City in Russia, the administrative center of the Smolensk region. Hero City (1985). It is located in the upper reaches, between the Dukhovshchinskaya and Krasninsko-Smolenskaya uplands.

City in the Middle Ages

The first dated mention of Smolensk is found in the Ustyug chronicle and refers to 863. The chronicler noted that "the city is great and many people." Probably, initially Smolensk was the center of the Krivichi tribe that lived here and was located 10 km west of the present city, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe modern village of Gnezdova. The name of the city is most often associated with the word "resin", which was driven and sold by local residents for the repair of ships passing along the Dnieper. In some sources there is an early name of the settlement - Smolenets. Having arisen on the trade route, in the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Smolensk was of great importance for the whole, it was a major military, commercial and craft center. Smolensk princes repeatedly became the Grand Dukes of Kyiv.

Christianity came to Smolensk in 1013, but the first stone church in the city appeared only a century later, in 1101. Then he ordered to lay the Smolensk Assumption Cathedral on the Cathedral Hill. XII - the beginning of the XIII century became the heyday of the Smolensk principality: mass stone construction was carried out in Smolensk, the churches of Peter and Paul, John the Evangelist, Michael the Archangel were erected. At that time, Smolensk had about 30-35 thousand inhabitants and, in terms of the number of architectural monuments, was second only to Kyiv and. In the first half of the 12th century, near Smolensk, in the bay of the Smyadyn River, the Borisoglebsky Monastery was founded. Construction was going on at the place where in 1015 the people of Svyatopolk the Accursed killed the Murom prince Gleb, who became one of the first Russian saints.

The first period of prosperity of the Smolensk principality is closely connected with the names of the grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, Prince Rostislav Mstislavovich, and his sons Davyd and Roman. About Davyd, the chronicle testifies that he "loved books to read and had a sharp memory", and about Roman - that he was "a great scholar of all sciences."

In 1230-1232, almost the entire population of Smolensk was struck by a pestilence, and in 1238 troops approached the city, but the Smolensk residents managed to repel the attack. In the XIII century, the Smolensk principality experienced a constant external threat, primarily from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the west and the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the east. The aggressive campaigns of warlike neighbors ravaged Smolensk and caused significant damage to its development. Fires also led to negative consequences for the city: in 1194, 1308, 1340 and 1415, Smolensk burned out almost completely.

Between Lithuania and Moscow

In 1404, after a two-month siege, the troops of the Lithuanian prince Vitovt captured Smolensk, and since then the city has been part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for 110 years. In 1410, the Smolensk regiments as part of the Lithuanian-Polish army took part in against the forces of the Teutonic Order. In 1440, the Smolensk people, dissatisfied with the infringement of the rights of the Orthodox, rebelled against the Lithuanian governor and elected a new voivode - Prince Andrei Dorogobuzhsky, and a ruler - Prince Yuri Mstislavsky. However, the very next year, the Lithuanians returned Smolensk under their control.

In 1514, the Moscow Grand Duke recaptured Smolensk from Lithuania: Moscow had made such attempts before, but only now was it successful. Realizing that the enemy would make attempts to return Smolensk, in 1595 the tsar issued a decree on the construction of a stone fortress in Smolensk. The “sovereign master” from Moscow, Fyodor Kon, was entrusted with leading the process. Boris Godunov himself was present at the laying of the fortress. Craftsmen and materials arrived in Smolensk from all over the country, and as a result, in just seven years, a fortress was built in the city with a length of about 6 km with 38 towers. Contemporaries called it "The Stone Necklace of All Russia". About 3 km of the wall and 17 towers of the fortress have survived to this day.

On August 4, Napoleon's troops approached Smolensk. The next day the city was taken: having blown up the fortress wall in several places, the French entered Smolensk. During the fighting, a strong fire broke out in the city: more than 1.5 thousand philistine houses and about 300 shops died in the fire. In Smolensk, the French executed Lieutenant Colonel P.I. Engelhardt, who oversaw the organization of partisan detachments in the Smolensk province.

