Torzhok. No ugly cities
Many have heard the joke "There are no ugly women, there are little vodka underfunded. " It's the same story with cities.
Torzhok… The name of the town, as they say, is well-known, along with other small historical towns, such as Suzdal, Pereslavl-Zalessky, although they are in a different province. And what a name - affectionate, kind, small.
It is now a tiny provincial town, battered for centuries, forgotten by the authorities.
And once Torzhok, and earlier the city of Novy Torg, is a large trading hub, let's say, created by Novgorod merchants in the 10th-11th centuries at the intersection of river and land trade routes.
January 9 Square, formerly Torgovaya
The city was both a defender of the Novgorod lands and a bargaining chip in the princely civil strife. As a result, it was repeatedly ruined, but again and again restored due to its convenient commercial location. Although it is customary to call Torzhok Torzhok, to this day the locals call themselves Novotors, and the adjective “Novotorzhsky” is used in everyday life. However, in order not to reprint historical references, I will redirect you to the site about Torzhok. It will also be useful when planning a trip to this amazing city.
Once upon a time, having become happy owners of a car, we periodically began to travel around towns and villages near Moscow on weekends. Torzhok still did not get into our route list. Years went by. . . Here in Moscow, or rather already in the Moscow region, at the intersection of the Moscow Ring Road and Leningradskoe Shosse, the rapid construction of the Torzhok shopping and entertainment center began, active advertising was on the central TV channels, cheerful and provocative, bright, elegant. My husband kept laughing, saying, if you are not in Torzhok, then, behold, he himself came : )). But alas and ah, the huge multi-colored building of the shopping center, which has not been put into operation for many years, has been standing behind a construction fence, decaying, overgrown with trees... A little later it will become clear why I remembered this story.
So, in my ideas and visions, Torzhok was a kind of elegant town from the picture. Actually, the way it is with the right angles.
But more and more often we began to come across tourist reviews of the same as we are, ordinary contemplators of all kinds of beauties and sights, about the sad state of the city, about devastation and desolation. I somehow already got tired of going there.
A couple of years ago, people on tourist sites began to talk about the active work on the improvement and restoration of Torzhok, which is about to turn the city into a fabulous box, into an open-air museum. Loud promises were periodically made in the media about bringing the rich historical and architectural heritage of the city into proper shape, and the allocated amounts were announced. There you go, it's up and running! And in the current dashing pandemic times for walking during the May holidays, I gave the direction to the family “To Torzhok! ”. They probably put my old dream in order.
View of the ennobled Tveretskaya embankment with the now landscaped (I hope, not yet abandoned) Novgorodskaya embankment
Of course, we did not expect any sleek gloss and rich shine from the tiny Torzhok, even taking into account the promise from the TV screen. Provincial towns just attract with their simplicity, rustic charm, so beloved by residents of bustling metropolitan areas.
Once upon a time, a city boulevard, a favorite place for walking, was equipped on this slope. With benches and gazebos
We must pay tribute, something, after all, looks decent. Cleaned up, tweaked…
But. . . right next to it, no, not on the outskirts somewhere, but in the very center of the city, a complete rout. Here, for example, is the Travel Palace complex with the Revolution Square adjacent to it, the former Palace Square, which is indicated in all guidebooks around Torzhok. The palace was built by decree of Catherine II in 1776. The project turned out to be so successful that it became a model for other similar palaces along the Moscow-Petersburg highway.
The ruins of the Traveling Palace are hidden behind the fence
Revolution Square, former Palace Square. The architectural ensemble of adjacent buildings was created simultaneously with the Travel Palace
It seemed like something was being done in the city. . .
St. Stepan Razin
. . . and not finished yet.
St. Stepan Razin
It was then that I remembered the story of the unfinished shopping center "Torzhok". Coincidence? Line of fate? Karma?
And, nevertheless, Torzhok we fell in love with! There is in him some kind of aura of cordiality or something, goodwill.
