« The Golden Age of classical literature, in whose creative laboratory Smolensk writers found themselves and worked quite successfully, began with the realization of the main artistic discoveries of their predecessors in the literary workshop, primarily with the creative development of the literary process XVII- XVIIIcenturies.It is no coincidence that journalism and literary criticism stand out noticeably at this time, reaching peaks in the work of N.M. Karamzin and V.G. Belinsky.
Being in the main positions of literary life, Smolensk writers, in order to expand their creative possibilities, were forced to look for the most favored zones, leaving for permanent residence in Moscow or St. Petersburg, or in other cities - closer to the all-powerful book publishers, owners of printing presses. Of course, there were also reverse processes, when writers and poets from other parts of Russia came to Smolensk to firmly establish themselves in the literary field, sometimes they achieved such significant success that their activities acquired an all-Russian character, giving a literary perspective for a number of decades to come.
XIXthe century began with heated debates about the tasks of Russian dramaturgy, the strong traditions of which secured Russian classicism and sentimentalism. Two main trends fought for their approval.
The first was presented Russian satirical comedy, coming from Sumarokov, Fonvizin and Krylov, it was distinguished by topicality, "pungent" allusions to individuals and portrait characters, it was rightfully considered its head A.A. Shakhovsky (1777-1846), who wrote and staged more than a hundred of his comedies, came from the Smolensk region.
The second direction found its support in secular, "noble" comedy - light, elegant, without boring moralizing; she was represented together with her followers by N.I. Khmelnitsky - Governor of Smolensk from 1829 to 1837, a Petersburger by birth, whom A.S. Pushkin called his "favorite poet."
The combination of these two literary elements - satirical comedy, which castigated the worship of foreigners, and secular, in which a person was portrayed as free, independent in his feelings - gave such a "critical mass" that it turned out to be quite sufficient for the emergence of a new national realistic comedy, at the head of which stood "Woe from Wit" by A. S. Griboyedov - a playwright whose activities are connected with Khmelita, the Smolensk estate of his uncle A.F. Griboyedov. The mother of the future playwright Nastasya Fedorovna often visited here with her children Alexander and Maria, later young people gathered in Khmelit - I. Yakushkin, V. Lykoshin and other friends of A. S. Griboyedov's youth.
Laid A.S. Griboyedov picked up a course in Russian dramaturgy Smolyan by birth P.M. Nevezhin is the author of the plays "Bliss", "Second Youth" etc.
From literary 18th century to new 19th century, the main poetic genres of Russian classicism crossed over, as well as the genre of the story in letters, which was established even under sentimentalism, which gave at the beginning XIX century "Letters of a Russian officer" F.N. Glinka, as well as the story / and the novel, which received their further development in the work of Smolensk writers V.A. Vonlyarlyarsky , P.M. Nevezhina("Insurance Premium", "Angry", "Celebrity") and V.P. Klushnikov.
It should be emphasized that the year 1812 was the most important link in the development of the literary Smolensk region. In the historical memory of Russia, he left his indelible mark. Historical, philosophical, moral and artistic views of that time and the way of thinking of individuals were reflected in fiction, memoirs, and letters. With all the intonational, stylistic, and genre diversity, the common connecting ties in them are the single theme of the greatness of Russia, its courage and honor, and its artistic reflection. This dual task was especially clearly expressed by the well-known at the beginning of the last century freethinker A.I. Turgenev, who stressed that the glow of Moscow and Smolensk "sooner or later will illuminate our path to Paris."
The letters of the Russian people of 1812 are extremely important as the first direct responses to historical events. as the first attempt at their understanding. In this regard, they represent an operational and most mobile genre of all existing types of written speech.
The letters emphasize the national character of the Patriotic War. In this regard, the correspondence of the duty general of the Second Russian Army N.S. Marina. He reports how the peasants of the village of Kamenka dealt with a huge French detachment of 500 people. Having fed and drunk the uninvited guests, they shouted “Hurrah!” rushed to the attack: a hundred French were killed in this battle, the rest surrendered. Many such examples can be found. The popular character of the war at first alarmed in earnest many writers of letters, who saw in the patriotic impulses of the Russian peasants a serious threat of a new Pugachevism. However, these fears soon dissipated. In a letter to his relatives, the famous General N.N. Raevsky noted that Napoleon, who did a lot of harm to Russia, miscalculated in the main thing - the people do not accept his suggestions, they curse him.
