Yaroslavl is one of the most interesting cities in Russia. Today we will tell you about it. The history of the city of Yaroslavl is closely intertwined with the history of the Russian state, the rich culture of our country. The Yaroslavl region is marked in red on the map below.
Cultural and historical significance of the city
At the confluence of the Kotorosl and the Volga, a fortress was built back in the 11th century, which was supposed to protect the approaches to Rostov the Great. The walls of the Spassky Monastery became witnesses of the cruel and selfless battles of Russian soldiers with the Horde invaders. The militia of Minin and Pozharsky flocked to the city to liberate Moscow. Here, in Yaroslavl, one of the lists of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", a pearl of the literature of Ancient Russia, was discovered. The name of this great city, located on the Volga, is also associated with many biographical facts from the life of the great cultural figures of our country: F. G. Volkov, director, actor and playwright, N. A. Nekrasov, a poet dear to the Russian heart, L. N. Trefolev, poet-democrat, A. M. Opekushin, sculptor, L. V. Sobinov, singer, A. I. Savrasov, artist. Let's look into the distant past of our country, where chronicle evidence coexists with many legends and folk tales.
How did Yaroslavl come about?
The history of the creation of the city of Yaroslavl is rooted in antiquity. This city begins from a place that is called Strelka to this day. In Russian toponymy, this word is often found. This is the name of a long spit, a cape at the confluence of two rivers. It was here, on the arrow formed by the confluence of the Kotorosl River into the Volga, as well as on the branch of Kotorosl, which runs along the bottom of the Medveditsky ravine, that the first settlement of local residents arose.
On Strelka, as a result of archaeological excavations, traces of the Meryan settlement were discovered, from which the history of the city of Yaroslavl begins. One of the legends about how this city arose echoes the data collected by archaeologists. It is called "The Legend of the Construction of the City of Yaroslavl". This legend has come down to us in the notes of Samuil Mislavsky, Archbishop of Rostov.
This is the story about the city of Yaroslavl, or rather, its prehistory. Read about how it was founded below.
The ancient legend of the bear
The history of the coat of arms of the city of Yaroslavl is as follows. It has a bear on it. This master of the forests is one of the main characters in the ancient legend about how this city arose. The history of the city of Yaroslavl is closely connected with this animal. In the "Tale …" you can read that when, after the establishment of tribute fromSince the inhabitants of the Bear Corner, Yaroslav the Wise came again to these places from Rostov, the inhabitants unleashed "a fierce beast and dogs" on him. But the prince defeated the beast. The locals were afraid of the strength of Yaroslav the Wise and prostrated themselves before him. Children especially like to listen to this story when you tell them about how Yaroslavl arose. A short history of the city for children must include this legend.
As you know, many peoples who had a cult of a bear, there was a kind of taboo - a ban on calling his name. The bear was always referred to as "old man", "beast", "master". Echoes of this phenomenon are found in some places today, of course, only in the form of folk traditions.
Bear angle and the emergence of Yaroslavl
In the Yaroslavl region, we also have information about the cult of this beast in ethnographic, archaeological material. Let us recall, for example, the Medveditsa River (which is the left tributary of the Volga) and the settlement located here, called the "city of the bear." The horror that gripped the inhabitants of Bear Corner at the death of the sacred animal was truly great.
In one form or another, the legend about the deed of Yaroslav the Wise, apparently, existed in antiquity. This is how our ancestors imagined what the history of the city began with.
Yaroslavl… A summary of the legend about this city, founded by Yaroslav the Wise, was passed down from parents to children. It was also reflected in the ancient coat of arms of the city, the earliest image of which isby the 17th century. Prince Yaroslav, of course, was not content with just defeating the bear, a symbol of the independence of this place. In order to gain a foothold on the important waterway from Rostov, he founded the city on the modern Strelka, which resembled an equilateral triangle in plan. This is the history of the formation of the city of Yaroslavl.
Versions about the founding of Yaroslavl
When did this momentous event happen? This is perhaps one of the most controversial and complex issues that marked the history of the city of Yaroslavl. Most often, the foundation of the city is associated with the events of 1024. Yaroslav the Wise, who was drawn into civil strife with his brother Mstislav in the south, was forced to take up the affairs of the land of Suzdal. This marked the beginning of further events, as a result of which the city was formed.
