Smolensk

Places of Interest - Russia

introduction

Smolensk is one of the oldest cities of Russia on the river Dnieper. The city is named after the river Smolnja and contains a variety of culture and history. The very strategic city was traditionally a transport hub between vendors and traders traveling between the Baltic States on the one hand and the Black Sea on the other. In the year 1100 Smolensk was one of Eastern Europe's most important cities.

During the the Polish-Lithuanian wars, the conflict with Napoleon and offcourse the battles with the Nazi’s during WW2 the city played a significant role and paid a heavy toll in all of them. The Battle of Smolensk in 1812 was even immortalized in Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. By far the biggest attraction is the beautiful light green Cathedral of the Sleeping of the Mother God that rises far above the river and the mighty city walls.

The green center, the river and some beautiful almost Habsburg buildings make Smolensk one of the most attractive cities in Western Russia. The city is also known for the large amount of flax produced here and don’t forget the typical music from here.

highlights

Cathedral of the “Sleep of the Mother God”:

The main attraction of Smolensk must be the beautiful Russian Orthodox cathedral of the sleep of the Mother of God. In the year 1101 Vladimir ordered Monomach to build a first stone church in what we now call Smolensk. For the next 500 years, the church would endure various sieges and fires, including those of 1609-1611 when the Poles Smolensk stormed during the Russian-Polish War.

On June 3, 1611, the church was partially burned down after the defenders of the city were entrenched in the church. and refused to surrender to the Poles. Upon the surrender of the city it was agreed that the cathedral would remain a Russian Orthodox cathedral. When Russia expelled the Poles it became apparent that the damage to the church was so great that it was decided to demolish the cathedral in 1674. The construction of a new cathedral would take almost a century to complete.

Standing on a hill, the baroque-style building was seen in a distant circumference. The cathedral was given a very nice iconostasis with decorations of gold, icons and carved angels. When the Grande Armée moved in 1812, according to legend, Napoleon was so struck by the beauty of the building that he ordered not to damage the building otherwise you were sentenced to die. During WW2 the cathedral was badly damaged, but the building would survive the German occupation. However, the miraculous icon of Smolensk's Mother of God disappeared forever.

Other attractions:

The mighty city walls of Smolensk built between 1596 and 1602 were once 6.5 km long, 5.5 meters wide and 15 meters high. There were 37 watchtowers, 17 of which are still visible today.

Large parts of the wall can still be seen, where some parts are renovated while others are not. Near the Central park for peace and culture" you can still see the earthen wall (Korolevsky bastion) that the Poles threw in their attempt to conquer the city in 1611. In the same park you can take a look at the black-gold monument in honor of the defenders of the war of 1812 against the French.

Further along the city wall is the eternal flame with countless monuments to memorize the three great wars that have played a big role in and around Smolensk. Here is also the WW2 museum.

The city also contains a variety of monasteries, cathedrals, churches and museums (including the flax and vodka museum).

history

Smolensk was founded in 862, and in 882 it was already the capital of the Slavic Krivich tribe, when it was conquered by Prince Oleg IV of Novgorod. Smolensk is mentioned for the first time in 950 by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII, in which it was mentioned as an important fortress of the Russians.

Because of the strategic position (between Poland, Lithuania and Moscow), the city grew rapidly. At the end of the twelfth century, the principality was one of the most powerful in Eastern Europe, so that the ruling dynasty often dominated the Kievan empire. Smolensk became more and more a pawn in the power struggle between Lithuania and Moscow in the 14th century.

Vytautas the Great took the city in 1395, 1404 and 1408. The city was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Some Russian-minded nobles fled to Moscow, others went to Vilnius. With a population of a few tens of thousands, Smolensk was the largest city in the Grand Duchy. In 1514 Smolensk was taken by Vasili III of Moscow. Despite the fortified city, it was taken in 1611 by the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth after a 20-month siege, known as the Battle of Smolensk. In 1654, Smolensk was again occupied by the Russians, after the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had suffered severely from a civil war and an invasion of Sweden.

In 1812 Napoleon arrived at Smolensk, where the (First) Battle of Smolensk took place. This battle, won by Napoleon, was later described by Leo Tolstoy in his novel War and Peace. In WW2 Smolensk was again the scene of a great battle in 1941. Because the city held on for so long in this Second Battle of Smolensk against the advancing German Army, the Russians were able to put the defense lines around Moscow in order. For the defense of the city in WW2, where 93% of the city was destroyed, Smolensk was granted the status of hero city in 1985.

The Battle of Smolensk - 1812:

After Napoleon decided to attack Russia, he gathered a large army (La Grand Armee) and attacked the land of Tsar Alexander I from Poland. After a long phase of retreat by the Russians, the battle of Smolensk on 17 August 1812 was the first real confrontation between the two armies.

