Smolensk fortress during the war. Smolensk Kremlin and its history. Polish-Lithuanian wars. Time of Troubles

The Smolensk Fortress Wall (Smolensk Kremlin) was built in 1595-1602 during the reign of Tsars Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov. The architect of this building is Fyodor Kon.

The Smolensk Fortress Wall is popularly called the Smolensk Kremlin. Once it had many buildings and structures and was an important strategic object, the main purpose of which was to protect the city from attacks. Only a small wall of the Smolensk Kremlin has survived to our time.

Now the sight of a tourist can only see the surviving fragments of the walls and several towers of the Smolensk Kremlin. The fact that only part of the Smolensk fortress wall, built at the end of the 16th century, only gives the monument an ancient authenticity.

Stone walls already at the time of construction could withstand enemy artillery strikes. If we do not take into account the purpose of the fortress, but consider it as a cultural value, it can be argued that the Smolensk fortress wall is extremely beautiful. The architect Fyodor Savelyevich Kon had experience in the construction of such structures, but in this project he surpassed himself. The Smolensk Kremlin is the most unusual structure of all the works of Fyodor Kon, which had six-kilometer walls and 38 towers, and none of the towers were repeated in their design and were one of a kind.

It is a pity that not all the towers of the Smolensk fortress wall have survived to this day, but only 17 of them. The total length of the remaining walls is about 3 kilometers. This is a consequence of the wars that took place on the territory. According to the stories of old residents, the first towers were destroyed by Polish feudal lords, then Napoleon claimed these lands, and four more towers were damaged during clashes with German troops during World War II. Several of the remaining towers of the Smolensk Kremlin were dismantled by local residents to restore houses destroyed during the war. In the 1960s, huge sections of the Smolensk Fortress Wall were destroyed by workers, making room for new streets in the sprawling city of Smolensk. And only 10 years later, when historical Smolensk did not require more redevelopment, the Smolensk Wall was left alone. Everything that has been preserved is in its original form, external changes are due to only small restoration work.

Towers of the Smolensk fortress wall (Smolensk Kremlin).

One of the most popular towers of the Smolensk fortress wall among those that are open to tourists is the Thunder Tower, which has a number of other names - Kuninskaya, Topinskaya, Tupinskaya Tower. The people say that the tower received such a name from a strong thunderclap during a thunderstorm that raged right above it. There is another version of the origin of the name "Thunderous", it is associated with the whimsical structure of the tower itself. She is pushed menacingly forward from the wall, making her unapproachable and formidable like thunder.

Today, the Thunder Tower houses the Smolensk - Russia's Shield Museum, which displays exhibits of military equipment and weapons from the mid-14th century. You can also see a small model that reflects the history of the fortress, starting from the construction of the foundation - it can be used to trace the implementation of F. Kon's grandiose project. On the upper tier of the Thunder Tower of the Smolensk Kremlin there is an observation deck, on which you can see an unforgettable panorama of the city during the day, and in the evening from this platform you can not only admire the lights of night Smolensk, but also listen to rock bands, classical orchestras and other popular performers that often arrange their concerts right on this site.

Another open tower of the Smolensk Fortress Wall is the Eagle Tower. This tower offers a wonderful view of the inner courtyard of the fortress, and from here there is a passage to the Veselukha tower. During this walk along the Smolensk fortress wall, you can feel all the greatness and power of this building. These feelings are due to the unforgettable view on both sides of the wall. On the one hand, it is a picturesque courtyard, and on the other, there is a view of deep ravines, among which there is the "Devil's Moat" ravine, in which a ski slope was built.

The Eagle Tower of the Smolensk Fortress Wall was named so in the first years after its construction. There is a legend about a family of eagles who built their nest right on the top of this tower and lived there for many years until the first military skirmish frightened the birds away and forced them to fly away with their young offspring to safer places. However, despite the fact that the eagles have not lived here for a long time, this tower of the Smolensk fortress wall still bears its original name.

Like an apple split in two, Smolensk lies on both sides of the Dnieper. From one of its hills near the Assumption Cathedral, the preserved part of the city fortress is clearly visible, picturesquely passing along the high ridges of ravines and running in a flat ribbon along the Dnieper.

