One day in early November, we reached Izborsk. We walked around, breathed in the fresh air, admired our native, practically endless expanses, and recharged ourselves with positive energy. In short, we felt refreshed…
The last time I was here was in May of this year. Since then, some things have changed in the fortress. The Bell Tower and the "Secret Passage to the Water" beneath it have been opened to visitors. So, in this part of the tour, we'll walk inside the fortress, look out over the surrounding area from the Lukovka Tower, and tour the fortress from the outside…
As a quick background, I'll say that the first mention of Izborsk dates back to 862 (9th century). It's connected to the legend of the Varangian princes' summoning to Rus'. Rurik assumed the throne in Novgorod, Sineus in Beloozero, and Truvor in Izborsk. So Izborsk is not only the oldest city in the Pskov region, but also one of the oldest cities in Rus'.
Izborsk was originally located further north, on Slovenskoye Pole, on a steep bank above Lake Gorodishchenskoye (we'll get there in the next section). But in the 14th century, Izborsk was moved to a new location, on Zheravya Mountain, and the city was surrounded by an impregnable stone fortress.
The Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh and St. Nikander of Pskov (17th century). Until recently, the church housed a small museum, displaying a large number of ancient stone roadside and grave crosses. The church has now been transferred to the Pskov Diocese.
Nikolsky Gate, through which we will enter the fortress.
There is an entrance fee to the fortress. A visit costs 50 rubles.
We head straight to the Lukovka tower.
The Lukovka Tower is the first stone structure of the Izborsk defensive fortifications on Zheravya Hill. In the early 2000s, it was restored and an observation deck was built, which we will definitely climb. The Lukovka Tower currently stands approximately 13 meters high, with a diameter of approximately 9.8 meters at its base. It has four tiers of fighting. It is the only fortress tower built inside the fortress.
There are carts near the tower
and some kind of throwing weapon
And not long ago, a basement was discovered under the tower, which served as an arsenal in the Middle Ages.
You can go down there and look into the basement, carved into the rock, where weapons and ammunition were stored.
Now let's go up to Lukovka, to the observation deck...
There are wonderful views from here…
View of Lake Gorodishchenskoye
The white dots on the water's surface on the right are a family of swans, which we will take a closer look at in the next part of the walk.
Views of the fortress
From Lukovka you can reach the fortress wall.
Source: travel.ru