and a half.
The final submission of Smolensk to Kyiv took place at the end of the 10th century. In 990, Prince Vladimir the Holy divided the entire territory of the state between 12 sons, one of whom - Stanislav - got Smolensk. With his sons, he sent priests, "commanding his son, that each one in his area commands to teach and baptize people and build churches." In 1054, after the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the city entered complex system distribution of princely "tables" among the numerous descendants of this famous sovereign.
And in the XII century a single ancient Russian state, like many other European countries, broke up into separate principalities, entering a period of fragmentation. Each of the "lands", separated from Kyiv, acquired its own dynasty. Smolensk was no exception. A large and rich city, it became the center of a significant principality.
Being located quite far to the west from the steppe regions, Smolensk felt the heavy hand of the Golden Horde khans late. During the devastating campaign of the Mongol-Tatars against Russia in 1238, it turned out to be the only city that the nomads failed to take, and only in 1274 the Smolensk people were forced to agree to pay tribute to the invaders. By this time, both the territory and political significance Smolensk were significantly reduced. And a significant role in this was played by its western neighbor - the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Lithuanian tribes inhabited the east coast Baltic Sea from the turn of the HI millennium AD. Once, during the time of Yaroslav the Wise, they were tributaries of Russia, and in the 12th century knightly orders came to the Baltic states. In the fight against the knights, the Lithuanian state was forged, which took shape by the middle of the 13th century. The Western Russian lands became a natural object of the expansion of the young state. More than once they attacked Smolensk. For the first time, Lithuanian detachments appeared here back in 1171: they burned several villages, captured what they could and disappeared. It took about half a century before they appeared in the Smolensk region again. The seven thousandth army that came to Russia in 1225 bore little resemblance to the army of half a century ago. This time, to force them to leave, it took the intervention of one of the most authoritative princes of Russia - Yaroslav Vsevolodovich Pereyaslavsky, father of Alexander Nevsky.
Over time, the Lithuanian principality expanded more and more at the expense of Russian, including Smolensk, lands. Already in the first half of the 14th century, such a situation was also recorded in the title of "Grand Duke of Lithuania, Zhmud and Russia." With the accession to the Lithuanian throne of the Orthodox Prince Olgerd, expansion to the east becomes the most important component of the state policy of Lithuania. By the end of the century, the supremacy of the Lithuanian Grand Duke was already recognized by the Kiev, Chernigov, Seversk, and Podolsk principalities. Smolensk remained a controversial city, maintaining its independence and balancing on the clash of interests of two rapidly growing young states - Lithuania and Moscow. Ultimately, Moscow, which focused on keeping Novgorod and Pskov in its sphere of influence, did not have the strength to oppose Lithuania even in the west, especially since the Lithuanian princes were becoming more and more popular in Western Russian lands.
The fact is that joining a strong western state, not submitting to the Golden Horde, saved not only from Mongolian yoke, but also from endless strife and wars between Russian princes. Between the Lithuanian and Russian lands there was no national and cultural discord. By the beginning of the 15th century, when Lithuania was at the peak of its power, the Lithuanians themselves made up only 1/12 of its population! The vast majority of the subjects of the Lithuanian prince professed Orthodoxy, spoke Russian. Russian Truth became the state law of Lithuania. In the future, the final merger of Lithuania and Russia seemed inevitable to many. And it is not for nothing that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until the unification with Poland in 1569 was called the Lithuanian-Russian state.
The more balanced policy of the Lithuanian princes also contributed to the growth of the pro-Lithuanian party in Smolensk. Meanwhile, Smolensk had much more tense relations with its eastern neighbor. The struggle for supremacy in the Russian lands, coupled with dependence on the Golden Horde, forced the Moscow sovereigns to pursue a tough power policy towards their rival neighbors, which could not but cause opposition. As a result, thanks to the efforts of Grand Duke Vitovt at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, a century and a half after the emergence of Lithuanian statehood and after many years of struggle between the "Lithuanian" and "Moscow" parties within Smolensk itself, the city became part of Lithuania. The then Moscow Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich, married to the daughter of Vitovt, did not consider Moscow strong enough to resist the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. A fundamentally new page was opening in the life of the Smolensk region.
Natalya Chernikova
Magazine "Beloved Russia", No. 2(3), 2006
Lesson summary
According to the ABC of the Smolensk Territory:
The history of the city of Smolensk. Symbols of the native city.
Spent
Primary school teacher:
Marchenkova Olga Pavlovna
G.Smolensk
2016
« Main city our ancestors."
Targets and goals:
To form children's ideas about the historical roots of the city (about the history of the city).
To cultivate a sense of affection for their hometown, admiration for its beauty and grandeur.
Cause a sense of pride in your city, interest in its history.
To teach children the ability to work with a map of the city of Smolensk, find their home, the location of the school (center).
To acquaint children with the coat of arms and the flag with their history, origin.
Correct the processes of thinking and perception.
Methods and techniques:
conversations, stories about the city, viewing maps, photo albums, presentation "Favorite city on the Dnieper".
Used Books:
- Stories of the initial Russian chronicle.-M.: Children's literature, 1987.
- Smolensk region. Encyclopedia.-vol.2.-Smolensk, 2003
- ABC of the Smolensk Territory.-Part 2.-World of History, Smolensk, 2008
- Razhnev G.V. "Smolensk", Smolensk, 2001
- Internet resources: Yandex, photos, essays
During the classes:
1. Introductory conversation
hello howl guys! We are starting very interesting and informative classes that will introduce you to our hometown.
What is the name of the city where we live?
What are the people who live in our city called?
On which river is Smolensk located?
Do you know why our city is called that?
In today's lesson, we will learn why our city is called Smolensk, when and how it arose; we will learn what the emblem and flag of the city are and get acquainted with the symbols of our city of Smolensk.
So, are you ready to start our journey?
A long time ago, in the country where we live, there were no rich cities, no stone houses, not even large villages. And then lived the people from whom we come. This people was called Slavs. “And from those Slavs the Slavs dispersed over the earth and began to be called by the places where they settled.” And near the Dnieper River, the Krivichi settled - our ancestors. And their main city was Smolensk.
Smolensk is one of the most ancient cities of Russia. He recently turned 1150 years old. He is older than Moscow, the same age as Kyiv.
In those distant times, people kept records, chronicles, in which they carefully recorded everything that happened in their city and in other cities. So, in one chronicle, such a mention of the city was found: “Once, painted boats sailed along the Dnieper River, and in them were the princes Askold and Dir with their warriors. They saw that on the banks of the Dnieper there was a beautiful and Big city, which is called Smolensk. And they said that the city was "great and many people."
