Russia boasts interesting places that can surprise even a sophisticated tourist. In the north-west of the country is the city of Velikiye Luki (Pskov region). The settlement is located on both banks of the river Lovat. The city received its name precisely because of the radiant course of the river, but then it was just the city of Luke, and only later, by the 15th century, the prefix “Greats” appeared.
In ancient times, Novgorod and Kiev princes gathered here to discuss their relationship. Then this city was of great importance for the Novgorod principality, and then for the united Russian, because there was a fortress that protected the borders of the state. It was also important for trade, as it stood on the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks." Almost all the Middle Ages in the city were concentrated military forces, always ready to defend the borders of the state.
The Velikiye Luki fortress played an important role in the Great Patriotic War.
How it all began
In these places the fortress appeared in the XII century, but was constantly attacked and destroyed.
The first information on the availability of fortifications is in the annals of 1198.
Then there are mentions in the annals of 1211. They say that Prince Mstislav sent to Luke to set the city of Dmitry Yakunits.
And in 1493, Prince Ivan Vasilievich was already equipping an expedition to build a fortress in these places on the site of the old one destroyed.
The history of the Velikiye Luki fortress does not end there. The “Notes on Muscovy” of the Austrian diplomat also mentions the fortress.
In 1580, the Velikiye Luki fortress was completely restored by King Stephen Bathory. At that time, the fortress had the status of a city. It was a huge territory, surrounded by a high stone fence and a deep moat. The total length of the fortifications was more than one kilometer. Although up to this point, King Stefan himself destroyed the Kremlin and all the structures, he couldn’t find a better place for building his own than where the fortification destroyed by him stood.
The restoration plan was developed by Batory himself, and the work was carried out in a short time, but not all fortifications were restored. It was at this moment that the name “Kremlin” completely loses its meaning, and later on in all sources there is only a description - the Velikiye Luki fortress.
During the Time of Troubles, the fortress again suffered greatly, it was the troops of the Don Cossacks, Prosovetsky detachments. In those days, Orthodox Christians suffered a lot, and the fortress completely lost its defensive significance.
Fortress during the reign of Peter I
During the Northern War in 1704, Peter the Great decided to restore the dilapidated structure and build a fortress of the bastion type. And after 2 years, according to the project of mathematician Magnitsky L.F., the plans were implemented.
What did the bastion look like then
The Velikiye Luki fortress was a whole complex of buildings with irregular hexagonal shape. The complex had 6 bastions with ravelins between them. There were forty cast-iron cannons and 12 copper. All bastions occupied about 2 kilometers in a circle.
The fortress had two vaulted bridges over the rampart, on the north and west sides. The shaft itself was 21.3 meters high, and outside reached 50 meters.
Inside, the occupied area was 11.8 hectares. On the territory of the bastion were shops, barracks, a prison, warehouses with food and gunpowder, barns. There was also the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ and the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Inside, behind the fence there was a lake, and in the eastern part there was a secret passage to the river Lovat.
However, after the Battle of Poltava in 1709, the bastion again loses its strategic importance. During the Patriotic War (1812) there was a collection point for the troops who were going to drive out Napoleon.
The Great Patriotic War
Despite the long and changeable fate, the Velikiye Luki fortress (Velikiye Luki) last played an important role in the fighting in 1942-1943.
It was here that five tankers accomplished the great feat in January 1943.
Before the decisive battle, about 600 soldiers of the German army were based in the fortress. All the shafts were fortified with trenches, wire fences were present, and all possible approaches to the bastion were under the flanking fire of machine guns. The Germans even made icy slopes so that no one could get close. Soviet soldiers stormed the walls six times. But they managed to capture the fortress only on January 16, 1943, during the battle all the buildings were destroyed.
In honor of this heroic act in 1960, a monument to the soldiers was erected on the Neplyuevsky bastion (northeastern part). This is a semicircular pedestal with powerful pylons, on top of which a faceted column with a five-pointed star is installed. The monument is installed on the highest point of the whole city, and the monument itself is 26 meters high.
In 2008, the city itself was awarded the honorary title "City of Military Glory." And it was in honor of this that two years later a stele appeared.
A T-34 tank is installed on the Engineers' Bastion, which is designed to perpetuate the memory of all tankers who died in this city.
What has survived to this day
Partially, the structures of the Velikiye Luki fortress have been preserved. The bastions still have a total length of 2 kilometers and the previous configuration. The height of the shafts is from 12 to 16 meters. On the slopes you can see the park, and on the hill to this day the remains of the foundation of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ are flaunted.
To date, work is underway to preserve the bastion as an object of cultural heritage and use it as an object of museumification. On the territory pedestrian paths for tourists have been improved, a ravelin has been arranged, a pond has been put in order, and the Western Gate has been restored.
Practical information
The easiest and cheapest way to get to the fortress is to use the services of the railway. From the Riga railway station of our capital, the Moscow-Velikiye Luki train leaves daily (No. 661). The train leaves in the evening, and on the road you will have to spend about 11 hours.
Another option is train number 001, next to the city of Riga. However, he travels faster and will have to spend 7 hours en route, but he arrives at Velikiye Luki at two in the morning.
How to get to the Velikiye Luki fortress from St. Petersburg? A train to Velikiye Luki also regularly departs from the northern capital (except Saturday). The train leaves at 22:18, and arrives at 7:55 at the destination.
Arriving in the city, the easiest way to get to the fortress is by taxi. By the way, the prices here are low, about 70 rubles per trip. The fortress itself is located on the left bank of the river Lovat, literally a few steps from the museum of local lore. Entrance to the bastion is absolutely free.
Car traffic
If you want to get from Moscow to Velikiye Luki on your own motor vehicle, then you should leave along Novorizhskoye Shosse and move along the Baltiya highway (M9). GPS coordinates: 56.342690, 30.507225. However, it should be remembered that there are 500 kilometers from the capital to Velikiye Luki, as well as from the Northern capital.