Option 2

(Answers at the end of the test)

A1. Which of the named processes are associated with the dates 1497, 1581, 1597?

1) Rus'’s struggle for independence

2) expansion of the territory of the Russian state

3) the adoption of legislative acts on the enslavement of peasants

4) secularization of culture

A2. The beginning of book printing in Russia is associated with the activities of which of the named persons?

1) Andrey Rublev

2) Yuri Krizhanich

3) Ivan Fedorov

4) Theophanes the Greek

A3. What was the name of the part of the ancient Russian city where traders and artisans lived?

1) posad 2) volost 3) district 4) stan

A4. Ivan's Eastern PolicyIV led to

1) conquest of the Volga region and Western Siberia

2) conquest of Central Asia

3) the beginning of the development of the Far East

4) the beginning of the development of Eastern Siberia

A5. A contemporary of Empress Anna Ioannovna was

1) A. Kurbsky 3) E. Biron

2) S. Dezhnev 4) B. Khmelnitsky

A6. The concept of “Eternal Peace” is associated with Russia’s relations inXVII century from

1) Poland 3) Sweden

2) Turkey 4) England

A7. What was one of the reasons for popular movements in Russia in17th century?

1) the final enslavement of the peasants

2) introduction of the “St. George’s Day” rule

3) introduction of conscription

4) introduction of the poll tax

A8. Read an excerpt from a work of ancient Russian literature and indicate in which century the events described in the work took place.

“...Then Igor looked at the bright sun and saw that all his faults were covered with darkness. And Igor said to his squad: “Brothers and squad! It is better to be hacked to death than to be captured; So, brothers, let’s sit on our greyhound horses and look at the blue Don...

...What makes a noise to me, what rings to me from afar early before the dawn? Igor turns around the shelves: he feels sorry for his dear brother Vsevolod. They fought one day, they fought another; on the third day, by noon, Igor’s banners fell..."

1) 9th century 2) X century. 3) XII century. 4) XV century

A9. The activities of secret organizations of the Decembrists relate to

1) 1801 – 1811 3) 1827 – 1828

2) 1816 – 1826 4) 1829 – 1830

A10. Which of the following persons became famous during the Crimean War of 1853 - 1856?

1) A.V. Suvorov 3) S.O. Makarov

2) P.S. Nakhimov 4) A.N. Kuropatkin

A11. What was the name of what developed in the 1850s and 1860s? creative community of Russian composers who had a significant impact on the formation of the Russian national school of music?

1) “Green Lamp” 3) “Mighty Handful”

2) “World of Art” 4) “Proletkult”

A12. Alexander's reignI are characterized

1) carrying out the Stolypin agrarian reform

2) cancellation of redemption payments

3) introduction of jury trials

4) publication of a decree on “free cultivators”

A13. As a result of joining the Continental blockade, Russia accepted the obligation

1) patronize the Orthodox peoples of the Balkan Peninsula

2) participate in the military actions of the IV anti-Napoleonic coalition

3) prevent the appearance of the Turkish fleet in the Black Sea

4) break off trade relations with England

A14. Read an excerpt from A.P. Ermolov’s “Notes” and indicate the name of the war, the events of which are mentioned in the excerpt.

“I ordered to surround the village of Dadan-Yurt, located on the Terek, to invite the residents to leave it, and if they resist, punish with weapons, giving no mercy to anyone. The Chechens did not listen to the proposal, they defended themselves with bitterness... Never before have we had such a significant loss, because in addition to the officers, it extended to two hundred people killed and wounded. On the enemy’s side, everyone who had weapons was exterminated..."

1) Russian-Turkish 1787 – 1791

2) Caucasian

3) Russian-Turkish 1806 – 1812.

4) Crimean

A15. The Stakhanov movement developed in the USSR in

1) 1920s 2) 1930s 3) 1940s 4) 1950s

A16. Which of the following concepts refers to the avant-garde movements in Russian art of the beginning?XX century?