There is also another point of view about how the history of the city of Yaroslavl began. Let us briefly outline its essence. Yaroslavl, according to some researchers, should have been founded by the prince no later than 1010. According to this version, the legend relates the events that took place in the Bear Corner to the time when Yaroslav was the prince of Rostov. The foundation of a fortress near Kotorosl, a navigable river, could be dictated by the strengthening of princely power in the Rostov land.
The first mention of the city in the chronicle
By 1071 is the first mention in the annals of such a city as Yaroslavl. A brief history of the city for children or adults should include the story that on the banks of the Volga (north-east of Russia) at that time an uprising of smerds began, led bymagi. In the annals one can find a detailed record of how the local peasants acted, led by "two magicians from Yaroslavl." The princely squad crushed this uprising.
Origin of the name "Yaroslavl"
We see that the connection of this city with the name of its founder, Yaroslav the Wise, is obvious. Subsequently, this figure became the great Kyiv prince. Pretty simple name structure. Even a child can be explained what "Yaroslavl" means. The history of the city for children (the summary of this article can become its basis) should be told in a simple language, but at the same time fascinating. Without delving into linguistic analysis, the child can simply be told that "Yaroslavl" means "Yaroslav city".
Chopped City
In the 13th century, the history of the city of Yaroslavl, summarized in this article, was marked by another important event. Prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich in 1215 founded the "chambers" on the Strelka - the princely court, as well as the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, the first stone church. One of the most ancient monasteries in North-Eastern Russia appeared in the city - Spaso-Preobrazhensky (which was also called simply Spassky). Yaroslavl was originally, like most other cities of Ancient Russia, a wooden chopped fortress. Therefore, the oldest part of it located on the Strelka was called the Chopped City for a long time.
Now this poetic ancient name is reminiscent of the name of the church built in 1695 - Nikola Chopped City, otherwise - the churchNikola Rubleny. According to some researchers, the name "Chopped City" was fixed relatively late due to the opposition to the Earthen City in the 16th century. In 1463, Yaroslavl became part of the Russian state. The history of the city for children, the summary of which can be expanded by adding interesting information from this article, does not have to contain all the historical details. Suffice it to say that the further economic development of the city and the growth of its territory began after this event.
Yaroslavl already in the 16th century surrounds its settlement with a deep outer moat and a high earthen rampart. The name "Earth City" comes from here. Here we can mention the existence of a parallel with Moscow, where in ancient times there was also an Earthen City. In the current Yaroslavl there is also Red Square, the photo of which is presented below.
The administrative center of the city, which is noteworthy, until the end of the 18th century was on the territory of the Chopped City. After that, the so-called regular plan of Yaroslavl arose, according to which the center was transferred to Ilyinskaya Square (later renamed Sovetskaya).
City street names
It is impossible not to notice one fact when describing the city of Yaroslavl. History, sights of it - all this is very interesting. However, the names associated with this place are no less curious. As you know, Yaroslavl is one of the most ancient cities of Russia with a long history and natural features. But looking at the city maptoday, we will not meet many figurative, ancient names. The names of the streets are as follows: Revolutionary, Soviet Lane, Deputatskaya, Pervomayskaya, Kooperativnaya, Shkolnaya, etc. However, there are also names associated with the history of this city: Melnichny Lane, Gorodskoy Val, Nekrasova, Yamskaya, Suzdalskaya, Matrossky Spusk, etc.
Trefolev Street in Yaroslavl
Let's talk briefly about one street that can be found when visiting the city of Yaroslavl, the history, sights and legends about which we are interested. On the modern map there is Trefoleva street. The inhabitants of Yaroslavl in its name immortalized the memory of the poet-democrat who lived here - L. N. Trefoleve (1843-1905). He was also a good translator, historian, and editor. Many of his poems have become folk songs. These are, for example, "Song about the Kamarinsky peasant", "Dubinushka" and others.
Yaroslavl - the city where Nekrasov was born
Literary, poetic Yaroslavl is primarily Nekrasov. In fact, Yaroslavl is the birthplace of this great Russian poet. He was brought as a three-year-old child to the village of Greshnevo (now called Nekrasovo), his father's family estate, located near Yaroslavl. Nekrasov at the age of 11 entered the local gymnasium. The child will certainly be interested to know that this great poet lived in a city like Yaroslavl. The history of the city for children, for this reason, should include brief biographical information from his life.
The poet, even in his mature years, did not lose touch with his homeland. He often came to Greshnevo for the summer,and also acquired in 1861 an estate in the village of Karabikha. In this estate, he lived every year for almost 14 years for several months and wrote his best works. The area in which this village is located is connected with historical events. In the second quarter of the 15th century, during the internecine war, it was here that battles were fought between Vasily the Dark, the Moscow prince, and Dmitry Shemyaka, the Galician prince, for the great reign. In 1435, Shemyaka's troops were defeated in a battle near Karabitova Gora (a hill near Karabikha).
