Veliki Luki is an ancient city in the Pskov region, located two hours drive from the administrative center - the city of Pskov . The first mention of him was in the Novgorod chronicle in 1166. Today Velikie Luki is an industrial, transport, and most importantly, a cultural center of the north-west of Russia. The city has many attractions:
- colored fountains;
- museums;
- temples;
- fortress;
- squares.
The picturesque river Lovat also serves as an adornment of the city.
Velikie Luka fortress
One of the main attractions of the city of Velikiye Luki is the fortress. It was the main defense of the city. In 1704-1708, Tsar Peter I, in order to protect the Russian borders from the attack of the Swedes, ordered instead of the old dilapidated wooden fortress to build a new earthy one. The new fortress had the shape of an irregular hexagon, with guns at each corner. The height of the shafts was originally 21 meters, now - 18.
There were three gates in the fortress: two on the west side and one on the north; until today have survived only with the western. Inside the fortress there is the Resurrection Cathedral of the 17th century, which was destroyed during the Second World War. And also there were a riding school, a prison, a barracks and other necessary buildings.
The most interesting is that his first battle, he was the last, the Velikie Luka fortress took several centuries after its founding - in 1943, when the German invaders turned it into a powerful fortified point. The fortress was taken by Soviet soldiers of the 357th Infantry Division on January 16, 1943. In 1960, in memory of those events on the bastion of the fortress, the Obelisk of Glory was established, which became the symbol of the city.
While on the post of head of state, Dmitry Medvedev by his decree awarded the city the honorary title "City of Military Glory". Therefore, the fortress and its history acquired a new heroic color, as well as monuments in Velikiye Luki gained greater importance.
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Theatre of Drama
The Drama Theater in the city of Velikiye Luki has a rich history, which began as early as 1855. Then it showed the performances of visiting troupes. In 1918, two front-line mobile theaters stopped in the city, then the military technician Eisenstein created the city drama theater, in which only amateurs played. But already in 1919, D. A. Yarkin was sent from Petrograd to the city, whose task was to organize a professional theater in Velikie Luki. Eisenstein put many talented productions, while performing not only as a director. In the famous painting "The Taking of the Bastille" by R. Rolland, he took three posts at once:
- producer;
- artist;
- actor.
Unfortunately, in 1941 the theater ceased to exist, but immediately after the end of the Great Patriotic War, once again began to delight the audience with magnificent productions. The Drama Theater was awarded the Golden Palm Award in France.
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Local History Museum
The Local Lore Museum of the city of Velikiye Luki was opened on the day of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War (May 9, 2005). The museum is located in a building that was built in 1971 for the Museum of Combat Komsomol Glory named after Alexander Matrosov.
The museum's exhibits are collections of archeology, numismatics, ethnography, weapons and other items that can characterize the culture and development of the region.
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Fountains
Velikie Luki is called "the capital of colored fountains" and not for nothing, because this is one of the first cities in the USSR where color and music fountains were installed. At that time, for Soviet citizens, such structures seemed somewhat fabulous and unreal.
In the second half of the last century AK Loginov, a local resident, designed fountains for his native city, which, by their originality at that time, had no analogues, now they can also be seen in Moscow , Sochi, etc.
In 1960, the grand opening of the "Stone Flower" took place. It was a terrific sight. Of several bowls resembling flowers in their form, water jets rose, which were accompanied by a multicolored illumination. Local residents were fascinated by this spectacle and admired the imagination of the projector Loginov, who was able to translate his fantasies into reality.
In 1974, another color music fountain was installed. He decorated the square in front of the cinema "Rodina". A little later the city administration pleased the local residents with another "miracle" - the fountain "Three generations". It symbolizes the main features of three generations: the wisdom of old age, the joy of maturity and the splash of youth.
The city of Velikie Luki is quite an interesting place. The variety of attractions fascinates and makes you come here again and again, to once again walk through these small streets and admire. Therefore, going to this ancient city, do not worry that you will not have much to see in Velikiye Luki.
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