The story of the old city. Ancient cities of Russia

According to scientists, modern man descended from a small population of Homo sapiens that survived after a terrible natural disaster that occurred 74,000 years ago and settled across the African continent. After 10-14 millennia, its members penetrated into Asia, and even later into Europe and America.

With the advent of agriculture, people stopped wandering and began to found villages. Over time, they grew, and around the 7th millennium, the most ancient cities in the world began to appear.

Some terminology

Before talking about the oldest cities in the world, you should find out what is meant by such a definition. In particular, as a result of archaeological excavations on different continents, many large settlements were found. However, today it is customary to call the ancient cities of the world only those of them that have never been abandoned by the inhabitants since their foundation. At the same time, some scholars continue to argue over whether the "age" should not be counted from the moment when a given settlement ceased to be a village, i.e. the number of inhabitants engaged in agriculture has become less than the number of peasants. Based on these considerations, many ancient cities will "become younger" by several millennia.

Jericho

Be that as it may, today it is customary to answer the question of which is the most ancient city in the world by naming Jericho. The first human traces found on its territory date back to the 10th millennium BC. e., and the oldest buildings excavated by archaeologists - by the year 95,000. The history of Jericho can be traced in some detail in the Old Testament, and later it is repeatedly mentioned in the Roman chronicles. In particular, it is known that it was presented by Mark Antony as a gift to Cleopatra. However, later Emperor Augustus gave it to King Herod, who built many magnificent buildings there. In addition, there are records that a Christian church was built in Jericho in the first centuries of our era.

Having existed until the 9th century, the city fell into decay due to the Muslim wars with the Crusaders and Bedouin raids, and from the 13th century it turned into a small Muslim village, destroyed in the 19th century by the Turks. Only in the early 1920s, the irrigation system was restored on the territory of Jericho. After that, these places began to be populated by Arabs.

Today, Jericho is a small city of just over 20,000 people located in the unrecognized State of Palestine. Its main attraction is the Tel es-Sultan hill with a tower that is believed to be 9,000 years old.

Damascus

As already mentioned, when listing the most ancient cities in the world, it is customary to start the list with Jericho. But the second position in this ranking belongs to Damascus. The city was founded in 2500 BC. e. However, scientists believe that its territory has been continuously inhabited by people since the 10th millennium BC. e. From the 15th century BC e. in different periods, the city was under the rule of the Egyptian pharaohs, Assyria, Israel, Persia and other powerful states of that time. No less interesting is the history of Damascus at a later time. In particular, it is known that after the visit of St. Apostle Paul, just a few years after the crucifixion of the Savior, there was already a Christian community in the city, and in the Middle Ages it was stormed three times, but the crusader knights could not capture it. Like the most ancient city in the world, Jericho, Damascus lay in ruins for some time. The fault was the troops of Tamerlane, who invaded Syria in 1400 and carried out a terrible massacre, the consequences of which for many years did not allow Damascus to regain its former power.

The oldest city in the world according to ancient historians

Scientists learned about the true age of Jericho only in the second half of the last century, and before that, in different eras, completely different cities claimed this title. For example, in the ancient world it was believed that Byblos was founded earlier than others, which in the Old Testament appears under the name Gebal. It has been mentioned as a city since the 4th millennium BC. e. Many legends are associated with it. For example, the ancient Egyptians believed that it was there that Isis found the body of the god Osiris. In addition, Jabel (Arabic for Byblos) is known as the origin of various ancient cults, such as those worshiping Baal and Adonis. Since it was in it that most of the papyrus produced in the ancient world was produced, the first books from such “paper” began to be called byblos.

Athens

Interestingly, the capital of Greece does not claim to be the most ancient city in the world, since it was founded only around 1400 BC. e. It is known that even in the Mycenaean era there was a palace and a fortified settlement. For thousands of years, Athens was the main educational and cultural center of the ancient world and did not lose this role even during the time of Rome. Today there you can see many architectural monuments, which are several thousand years old. Moreover, in terms of their number, Athens is far superior to other ancient cities on the planet.

Rome

Oddly enough, Rome, which for thousands of years has been called eternal, is not included in the list of the 10 most ancient cities in the world, since it was founded in 753 BC. e. However, it is obvious that settlements in its place existed many millennia before that. It's just that if historians draw information about the origin of other cities from archaeological excavations, the "birthday" of Rome was "calculated" in the first century on the basis of the legend about the sons of Mars and Princess Rhea Sylvia - Remus and Romulus.

