What kind of city where eighteen square kilometers of sights of great importance are concentrated? Mozhaysk is a city whose life has for centuries been constantly acquiring one of the most glorious moments of its history. Located on the Moscow Upland, in the upper river of the same name, to the borders of the Gzhat Depression, this city was not a major political event, not a single war, or traveled around, beginning much earlier than the thirteenth century, when Mozhaisk was first mentioned in the annals.
Prince Yaroslav
Mozhaisk accumulates sights for a very long time. Even when he was part of the Principality of Smolensk, the fortifications of the hill near the Mozhayka River helped to repel the raids of the neighbors. Prince Vladimir-Suzdal Yaroslav also wanted to capture the city.
It was then that the dense forests of this region were cut down at the root, otherwise it would have been impossible to defend the city, and so a wonderful view was opened from the hill that did not impede the flight of the arrow. The forest went to fortifications, to buildings - these lands were quickly developed, they are quite fertile and rich in harvest.
Raids
Posad grew rapidly and after a short time had already reached the Moskva River. The only bad thing is that, due to the lack of forest, Mozhayka is very shallow, and today it is generally a barely noticeable stream. The close proximity to the center of the country tightly connected the city with the fate of Russia, Mozhaisk retained many of the sights that testify to this. The first heir to this land - Fedor (Black) Rostislavich - and became in 1239 the first prince, making this city an autonomous principality.
Russia was very finely divided at that time, so it was difficult for her to resist foreign invaders. Almost twenty cities devastated Dudenev's army during these years, including Mozhaisk. The sights stored in the museums of the city are extremely eloquent. And the local princes living in the neighborhood quite rarely coexisted peacefully. It was incredibly difficult to maintain autonomy, the principality was slightly weakened - here he was crushed.
Moscow
Already at the beginning of the XIV century, the struggle between neighboring princes ended with the forcible accession of Mozhaisk to the Moscow principality of Yuri Danilovich, under his strong arm. For a long time Ivan the Red ruled the city. In general, this century brought not only attractions. Mozhaysk has experienced innumerable disasters. Twice he was defeated completely: Olgerd from Lithuania, who burned the city in 1314, and then the horde of Tokhtamysh, after only forty years, defeated, plundered and burned the newly rebuilt city with great difficulty. This blow was crushing.
Nevertheless, sad events did not eliminate Mozhaisk from the role of a key settlement in Russia. First of all, it was always a great religious center, the keeper of the famous icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk, the holy prayer intercessor of all the soldiers of the Orthodox land. Mozhaisk, of course, did not preserve all its sights: now this image revered by all is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery, since it is also a unique treasure of Russian art traditions of the fourteenth century.
Andrey Dmitrich
In 1389, Prince Andrei, son of the winner of the Donskoy, sat on the throne. Then the sights of Mozhaisk and its environs were replenished with widely built stone temple complexes. Ferapont Belozersky was then able to build the famous Luzhetsky monastery, and now called the Ferapontov monastery.
All kinds of crafts began to flourish in Mozhaisk at the same time, so by the sixteenth century the city had become a developed shopping center. In addition, Mozhaisk touched many trade routes stretching to the west.
Distemper
These difficult years, of course, could not get around the city or go unnoticed. For at least three years, the ally of False Dmitry II, the arrogant Pole Vladislav, ruled over here the city of Mozhaysk suffered many troubles. The sights gathered in museums testify to this time, about what labor and what losses the expulsion of the invaders cost.
Only in 1618, foreigners, shamefully driven out of the original Russian lands, again returned for revenge, but they did not succeed in occupying Mozhaisk: the resistance was heroic, and Boris Lykov-Obolensky commanded it. Many sights became evidence of these times, and the museums of Mozhaisk treasure them.
Losses
In the seventeenth century, the city was decorated with a stone Kremlin with the patronage of Dmitry Pozharsky, the former Mozhaisk governor. Unfortunately, to this day only a small part of this ancient brickwork has been preserved, because for some unknown reason Catherine II ordered the Kremlin to be dismantled. From the surviving brick, the Novo-Nikolsky temple complex was erected. Nevertheless, Mozhaisk itself and Mozhaisk district were becoming more and more beautiful and developed. Sights preserved from those times can be seen everywhere.