Through the Dnieper gates of the city in 1595, the sovereign master Fyodor Kon entered Smolensk. According to his plan, by the hands of thousands of builders, a fortress wall with a length of 6 km 380 m with 38 towers was erected in just a few years. On such a scale construction works not a single city of Russia knew before. Even now, the fully preserved fortification wall is very impressive. Indeed, it was made "with great joy"

The current state of the fortress cannot give a complete picture of it. Only some of its sections and 17 towers have survived: Pyatnitskaya, Volkova (Strelka), Kostyrevskaya (Krasnaya), Veselukha, Pozdnyakova, Oryol, Avraamievskaya, Zaaltarnaya (Belukha), Voronina, Dolmachevskaya (Shembeleva), Zimbulka, Nikolskaya (Yelenevskaya), Makhovaya, Donets, Thunderous, Bubleyka and Kopytenskaya.

In 1692 the Moscow master Gur Vakhromeev came to Smolensk specifically to restore the wall. In 1698, Peter I, arriving in the city, drew attention to it and ordered to intensify its restoration. When the wall, having endured the hard times Patriotic War 1812, dilapidated, in a report on its condition, Alexander I wrote: "It would be desirable for a more careful protection of ancient monuments, which, like the Smolensk wall, had special historical significance." Today it is included in the register of historical and architectural monuments.

Erected at a difficult moment in the history of Russia, the Smolensk Kremlin was a testament to the strong will of the people to defend the fatherland. The masters who arrived for its construction left a bright mark on the development of artistic and household crafts of the city. Later, the wall served as a monument that inspired many artists to create paintings and engravings, starting with the well-known Keller engraving of 1610, which was only a product of fiction, and ending with sketches by N.K. Roerich and a realistic painting in 1896 by N.A.Andreev ... Many of these sketches have left a very compelling image of the Kremlin.

A huge number of working people were involved in the construction of the Kremlin. This army of suppliers and builders worked for several years. First of all, the residents of Smolensk participated in the construction of the wall. A royal decree was also issued on the sending of people from other cities. According to another decree, it was forbidden under pain of death to carry out any kind of stone construction work in Russia during the construction of the Smolensk Kremlin, for its wall was being built "by all the cities of the Moscow state." 6 thousand people worked directly on the construction of the wall.

Because of the difficult working conditions in 1599, a riot broke out at a construction site. Adding unfavorable weather conditions: cold rains, early frosts, hunger, disease. In 1600, the walls were laid in the eastern part even in late autumn, which had not been done before.

Outside, a smooth wall was trimmed at the basement with a white stone roller. In the generation, they arranged pipes for water drainage, the holes were sealed with gratings. On the back side, the wall is framed with arches, both blind and with combat chambers. The arched openings of the soles of the plantar battle are framed from the outside. The second tier of the battle is located in the center. Here the frames have triangular pediments. The upper platform is up to 4.5 meters wide. The elongated teeth end in a dovetail, but even teeth are also found.

Upon accession to the throne, Boris Godunov increased his attention to Smolensk and in 1600 sent 200 thousand rubles there, increased the wages of workers, and began to take everyone to the construction site. This made it possible to successfully complete the wall in 1602, which turned out to be extremely timely, because already in the fall of 1609 Sigismund III with a 22,000-strong army (Poles, Hungarian mercenary infantry, Zaporozhians) stood under the city, which was defended by about 5 thousand people at 200 tools. They lasted 20 months!

The defense was headed by the Smolensk voivode MB Shein. From 1610 the residents of Smolensk began to die of hunger and scurvy. The ammunition has run out. Nobles often violated Shein's orders to appear on guard duty, hiring artisans or peasants instead. The loss of livestock began, there was not enough firewood and water, the use of streams inside the city led to massive diseases. The strangers huddled in damp, cold dugouts. In the winter of 1609-1610. 40 people were buried daily, in the spring of 1610 - already up to 150. By summer, the townspeople had eaten all the grass. Meanwhile, the monks drove moonshine from grain reserves and sold it to the defenders of the fortress at a high price. Nevertheless, the townspeople refused to any new proposals of Sigismund III. “It is in vain to speak with these bear people,” the king complained.