1) romanticism 3) realism

2) futurism 4) classicism

A17. The position of the Bolsheviks, led by V.I. Lenin, regarding the First World War was expressed in 1914 in the slogan

1) continuation of the war until the “victorious end”

2) turning the imperialist war into a civil war

3) defense of the Fatherland from the German invasion

4) proclamation of “civil peace”

A18. As a result of the monetary reform by S.Yu. Witte (1897)

1) the basis of the monetary system was the gold ruble

2) the silver ruble became the basis of the monetary system

3) paper money was withdrawn from circulation

4) circulation of paper money was restored

A19. Read an excerpt from the report of I.V. Stalin “On the work of the April United Plenum of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission” and indicate the year when this report was made.

“...We have internal enemies. We have external enemies... We had a procurement crisis, which has already been eliminated. The procurement crisis marked the first serious action under the NEP by the capitalist elements of the countryside against Soviet power.”

1) 1917 2) 1920 3) 1928 4) 1937

A20. The final stage of the Great Patriotic War (1944 – 1945) includes

1) Battle of Smolensk

2) assault on Koenigsberg

3) Battle of Stalingrad

4) Battle of Kursk

A21. Read an excerpt from the memoirs and indicate the name of the government body during the Great Patriotic War that is being discussed.

“On June 30, 1941, an emergency body was created - headed by I.V. Stalin. It became an authoritative body for managing the country's defense, concentrating all power in its hands. Civil, party, Soviet organizations were obliged to carry out all his decisions and orders... People's commissars were invited to the meetings, who were to take part in ensuring operations.”

1) Revolutionary Military Council

2) State Defense Committee

3) Evacuation advice

4) Council of Labor and Defense

A22. In what years did the USSR exist?

1) 1918 – 1990 3) 1922 – 1991

2) 1920 – 1993 4) 1924 – 1992

A23. Which of the named leaders of the USSR in the 1980s. pursued a decisive course (series of measures) to strengthen industrial and social discipline and fight corruption?

1) K.U.Chernenko 3) Yu.V.Andropov

A24. What was one of the characteristic features of the development of culture in the USSR in 1945 - 1953?

1) conducting a literacy campaign

2) publication of works by modern Western authors

3) strict control over the creative activities of cultural representatives

4) publication of a number of new journalistic magazines

A25. What was the result of the conservative course of the USSR leadership in the 1970s and early 1980s?

1) mass strikes of workers

2) increased bureaucratization of the party-state apparatus

3) deportation of a number of peoples

4) the emergence of interethnic conflicts

A26. Read an excerpt from a note from the KGB chairman to the CPSU Central Committee and indicate the name of the leader of the USSR during the period when the events described in the excerpt occurred.

“In addition to the information presented, I am reporting the received... data on the population’s response to the decision... on a slight increase in prices for meat, meat products and butter.

Undesirable manifestations continue to take place in Novocherkassk... Along with this, there are politically incorrect, philistine and hostile statements... The foreman of the mechanical workshop... Zonov said: “Individual cows were slaughtered, calves are not raised. Where will the meat come from? There’s some kind of miscalculation here.”

1) N.S. Khrushchev 3) Yu.V. Andropov

2) L.I.Brezhnev 4) M.S.Gorbachev

A27. Which of the following formed the basis of the political struggle in Russia in 1992–1993?

1) confrontation between the legislative and executive powers

2) the problem of creating a union between Russia and Belarus

3) establishment of the post of President of Russia

4) repeal of Article 6 of the Constitution on the leading role of the CPSU.

IN 1. Arrange the names of cultural representatives in chronological order of their lives and activities.

A) icon painter Andrei Rublev

B) chronicler Nestor

B) artist Karl Bryullov

D) architect Vasily Bazhenov

AT 2. Which three of these concepts are associated with the era of palace coups in Russia?18th century?

1) supreme 4) condition

2) boards 5) New trading charter

3) Cabinet of Ministers 6) Order of secret affairs

AT 3. Establish a correspondence between the names of the princes and the events that occurred during their reign. For each position in the first column, select the corresponding position in the second.

