Pskov

One of the oldest towns in Russia, Pskov, is situated in the north-west of the Russian Federation and has internal borders with the Novgorod, Leningrad, Tver and Smolensk Regions and external borders with Belarus, Estonia and Latvia. Pskov was firstly mentioned in Russian chronicles of the 10th century. In the Middle Ages, it was not only the main strong points on the north-western frontiers of the Russian State and the capital of a wealthy principality, but one of the biggest towns in Europe.

In Pskov the trade was thriving, the craft and art were rapidly developing, and the unassailable fortified walls protected the town and its citizens from the attacks of those attracted by fabulous treasure. Many of the architectural monuments of medieval Pskov you can see nowadays. The most ancient out of preserved stone buildings are the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral and Cathedral of the Spaso-Mirozhsky monastery (1156).