In 1610, the Moscow seven-boyars sent an embassy to Smolensk with a demand that the Smolensk people swear allegiance to the Polish prince Vladislav and surrender the city. But Smolensk did not open its gates to the enemy and was preparing for the second winter defense. In Moscow, there was even an anonymous letter on behalf of the Smolyans calling for a fight. Only on June 3 (13), 1611, the last, fifth assault on the wall took place. It was conducted from three sides: at the Royal opening, Pyatnitsky and Kryloshevsky gates. Shein fought at the Kolomenskaya tower, where he was captured seriously wounded. Smolyans fought for a long time with the interventionists on the walls of the Kremlin and in the streets, then the survivors blew themselves up in the Assumption Cathedral. When Smolensk fell, at the place where the troops of Sigismund broke into the city, they built an earthen citadel, called the Royal.

The first attempt to return Smolensk to Russia was made in 1613 by Prince A. M. Cherkassky, and the decisive battle took place during the Russian-Polish war of 1632-1634, when the army, led by the same Shein, moved to Smolensk. His siege unfolded. Then the Polish army of Vladislav IV surrounded and blocked Shein's troops. He was forced to sign a surrender, for which he was later executed as a traitor. Smolensk was liberated during the next Russian-Polish war in 1654, when, after a desperate assault on September 23, the city was surrendered by the invaders "into the service of the Tsar of Moscow."

But the Kremlin was slowly dying. By the Patriotic War of 1812, eight of its towers were lost. True, the walls were still suitable for defense, which was used by the Russian army. MB Barclay de Tolly then called Smolyan brave people, firm in the faith. And the French, entering the city, found there "only swamp water, hunger and a bivouac on the ashes."

In the very first months of the Great Patriotic War, the ancient fortress witnessed the grandiose Smolensk defensive battle. The city was defended by the 16th army of General M.F. Lukin, 19th I.S.Konev and 20th P.A.Kurochkin. During the days of the occupation, the Nazis removed the roof from 9 towers, burned down the Dnieper gates, dismantled the interfloor ceilings in Bublik, placed an explosives warehouse in the Gurkina tower, made a number of breaks in the wall. Smolensk was liberated by our troops on September 25, 1943. Smolyan, restoring the city. its walls were partly restored. The graves of Soviet soldiers are located near the walls of the Smolensk Kremlin and the Eternal Flame is burning.

Unfortunately, today the Smolensk Kremlin is in a rather dilapidated state. Nevertheless, the picturesque location of the “necklace of all Russia”, the thoughtfulness and artistic accuracy of all decorative elements, along with the functional perfection of this powerful defensive structure, make the Smolensk Fortress a unique monument of Russian architecture at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries.

There are 18 Kremlin towers preserved, each with its own interesting history.

History of creation

For many centuries, the western borders of the Russian lands were under the protection of Smolensk. Under Ivan the Terrible, the city was surrounded by a wooden fortress wall. But by the end of the 16th century, with the development of artillery, it could no longer serve as a reliable defense. It was decided to build a stone wall. They entrusted an important state matter to the famous master Fyodor Kon.

Materials were prepared and collected by the whole world. By the spring of 1596 preparatory work were finished and the work was in full swing. For the period of the construction of the wall, Boris Godunov strictly forbade all his subjects, regardless of family and rank, to conduct any stone construction... All forces were devoted to this "all-Russian" construction site. Up to six thousand people, driven from all cities and regions, worked here daily. In the first four years, the fortress wall was basically completed, but for another two years, minor works continued. In 1602 it was consecrated, and the image sent by Boris Godunov - a copy of the ancient miraculous Smolensk icon of the Mother of God “Odigitria” (translated from Greek - “Indicating the way”) - was placed over the gates of the Dnieper tower (now Frolovskaya). On the eve of the famous Battle of Borodino, they carried her throughout the camp, blessing the Russian soldiers for feats of arms.

