Located in the Odintsovo district, on the banks of the Moskva River, the city of Zvenigorod was founded in 1152. However, he acquired the status of the city only in 1781. The population of Zvenigorod totals 22, 500 people, but this does not detract from the place of the city in the history of the Fatherland. It is known that Zvenigorod is one of the most ancient cities in the immediate suburbs. The special status of the city of Zvenigorod is emphasized by its honorary title Settlement of Military Valor.
Ancient city history
The population of Zvenigorod has never been large, but the city has an ancient and very diverse history, as evidenced by numerous archaeological excavations in the territory of the modern urban district. In ancient times, the city was sometimes called Zvenigorod-Moscow.
Being one of the oldest cities in the Moscow region, Zvenigorod boasts a history dating back to the 12th century. According to one hypothesis, the city was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky. However, some scholars insist that the city was founded a little later, by order of Ivan Kalita. Although reliable information about the exact date of the founding of the city has not been preserved, it is reliably known that in the 14th century it was the center of the specific principality. This, for example, is evidenced by the fact that the center of the urban settlement in the 14th century was the Kremlin on the western edge of modern Zvenigorod. This place has long been called the Town.
In the 14th century, one of the most remarkable events took place in the history of the city: Dmitry Donskoy favors the Zvenigorod specific principalities to his second son, Yuri Dmitrievich, by whose will Zvenigorod becomes the real capital. It was during the reign of Yuri Dmitrievich Zvenigorod experiencing a real flowering. The remains of earthen walls preserved to this day indicate that in the 15th century there were serious fortifications around the entire perimeter surrounding the Kremlin.
Time of Troubles
The population of Zvenigorod decreased significantly at the beginning of the 17th century, when False Dmitry l burned and devastated the surroundings of this settlement on his way to Moscow. Historical documents of that period report the catastrophic consequences of this visit: monastery settlements were ravaged, money was withdrawn from the church and local residents, many horses were taken away by an impostor army.
However, the population of the city of Zvenigorod actively set about restoring their settlement. By the end of the 17th century, several ironworks appeared on the initiative of the boyar Boris Morozov, who, among other things, was the educator of the future Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. When Boyar Morozov passed away, all his property was transferred to the royal treasury. Thus, industry came under state control, which subsequently allowed Peter l to use it to carry out his reforms.
By 1650, the number of Mr. Zvenigorod increased significantly. By imperial order, a stone wall was erected around the entire settlement, which took four years. In 1654, 230 male souls lived in Zvenigorod, which means the total population could reach thousands of people.
Zvenigorod - a county town
In 1781, Catherine the Great signed a special decree on Zvenigorod, according to which the emblem of the city was approved. Three years later, Zvenigorod got a permanent, well-planned layout. Thus, Zvenigorod acquired the status of a county town. After that, a certain number of officials moved to the city, due to which the population density of Zvenigorod increased slightly.
During the war with Napoleon, the city gained fame thanks to the so-called Zvenigorod case - it was the battle of a small detachment of the Russian army, which stood against the walls of the Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery. In that battle, Russian troops defeated the enemy, capturing a large number of French captives.
In the 19th century, Zvenigorod's social infrastructure was undergoing rapid development. A city hospital is being built, thanks to which the population of Zvenigorod gets access to medical care. It was in this hospital at the end of the 19th century that the great Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov worked, who, as you know, was also a wonderful doctor.
After the serf reform
The second half of the 19th century was not too simple for Zvenigorod. After the reforms, large-scale manufactories of the city began to decline. Economic growth began to slow, and production fell significantly. However, despite all the difficulties, the population of Zvenigorod at the end of the century before last reached 4000 people. Most of the locals cultivated vegetables in their own gardens. Only 3% of the population was engaged in industry, and 9% of the population were engaged in handicrafts.
In the 20th century, the city entered in a deplorable state - the amount of money equal to the salary of four workers was spent on the maintenance of the local school. Most of the local factories, manufactories, and brick factories were on the brink of ruin. And by the beginning of the 20th century, the city and county were the least developed in the Moscow province.
Zvenigorod during the years of Soviet power
The Bolshevik government managed to seize power in Zvenigorod on November 16, 1917. The administrative buildings were occupied by a detachment of workers of the Red Army and soldiers who came from Pavlovskaya Sloboda. It is worth noting that the population of Zvenigorod did not resist the Red Army, which allowed them to quickly take control of all important buildings, the post office and the telegraph.
During the Soviet era, a large number of administrative buildings, municipal institutions and other social infrastructure facilities were built in the city. Schools, hospitals and sports facilities were built. A public market was built on the territory of the ancient Zvenigorod cemetery in the church of Alexander Nevsky.
