Pskov: Kremlin, city history and culture

Pskov’s Kremlin is a historic architectural and urban ensemble. It includes the active Trinity Cathedral with its bell tower, stone fortifications with walls and towers, the grounds of Dovmont’s Town with the foundations of churches and civic buildings, and the 17th-century Prikaz Chamber. Here, religious architecture, fortifications, traces of earlier buildings and an administrative building come together in one ensemble. For those interested in culture, the Kremlin offers a tangible way to explore different aspects of Pskov’s history.

From settlement to administrative centre

The promontory on which the Kremlin stands is considered the birthplace of Pskov. The city developed on the site of an older Slavic settlement. Dovmont’s Town adjoins the Kremlin to the south. This part of old Pskov had its own fortifications and was surrounded by stone walls. Until the 13th century, the area was part of the settlement at the foot of the Kremlin. In the 13th century, the settlers’ buildings were cleared from the area, which was made the city’s administrative centre and protected by stone fortification walls. This chronology makes the area’s transformation clear: from a settlement district to a fortified administrative centre.

Administrative and civic architecture

The Prikaz Chamber is the only 17th-century administrative building preserved in Pskov. The Pogankin Chambers are considered the largest civic building from the same period in the area of old Pskov. The comparison offers two different perspectives on architectural history: for the Prikaz Chamber, its administrative function and preservation are key; for the Pogankin Chambers, it is the scale of a civic building. This helps place two different aspects of 17th-century architecture in context, without treating the buildings as examples of the same type.

The exhibition “Painting of Old Pskov from the 14th to the 17th Century” is displayed in five rooms on the third floor of the Pogankin Chambers. It includes more than 100 subjects and figures from Old and New Testament stories. Check whether the exhibition is on display at the time of your visit.

An annual festival with interactive activities

The historical festival “Voivode Shuisky” is held annually at the Pokrovskaya Tower. It commemorates the defence of Pskov against the troops of Stephen Báthory. Visitors can take part in interactive activities and test their combat skills on a battlefield. The festival thus combines historical remembrance with hands-on activities. If you would like to include it in your trip, check the specific event dates.

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can plan your trip around the kind of cultural history that interests you most: the buildings and development of the urban area, or the annual festival with its interactive activities. For the festival, the specific date matters when planning; the history of the Kremlin and Dovmont’s Town, by contrast, can be explored through the architectural and historical differences described here. For people travelling together, this offers a concrete way to take the group’s cultural interests into account when planning.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Zaborovka, Izborsk, Zolotovo, Novorzhev, Sebezh, Zapolye, Pechory, Buraya

Return to the main travel overview: Pskov Oblast.