Leningrad region > Ladoga

Ladoga

In the residents of Ladoga built a church of St. George in the fortress. This is a small building on four columns, almost square in shape. It is remarkable with its austere and laconic architectire.

The building was made of brick, cobble and limestone. The oak links of the walls can be clearly seen on the inside of the western wall, from where a narrow stone staircase leads to the choirs.

One of the most dainty medieval churches, the church of St. George retained in parts the excellent wall paintings of the 12th century. One of the most remarkable frescoes in the history of art is the Miracle of St. George and the Snake, where the saint is seen quieting the dragon by a prayer, after which the tsarevna led the beast into the city The fresco is located in the Deacon's chambers. In the mid-15th - early 16th century Ivan III ordered full reconstruction of the fortress walls. The new walls were made 8 to 10 meters thick at the base, and 20 meters high, as was demanded by the increase in size of assault technology.

The buildings, which have survived to this day, and excavations showed that the Ladoga fortress had the shape of an extended triangle. There were five towers located in the comers and in the center of the fortress, caled Klmentovskaya, Vorotnaya, Strelochnaya, Tainichnaya and Raskatnaya. The fortress was armed in accordance with the state-of-the-art requirements of the time, and separated from the mainland by the Ladozhka, the Volkhov and a deep moat, which could be filled with water if the fortress were to be assaulted. For several centuries the Ladoga Fortress was impenetrable to enemies.

Before the end of the 17th century the city remained an important military and administrative center in the Russian Northwest. For a long period of time one of the churches in Ladoga held a bell presented to the town by Boris Godunov, inscribed "To Ladoga as the Foundation of My State.” In the 14th - 16th centuries Ladoga and a number of nearby settlements saw construction of a number of monastery buildings, such as the church of Basil the Cesarean, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas and the Church of St. John the Precursor on Malyshevaya Gora. All these buildings have survived to this day and are considered remarkable architectural monuments.

In 1610 -1617, Ladoga lived through a pared of Swedeh invasion, but after the Stolbovsky Peace Treaty it was returned to Russia. The new border of the Russian state lay near Ladoga, and when in the early 18th century Russia fought Sweden,

Ladoga was once again a frontline outpost in the hemic struggle to liberate the ancient Russian lands.

In 2003, Staraya Ladoga celebrated its 1250th anniversary.

You can team more about the history of the old Russian city and its modem life by visiting the Staraya Ladoga Reserve and Museum of History, Architecture and Archeology at 19 Volkhovskiy Prospect, Staraya Ladoga, Volkhovsky District, Leningrad Region, 187412. Phone (813) 631-3524, open from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., except Monday. Also join tour programs by 000 ADM, located in St Petersburg at 8 Ulitsa Marata office 30.