Change after the collapse of the USSR
Like most cities in post-Soviet Russia, Zvenigorod experienced difficult times in the nineties. However, at the beginning of the two thousandths in the city there was a tendency to improve economic and social conditions. In 2003, several more settlements were included in the city of Zvenigorod, Moscow Region, including the town of Blagodat, the village of Vvedenskoye, and the village of Dyutkovo. Subsequently, the boundaries of the city repeatedly changed, as did its status. In 2010, Zvenigorod received the status of a historical settlement, which was supposed to contribute to the preservation of the historical heritage in large numbers in this city.
Despite the fact that due to administrative reforms, the population of the city increased slightly, the population density of Zvenigorod decreased significantly. This situation created an additional burden on the social infrastructure of this city.
Separately, it is worth mentioning that in 2017, the authorities recalled the role that the city played in protecting Moscow in numerous armed conflicts with foreign aggressors. This year Zvenigorod was awarded the honorary title Settlement of Military Valor.
The economic situation in Zvenigorod
The economic development of the city of Zvenigorod is significantly affected by its proximity to Moscow. The city is located just 53 km west of the capital of Russia, with which it is connected by rail and road.
Having answered the question about how many people are in Zvenigorod, we can talk about the areas of activity in which city residents are employed. Today, the city has a production of office supplies, food products, as well as numerous transport enterprises, sanatoriums and rest homes, there is even a scientific institution owned by Moscow State University. We should also mention the service sector and tourism.
However, no economy can function without transport. As mentioned above, Zvenigorod is connected to Moscow by rail. Trains run to Belorussky Train Station in Moscow. However, it should be borne in mind that the Zvenigorod station is final. In addition, the Zvenigorod train station is located some distance from the historic city center, but the center is easily accessible by bus. Also, bus routes connect Zvenigorod and Moscow bus stations, which significantly increases the transport accessibility of this city near Moscow.
The cultural sphere of the city
The population of Zvenigorod of the Moscow Region is actively interested in the culture of their native land. To satisfy this interest in the city there are historical, architectural and art museums reserve, founded in 1920 in the Vvedenskoye estate. This ensemble includes most of the noble assembly of the former owners, but later the museum collection was also replenished with items from other nearby estates, houses, monasteries.
The Zvenigorod Historical Museum is located just 2 km from the city center, directly in the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which is an amazing monument of ancient architecture. The museum has an archive, a library, as well as restoration workshops, which allows you to keep the architectural complex in good condition.
A significant part of the museum’s collection consists of folk crafts of the Zvenigorod district, including the artistic weaving of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, the most interesting for tourists are ancient icons. For example, one of the most popular exhibits is the 17th century iconostasis, which consists of 57 icons.
Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery
The most powerful object of attraction for tourists, travelers and pilgrims is an Orthodox monastery located in Zvenigorod. The Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery was founded at the end of the 14th century and is located on the Storozhi Mountain, close to the place where the Storozhka River flows into the Moscow River, that is, 2 km west of the city of Zvenigorod, Moscow Region.
The monastery was founded in 1398, it is assumed that its founder was the monk Savva, a student of St. Sergius of Radonezh. However, without the participation of the authorities, it was also not enough, scientists believe that the money for the foundation of the monastery was given by Prince Zvenigorod Yuri Dmitrievich. Initially, only a wooden church was built, glorifying the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To build this church, the highest place in the district was chosen - Mount Watchman.
Today on the territory of the monastery is the Bogoroditsky Cathedral, the Gateway Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, built in 1650, the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the church of St. Alexei, as well as the refectory and the church in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
One of the most noteworthy non-cult structures is the refectory, built in the second half of the 17th century. For its time, this four-story white stone structure was one of the highest in the district. In the center of this impressive building today is the kitchen, and around it are the cells of the fraternity. In numerous reviews of Zvenigorod, one can often find mention of the refectory, as tourists are interested not only in history and ancient architecture, but also in delicious dishes of traditional monastery cuisine.
As in many other monasteries, not only monks lived in Savvino-Storozhevsky. On the territory of the architectural monument there are chambers built for Tsarina Maria Miloslavskaya - the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich. This small one-story building has been the seat of the disgraced queen for many years.
It also happened that even the king himself stopped at the monastery. For comfortable placement of the sovereign in the monastery were built royal chambers. The first phase of the palace was built in 1652, later, however, the palace was rebuilt several times, adapting to the needs of the new ruler.
USSR legacy
Despite the fact that all the most significant architectural monuments and sights date back to Tsarist times, travelers who are nostalgic for the USSR will also find something interesting for themselves in this city. One of the most popular museums among foreigners is the private institution Back to the USSR.
This is a small private institution located on Moskovskaya Street, house seven. In a small house you can get acquainted with the standard life of the Soviet family. Most tourists visiting this museum are satisfied with their visit. For example, you can find reviews that children ask their parents to show how they lived in the Soviet Union. It turned out that they lived very well, and this can be seen from this exposition. People thank the creators of the museum and say that they really liked everything.
