The treasures of the Republic: where to look at Ancient Russia
Pskov, as you know, is the place where Russia begins in the West. It is also a cozy and hospitable tourist city, full of antiquities. If all the sights nearby Moscow have already been explored, you can get there by train and plane, or you can take a chance and drive by car, having seen not only Pskov and the surrounding area, but also Novgorod Rus in a few days. If you're going to get a real Russian medieval, then this is the place. Izvestia tried this route and found out how to plan a trip through Pskov and Novgorod for a long weekend and what you can see along the way.
Day 1
Pskov: Kremlin, Kaverin and ancient monasteries
Pskov is a republic city, a border guard city, and a commercial city. It is worth going here for the expanse of the Velikaya River, on the embankment of which the famous inscription "Russia begins here" is installed, stone merchant chambers and squat medieval churches with thick whitewashed walls.
You can get an idea of the medieval life of the merchant city and the everyday life of the townspeople in the recently restored "Pogankin Chambers": a fortress building built in the 17th century for the influential Pskovite Sergei Pogankin. They lived here, produced goods, and stored gold. Now the vast premises accommodate temporary exhibitions, an impressive display of icons from the North-West of Russia, as well as items of merchant life and interiors of the chambers proper of the 17th century.
They will also tell you about the biggest Pskov mystery — the largest treasure in the history of the region, buried during the Civil War and discovered in 2016 during excavations nearby, in Museumny Lane.
On the territory of the Pskov Kremlin, it is worth climbing the towers of the ancient fortress and walking along its walls, seeing the remains of the Dovmontov settlement and looking into the Order Chambers — the only preserved 17th-century administrative building in the city, with intricate tiled stoves.
Another important feature of Pskov is its unique ancient frescoes. You can find them, for example, in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky monastery (within the city) and in the Assumption Church in Meletovo (at the entrance to Pskov). Pskov is generally famous for its churches. It is known that the asymmetry of the bell tower of the Church of the Epiphany from the Moscow region so impressed the French architect Le Corbusier during his visit to the city in 1921 that he later used these motifs in his work, for example, when designing the chapel of Notre Dame du Haut on the border of Switzerland and France. There are 10 UNESCO monuments in the city at once, so tourists always have something to do and see.
For those who are tired of antiquities and merchant life, it's time to remember that Pskov is the birthplace of Veniamin Kaverin, author of the adventure novel "Two Captains". You can shake hands with the bronze Sanya Grigoriev, who is striding forward, in the city center, on Oktyabrsky Prospekt. There is also a small themed museum there.
Where to eat: Pskov has many establishments for every taste, from gastro bars to tourist canteens and establishments in the style of medieval taverns. You can try local specialties (for example, meat in beer, dried snetka and Pskov catfish) in the Tower food hall, located, as you might guess, in one of the towers of the fortress.
Day 2
Pechory and Izborsk: how to get there and what to see
Less than an hour (31 km) drive from Pskov is the ancient fortress of Izborsk, a well—preserved architectural monument of the XIV-XVII centuries. As in the Kremlin, you can not only walk around the territory, but also climb the walls and even look into the tower. A well-maintained street with restored old houses adjoins the fortress. In one of them, you can see the office of a local merchant and an exhibition of folk toys from various regions of Russia. And from the fortress itself there is a walking route to Gorodishchenskoe Lake with the famous Slovenian keys and a picturesque cascade of waterfalls.
From Izborsk, you can drive to Pechora, an urban—type settlement near the border with Estonia, where the famous Pskov Caves Monastery is located, known for never having been closed since its foundation in the 15th century. The caves located on the territory of the monastery can only be accessed by prior arrangement. But everyone can just take a walk, go to the cathedrals and get water from the holy spring.
Another attraction of Pechora is the tourist street adjacent to the monastery, with facades of houses made in the half—timbered style. Here you can find souvenirs, take photos or have a snack: there are inexpensive canteens and a monastery cafe to choose from, which turns out to be a comfortable retro-style establishment with expensive prices, but delicious and satisfying dishes of Russian cuisine.
If you don't take the toll road on the way to Pechory, the journey will take about an hour, but you will be able to drive through the village of the small people of Seto (there are about 200 people in Russia, and all here are on the border with Estonia. — Ed.) in the village of Sigovo. There is also a Museum-estate of the Seto people. It is better to arrange the tour in advance, so as not to coincide with the tour group. If you're lucky, you can even pre-order a traditional lunch surrounded by an old apple orchard.
Where to eat: at the buffet at the Pechora Monastery, the local canteen, the monastery cafe (for those who like more expensive and comfortable) or have a picnic in the fields, buying homemade kvass, bread and local sausages in Izborsk.
Ostrov, Dno and Porkhov: what are they interesting for
A less obvious, but no less interesting attraction of the Pskov region is the city of Ostrov, located 55 km from Pskov and about 80 km from Pechora.
One of the most important strongholds of Ancient Russia in the western direction in the XIV-XV centuries, over time it lost its relevance and today it is a fairly large but exceptionally peaceful settlement stretching along the Velikaya River. Squat stone buildings can be found here and there on the streets, a legacy of the city's merchant past. But its main attraction is on the river. It is worth coming here to walk from the north to the south coast along the picturesque hanging chain bridges, opened back in 1853 with the direct participation of Nicholas I. These are the only chain bridges of the 19th century that have survived to the present day.