How do you understand it?
Yes, it was large in size, and it had many inhabitants. Such a mention of our city was found in 863, and from that moment the age of Smolensk is considered.
Why is Smolensk called Smolensk?
Now you will understand everything! Our city was in a very convenient location. A large and full-flowing Dnieper river flowed nearby in those days, and another Dvina river was not far away, there were many forests, lakes around, the land was fertile and gave a rich harvest. Various merchant ships sailed along these two rivers. These ships carried a lot of goods from all over the world. Smolensk was the first Russian city they sailed to, because located on the western border of the Russian state. So, it was here that merchants and other seafaring travelers repaired, “tarred” their boats. After all, before the boat and big ships they were built of wood, and so that the tree would not get wet and rot from a long stay in the water, it was caulked with resin - they were pitched. Namely, we have developed such an art. It is believed that this is why the city got its name Smolensk.
Smolensk in those days was, as we have already said, a large and rather heavily fortified city. It stood on the high bank of the Dnieper on seven hills, and its main part was surrounded by a fairly reliable fortress. Behind the walls of the fortress were the houses of rich and noble people, various workshops, hospitals, shops, church buildings and much more that the city cannot do without. And on the other side lived ordinary townspeople and peasants. In the event of an attack by enemies, they hid behind the walls of the fortress and helped repel the enemies.
In the beginning, our city, although it was very large, was built mainly of wood, i.e. all houses and outbuildings were wooden and, of course, low. Only a few houses were made of stone, houses of wealthy merchants. And the fortress itself, which surrounded the city, was made of wood. Often after battles or fires, which were not uncommon, the walls of the fortress had to be repaired or even rebuilt. Only much later a real stone fortress wall was built, but we will talk about it in the next lesson.
There were many lakes, rivers, forests and fields around the city.
What do you think our ancestors did, those people who lived on Smolensk land in ancient times?
That's right, our ancestors were engaged in many crafts, as well as agriculture, cattle breeding. They grew oats, wheat, flax, and barley in the fields. Cows, horses, sheep, pigs were bred. For pets, grass was mowed and hay was dried. Forests surrounded our city everywhere. Thick, impassable. There were many animals in them - bears, elks, wild boars, foxes, wolves, beavers and many others. Hunting occupied an important place in the life of the townspeople. Many lakes and rivers gave the development of fishing. Rivers played an important role in the life of the people of our city. They protected from enemies, gave fish and water for cooking. It was possible to travel by boats along the rivers and conduct trade - the rivers were the main roads.
How do you like our journey into the distant past of Smolensk?
What do you find interesting now?
2.Practical work
And now I will introduce you to the map of our city.
What is a map? And why is it needed?
That's right, a map is the location of something drawn on paper. In our case, this is a map on which we will see where our city is located, which cities are located next to it, and also consider a map of the city itself.
Working with cards.
Okay guys, now you can safely go to independent travel, because with a map you definitely will not get lost.
3. Acquaintance with the flag and coat of arms of Smolensk
But today I want to tell you that every city has its own coat of arms and flag since ancient times.
What it is?
The flag is a symbol or sign made of cloth. It is usually mounted on a wooden pole. Flags are symbols of unity and power. The very idea of the flag originated in antiquity. Hunters and warriors wanted to recognize both friends and enemies from afar, in order to be ready in advance for a battle or for a friendly conversation. The main thing for which the flag was needed was to collect, pull together their soldiers to protect themselves from enemies. The flags were different kind, size and color. Each determined the character of the warrior. On the flag they painted animals that the warrior wanted to be like, plants that, in their opinion, protected from defeat. The color was also chosen depending on the intentions - dark colors- this is a threat, bright - victory or good intentions.
Let's look at the flag of the city of Smolensk. The red flag of Smolensk is divided into three parts by three yellow stripes. Red color is a symbol of the battlefield - after all, our city has experienced many terrible and long wars. In addition, the red color symbolizes fearlessness, courage, perseverance, heroism. The yellow stripes on the flag speak of its centuries-old glory and greatness. Also, these stripes tell us that our city is not just a city, but a hero city! This title was awarded to him after the Great Patriotic War for the special heroism and resilience of its inhabitants.
The coat of arms is a distinctive sign, the emblem of the city. Coats of arms were created according to special rules, on them in the form various items and details could tell everything about a city or a person. How rich it is and what, what merits it has, what are the occupations of its inhabitants.
Let's look at the coats of arms of our city in the past and in the present. At first, the coat of arms depicted a cannon and the bird of paradise Gamayun. The cannon threatened the enemies, and the bird spoke of the dreams of the Smolensk people for a wonderful life, and was also a symbol of peace and miraculous power.
And this is what our coat of arms looks like now. Look, the cannon and the Gamayun bird remained on the coat of arms. The Cap of Monomakh speaks of the greatness of the city and the recognition of its merits by the whole country. Two banners and St. George ribbons tell us about the heroism of the Smolensk people. The star is the star of the hero city. At the bottom we see a motto ribbon with the words "Glorified by the fortress."
What do you think this means?
4. Final part.
Well done boys! You were excellent travelers today. Did you enjoy our trip? What did you learn new? What can you tell your moms and dads today?
In conclusion, let's watch the video "My beloved Smolensk"
Smolensk Institute of Economics
NOU HPE "St. Petersburg University of Management and Economics"
Test
Subject: History and culture of Smolensk and the Smolensk region.
Option number 4
Completed by: Elena Valerievna Tretyakova
1 course, group No. 16-29730/1-1
Checked by: Ph.D., Assoc. Demochkin Andrey Vasilievich
Smolensk
year 2012
- List character traits socio-economic development of the Smolensk land as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
From the middle of the 13th century, the Lithuanian princes began to threaten the Russian lands. Being fragmented, weakened by the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the struggle against the German-Swedish aggression, Russia could not offer them serious resistance. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania seized the western and southern Russian regions one after another. Lithuanian feudal lords made frequent raids on the Smolensk principality, made repeated attempts to capture its capital.
And Smolensk experienced one misfortune after another. In 1308 he was gripped by famine. Thousands of people died. The dead could not be buried. The streets were littered with corpses. A terrible famine raged in the city in 1313-1314. he also took many Smolensk people to the grave. The year 1322 also turned out to be hungry. In 1340, Smolensk suffered a new disaster - a fire destroyed all the buildings in the city. the mass of Smolensk people died in 1352 from the plague. The Black Death devastated the city in 1364, 1377 and 1389. And in 1387, several dozen people remained in Smolensk, who miraculously escaped the plague. But life was reborn again. However, the troubles did not end. Many inhabitants died of starvation in 1390. then, ten years later, two famine years followed again in a row.
