Scheme of the Izborsk fortress. Izborsk fortress XIV – XVI centuries. Chapel of the Icon of the Korsun Mother of God

Once upon a time, in the 9th-10th centuries, Izborsk gravitated towards Polotsk and was the center of the current Pskov region - even Pskov was only its suburb.
However, gradually Pskov turned into one of the main Russian cities, the situation changed to the opposite, and in the 10-12 centuries Izborsk turned into a backwater, similar to the current one: during this period there are no mentions of it at all.
And in 1237, the Livonian Order emerged, and regular campaigns of the Teutonic knights against Pskov began. In 1240, they even managed to take the city, but then Pskov was saved by the intervention of Alexander Nevsky.
From this time the new life of Izborsk began - the most powerful fortress for its time. And although Izborsk did not repulse all sieges, it was not for nothing that the Livonians called it the Iron City.

The current Izborsk fortress is unique in that it is considered the oldest in Russia - its fortifications have been preserved almost unchanged since the 1330s, while the vast majority of fortresses were reconstructed in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the last part we stopped at the entrance to the fortress, in front of the barrier:

This entrance is paid, although you can enter the fortress from all other sides freely. However, in my opinion, it’s not a pity to pay for the entrance to the museum that protects this.

The main entrance is located at the foot of the Temnushka tower, from which the most powerful western wall begins (the Ryabinovka tower is visible further):

The length of the walls of the Izborsk fortress is about 850 meters, 7 towers are built into them. In plan, the fortress is an irregular “rounded” triangle, repeating the shape of Cape Zheravya Gora. Its western part, the widest and most open to attacks, is fortified by the 3 most powerful towers: Temnushka, Ryabinovka and Vyshka. The 19-meter Tower, the largest of the fortress towers, dominates the landscapes of the western part of the village - I have already shown it several times in the last part:

To the left of Temnushka began the Nikolsky Zahab - the southern entrance to the fortress. View from the tower, the gates of the zahab itself are clearly visible - a narrow passage between the walls in which the enemy found himself after breaking through the gates:

Reverse view:

There are signs on the walls everywhere warning that climbing on the walls is prohibited. I suspect this is not for the safety of the fortress, but of tourists - the fortifications have become like natural rocks, moreover, overgrown with grass, and it is easy to fall off them.
Opposite the Nikolsky Zahab, in a ravine, stands the Church of Sergius and Nikandra, built at the beginning of the 18th century, but still with obvious remnants of Pskov architecture:

The entrance to the fortress now is not through the zahab, but through a hole in the wall:

The first building inside the fortress is St. Nicholas Cathedral, built in the 1330s, along with fortifications, but later rebuilt more than once.

Let the current modest appearance of the temple not be misleading: in fact, it was once one of the main cathedrals of the North-West: if Pskov was called the “House of the Holy Trinity,” then Izborsk was called the “City of St. Nicholas.” This cathedral is the “younger brother” of the Novgorod Sophia and the Pskov Trinity.

And this is what the fortress looks like from the inside - empty space, several private (!) houses, and immutable towers:

The Tower Tower from the inside of the fortress is no less impressive than from the outside:

But even more interesting is the Lukovka tower standing in the corner (17m, the second largest in the fortress):

What immediately catches your eye is that it is not built into the wall, but is located inside the fortress territory. And Lukovka’s appearance is very archaic even against the backdrop of the most archaic fortifications of Izborsk. Lukovka is the oldest building here, apparently built back in the 13th century, and most likely it was a stone donjon of a wooden fortress. In the 12th-13th centuries this was apparently not uncommon, but now Lukovka has only one clear analogue left - Belaya Vezha in Belarusian.
You can go into Lukovka (the hut in front of the tower is the ticket office) and climb up the fairly comfortable wooden stairs.

At the top of the tower is a secluded but spacious observation deck, open even in winter. However, the latter is not surprising: this is not a narrow cornice, but a PLATFORM, wide, round, lined with boards and protected by a fence. Once upon a time there were archers standing here - and they could see a lot!