After the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, Smolensk was in ruins. Of the 15 thousand inhabitants of the city, 600 survived. In 1816, the state allocated funds from the treasury to help the townspeople, and in 1817 a new plan for the restoration of Smolensk, developed by the architect Geste, was approved. The architect abandoned the ray scheme of the city's development, preferring to it the historically established network of streets with a slight straightening inside the fortress. In the 1830s, at the time when N.I. Khmelnitsky, intensive development took place in the provincial center: Smolensk "took a decent look and was decorated with pavements, stone buildings and bridges." At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, another wave of active stone construction and infrastructure development took place in the city. In the middle of the 19th century, Smolensk became an important railway junction connecting Moscow, Riga, Brest and Oryol. In 1901, the first power plant appeared in Smolensk, followed by a tram. In 1912, the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of the war with Napoleon with pomp: a number of monuments to that war appeared in Smolensk, including the famous Alley of Heroes with busts of military leaders.

Smolensk during the Soviet era

The most ancient history of the Smolensk land is known to us mainly from the data not of written sources, but of archaeological excavations. About two and a half thousand years ago, the territory of the upper reaches of the Dnieper - the vicinity of Smolensk, which had not yet arisen - was inhabited mainly by the tribes of the Eastern Balts and little resembled the current landscape. Endless forests stretched around, interspersed only in places by islands of cultivated land.
In the fields, local residents grew wheat, barley, millet, and grazed cattle in the floodplain meadows. The rivers on which the Balts built their settlements supplied them with fish all year round. In the spring, during spawning, they hit the fish with harpoons in shallow water bodies, in the summer they used nets, ingenious wooden traps, closer to autumn they practiced "radiation" - they pricked the fish at night, attracting it to the surface with the light of torches. In winter, ice-holes were cut and fish were hauled out with hooks. In the forests they collected honey, nuts, mushrooms, berries, hunted. Sorrel, nettles were used as food, and acorns were used in famine years.
The Upper Dnieper region has long been a crossroads of river routes that connected the East Slavic south with the northern and northeastern lands. Later, the chronicler writes: “The Dnieper flows out of the Okovsky forest and flows to the south, and the Dvina flows from the same forest even, and heads north, and flows into the Varangian Sea. From the same forest, the Volga flows to the east and flows into the sea with seventy mouths Khvalisskoe". The Balts traded with the peoples of the Carpathians, the Caucasus (through the Scythians), the Urals. They bought copper, bronze and bronze items. Iron was smelted and processed by themselves, extracting it from local swamp deposits.
Fearing attacks by militant neighbors, the Balts avoided settling in open areas, preferring the high banks of small rivers and streams, hidden from prying eyes by forests. At the same time, not content with natural barriers, they surrounded their villages with a whole system of fortifications: ramparts, ditches, fences, and often more powerful wooden walls. In the first centuries of our era, such fortified settlements appeared on the territory of present-day Smolensk.
The development of the Balts tribes went very slowly: century after century they lived on the settlements founded by their ancestors, conducted their household according to the precepts of their ancestors. However, at the beginning of our era, such a leisurely existence was disturbed by newcomers from the south - Slavic tribes who stood at a slightly higher stage of development. In archeology, they are known as the Zarubinsky tribes, after the name of the Ukrainian village where their settlement was first found.
Zarubintsy preferred to settle along the banks of large rivers, in places convenient for life. They brought with them a completely different type of dwelling: the long ground dwellings of the Balts, in which large families consisting of several generations lived, are replaced by square semi-dugouts, clearly designed for one small family. Near the houses, the Zarubins arranged pits for storing food - grain, root crops, dried fish. These pits had a somewhat unusual shape, expanding at the bottom, due to which they received the name bell-shaped from archaeologists. The settlements of the Zarubintsy were much more populous than those of the Balts, and resembled later villages, next to which vast barrow cemeteries were invariably located.
With the advent of the Zarubintsy, part of the Balts went north, but many remained to live in their former places. About five centuries lasted a period of relatively peaceful coexistence of two cultures in the Smolensk region. The Balts adopted from the southerners the technique of sculpting ceramics and methods of processing metals, and among the Zarubintsy, the Baptist fashion for bronze jewelry inlaid with enamel spread.