The Russians initially took the initiative and the combined armies of the generals Bagration and Barclay went north to intercept the French. Napoleon, however, knew about this plan and bowed his army to the southwest, where he wanted to cross the river Dnieper near the town of Rasasna. By this he wanted to attack the Russians in the back. In order for this plan to succeed, the city of Smolensk had to be unguarded, because the French wanted to cross the river here again. Earlier due to miscommunication and ignorance, this was not the case and Smolensk was guarded by a Russian garrison.

The disillusioned Napoleon now wanted to win a symbolic victory by besieging Smolensk. He surrounded the south bank of the city, where the northern one was guarded by the army of Barclay (130,000 soldiers). Napoleon sent three army corps (some 175,000 men) to Smolensk to attack the high fortification walls, accompanied by a large artillery bombardment. Napoleon's advance was rather stiff due to the lack of storm ladders. The soldiers of Napoleon tried to come up through human ladders, but this hardly worked.

The losses on both sides

Because of the many mortars of the French, Smolensk looked red from the fire after the first day. Because the Russians did not have any confidence in the sustainability of the fortress, they left it not long after. In doing so, they applied scorched earth tactics by destroying all the stocks valuable to the French and setting fire to the bridges across the river.

The Russians lost about 11,000 men in this operation and the French 7,000. The loss of French troops weighed heavier for them than for the Russians because the French could not be replaced so far away from home. An indirect result was the lost of precious time by the battle of Smolensk. Napoleon’s ultimate goal was quickly, without too many losses, to take out the Russian army in a decisive battle before the dreaded Russian winter came to an end.

Napoleon miscalculated by expecting the Russians to defend their holy city for the last man. Instead, they dumped and burned all the stocks that were useful to the French. The devastation of Smolensk had as a direct consequence that the city could no longer serve as a winter quarter with reserve supplies for the remains of the Grande Armée during the retreat from Moscow. The persecuting army of Kutuzov and repeated unexpected strikes of the scattered Cossack army forced Napoleon to take the same returnroute as during his advance to Moscow. Because of all this, Napoleon was obliged in the month of November at sharply falling temperatures in the worst possible conditions, with the crossing of the Berezina river.

On 10 April 2010, a Polish governmentplane crashed at the Smolensk military airfield. All occupants, including Polish president Lech Kaczyński, were killed. The Polish government delegation would ironically attend the commemoration of the Katyn massacre near Smolensk.

tips & advice (2016)

The train and bus station are both located on the north side of the river. They are about 300 meters apart and are very easily accessible with almost every marshrutka (minibus) and / or tram.

Smolensk - Pskov: there are about 4 to 5 buses a day from Smolensk to Pskov (Velizh, Nevel and Ostrov). One is the 8:50 am that arrives around 5:40 PM in Pskov. Price is 840R. Baggage ticket is 90R.

Name: Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Address: Dzerzhinsky, 4a

Price: 120R (excluding taking pictures)

Time: 10:00 - 17:00 (closed on Sunday and Monday)

Website: www.smolensk-museum.ru

Content:

This museum is dedicated to the history of Smolensk during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) and is located "in" the city wall. On the base of photographic material, weaponry and other objects, the museum tells about the heroic defense of Smolensk in 1941, the underground battle during the occupation and the eventual liberation by the Red Army.

Behind the museum is a collection of weaponry including among others an old "MIG" plane, tanks and artillery. Everything is unfortunately only indicated in Russian.

There are at least three restaurants of the chain DomnHo which you can see as a dollhouse snack restaurant with pancakes but also chicken, fries, potatoes and meatdishes. On the other hand, you can also enjoy a beer on the terrace here. One is on the Kirova street, the other is in the bus station while the third is in the center.

If you walk from Kirova street to the center via the pedestrian’s route (car-free) is a restaurant with a large sports bar (with casino) in the basement and a nice terrace overlooking the park.

Name: Hostel FreshHall

Address: Ul Oraya Proezhaya 5

Price: 350R (dormitory)

Content:

Almost on the city border of Smolensk located in the middle of a typical Russian residential area is this hostel situated. It is hard and difficult to find - with marshrutka 9 and then walk a bit. The hostel is a big house with different rooms; a number of dormitories but also two doubles in the attic.

Downstairs is a spacious public space where the owner lives / stays too and a spacious kitchen. There is free coffee and tea and there should be free WIFI (if it works). The owner is friendly but does not speak a word of English.

Name: Travelhostel

Address: Kirova 22d

Price: 450R (dormitory)

Phone nr. : +7 4812 549933 / + 7 4812 698000

Website: www.travelhostel.ru

Content:

This hostel is located in the south on the main ring road Kirova street. A professional appearance with a reception (the woman doesn’t speak English but she is very friendly and helpful) and everything is neat and clean. You can walk 2 to 2.5 km into the center but also take marshrutka 9, 21 and/or 29. Nr 16 goes to the bus station.

The kitchen in the hostel is the big disadvantage - far too small, no possibilities for cooking (a kettle and free coffee / tea) and too with a very small table. Free WIFI in the kitchen - not in the rooms.

Smolensk

Places of Interest - Russia

introduction

highlights

history

tips & advice (2016)

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