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The capital city of Pskov oblast: Pskov.
Pskov oblast (also spelled Pskovskaya) is a federal subject of Russian Federation, part of Northwestern Federal District. The administrative center and capital city of the region is Pskov.
Pskov oblast population - 689,000 (2010); land area - 55,300 sq. km.
There are over 3,700 lakes in Pskov oblast, among them - the third largest in Europe - Pskovsko-Chudskoye Lake. Delicacy fish - European smelt - caught in Pskovskaya oblast is a distinguishing sign of the oblast as well.
Pskovskaya oblast is located in the north-east of the Russian lowland, the following features are typical for its relief: hills changed by considerable mixed forests, lots of lakes and a great number of small and large rivers favorable for sport fishing and water tourism.
The main feature of Pskov oblast location is the outer frontiers of Russia (270 km with Estonia, 214 km with Latvia, 305 km with Byelorussia).
The largest cities of the region are Pskov (195,000), Velikie Luki (98,000), Ostrov (24,000), Nevel (17,000). The territory of Pskov oblast is crossed by federal highways M9 and M20.
Federal highways M9 (Moscow - Rzhev - Velikiye Luki - Riga) and M20 (Saint-Petersburg - Pskov - Nevel - Vitebsk) cross the territory of Pskov oblast. There is an airport in Pskov city but the only available flights are to/from Moscow.
Agriculture is an important branch of Pskov oblast economics. Cattle breeding and milk-producing, poultry, vegetable growing prevail in agriculture. Over 70% of the farms are milk-producing.
Pskov Russia region nature
Pskov oblast forest
Pskov region winter
The territory of Pskov oblast is the ancient land of Russian state. For the first time Pskov was mentioned in Novgorod chronicles in 903. Pskov region has an extremely ancient history. Princess Olga, Prince Igor’s wife, was born there and a list “Slovo o polku Igoreve” was found there in Mirozhsky monastery.
Alexander Nevsky grew as a military leader there, Mongol-Tatars didn’t invade these lands and the Russian culture succession in 13th-15th centuries was preserved due to Pskov and its eastern neighbor Novgorod. The first monument of Russian civil law was adopted 600 years ago in Pskov.
It was there that Peter the Great waited for Swedes and collected the forces even before Poltava battle. It was there that he realized it’s necessary to found Saint-Petersburg city. Famous Russian poet A.S.Pushkin was buried there and the last Russian Emperor Nickolas II abdicated the throne of the Russian Empire there.
The system of people’s government which existed while Pskov land was independent provided rapid development of its economics, culture and arts. From 13th to early 16th centuries Pskov land existed as an independent feudal republic which was the last one to become a part of united Russian state in 1510. Pskovskaya oblast was formed in 1722. In 1927 Soviet government abolished Pskovskaya gubernia and made it a part of Leningradskaya oblast. Pskovskaya oblast was restored on August 23rd, 1944.
Among the natural resources of Pskov region the most precious are limestone, sand, gravel, gypsum, refractory and fusible clay, raw materials for mineral dyers, curing mud, underground mineral water.
One of the main treasures of the region is forest occupying over 1/3 of the territory of Pskov oblast. About 45% of the forests are coniferous, birch-trees occupy 34,5% of the land. Pskovskaya oblast has the richest deposits of peat among the regions in European part of the Russian Federation.
Special pride and treasure of Pskovskaya oblast are water resources. There are over 3,700 lakes in the oblast, Pskovsko-Chudskoye is the largest of them (3,521 sq.km). Over 30 small and tiny rivers flow into it, the river Narva flows out of it. Most of the lakes are located in the southern part of the oblast.
Pskov Russia oblast scenery
Pskov Russia oblast lake
Pskov Russia region sunset
Pskovskaya oblast is famous in and beyond Russia by its precious historical and cultural heritage, beautiful nature, wonderful hand made masterpieces, unforgettable historical events and famous names.
Ancient churches and fortresses, nobility estates and parks, picturesque settlements and cozy towns with unique cultural traditions, forests and lowlands inhabited by unique animals and birds, archeological treasures and modern authors works - all these things mean Pskov land and its culture. Pskov is one of the most ancient towns of Russia.
372 monuments of federal importance, 3,588 monuments of local importance and 475 newly found objects are located on the territory of the region. Pskov takes one of the leading places in Europe in number of architectural and archeological monuments.
There are 3 large museums in Pskov region: Pskovsky regional united historical and art and archeological museum “Pogankiny Palaty”; historical, architectural, landscape museum “Izborsk” and State memorial historical and literary museum of A.S.Pushkin “Mikhailovskoye” with lots of branches, among them Rimsky-Korsakov estate-museum in Lyubensk and Vechash, Musorgsky museum in Naumovo, Kovalevskaya museum in Polibino as well as a net of municipal museums.
The annual regional Rimsky-Korsakov and Musorgsky festival of Russian music takes place in Pskovskaya land in March. During this festival the works of famous composers are played in memorial estate-museums.
The project “Pskov Model Forest” was initiated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The forest policy of the Fund is aimed not only at the creation of protected areas to protect virgin forests, but also to find mechanisms for the sustainable management of intensively exploited forests. That is why the WWF is creating a network of model forests in Russia.
The aim of the project is to create a model of environmentally and socially valid, economically efficient forest management on the example of a specific area, as well as disseminate the positive experience of the project in the North-West Russia.
The territory of the model forest is located in Strugokrasnensky forestry of Pskov oblast over an area of 18,400 hectares. The territory is represented by different landscapes - from the boggy flat plains to the hills of Pskov elevation. Forestry forests belong to the subzone of southern taiga, dominated by pine, birch, aspen and spruce. Broad-leaved trees like lime, maple and ash are found on the banks of rivers and streams.
Pskov oblast church
Pskov Russia oblast church
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