And in the second half of the 7th century, another wave of Slavic colonialists came to the territory of the Upper Dnieper - the Krivichi tribes. Unlike Zarubintsy, the Krivichi, apparently, were belligerent. It is with their appearance that scientists connect the traces of numerous fires in the Baltic cities of refuge and the final assimilation of the Balts by the Slavs. A few centuries later, the author of The Tale of Bygone Years, monk Nestor, who was well versed in the ethnographic situation in Kievan Rus, mentioned the first inhabitants of many Slavic lands, but did not say a word about the Eastern Balts - these tribes were so firmly forgotten by that time.
Like the Balts, the Krivichi were attracted by the place on the left, elevated bank of the Dnieper, occupied by the current Smolensk. Near the settlement, the Krivichi arranged a barrow cemetery, which is usual for pagan Slavic tribes. Now it is the famous Gnezdovsky burial ground, which scientists date back to the 10th century. But by the end of this century, under the influence of spreading Christianity, more and more Smolensk people began to refuse cremation - an important part of the pagan funeral ritual. With the baptism of Smolensk in 1013, the Gnezdovsky burial ground ceases to be replenished.
The history of the origin of the name of the city is still not entirely clear. According to one of the existing legends, the founder of Smolensk was a certain leader Smolich, who inhabited the city and named it after himself. Others take the name from the Smolka River, later known as the Yegoryevsky Creek, and even from the Smoligov Well, located within the city. There is also a more prosaic version: the rich pine forests in the vicinity of the ancient city were a rich source of resin, which was traded by the locals.
It is known that Smolensk did not have its own prince for a long time and was ruled by elders and veche. For the same reason, there was no citadel in it - the princely fortress, and the city fortifications covered the entire city, including its trade and craft part - the settlement. For an ancient Russian city, this was not quite usual, and therefore, according to legend, the governors of the Novgorod prince Rurik Askold and Dir, who in 863 asked him to leave for a campaign against Tsargrad (Constantinople), passing by Smolensk, did not dare to attack him "beyond the city is great and many people."
The next mention of Smolensk is associated with the name of Prince Oleg, who, heading from Novgorod to Kyiv after the death of Rurik, subjugated Smolensk. One of the chronicle versions of this event says that he did not begin to besiege Smolensk, but spread a camp with multi-colored tents under the city. And when the Smolensk people, amazed by such magnificence, left the city, asking what kind of great tsar had come to them, Oleg brought to them the young prince Igor, whom the Smolensk people recognized as their sovereign. But, apparently, Oleg did not manage to gain a foothold in Smolensk for a long time: there is no mention of the city in Oleg's agreement with the Greeks, concluded after the brilliant campaign of the Russian prince against Constantinople in 907, although it lists all the cities recognizing Oleg's authority. After 882, Smolensk disappeared from the chronicles for almost a century and a half.
The final submission of Smolensk to Kyiv took place at the end of the 10th century. In 990, Prince Vladimir the Holy divided the entire territory of the state between 12 sons, one of whom - Stanislav - got Smolensk. With his sons, he sent priests, "commanding his son, that each one in his area commands to teach and baptize people and build churches." In 1054, after the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the city entered into a complex system of distribution of princely "tables" among the numerous descendants of this famous sovereign.
And in the XII century, a single ancient Russian state, like many other European countries, broke up into separate principalities, entering a period of fragmentation. Each of the "lands", separated from Kyiv, acquired its own dynasty. Smolensk was no exception. A large and rich city, it became the center of a significant principality.

