What city was called tours in ancient times. Interesting facts from the history of the ancient city of Turov

For over a thousand years now glorious city Tours on the shore of an even more ancient Pripyat. It was the capital of a powerful principality, the oldest book of Belarus, the Turov Gospel, was written here ... But all this is a matter of bygone days. How does Turov live today? Will tell you about it.

Yes, Turov is not the same. But local residents do not stop decorating and ennobling their city. One of the latest creations sculptural composition at the entrance to the Palace of Culture.

Another decoration of the city was the recently opened cathedral, built in honor of Saints Cyril and Lavrenty of Turov.

According to chronicles, in the 12th century there were about eighty churches in Turov. All that the city can boast of now is the Church of All Saints, which keeps the famous stone crosses. Correct the situation and help the new temple.

Near the church there is a monument to the Great Patriotic War, harmoniously fitting into the Turov landscape.

The settlement of ancient Turov, which is eloquently evidenced by the tablets.

In the early 1960s, the remains of a 12th-century church were discovered on the site. After studying the surviving foundation, historians stated that the church - the most unique object, because it was the largest building in the western lands of ancient Rus'.

However, the temple did not last long. Already in 1230 it was destroyed by a strong earthquake. Everything that has survived can be viewed for a nominal fee when you arrive in Turov.

The church was built from this brick. As you can see, Belarusian brick production technologies have not changed much over the past 800 years.

Monument to Cyril of Turov, a famous native of the city.

Cyril of Turovsky went down in history as a church figure and educator, one of the first hermits in Rus'. In Belarus, he is revered as a saint.

Turov is known to nature lovers thanks to the Turov Meadow biological reserve. It was created to preserve and study the unique colonial bird settlements. The reserve is a section of a floodplain meadow, where about 55 species of birds nest. The most famous inhabitants of the “meadow” are waders, which peacefully coexist with such rare species of birds for Belarus as the ringed owl, morodunka, etc.

Turov is one of the oldest cities in Belarus, located in the center of Polissya on the Pripyat River in the Zhitkovichi district of the Gomel region. The distance to Gomel is 258 km, to Minsk - 252 km, to the border with Ukraine - 87 km. Tours connected highways with David-Gorodok, Zhitkovichi and Lelchitsy.

History of development - Turov

Turov was first mentioned in 980 in the Tale of Bygone Years. The name of the city comes from the name of the ruler of the city - Prince Tur. The city was founded by the East Slavic tribe of the Dregovichi at the confluence of the Yazda and Strumen rivers, which are tributaries of the Pripyat. Turov was profitable geographic location- a part passed along Pripyat trade route"from the Varangians to the Greeks"

In 1005, in Turov, Prince Svyatopolk Vladimirovich founded a temple according to the Latin model. In the 11th century, Turov became the center of Christianity in Belarusian lands. Also, the famous Turov gospel was created in the city - the most ancient book created on the territory of Belarus.

The Turov-Pinsk principality was ruled by a local branch of the Kyiv princely Rurik dynasty and was the center of the Old Russian state. In 1320-1330. Turov lands became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1502, the city was attacked by the Tatars, after which, in 1508, the city was transferred to the hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Konstantin Ostrozhsky, who took up the restoration of the city. The Ostrozhsky dynasty owned Turov for a whole century. In the 17th century Turov was repeatedly attacked as a result of numerous wars with Moscow. Also in 1648, the city was captured and destroyed by the Cossack detachments of Bogdan Khmelnitsky.

As a result of the Second Partition of the Commonwealth in 1793, Turov became part of Russian Empire. Throughout the 19th century, Turov remained small provincial town. At the end of the century, according to census data, most The inhabitants of the city were Jews. There were numerous synagogues, two prayer houses and a prayer school in the city. At the beginning of the twentieth century. began mass emigration of the Jewish population from Turov to the United States. During the Great Patriotic War From 1941 to 1944, as a result of the policy pursued by the Nazi troops to exterminate the Jews, a Jewish ghetto was created in Turov.