It is not difficult to imagine what the moral state of the surviving population was and whether the Smolensk people could resist the conquerors under such hardships.
Lithuanian princes, using the city's plight, began to break into it. But the Smolensk every time found the strength and drove out the uninvited guests.
In order to strengthen their dominion in the Russian lands, the Lithuanian feudal lords at the end of the 14th century began to seek political cooperation with the Polish magnates. It was enshrined in the Kreva Union. After that, Lithuanian raids on Smolensk became more frequent.
In 1401, the Lithuanian army besieged the city for almost two months, but could not take it. The invaders tried to capture Smolensk in 1402 and 1403, but also without success. Then the Lithuanian princes armed their army with heavy cannons and subjected the city to barbaric artillery fire. Smolensk survived this time as well. The townspeople bravely fought off the enemy throughout the spring of 1404. And only betrayal helped the Lithuanians to break into the city on June 26, 1404.
Since that time, Smolensk has been under the rule of Lithuania for 110 years, but having survived such a long occupation, it has not lost the features of a Russian city.
The entry into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of Smolensk and other Russian cities, as well as Ukrainian and Belarusian lands with more developed social relations and culture, contributed to the further development of socio-economic relations in Lithuania itself. Its greats borrowed from the Russians many legal norms, forms of government, and so on. The Lithuanians, who did not yet have their own written language, made Russian the state language. Thus, the course of historical events deepened and strengthened the economic and cultural ties between the Lithuanian, Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples.
By joint efforts, these peoples held back the onslaught of the army of German feudal lords, did not allow it to spread the conquests to the east. A crushing blow to the knights of the Teutonic Order was dealt by the combined forces of Lithuanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish troops with the participation of Czech troops in the famous battle of Grunwald in the north of modern Poland in 1410. Smolensk regiments also took part in this battle.
Feudal lords, peasants and townspeople made up the main population of the country. The feudal lords were not the same. There were: 1) rich and noble (princes and pans), who owned lands that were inherited and 2) medium and small (boyars), who were obliged to perform military service. In the 16th century, the boyars began to be called in the Polish manner - the gentry. The feudal lords gradually acquired more and more rights. The Grand Dukes for their support were forced to give them not only new privileges, but also lands. The distribution of land reduced state revenues and weakened the power of the Grand Duke. During the 14th - 15th centuries, the land passed into the hands of the Grand Duke, feudal lords and the church. The peasants now only used it. From whose land they used, they were divided into state, privately owned and monastic. Peasants could be "similar" (free), retaining personal freedom and the right to leave the feudal lord, and "dissimilar", deprived of this and inherited. A special group of the rural population was the "involuntary servants". They did not manage their household, lived at the court of the feudal lord, served him and were his full property.
Rural settlements consisted of households of individual families - smokes. The peasants of this village formed a community. Each family cultivated its allotment and passed it on by inheritance. But the community managed the meadows, forests, pastures for livestock. In the Smolensk region, the villages were not large, they numbered 8-12 smokes (courtyards), since large convenient non-marshy plots of land were rare. All villagers for the use of land had to perform various duties. Taxes were laid out for each smoke, and the entire community was responsible for their implementation. The main duties were dyaklo (grain was taken) and mezleva (meat, poultry, eggs). Part of the peasants paid frills with money (groschen).
City artisans and merchants, or as they were later called - petty bourgeois, performed special duties and duties. The main thing is to maintain the city castle (fortifications) in order and protect the city from enemies. Merchants paid to the treasury myto for the import and export of goods. In addition, the townspeople had to fix city roads, give carts for ambassadors and messengers, pay court, wedding and widow duties, guard the houses of governors and governors, and the city treasury in turn. In addition to merchants and artisans, servants of large feudal lords, who looked after their city houses, and subjects of bishops and other representatives of the clergy, also lived in the cities. Unlike the rest of the townspeople, they were not subject to city duties. The Smolensk land was ruled by a governor appointed by the Grand Duke. Under the governor there was a council (rada), which consisted of noble people. It necessarily included the bishop of Smolensk, okolniki, treasurer, mayor, marshal. Smolensk townspeople elected their elder. He was in charge of city affairs, collection of fees, represented the townspeople in the organs of supreme power. Smolensk land was divided into volosts, which were ruled by the Tivuns. Such a system of government ensured the participation of feudal lords in government and protected their political and economic rights and interests.
The 15th century was relatively peaceful for the Smolensk region, except for the first and last decades. It was also favorable for the development of the economy. It was based on rural production. As before, there were years when epidemics and surprises of nature greatly reduced the number of people. The years 1436-1438 were especially difficult. It even reached the point of cannibalism.
Disasters and wars devastated villages and villages. Some of the inhabitants moved to neighboring lands. In order to populate the especially deserted eastern regions, the Grand Duke allowed Muscovites and Tverites to settle in them. Despite everything, new settlements are growing. Land under arable land is being cleared from the forest, and the area of crops is increasing. The basis of agriculture was a two-field system. Rye and oats were sown most of all. They plowed on oxen and horses. Cattle breeding developed widely. Smolensk region at that time was a major supplier of honey and wax. Hunting gave furs. Cities were centers of crafts and trade. Most of the city dwellers were artisans.
Smolensk waged a continuous struggle against the oppressors. Especially powerful was the uprising of the townspeople in the spring of 1440, which went down in history under the name of the Great Jam. Then everyone who could hold a weapon in their hands rose up against the Lithuanian enslavers. The rebellious blacksmiths, butchers, tailors, coachmen, boilermakers and other black people destroyed the enemy garrison in Smolensk and expelled the Lithuanian governor. The city was completely liberated from the invaders.
Lithuanian feudal lords sent a large military detachment to pacify the Smolensk people. But the inhabitants of Smolensk staunchly defended themselves. They beat off all enemy attacks. The besiegers were forced to call for reinforcements. They surrounded the city from all sides, subjected it to a severe blockade and continuous artillery fire. Famine began in the city, fires broke out. But the rebels continued to fight from last strength. And the forces were unequal. Lithuanian troops outnumbered the defenders of Smolensk many times over. Nevertheless, the troops managed to break into the city in the autumn of 1441.
The Lithuanian government, trying at all costs to keep the key to the Russian state in its hands, significantly fortified Smolensk, surrounded it with an oak wall with towers, flooded with a large army. At that time, such a fortress was considered impregnable, but the Russian troops needed to capture it. This was demanded by the interests of the Russian centralized state. And the great Moscow prince Vasily III, who vigorously fought for the reunification of the Russian lands, in November 1512 undertakes his first campaign against Smolensk. However, the siege, which lasted six weeks, was not successful. The second campaign against Smolensk was undertaken in the autumn of 1513. The siege of the city lasted over four weeks, but, like the first, ended in vain. Russian troops were forced to return to Moscow.