And in 1723, Mozhaisk embarked on the path of industrial development. The manufactory board ordered the creation of glass production in the county. It was the Mozhaisk glass factory and the Mozhaisk crystal factory that very soon gained fame throughout Russia. But, like the Kremlin, Mozhaisk lost this glory. In order not to cut down already nearly exterminated forests, after a couple of decades, the Senate ordered the relocation of production. Now all Mozhaisk glass glory - on the Gus river, not far from Vladimir, products under the Gus-Khrustalny brand still characterize themselves remarkably, but are not included in the sights of Mozhaisk. The addresses, reviews of which were passed on by word of mouth residents of this city of the eighteenth century, no longer exist.
Patriotic War
Mozhaisk met a nineteenth century with a rich and fairly prosperous city, albeit a provincial one. The ordered system contained fifteen settlements, which were connected by several dozen alleys and streets. Historical documents indicate that Mozhaisk then had more than three hundred large houses made of wood, sixty shops, as many as three drinking houses with restaurants, more than ten forges, several factories: tanning, brewing. So he found 1812. By the way, Mozhaisk has still preserved the original layout of the eighteenth century. You can still see ancient buildings, many interesting structures.
The French invaders occupied the Luzhetsky Monastery, Napoleon was headquartered there, a hundred meters from the famous Novo-Nikolsky Church. Retreating, they set fire to this oldest monastery in Russia. The unique interior of this monastery will never be restored. For Mozhays, this was a huge tragedy, since the veneration of the monastery was huge. In 1908, when the fiftieth anniversary of this monastery was celebrated, the procession was composed of many thousands of Orthodox Christians, including the Governor of Moscow, leaders of the nobility and, of course, the Metropolitan himself.
Twentieth Century
The city of military glory Mozhaysk is an example of valiant resistance to the enemy, who came under fascist flags. The occupation is the saddest page in the history of Mozhaisk, but also the most heroic, glorified by partisan and underground activities throughout the region. The memorial complex, which is dedicated to the fearlessness of the liberators of the motherland during the Great Patriotic War, is the most significant monument on this territory.
Already at the entrance to the city it is clear that nothing alien came here along with foreign raids and even occupations: according to architecture and cultural characteristics, the city of Mozhaisk is Russia. Sights characterize it as a historical memory of the heart of the country. There are several memorial museums; besides this, there is a historical and architectural museum. In addition, all tourists and guests of the city note how picturesque it is, how beautiful the nature of the Moscow Region is, especially the so-called Mozhaisk Sea. To explore all these beauties, horse and bicycle tourism has been created and well developed here. Tourists also praise Mozhaisk beaches and fishing.
Come to Mozhaisk
From Moscow, it is very easy and simple to get to the city, marked for special valor with the honorary title of military glory, it has an excellent motorway and railway - only one hundred and ten kilometers, you can get there in an hour and a half either from the Belorussky railway station or by bus from Victory Park. The weather in this area is no different from Moscow, the same temperate continental climate, the same rainfall and the same seasonality.
The Mozhaisk Sea, which appeared half a century ago, after the dam was established on the Moscow River, is not only useful for managing, it is now a favorite place for vacationers both from Mozhaisk and from afar. Fish is excellently caught here; coniferous forest is grown along the banks. Water sports and beach vacations flourish. It should be noted that the ecologically Mozhaisk district is the cleanest among all settlements of the Moscow region, the water quality in the reservoir is remarkable. That is why the most comfortable sanatoriums are located here. However, there is a lot of space for relaxing with a tent.
Kremlin hill
Here, tourists visiting the outstanding monuments of antiquity - the main western defense post. Much more deep in the twelfth century, Mozhaika defended the hill on one side, and on the other, an artificial moat. Along the perimeter, the remains of a powerful fortress wall are still preserved, the earthen rampart - the foundation for it - is better preserved. It is a pity that one cannot see exactly the old beautiful towers of the Mozhaisk Kremlin, only in the pictures. But even that which has been rebuilt, restored, is worthy of applause.
You can admire the St. Nicholas Cathedral (there are also elements of the former fortress - a wall, a gate, an old gate church). In the temple of Peter and Paul, the original decor of the fourteenth century is still preserved, of course, not completely. And also as a tourist attraction: a spring lake at an altitude of seventeen meters, it remembers the most ancient times. Until now, archaeological research continues here, and not without wonderful finds. For example, a Greek icon from the Middle Ages was recently found. No less interesting for inspection is the Luzhetsky Monastery, which preserved the ancient relics and the amazing beauty of the temples.