In the post-war period, the Turovsky district was abolished, and Turov lost its city status and became an urban settlement. In 2004, by decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Turov was returned the status of a city.

Tourism potential - Turov

Turov is quite an interesting city from a tourist point of view with big amount attractions. The heart of the city is. The settlement of Turov consisted of a citadel and a roundabout town. Detinets on the southeast side was isolated from the roundabout city by a defensive moat, which was constantly filled with water until 1925, when the r. Yazda was diverted to a drainage canal. Since the 2nd half of the 13th century, there was a castle on the territory of the citadel, the main defensive structure which was a stone tower. Also, during numerous excavations, fragments of ceramic dishes, tools, weapons, various household items, jewelry, jewelry were found, which indicates the development of various crafts in Turov - blacksmithing, jewelry, bone carving, woodworking, pottery, foundry, production of building ceramics , agriculture, animal husbandry, trade, hunting and fishing.

On the bank of a small river Yazdy is located in the center of which is - an architectural monument wooden architecture 1810 In addition to the church at the Borisoglebskoye cemetery, there is one unique attraction - stone crosses growing straight out of the ground. According to legend, the crosses sailed to Turov from Kyiv up the Pripyat, and then were erected in the fields near the city.
Not far from the Borisoglebsky cemetery, on the castle hill, it is installed - to the Belarusian and East Slavic religious figure, theologian and writer.

Being in Turov, both adults and children can attend a production tour on: get acquainted with the production and get to know the secrets of delicious Belarusian cheeses better.

Today Turov is modern city with a rich cultural heritage and tourism potential that you can visit on your weekends.

Turov is a small town in the Gomel region with richest history. Dregovichi lived on the territory of the city many centuries ago, and in the 10th century they founded the Principality of Turov here. Throughout its existence, the city has developed rapidly. It was in Turov in 1005 that one of the first Ancient Rus' dioceses, as well as the oldest Belarusian handwritten book called "The Turov Gospel".

IN different time the city was raided by Tatars, Cossacks, troops of Janusz Radziwill, who completely burned Turov. Then he lived the ordinary life of one of the Soviet villages. Turov received city status in August 2004. Today Turov is a developing city where tourism infrastructure to familiarize tourists with its history.

This commemorative sign is a stone on which one of the huge number of legends about the origin of the name of the city is presented, and the year when the mention of Turov appeared in the annals - 980 . This sign is located directly opposite the Turov Hotel.

From the location of the sign opens beautiful view on the tributary of the Pripyat River - Strumen and the beautiful embankment of the city. In addition, behind the commemorative sign there is an information poster telling about the wintering places of the local storks.

Complex "Ancient Turov"

The museum was built on the site of an ancient temple, destroyed in 1230. After the earthquake, only the foundation remained of the church, erected in the 1170s. On this foundation, discovered in 1961, the glass tent of the current museum was built.
Exactly this large building on the territory of the lands of ancient Rus', located in its western part. In the museum you can see how Turov looked before, as well as get acquainted with an extensive collection of handicraft tools.

Location: Na street Castle Hill — 1.

Bishop Kirill of Turov was born and lived in Turov, so of course there is a monument to him in the city. The monument was erected in 1993 on the territory of the Castle Hill and is made of concrete covered with copper.

The sculpture represents the figure of Cyril of Turov himself with his head raised, and behind the figure is a Byzantine-shaped cross. The height of the monument is 7 m. In his left hand, the bishop holds a book, on the cover of which a cross is engraved, and right hand points to this book.

The cross is located at the Borisoglebsk cemetery, which is located on the banks of the Yazda River. The surface of the cross is chipped, and the ends are rounded.

The stone cross began to grow out of the ground in the cemetery in the middle of the 20th century. However, at first no one knew that it was a cross, since it looked like ordinary stone. Every year the pebble became bigger and bigger and took the shape of a cross. In 2001, an inexplicable event happened to him at all: in winter, when the temperature was at -15, the snow around the cross melted and puddles formed, and the stone itself was warm to the touch.