Being located quite far to the west from the steppe regions, Smolensk felt the heavy hand of the Golden Horde khans late. During the devastating campaign of the Mongol-Tatars against Russia in 1238, it turned out to be the only city that the nomads failed to take, and only in 1274 the Smolensk people were forced to agree to pay tribute to the invaders. By this time, both the territory and the political significance of Smolensk had been significantly reduced. And a significant role in this was played by its western neighbor - the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Lithuanian tribes inhabited the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea from the turn of the HI millennium AD. Once, during the time of Yaroslav the Wise, they were tributaries of Russia, and in the 12th century knightly orders came to the Baltic states. In the fight against the knights, the Lithuanian state was forged, which took shape by the middle of the 13th century. The Western Russian lands became a natural object of the expansion of the young state. More than once they attacked Smolensk. For the first time, Lithuanian detachments appeared here back in 1171: they burned several villages, captured what they could and disappeared. It took about half a century before they appeared in the Smolensk region again. The seven thousandth army that came to Russia in 1225 bore little resemblance to the army of half a century ago. This time, to force them to leave, it took the intervention of one of the most authoritative princes of Russia - Yaroslav Vsevolodovich Pereyaslavsky, father of Alexander Nevsky.
Over time, the Lithuanian principality expanded more and more at the expense of Russian, including Smolensk, lands. Already in the first half of the 14th century, such a situation was also recorded in the title of "Grand Duke of Lithuania, Zhmud and Russia." With the accession to the Lithuanian throne of the Orthodox Prince Olgerd, expansion to the east becomes the most important component of the state policy of Lithuania. By the end of the century, the supremacy of the Lithuanian Grand Duke was already recognized by the Kiev, Chernigov, Seversk, and Podolsk principalities. Smolensk remained a controversial city, maintaining its independence and balancing on the clash of interests of two rapidly growing young states - Lithuania and Moscow. Ultimately, Moscow, which focused on keeping Novgorod and Pskov in its sphere of influence, did not have the strength to oppose Lithuania even in the west, especially since the Lithuanian princes were becoming more and more popular in Western Russian lands.
The fact is that joining a strong Western state, not subject to the Golden Horde, saved not only from the Mongol yoke, but also from endless strife and wars between Russian princes. Between the Lithuanian and Russian lands there was no national and cultural discord. By the beginning of the 15th century, when Lithuania was at the peak of its power, the Lithuanians themselves made up only 1/12 of its population! The vast majority of the subjects of the Lithuanian prince professed Orthodoxy, spoke Russian. Russian Truth became the state law of Lithuania. In the future, the final merger of Lithuania and Russia seemed inevitable to many. And it is not for nothing that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until the unification with Poland in 1569 was called the Lithuanian-Russian state.
The more balanced policy of the Lithuanian princes also contributed to the growth of the pro-Lithuanian party in Smolensk. Meanwhile, Smolensk had much more tense relations with its eastern neighbor. The struggle for supremacy in the Russian lands, coupled with dependence on the Golden Horde, forced the Moscow sovereigns to pursue a tough power policy towards their rival neighbors, which could not but cause opposition. As a result, thanks to the efforts of Grand Duke Vitovt at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, a century and a half after the emergence of Lithuanian statehood and after many years of struggle between the "Lithuanian" and "Moscow" parties within Smolensk itself, the city became part of Lithuania. The then Moscow Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich, married to the daughter of Vitovt, did not consider Moscow strong enough to resist the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. A fundamentally new page was opening in the life of the Smolensk region.

Natalya Chernikova
Magazine "Beloved Russia", No. 2(3), 2006

The purpose of the lesson: patriotic education of students on local history material.

Lesson objectives:

1. To acquaint with the history of the city of Smolensk
2. Develop speech, expand the horizons of students.
3. To cultivate love for the native city and its historical past.
4. 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 coat of arms 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:

1. Bolotova S.A. "ABC of the Smolensk Territory" Part 2 - Smolensk: Rusich, 2008
2. Image. [Electronic resource]. – URL: s41.radikal.ru/i093/1203/59/80a650fda2bc.jpg
3. Image. [Electronic resource]. – URL: im7-tub-ru.yandex.net/i?id=347663482-31-72&n=21
4. Song about Smolensk muzofon.com/search/

Among ancient cities Russia Smolensk occupies a special place. No wonder the foreigners called him "sacred city" and "Key to Moscow" . For them, he was the first Russian city , the embodiment of the Russian spirit and faith.

The first dated mention of Smolensk in Ustyug Chronicle refers to the year 863: according to the chronicler, Smolensk was then "the city is great and many people" . An outstanding monument of national history and culture that era is located near Smolensk Gnezdovsky burial mound - the largest archaeological site of its kind in Russia.

Originating on an ancient trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" (from the Baltic to the Black Sea), in the upper reaches Dnipro , Smolensk, along with Novgorod and Kyiv, was the third capital of the Old Russian state.

Smolensk was of great importance for the whole Kievan Rus: he was a major point of trade and handicraft production, a military fortress. Smolensk princes several times became the great princes of Kyiv. Smolensk controlled and power in Veliky Novgorod.

From 1136 Prince Rostislav of Smolensk established an independent Smolensk diocese. According to various sources, during this period in Smolensk there were 5 to 8 monasteries. They had large collections of books, annals . The spread of education among the population is also evidenced by the birch-bark letters and graffiti found on the walls found in Smolensk. ancient Russian churches.

The close economic and cultural ties between Smolensk and the West are evidenced by trade agreements of the first half 13th century between Smolensk, Riga and about. Gotland.