Historical events associated with the Transfiguration Monastery of the Savior
The name of the city of Yaroslavl for historians of literature, as well as for every Russian person, is connected with one more fact. We mentioned at the beginning of the article that the Transfiguration Monastery of the Savior is one of the most ancient in Russia. He is known to many for the events of national history. For example, a religious school was created here, the first in northeastern Russia, which had a large library for that time, consisting of a thousand handwritten books. Also outside the walls of the Spassky Monastery in 1571, Ivan the Terrible himself found shelter, when the troops of Devlet Giray, the Crimean Khan, approached Moscow. In addition, the walls of this monastery were able to withstand a heavy 23-day siege in the spring of 1609 during the struggle against the Polish invaders. And in 1612, on July 27, the people's militia led by Minin and Pozharsky left here for the decisive battle with the enemies settled in Moscow.
However, one fact from his story is especially precious. The list of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", a great monument of ancient Russian literature, was kept in the sacristy of this particular monastery. Count Musin-Pushkin in 1795 bought a number of valuable manuscripts from Ioil Bykovsky, a former archimandrite. The collector found among them a list of "Words…".
We have already talked about the library of the theological school, located in the Spassky Monastery. Both the library and the school itself were transferred to Rostov in 1214. Her treasures, unfortunately, burned down during a fire in this city. Perhaps it was in this library that the manuscript of "Words …" was kept, from which a copy was made in the 16th century, later acquired by Musin-Pushkin.
A. K. Savrasov is another famous resident of Yaroslavl
A lot of interesting facts from the biography of figures of Russian culture are connected with the city of Yaroslavl. Not many people probably know that it is here that A. K. Savrasov, a great artist, worked on his painting "The Rooks Have Arrived" (as well as on many other works). He spent in Yaroslavl, it would seem, quite a bit of time - a few months of winter and spring of 1870-1871. However, it was this period of creativity that turned out to be very fruitful for the artist. In Yaroslavl, he painted such well-known paintings as "The Grave on the Volga", "The Volga Spill over Yaroslavl", "Volga". Several sketches of the famous "Rooks" were also created. One of the first was written on the then outskirts of the city, called Vspolye. Vladimir Church served as a backdrop for a tree on which rooks nested.
The battle with the Tatars that took place on the Tug Mountain
The threat of the invasion of the Horde did not bypass the Yaroslavl principality. The enemies burned the city, and Vsevolod, the first prince of Yaroslavl, died during the battle on the City River, which the Russians lost. But the city did not give up. Its inhabitants in 1257 revolted. Yaroslavl, according to legend, met a Tatar detachment beyond Kotorosl. Here, under the leadership of Prince Konstantin, on a small hill, which later received the name of Tug Mountain, a battle took place. Although the locals fought bravely, the forces this time were unequal. Right on the battlefield, on Tugova Gora, Russian soldiers were buried. Popular rumor subsequently began to associate the name of the mountain with this battle. According to legend, women came to the hill long after the battle to mourn the fallen, to "mourn" for them. Allegedly, this became the basis of the name.
However, these events are not documented. Chronicles about the battle with the Tatars are silent, and the reign of Constantine in Yaroslavl can only be established indirectly.
Sights of Yaroslavl
The city surprisingly combines new and old, poor and rich, savage and spiritual. In Yaroslavl, you can find many attractions. Often, local residents do not even know that certain treasures are located in their city, since there are really a lot of them here. The main attractions are located incenter. You can talk about them for a long time. The embankments of Kotorosl and the Volga alone are worth something! The junction of these rivers is a favorite place for walks of tourists and locals. Yaroslavl also has many museums. Of great interest are the Metropolitan's Chambers, which display icons from the churches and monasteries of the city. Paintings by Russian artists are kept in the Governor's House. And of course, as in any ancient Russian city, there are many churches here: the Church of John the Baptist, the Church of Michael the Archangel, the Church of John Chrysostom and many others.
This is information about the history of the city of Yaroslavl and its sights. In this article, only the main points related to his past were presented. Meanwhile, the history of the emergence of the city of Yaroslavl is very interesting and ambiguous. You can study it for a very long time. The history of the founding of the city of Yaroslavl leaves many mysteries, over which many scientists are struggling today.