In addition, there is a belief in the city that two sons of Prince Vladimir the Baptist are buried on the territory of the Borisoglebsky cemetery. Their half-brother, who was also the first prince of Turov, is considered guilty of the death of the brothers.

This is the most old museum Gomel region, which was opened in 1927. The circle of history and natural history of one of the schools served as the basis for the museum. At the time of opening, the gallery's collection consisted of more than a hundred exhibits.
The founder, and concurrently the first director of the museum was M.E. Brui. In addition, P.A. played a huge role in the creation of the museum. Shchekotovich is an employee of the library of the People's House. The exposition of the gallery consisted of archeological items, old handwritten and printed publications, and household items.

However, during the Second World War, all the exhibits of the museum were completely destroyed. In 1949, a new building was allocated to the gallery, and until that time it was located in personal home Shchekotovich himself. Today, the museum includes several expositions and an exhibition hall, and the number of exhibits exhibited in the gallery reaches eleven thousand.

Location: Kirov street - 21.

The city of Turov is rich not only in its history, but also in natural features. In this territory during your flight to warm countries stop many migratory birds, some of which make their nests here. That is why in 2008, on the banks of the Pripyat River, the only non-state reserve "Turovsky Lug" was opened in the entire territory of Belarus.

Every year, floods cause the reserve to become a network of islands used by many birds for their colonies. On the territory of the meadow there is the only bird ringing station in the country. Every year, Turov is visited by many tourists who want to visit the Turovsky Meadow Reserve to enjoy watching rare birds listed in the Red Book.

This is the only monument in the world to waders - maradoons. In Belarus, this bird is listed in the Red Book. She builds her nests exclusively in the floodplain of the Pripyat River, on the territory of the only reserve "Turovsky meadow".

The monument was opened in May 2009 and is represented by two sculptures of these beautiful birds. This cute monument once again indicates the uniqueness of these places.

This temple is located in a wooden house, located on one of central streets cities. The church was built in 1810, but until about 1930, only funeral services were held in it.

The fame of the cathedral was brought by two stone crosses, the height of each of which is 2 m. According to the legend, these crosses arrived in the city along the river from Kiev and then the water in the river was stained with blood. This event served to develop the Christian faith in Turov. It is believed that initially there were three of these crosses, but one was lost. Many people now believe that the third cross is located at the Borisoglebsk cemetery.

Location: street.

This monument was unveiled in September 2005 on Castle Hill. It is a stone cross, similar to those crosses that are located near the Church of All Saints. This monument is a tribute to the great Cyril of Turov.

Location: Castle Hill.

The construction of the first cathedral church in the city began in the 12th century. However, this church was destroyed in the 13th century during the Tatar raids. At the beginning of the last century, they raised funds for the construction of a new cathedral, but the First World War, the coup d'état and other important events that took place during this period in the country did not allow construction to begin.

The issue of building a temple was returned only in 2008, when the President of Belarus allocated a territory for its construction. In May 2010, the foundation stone of the future church was laid. The following year, the foundation of the future bell tower was laid, and domes and crosses were raised to the temple. The cathedral was consecrated in 2013. The temple is made in the ancient Byzantine style and has 9 domes. Together with the cross, the height of the cathedral is 32 m.

Location: street.

The first mentions of Belarusian city Turov, were recorded in the ancient chronicle. In The Tale of Bygone Years, this locality was registered as a political, economic and Cultural Center Dregovichi.

This was facilitated by the convenient geographical location of Turov, which at the beginning 980 was a popular center of the water trade route connecting different states.

Dozens of centuries later, the town, located in the Zhitkovichi district of the Gomel region, radically changed its appearance and scale.

Its population has dwindled to three thousand people, and the restored restored sights and ancient historical heritage, attract curious tourists and Orthodox pilgrims.