If you leave the Island in the direction of Veliky Novgorod (the road will take a little more than three hours) and are not afraid of bad roads, you can build a route through the city of Porkhov and the station Bottom, famous in 1917 for the abdication of Nicholas II. It should be borne in mind that the route will take place partly on gravel, partly on old asphalt roads, on which you can kindly remember that very gravel. But an ordinary crossover can easily pass there in dry weather. The route is almost deserted — only rare village houses and stork nests on poles will accompany you along the way. But you can fully enjoy the Russian expanses. In the fields, you will be greeted by a lonely whitewashed stove, a sad monument to the village of Krasukha, which was burned to the ground in 1943 along with its inhabitants.
Porkhovo suddenly offers a view of the 14th century fortress, which is not inferior in scale to Izborsk. It has been under reconstruction for several years, and it is still unclear when it will open to the public inside, but it is possible to explore it from the outside alone and without the participation of other tourists today.
The Church of the Royal Passion-Bearers, as well as the elegant station building from tsarist times, remind of the past of the Dno station in the city today. There is a commemorative plaque on it. However, you can only get to the station by crossing a high railway crossing.
Day 3
Pushkin Mountains and Velikiye Luki: what to see
An alternative route for returning does not run along the toll road of Leningrad, but through Novorizhskoe highway. In this case, the Pushkin Mountains will be on the way — a large complex, which ideally, of course, should be spent the whole day. Here you can find three museum reserves at once - Mikhailovskoye, Petrovskoye and Trigorskoye, as well as the Svyatogorsk Monastery with Pushkin's grave. Among the most famous sights are the house where the poet served his exile, the Mikhailovskoye Estate Park and the House Museum of Sergei Dovlatov, who once worked as a tour guide here. In conditions of time constraints, you can choose what you like best.
For those who want to relax before heading to Moscow, Velikiye Luki and the cozy provincial Toropets will be ahead, and further down the road is the majestic Rzhevsky Monument.
Where to eat: desserts in the Pushkin Mountains in the elegant coffee shop "Wolf" or Russian cuisine in the surrounding cafes.
Veliky Novgorod: a half-day route
If you go back along the M12 "headscarf", then Veliky Novgorod is conveniently located two-thirds of the way from Pskov to Moscow, so you can stop there for the night on the way there or back. There are no paid parking in the city, so there won't be any problems with where to park your car.
Although the sights of Veliky Novgorod can be listed for a long time, even half a day spent in the city on the way to or from Moscow is enough to see the most important and interesting things. It is not enough just to visit the Kremlin and the ancient St. Sophia Cathedral. A medieval temple with its own history can be found here at almost every turn. It is definitely worth going to the Transfiguration Cathedral on Ilyina Street and seeing the miraculously preserved frescoes of the 14th century, painted by Theophanes the Greek. For easy inspection, there is a special lighting and a staircase to the choir. The famous Constantinople painter came to Novgorod, among other things, for freedom of expression, and his frescoes are distinguished by an uninhibited manner, bold lines and attention to detail. "He wrote with a broom," his contemporaries said. Feofan the Greek later moved to Moscow, but managed to exert a strong influence on the Novgorod school of painting, which is noticeable in the frescoes of the nearby church of Theodore Stratelates on the Stream. The rivalry of the Novgorod churches continues today — Theodore Stratelates' caretakers will definitely tell you that their frescoes were painted earlier. There are also funny graffiti on the walls in this church.
Where to find it: Veliky Novgorod is a tourist city, so there are no problems with coffee shops, canteens, cafes and restaurants here. Many people go to the Berg House for Russian cuisine, in a modern interpretation it is served in an institution with an unusual name "Naffiga koze bayan" (the cuisine and interior here are much more seasoned than the name), local drinks can be tasted in establishments of the local Zavod group, and the usual Italian cuisine is at the Bistro Palazzo. The main thing is to look for something that is closer to you, and if you plan to enter the city in the evening, remember that after 22 hours the choice is greatly reduced.
What to consider when traveling along the M12 Neva
From Moscow, the fastest way to Pskov by car is along the Neva M12 toll highway. The hardiest can overcome it almost non—stop in 9-10 hours, but if you drive with stops, you will get to see more interesting points. Rates vary depending on the car and the day of the week, but on weekends and holidays this pleasure is unlikely to be cheaper than 4 thousand.
You can save money by alternating paid and free plots. For example, you can drive along the free highway section from Novgorod itself to Vyshny Volochok. Then ancient Valdai and the picturesque Vyshnevolotsky reservoir will be on your way, and Izvestia has already written about the sights of the village itself. Among the disadvantages are the settlements with speed limits that constantly get in the way and trucks that try to overtake you and shower you with a cloud of small pebbles. This option will be longer, but the remaining toll area on the holiday will cost about 2.5 thousand rubles.
It is important to keep in mind that there are not many gas stations on the "kerchief", therefore, in order not to lose all the time gained in the queue to the pump, it is worth entering the highway with a full tank.
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