To make the wall impregnable, oak piles were driven into the bottom of the pit, the space between which was filled with rammed earth, and on top of them - a new row. On this "palisade" thick logs were laid criss-cross and covered with rubble and earth. The foundation was laid out from stone blocks. And under it were made "rumors" - holes for going beyond the wall. middle part the walls consisted of two vertical brick walls, between which cobblestones were poured and lime mortar was poured. It had passages for communication with the towers, ammunition pantries, rifle and cannon loopholes, located on three levels. And on the top they let teeth, in the form of a swallow's tail, exactly like in the Moscow Kremlin.

The strength of such a bulk did not raise a shadow of doubt, but it had an Achilles heel. The fall of 1600 turned out to be hungry. The workers, angry at the lack of food, revolted, demanding bread. Even the tsar was sent a message, which was signed by Fyodor Kon. Boris Godunov ordered to increase the workers' wages, freeze the prices of bread, but at the same time severely punish the "writers". For two months the architect poured wine into his grudge for flogging with batogs. His henchman, boyar son Andryushka Dedyushin did not care for the cause, and the work was done poorly. Later, in 1611, he revealed the secret of the poorly fortified section of the eastern wall to the Poles. It was in this place that the conquerors managed to crush the might of the walls and break into Smolensk.

Fortress towers

The role of a special place and the main decoration of the fortress was assigned to the towers. They were intended for observation, conducting a three-tiered battle, protecting gates and sheltering troops, were equipped with devices for throwing stones and pouring hot vara on the heads of enemies. None of them resembled the other, neither in shape nor in height. Nine towers had passable gates. Through the main - Frolovskaya towers - the road to the capital opened.

Interestingly, all 38 towers had names. For example, Nikolskaya tower got its name from ancient temple St. Nicholas, near whom it was built, Kopytenskaya - from the word "hooves" (cattle were driven through it to the pasture), Vodyanaya (Voskresenskaya) - because of the aqueduct that originates in it, and Veselukha - for a wonderful view of the suburb cities. By the way, you can still climb Veselukha to admire the very amusing view of the Dnieper and the city.

However, not only the landscapes opening from the walls of the fortress are pleasing to the eye. In all his works Fyodor Kon knew how to combine functionality and beauty. For example, loopholes are framed with decorative platbands and painted red-brown; rectangular towers have one or two cornices located under the battlements, while round towers have the form of a roller.

Today you can see only a model of the fortress wall. It is presented in the exposition of the first of the restored towers - Gromovaya. The scale of all buildings has been recreated with detailed scrupulousness according to old drawings and documents.

For four centuries, only half of the Smolensk stronghold remained: three kilometers of walls and seventeen towers. The northeastern section of the wall along the Dnieper was dismantled in the 19th century, the western one - in the 30s of the last century. Despite this, wounded and aged, she has not lost her former grandeur and still amazes with the grandeur of the Russian architect's plan.

Architectural and technical features

Built 1595-1602
Length - 6.5 kilometers (3 kilometers remain)
Wall width - 5.2‒6 meters
Wall height - 13-19 meters
Total towers - 38 (17 preserved)
The distance between the towers is about 150 meters
Passage gate was in 9 towers
The main driveway tower is Frolovskaya (Dneprovskaya), through which the exit to Moscow passed

Fyodor Horse

Born in 1556 in the family of the Tver carpenter Savely Petrov, who taught him the basics of the profession. Left an orphan, he worked in construction artels, earning his bread by hard labor, for which he received the nickname "Horse". At the age of 17, interceding for a comrade, he almost strangled the German oprichnik. Fleeing punishment, he fled abroad. In this he was helped by the Italian engineer, builder of the Oprichnina Dvor, Johannes Clairo, who sent him to study stone business in Strasbourg. In 1584, Fyodor Kon returned to Moscow, having received permission from the tsar. The first major work of the talented master was the construction of fortifications of the Moscow White city with 27 towers (1586‒1593). Other of his works, distinguished by outstanding architectural skill: the Smolensk fortress wall, the ensemble of the Pafnutev monastery in Borovsk and the ensemble of the Boldinsky monastery near Dorogobuzh. O recent years his life is unknown. In memory of him, a monument was erected near the Thunder Tower in Smolensk in 1991.