The Patriotic War of 1812 in the Smolensk region will become the theme of outstanding works of Russian literature for almost two centuries, starting with F. Glinka, continuing with L. Tolstoy and ending with N. Rylenkov, the author novel "On the Old Smolensk Road".
As in past centuries, the literary Smolensk region appears in its two main hypostases - in works of art, regardless of who their authors are, and reflected by Smolensk writers themselves.
Smolensk region in literature XIX century is represented by the work of A.A. Shakhovsky, N.I. Khmelnitsky, G.A. Glinka, F.N. Glinka, F.A. Ettinger, B.N. Almazova, V.A. Vonlyarlyarsky, V.P. Klyushnikov, A.N. Engelhardt, N.V. Shelgunova, M.K. ebrikova and others.
Smolensk region in literature and folklore: textbook / edited by V.V. Ilyin. - Smolensk: Trust-Imacom, 1995. - S.135-139.
The purpose of the lesson: patriotic education of students on local history material.
Lesson objectives:
- To acquaint with the history of the city of Smolensk
- Develop speech, expand the horizons of students.
- To cultivate love for the native city and its historical past.
- Develop an interest in learning new things.
Equipment: Posters depicting the emblem and flag of the city of Smolensk, the anthem of the city, a projector, a multimedia presentation "Smolensk Territory - pages of history", a video clip "Smolensk".
Lesson progress
I. Organization for work
- These days, the city of Smolensk and our entire Smolensk region are celebrating a significant date - the 1150th anniversary of the birth of the city of Smolensk.
- Tell me, is it a lot or a little?
- Over the years, the city of Smolensk and the entire Smolensk region have experienced a lot.
- We begin our lesson by listening to the song "Smolensk", which has become the anthem of the city. The words of this song were written by the Smolensk poet Alexei Bodrenkov.
II. From the history of the city
slide 1
Smolensk is one of the most ancient cities of Russia. He is older than Moscow, the same age as Kyiv and Novgorod. The first inhabitants on the territory of the Smolensk region appeared about 10 thousand years ago. They were wandering hunters. They lived in families, but in search of food they moved from place to place. In addition, they were engaged in fishing and gathering. slide 2
Tools of labor changed: from stone to iron and bronze. The way of life has changed. The nomadic lifestyle was replaced by a settled way of life, which contributed to the development of agriculture and cattle breeding. Already in the first millennium AD. on the territory of the Smolensk region there were fortified settlements.
How Smolensk arose is not exactly known. The first mention of Smolensk in written sources dates back to 863, although already at that time the city was "great and many people." Once, painted boats were sailing along the Dnieper River, and in them were the princes Askold and Dir with their combatants. And they saw that the beautiful city of Smolensk was located on the banks of the Dnieper.
Rivers played an important role in the life of our ancestors. 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. So the Dnieper River was a waterway "from the Varangians to the Greeks" (from north to south). On this path, the city of Smolensk arose. Where the rivers came close to each other, shipmen pulled the boat out of the water and dragged it along the land. Heavy boats rolled along the wooden circles. slide 3
The city of Smolensk arose on an elevated place on the banks of the Dnieper River. This arrangement protected our ancestors from wild animals and from enemies. slide 4
III. Coat of arms of the city of Smolensk
The city of Smolensk had its own coat of arms. The coat of arms is a distinctive sign, the emblem of a country, city, etc. The coat of arms of the land of Smolensk was constantly changing, reflecting the history of the development of our region. Since 1998, the emblem of the Smolensk region looks like this: slide 5
Shield The emblem of the Smolensk region has an upper edge with five teeth - this is a symbol of the Smolensk fortress wall, which played an important role in the history of Russia. The rounded base resembles the shields of Krivichi warriors.
The white field of the shield was not chosen by chance. White color was a symbol of the western Russian lands, called White Russia. Smolensk is considered its ancient center, so it had the honorable right to decorate the coat of arms in white.
The shield depicts a cannon with a Gamayun bird sitting on it. A gun in the coat of arms of the Smolensk region says that the Smolensk people often had to protect peace and happiness with the help of weapons. The cannon is the readiness of the Smolensk people to be the first to engage in battle with the enemies. In addition, in Smolensk, for the first time in Russia, an artillery salute was fired in 1393.
Bird Gamayun - a symbol of sensitivity, peace, happiness, miraculous power, prosperity, wealth.
