Since its inception, Russia has been famous for its densely populated and fortified villages. It was so famous that the Vikings, who later began to rule it, called the Slavic lands "Gardariki" - a country of cities. The Scandinavians were impressed by the strengthening of the Slavs, since they themselves spent most of their life at sea. Now we can figure out what the ancient Russian city is and what it is famous for.
Reasons for the appearance
It is no secret that man is a social being. For better survival, he needs to gather in groups. And if before the tribe became such a "center of life", then with the departure of barbaric customs, it was necessary to look for a civilized replacement.
In fact, the appearance of cities in people's lives is so natural that it could hardly have been otherwise. They differ from a village or village by one important factor - the fortifications that protected the settlements. Simply put, by the walls. It is from the word "fence" (strengthening) that the word "city" came from.
The formation of ancient Russian cities is primarily associated with the need to protect themselves from enemies and create an administrative center for the principality. After all, it was in them most often that the “blue blood" of Russia was located. A sense of security and comfort was important to these people. All merchants and artisans flocked here, turning the settlements into the vibrant cities of Novgorod, Kiev, Lutsk.
In addition, the newly created settlements became excellent shopping centers, merchants from around the world could flock here, receiving a promise to be protected by a military squad. Due to the incredible importance of trade, cities in Russia were most often built on the banks of rivers (for example, the Volga or the Dnieper), since at that time waterways were the safest and fastest way to deliver goods. Settlements located on the banks of rivers have been enriched like never before.
Population
First of all, the city could not exist without a ruler. It was either a prince or his governor. The building in which he lived was the richest secular housing, it became the center of the settlement. He resolved various legal issues and established orders.
The second part of the old Russian city - these are boyars - people close to the prince and able to influence him directly with their own words. They held various official positions and lived in such settlements richer than all, except perhaps the merchants, but they did not stay in one place for a long time. At that time, their life was an endless road.
Next, we need to remember about the various artisans of all possible professions, from icon painters to blacksmiths. As a rule, their living quarters were inside the city, and the workers' workshops were outside the walls, outside.
And the last in the social ladder were peasants, they did not live inside the settlement, but were located on those lands that they cultivated. In the old Russian city they, as a rule, fell only on commercial or legal matters.
The cathedral
The center of the old Russian city is the church. The cathedral, located in front of the main square, was a real symbol. The most monumental, decorated and rich building, the temple was the center of spiritual authority.
The larger the city became, the more churches appeared inside it. But not one of them had the right to be grander than the main and first temple, which personified the entire settlement. Princely cathedrals, parish and home churches - all of them were supposed to reach for the main spiritual center.
A special role was played by monasteries, which sometimes became literally cities within cities. Often a fortified settlement in general could arise precisely around the place of residence of the monks. Then the main temple of the monastery became dominant in the spiritual life of the city.
The cathedrals were actively decorated, and the gilded domes appeared for a reason: they were visible for many kilometers, and they were a "guiding light" for travelers and lost souls. The temple with its splendor was to remind people that earthly life is nothing, and only God's beauty, which was the church, can be considered true.
Goal
Gates, of which there were up to four in fortified villages (on the cardinal points), were, oddly enough, given great importance. As the only passage to the Old Russian city, they represented a huge symbolic meaning: “opening the gate” meant giving the city to the enemy.
They tried to decorate the gates as much as possible, and it would be better to make at least one main entrance, through which the prince and noble people would enter. They were supposed to instantly shock the visitor and testify to the prosperity and happiness of local residents. They did not spare either money or strength for a good finish of the gate, they often repaired it all over the city.
It was also customary to consider them a kind of sacred place, which was protected not only by earthly troops, but also by saints. In the rooms above the gates there were often many icons, and right next to them was a small chapel, the purpose of which was to protect the entrance by the Will of God.
Bargain
A small area, usually near a river (most settlements were based near them) was a necessary part of economic life. The ancient Russian cities of Russia could hardly exist without trade, the main ones of which were merchants.
Here, at the auction, they placed and unloaded their goods, here the main transactions took place. Often, already spontaneously, a market appeared here. Not the one where the peasants traded, but a rich, created for the elite of the city place with many foreign goods, expensive jewelry. He represented not symbolic, but the true “quality mark” of the settlement. It was through bargaining that one could understand how rich the settlement was, because the merchant would not stand idle where there was no profit.
Mansions
The embodiment of secular power was the housing of the prince or governor. It was not only the residence of the ruler, but also the administrative building. Various legal issues were resolved here, a trial was held, and an army was gathering before the campaigns. Often it was the most fortified place in the city, with a sheltered courtyard, where all residents should have escaped in the event of a military threat.
