Pushkin Mountains
Pushkinskie Gory is a picturesque village in the west of the Pskov region, 112 km away from the regional center. Since recently, the urban settlement has been called Pushkinogorye. The surrounding area is closely associated with Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin and is part of the state museum-reserve named after the poet.
- Highlights
- History of the Pushkin Mountains
- Svyatogorsky Monastery
Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God - Scientific and Cultural Center
- How to get there
Highlights
The territory of the reserve unites the village of Pushkinskie Gory, three estates – Mikhailovskoye, Trigorskoye and Petrovskoye, as well as the ancient settlement of Savkina Gora. In honor of Pushkin are named local school and one of the streets Pushkinogorye, and nearby, in the ancestral village of the poet Mikhailovskoye is a museum-estate of the poet.
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In the center of the village stands the ancient Svyatogorskaya monastery, where Alexander Pushkin, his parents, grandfather and grandmother are buried. The grave of the great Russian poet has become a place of tourist pilgrimage. Over 300 thousand travelers from different parts of Russia and abroad visit Pushkinogorye during the year.
.In the old part of the settlement you can see the ancient church of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God (XVIII century). And in the center of the village, in the modern building of the scientific and cultural center stored a lot of museum exhibits related to the history of the surrounding estates.
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In addition to historical and architectural sights in the museum-reserve go to admire the beauty of Pskov nature. Everyone who comes to the Pushkin Mountains is impressed by the picturesque forests and fields, hilly rural landscapes and clean air. During the year in Pushkinskie Gory there are several holidays. At the end of winter the village hosts the Pushkin Theater Festival. And in the summer it welcomes participants of the folklore festival “Pskov Pearls”, the Festival of Poetry and the Svyatogorsky Fair.
.History of Pushkin Mountains
In the 60s of the XVI century in a small settlement of Sinichi Gory by decree of the sovereign Ivan IV the Terrible appeared Svyatogorsky monastery. Fortified with a wooden palisade, the monastery was erected by the Pskov voivode Yuri Tokmakov. The monastery served as a center of Orthodoxy and served as a military outpost, guarding the northwestern frontiers of the Russian state.
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At the end of the 18th century, stone walls were built around the monastery, and the Sinichie Mountains began to be called the Holy Mountains. Far beyond the Pskov lands were famous for crowded and lavish Svyatogorsk fairs. They were attended by peasants from the surrounding villages and merchants who came to the monastery from different cities.
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At 7 km from the monastery is the village of Mikhailovskoye. Since 1818 it belonged to Pushkin’s mother – Nadezhda Osipovna. For the first time the poet came to these lands in 1817. For more than two years Pushkin lived in Mikhailovskoye in exile (1824-1826). During this time he often visited the Holy Mountains and was at local fairs.
.The reason for Mikhailovsky’s exile was a letter from the poet, in which he wrote that he was “fascinated by atheistic teachings”. Private correspondence fell into the hands of the Moscow police, Pushkin was suspended from service and exiled to his mother’s estate. While in exile, the poet visited the neighboring village, so that the hegumen of the Svyatogorsky monastery Jonah could testify to his trustworthiness. In addition, Pushkin worked in the library of the monastery and studied the archives. Here he managed to find the necessary materials, used later in the creation of the tragedy “Boris Godunov.”
The territory of the Svyatogorsk Monastery became the place where Pushkin found his last shelter. The body of the poet was transported from St. Petersburg and buried in a side chapel of the monastery cathedral. In the monastery there are also graves of the poet’s parents – Nadezhda Osipovna and Sergey Lvovich Pushkin. Pushkin’s grandparents Osip Abramovich and Maria Alekseevna Hannibals are buried here.
Two years later, the village opened a secondary school named after A. S. Pushkin, and then built a seven-year school. Gradually in Pushkinskie Gory appeared a new hospital, a restaurant and a pharmacy, and from 1930 here began to publish their own newspaper. Before the war the village had seven paved streets and electric lighting. Houses stretched from the walls of the monastery to the high school building.