The most ancient cities in the world: Yerevan

Few people know that the capital of Armenia, or rather, the city of Erebuni that existed in its place, is 29 years older than Rome. Moreover, this fortress has a quite weighty "birth certificate", both literally and figuratively, signed by its founder - Argishty, the son of Menua. We are talking about a stone with cuneiform writing, which in 1894 the famous Russian anthropologist A. Ivanovsky acquired from one of the Armenian peasants. The inscription on the boulder was deciphered, and it turned out that it reports on the construction of a large granary by King Argishta the First. More than half a century later, on the outskirts of Yerevan, on the Arin-berd hill, excavations were carried out and two more slabs were found, one of which already touched the foundation of the fortress. In addition, another "Erebuni metric" was found, already embedded in the wall of the fortress, some of the buildings of which have been excellently preserved to this day. In particular, today in the fortress of Erebuni, recognized by Forbes as the 9th oldest in the world, you can see the ruins of the Susi temple, with cuneiform tablets of King Argishti, the wall of the sanctuary of the god Khaldi with beautiful wall paintings, ancient stone plumbing and much more.

Derbent

Talking about the most ancient cities in the world, one cannot fail to mention the Russian Derbent. Judging by archaeological finds, a settlement in its place existed as early as the 4th millennium BC. e. and has been raided many times. As for the name Derbent, for the first time it is found by Herodotus in a document of the 5th century. It is also known that in the first century AD, in order to capture this city, which was considered the gateway to the Caspian Sea, the Romans and Persians organized campaigns, fighting for dominance in the Caucasus and adjacent regions.

Now you know which is the most ancient city in the world, some interesting information about Damascus, Derbent, Yerevan, Byblos and other cities.

Speaking about the antiquity of the city, scientists are based on the first written references in the annals and chronicles about the emergence of the settlement. But archaeological finds allow us to push the city back a few centuries further into history. The deeper the history of the existence of the settlement, the more hardships befell the city. Therefore, many of them were often recreated practically from scratch after various pogroms, raids, conquests and epidemics. For example, in the west of the country, the ruins of ancient cities are found, which will be “older” than Pskov, Suzdal or Bryansk. We will consider the historical prescription of the currently existing cities of Russia.

The oldest cities in Russia. List

If we put all the current Russian cities on a time scale, taking into account their foundation, it turns out that about 56 cities were built before the arrival of the Tatar-Mongols to Russia, 111 settlements were founded during the Time of Troubles and the organization of a single state. The oldest cities in Russia are Novgorod, which in ancient times had the same status as Kyiv; Smolensk - connecting the trade, economic, military and political hub between Northern and Southern Russia; Murom, Rostov-Veliky, Beloozero and, of course, Derbent.

Velikiy Novgorod

The capital of the Novgorod Republic from the beginning of the 12th to the middle of the 15th century. The name of the city confirms the Old Norse sagas, which called Russia the "country of cities" - Gardarika. According to some reports, Novgorod was preceded by Staraya Ladoga, which was founded by Rurik before ascending the throne of Novgorod.

The location of the city was very advantageous from the economic point of view, as it connected the financial and trade flows of the West with the East. Crafts and trade actively developed in Novgorod, and its inhabitants were considered the most educated among the European population. This is evidenced by multiple birch bark letters dated 11-16th centuries.

Glorious Smolensk

This city is also included in the group "The Oldest Cities of Russia". There is an authoritative scientific assumption that Smolensk, which is mentioned in the chronicles in 862, located in the present place, was founded only in the 11th century, and before that it was located 12-15 km to the west, in the area of the present Gnezdovoye village.

The city was the capital of the Smolensk Principality, it is located in the upper reaches of the Dnieper, the famous route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed through it.

At all times, Smolensk was a major center that controlled a large territory. It was one of 8 provinces formed by Peter the Great in 1708. In the future, the city remained the main regional settlement during the formation of regions in the Soviet era.

Legendary Murom

The first written information about the city is found in the Laurentian Chronicle of 862. It got its name from the Finno-Ugric tribes living nearby - Murom. We know the city from such a legendary hero as Ilya Muromets.