Panorama of the fortress. In the background are the Vyshka tower and the Talavskaya tower with the zahab of the same name:

The northern wall of the fortress, more like some exotic form of weathering:

Talavskaya Tower and the Korsun Chapel standing next to it (1929, that is, built under the Estonians):

St. Nicholas Cathedral:

And just a view through the tower parapet to the fortress wall (behind the trees is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, early 18th century):

Now let’s look in the other direction - after all, the tower stands on the edge of the 30-meter Zheravya Mountain:

Here the height is completely different. Below lies the Malskaya Valley, stretching for 4 kilometers along a chain of lakes. Zheravya Mountain is not a hill, but a cape at the edge of this valley. At the bottom is Gorodishchenskoe Lake, the first and largest in the chain, and from the foot of the hills flow the legendary Slovenian springs - springs with the purest and, they say, healing water. In winter, this landscape is probably not as beautiful as in summer, but it is not without its charisma.

Houses on the outskirts of Izborsk:

A chapel above one of the Slovenian springs - most of them are located near the Truvorov settlement, but two are located to the side, closer to the village. It is believed that the water of each spring helps against diseases of certain organs. This one is, let's say, "eye":

In general, Lukovka is good. Either this is the energy, or the combination of solitude on the round platform and the spaciousness of the surrounding area, but you don’t want to leave here, and if it weren’t so cold, you’d probably want to sit down and think about the eternal...
...But it wouldn’t be so cold - the fortress wouldn’t be crowded with tourists! And this is not the last reason why I chose November to visit the Pskov region.

The northern exit from the fortress - there is no barrier here, or even just cashiers. Free admission!

View from the zahab:

The Talavskaya Tower is the only rectangular one in the fortress, for which it was originally called Ploskushka. I managed to look into this tower by sticking my camera under the gate. The views are quite interesting:

Fantastic! The landscape of Izborsk definitely lacks a living dragon.

Panorama of the northern wall over the ravine, and the already mentioned Korsun Chapel. The temple of 1929 is a rare case for Russia (within its current borders). You just need to understand: “built under the Etonians” and “built by Estonia” are not the same thing. The local Orthodox community built the chapel anyway.

The far end of the northern wall and the Lukovka tower above the ravine:

Judging by other people's photographs, very beautiful views open up on the Izborsk Fortress from the Malskaya Valley. But I was too lazy to go down there through snow drifts and under a small “grain” blizzard... Probably, if Izborsk had been “terra incognita”, it would not have scared me - but there is so much information about the Iron City on the Internet that views of the fortress from the valley and It’s not a problem to find photographs of the Slovenian Springs.
I went along a winding path, along the top, to the Truvorovo settlement, which will be the subject of the next post.

May 30th, 2016 , 05:34 am

1) The Izborsk fortress is unique in that it is considered the oldest in Russia - its fortifications have been preserved almost unchanged since the 1330s with a length of walls of about 850 m and 7 towers, while the vast majority of fortresses were reconstructed in the 16th-17th centuries.


2) The original city of Izborsk was not here, but 1.5 km from the current fortress in a place called Truvorov settlement, shown in the part before last. The current fortress stands on a hill called Zheravya Mountain. The city was moved to this place in the 14th century, which was dictated by the desire to strengthen the city, which was generally successful: if in the 13th century the Livonian knights managed to take the city twice, then in the 14th century both sieges - in 1342 and 1367 - ended in failure . In 1581, Izborsk was taken by the Poles under the command of King Stefan Batory (they failed to take either Pechora or Pskov), but gave it to the Russian kingdom a year later. But during the Time of Troubles, the city withstood the same Poles. The Livonians called Izborsk the “iron city,” although the city did not repel all sieges.

3) In plan, the fortress is an irregular “rounded” triangle, repeating the shape of Cape Zheravya Gora. Its western part, the widest and most open to attacks, is fortified by the 3 most powerful towers: Temnushka, Ryabinovka and Vyshka. The fortress was built under the leadership of the Pskov mayor Sheloga. The current area of ​​the territory is 2.4 hectares, their height is from 7 to 10 m, the average thickness is 4 m. The diameter of the towers in plan is 10-12 m, height is 12-19 m, the average thickness of the tower walls is 3 m.

