АНО «Центр эффективного сельского хозяйствования и садоводства» при поддежке Президентского фонда культурных инициатив в рамках социального проекта «Виртуальное путешествие по Псковской области» создал два видео-фильма в формате 3Д. Смотреть такие фильмы нужно в спец.очках виртуальной реальности. Однако представление о фильме можно получить, посмотрев его на YouTube-канале:

Фильм 1: Кремль, Псков, памятник «Ледовое побоище», церковь Богоявления с Запсковья, Органик-центр «Активное село»

Фильм 2: Изборская крепость, Свято-Успенский Псково-Печорский монастырь, Хлебный хутор

Перевод текстов фильмов на английский язык:

Pskov. The Kremlin

Russia begins here — this is what the people of Pskov say about their Motherland. Pskov, one of the most ancient and famous cities of medieval Russia, occupies a special place in Russian history. The Pskov land, being on the very border of cultures and civilizations, was enriched by the experience of different peoples but followed its own unique path. For centuries, it has carried the heavy burden of a border guard of Russian lands.

The Kremlin, the historical centre and the heart of the city, is located on a high limestone cape at the confluence of two rivers – the Velikaya and the Pskova. The Kremlin is also called “Krom”, which means a fenced space or a secluded place. This is where the development of the city began.

Holy Trinity Cathedral, the pearl of the Kremlin ensemble, is the perennial symbol of old Pskov. Its history began almost simultaneously with the history of the city itself. That’s why the Pskovites do not draw a distinction between their hometown and the Trinity Cathedral, calling Pskov the “House of the Holy Trinity”. The main element of the cathedral interior is a unique gilded 7-tier iconostasis preserved from the 17th century. It is richly carved and has a crucifix. Pilgrims flock to Pskov every day from far and wide to pay respect to the shrines of the cathedral. These are, first of all, the icons of the Mother of God and the relics of the Pskov saints.

It was at the walls of the cathedral that in ancient times the Pskov veche “seethed”: the supreme power in the city belonged to this popular assembly. Since ancient times, the cathedral has been the centerof public and state life. Today it is not only a functioning cathedral, but also a cultural monument of regional significance, preserved under state protection.

The Pskov fortress, one of the largest in Russia, dates back to the 15th-17th centuries. The local architects were considered the best masons. Inside Krom, the gates were protected by a narrow corridor «zahab» — from the Old Russian «sleeve». In these «corridors of death», defending their Motherland, the Pskovites destroyed the enemy by burning tar and stones. Western European chronicles call it a «smart fortress». Kilometer-long fortress walls have been preserved until our days. Stocks of food and weapons, the city treasury and the archives of the city used to be kept in Krom. Its territory was carefully guarded. “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!” — so they say in the Pskov region.

The history of Pskov goes back to ancient times. In the 7th — 8th centuries, a tribe of Slovenes — Krivichs came here and a city arose, protected by rivers and steep slopes. According to one of the main versions, Pskov received its name from the Pskova River. Its name is translated from Finnish as «tar water». The first chronicle mention of Pskov dates back to 903. This date was associated with the local woman, Olga, whom the Kyiv prince Igor took as his wife. Princess Olga is the founder of the city, by whose order a cathedral was built in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Ancient Pskov is a city-fortress. Throughout its thousand-year history, Pskov served to protect the Russian land from the onslaught from the West. It became an insurmountable barrier for German, Lithuanian, Polish, Swedish and other conquerors who sought to seize Russian lands. With all its internal structure, geographical position at the crossroads of the most important routes, the very nature of its culture, Pskov resigned itself to this single goal: the defense of Russia from the West. Within the country there was no city that could equal Pskov in length and power of its defensive structures. Having captured Pskov during the Great Patriotic War, the Germans ruthlessly destroyed it. The restoration of the city — its ancient buildings and walls — continues to this day. The Pskov land was of great strategic and commercial importance, that’s why Moscow paid great attention to the strengthening its north-western borders.

Located on the northwestern border, Pskov has become a faithful keeper of Russian spirituality and culture. By Pskov monuments, as by milestones, one can trace the history of not only the Pskov land, but the whole Russia. Here the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Princess Olga grew up, here she brought up the future Baptist of Russia, Prince Vladimir, here the military talent of Alexander Nevsky manifested itself. Pskov land gave the Orthodox world a long list of names of glorified saints. The idea of «Moscow — the Third Rome» was born here. The Pskov land is the birthplace of military leaders Mikhail Kutuzov and Konstantin Rokossovsky, composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Modest Mussorgsky. It was on the Pskov land that the genius of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin flourished!

Pskov Oblast has unique history and rich traditions. There are more than 5,000 cultural heritage sites, 10 active monasteries, ecological reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Still, the tourism potential of the region is still being revealed. The region is located in the north-west of Russia. Its territory is about 55 thousand square kilometers. It borders on three states: Estonia, Latvia and Belarus. It is in Pskov that 10 of the 30 Russian monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage List are located. The city itself seems to be smothered in the greenery of parks and squares, modestly preserving its precious pearls, framed in a quiet provincial life.

A journey across the Pskov land is an amazing excursion in time. The administrative centerof the region, the city of Pskov, is a real tourist Mecca today. Here you can admire the stunning monuments of history, culture, architecture and archeology of our country.

By getting acquainted with the Pskov land, you will be filled with the depth of faith, you will drink life-giving springs, plunge into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages of ancient cities, discover little Switzerland, become connoisseurs of ancient Russian art, skilled merchants and artisans. You will be surrounded by the atmosphere of vast land and lake expanses.