Nowadays, Murom is one of the main industrial centers of Russia, where the machine-building industry plays an important role.

Rostov Veliky

This city is not only one of the most ancient settlements of Russia, but also the oldest city of the Golden Ring of Russia. He is mentioned in the same Laurentian Chronicle of 862. Rostov used to be the capital of the Rostov Principality. Since the 15th century it has been part of Muscovy. In the 17th century, the city became the largest religious center, in which many churches, monasteries and the Kremlin were built.

Since the 1970s, the city has had the status of a reserve.

Ancient Belozersk

This city was called Beloozero until the end of the 18th century. It is one of those settlements that have changed their original location. Its history is buried in centuries, which is why it is on the list of "the oldest cities in Russia." Initially, the ancient settlement was located on the shore of Lake Beloe. And only in the 10th century it was moved to the coast of the Sheksna River. For more than a hundred years the city was the capital of the principality of the same name, after which it became part of the Moscow kingdom. After a devastating epidemic (plague), the city moved 20 km to the west.

Nowadays, Belozersk is an ordinary regional center with a small industrial potential. Architectural monuments, numerous monasteries and temples have turned it into a tourist town.

What is the oldest city in Russia?

Derbent is listed as the oldest urban-type settlement built on the territory of the Russian Federation. It was founded in 438 as a fortress guarding the Russian state at the crossroads of Europe and Asia in the Caucasus. For a long time it served as a border town, to which many Decembrists objectionable to the government were often sent into exile.

The famous writer A. Dumas spoke about Derbent in his memoirs as “the most beautiful and delightful place”.

At the present time, Derbent is the second most important and by the number of inhabitants among the settlements of Dagestan.

Thanks to historical monuments of antiquity and various sights, the town is one of the mass tourist centers of southern Russia. But in addition to tourism, woolen and canning industries are well developed in Derbent.

One of the oldest cities in the world

Recent events on the political map of the world have made some adjustments to the category of "the oldest cities in Russia." For a long time, the ancient territories of the once unified state were cut off from each other. It happened historically, following the political will of certain politicians, leaders and just traitors. But the "wheel of time" turned the other way, and another ancient city returned to its "native shores", built when Russia still did not really exist.

We are not now interested in which is the oldest city in the world. In Russia, this is Kerch, which is located on the eastern coast of the Crimean peninsula. According to various sources, it was founded 2.5-2.6 thousand years ago. On the territory of the modern city there were already settlements of the Cimmerians in the 17-15th centuries BC. But the story is better known, when in the 7th c. BC e. in these places the ancient Greeks organized their colony, whose goal was to resist the indigenous settlers of these lands - the Scythians. In the 4th c. BC e. the city is part of the Bosporan kingdom.

Kerch became a Russian city in 1783, entering the structure of the newly formed Taurida province.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the city received administrative self-government.

The oldest port in Russia

The Russian state, wishing to break through to sea trade routes, not only conquered certain coastal territories, but also built cities - ports on the coast of the Black, Caspian and Baltic Seas. Which city is the oldest port in Russia? Any student will answer that Arkhangelsk, and he will be right.

On the founding of a port city on the shores of the White Sea and the river. Dvina is mentioned in 1584 in the "Dvina Chronicle".

Three years later, its first inhabitants were resettled in Arkhangelsk - 130 peasants from the surrounding villages. Through this port, goods of Russian and foreign origin were transported along the White Sea. Also, the center of trade with overseas merchants was moved to the city.

With the advent of the reign of Peter the Great, Arkhangelsk is rapidly developing not only in terms of trade, but also in the construction of new modern marine ships.

Nowadays, this city seems to be one of the main ports of Russia, through which there is a trade turnover with dozens of countries of the world.

Memphis, Babylon, Thebes - all of them were once the largest centers, but only the name remains of them. However, there are cities that have existed throughout the history of mankind, from the Stone Age to the present day.

Jericho (West Bank)

At the very foot of the Judean Mountains, opposite the confluence of the Jordan into the Dead Sea, is the most ancient city on earth - Jericho. Traces of settlements dating back to the 10th-9th millennium BC were found here. e. It was a permanent site of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A culture, whose representatives built the first wall of Jericho. The defensive structure of the Stone Age was four meters high and two meters wide. Inside it was a powerful eight-meter tower, which, obviously, was used for ritual purposes. Its ruins have survived to this day.