The decisive third campaign against Smolensk began in the summer of 1514. 80 thousand people took part in it, 300 guns took part in the shelling. After several volleys, the governor of Smolensk, Yuri Sologub, requested a truce for one day, but Vasily III refused him. And the cannonade continued. Then, under pressure from the Smolensk "black people", the governor and governor decided to surrender. Smolensk opened its gates on August 1, 1514. So Smolensk was returned to Russia.
- Noble estates in the Smolensk region and their owners.
Maria Klavdievna Tenisheva and her estate in Talashkino.
In the summer of 1896, Tenisheva begged her friend Svyatopolk-Chetvertinskaya to sell Talashkino to her. Maria felt such tenderness for this place, as if it were animated. Thanks to Tenisheva, Talashkino became known to the entire cultural world.
Tenisheva was not alone in her desire to create a kind of aesthetic complex away from big cities. But nowhere was there such a scale, perfectly organized for twenty years creative work, such successes and resonance not only in Russia, but also abroad.
In Talashkino, a new school appeared with the latest equipment for those times, a public library, a number of educational and economic workshops, where local residents, mostly young people, were engaged in woodworking, metal chasing, ceramics, fabric dyeing, and embroidery. Practical work began on the revival of folk crafts. Many local residents were involved in this process. For example, only the Russian national costume, weaving, knitting and dyeing of fabrics were occupied by women from fifty surrounding villages. Their earnings reached 10-12 rubles a month, which was not bad at that time. Places where capable people quickly gained experience gradually became production.
In Talashkino they did, in fact, everything and from any material. Crockery, furniture, metal products, jewelry, embroidered curtains and tablecloths - all this went to the Rodnik store opened by Tenisheva in Moscow.
There was no end to buyers. Orders also came from overseas. Even stiff London became interested in the products of Talashka craftsmen.
This success was not accidental. After all, Tenisheva invited to Talashkino to live, create, and work those who at that time constituted the artistic elite of Russia.
In the workshops, a village boy could use the advice of M.A. Vrubel. Patterns for embroiderers were invented by V.A. Serov. M.V. Nesterov, A.N. Benois, K.A. Korovin, N.K. Roerich, V.D. Polenov, sculptor P.P. Trubetskoy, singer F.I. Chaliapin, musicians, artists - this land became a studio, a workshop, a stage for many masters.
During the day, Talashkino seemed to be dying out, and under the roofs of the workshops there was continuous work. But when evening came...
Tenisheva organized here an orchestra of folk instruments, a choir of peasant children, a studio of artistic expression. Talashkino also received a theater with an auditorium for two hundred seats. The scenery was embroidered by V. Vasnetsov, M. Vrubel, local Smolensk artists who had their “practice”. The repertoire was varied: small pieces, classics. They staged Gogol, Ostrovsky, Chekhov. The Tale of the Seven Bogatyrs, written by Tenisheva herself, went on with invariable success. She often performed on the stage of her theater as an actress.
Maria Klavdievna herself was a unique creation of nature, when beautiful appearance and inner depth are in harmony and complement each other.
They fell head over heels in love with Tenisheva. Artists, seeing her, were drawn to the brush. Only one Repin, they say, painted eight portraits of her. Of course, the beauty of the princess asked for a canvas. Large, tall, with a thick shock of dark hair and a proudly planted head, she was an enviable model. But among the images of Mary there are very few successful ones. They painted a beautiful woman, "Juno the Warrior". A man with a very difficult character, with passions raging in him, with talents and rare energy, did not fit on a canvas, limited by a heavy frame.
Perhaps only Valentin Serov managed to defeat the purely external impression of a bright, spectacular woman and leave to eternity the main thing that was in Tenisheva - the dream of an ideal that lived in her, to which she pushed her way, rolling up her sleeves, not paying attention to ridicule and failure.
The activities of the princess, who took all the time and huge sums invested in Talashkino, did not contribute to peace and tranquility in the family. Tenishev himself, to whom the school built in St. Petersburg, which later received his name, cost enormous expenses, he considered many of his wife's undertakings unnecessary. The financial assistance provided by the princess to artists, her support for cultural undertakings were expensive. Instead of a caring mistress of luxurious metropolitan mansions, busy from nothing to do with the cares of charity, he had some kind of seething stream near him, making his way along his own channel.
The princess was fond of enamel - that branch of jewelry that died out in the 18th century. She decided to revive it. Maria Klavdievna spent whole days in her workshop at Talashka, near furnaces and electroplating baths. There were photographs: she is in dark clothes with rolled up sleeves, in an apron, stern, concentrated.
Not satisfied with the enamel samples received, Maria went to study with a world-famous jeweler - Monsieur Rene Lalique. In a short time, she achieved high results in her work with enamel. Returning to Talashkino, Tenisheva received more than two hundred new shades of opaque enamels. Her work has been exhibited in London, Prague, Brussels and Paris.
In 1903, after the death of her husband, Princess Tenisheva received the right to dispose of the family fortune.
In 1905, she donated her colossal art collection to the city of Smolensk. The authorities did not want to give her a room to show her. Moreover, they were in no hurry to accept the gift of the princess. Then Tenisheva bought a piece of land in the city center, built a museum building at her own expense and placed the collection there.
But before it opened, the museum was in danger. Arson began in the city and villages, proclamations flew here and there, someone has already seen discarded icons and people with a red flag in their hands.
Secretly at night, having packed the collection, Tenisheva took it to Paris. And soon an exhibition opened in the Louvre, which was trumpeted by all European newspapers.
A rare collection of icons, a collection of Russian porcelain, ivory and walrus carvings, a collection of royal robes embroidered with silver and gold, kokoshniks decorated with pearl scattering, historical relics from Peter the Great to Alexander's time, creations of unknown folk craftsmen and the best examples of Talashka workshops.
For a collection of balalaikas painted in Talashkino by Golovin and Vrubel, Maria Klavdievna was offered an astronomical amount. The newspapers of those years wrote that the collection would never return home: its display in different countries of the world can become a real gold mine for the owners. But every single thing returned to Smolensk. Tenisheva again turned to the city authorities, renouncing property rights and stipulating only three conditions: “I would like the museum to remain forever in the city of Smolensk and that not a single thing was taken to another museum.” And one more thing: she asked to keep her right to replenish the museum with new exhibits and "maintain it at her own expense."
