Russia is an ancient country. And on its territory there are many cities whose age has exceeded a thousand years. The historical and cultural heritage that they have preserved is a priceless gift from generations already gone to future generations.
We present to you the oldest cities in Russia.
10. Bryansk - 1033 years
It is not known exactly when the city of Bryansk was founded. The approximate date of its foundation is considered to be 985.
In 1607, the city was burned down to prevent it from falling into the hands of False Dmitry II. It was rebuilt and survived a second siege by the troops of the "Tushino Thief".
In the 17th century, Bryansk was one of the most important trade centers in Russia. And now it is an important industrial center of the country.
9. Pskov – 1115 years
The year 903 is considered to be the date of Pskov's foundation, when the city was first mentioned in the Laurentian Chronicle. Olga, the first Christian princess in Rus' and the wife of the Kyiv prince Igor Rurikovich, was from Pskov.
For a long time Pskov was one of the largest cities in Europe and was an impenetrable barrier on the western borders of the country.
And in March 1917, while at the Pskov station, the last Russian emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne and became simply a citizen of Romanov.
8. Smolensk – 1155 years
In September, beautiful and ancient Smolensk will celebrate its anniversary – 1155 years since its foundation. It is only one year behind its closest rival in terms of mentions in the chronicles (863 versus 862 for Murom).
For many centuries, this "key city" protected Moscow from the encroachments of a number of European countries. During the Time of Troubles, the inhabitants of Smolensk heroically held out for 20 months in the fortress, which was besieged by Polish troops. Although the Poles managed to take the city, King Sigismund III, who had spent all his resources on the siege, had to abandon the idea of marching on Moscow. And the Moscow garrison of Poles, which had not received military assistance, surrendered to the Russian militia led by Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin.
7. Murom – 1156 years old
This small town, located on the left bank of the Oka, is mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. Its name presumably comes from the Murom tribe, although historians do not rule out the opposite dependence. One of the main characters of the Russian epic, the legendary hero Ilya Muromets, comes from the city of Murom. The townspeople are proud of this and even erected a monument to the hero in the city park.
6. Rostov the Great – 1157 years
Rostov, the current center of the Yaroslavl region, has been officially counting its years since 862. After its foundation, the city became one of the most important settlements of the Rostov-Suzdal land. And the prefix "Great" appeared thanks to the "Ipatiev Chronicle". In it, when describing the events of 1151 (the victory of Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich over Yuri Dolgoruky), Rostov was called Great.
5. Veliky Novgorod – 1159 years
In early June 2018, Veliky Novgorod will celebrate the 1159th anniversary of its foundation. According to the official version, Rurik was called here to reign. And in 1136, Novgorod became the first free republic in the history of feudal Rus'. The city avoided the fate of many Russian cities and was not affected by the Mongol invasion. Precious architectural monuments of pre-Mongol Rus' have been preserved there to this day.
4. Old Ladoga – over 1251 years old
In 2003, the village of Staraya Ladoga celebrated its 1250th anniversary. Until 1703, the settlement was called "Ladoga" and had the status of a city. The first mention of Ladoga dates back to 862 AD (the time when the Varangian Rurik was called to reign). There is even a version that Ladoga is the first capital of Rus', because Rurik reigned there, and not in Novgorod.
3. Derbent – over 2000 years old
If you were to conduct a survey about the oldest city in Russia, most educated people would name Derbent. This sun-drenched city, the southernmost in Russia, located in the Republic of Dagestan, officially celebrated its 2,000th anniversary in September 2015. However, many Derbent residents, as well as some scientists conducting excavations in Derbent, are sure that the city is 3,000 years older.
The Caspian Gates – that is the ancient name of Derbent – as a geographical object was mentioned in the 6th century BC in the works of the ancient Greek geographer Hecataeus of Miletus. And the foundation of the modern city was laid in 438 AD. At that time, Derbent was the Persian fortress of Naryn-Kala, with two fortress walls blocking the way along the shore of the Caspian Sea. And the earliest mention of Derbent as a stone city was in 568 AD or the 37th year of the reign of Shah Khosrow I Anushirvan.
The date of 2000 years is not exact, but rather a jubilee, and refers to the time of the appearance of the first fortifications in Caucasian Albania.
2. Feodosia – 2549 years
One of the oldest cities in Russia with the beautiful name of Feodosia, which translates as "given by God", was founded by the Greeks in the 6th century BC. In the 13th century, on the site of Feodosia, the Genoese founded a trading city called Kafa and built a fortress, which, although not completely, has survived to this day. Sad fact: it was from Kafa in the 14th century that the plague called the Black Death began to spread across Europe.
In 1475, the city was captured by the Turks and became part of the Ottoman Empire. However, in 1783, Kafa, like the rest of Crimea, became part of the Russian Empire and returned to its original name - Feodosia.
One of the most beautiful cities in Crimea is distinguished not only by its ancient and eventful history, but also by a large number of attractions. Here is the largest (417 works) collection of paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky, who lived in Feodosia all his life.
By the way, the famous artist benefited his native city not only in terms of art, but also in terms of transport development. It was he who achieved the appearance of a railway in Feodosia, which turned the resort city into an important transport hub of Crimea.
The city also has a small house-museum of Alexander Green, the author of the famous Scarlet Sails and Running on the Waves.
1. The oldest city in Russia is Kerch
Until 2014, when the Crimean Peninsula returned to Russia, the title of the oldest Russian city was held by Derbent. However, in 2017, the Rambler / Subbotniy media reported that The Academic Council of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences has recognized Kerch as the most ancient city in RussiaThe ruins of the ancient Greek colony of Panticapaeum have been preserved on the city's territory. Historically, Kerch is the heir of Panticapaeum and its age has exceeded 2600 years.
According to archaeological research, the foundation of Kerch dates back to the time period from 610 to 590 BC. Historical and architectural monuments from different eras have been preserved on its territory. These include: burial mounds from the Bronze Age, the ruins of the city of Nymphaeum, the ancient settlement of Mirmekiy, etc.
Kerch did not immediately receive its current name, after Panticapaeum ceased to be the historical and cultural center of the Black Sea region.
- In the 8th century, the city came under the rule of the Khazar Khaganate and was renamed from Panticapaeum to Karsha or Charsha.
- In the 10th century, the Northern Black Sea region came under the control of the Rus. The Tmutarakan Principality appeared, which included the city of Karsha, called Korchev. It was one of the most important sea gates of Kievan Rus.
- In the 12th century Korchev came under the rule of Byzantium, and in the 14th century it became part of the Black Sea Genoese colonies, and was called Vospro, and also Cherkio. The local inhabitants also retained the name Korchev in common use.
- In the 15th century, the merchant and diplomat Josaphat Barbaro in one of the chapters of his work “Travel to Tana” named the city Chersh (Kersh).
- In 1475, the Turks captured the Genoese colonies, and Cerchio became part of the Ottoman Empire. The city was called Cerzeti. It repeatedly suffered from the raids of the Zaporozhian Cossacks.
- In the 16th century, ambassadors of the Moscow tsars, traveling to the Crimean Khan, knew the city as “Kerch”.
- In 1774, Kerch (already under its final name) became part of the Russian Empire. This happened as a result of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774.
In order for Kerch to officially top the list of the oldest cities in Russia, it is necessary to obtain approval from the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian government. The management of the East Crimean Reserve prepared the relevant documents last year.
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