4) The walls and towers of the fortress are built from local limestone slabs with lime mortar. The walls on the outer and inner sides of the fortress are lined with a layer of regular masonry, and the inside is lined with clay mortar slabs.
In the foreground is the Korsun Chapel of the Mother of God, built in 1931, architect - Alexander Vladovsky.

5) General view of the fortress. Let's walk around the outside of the fortress.

6) Temnushka Tower, next to which the main entrance begins. Its height is 15 m with 6 tiers of battle. It probably got its name because of the small amount of light inside the tower.

7) From the Temnushka tower begins the Nikolsky Zahab - a narrow passage between the walls, in which the enemy found himself after breaking through the gate.

8) View in the opposite direction, the entrance to the inner part of the fortress.

9) Bell Tower, its height is 12 m, diameter is 11 m with 4 battle tiers. In the middle of the 19th century. its upper tiers were dismantled.

10) Living history.

11) Lukovka Tower (Kukovka) from the lowland - 1 stone building of the defensive system on Zheravya Mountain in the current fortress. The height of the tower is 13 m. Its location inside the fortress remains a unique phenomenon in the history of defensive architecture in the north-west of Rus', since all known fortresses began to be built in the most dangerous areas. The loopholes of this four-tiered tower looked both inside the fortress, so that if it was captured, they would continue to resist the enemy, and outside. The Lukovka Tower simultaneously served as the fortress's arsenal, which was located in the lower tier. The tier had a square shape, which is extremely rare in Russian architecture. In the inventories of the 16th-17th centuries. The “chamber” near Lukovka was also called the “zelenaya” (powder chamber). Muskets, wicks, and lead were stored here. Once, during a strong fire, Lukovka almost flew into the air, and only the stone vault over the “green” cellar saved her.

12) The same tower from the opposite side.

13)

14) One of the entrances to the inside of the fortress.

15) Talavskaya Tower, the latest in construction in a fortress 15 m high, located on the edge of a cliff. The only rectangular tower in the fortress, for which it was originally called Ploskushka.

16) From it there is another entrance to the fortress - the Talavsky Zahab with a similar defensive function in the event of the enemy getting inside the besieged fortress.

17) View in the opposite direction.

18) Let’s look again at the Talavskaya tower with the Korsun chapel.

19) Tower Vyshka - the highest and most powerful tower of the fortress - Vyshka. It occupied the most vulnerable and important place of defense on the western, approaching side of the fortress (along with the Ryabinovka and Temnushka towers). Previously, this tower had an upper wooden extension - a guard hut, a watchtower. This is where its name came from. Its height is 19 m at the moment.

21) The foundation of the Flat Tower, which has not survived to this day, in front of the entrance to the inside of the fortress.

22) And now let’s take a walk in the fortress itself.

23) Immediately at the entrance to the St. Nicholas Gate there is a ticket office (ticket 100 rubles as of April 2015), on the left is St. Nicholas Cathedral, on the right is the entrance to the Bell Tower, a little further is a secret passage to the water in case of a siege.

24) St. Nicholas Cathedral - 1 building inside the fortress, built together with fortifications in 1330. Once it was one of the main cathedrals of the North-West: if Pskov was called the “House of the Holy Trinity”, then Izborsk was called the “City of St. Nicholas”. This cathedral is the “younger brother” of the Novgorod Sophia and the Pskov Trinity.

25)

26) A secret passage to water in case of siege with a depth of 16 m. The hiding place is a long inclined stepped trench, about 40 m long. The walls and vault are made of flagstone, and the top is filled with earth and turf, which is completely leveled with the ground and is not visible from the surface .

27) That well is at the very bottom, I went down to the very bottom... it was very cold there))

28) Lukovka Tower inside the fortress.

29) At the base of the tower is the entrance to the weapons warehouse.

30) We walk around the courtyard.