The name Jericho (in Hebrew Jericho) according to one version comes from a word with the meaning "smell" and "fragrance" - "reach". According to another, from the word moon - "yareah", which the founders of the city could revere. We find the first written mention of it in the book of Joshua, which describes the fall of the walls of Jericho and the capture of the city by the Jews in 1550 BC. e. By that time, the city was already a powerful fortified fortress, whose system of seven walls was a real labyrinth. Not for nothing - Jericho had something to defend. It was located at the crossroads of three important trade routes of the Middle East, right in the middle of a flourishing oasis with plenty of fresh water and fertile soil. For the inhabitants of the desert - the real promised land.

Jericho was the first city to be captured by the Israelites. It was completely destroyed, and all the inhabitants were killed, with the exception of the harlot Rahab, who had previously sheltered Jewish spies, for which she was spared.

Today, Jericho, located on the West Bank of the Jordan, is a disputed territory between Palestine and Israel, remaining in a zone of constant military conflict. Therefore, visiting the most ancient and rich in historical sights of the city is not recommended.

Damascus: "eye of the desert" (Syria)

Damascus, the current capital of Syria, is fighting for the first place with Jericho. The earliest mention of it was found in the list of conquered cities of Pharaoh Thutmose III, who lived in 1479-1425 BC. e. In the first book of the Old Testament, Damascus is mentioned as a large and well-known center of trade.

In the 13th century, the historian Yaqut al-Humavi claimed that the city was founded by Adam and Eve themselves, who, after being expelled from Eden, found refuge in the cave of blood (Magarat ad-Damm) on Mount Qasyun on the outskirts of Damascus. The first murder in history described in the Old Testament also took place there - Cain killed his brother. According to legend, the self-name Damascus comes from the ancient Aramaic word "demshak", which means "brother's blood." Another, more plausible version says that the name of the city goes back to the Aramaic word Darmeśeq, which means “well-irrigated place”.

It is not known for certain who first founded the settlement near Mount Kasyun. But recent excavations at Tel Ramada, a suburb of Damascus, have shown that humans settled the area around 6300 BC. e.

Byblos (Lebanon)

Closes the top three of the most ancient cities - Byblos, known today as Jbeil. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, 32 km from Beirut, the current capital of Lebanon. Once it was a large Phoenician city founded in the 4th millennium BC, although the first settlements on this territory date back to the Late Stone Age - the 7th millennium.

The ancient name of the city is associated with the legend of a certain Biblis, who was madly in love with her brother, Kavnos. She died of grief when her lover fled to escape sin, and her shed tears formed an inexhaustible well of water that watered the city. According to another version, byblos in Greece was called papyrus, which was exported from the city.

Byblos was one of the largest ports of antiquity. He was also known for the spread of the cult of Baal there - the formidable god of the Sun, who "demanded" self-torture and bloody sacrifices from his adherents. The written language of the ancient Byblos is still one of the main mysteries of the Ancient World. The Proto-Biblic script, widespread in the second millennium BC, is still not decipherable; it does not look like any of the known writing systems of the Ancient World.

Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

Today it is customary to consider the oldest city in Europe not Rome or even Athens, but the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, located in the southern part of the country between the Rhodope and Balkan mountains (the home of the legendary Orpheus) and the Upper Thracian lowland. The first settlements on its territory date back to the 6th-4th millennium BC. e., although Plovdiv, or rather, then Evmolpiada, reached its heyday under the peoples of the sea - the Thracians. In 342 BC. it was captured by Philip II of Macedon, the father of the famous Alexander, who named it Philippopolis in his honor. Subsequently, the city managed to be under Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule, which made it the second cultural center in Bulgaria after Sofia. In world history, Derbent has become an unspoken "checkpoint" between Europe and Asia. One of the most important sections of the Great Silk Road ran here. It is not surprising that he has always been a favorite object of the neighbors' conquests. The Roman Empire showed great interest in him - the main goal of the campaigns to the Caucasus by Lucullus and Pompey in 66-65 BC. was precisely Derbent. In the 5th century A.D. e. when the city belonged to the Sassanids, powerful fortifications were erected here to protect against nomads, including the fortress of Naryn-kala. From it, located at the foot of the mountain range, two walls descended to the sea, designed to protect the city and the trade route. It is from this time that the history of Derbent as a large city is counted.