AT 4. Read an excerpt from the work of historian N.M. Karamzin and name the empress in question.

“The Russians praised her reign: she expressed more confidence in them than in the Germans; restored the power of the Senate, abolished the death penalty, and had a passion for fun and tender poetry. “Moscow University was opened under her.”

AT 5. Place the following events in chronological order. Write down the letters that represent the events in the correct sequence.

A) granting the Constitution to the Kingdom of Poland

B) the entry of Eastern Georgia into the Russian Empire

B) the first section of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

D) establishment of autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland

AT 6. Which three of the following events relate to the history of the Decembrist secret societies?

1) writing of the “Constitution” by N.M. Muravyov

2) formation of Northern society

3) drafting M.T. Loris-Melikova

4) assassination of Alexander II

5) N.G. Chernyshevsky’s writing of the novel “What is to be done?”

6) armed uprising on Senate Square

AT 7. Establish a correspondence between the names of Russian emperors and the events of the beginning of their reign.

AT 8. Read an excerpt from a contemporary letter and write the name of the warXIX century, the consequences of which are discussed.

“I’ve been in our unfortunate Moscow for five days already. Oh, Grisha, my dear, you can’t imagine what Moscow has become, it’s impossible to recognize it and it’s impossible to see these ruins without tears. The walls of the stone houses remain, and the wooden stoves stick out. Imagine what a miracle it is that my mother’s house survived... but the settlement was gone - it was all burnt out..."

AT 9. Which three of the following features characterize the political regime of the late 1930s?

1) freedom of the press

2) concentration of almost all power in the hands of the party leader

3) mass repressions against dissidents

4) inequality of voting rights of the population, enshrined in the Constitution

5) merging of the party and state apparatus

6) the existence of legal opposition to the party leadership

AT 10 O'CLOCK. Establish a correspondence between the names of cultural figures and their areas of activity.

AT 11. Read a fragment of the document and write the name of the political figure who spoke at the meeting inIII State Duma in 1907 with these proposals.

“Having put the multimillion-dollar peasant population on their feet and given the opportunity to achieve economic independence, the legislative institution will lay the foundation on which the transformed Russian state building will be firmly erected... Not the random distribution of land, not calming the rebellion with handouts - the rebellion is extinguished by force, but the recognition of the inviolability of private property, and, as a consequence that follows from this, the creation of small personal land ownership, the real right to leave the community and the resolution of issues of improved land use - these are the tasks the implementation of which the government considered and considers to be issues of the existence of the Russian state.”

AT 12. Which three of the listed features of the USSR economy relate to the period of the 1970s - the first half of the 1980s?

1) the lag in scientific and technological progress from developed Western countries

2) elimination of manual and low-skilled labor in production

3) economic development largely due to the export of oil and other types of raw materials

4) decentralization of industrial management

5) transfer of all enterprises to self-financing

6) introduction of scientific and technical achievements mainly at military-industrial complex enterprises

B13. Establish a correspondence between the concepts and the periods when these concepts appeared or were most widespread in the USSR and the Russian Federation.

B14. Read an excerpt from the minutes of the meeting of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee and write the name of the leader of the USSR, the author of the above statement.

“We have been fighting in Afghanistan for six years. If we don’t change our approaches, we will fight for another 20-30 years. This would cast a shadow on our ability to influence the development of events... That, perhaps, there is no room for our General Staff to turn around? In general, we have not found the keys to solving this problem... We need the completion of this process in the near future. It is necessary in the resolution to say about the need to end (the war) within one year - maximum two years.”

B15. Place the following events in chronological order. Write down the letters that represent the events in the correct sequence.

A) Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in Helsinki

B) creation of the Warsaw Pact Organization

B) Cuban missile crisis

D) formation of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance

Read an excerpt from a historical source and briefly answer questions C1-C3. Answers involve the use of information from the source, as well as the application of historical knowledge from the history course of the relevant period.