31) Top view of the fortress wall.

32) From above from the Lukovka tower.

Initially, the Izborsk fortress stood in the place that is now called. However, in the 14th century it was moved to Zheravya Mountain, where powerful walls and towers were soon erected.

When you arrive in Izborsk, a strange feeling comes over you. It seems that since ancient times this has been Russian land. But at the same time, the Baltic influence is strongly felt. It turns out to be a very interesting mixture of different cultures.

Like any fortress in the north-west of Russia, the history of Izborsk is connected with wars, sieges, and repelling enemy attacks.

Founded by the Krivichi, Izborsk is the same age as Smolensk and Polotsk. According to legend, it was founded by Sloven Gostomyslovich. The city was named Sloven. And his son, Izbor, renamed it in his honor. Under Princess Olga, Izborsk became a suburb of Pskov and paid tribute to Kyiv. Under the walls of Izborsk, through Gorodishchenskoye and Malskoye lakes, there was a water trade route to Lake Peipus. Izborians took part in many campaigns - against Byzantium, Bulgaria, and the Pechenegs.

At the beginning of the 13th century, after the collapse of Kievan Rus, Izborsk became a fortress on the northwestern borders of the Novgorod land. His main enemy were the knights of the Livonian Order. The fortress that now exists on Zheravya Mountain began to be built in 1303-1330. Initially it was wooden, only the Lukovka (Kukovka) tower was stone. In the middle of the 14th century, the Pskov mayor Sheloga built stone walls and then towers. The fortress turned into an impregnable stronghold.

In 1510, Izborsk, together with Pskov, went to Moscow. In 1581, it was taken by the troops of Stefan Batory, but after the signing of the peace treaty, Izborsk again became Russian. In 1920-1940, Izborsk, as part of the Pechora region, belonged to Estonia.

At the Izborsk fortress

We arrived in Izborsk on a rainy day. However, despite this, there were many tourists. Our minibus stopped at Pechorskaya street, where ancient buildings and cobblestone streets have been preserved. In front of the houses there is an ancient burial ground. In the Novgorod land, ancient pagan kurgan-type burial grounds were called zhalniki. Common graves were called skudelnya.

Houses on Pechorskaya Street: Izborsk Museum, Anisimov Estate and Izborsk Park; crosses in front of houses - Skudelnya burial ground

On the corner of the streets, in the shadow of the trees, a modest monument to Izboryan soldiers who fell during the Great Patriotic War.

We pass by stone houses with wooden tops in the traditional Pskov style.

Manor 1900 - residential building with a stone barn

And ahead you can see the Izborsk Fortress. The street ends in a fortress Temnushka tower. In former times there was a dungeon here. Hence the name.

Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh and Nikander of Pskov

On the square in front of the fortress, behind the church fence, a small Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh and Nikander of Pskov. Initially, the temple, built around 1510, stood on the territory of the fortress itself. However, after a fire that destroyed it, it was decided to move the church outside the fortress walls. It is unknown when the current building was built. The official date is 1611. However, many researchers believe that no earlier than the middle of the 18th century. Now there is a museum of petroglyphs here.

Walk through the Izborsk Fortress

Nikolsky Zahab and towers of the fortress

Let's approach Nikolsky Zahab- a long and narrow passage along the southern wall of the fortress. The enemy who broke through here found himself trapped, under fire from all sides.

But I can’t take my eyes off the fortress. Behind the walls of the St. Nicholas Zahab one can see the domes of the St. Nicholas Cathedral (let me remind you that St. Nicholas the Wonderworker became the heavenly patron of Izborsk after the Baptism of Rus'). In front of the walls are fragments of the seventh, Flat tower.

Finally, we enter Nikolsky Zahab. People walk here in a dense crowd.

Walls of the Izborsk Fortress (Nikolsky Zahab)

The domes of the St. Nicholas Cathedral visible behind the walls look like the helmets of ancient Russian warriors. It cannot be otherwise.

Pavement and secret passage to the water

And now we are on the territory of the fortress. There is cobblestone pavement underfoot.