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Our country is powerful and great. On the territory of the modern state, thousands of years ago, tribes lived, which organized permanent settlements. Until now, there are disputes about which is the oldest city in Russia. We'll help you figure it out.

How to determine age?

It is difficult to determine the specific year of foundation of Russian cities. Historians agreed that it is best to focus on the first mention of settlements in ancient chronicles and written references.

Throughout history, almost all Russian sources were burned due to ups and downs - disputes over land allotments during the ancient millennia, during the reign of Macedonian, destructive raids of the Tatar yoke, or during the hours of planting the Christian faith.

All invaders ruthlessly destroyed cultural values and written sources of ancient times, so there are very few of them left. Now, when determining the age of a particular city, scientists are guided by foreign chronicles. But the information in them is not always reliable.

In the article we indicate the well-known dates of the founding of modern cities. But this does not forbid us to think that there were human settlements in their place for tens and hundreds of years before that.

Kerch

After the accession of the Crimean peninsula to the Russian Federation, the championship in age by right began to belong to the city of Kerch. Even in antiquity, there were several settlements-policies on its territory, the main of which was Panticapaeum. Ancient Greek colonists in the VI century. BC e. they created a military confederation with the aim of confronting the local warlike tribes - the Scythians.

After excavations in the vicinity of the village of Mayak, it became known that the territory of modern Kerch in the XVII-XV centuries BC. e. was already inhabited.

During its heyday, the city occupied a total area of 100 hectares. The upper fortified part of the settlement was located on the mountain, which today is called Mithridates. In the center of the acropolis was a majestic temple dedicated to Apollo, the patron saint of Panticapaeum. Its construction was completed at the end of the 6th century. BC e. And later, the ancient architects erected another temple, but in honor of Dionysus and Aphrodite.

Confirmation of the antiquity of the city can be seen with your own eyes by visiting the ruins of Panticapaeum, seeing the entrance to the royal burial mound or having been on an excursion in the historical museum. At the same time, it should be noted that many historical finds and treasures of antiquity are now adornments of the collections of the Berlin Museum, the Louvre, the Hermitage, the Moscow Museum. A.S. Pushkin and the British Museum.

Today Kerch is a developed city with a population of about 148 thousand people. It is located on the coast of the Kerch Peninsula. And it is over 2600 years old!

Derbent

On the territory of the Republic of Dagestan is one of the oldest cities in Russia - Derbent. Mentions about it date back to the 4th century. BC e. Once upon a time there was a settlement of the Caspian Gates, which was mentioned in his writings by the geographer from Ancient Greece, Hecateus of Miletus.

Derbent became more developed only in 438 AD. e., when a Persian fortress was founded here with a citadel on a hill and two rows of stone walls. Thus, the narrow passage (3 km) between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains was closed, blocking the way for the conquerors and protecting the townspeople from the invasions of the Huns, Khazars and Scythians. The favorable location made it possible to control all the routes from Western Asia to Eastern Europe.

The rich history of Derbent has led to the emergence of outstanding sights on its territory:

Citadel of Naryn-Kala - approximately 438 AD. e.;
Juma Mosque – VIII c. n. e.;
Derbent fortress with stone walls up to 20 m high, up to 3 m wide.

Today, the city presents many museum expositions dedicated to antiquity. Also, most of Derbent is an open-air museum - here you can see the excavations of ancient buildings.

By order of the President, in 2014 the townspeople celebrated the 2000th anniversary of the city.

Velikiy Novgorod

The primordially Russian Veliky Novgorod is one of the three oldest cities in the country. Its formation dates back to 859 AD. e.

Rurikovich, the founder of the ancient Russian state and the founder of the Rurik dynasty in Russia, was called here. Therefore, many historians believe that it was in these places that the birth of Russian statehood took place.

In the Middle Ages, the city was part of Kievan Rus as the center of the Novgorod land. In 1136, Novgorod became the first independent city, separating from Russia.

During the Tatar yoke, the townspeople paid tribute to the Horde. Therefore, Novgorod was not subjected to devastating attacks and preserved ancient monuments of architecture.

