Pskov (Псков), Russia

Vlasevskii Tower in Pskov, Russia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%BD%D1%8F_%D0%B8_%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC.jpg
Author: PlatonPskov


Pskov (Russian: Псков) is a city in northwestern Russia. The administrative center of Pskov Oblast, it is on the Velikaya River just 20 km (12 mi) east of the border with Estonia. Pskov covers 95.5 sq km (36.9 sq mi) and has a population of 203,000 people (2012 estimate).

Pskov was mentioned for the first time in writing in AD 903. This is used as the foundation date of the city, and so it celebrated its 1,100th anniversary in 2003. The town changed hands a number of times in history. It was part of the Novgorod Republic in the 12th and 13th centuries, after which it was ruled by the Teutonic Knights.

In the 14th century, Pskov became the capital of the a de-facto sovereign republic. This was also when it joined the Hanseatic League. It served as a bridge between Western Europe and Russia. Pskov eventually fell under Muscovite forces in 1510 and became the second largest city in the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

After Peter the Great conquered Estonia and Latvia in the early 18th century, Pskov ceased to be a border fortress town, and began a gradual decline. The city suffered severe devastation in the Second World War. Since then, it has struggled to reclaim its position as a major industrial and cultural hub for Western Russia.

Pecherskii Monastery, Pskov
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pskovo-Pecherskii_muzhskoi_monastir.jpg
Author: RuED

Visiting Pskov

There are trains to Pskov from Veliky Novgorod (7 hours), Saint Petersburg (5 hours) and Moscow (13 hours).

Places of Interest in Pskov

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