Steps go down to a secret passage to the water.

Let's approach St. Nicholas Cathedral. A true temple warrior who has survived many attacks. As befits a warrior, he is very laconic. A sign on the wall of the temple reads:

St. Nicholas Cathedral is an architectural monument of the first half of the 14th century. In the 17th century, a chapel was built to replace the wooden church built in 1349. In 1849, a bell tower was added.

Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside. The temple is operational, many believers come here from all over the Pskov land.

After visiting the temple we go to Bell Tower. Until the end of the 19th century, it was crowned with a belfry, the bell of which announced danger. They say it could be heard even in Pskov.

The southeastern wall of the Izborsk fortress and panoramas of the surrounding area

Then we climb southeast wall Izborsk fortress. Of course, it has been reconstructed. However, the restorers approached their task very carefully.

The wall approaches the corner Lukovka tower, the oldest in the fortress. The walls built later went around the outside of the tower, and thus it ended up inside. Previously, there was an arsenal and a powder magazine here. Nowadays there is an observation deck at the top of the tower, from which majestic panoramas of the surrounding area open up.

The ancient houses of Izborsk are visible from the wall. How different they are from the ones we are used to!

On the eastern side of St. Nicholas Cathedral there is a memorial cross, the inscription on which reads:

To all the leaders and warriors who were killed on the battlefield and laid down their lives for our faith and our fatherland, to all the Orthodox Christians who have died since centuries, buried in this fortress and the city of Izborsk.

St. Nicholas Cathedral and the memorial cross in front of it

Perhaps the most beautiful panoramas of the surrounding area open from the eastern part of the fortress, where the Lukovka tower is located. To the north of the fortress lies Gorodishchenskoye Lake, the hills rise behind it. On this rainy day, everything is drowned in haze, and therefore the landscape seems more severe.

Talavskaya Tower- the only square tower of the Izborsk fortress. Initially, because of its shape, it was called Ploskusha. It was built later than the others - at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. Its current name is associated with the Talavsky springs, and those with the tribe tolova who once lived in these places. Next to the Talav Tower is the Talav Zahab.

A little away from the Talavskaya Tower is Chapel of the Korsun Icon of the Mother of God. It was built in 1929, during the “Estonian” period, in honor of the appearance of the miraculous Korsun Icon of the Mother of God. The chapel stands on the site of the burial ground where Izborians who died defending the fortress in 1657 were buried.

Tower Tower- the highest in the Izborsk fortress. Its height is 19 meters. It was used for early detection of the enemy.

Observation deck and basements of the Lukovka tower

I can’t pass by the observation deck in the Lukovka tower.

Inside the Lukovka tower

The views from the observation deck are truly fantastic.

Below, near the Lukovka tower, there are stones with the history of the Izborsk fortress and the Pskov land.

Having descended from the observation deck, I go down to the basements of Lukovka.

Steps to the basement

Mossy stones in the basement

The basement is cold and damp. However, what would a basement be without this? I go outside where my fellow travelers are waiting for me. And through the opening in the wall we go outside the Izborsk fortress.

At the foot of the Izborsk fortress

We descend from Zheravya Mountain. Looking at the fortress walls and towers from here, you are amazed at their grandeur and power. At the base of the hill stands memorial cross. It was erected in memory of the fallen defenders of the Izborsk fortress in 1657 during the war between Russia and Poland and Lithuania.

After going down the hill, we went to.

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The Izborsk fortress became the foundation of the ancient city of Izborsk. For many centuries it defended Russia from enemy attacks. Today, the Izborsk Fortress in the Pskov region is part of a natural-historical complex and amazes all guests of the city with its power and beauty. The fortress is one of the main attractions of Izborsk.

Description

Externally, the fortress in Izborsk looks like an irregular triangle. Due to the ditches on the western side and steep slopes, it is considered almost impregnable. Local limestone tiles were used to build the walls and towers.
The Izborsk fortress is a powerful defensive structure that played a significant role in the defense of the country from the Livonian invaders. The fortress consists of a series of walls, seven towers and two zahabs - fortifications that protected the gates of the fortress in the Middle Ages. As a rule, it was a narrow long corridor, organized between the outer fortress gates and the inner ones leading deeper into the fortress.