Among the main and most prominent are:

Saint Sophia Cathedral;
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in St. Anthony's Monastery;
George's Cathedral;
Ruins of the Rurik settlement;
Church of John on Opoki;
Znamensky Cathedral;
Novgorod Kremlin.

All these sights are available for inspection by tourists - you can see with your own eyes what architecture was like in the times of Kievan Rus and before it.

Today Novgorod is a city of regional importance and at the same time a city of military glory. Its population is about 222 thousand inhabitants.

Smolensk is the same age as Veliky Novgorod, the first mention of it is found in the annals and dates back to 862 AD. e. Even then it was a populous settlement and the center of the Krivichi tribal union. Therefore, it is not surprising that during the campaigns of conquest in 863, Askold and Dir decided to bypass it. It can be assumed that he is much older.

Smolensk has a very favorable location - "on the way from the Varangians to the Greeks." It is believed that during trading trips, many wanderers visited the city. Because of this, he developed very rapidly.

Even today, important trade routes pass through Smolensk from the capital to the Baltic States, Belarus and European countries. Its population is about 330 thousand people.

Murom

The first mention of Murom is found in the "Tale of Bygone Years" in 862 AD. e. It was from this source that historians were able to establish the origin of the name of the city. It was named after the ancient Murom tribes who lived in these places on the banks of the Oka River.

Gleb became the first ancient Russian prince of the city, when Prince Vladimir gave him control over it.

The oldest monastery in Russia is located in Murom. This is the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery - a very beautiful place with a rich history.

Rostov

In 862, there was also a mention of another Russian city - Rostov the Great. At the beginning of the X century. the city became the center of the Rostov-Suzdal land.

Since 1777 it became a city, but in 2006 it received the status of an urban settlement due to a decrease in the number of inhabitants. Now about 31 thousand people live here.

In the center of Rostov on the bank of about. Nero is the Rostov Kremlin, which in 1995 was included in the list of the most valuable cultural heritage of Russia. It once housed the residence of the Metropolitan of the Rostov diocese.

Pskov

A small regional center, according to some historians, was founded in 859. But 903 is considered officially accepted - the year it was mentioned in the Laurentian Chronicle and in the Chronicle of Bygone Years. It was from here that Princess Olga, the wife of Prince Igor, was born.

Pskov is located on the banks of the Velikaya River, where it merges with the Pskovaya River. It is one of the most important tourist centers in the northwestern part of the country. Many travelers come to see famous outstanding sights:

Pogankin's chambers;
Trinity Cathedral;
Mirozhsky monastery;
Pskov fortress;
Many ancient churches, which are included in the list of cultural heritage of the country.

Today, 203 thousand people live here. The city has lost its power a little, but still attracts tourists who want to look at examples of ancient architecture.

Uglich

The ten oldest cities in our country include Uglich, which gained its fame due to the death of the son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible Dmitry Uglich. In written sources, historians have found memories of this settlement dating back to 937.

Every year, thousands of tourists visit Uglich to see the main sights - the Uglich Kremlin, the Holy Resurrection, Epiphany and Alekseevsky monasteries, the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Also, travelers are attracted by the ensemble of the trading square and the House of the Mekhovy-Voronins. It is not for nothing that Uglich is included in the list of the main cities of the “Golden Ring” of Russia.

Suzdal

Another city from the "Golden Ring" - Suzdal - was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor for special merits in the development of tourism in Russia and the preservation of cultural monuments. It is believed to have been founded in 999.

The list of the main attractions of the city includes the ensemble of the Torgovaya Square with all the buildings, monastic complexes, Posad monuments and, of course, the Suzdal Kremlin.

In total, there are about 50 temples and churches in Suzdal. Therefore, the townspeople proudly claim that from anywhere in the city you can see the gilded domes of some architectural shrine.

Kazan

Kazan is considered one of the largest centers of the country, therefore it has a registered brand "Third Capital of Russia". According to the ratings of various Internet portals, the tourism industry is actively developing in Kazan - more and more Russians come here to get acquainted with the most interesting sights:

Kazan Kremlin, included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites;
Peter and Paul Cathedral;
Palace of the Landowners;
The Spasskaya Tower;
Tower Syuyumbike;
Kul-Sharif - the main mosque of the Republic;
Epiphany Cathedral.

The city is located almost on the border between Asia and Europe. And with all its diversity, it successfully embodies the unity of various cultures.

