Smolensk
Smolensk is one of the oldest Russian towns.Like Moscow it stands on seven hills,but it is older than Moscow.Smolensk is as old as Kive and Novgorod.In Ustyng chronicles it was mentioned in year 863 as the which was "big and populous".The town of Smolensk was an important economic center on the trade way from south to north "from the Yarangians to the Greeks".
Smolensk is the city of military glory.
The ancient fortiried walls of Smolensk keep the memory of the great historic events:the defence of the town in 1609-1611,the battles of the 1812 Patriotic War and the Smolensk battle of theGreat Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Military glory of Smolensk iscommemorated by the numerous monuments.The monument with Eagless, the monument to Sophia`s Regiment are devoted to the war with the Napoleon Army. The monument to the liberators of the Smolensk Region from fascist invaders in 1943, the monument "Mourning Mother", the monumentto V.Kurienko are devoted to people who fougt heroically defending their Motherlang.
Tourists atrention is attracted by a number of Smolensk architecture is the 16thcentury fortified wall(architect F. Kon). Beyond comparison is the Cathedral of the Assumption. Built in the ХVlll century the Cathedral has very rich decorations inside. There are many other churches and Archangei Church, Nikolsk gate, the Church of St.Peter and others.
Many outstanding people were tornin Smolensk and its region.There are many memorial places connected with their life in Smolensk. We can name composers Glinka and Dargoyzhsky, painters Roerich, Yabionskaya, sculposers Konenkoov, Mikeshin, Kerbel, poets and writers Isakovsky, Tvardovsky, Rylenkov , Belayev,scientists Przhevalsky, Dokuchayev, cosmonauts Gagarin, Nikolayev and others.