The main artifacts for the guests of Turov are stone crosses. They are located at the Borisoglebsk cemetery, which was opened on the site of the destroyed ancient monastery. A feature of this attraction was the inexplicable growth stone giants right out of the ground.

The first specimen was caught from the Pripyat River in 1937 year. In those days, all church shrines were condemned and destroyed, and the amazing find was completely buried in the ground so as not to attract undue attention to it. However, the cross, hidden from prying eyes, began to gradually protrude from under the layer of earth. And already in 2008 year, a small stone with uneven rounded outlines was found at the other end of the cemetery. Over time, he began to rise higher and higher from the ground, and acquired a clear outline of the cross.

Amazing shrines have become popular with local residents, and after a while pilgrims from all over Belarus and Russia began to come to them. Pious Christians are sure that growing stone crosses have amazing power, and prayer places give peace and tranquility.

An object cultural heritage, entered in State Register historical values ​​of Belarus. The old wooden building was erected in 1810 year.

Partial reconstruction and complete restoration of the church were carried out already in the twentieth century. Experts have updated the ancient carvings of the iconostases, the unique royal doors with rosettes and rocailles, and completed the construction of a new bell tower with a tent-like roof.

The three-frame building is painted in sky-blue color, which beautifully distinguishes the temple from the background of amazing natural beauties. There are also stone crosses inside the church, and there are always a lot of people during religious holidays. And in weekdays Holy place noted by tourists.

Biological reserve "Turovsky meadow"

Do you like picturesque nature and real natural relaxation? Then you should definitely see the Turov Meadow, which is visited by thousands of birds during seasonal migration. The flooding of the rivers turns ordinary meadow spaces into small islands, ideal for accommodating bird families.

Lug is the only bird ringing station in Belarus, and numerous nature lovers come to see rare birds and enjoy the unique surroundings.

In the biological Turovsky reserve, you can meet up to fifty species of birds and take amazing photos. And that is why the beautiful natural area is an integral attraction. small town, and is listed in all tourist guides.

oldest museum

In 1927 in Turov was opened Museum of Local Lore. It is the oldest museum in the Gomel region and today offers visitors various archaeological, ethnographic and manuscript collections of museum values. Hundreds of items of ancient life, vintage printed editions and a hall dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.

There is also an interesting museum and archaeological exposition located in Turov on Castle Hill Street. It was there that in the middle of the last century, archaeologists dug up the foundation of an ancient temple, the destruction of which occurred during a strong earthquake in 1230.

The architectural building was erected back in 1170, and its stone remains were dug out of the ground, covered with a modern museum glass tent, and presented to inquisitive visitors for inspection.

If you are in Belarus, be sure to visit Turov. There is so much to see and do in this city. You are guaranteed to enjoy the local sights and conquer the hospitality of the local population with your hospitality.

A lot of sun and a lot of water - this is how you can express the impressions of three days held in small town Turov, in the Zhitkovichi district of the Gomel region of Belarus. The name of the city awakened vague memories from childhood and referred to Russian epics, in which some actions unfolded in dense forests, among mighty oaks. Certainly heroic. But the Internet did not confirm the shaky images of my inflamed consciousness, and therefore I will limit myself to a brief reference.

The population of Turov is currently about three thousand people. True, one of the sites claimed that in the summer its population increases five times, which caused certain concerns, but no confirmation of this was found either as a result of a visual inspection of the city streets or when analyzing the occupancy of the hotel.

In the chronicles, Turov was first mentioned in 980, and at that time it was the only city among the Dregovichi tribe, and in the XII-XIII centuries. became the center of the Turov principality. From 988, the Rurikovichs reigned in Turov, fighting for independence with Kiev and other neighboring principalities. Since 1320 - as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and since 1793, after the division of the Commonwealth, it became part of the Russian Empire. Wars often swept through Turov, leaving traces of destruction and death on it. But such is the fate of the whole of Belarus, due to its location, political map the world and the movements of its neighbors.