XII century - the beginning of the XIII century - the heyday Smolensk principality. In count monuments of pre-Mongolian architecture the city was in third place after Kyiv and Novgorod. In the same period, Smolensk became one of the prominent centers of Orthodoxy in Ancient Russia . The most important Orthodox shrine was Smolensky Assumption Cathedral set in stone Prince Vladimir Monomakh in 1101. One of the most revered icons in Russia was the one kept in the Assumption Cathedral icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk Hodegetria - a copy from the ancient Byzantine image of Hodegetria, which was the main shrine of Tsargrad. The name of this miraculous icon of Smolensk in Russia testifies to the ancient greatness of Smolensk - capital of the Grand Duchy of Smolensk.

Since the thirteenth century, Smolensk principality was under attack their powerful neighbors: first Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and then the Grand Duchy of Moscow. A series of aggressive campaigns ruined Smolensk, cities and villages of the Smolensk land, caused serious damage to the cultural development of the region. Only from the middle of the 16th century did the geopolitical position of the Smolensk region relatively stabilize: it was included in a dynamically growing Moscow State. Smolensk became western gate on the way to the capital of Muscovite Russia. To strengthen the Russian borders at the beginning of the 17th century, a the largest stone fortress of the state , symbolizing the greatness and strength of Russia. "Stone necklace of all Russia" called her contemporaries.

But not only the military confrontation with the leading European countries determined the development of Smolensk. The spiritual confrontation between Orthodoxy and Catholicism was also important. At the beginning of the 17th century Smolensk is a powerful stronghold of the Orthodox faith on the western borders of Russia. In the city was at least 13 large monasteries.

The Age of Troubles became the most difficult test for the Russian state. Only the unity of the people and civic patriotism, realized for the first time by Russian society, saved Russian statehood and the country's independence. It is no coincidence that a new holiday has been established in modern Russia - national unity day, celebrated annually November 4 as a symbol of the unity of the state and civil principles in the life of our Fatherland. Smolensk played a key role in the years of the most difficult trials of the Time of Troubles. The legendary, heroic 20-month defense of the city in 1609 - 1611 under the leadership of the governor Mikhail Shein from the army Polish King Sigismund III , destroyed the plans of this ambitious monarch to occupy the Russian throne, gave time to rally the forces of Russian society. The Smolensk nobles refused to swear allegiance to the Polish king and became the stronghold of the 1st and 2nd zemstvo militias. Exactly Smolensk, Vyazma and Dorogobuzh nobles were the first to enter the army Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, liberated Moscow from the Poles. The outstanding patriotism of the Smolensk people saved Russia and Russian statehood, but the price of this feat was extremely high. The city lay in ruins, a significant part of the inhabitants died. Smolensk and the Smolensk people made a sacred sacrifice in the name of saving Russia. The importance of Smolensk as the most important cultural and economic center of the country on its western borders has declined sharply.

As a result of the Deulino truce in 1618, Smolensk remained with Poland. Only in 1654 Smolensk was returned to Russia, becoming for many years a front-line city in the long wars with Poland.

The devastating ruin of Smolensk and the Smolensk Territory in a long confrontation with the Catholic West led to the decline of city life. Slowly and gradually the city was reborn and rebuilt.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Smolensk was one of the headquarters Peter I, from where he supervised the construction of defensive structures on the western and southwestern borders of Russia during Northern war with Sweden. It was this circumstance that predetermined the birth in 1708 Smolensk province - among the first eight Russian provinces.

Over the next century, the main parish churches were erected in stone in Smolensk, including the newly rebuilt and consecrated Holy Dormition Cathedral , many public buildings were built, a gymnasium, a commercial school, a cadet corps were opened, the largest provincial printing house was launched, a printed history of the city was published - one of the first such publications in Russia. This significant cultural and economic rise of the city was tragically interrupted by another grandiose invasion - the invasion of the army Napoleon.

The role of Smolensk in Patriotic War of 1812 cannot be overestimated. It was in Smolensk that the war with Napoleon turned into the first Patriotic War for Russia. Smolensk nobles initiated the creation militia to repulse the enemy, and Smolensk land - a place of mass partisan movement . The defense of the city by Russian troops is one of the most heroic and tragic pages of Russian history. Burning Smolensk, in fact, was brought to the altar of the future victory of our Fatherland. It is symbolic that it was the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God Hodegetria, taken out of Smolensk, that was consecrated by the Russian army before the start of Battle of Borodino , the field marshal prayed in front of her M.I. Kutuzov on the eve of the battle.