During antiquity, the most ancient Russian city, Kerch, appeared in the Crimea. But later, under Kievan Rus, the oldest cities were founded on the territory of former Russia. It seems that until the 900s. of this century, our ancestors had practically no settlements. It can be argued that in the future, archaeologists will still discover the most important evidence that will help determine the more solid age of our cities.

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The ancient cities of Russia, which have lived a long life and still exist today, make it possible to trace the history of our country, the stages of its formation and development. Having gone through the trials of centuries, they managed to survive and preserve to this day unique historical monuments of architecture and culture. The surviving earthen ramparts, fortress walls, ancient cathedrals and monasteries testify to the former power of ancient Russia and the talent of artisans. Traveling through these cities leaves an indelible and incomparable impression. In the north-west of the country is the "Silver Ring of Russia", which includes the great ancient Russian cities of Veliky Novgorod and Pskov. Thousands of kilometers are overcome by tourists in order to see the Kizhi churchyard and the Valaam monastery in Karelia, the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery in the Vologda region and the pearl of the White Sea - the Solovetsky Islands. The tourist centers of the Volga region are, based on the confluence of the Volga and Oka, Nizhny Novgorod, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan - Kazan, the hero city of Volgograd and the ancient Volga cities of Samara and Saratov.

The date of origin of the city is usually considered to be the first mention of it in the annals. But archaeological excavations often push it even deeper into the centuries. The longer the city exists, the more trials it will face. Many of them started their history from scratch more than once. But not all cities managed to recover. And all that remained of them was a mention in the annals and the remains of ancient fortifications. So, for example, traces of the disappeared cities are kept by the territory to the west of Moscow.

The most ancient Russian cities are five cities of the historical core of Russia: which had the same importance in Ancient Russia as Kyiv - connecting the largest Russian cities Novgorod and Kyiv -, the capitals of large principalities - and, as well as Belozersk, where, according to legend, one "sat" of the Rurik brothers - Sineus. But the most ancient city on the territory of the Russian Federation is Derbent, founded in 438.

If we distribute all the existing cities of Russia by the time of formation, it turns out that 56 cities arose before the Mongol-Tatar yoke, and 111 cities appeared in the process of overcoming the political fragmentation of Russia during the formation of a centralized state.

Kremlins and fortresses, cathedrals and monasteries, palaces and estates, factory and industrial buildings of the era of industrial prosperity create a peculiar historical atmosphere of ancient cities. Some historical cities acquire individuality through the predominance of one architectural style. But for all their diversity and uniqueness, they also have common features. Firstly, most of the ancient Russian cities were built at the arrow - at the confluence of the river with its tributaries. Secondly, in the middle lane, cities were built mainly on the high bank of the river. Their layout was subject to the terrain. Temples were erected on the highest places. And the core of the city - the fortress - occupied a hard-to-reach place, protected by ravines and steep river banks. The streets of ancient cities are characterized by curvature, which has certain artistic merit. Thirdly, embankments in a Russian city located on the river, as a rule, played the role of a facade, the face of the city, one might say, its visiting card. Old Russian urban planners skillfully used the features of the landscape and created beautiful cities in harmony with the surrounding nature.

Monasteries were of great importance for the ancient cities in Russia. They were not only places of religious worship, but also cultural and educational centers. As well as the place of stay in different periods of the history of noble and royal persons. So, for example, in what is not far from Kostroma, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov lived for some time. It was here that he received the news of his election to the throne. Since then, the Romanov family began to revere this monastery as their family shrine. In a turbulent time of enemy raids and princely civil strife, the monasteries protected the city dwellers. Often settlements that arose around monasteries became cities. The cities of Cherepovets, Pechory, Pokrov, Valdai, Kirzhach developed around the monasteries. laid the foundation for Sergiev Posad. became the ovary of the city of Istra. The city of Kirillov was formed around.

Outstanding achievements of medieval urban planning are the kremlins, inside which the most significant buildings of the city were erected. preserved and adorn Moscow, Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk, Rostov the Great, Tula, Zaraysk, Tobolsk, Kazan, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod. Russian architecture has made a huge contribution to the glorification of Russia. Few cities in the world can boast of architectural structures that are unique in nature. There are a huge number of them in Russian cities. Temples, cathedrals, monasteries - each with its own history, its own unique beauty.