Despite the small number of interesting places for tourists (they are, some floating on the water or growing out of the ground crosses are worth something), the city creates for those who visit it (for me, in any case) a sense of tranquility both with its streets and surrounding it nature. It is in the complex and it is necessary to perceive all this. And for bird lovers, there is generally expanse, because literally a hundred meters from the city there is the famous Turov Meadow, a resting place migratory birds. As they say, in the spring they gather here in thousands of flocks, chasing each other in search of prey. In August, of course, there is no such variety of birds here, but the local lack of variety gives pleasure with its chirping and crackling. As for the storks, this is a separate song, a few words from which I will sing below.

However, it is time and honor to know. Forward! I'll start, breaking the chronology, with a picture taken in the morning (at 6 o'clock) through the plastic window of our room at the Turov Hotel. On the channel of the Pripyat, you can already see the fisherman, and on the wire - an early bird. Fog creeps over the Turov meadow, and behind the trees, which is on the right on the horizon, the Pripyat River flows. A memorial sign is visible in honor of the first mention of the city in the annals, and in the center is garbage left, presumably, by local youngsters, who in the evenings are going to squeal and cuddle each other here (such thoughts are evoked by sounds coming from the street). However, closed windows reliably keep silence in the room.

We arrived in Turov on Sunday at 10 am. The sun was roasting to the fullest and in its rays the city seemed dazzling white. And all because we ended up at the new temple, located next to the hotel. The Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Lavrenty of Turov was consecrated quite recently - on May 11, 2013 and now looks great. I must say that he pulls the undersized Turov up and makes the city center much more attractive, giving significance to the whole composition. Unfortunately, the whole complex does not fit into the frame, and it was not possible to climb onto any elevation, so fragmentary pictures

The female figure is not a manifestation of Catholic motives, but a small memorial complex

And to the left of the entrance to the temple, on the steps, a young parishioner thought about the eternal. Well, the female sex is busy with practical, earthly business. Everything is as it should be.

In order not to go far, let's look at a cheerful composition near the House of Culture

Now another church, All Saints, built in the early 19th century. Blue, like the vast majority of Belarusian churches with wooden walls. The highlights of this church are two two-meter stone crosses who, according to legend, sailed (against the current) to Turov from Kyiv. I myself did not see them, since the church was closed, but if they write that they are, then they are.

Another cross with extraordinary abilities was discovered at the Borisoglebsk cemetery. They say that it grows out of the ground, constantly increasing in size. Now he has become an object of mass worship. Judging by the ribbons, there is little Christian worldview here (or maybe I'm far from it?). Some believe that this is one of the three crosses that sailed from Kyiv. I don't have Miss Marple's talents, so I won't be investigating. Let everyone believe what they believe

The personality of Cyril of Turov, a famous church figure and writer of Ancient Rus' of the XII century, is closely connected with the city. He was the bishop of Turov and a seven-meter monument was erected in his honor on Castle Hill. Memorial Day of Kirill Turovsky - May 11. Perhaps that is why the first stone in the construction shown above cathedral was founded on May 11 (2010), and on May 11 (2013) the cathedral was consecrated. There are many photos of the monument on the net, I will show only the top part.

Here, on the Castle Hill, there is another relic. This is the outside view

And inside is the skeleton of the church of the XII century, destroyed by an earthquake on May 3, 1230. This is generally beyond my understanding. It is easier for me to believe in crosses floating against the current from Kyiv to Turov than in an earthquake of such destructive force in Polissya. The most powerful masonry - what kind of strength should this earthworm have been?

And, finishing with the story, I will show a memorial sign that is installed right in front of the Turov Hotel and which is visible from the window of our room. Text from the chronicle with the first mention of Turov. By the way, it already existed, that is, its history began even earlier than 980

By the way, about the birds. This is a stand with a description of the feathered visitors of the surrounding places.