On top of the shield decorates princely hat, indicating that the coat of arms belongs to its origin from the Grand Duchy.
The color of the prince's cap is purple, the most honorable in heraldry, called the "king of flowers".
Shield on the sides decorated with a ribbon of the Order of Lenin - the highest award of the USSR, which was awarded to territories, enterprises and individual citizens for outstanding services to the Motherland. This order is a tribute to the labor exploits of our fathers and grandfathers in the most difficult post-war years.
Below the shield is decorated oak branch and flax stalk, intertwined with the motto ribbon "An unbending spirit will overcome everything."
An oak branch with acorns is a symbol of mature military prowess and glory. Three acorns speak of the three most significant exploits of Russians on Smolensk land: in 1609-1611 - the war with the Poles, 1812 - the war with Napoleon's army and 1941-1943 - the Great Patriotic War.
IV. Smolensk fortress wall
In the distant past, Smolensk was a border town.
He was in the west of Russia and defended its western borders. Since ancient times, Smolensk has been called the key to all of Russia. It was said that the one who owned this key considered himself the master of the whole country.
Many times the enemies dreamed of capturing our city, conquering and defeating the Smolensk people. Therefore, Smolensk had to be well fortified. The city was surrounded by a wooden fortress. slide 6
Years passed. Military affairs developed, “weapons were improved. And the wooden structure could no longer withstand the onslaught of enemy cannons. Therefore, a stone wall was erected around Smolensk.
The fortress was built by stone craftsmen who came to Smolensk from all sides of the Russian state. They worked in winter and summer, day and night. Slide 7
The construction was supervised by the famous Russian architect Fedor Kon.
In 1991, a monument was erected to him near the Gromova tower in Smolensk. Slide 8
The Smolensk fortress wall is a powerful defensive structure and a unique monument of Russian architecture. The fortress included 38 towers. The height of the walls is from 13 to 19 meters, the width is up to 6 meters. Currently, 17 towers have been preserved.
V. Victor Kunevich's poem "Fortress Wall"
Hills moving to the headboard,
The ancient wall has fallen silent.
And only the Dnieper region knows,
How much she saw.Rays of dawn, like bursts,
They lay on her shoulder.
Wall, wall, wall of Smolensk!
I love you dearly.You, outlining the steep slopes,
You stand like the glory of old
You to Napoleon himself
Dispelled bad dreams.Here in the forty-first our grandfathers,
Forgetting hardships and longing,
Fought with faith in Victory,
Closing the road to Moscow.On it, where the grasses hang in the cracks,
Splinter flourishes are visible.
As on the chronicle page
Read the history of the country.
VI. Military past of Smolensk
Since ancient times, the name of the city-warrior has been established behind Smolensk, and behind the Smolensk lands - "the western gates of Moscow." The origin of these names is easy to explain by looking at the map of the country.
The Smolensk region is located on the important western routes of our Motherland. Smolensk is located about 400 kilometers southwest of Moscow.
The history of the city of Smolensk and the Smolensk region is closely connected with the fate of the entire Russian state. For many centuries, the Smolensk land was the scene of a fierce struggle with enemies rushing to Moscow. It was here, near the walls of Smolensk, that the enemy more than once received a decisive rebuff.
1. War with Poland 1609-1611.
Seven years after the completion of construction, the strength and impregnability of the fortress in Smolensk were tested in practice. In the autumn of 1609, a large Polish army led by King Sigismund III crossed the Russian border and took the direction of Moscow. But its advance was stopped near Smolensk, the garrison of which put up heroic resistance to the enemy.
The heroic defense of Smolensk lasted almost 2 years. As a result of continuous fighting, the ranks of the Smolensk people thinned every day. The city ran out of bread, salt, lacked clean drinking water.
The inhabitants of the city vowed to die, but not to surrender. Neither famine nor epidemic could break the courage of the defenders of Smolensk.
Smolensk fell, but its heroic defense remained in the memory of the Russians for a long time. The enemy was stopped and detained at the walls of our city for almost 2 years.
For more than 40 years Smolensk was part of the Polish state.
2. Patriotic War of 1812.
Slide 9
At the beginning of the 19th century, Smolensk again served as a shield for Russia. This time she was threatened by the French army led by Emperor Napoleon. He wanted to crush the Russian army, capture Moscow and bring Russia to its knees. The main direction of advance of the French troops was Moscow. The way to Moscow lay through Smolensk.