On May 30, 1911, the solemn transfer of the museum to the city of Smolensk took place.
The October Revolution of 1917 found Tenisheva already in France. Terrifying news came from Russia. The princess bought a piece of land near Paris and named Maloye Talashkino.
After the revolution, the museum "Russian Antiquity" suffered the fate of many art collections. The collections were regrouped, they were "survived" from their own premises, and, finally, they ended up in someone else's, completely unsuitable for storage. And, of course, they became inaccessible to people. Everything that was built in Talashkino gradually fell into disrepair, was taken away by local residents and eventually came to naught. In the Church of the Holy Spirit, built by Tenisheva and painted by N.K. Roerich, kept potatoes. Tomb of V.N. Tenisheva was ruined, and his ashes were thrown away. The name of the princess, not wanting to be known as "unreliable", tried not to mention.
It took many decades for the Smolensk region to understand: it is losing its chance to be interesting to compatriots and the world not only in history, but also in cultural treasures. Not the local officials, but ordinary museum employees took care of what was left, saved, as best they could, paintings and handwritten psalters that were suffering from dampness, no longer needed, it seemed. Someone had old plans, drawings, photographs. They took care, as is customary in Russia, "just in case." And it came, this case, when axes rattled in Talashkino. The former school building has risen again, now reserved for a museum, in which, from old photographs, the Smolensk princess calmly and a little sadly looks at the “young, unfamiliar tribe”.
Maria Klavdievna Tenisheva died in the spring of 1928 in Maly Talashkino near Paris. She was buried in the cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve de Bois.
More than three decades have passed since her death. Two old women came to the department of culture of the Smolensk city executive committee and said that, while still very young women, they were in good acquaintance with Maria Klavdievna. Now it's time for them to do their duty.
Jewels of rare beauty began to appear one after another from a shabby old-fashioned handbag: brooches, pendants, bracelets, rings, emerald placers, the brilliance of diamonds, the deep blue of sapphires set in a gold frame.
The visitors explained that, when leaving, the Smolensk princess asked to save the jewelry until better times, which, as she thought, would definitely come. In which case, she asked to transfer them to the museum. An inventory was attached to the items. The old women asked to check and accept.
This manor is a rare example of a large baroque estate.
Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov and his estate in Khmelit.
In the 16th century the village belonged to the princes Buynosov-Rostovsky. At the end of the 17th century Khmelita was owned by S.F. Griboedov, whose conflict with the archers subordinate to him became the detonator for the "Khovanshchina" - a major streltsy revolt of 1682 against the reign of Princess Sophia. Since 1747 the estate was owned by Lieutenant-Captain of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Fyodor Alekseevich Griboedov, grandfather of the famous playwright. Under F.A. Griboyedov in 1753, the construction of the main house began, in 1759 the Kazan Church was erected. Four outbuildings and outbuildings are already shown on the plans for the general survey of 1778. Two parks - regular and landscape - are mentioned in the notes to the plans, drawn up a little later. In 1789, the Alekseevskaya Church was erected behind the lake (it has not been preserved), more original and harmonious than the Kazan one. The core of the Alekseevskaya church was a double-height rotunda with a faceted helmet-shaped dome crowning a gently sloping conical roof over a low attic tier. The high entablature was supported by semi-columns dividing the openings on 12 axes. The lower windows in baroque architraves with pediments were high arched, the upper ones were round. A low square passage connected the temple with a stocky three-tiered bell tower under a wide and high spire on a four-channel roof. Baroque plastic decor emphasized squat chime arches and large round windows in the middle tier. There was also a third church at the estate - the wooden Assumption Church, built on a small cemetery, not far from Kazanskaya, to the south-west of it and existed until 1836. In the 1790-1810s. (until 1812), in his childhood and youth, A.S. Griboyedov (his mother, Anastasia Fedorovna, was the daughter of Fedor Alekseevich). Khmelitsky impressions were reflected in the work of A.S. Griboyedov - most of all in the comedy "Woe from Wit". According to legend, the uncle of the poet A.F. Griboyedov served as a prototype for Famusov, and his son-in-law I.F. Paskevich-Erivansky - the prototype of Skalozub. Here A.S. Griboedov met the future Decembrist I.D. Yakushkin.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, the closest associate of Napoleon, Viceroy of Naples and both Sicilies, Marshal Murat of France, stayed in Khmelit together with the occupying troops. During the retreat of the French troops in Khmelit, there was an equestrian partisan detachment of Major General I.M. Begichev.
The main part of the estate 18 early. 19th century had a symmetrical axial layout. From the west, from the river valley. Vyazma, opened a view of the main building, the stepped terraces in front of it and the church. The upper terrace, with four two-story outbuildings at its corners, served as a front yard. In the middle of its long eastern side rose a large manor house. On the other side of the house there was a square regular park with a main alley along the axis of the house and the entire ensemble. The alley ended in a rectangular dug-out pond. To the north, the park turned into a landscape one, this part was much larger in area and had its own pond with an island in the middle.
Around 1836, the main house was overhauled, and the refectory was expanded at the Kazan Church. The baroque decoration of the facades of the manor's house is cut off and replaced with the Empire style. A heavily projected four-column portico with a triangular pediment appears in front of the main facade; a wooden belvedere is being built above the house. The southeastern wing, which remained until the 20th century. one-story, connects to the main house gallery of the 1780s.
Starting from the 2nd third of the 19th century. Khmelita quickly changes owners - at first it passes into the hands of representatives of the female line of the Griboedov family, and in 1869 it is sold to the Sychev merchant Sipyagin. By the end of the 19th century "The house was in a terrible state, no one had lived in it for many years. Everything was neglected. The northern wing was demolished, the upper floor of the southern wing was destroyed. Grain dried on the floor in the hall, rye grew from parquet wells." But at the same time, "an old park, magnificent cattle and grain yards and a lot of other buildings were preserved in the estate. In addition, there were 5,000 acres of fields and forests, two lakes, a pond." Count P. A. Heiden bought this estate in 1894, when all the furniture in the huge house (with 8 children's rooms, 53 other rooms and an art gallery) was sold out, and the new owners had to buy it again. Before the October Revolution, the estate was owned by V.P. Geiden-Volkov, under which in 1912 the second floor was built over the gallery and the south-eastern wing. Then, during the construction of the silo, they stumbled upon the foundations of a house in which the actors and gypsies who made up the theater choir used to live. Among the estate buildings that disappeared by the 1910s was a carpentry workshop that made furniture. Apparently since the 1880s. a "cheese factory" appeared on the estate, owned by the Swiss Schildt, who at first settled with the production of cheese in the nearby estate of the Lobanov-Rostovskys "Torbeevo" (on the territory of the present Novoduginsky district). Around 1910, after a fire in the Heiden estate "Deep" (Pskov province), 130 paintings collected by Prince N.N. were transported from there to Khmelita. Dondukov-Korsakov, when he headed the Academy of Arts. Among the paintings were works by Giorgione, Guido Reni, Raphael Mengs, Camille Corot and other famous masters.
