Inspiring heritage of Pskov in the modern collaboration with UCLG

The meeting of the Secretary General of the UCLG Euro-Asian Section, Rasikh Sagitov, with the Head of Pskov city, Ivan Tsitserskiy, took place on the 30 of June 2011 in Pskov. The agenda of the meeting comprised the questions of UCLG and Pskov collaboration, the participation of Pskov in the V International conference of the World Heritage cities of Eurasia in Istanbul on 27-29 October 2011, as well as other events.

Ivan Tsitsersky remarked that Pskov is interested in development of its international connections, in reinforcing the city’s recognition in Russia and at international level, while collaboration with UCLG serves the purpose.

Pskov is a city in the north-west of Russia, the administrative centre of Pskov Region, the city of the Military Honour. Pskov is located on the Velikaya River. The city’s population is 191 760 people (census Jan.1 2010) or 203 300 (preliminary results as per October 14 2010). In December 2005 the city acquired the title of the City of the Military Honour (by the order of the Russian President from Dec 5, 2009).

The earliest mention of the city comes in 903 (“Lavrentyev chronicles”).
In X  - beginning of XII centuries it was one of the first Ancient Russian cities as a part of the Ancient Russian state.

Archaeological excavations in the Pskov Kremlin have shown that the Slavic settlements located in the region had earth and timber fortifications in the IXth century.
The existence of the city in those days was reflected in the Chronicles that
record Igor of Kiev marrying a local lady, St. Olga from Pskov.  The citizens of Pskov consider Princess Olga their patron.

        The oldest part of the city is the Kremlin of Pskov (Krom).
The preserved cathedrals are Mirozhsky (built before 1156), the former monasteries of Ivanovo (1243), Snetogorsk (1310), as well as the church of Basil on the Hill (1413), Kosma and Damian from Primostie (1463) and many others.

From the XII century Pskov was part of the Novgorod land, in XIII century, acquires independency, consolidating the position during the rein of Duke Dovmont (1266-1299).
In was only in 1348 that Novgorod formally recognized the independence of Pskov, the capital of the Pskov republic, according to Bolotovsky Treaty.
From 1510 Pskov is part of the Grand Principality of Moscow (the Russian centralized state). In 1581-1582, during the Livonian War, survived a six-month siege of the Polish forces of Stefan Batoriy.

Since 1777 Pskov was the center of Pskov governorship, from 1796 to 1926 it turned into the Center of the Pskov province, in 1927 - 1930 and 1935 -1940 it became the center of the Pskov region within the part of the Leningrad region. In 1930 - 1935 and 1940 - 1944 it was a formal district center in the Leningrad region.
Since 1944 the city is the center of the Pskov region.

30.07.2011

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