Wonders Of Tver
Tver is one of the most beautiful Ryssian cities.
History of Tver in a brief
Tver is an old Russian town with its own long and unique history beginning in the early 12 century. Medieval Tver was one of the main centers of trade, skillful builders, gunsmiths and painters. One of the most famous Tverish was a merchant Afanasiy Nikitin. He travelled and then documented his visit to India (he described his trip in a narrative called The Journey Beyond Three Seas).The rise of Tver was during Mikhail Yaroslavich ruling the land. Mikhail Yaroslavich made Tver the capital of north-eastern Russia. The town had gained a high position among other Russian towns. Things were great until 1327 when there was a Mongol invasion which led to Tver losing its authority. At the end of 15th century Tver became a part of Moscow land and thereafter Russia. During the Ivan the Terrible ruling there was a devastating economical crisis due to which a huge amount of people died because of the hunger. Many years it took for citizen to rebuilt the town. However, later Tver cought up its economical potencial. 18th century was better for Tverish people thanks to Peter the Great’s ruling. It was a period of time when industry and architecture began to develop again. Another bright page of Tver’s history was during Catherine the Second ruling. She created a new architectural plan which made the town one of the most elegant places in Russian empire. Its layout is similar with Rome, Versailles and Saint Petersburg.
All of this contributed cultural and industrial development of Tver. Although, nowadays Tver is a bit abandoned, it is surely one of the most beautiful and authentic towns in Russia
How and why I went there
I heard about Tver many times before I went there. Mostly from my history teacher who went there once. That’s why one day I woke up and decided that today is the day. Now, looking back to the past, I can clearly say that it was one of the best days of my life. A placid sunny day when I realized I should explore more of the country I live in
Places I visited
First place I decided to visit was Morozovsky town. Morozovsky town was one of the first attempts to create a miscrodistrict in Russia. Its development began in 1856 when a factory “Tver manufactury” was built there. Year by year new buildings begin to emerge around the factory. They were originally built for people who work there. In 1910 its territory was greatly expanded. Different shops, a library, hospital, police and even national theatre had appeared there. Although, the place looks quite abandonded now, anyone would enjoy being there due to its atmosphere which makes you feel as if you accidentaly travelled back to the past
Then I went to the Trekhsvyatskaya street, which is located in the middle of historical part of Tver. Some people compare it with Moscow Arbat. It consists of old two or three-storey mansions built in late 19th – early 20th century and it makes the street the most marvelous and well-maintained street in Tver. Trekhsvyatskaya appeared in Tver in 1763 when the central part of the town was destroyed by a terrible fire. Its name it got from the Trekhsvyatskiy monastery which was located at the end of the street.
Another interesting place I visited that day was Tver Imperial Palace. In 1851 a railway from Moscow to Saint Petersburg was laid over Tver. Imperial palace was originally built for members of Imperial family to rest there during their trip. In 1767, Catherine the Great stayed there. Nowadays there is a regional art gallery.
Then I decided to see a monument of Afanasiy Nikitin which led to me crossing Starovolzhsky bridge. However, the bridge has a very unique and interesting story itself. It was built during Peter the Great ruling. There is even a legend that says that once Peter the Great came to Tver , Tverish people began to complain to him about how expensive it is to convey stuff over the river. To fix the problem Peter the Great ordered to build the bridge. During the WW2 when there was a deviation, to slow down the enemy Soviet army had to blow up the bridge. The town was literally divided into two different parts with no connection (except for the lake in winter) between them. However, it was fully reconstructed by 1947. Now anyone can admire its stunning panorama from the bridge
Where to eat: café “Manilov” (traditional Russian cuisine) (address : Sovetskaya street, 17 )
Where to drink coffee: “Buna Buna” (address: boulevard Radishcheva, 26)
How to get there from Moscow
The best way to get from Moscow to Tver is to come to metro Komsomolskaya and take the commuter train to Tver. The ride will cost you not more than 400 rubbles and will take around 2 hours.
Text by
Daria Smirnova