The battle for Smolensk lasted three days: 4.5 and 6 August 1812 . The position of the defenders of the city was critical. It seemed that the Russians could not withstand such an onslaught. But the French attacks were repulsed. The city did not give up. For this, Napoleon ordered the burning of Smolensk.
In 1812, Smolensk burned twice: during the assault and during the withdrawal of French troops. After the liberation, Smolensk was difficult to recognize. The city was burned and destroyed.
3. The Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945.
A severe test fell on the Russian people in the summer of 1941. On June 22, Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, attacked our country. Hitler, like Napoleon, wanted to conquer the whole world and conquer Russia.
Like all people, the Smolensk people stood up to defend their Fatherland with their breasts. Thousands of our countrymen volunteered for the front in the first days of the war.
In July 1941, the famous Battle of Smolensk began. It was of historical importance. The enemy was detained on the main direction to Moscow. The Soviet Guard was born near the city of Yelnya.
In the autumn of 1941, under pressure from the enemy, our troops were forced to leave the Smolensk region. For more than two years, the Nazis ruled here. Slide 10
Residents of cities and villages went to the forests, united in partisan detachments. There were more than 120 of them in the Smolensk region.
During the war, children fought alongside adults.
In the autumn of 1943, our army launched a major offensive in the Smolensk direction. In September 1943, our troops approached Smolensk. The enemy clung to every street, every house. But nothing stopped our soldiers. Bursting into the central part of the city, our soldiers hoisted a red banner on the building of the Smolensk Hotel. On the evening of September 25, 1943, artillery volleys announced the liberation of Smolensk.
VII. Awards of the city of Smolensk.
Our state highly appreciated the feat of ancient Smolensk: two orders of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree. In 1985, the city of Smolensk was awarded the title of Hero City.
Poem by Vladimir Firsov.
No wonder the country is proud of you,
Your enviable fate
To your face - the star of the Hero.
Salute of Victory over you.
Shine through the ages and be at peace
Under a peaceful blue sky
Immortal worker and warrior,
Half-brother of Moscow.
VIII. Summary of the lesson
Today we got acquainted with some pages of the history of our regional city of Smolensk. Every year our Smolensk becomes more and more beautiful.
SOURCES:
- Bolotova S.A. "ABC of the Smolensk Territory" Part 2 - Smolensk: Rusich, 2008
- Image. [Electronic resource]. – URL: s41.radikal.ru/i093/1203/59/80a650fda2bc.jpg
- Image. [Electronic resource]. – URL: im7-tub-ru.yandex.net/i?id=347663482-31-72&n=21
- Song about Smolensk muzofon.com/search/
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
"The main city of our ancestors."
Goals and objectives:
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 large 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. The large and full-flowing Dnieper River at that time flowed nearby, and another Dvina river was located 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. Indeed, earlier boats and large ships 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.
Well, guys, now you can safely go on an independent trip, because with a map you definitely won’t 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 of various types, sizes and colors. 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 are a threat, bright colors are 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 of various objects and details, one 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 the characteristic features of the 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 with their 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, and flooded it 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 has there been such a scope, excellently organized over twenty years of 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 abroad. 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 succeeded in defeating the purely external impression of a bright, spectacular woman and leaving 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 could 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 in the city of Smolensk forever and not a single thing be 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 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 whole 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 People's House was placed in the main building - 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 reconstructed by restorers, 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 exposition was based on original items from the family home in Novospasskoye, donated by the composer's relatives, and 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 Novospasskoye 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 to torture him, pouring cold water on him in the cold and demanding that he point out the place where the bells were 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.................
The history of the city of Smolensk is rooted in antiquity. Smolensk occupies an important place in the history of Russia.
The city occupied an advantageous geographical position on the banks of the Dnieper. In the Ustyug Chronicle Smolensk is mentioned under the year 863. At that time Smolensk was already quite a large city.
Smolensk was the center of the Slavic tribe of the Krivichi, who were famous as skilled builders and artisans. In the 9th century in Smolensk, part of the structures were built of stone.
The ancient trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed through the city, which connected the North with the Black Sea. Smolensk conducted extensive trade with the countries of the West, the cities of North-Eastern Russia and the countries of the East. Located at the crossroads, the city of Smolensk quickly mastered the achievements of science and culture of foreign countries and used them.
Even before the formation of Kievan Rus, Smolensk was the center of a large independent principality. Since 882, the city was ruled by the governors of the Kiev prince, but then their own representatives of the Rurik clan, the founder of Ancient Russia, began to reign there.