Fortress towers

Lukovka Tower

The towers of the Izborsk fortress are one of its main attractions. The very first stone building is Lukovka, whose height reaches thirteen meters. This is the only tower that is located inside the walls. The tower basement was used to store ammunition. In 2000, studies were carried out on the tower, during which it was restored and the basement vault was restored. Today the structure has four tiers - on the top there is an observation deck.

Ryabinovka Tower

A six-tier cone-shaped tower 16 meters high. In each of its tier there were several loopholes, which were placed in a fan pattern. She had two exits - to the fortress at ground level and to the battle platform. The tower got its name from the rowan grove that grew nearby.

Temnushka Tower

In its structure it is similar to Ryabinovka. It has the same six tiers, and the height of the structure is 15 meters. It had the best view of the area near the main gate. The tower is very dark - this is what its name is connected with.

Tower Tower

The tallest and most powerful tower of the fortress, the height of which reaches 19 meters. Previously, it was even larger - at the top there was a wooden outbuilding for the guard service. The tower had six tiers and a secret exit to the field.

Talavskaya Tower

Its design differs from all others and has the shape of an irregular hexagon. It had five tiers and a wooden archer. Inside there were loopholes arranged in a fan pattern. On the walls of the building there are traces of breaks caused by stone cores in the sixteenth century.

Bell Tower

It is located on a steep mountain slope in the southern wall of the fortress. Nearby are the main gates and the entrance to the city. Previously, the tower had a two-span belfry with a bell, but in the mid-nineteenth century it was dismantled along with the upper tiers.

Flat tower

In the nineteenth century its ruins were clearly visible. But when the wall of the Nikolsky Zahab collapsed, the remains of the tower ended up under the resulting hill. For more than a hundred years, the Flat Tower was underground until its base was found during research carried out in 2001. Then they discovered the original steps and loopholes of the lower tier, as well as the wooden structures of the well frame.

St. Nicholas Cathedral

The cathedral was built inside the Izborsk fortress at the main entrance. This building was built from flagstone. The central cube is topped with one chapter on a powerful drum, decorated with two ornamental belts. St. Nicholas Cathedral is still active today. Previously, prayer services associated with significant events of the city were held there.

Secret passage

A special feature of the Izborsk fortress is a secret passage to the water, built at the beginning of the fourteenth century. It starts at the Bell Tower, runs along the southern slope of the mountain and leads to the Nikolsky well - a source of spring water that still exists today.

How to get there

The easiest way to get to the Izborsk Fortress is from Pskov, which is only thirty kilometers away. By car you should go along the E 77 Pskov-Riga highway, or if you are on your own, take a regular bus. The exact address of the Izborsk fortress is Pskov region, the city of Izborsk, st. Pechorskaya 39.

Izborsk- one of the oldest Russian settlements. Nowadays it is a large rural settlement in the Pechora district of the Pskov region - Old Izborsk. It is located near Lake Gorodishchenskoye and the Slovenian Springs, 35 km southwest of Pskov.

Already in the eighth - ninth centuries, these places were inhabited by the Slavic tribe - the Krivichi. According to legend, Izborsk was originally called by the name of its founder - Slovensky, and later received its current name. Izborsk was first mentioned in chronicles as the possession of the Varangian prince Truvor, the younger brother of the legendary Rurik. In Old Izborsk a settlement called Truvorov has been preserved. The ancient settlement of Izborsk was located on a small pointed platform, steeply plunging from Lake Gorodishchenskoye.

An important trade route for those times ran from Izborsk along the water system passing through Gorodishchenskoye and Malskoye lakes. To protect this trade route, the Izborians built several fortified points on the Obdekh River, located near the present villages of Zakhnovo, Lezgi and Gverston. In the 10th century, the importance of Izborsk as a center of trade gradually decreased, due to the increasing importance of Pskov, advantageously located on a large waterway along the Velikaya River.