The Smolensk Fortress in Smolensk is an architectural monument that served as a defensive structure in the Middle Ages. Currently, only half of the fortress has survived: most of this sight of Smolensk was destroyed during the war of 1812. Excursions around Smolensk almost always include a visit to the fortress.

History

Under Ivan the Terrible, a wooden structure with an earthen rampart stood on the site of the fortress. The history of the Smolensk Fortress is full of events. The city of Smolensk was an important defensive point and was often attacked, which the wooden fortress could not withstand. Therefore, in 1595, a stone fortification with towers began to be built here - the Smolensk fortress. The works employed thirty thousand mercenaries who worked for six years. As a result, a fortress appeared eighteen meters high, the thickness of the walls reached six meters. Also, 38 towers were built - mostly they had three tiers of different heights - from twenty to thirty meters.

Towers

The towers of the Smolensk Fortress performed several functions at once. From them it was possible to conduct observation, shelling, to defend the gates, troops were hiding here. Nine structures had gates. The main tower - Frolovskaya - was a carriageway, through which one could get to the capital. All the other towers were made simpler: 13 buildings are completely blind, rectangular in shape, 7 are hexagonal, 9 are round.

Pyatnitskaya tower

In the Middle Ages, a passage to Smolensk opened through this tower. But in 1812 it was destroyed by Napoleon's army. Then the church of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk was built in its place. Today, the Pyatnitskaya Tower has been restored and ennobled, and a Russian Vodka Museum has been opened here, where you can taste the products of the distillery.

Thunder tower

It is considered the most beautiful of all the towers of the fortress in Smolensk and has other names - Topinskaya, Kruglaya, Tupinskaya. The Thunder Tower was the first to be restored and restored to its original form. Inside you can see the unique interior, climb steep stairs and enjoy the beauty of the wooden dome.

On the second tier of the tower, there is an exposition telling about the construction and defense of the fortress. There is also a model of the original appearance of the structure with all the towers, gates and loopholes.

On the third tier of the Thunder Tower - the exhibition "Battle of Grunwald, 600 Years Later". Among the exhibits are reconstructions of weapons and armor of soldiers of the Smolensk Principality. On the fourth tier there is an observation deck where various concerts are held.

The value of the Smolensk fortress

During the Russian-Polish war in the eighteenth century, the Smolensk fortress was often attacked, during which four towers were destroyed to the ground, but no one could take it straight from the battle. Enemies had to attack the structure over and over again.

One of the sieges of the Smolensk fortress lasted more than three years. In 1786, the artillerymen and their guns were distributed to other fortifications. But in an attempt to capture the city, Napoleon stormed the fortress and its gates again. The walls withstood a two-day assault in the defense of Smolensk and the shelling of the French army, and during its retreat Napoleon ordered all the towers to be mined, as a result of which nine of them were completely destroyed.

However, the fortress wall of Smolensk was destroyed not only as a result of wars. In the twenties of the nineteenth century, its walls were dismantled, and the brick was used to restore buildings destroyed during the hostilities.

Smolensk fortress today

Today the total length of the Smolensk fortress wall is 3.5 kilometers, it includes nine fragments of walls and eighteen towers. Most large plot one and a half kilometers long wall is located in the eastern part of Smolensk. Tourists love this fortress very much and regularly come here, appreciating this beautiful and interesting place in Smolensk.

The main historic site is a museum, meeting place and a favorite among parkour enthusiasts. A walk around the fortress will be remembered for a long time, because from here you can look at the ancient city from above and admire the Dnieper. A film about the Smolensk Fortress is currently being filmed – "Bastions of Russia".

How to get there

The address of the Smolensk Fortress is Smolensk, st. Bolshaya Sovetskaya, 11, Smolensk State Museum-Reserve. It's very easy to get to her. From the railway station - by bus No. 2 and 10, stop Trukhachevskogo Street or by tram No. 6, 7 - get off at Pl. Smirnov. The expositions of the fortress can be viewed from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 18.00 hours.