Porkhov, an ancient city located in the Pskov region, is incredibly popular among tourists. And this is not surprising, because its main attraction is the Porkhov Fortress. This is a unique defensive structure that has survived to this day in fairly good condition.
Historical reference
The city of Porkhov was founded by Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who later became famous as Alexander Nevsky. In the middle of the XIII century, the problem of strengthening the borders of Novgorod lands became urgent. At that time, neighbors regularly raided the Russian principality; in this region, the problem of regular Lithuanian military operations was most acute. Porkhovskaya fortress was founded in 1239. If you believe the surviving documents, the defenses were originally an earthen rampart with wooden walls. Such protection was not enough, already in 1387 the fortress was rebuilt in stone form. Over time, the need arose to increase the thickness of the walls, and in 1430 a large-scale completion was carried out. Since then, significant rebuilding has not been carried out, and today tourists can observe the original defensive structure, the construction of which was carried out in 1387-1430. At the same time, the wall thickness in some places reaches 4.5 meters.
Architecture of the Porkhov Kremlin
If you look at the fortress walls, you will notice that the fortress has an outline of a pentagon of irregular shape. This architectural solution is explained very simply - the fortification was erected along the contour of the natural landscape, repeating the local elevation. The Kremlin had four towers, one of which has not survived to this day. During construction, the Porkhov Fortress was reliably protected by the river from two sides. Today, the groundwater level has fallen, the ancient walls are at some distance from the reservoir. Three towers were originally located on the eastern side: Nikolskaya, Pskov and Srednyaya. At the central gate of the fortress there were also special defensive structures - zahaba. To this day, the Pskov Tower has not survived, but it is widely believed that it was a full or partial copy of Nikolskaya. On the north side, the fortress wall is fortified with a small tower, which really differs from the others in a smaller size, but has as many as four tiers.
Nikolskaya tower and other religious sites
The city of Porkhov, Pskov Region, boasts one of its symbols, the Nikolskaya Tower. This is a unique structure in architecture, and more precisely, today in Russia there are only two defensive structures with bells (the second - in Rostov).
The Nikolskaya tower is crowned by the bell tower of St. Nicholas Cathedral, which is located nearby. The temple was also perfectly preserved, restored and today is operational. Many residents of the Porkhov Pskov region visit the shrine, guided by their religious feelings. Especially for them, an additional, church entrance to the Kremlin is always open. Near the St. Nicholas Church is also a small modern chapel, consecrated in honor of Alexander Nevsky. There is another shrine on the west side, near the ramparts. This is a cross established in memory of Orthodox soldiers who died during the battle with the Lithuanians.
Facts and legends about the fortress in Porkhov
In the XVIII century, the fortress was no longer suitable for use in its original purpose. Moreover, collapsing walls were recognized as dangerous to people. It was decided to disassemble the fort structure. The Porkhov fortress had every chance to disappear from the face of the Earth forever and survived to our time only by pure chance. It was necessary to prepare complex documentation: estimates and plans for the liquidation of the structure. Due to the difficulty in preparing these papers, it was decided to remove only some fragments of the fortress that were recognized as the most dangerous. Thanks to such a typically Russian bureaucracy, today we have the opportunity to admire the ancient monument of architecture. Modern restoration work was carried out at the end of the 20th century and was rather cosmetic in nature.
Today, the Porkhov Kremlin is a tourist attraction, open for tourist visits and turned into a large open-air museum. A lot of legends and traditions are associated with the fortress. The most popular of them say that once under the stone walls there was a whole system of underground passages and hiding places, and one tunnel passed directly under the riverbed and had access to the local cemetery. There is also a tragic-romantic story about a princess imprisoned in a dungeon by her own mother. It is believed that the ghost of a girl could be seen from time to time near the walls of the Kremlin.
Actual information for tourists
You can visit the open-air museum complex on any day, except Mondays, from 10.00 to 18.00. Admission is paid, but its symbolic value is from 20 rubles. A group excursion will cost a little more. Also, everyone can climb the walls of the fortress. The museum of local lore works on the territory of the architectural and museum complex. The very territory of the Kremlin resembles a botanical garden - a well-maintained garden is laid out here, thanks to which the Porkhov Fortress seems even more magnificent.
How to get to this attraction? Simple enough: there are regular buses from Pskov to Porkhov. Getting to the regional center is most convenient from Moscow and St. Petersburg by train.
Other sights of Porkhov
Most tourists come to Porkhov only for the sake of the local Kremlin. And still try to allocate enough time for a guided tour. On the territory of the fortress there is a postal museum, the house-museum of B.P. Kalachov, the head of the local underground. Also during the walk you can see many sculptures and a very touching monument to storks. Remember that the old fortress wall deserves close attention - do not be too lazy to get around it inside and out, and then you are guaranteed a lot of new impressions. Secrets lurk in every corner of this building, and there are simply an incredible amount of landscapes to admire.