During the course of human civilization, many settlements arose that became cities. But time, war, natural disasters have turned many of them into ruins. Some of them have survived to this day. What are the oldest cities in Russia today? This question interests many.
Some problems
Determining the most ancient city in a country can be very difficult: the date of foundation of the settlement is not always known. Based on the data of chroniclers or historians, the date can only be estimated. Reading chronicles, historians pay attention to where this or that city is mentioned, with what historical events its reference is connected. The ancient cities of Russia in those old days could have other names. Therefore, the exact date when they were erected, sometimes not know. But this applies to the oldest cities. There are official statements about the day of laying, then there is no problem determining the age of a historical place.
To study the issue, historians turn to the Nikon Chronicle, which was compiled in the XVI century. We study information from Arab sources dating back to the 10th century. The well-known historical work “The Tale of Bygone Years” helps in this. The work of archaeologists who excavate and help determine the most ancient cities of Russia does not stop. Their list is changing, there are objects, masonry walls, pavements that give new and new information to historians. Today it is Veliky Novgorod, Staraya Ladoga, Smolensk, Murom, Pskov, Derbent, Kerch.
Velikiy Novgorod
The history of the emergence of Veliky Novgorod is still unknown. Nobody knows the exact date of its foundation. Everything is approximately. But the fact that it is included in the most ancient cities of Russia is a fact. The date of occurrence of Novgorod is fixed - 859 year. From it the chronology of the age of a great city is kept. Today he is 1155 years old. But this is not accurate. Indeed, the year mentioned in the Nikon Chronicle was considered the year of its founding: at that time Novgorod elder Gostomysl died. So, the city was founded much earlier.
The chronicler Nestor wrote in the Tale of Bygone Years about the most ancient cities of Russia. The list, which was called Lavrentievsky, indicated that before the arrival of Rurik (in 862) Novgorod had long existed. According to the Ipatiev Chronicle, it was founded by the Ilmen Slovenes, who settled near the lake. They called it by their name - Ilmer. They founded the city and called it Novgorod.
Over its history, Veliky Novgorod has experienced many events: it was also the capital of a free state, and was captured by the Moscow, Swedish and Levon rulers. Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod, rebuffed the Swedes on the banks of the Neva in 1240 and the knights of the Teutonic Order in 1242 on Lake Peipsi.
The oldest cities of Russia
Among the listed places, which are considered the most ancient, Staraya Ladoga is on a par with everyone. Historians attribute this settlement to the VIII century. It is believed that this city was founded in 753. Historians suggest that it was from Ladoga that Rurik was called to rule and became the first prince in Russia. From the north, neighbors attacked the city, and the fortress suffered destruction and fires. But in the ninth century it was surrounded not by wooden walls, but by stone made of limestone, and Ladoga became a reliable northern fortress - the first in Russia.
What ancient cities of Russia can be put on a par with Ladoga and Novgorod? That is Smolensk. In the annals he is also mentioned in 862. Through it, as well as through Ladoga, the famous path "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed. Smolensk became the defense of Moscow and withstood many wars and battles. Fragments of the walls of the fortress, which was built in the 16th century and was considered a miracle of fortification technology of those times, are still preserved.
Murom is an equally ancient city that arose almost simultaneously with Smolensk. This city began to be called from the tribe of Murom, of Finno-Ugric origin. His gaze is directed to the east: from there the threat of attack constantly went. Either the Volga-Kama Bulgars, then the Tatar-Mongols. Such ancient cities of Russia as Murom suffered terrible ruin, and for decades no one has dealt with them. Only in the fourteenth century it was restored, and at the very beginning of the XV century, Murom was already subordinate to Moscow.
The ancient cities can be listed endlessly, how deep the history of the country is, there are so many historical places in it: Rostov the Great, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Vladimir. But there is one city that is more than 5000 years old, and it exists to this day.
Darband - narrow gate
No matter how many people argue about which city of Russia is the oldest, it is Derbent. This is the territory of the Dagestan Republic, but it is part of Russia. So Derbent is also the most ancient city of Russia. It is located near the Caspian Sea: it is a bottleneck that remained between the coast and the mountains of the Caucasus. It is worth noting that when the settlement of Derbend appeared, neither Kievan Rus nor the Russian Empire existed. In the annals of Derbent was mentioned in the VI century BC. e., but settlements arose even earlier.
Today, both the Naryn-Kala fortress, which is more than 2500 years old, and the old Juma mosque, built in the eighth century, have been preserved. Derbent controlled the Dagestan corridor through which the Great Silk Road passed. Many peoples tried to take over the city, stormed it, destroyed it. Over its long history, Derbent has experienced both prosperity and decline many times. The protective wall - a fortification with a length of 40 km - has survived to this day. The UNESCO Organization considers Derbent the most ancient Russian city.
Crimean peninsula
But there is one more fact that makes its own adjustments to the issue under consideration: this is the return of the Crimean Peninsula to Russia . Therefore, the city of Kerch is added to the list of ancient places.
It is located on the shores of the Strait of the same name, in the eastern part of the peninsula. It is believed that Kerch was founded more than 2600 years ago. The city has preserved ancient monuments of architecture, historical sites. Excavations by archaeologists confirm the age of Kerch, which was founded by the colonists of ancient Greece.
Talk about what ancient cities of Russia exist today can take a very long time: the country is large, there are many interesting historical sites. The main thing is that the history of the country must be studied and remembered, and ancient monuments must be preserved for posterity.