And this is a monument to waders, again near the hotel

And now it's time to look at the streets of the city and I will start, of course, with the hotel, which, probably, has already been tormented by hiccups from such frequent mentions. Here she is, in all her glory. Our room is on the third floor, two windows on the right. A very decent hotel. Anyway, double room superior comfort(single room). The restaurant downstairs is also very decent. And on the left is the Turovsky department store, where in the very first minutes of their stay in the Turov region they bought an anti-solar women's hat.
This photo still brings back fond memories to this day.

Here is another view around the hotel

So what if it's in the city center? Yes, it's nice to be there. Here is a square with a bus station, a small market, and so on, and, again, a hotel can be seen in the distance. On the wall of the yellow building is a poster "Together we are Belarus"

Here, on the benches, you can often meet small groups of characters, appearance which indicates that they have at least one bad habit. But if I needed to find a place where I can have a drink in a pleasant environment, then I would also stay here. And all the necessary shops across the road.

The floating hotel "Polesie" is laid up. Interest made me climb on board and ask about the order of their work. They, like a taxi, can take you to any physically accessible place. An hour of walking cost (August 5, 2013) 600,000 Belarusian rubles, that is, approximately 2,300 of ours. The cost did not depend on the number - if you want, go alone, but if you want - gather a company of a dozen good people and ride for the same money as you can. They will bring them to the island, and they will let you fish, and, probably, there are cabins. No wonder it's a floating hotel

Turov is a one-storey town for the most part. Here is a panorama of the roofs

The streets here are colorful and each has its own color. Like this one, for example (road local importance and so-so in quality)

And here is one. Here the road is normal, because it goes beyond Turov

This new street, there are such houses on the outskirts of the city

Here is a very rustic look.

And here's the city. One of the few multi-storey buildings. Skyscraper by local standards. Deposits of firewood suggest that some boiler houses operate on such solid fuel. But this is guesswork.

Signs similar to the sun are often used in the design of wooden houses. But it is very rare to find platbands on the windows

A bicycle in Turov is not entertainment, but a means of transportation. It is used by people of all ages - both women and men. Moreover, women even more often. Bicycles stand on the streets without a leash. True, they are all Belarusian-made, that is, ordinary road ones and, perhaps, there is no point in stealing them. Or maybe this is evidence of the absence of the habit of stealing and respect for other people's things?

This type of transport is democratic and accessible to all ages.

Closing the topic, I would like to note the presence in Turov of either a gypsy or Moldovan diaspora. Not that it was very significant in number, but its representatives met both on the streets and on the beach. Well, now the houses and people are finished, I will move on to the animal world. And here we must begin with storks. I have never seen so many of these birds. They are here everywhere. On the roof of the city hall

On the rooftops

On the roads

On the bank of the river

In a separate apartment. Against their background - not dragonflies or swallows. These are also storks. Most likely, they are preparing young shoots for the flight to the southern regions.

It can be unmistakably determined: this company had just arrived in Turov and, seeing this nest of storks, hastened to capture the picture. No wonder, at first the views with storks are impressive.

There are also poultry in Turov

The keyhole of the lens does not fit the expanses around Turov, but you can get an idea of ​​​​them. A fisherman with a fishing rod is visible. In general, there are just clouds of fishermen on the shores, but I have not seen a single fish caught by them. There are a lot of fish in the river, but I didn’t see them on the hook.

This is the local beach.

View from the shore

I have already said above that not far, about forty minutes walk along the edge of the Turov meadow, the Pripyat River flows (near Turov - its channels). For some reason, I imagined the Pripyat as a quiet river of medium size, but it turned out to be wide, with a fast and powerful current.

I started the review in the morning, I will finish in the evening. Some kind of film is visible near the shore. In some places, near the water, a peculiar smell is felt, the cause of which I do not know. Or is it the smell of soil that is flooded every spring and does not have time to dry completely, or does the smell come from water, or from algae, or are there any other reasons? On the beach, however, both the air and the water are clean. Well enough about that.

And then the stork flies over Polissya

That's all. Farewell, Turov. Nice town. Soulful. Light.