During the Great Patriotic War, the local residents suffered many trials. In early July 1941, the village was first bombed. Especially badly affected by the bombing of the territory of the monastery. For three long years the villagers had to live under fascist rule. The occupiers turned the local house of culture into a prison, the hospital into a Gestapo building, and the school into a commandant’s office and living quarters for policemen. Under the Nazis in the Pushkin Mountains, partisans were exterminated and the gypsy community was shot. In addition, many residents died of typhoid fever.
.When the Soviet Army liberated Pushkinskie Gory on July 12, 1944, the village, with the exception of the school building, was almost destroyed. For several years the villagers rebuilt their homes, and sapper squads were engaged in demining the village and the surrounding area.
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Svyatogorskaya monastery
Standing in the center of the Pushkin Mountains, the Svyatogorsky Monastery is often referred to as the Lavra. The monastery appeared, thanks to Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. It occupied a border position on the northwestern borders of Russia and was considered one of the 20 largest and richest Russian monasteries.
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Since the 18th century, the borders of the state expanded, and the monastery lost its defensive functions. During the reign of Empress Catherine II, most of the lands were taken away from the monastery and it was classified as a third-rate monastery.
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One of the donors of the monastery were Hannibals – relatives of Alexander Pushkin on his mother’s side. For this they received the right to be buried near the altar of the main monastery temple – the Assumption Cathedral. Here the poet buried his mother and contributed 10 rubles for his own burial.
.When Pushkin died after the duel, Emperor Nicholas I ordered that he be buried away from both capitals. The coffin with the body of the poet was brought to the Holy Mountains, and on February 6, after the service in the monastery cathedral, buried at the altar wall, next to the graves of the poet’s relatives.
A little later, the coffin was moved to an underground brick crypt, on top of which was installed a monument of Italian marble, commissioned by the widow of A. S. С. Pushkin’s widow Natalia Nikolaevna. There are always a lot of flowers, and in the monastery itself every day services are held for the repose of the soul of the poet and his relatives.
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In 1924, the Svyatogorsky monastery was closed and used its territory for a club, printing house and bakery. Great destruction was subjected to the monastery when the Great Patriotic War was going on. Retreating from Pushkinskie Gory, the Germans carefully mined it and even managed to blow up the cathedral bell tower. Many mines were found near the tomb of the poet. But it could not be destroyed, as the Soviet troops were able to quickly seize the village.
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In the post-war years, the monastery was restored and organized in it a museum. It became a functioning male monastery in 1992.
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Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
One of the sights of Pushkinsky Gory is an Orthodox church built in 1765. The Church of Our Lady of Kazan is located in the old part of the village and can be accessed via Lesnaya Street.
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According to local legends, it was here that the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God was revealed to the shepherd Timothy. Since then, the place is called Timofeyeva Mountain, and the icon of Our Lady “Hodegetria” is still kept in the Svyatogorsk Monastery.
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Despite the active anti-religious policy during the years of Soviet power, the church was never closed and served as a parish church for the residents of Pushkinogorye. Many icons and relics from destroyed churches are kept inside, and the village cemetery is located around the church.
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Scientific and Cultural Center
The building of the Scientific and Cultural Center is located between the Svyatogorsk Monastery and the bus station (21 Novorzhevskaya Street). It stands out among the rural buildings and is noticeable from afar.
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The building of the center houses permanent museum expositions, as well as temporary exhibitions, concerts and conferences. In the center you can see a museum telling about the history of the Pushkin Mountains, a gallery of works by artist Peter Ossovsky and exhibitions from the funds of the Pushkin Museum-Reserve. It also sells passes to visit the territory of the museum-reserve to anyone who wants to travel between the estates in their own car.
.How to get there
Pushkinskie Gory stand on the branch of the M20 highway towards Velikie Luki. To get here from Moscow, you first need to take a train to Pskov or Velikie Luki, and from there drive up to the village by shuttle buses. The road from Pskov to Pushkinskie Gory takes 2.1 hrs.
.From St. Petersburg to Pushkinskie Gory can be reached by direct and passing buses in 7.5 hours. The village bus station stands in the center of the village, at 30 Novorzhevskaya Street. It has a luggage room and a cafe.
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