After the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, Smolensk lay in ruins. Recovery dragged on for many decades. In the middle of the 19th century, the first railway ran through Smolensk, which contributed to the growth of industrial production. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Smolensk is a well-known cultural center in the country, largely due to the activities of the philanthropist M.K. Tenisheva. The city has opened several museums , philanthropy developed actively.

New cultural and economic rise of Smolensk happened in the 1930s. Smolensk became the capital of the vast Western Region, which united the territories of neighboring provinces. A large construction of residential and administrative buildings was carried out in the city, industrial enterprises and infrastructure facilities were erected.

Another difficult test for our country was Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945 And Smolensk , as in previous eras, showed a feat of self-sacrifice, courage and patriotism. In the battles on Smolensk land, the German armies suffered heavy losses and were stopped, which gave time to prepare for the defense of Moscow. During the years of occupation, Smolensk suffered enormous damage: industrial enterprises and a railway junction were destroyed, architectural monuments were turned into ruins. The restoration of the city again dragged on for decades.

On December 3, 1966, Smolensk was awarded Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. On September 23, 1983, the Order of Lenin was added to this award. And on May 6, 1985, Smolensk was awarded a medal "Golden Star" and awarded the title "Hero City" .

Already many hundreds of years ago, the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed here - the main artery of the Slavic peoples, which, linking north with south, crossed here with roads leading from west to east. In the 9th century Smolensk was the center of the region, stretching from Novgorod in the north to Kyiv in the south, from Polotsk in the west and to Suzdal in the east.

The Smolensk Region is a geographically, historically, culturally and economically unique region.

Already many hundreds of years ago, the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed here - the main artery of the Slavic peoples, which, linking north with south, crossed here with roads leading from west to east. In the 9th century Smolensk was the center of the region, stretching from Novgorod in the north to Kyiv in the south, from Polotsk in the west and to Suzdal in the east.

The heyday of the Smolensk principality falls on the XII century. At this time, monumental construction began, temples were erected, which became the pride of Russian architecture. The Smolensk Principality has 46 cities, 39 of them have fortifications ...

For a whole century, the Smolensk land flourished. But in 1230, a terrible pestilence devastated her. This was followed by the invasion of Batu into Russia, the aggression of Lithuania ... The Mongols, having reached the walls of Smolensk, could not ruin it, but still the city paid tribute to them from 1274 to 1339.

In the 16th century, Smolensk land became part of a strong Russian state, however, its existence cannot be called calm. The Lithuanians, united with the Poles, do not stop trying to return the territories they lost, the protection of which is now becoming an all-Russian task.

It was at this time that Smolensk began to be called the “key” of Moscow.

In the 18th century Smolensk received the status of a provincial city. Active construction begins, trade turnover increases. But - the year 1812 comes, and again Smolensk gets in the way of the enemy - this time the Napoleonic hordes.

After the Patriotic War of 1812, Smolensk lay in ruins for a long time. Many public and private buildings that previously adorned the city were never restored ...

In the second half of the 19th century, Smolensk became a major railway junction. This contributed to the development of trade and industry.

The city continued to develop vigorously after the October Revolution. At that time, enterprises of large-scale industry were created in Smolensk and the region - a flax mill, a machine-building plant, and many others.

Once again, peaceful development was interrupted by war. In the summer of 1941, a battle broke out on Smolensk land, as a result of which the advance of the Nazis to Moscow was delayed for two months ...

For more than two years, the Smolensk region was under occupation. The war caused great damage to the region. After the Nazi occupation in Smolensk, only 7% of undamaged living space remained, more than 100 industrial enterprises were destroyed. In the ruins lay Vyazma, Gzhatsk, Yelnya, Dorogobuzh, Velizh, Demidov, Dukhovshchina, Roslavl ...

Realizing the great importance of the Smolensk region for the country, in 1945 the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR included Smolensk and Vyazma among the 15 Russian cities subject to priority restoration, for which all conditions were created ...

In the shortest possible time, the area was restored. Soon the volume of industrial production exceeded the pre-war level and continued to grow every day.

In commemoration of the merits of the inhabitants of the city, Smolensk was awarded the title of Hero City. This high title he wears with honor.

Russian Civilization