In the first half of the 12th century, the city of Smolensk again became the center of an independent principality. Surrounded on three sides by enemies, the lands of the Smolensk principality were constantly attacked. But this time was a period of political elevation of Smolensk, it does not even recognize formal dependence on Kyiv, does not pay tribute, the dynasty of the princes of Smolensk is being strengthened here and its own diocese is being established.
At the beginning of the 13th century, Smolensk surpassed all the centers of Ancient Russia in terms of the scope of construction; a brilliant, completely independent architectural school developed there.
Smolensk was not captured and devastated during the invasion of the hordes of Batu, although it paid tribute to the khan. But another enemy stood on the threshold - Lithuania. The first invasions of Lithuanians into the Smolensk lands happened at the end of the 12th century, and after the weakening of Russia by the Mongol-Tatar invasion, Smolensk is increasingly subjected to their attacks. In the principality itself, too, there was no peace: throughout the 13th century, there was a constant struggle for the right to reign in Smolensk. The principality began to be divided into appanages, and this greatly weakened it.
The 14th century did not bring peace to Smolensk. Now Moscow and Lithuania fought for him, who tried to unite the territory of the former Kievan Rus under their rule.
In 1386, the Smolensk people were defeated by the Lithuanians on the Vehri River and began to pay tribute to Lithuania. They did not violate the agreement, but Prince Vitovt again captured the city and included it in his possessions.
In 1401, a new battle took place on the Vorskla River between Prince Vitovt and the former Prince of Smolensk Yuri. The victory was on the side of the Smolensk people, who with great joy opened the gates to the legitimate Russian prince, however, the joy was short-lived. Prince Yuri pursued a tough policy, and numerous reprisals against opponents, which were particularly cruel, forced the townspeople to accept the power of the Principality of Lithuania. In 1404, Smolensk was surrendered to Vitovt without a fight and became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for more than a hundred years. Only during the reign of Vasily III, in 1514, Smolensk became a Russian city.
Moscow tried very hard to keep Smolensk, which throughout the 16th century was a tasty morsel for Poland and Lithuania. The question of the city arose at all peace negotiations, but each time Smolensk was defended and kept as part of the Russian state. The constant threats of the capture of Smolensk forced the Moscow rulers to start building a new stone fortress. In 1595, the "city master" Fyodor Kon was given the royal order to urgently go to Smolensk and start building stone defensive structures there.
Supervision of the work was entrusted to the royal brother-in-law Boris Godunov. The new fortress was built by the whole world.
Several brick factories worked in the city, stone construction stopped at that time in other regions of Russia, and all the masons were sent to Smolensk for work that should have been completed by the end of the truce with the Commonwealth, that is, before 1603. The new fortress, which covered virtually the entire city, was completed and lit in 1602. A few years later, it faced its first serious test. In 1609 - 1611, she withstood the siege of the troops of the Polish King Sigismund. Commander Shein led the defense. Only in June 1611 did the Poles manage to capture Smolensk. Again, for several decades, Smolensk was part of the Commonwealth.
In 1654, Smolensk was taken by Russian troops, and forever it became part of Russia under the Treaty of Andrusov in 1667.Smolensk recovered very slowly. As early as 1830, there were traces of unbuilt ashes. Only in the early 1830s did the construction of residential buildings, office buildings and the repair of the Smolensk fortress wall begin. The Blonje garden appeared in the city, which became a favorite place for festivities. In 1841, a monument to the heroes of the war of 1812 was solemnly opened in Smolensk, which depicts a battle plan and indicates the number of soldiers who fell in battles for the city.
Gradually, trade and crafts developed in Smolensk, in addition to bazaars, two fairs began to operate, and industrial enterprises also arose.
The development of trade relations was facilitated by the emergence of highways passing through Smolensk, and from the second half of the 19th century the city became a major railway junction, where the Moscow-Brest and Riga-Orlovskaya lines converged. In terms of trade, the city came out on top among other cities of the province. There were more than 800 trading establishments. Among the industries, the main ones were brick production, leatherworking and brewing.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Smolensk was a typical wooden city with a population of 47 thousand people.
The history of the city of Smolensk is the history of Russian prowess and military glory. The fact that Smolensk is a warrior is also evidenced by its coat of arms: a black cannon in a silver shield with a golden bird of paradise sitting on it.