The history of Izborsk is closely connected with the history of the Novgorod-Pskov lands. Its military significance was great. In the twelfth century, German feudal lords invaded the Baltic states. In 1201, at the mouth of the Western Dvina (Daugava), the German crusaders founded the Riga fortress, which became an outpost of their penetration into the Baltic states. In 1202, the Order of the Sword Bearers was created, the goal of which was the Christianization of the population of the Baltic states. The seizure of the Baltic lands began. After the fall of Yuriev (Tartu) in 1224, only Izborsk remained on the path of the knights-swords to Pskov and Novgorod. In 1232, Izborsk was captured by the Swordsmen, but was soon recaptured by the Pskovians.

In 1240, near Izborsk, a major battle took place between the combined forces of the Teutonic Order, the Dorpat (Yuriev) bishop, the Danish knights on one side and the Pskovites on the other, as a result of which the Pskov army was defeated and capitulated. Following Izborsk, Pskov was captured.

Taking advantage of the absence of the prince in Novgorod, the Germans took offensive actions against the Novgorod lands. Prince Alexander Nevsky, who returned to Novgorod, managed to gather an army, capture and destroy the fortress built by the Germans near Koporye. At the beginning of 1242, Vladimir regiments came to the aid of the Novgorodians. The Germans were expelled from Pskov and Izborsk. The Russians attempted to advance on Estonian lands, but their vanguard was defeated by the Germans.

This defeat forced the Russians to retreat to Lake Peipsi. On the morning of April 5, 1242, Russian regiments lined up on the ice of Lake Peipus. They were opposed by an army in which, in addition to the German knights, there was infantry (bollards), consisting of Livs, Letts and Estonians. At the head of the German army was the master of the Teutonic Order. The crusaders attacked the Russians with a wedge (as the chronicler put it, a “pig”), the tip and sides of which consisted of knightly cavalry, and inside the wedge there were infantrymen. Initially, the crusaders managed to break through the Russian army, but then the Russians struck the enemy’s flanks. The battle became fierce. In some places the ice began to break under the weight of heavily armed horsemen. The German knights were the first to fall into the water. Due to their heavy armor, they could not get out of the cold water on their own. The Russians pulled them out of the water with hooks, dragged them across the ice and captured them. The bollards were the first to not withstand the pressure and ran. Following them, the Germans also fled. The Russians pursued the enemy for seven miles. This battle went down in history as Battle on the Ice.

The Izborsk fortress, which has survived to this day, was built in 1302-1330. It is located a quarter of a kilometer from the old settlement, on Zheravya (that is, Crane) Mountain. The first fortifications in the new location were wooden. Then the defensive power of the fortress was strengthened. This allowed in 1323 the Izborsk prince Eustathius (Ostafiy) to provide assistance to Pskov, besieged by the Germans.

In the second half of the fourteenth century and in the first half of the fifteenth century, the strengthening of fortifications continued. Stone towers that have survived to this day appeared in the fortress. Until the beginning of the sixteenth century, the renewed fortress withstood eight major sieges and was never taken by the enemy. For this, the German knights called Izborsk the “iron city.”

Sometimes one type of multi-tower fortress was enough. In 1406, a large army of the Livonian Order, led by the Master of the Order, approached Izborsk. Nearby villages were burned, but the Livonians did not dare to besiege the fortress.

In 1510, during the reign of Grand Duke Vasily III Ivanovich in Moscow, the Pskov Republic was liquidated. Izborsk, together with Pskov, was annexed to the Moscow state. But the role of Izborsk, as one of the border fortifications of the Moscow state, remained significant.

In 1569, a small Lithuanian detachment, whose soldiers dressed as guardsmen, managed to take Izborsk.

In the twentieth century, Izborsk was part of the Estonian state for twenty years, from 1920 to 1940. In Estonia, Izborsk had a different name - Irboska. From 1941 to 1944 Izborsk was under German occupation. Since 1945, Izborsk became part of the Pechora district of the Pskov region of Russia.