In 1918, the main building housed people's house- with a theater, a reading room, a tea room. It was closed in 1919, and things, paintings and a library were transferred to museums and collections in Smolensk, Vyazma and Moscow. During the Nazi occupation, the main house was occupied by the headquarters of the Nazi troops and received three holes from our artillery shells. In Soviet times, two wings were dismantled and the Kazan Church was mutilated beyond recognition, destroying the refectory and the bell tower. Two other temples were demolished to the ground. Since the 1970s the restoration of the architectural structures of the manor is underway. A great contribution to it was made by an employee of the Moscow restoration workshops, and later the director of the museum in this estate, V.E. Kulakov. The study and preparation of design drawings was carried out by the Moscow architect-restorer M.M. Ermolaev. Restoration of the disappeared manor buildings continues. Among them is a stable with a baroque frame of round windows on the sides of a large entrance arch. The platbands have a stepped top and a light rectangular ledge of the apron under the lower horizontal edge. Part of the walls of the stables were timbered, with brick-framed pillars in a measured rhythm. At present, the main house, the gallery and the southeastern wing, the southwestern wing, the eastern and western service buildings to the southeast of the main house, the Kazan Church, and the remains of a regular park have been preserved in the estate.
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka in Novospasskoye
Museum-estate of M.I. Glinka in Novospasskoye is the only memorial museum of the great composer, the founder of Russian classical music. Novospasskoye is a truly fabulous corner of Smolensk land, located on the banks of the Desna River. Here Glinka spent 12 years of childhood, repeatedly came here as an adult.
The landscape park of the estate is unique and inimitable: numerous flower beds, cascades of ponds, gazebos, a mill, a greenhouse, an island of Muses and Amurov meadow. The basis of the exposition was presented by the composer's relatives in due time, authentic items from the ancestral home in Novospasskoye, memorial items.
The attraction of the estate is the current family church of the Glinka family. Every year in late May - early June, the Smolensk region hosts a music festival named after M.I. Glinka, the completion of which traditionally takes place in Novospasskoye.
In the possession of Glinka - the descendants of an old Polish gentry family, from which in 1655 a branch of the Smolensk nobles spun off - the Novospasskoe estate, or rather, the Shatkov wasteland, as it was originally called, passed in 1750. The small wooden house in which the composer was born was built at the end of the 18th century by grandfather M.I. Glinka - retired major N.A. Glinka. At the same time, in 1786, the stone manor Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior was built, after which the village was named Novospasskoye. On the nameless stream flowing into the Desna, a cascade of ponds was arranged, and a small park was laid out on both sides, which subsequently increased significantly. For him, father M.I. Glinka - retired captain Ivan Nikolaevich Glinka (1777-1834), to whom the estate passed in 1805 - specially ordered from St. Petersburg, Riga and even from abroad seedlings and bulbs of rare plants and flowers.
The manor church was built by Glinka's grandfather in the provincial baroque style. The composer's parents are buried near the church. In 1812, a detachment of French soldiers, having occupied Novospasskoye, tried to rob the church, but the peasants, led by the priest I. Stabrovsky, the first teacher of M.I. Glinka - locked themselves in the temple and successfully fought off the enemy. The French robbed the estate, the priest's house, but the church remained untouched.
The Church of the Savior was famous for its bells. The largest of them weighed 106 pounds. His sound was heard for ten miles around. By order of the owner of the estate, this bell was rung all day when the news came of the victory over Napoleon and the expulsion of the enemy from Russia.
The bells of the Novospassky Church were miraculously preserved during the communist pogroms. In 1941, a priest and several lay people removed the bells and flooded them in the Desna. Some of the locals reported this to the Nazis. They grabbed the priest and began torturing him, dousing him in the cold cold water and demanding that he indicate the place where the bells are hidden - non-ferrous metal was needed for the victory of the Third Reich. The priest died under torture - the Nazis froze him alive. After the war, one of the Novospassky bells was found and is now in the Smolensk Museum.
Mikhail Ivanovich grew up in a large family, he had six sisters and two brothers. The soul of the family was mother Evgenia Andreevna. For 49 years she lived in Novospasskoye, carefully raising her children. The most beloved and dearest for the mother was the eldest son Michael.
Young Glinka was brought up according to the method of that time. He had a French governess who taught him to read and write. An architect hired by the estate taught him how to draw. Glinka became interested in geography early, starting to travel through books and maps, and they determined his further interest in wandering.
The future composer was greatly influenced by his nanny Avdotya Ivanovna. She especially eagerly sang Russian songs to the boy and told fascinating tales, having managed to instill in him a love for her native folklore. Glinka always remembered her warmly, and, undoubtedly, much of what he heard in childhood from the nanny deeply sunk into his soul.
The manor house in Novospasskoye was built by I.N.
etc.................
Many hundreds of years ago, the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed here - the main artery Slavic peoples, which, linking north with south, intersected here with roads leading from west to east. In the 9th century Smolensk was the center of the region, stretching from Novgorod in the north to Kyiv in the south, from Polotsk in the west and to Suzdal in the east.
The Smolensk region is unique in geographical, historical, cultural and economic relations edge.
Already many hundreds of years ago, the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed here - the main artery of the Slavic peoples, which, linking north with south, crossed here with roads leading from west to east. In the 9th century Smolensk was the center of the region, stretching from Novgorod in the north to Kyiv in the south, from Polotsk in the west and to Suzdal in the east.
The heyday of the Smolensk principality falls on the XII century. At this time, monumental construction began, temples were erected, which became the pride of Russian architecture. The Smolensk Principality has 46 cities, 39 of them have fortifications ...
For a whole century, the Smolensk land flourished. But in 1230, a terrible pestilence devastated her. This was followed by the invasion of Batu into Russia, the aggression of Lithuania ... The Mongols, having reached the walls of Smolensk, could not ruin it, but still the city paid tribute to them from 1274 to 1339.
In the 16th century, Smolensk land became part of a strong Russian state, however, its existence cannot be called calm. The Lithuanians, united with the Poles, do not stop trying to return the territories they lost, the protection of which is now becoming an all-Russian task.
