Smolensk (Part one)

Smolensk

Smolensk – is the administrative center of the Smolensk region of the Russian Federation, an important industrial and cultural center in the west of central Russia, a juncture of railway and highway roads (to Moscow, Minsk, Riga, Orel). It is connected by airlines to a number of the cities of the European part of the country. It is located on the banks of the upper current of the Dnepr, 419 kilometers west of Moscow. The population is 352,000 people (as of January 1, 1993). The space of the built up part of the city is over 160 sq km. The history of Smolensk has its roots in the depth of ages. Its countdown begins since 863 – the first dated mention in Ustyuzhsk Chronicle, where it is written that Smolensk “is a great city with people of many.”

The city appeared on the ancient commercial way from Varangians to Greeks – from the Baltic to the Black sea. In fact, the earliest cultural layer found on the territory of today’s Smolensk (in the area of the Cathedral Mountain) dates back to XI century. Scientists long ago supposed that Smolensk – the tribal center of the Krivichi – originally was located 10-12 kilometers west of the city, in Gnezdov, where there is a complex of archeological monuments – around 2,900 (there used to be 4,000 of them) – burial mounds, which were made from the end of IX until the beginning of XI century. Later, after Christianity was adopted and central prince’s power was established, the city, as it seems, was moved up the Dnepr. Anyhow, as early as in the middle of X century, Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus wrote that “every spring trade caravans from the North – from Novgorod, Smolensk, Ljubech and other cities of Russia – arrived to Kiev and headed further to Constantinople.

It is interesting to note that one of the versions of how the city came into existence holds that toponym Smolensk is derived from the word tar that was used for remodeling of ships. Nikifor Muzurkevich wrote, “Smolensk received its name from the tar-men, who made tar… neighbors and those who bought tar from them for their ships called them “tarmen” (smolyane) and their settlement – “Tarcity” (Smolensk). One of the most interesting finds made at the excavation of Gnezdov burial mounds is a jar of clay of the first half of X century with an ancient Slavic inscription “Gorouhscha” testifying about the fact that written culture in Russia existed even before Christianity.

Smolensk was baptized in 1013. And in 1101, on the Cathedral Mountain in a citadel the first stone Christian temple was founded by Vladimir Monomah who possessed Smolensk since 1070. But in between these two dates another important event occurred: in 1015, in a bay of a little affluent of the Dnepr, the Smyadyn river flowing in the western suburb of the city, Murom’s prince Gleb, one of Kiev’s prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich’s son, was murdered.

On September 5 of 1015, a boat of the Murom’s prince arrived at Smyadyn bay; the boats of Svyatopolk Okayannyi’s murderers followed right after it.

On the mercenaries’ order the cook of Gleb slew his master (cut his throat with a knife) “as a lamb innocent and without reproach…” In a chronicle speaking about the event it is written that Smyadyn is “seen from the city.” Consequently, this place was not yet inhabited but the city was already growing on the southern bank of the Dnepr at the foot of the Cathedral Mountain. After several years, Gleb and his brother Boris, who was murdered on the river Alta, were canonized. They became the first Russian Christian saints.

On Smyadyn, where the blood of saint Gleb was shed, a well was dug, the water of which, according to tradition, had a miraculous healing power. In XII century, after washing themselves with this water, Ryazan princes Mstislav and Yaropolk recovered eyesight after being blinded by men of Vladimir in civil fighting. A rumor about the miraculous spring spread throughout the entire Russia. Thousands of pilgrims began to stream here.

In the first middle of XII century, a Boris and Gleb monastery was founded on Smyadyn; it became the biggest spiritual center not only of Smolensk land but also of the entire Russia. In XIX century among its ruins a shrine of Smolensk’s prince Davyd Rostislavich cut of white limestone was found; his court was located on Smyadyn. Davyd Rostislavich who received at baptism the name Gleb honored the saint Gleb as his heavenly patron. Since the time of prince Davyd, Smyadyn was called “a second Vyshgorod;” the prince brought the shrines of Boris and Gleb here; it uplifted the significance of the Smolensk Boris and Gleb monastery in the eyes of the Russian people.

Not far away from the Smyadyn bay Davyd Rostislavich erected a temple dedicated in honor of archangel Mikhail, the leader of the heavenly army. Russian princes honored him as the patron of their troops. Davyd Rostislavich not only “loved to read books and also possessed a keen memory,” according to one of historians, but also was an experiences warrior who spent a lot of time on a saddle. The names of Davyd and his brother Ryurik are mentioned in the most poetic work of Old Russian literature – “the Word on Igor’s Regiment.”

The archangel Michael church erected by Davyd Rostislavich is famous for the fact that it is a pattern of the local, Smolensk’s, school of temple architecture.

XII – beginning of XIII century is the time of flourishing of Smolensk Princedom initiated by Davyd Rostislavich’s father, Rostislav Mstislavich, and his brother Roman Rostislavich. Prince Rostislav, Vladimir Monomah’s grandson, who ruled in Smolensk 1125-1159, established an episcopate and gave to the church the citadel on the cathedral mountain with all the buildings; he elevated a mighty wooden-earthen fortress around the city (1136); carried out stone construction in Smolensk. His son Roman became renowned for being a patron of education. Being “led by all kinds of sciences” he founded in Smolensk educational establishments, in which teachers from Western Europe and Byzantium taught.

In Smolensk in XII – beginning of XIII centuries there were 30-35 thousand dwellers; five monasteries with big libraries; more than 35 stone temples. Birchbark manuscripts found by archeologists and graffiti on the walls of the stone temples testify about a wide spread of literacy among the local people.

In the first half of XIII century calamities befell Smolensk Princedom one after another. Civil strives began. In 1230-1232, there was a horrible plaque that killed almost the entire population of Smolensk – 30,000 people. At the same time Russia entered a streak of terrible trials: “nations came to its land, and nobody knew where they came from; what their language was and what kind of faith they confessed; their name was Tatars.”

In 1238, the Tatars came to Smolensk and Batu Khan, according to one Russian source, “camped thirty miles away from the city, and destroyed many holy churches and Christians; and firmly decided to war against the city.”

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