Around the ruler’s chambers there were less wealthy boyar houses. Most often they were wooden, unlike the princely house, which could afford masonry. Old Russian cities were architecturally rich precisely thanks to the dwellings of the nobility, who tried to decorate their home as much as possible and show material wealth.
Ordinary people were housed in separate wooden one-story houses or huddled in barracks, which most often stood on the very edge of the city.
Fortifications
As already mentioned, the cities of the ancient Russian state were created, first of all, to protect people. For this, fortifications were organized.
At first, the walls were wooden, but over time, stone defenses appeared more and more often. It is clear that only prosperous princes could afford such a “pleasure”. Fortifications created from heavy logs pointed at the top were called jails. A similar word originally meant each city in the Old Russian language.
In addition to the stockade itself, the settlement was protected by an earthen rampart. In general, most often settlements appeared already at advantageous strategic points. In the lowland, the city would not exist long (before the first military conflict), and therefore most often they were based on high points. We can say that we do not know anything about poorly fortified settlements, because they instantly disappeared from the face of the earth.
Layout
For modern, very chaotic and confusing settlements, a real example is an old Russian city. Fortress, in which the majority of the population lived, was really skillfully and precisely planned, as nature itself would dictate.
In fact, the cities of that time were rounded in shape. In the midst, as has already been said, two important centers rose: spiritual and secular. This is the main cathedral and princely estate. Around them, spinning in a spiral, went the rich houses of the boyars. Thus, encircling, for example, a hill, the city descended lower and lower, to the walls. Inside, it was divided into “streets” and “ends”, which passed through spirals with threads and went from the gate to the main center.
A little later, with the development of settlements, workshops that were originally outside the main line were also fenced with walls, creating secondary fortifications. Gradually, over the course of centuries, cities have grown in exactly this way.
Kiev
Of course, the modern capital of Ukraine is the most famous ancient Russian city. In it you can find confirmation of all the points stated above. In addition, it must be considered the first truly large fortified village on the territory of the Slavs.
The main city, surrounded by fortifications, was elevated, and Podil was occupied by workshops. There, next to the Dnieper, was a bargain. The main entrance to Kiev, its front door is the famous Golden Gate, which, as was said, had not only practical, but also sacred significance, especially since they are named after the gates of Constantinople.
Hagia Sophia has become the spiritual center of the city. It was to him that the rest of the temples and churches were drawn, which he excelled both in beauty and grandeur.
Thanks to this, Kiev can be considered an ideal illustration of what the ancient Russian cities looked like.
Velikiy Novgorod
The ancient Russian cities of Russia cannot be listed without mentioning Veliky Novgorod. This densely populated center of the principality served the most important purpose: it was an extremely "European" city. It was here that diplomats and merchants from the Old World flocked, since Novgorod was located in the middle of the trade routes of Europe and the rest of Russia.
The main thing that we have now received thanks to Novgorod is an incomparably huge number of different historical monuments of architecture of ancient Russia. A unique opportunity to see them right now, having bought a plane ticket, is because Novgorod was not destroyed and captured during the Mongol yoke, although it paid an exorbitant tribute.
The so-called "Novgorod Kremlin", or Novgorod Detinets, is widely known. These fortifications have long served as a reliable fort for the great city. In addition, one can not help but mention Yaroslav's Courtyard - a huge area of ​​Novgorod on the banks of the Volkhov, where there was a bargain and many houses of various prosperous merchants. In addition, it is assumed that the prince’s abode was located there, although it has still not been found in Veliky Novgorod, possibly due to the lack of a princely system as such in the history of the settlement.
Moscow
The history of ancient Russian cities, of course, cannot be described without the presence of such a grandiose settlement as Moscow on the list. It got the opportunity to grow and become the center of modern Russia due to its unique location: in fact, every large northern trade route passed by it.
Of course, the main historical attraction of the city is the Kremlin. It was with him that the first associations now arise at the mention of this word, although initially it simply meant “fortress”. Initially, as for all cities, the defense of Moscow was wooden and much later acquired a familiar look.
The Kremlin also houses the main church of Moscow - the Assumption Cathedral, which has been perfectly preserved to this day. Its appearance literally embodies the architecture of its time.
Total
Many names of ancient Russian cities did not sound here, however, the aim was not to create a list of them. Three is enough to demonstrate how conservative the Russian people were in laying settlements. And you can’t say that they had this quality undeservedly, no, the appearance that the cities had was dictated by the very nature of survival. The plan was as practical as possible and, in addition, created a symbol of the real center of the region, which the fortified settlements were. Now such a construction of cities is no longer relevant, but it is possible that someday they will also say the same about our architecture.