It was at this time that Smolensk began to be called the “key” of Moscow.
In the 18th century Smolensk received the status of a provincial city. Active construction begins, trade turnover increases. But - the year 1812 comes, and again Smolensk gets in the way of the enemy - this time the Napoleonic hordes.
After the Patriotic War of 1812, Smolensk lay in ruins for a long time. Many public and private buildings that previously adorned the city were never restored ...
In the second half of the 19th century, Smolensk became a major railway junction. This contributed to the development of trade and industry.
The city continued to develop vigorously and after October revolution. At that time, enterprises of large-scale industry were created in Smolensk and the region - a flax mill, machine building plant, a lot others.
And again peaceful development was interrupted by the war. In the summer of 1941, a battle broke out on Smolensk land, as a result of which the advance of the Nazis to Moscow was delayed for two months ...
For more than two years, the Smolensk region was under occupation. The war caused great damage to the region. After the Nazi occupation in Smolensk, only 7% of the undamaged residential area remained, more than 100 were destroyed. industrial enterprises. In the ruins lay Vyazma, Gzhatsk, Yelnya, Dorogobuzh, Velizh, Demidov, Dukhovshchina, Roslavl ...
Realizing the great importance of the Smolensk region for the country, in 1945 the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR included Smolensk and Vyazma among the 15 Russian cities subject to priority restoration, for which all conditions were created ...
AT as soon as possible the area has been restored. Coming soon volume industrial production exceeded the pre-war level and continued to grow every day.
In commemoration of the merits of the inhabitants of the city, Smolensk was awarded the title of Hero City. This high title he wears with honor.
Russian Civilization
Belyaev, I. N. Golden stars of the Smolensk region. New names. Heroes Russian Federation, the Soviet Union, holders of the three Orders of Glory / I. N. Belyaev. - Smolensk: Publishing house "Smolensk City Printing House", 2006. - 232 p.
The book by I. N. Belyaev, historian, local history writer, honorary citizen of the hero city of Smolensk, war and labor veteran, Honored Worker of Culture of Russia, tells about fellow countrymen awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, the Soviet Union, holders of three Orders of Glory, whose names have become famous in recent times. In the book, the reader will find materials about military leaders who were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for military exploits on Smolensk soil in 1941-1942.
The book is intended for those who are interested in the heroic past of the Smolensk region, professionally engaged in the patriotic education of youth, the formation of Russian national consciousness.
Belyaev, I. N. Memory fiery years. Experience encyclopedic guide to military history Smolensk region / I. N. Belyaev. - Smolensk: SGPU, 2000. - 464 p.
The well-known Smolensk local historian, veteran of the Great Patriotic War, retired colonel, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia I. N. Belyaev offers readers a book about the military past of the Smolensk Territory. The book is intended for teachers of universities, colleges, technical schools, schools, gymnasiums, students and pupils, museum workers, employees of city and district administrations, everyone who is interested in the heroic past of the Smolensk region.
Voronovsky, V. M. Patriotic War within the Smolensk province: repr. play Text ed. 1912 / V. M. Voronovsky. - Smolensk: "Smolensk Regional Printing House. V. I. Smirnov ", 2006. - 96 p. : ill.
In 1912, on August 31, according to the old style, V. M. Voronovsky, on behalf of the Smolensk Zemstvo, presented the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II with the book “Patriotic War within the Smolensk Governorate”, and Tsarevich Alexei with an abridged version of the anniversary edition under the same name. The brochure was originally intended for the mass reader and was defined by the author as a "people's book".
The reprint edition of the "folk book" reproduces without changes the author's narration of the events of 1812 with the preservation of all illustrations: reproductions of paintings and maps of the movement of troops.
Glushkova, V. G. Smolensk land. Nature. Story. Economy. Culture Tourist attraction. Religious centers / V. G. Glushkova. - M. : Veche, 2011. - 400 p. : ill. - (Historical guide).
This book tells in a lively and fascinating way about the natural, spiritual and man-made wealth of the Smolensk region, its history, culture, people and main religious centers. The reader will be able to get acquainted with the main sights of Smolensk, small towns of the region and a number of villages. The book contains detailed information about former noble estates and their inhabitants, architectural, artistic and cultural values, natural monuments and Orthodox shrines and relics.
The author talks about more than 90 individuals whose lives were somehow connected with the Smolensk region. Among them are Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko, Vladimir Monomakh, Prince G. A. Potemkin, the great Russian composer M. I. Glinka, Admiral P. S. Nakhimov, Field Marshal M. I. Kutuzov, partisan and poet D.V. Davydov, Marshals of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov and M.N. Tukhachevsky, poet M.V. Isakovsky, travelers N.M. Przhevalsky and P.K. Kozlov, and such famous natives of the Smolensk land as the first cosmonaut of South Africa. Gagarin and everyone's favorite actors Yuri Nikulin and Anatoly Papanov.
City of Smolensk. Back to life. 1813-1828 years. Documents of the State Archive of the Smolensk Region. - Smolensk: "Smolensk Regional Printing House. V. I. Smirnov", 2012. - 288 p. : ill.
The collection contains documents relating to a short period Smolensk history after the Napoleonic invasion. In 1813, the inhabitants of the provincial center had to re-arrange life in the burnt, ruined city. Documents have preserved for us the amazing history of the revival of the city of Smolensk in 1813-1828. In the book, the reader will find information about how the city authorities and services interacted, what the “city dwellers” did, how buildings and structures were built and repaired (some have survived and still adorn the city).
The publication is addressed to all who are interested in history.
Ivanov, Yu. G. The Hero City of Smolensk. 500 questions and answers about your favorite city / Yu. G. Ivanov. - Smolensk: Rusich, 2011. - 384 p. : ill.
The book tells in a popular way about the rich history of one of the oldest Russian cities, its streets, squares, monuments and sights, about famous natives and great people associated with the city. Built in the form of a question and answer, the publication reveals highlights his history and life. Illustrative material makes the book more meaningful and informative.
Kononov, V. A. Smolensk governors. 1711-1917 / V. A. Kononov. - Smolensk: Magenta, 2004. - 400 p. - (Documents testify).
Against the backdrop of the all-Russian evolution of the institute of governorship, the book tells about the persons who held the positions of Smolensk governor-general, civil and military governors from the time the governor's office was established in the province until the events of 1917. Particular attention is paid to the importance of the activities of each of the governors for the development of the Smolensk region and the issues of interaction between local and central authorities. The publication is intended for teachers, students and all those who are interested in the history of their native land.
Lapikova, A. V. Walks in Smolensk / A. V. Lapikova. - Smolensk: Rusich, 2006. - 192 p. : ill.
