From its inception, Russia was famous for its densely populated and fortified villages. It was so famous that the Varangians, who later began to rule it, called the Slavic lands "Gardariki" - the country of cities. The Scandinavians were amazed by the fortifications of the Slavs, since they themselves spent most of their lives at sea. Now we can figure out what an ancient Russian city is and what it is famous for.
Reasons for appearance
It's no secret that man is a social being. For better survival, he needs to gather in groups. And if earlier the tribe became such a “center of life”, then with the departure of barbarian 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 be otherwise. They differ from a village or village in one important factor - the fortifications that protected the settlements. In other words, walls. It is from the word "fence" (fortification) that the word "city" came from.
Education of ancient Russian citiesconnected, first of all, with the need to protect against enemies and create an administrative center for the principality. After all, it was in them that the "blue blood" of Russia was most often found. For these people, a sense of security and comfort was important. All merchants and artisans flocked here, turning settlements into vibrant Novgorods, Kievs, Lutsk.
In addition, the newly created settlements became excellent trading centers, merchants from all over the world could flock here, receiving a promise to be under the protection of 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 the waterways were the safest and fastest way to deliver goods. Riverside settlements have grown richer than ever.
Population
First of all, the city could not exist without a ruler. It was either a prince or his viceroy. 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 order.
The second part of the ancient Russian city is the boyars - people close to the prince and able to influence him directly with their word. They occupied various official positions and lived in such settlements richer than anyone, except perhaps 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 possibleprofessions, ranging from icon painters to blacksmiths. As a rule, their living quarters were located inside the city, and their workshops were outside the walls.
And the last in the social ladder were the peasants, they did not live inside the settlement, but were located on the lands that they cultivated. As a rule, they came to the ancient Russian city only on trade or legal matters.
Cathedral
The center of the ancient 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 power.
The larger the city became, the more churches appeared inside it. But none 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 stretch towards the main spiritual center.
Monasteries played a special role, 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.
Cathedrals were actively decorated, and gilded domes appeared for a reason: they could be seen for many kilometers, and they were a "guiding star" for travelers and lost souls. The temple, with its splendor, was supposed to remind people that earthly life is nothing, and only God's beauty, which was the church, can be considered true.
Gate
Gates, of which there were up to four in fortified villages (on the cardinal points), were given, oddly enough, great importance. As the only passage to the ancient Russian city, they represented a huge symbolic meaning: “to open the gates” meant to give the city to the enemy.
They tried to decorate the gate as much as possible, but it is better to make at least one front 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 the locals. No money or effort was spared for a good finish of the gate, they were often repaired by the whole 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 gate there were often many icons, and right next to them there was a small chapel, the purpose of which was to protect the entrance by the Will of God.
Trading
A small area, usually near a river (most of the settlements were based around them) was a necessary part of economic life. The ancient Russian cities of Russia could hardly have existed without trade, in which merchants were the main ones.
Here, at the auction, they placed and unloaded their goods, the main transactions took place here. Often, already spontaneously, a market appeared here. Not the one where the peasants traded, but a rich place created for the elite of the city with a lot of foreign goods, expensive jewelry. He represented not symbolic, but true"quality mark" of the settlement. It was by 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 an administrative building. Various legal issues were resolved here, a court was held, an army gathered before campaigns. Often it was the most fortified place in the city, having a protected courtyard, where all the inhabitants had to run in case of a military threat.
The less we althy boyar houses were located around the chambers of the ruler. Most often they were wooden, in contrast to the prince's house, which could afford masonry. Ancient 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 we alth.
Ordinary people were accommodated 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. Fortifications were organized for this.
In the beginning, the walls were wooden, but over time, stone defenses appeared more and more often. It is clear that only we althy princes could afford such a “pleasure”. Fortifications created from heavy logs pointed at the top were called stockades. A similar word originally denoted each city in the Old Russian language.
Besides the palisade 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 have existed for long (until 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 ancient Russian city. The fortress, in which the majority of the population lived, was really skillfully and accurately planned, as nature itself would dictate.
In fact, the cities of that time were rounded. In the middle, as already mentioned, there were two important centers: spiritual and secular. This is the main cathedral and the prince's estate. Around them, spinning in a spiral, were the rich houses of the boyars. Thus, wrapping around, for example, a hill, the city descended lower and lower, to the walls. Inside, it was divided into "streets" and "ends", which threads passed through the spirals and went from the gate to the main center.
A little later, with the development of settlements, workshops, which were originally located outside the main line, were also surrounded by walls, creating secondary fortifications. Gradually, over the course of centuries, cities grew in this way.
Kyiv
Certainly, the modern capital of Ukraine is the most famous ancient Russian city. In it you can find confirmation of all theses,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 on a hill, and Podol was occupied by workshops. In the same place, next to the Dnieper, there was a bargain. The main entrance to Kyiv, its main entrance is the famous Golden Gate, which, as was said, had not only practical, but also sacred significance, especially since they were named after the gates of Constantinople.
The 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 in both beauty and grandeur.
Thanks to this, Kyiv can be considered a perfect illustration of what ancient Russian cities looked like.
Veliky Novgorod
Old 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 various historical architectural monuments of ancient Russia. There is a unique opportunity to see them right now, having bought a plane ticket, because Novgorod was not destroyed and captured during the Mongol yoke, although it paid exorbitant tribute.
The so-called"Novgorod Kremlin", or Novgorod Detinets. These fortifications served as a reliable fort for the great city for a long time. In addition, it is impossible not to mention the Yaroslav's Court - a huge district of Novgorod on the banks of the Volkhov, where the market and many houses of various we althy merchants were located. In addition, it is assumed that the prince's monastery was also located there, although it has not yet been found in Veliky Novgorod, perhaps due to the absence of an integral princely system as such in the history of the settlement.
Moscow
The history of ancient Russian cities, of course, defies description without the presence of such a grandiose settlement as Moscow on the list. It was able to grow and become the center of modern Russia thanks to its unique location: in fact, every major northern trade route passed by it.
Of course, the main historical attraction of the city is the Kremlin. It is 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 temple of Moscow - the Assumption Cathedral, which has been perfectly preserved to this day. Its appearance literally embodies the architecture of its time.
Result
Many names of ancient Russian cities were not mentioned here, however, the goal was not to create a list of them. Three is enough for a visual demonstration of how conservative the Russian people were in layingsettlements. 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 talk about our architecture in the same way.