Guests are loved and welcomed there. I don’t know what had such an effect on us, but we bought all sorts of things at the souvenir market, which has not happened to us since the first tours both around the country and abroad. Well, remember, when each relative has a souvenir, plus only something produced here, and also that cute little thing, etc. , etc. : )). Now, from trips, the household, as a rule, is replenished only with a commemorative fridge magnet. And here, downright, they took a walk, nothing more than some kind of witchcraft. Yes, yes, make more money : ))
The city has its own Top attractions recommended for visiting.
Of course, we did not examine everything. Yes, to admit, and did not seek. Our family has long moved away from “checking boxes”, they say, there is a point - you have to be. Yes, and we have to take into account the interests of our motley company by gender and age (daughter is 10 years old, son is 9). Yeah, someone to eat, someone to drink, someone to spend money... Well, you still need to jump, jump, collect stones and sticks : ))
Here, and this time it didn’t work out at all according to the museum’s plan: the topic TOrzhok gold embroidery didn’t interest my companions, just like Pushkin’s (Pushkin, as you know, repeatedly visited Torzhok), so the museums remained behind the scenes. Oh well, okay. I have already noticed a few interesting things : )). We just went where our eyes look. My eyes.
St. Bakunin
And I wanted to take a closer look at all these church domes towering over the city. Somewhere small and slender, somewhere huge and majestic. I have already told about some of the monuments of temple architecture I have seen in a separate note “Torzhok. Great in the small”.
St. Lomonosov
And we will look into the Novotorzhsky Kremlin. We hung there for a long time.
The Kremlin is a fortified part of the city in medieval Russia, behind the walls of which, in the event of an attack by enemies, the inhabitants of the nearest settlements could hide; this is the place where, as a rule, the city originated, grew and expanded. So Torzhok had its own Kremlin. It has not survived to this day, the wooden walls of the Kremlin with 11 towers were completely destroyed during a devastating fire in 1742. And what we see now is not even restored walls, but rather an imitation of ancient buildings. The whole thing is part of All-Russian Museum of History and Ethnography.
A variety of events, both historical and entertaining, are currently held on the territory of the Kremlin. You just need to know the schedule, which in the modern age of technology is easy to do on official website, for example. Entrance fee is 50 rubles, children under 16 are free. There is a tour guide, but we managed.
At first I was a little perplexed, and what is so interesting in this wasteland?
But no, if you look closely, there are a lot of interesting things.
In general, this turned out to be what the restless brethren needed.
And then there is an exhibition of armor and weapons. Of course, all this is not real, not ancient, but modern replicas. But you can touch everything, try it on and even arrange a fight. Cool! Our boys, and the girls, too, "fought" : )
For a symbolic 100 rubles. you can shoot with a crossbow. Everything is as it should be: instructions, safety measures.
And yes, the staff guys are great fellows! Really passionate people. They do not get tired of telling, showing, explaining to everyone.
War for children, but for mom? And mom beautiful pictures:
Everything is straight, the slope is oblique : )
Kremlins were traditionally placed in high places for protection, and visibility, of course. So for modern lovers of landscape photos on a high hill of the ancient Novotorzhsky Kremlin, it’s just expanse. In addition, there is an observation deck:
And if for some reason you did not get to the observation deck in the Candle Tower of the Borisoglebsky Monastery, located next door, across the ravine, then you can enjoy beautiful views from the Kremlin ramparts.
Games, carnage. . . And meanwhile it was getting dark:
And it was time to head towards the lodging for the night. The final touch to the walk remained in my plans - to take a closer look at the majestic buildings of the former Voskresensky Convent, towering on the left bank of the Tvertsa.
Well, wow, and here is such a cute surprise - palm trees:
Yes, and there are palm trees in Torzhok : )). Oh yes, Torzhok, oh yes, entertainer!
It is on this positive palm-sunset note that we say goodbye to the charming town with such a cozy name Torzhok.
I wish the city a speedy funding and completion of restoration and restoration work! After all, there are no ugly cities : )
P. S. From the same trip:
Brief information about some temples of the city "Torzhok. Great in the small”.