Where is the street from one house in Smolensk? Which street was called Great in ancient times and why? The inquisitive reader will find answers to these and other questions in this book, written vividly and fascinatingly. The reader is invited to make a journey through the streets of the ancient city, to feel its originality, to plunge into the atmosphere of ancient times.
Mitrofanov, A. G. City walks. Smolensk / Alexey Mitrofanov. - M. : Klyuch-S, 2009. - 240 p.
Smolensk is a city in Western Russia. But the neighborhood with "enlightened Europe" did not always benefit Smolensk. In the event of a war, he got it, as a rule, in the first place.
About these and other pages of the history of the long-suffering, but inflexible city of Smolensk - in this book.
Modestov, F. E. Smolensk fortress / F. E. Modestov. - Smolensk: Publication of the Center for the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Smolensk Region, 2003. - 144 p. : ill.
The book is devoted to the history of the construction of the Smolensk fortress, its architectural fortification significance.
The publication is intended for historians, local historians, teachers of schools and universities, students.
Moshchansky, I. B. At the walls of Smolensk / I. B. Moshchansky. - M. : Veche, 2011. - 304 p. : ill. -( Forgotten Pages World War II).
Since ancient times, the city of Smolensk has played a special role in the military history of Russia, being the first to take the blow of the aggressors who sought to capture Moscow as soon as possible. From July 10 to September 10, 1941, the Battle of Smolensk unfolded near the walls of the city, in which for two months the Red Army managed to fight on an equal footing with the hitherto invincible German Wehrmacht. Having detained the enemy and disrupted the movement of Army Group Center to the capital, our troops nevertheless left Smolensk, which they managed to liberate only in 1943. From August 7 to October 2, the troops of the Kalinin and Western Fronts carried out the Suvorov strategic offensive operation, liberated Smolensk and part of the Kalinin regions, the cities of Yelnya, Dukhovshchina, Roslavl, Smolensk from the invaders and entered the borders of Belarus. During the hard trials, the inhabitants of the city proved themselves to be true patriots of their Motherland, so now Smolensk honorably holds the high title of a hero city.
Perlin, B. N. Smolensk and its streets: historical and geographical essays / B. N. Perlin. - Smolensk: Smyadyn, 2012. - 272 p.
The book summarizes a large factual material about the development of Smolensk from ancient times to the present day, about the formation of the system of its streets and city toponyms. The influence of geopolitical, historical and natural factors on the fate of the city, changes in its economy and demography. Both the current appearance of city streets and the former appearance of many of them are described on the basis of historical documents and the author's personal impressions. The book is addressed to all those who are interested in the history of one of the ancient cities Russia and the prospects for its development.
Pronin, G. N. Defensive fortifications of Smolensk at the end of the 15th - 17th centuries. at the Molokhov Gates / G. N. Pronin, V. E. Sobol. - Smolensk: Scroll, 2012. - 120 p.
The publication publishes the results of the rescue archaeological work of the Smolensk expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2010-2011. in the area of the Molokhov Gates of the fortress wall of the city of Smolensk. In the course of the archaeological surveys carried out during the construction of the underpass on Sq. Victory, wood-earthen fortifications were opened in the second half of the 16th - 17th centuries. - the remains of a wooden tyn, an earthen rampart reinforced with log structures, floorings of several tiers of pavements of the street leading to the ancient Molokhovsky Gate. As well as additional defensive structures erected by the Polish garrison of Smolensk during the siege of the city by the army of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1654. A rich collection of individual finds and mass material of the 16th-17th centuries was received.
The book is addressed to specialists and all those interested in the history of Russia.
Skvabchenkov, N. M. Along the Old Smolensk road: a guide / N. M. Skvabchenkov. - Smolensk: Scroll, 2015. - 176 p. : ill.
The guide tells about the Old Smolensk road, which played a big role in the history of Russia.
The author of the book is Nikolai Mikhailovich Skvabchenkov, a historian, a member of the Union of local historians of Russia, a well-known Smolensk guide. He is the author of a number of publications, such as Merchant Smolensk, Smolensk Fortress, Grateful Russia to the Heroes of 1812, Cathedral Hill. Guide”, as well as many local history publications in the periodical press.
The book "On the Old Smolensk Road" is the result of many years of work by N. M. Skvabchenkov on this topic. The author tells about the origin and development of the once most important road in the Russian lands, acquaints readers with the history of settlements and the monuments located on it.
Of particular interest are the memories of different people, which are given in the guide.
Smolensk, reborn from the ashes. Dedicated to the 71st anniversary of the Great Victory / main. ed. S. S. SCHEMELEV - Smolensk: Forvita, 2016. - 160 p. : ill.
In the book, the reader will see new pages of the glorious history of Smolensk, expressed in the exorbitant work to restore the destroyed city. Hundreds of businesses, thousands of people mentioned in this book have now become heroes on the labor front. The book also covers the theme of the "Immortal Regiment" - employees of Smolensk enterprises talk about their relatives who fought.
The book aims to instill in young Smolensk people, especially those who have not heard the live stories of war veterans, the spirit of intransigence towards fascism as a world evil.
Smolensk. 1150 years. History and culture: an album. - Smolensk: Cantilena LLC, 2013. - 216 p. : ill.
A bright, colorful album was released specifically for the anniversary of the city of Smolensk. Contains fascinating information about the history of the city, culture, architecture and modern life of Smolyan.
Pages of the history of Smolensk region. Book for additional reading / Yu. G. Ivanov, E. N. Aginskaya, O. Yu. Ivanova and others - Smolensk: Rusich, 2007. - 544 p. : ill.
The book "Pages of the History of the Smolensk Region" is intended primarily for schoolchildren as additional reading on the history of their native land. It will be useful for working on reports and messages, and will help in an in-depth study of a number of topics. Its chapters reveal individual historical stages in the development of the Smolensk land from ancient times up to the 20th century. A special chapter is dedicated to the outstanding people of the region.
The final chapter of the book is built according to the territorial principle and contains a lot of informative material on the history of the settlements of all 25 administrative districts of the region. In the Smolensk region, in cities, villages and villages, great amount archaeological sites, places of worship, architectural ensembles, individual residential buildings and public buildings, engineering and industrial structures, monuments and memorials. There are many natural monuments in the region.
Smolensk land is an arena of important historical events. Many outstanding and talented personalities who glorified Russia were born here, the fate and activities of a significant number of famous people are also connected with the Smolensk region. Not being natives of the Smolensk land, they nevertheless served here for the good of the Fatherland, and some of them gave their lives for it.