Since 2009, Pskov has been awarded the honorary title «City of Military Glory». Here you can literally touch history with your own hands. The city keeps the memory of how the troops of Alexander Nevsky, together with the people of Pskov, defeated the German knights on the ice of Lake Peipus. The heroic defense of Pskov forced King Stefan Batory to make peace in the protracted Livonian war and return the captured cities. These walls withstood the siege of the troops of the Swedish king Gustaf Adolf. During the Great Patriotic War, the brave and valiant people of Pskov, remembering their duty to their ancestors, launched a partisan movement and created a famous partisan land.

Russia will never forget the feat of the 6th company, when the Pskov paratroopers showed the best qualities of a Russian soldier — valour, endurance and professionalism.

Pskov is a city that keeps the secrets of history, the colossal heritage of Russia, ready to share with you all its accumulated wealth and modern hospitality.

Church of Theophany from Zapskovye

There are 44 active churches in the city of Pskov. Among the unique ones is the Church of Theophany from Zapskovye. This church is one of the most famous architectural monuments belonging to the heyday of Pskov architecture in the 15th-16th centuries. The church is spectacularly located on the high bank of the Pskova River.

The church is an example of the highest degree of pure and beautiful religious art. It combines the best traditions of the Pskov school of architecture, its inherent simplicity of appearance with the complexity of composition and non-standard, picturesque architectural solutions. The church itself is arranged symmetrically, but the belfry is placed in such a way that the overall composition becomes asymmetrical. The belfry protruding forward with a powerful base gives the whole church a new, large scale. In this construction, artistic expressiveness is achieved by extremely simple and concise means.

The famous Pskov architect-restorer Yuri Spegalsky considered this church one of the «artistically most outstanding buildings of ancient Pskov.»

The monument, as a brilliant example of the Pskov school of architecture, is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky

One of the most significant monuments of the Pskov region is located just a few kilometers north of the city. You can easily get here by car.

This huge, a 30-meter-high sculptural composition weighs 163 tons and is made of copper and bronze. It depicts Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky, sitting on a horse, surrounded by warriors from Pskov, Novgorod, Suzdal and Vladimir.

The monument to The Battle on the Ice personifies the unity and valour of Russian people in the fight against the enemy, the unity and indivisibility of the Russian land, its conciliarism, in which our ancestors found spiritual strength and support.

For the Russians, the battle in 1242 is of great importance: if Alexander Nevsky had not won a victory over the German knights, there would have been no Russian state.

From the time of the Grand Prince to the present day, the people of Pskov show examples of courage, unbreakable spirit and self-sacrifice in the name of the Motherland.

The author of the monument is the sculptor Iosif Kozlovsky. The architect Petr Butenko chose a perfect place for the monument — Mount Sokolikha. It offers a panoramic view of Pskov. The majestic monument is turned to the north-west towards the place of the Battle on the Ice. Menacingly, the warriors look to the west, where the waves of the Pskov-Chudskoye Lake lap. The Russian Land has been holding on such people and will continue to be!

Organic-center “Active Village”

It is a pleasure to complete the amazing journey across the Pskov region with a delicious visit to an agricultural enterprise, to get acquainted with the Pskov cuisine and gastronomic traditions of the region!

As we eat ourselves or feed our children, more and more often we think about how this or that product is produced, what it contains. Not all enterprises are ready to show their production processes. And the Pskov Organic Center «Active Village» believes that the product must be honest. Pskov snacks and Pskov tea are prepared from local natural raw materials. Anyone can be convinced of their benefits by looking at the production processes of the center with their own eyes.

This is a unique place in Russia where they provide a paid social service at cost price — to farmers, villagers, gardeners. They dry there agricultural products, including wild plants: vegetables, fruits, greens, herbs, berries, mushrooms. The center was built taking into account the experience of Estonia under the Russia-Estonia cross-border cooperation program — for the development of the Pskov village!

During the tour visitors can see how agricultural products are washed, cleaned, cut, dried and packaged. They begin to understand how the production of organic (eco) products differs from other types of production.

For example, the center does sanitary cleaning of the premises not with bleach, but with alcohol-containing products. The employees’ uniform does not have pockets and buttons in accordance with the international food safety management system.

The center is equipped with modern, innovative equipment. It dries farm and horticultural products carefully, at low temperatures, including freeze-drying.

A visit to such a production is interesting for both adults and children, as well as teenagers choosing a career path. The tours are always accompanied by tastings of new products, for example, willow-herb tea with Icelandic moss, a natural antibiotic that boosts immunity and restores after a serious illness.

Guests can’t always guess what is there on the plates. Radish slices look like rose petals, and dried onions are sweet for some reason. Crispy apple slices of various types and Ivan tea (willow-herb) are original products of the Pskov land. Workshops on Pskov cuisine and Pskov tea surprise with unexpected fragrant solutions. Here you can collect your own tea and take it with you! The farm products shop “Everything from Pskov” please visitors with local delicacies.

Therefore, when traveling around the Pskov region, be sure to visit the Active Village Organic Center!

Time flies in Pskov. The regularity of the local life makes you forget about the daily hustle and bustle. A person who once visited Pskov will definitely return here or will dream of seeing this ancient city again.

Pskov Oblast is the land of ancient history and unique culture. This is the most picturesque area of forest lakes and clean air. Here you can find an abundance of amazingly charming places of pristine nature. This land is called the Land of a Thousand Lakes.