From a letter from a statesman of the early 20th century:

“It seemed possible to choose one of two paths: appoint an energetic person and try with all our might to crush sedition, then there would be a respite, and again in a few months we would have to act by force; but it would cost a torrent of blood and would ultimately lead to the present situation, i.e. the authority of the authorities would be shown, but the result would remain the same and forward reforms could not be carried out. Another way is to provide civil rights to the population - freedom of speech, press, assembly and association, and personal integrity; in addition, the obligation to pass every bill through the State Duma is essentially the constitution... There were few of us who fought against it. But support in this struggle did not come from anywhere, every day more and more people turned away from us, and in the end the inevitable happened. Nevertheless, in good conscience, I prefer to give everything at once, rather than be forced in the near future to give in on little things and still come to the same thing.”

C2. What reforms (“concessions”), according to the text, was the author of the letter forced to make? What other reforms and government actions aimed at stopping “sedition” can you indicate additionally? List at least three reforms and actions.

C3. Based on the text of the letter and knowledge of history, name at least three main reasons why the path of suppressing “sedition” through the establishment of a military dictatorship turned out to be unpromising for the authorities in the described period.

C4. Give the names of at least three theories of the ideologists of revolutionary populism (1870s - early 1880s). Indicate at least two provisions related to these theories.

C5. The question belongs to the field of theory and historical debate, suggesting two radically opposite answers. It does not solve the problems of this site, so we skip it.

C6. Review the historical situation and answer the questions.

In one of his speeches at the beginning of perestroika, General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee M.S. Gorbachev emphasized that the GDR was a member of the Warsaw Pact, the closest ally of the USSR, and the existence of two German states was a reality that could not be ignored.

What events characterized the USSR's attitude towards the GDR in subsequent years? Provide at least two examples of events. Name at least two reasons that determined the USSR's policy towards the GDR.

C7. Compare the activities of the Zemsky Sobors in the 16th - first half of the 17th century and in the second half of the 17th century.

Indicate what was common (at least two characteristics) and what was different (at least two differences).

Option No. 1322901

1. Write the missing concept (term).

The part of the ancient Russian city where traders and artisans lived was called _______.

Task 4 No. 599

2. Write the missing phrase.

The economic and social development of the Eastern Slavs was influenced by the trade route that passed through the East European Plain, which the Tale of Bygone Years called the “path________________”.

Task 4 No. 4210

3. Write down the term in question.

A type of economic activity associated with the collection of honey from wild bees, common in the lands of the Eastern Slavs.

Task 4 No. 9148

4. Write the missing word.

A monetary fine in favor of the prince for the murder of a free man in the Old Russian state was called _______.

Task 4 No. 9832

5. Establish a correspondence between definitions and concepts. In response, write down the sequence of numbers.

DEFINITIONS

A) farmers who have entered into an agreement with the owner of the land to perform work

B) free or dependent farmers, the bulk of the population of Ancient Rus'

C) people who were completely dependent on the owner of the land

D) farmers who took out a loan

5) rank and file

6) landowners

Task 5 No. 24

6. Establish a correspondence between the terms and their definitions.

DEFINITIONS

A) corvee

D) epic

1) folk tale about the exploits of heroes

2) council of nobility in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

3) the labor of dependent peasants on the landowner’s farm

4) community among the Eastern Slavs

5) trade and craft part of the city

Write down the numbers in your answer, arranging them in the order corresponding to the letters:

Task 5 No. 435

7. Establish a correspondence between concepts, terms and their definitions. For each position in the first column, select the corresponding position in the second. Write down the selected numbers in the table under the corresponding letters.

DEFINITIONS

B) polyudye

1) share of a member of the princely family

2) a fine for the crime committed

3) part of the tribute and rent given to the church

4) a detour by the prince with a squad of subject lands to collect tribute

5) national assembly

6) exact size of the tribute

Write down the numbers in your answer, arranging them in the order corresponding to the letters:

Task 5 No. 903

8. Establish a correspondence between definitions and concepts.

DEFINITIONS

A) part of the city inhabited by artisans of the same specialty

B) part of the city in Ancient Novgorod, delimited by the Volkhov River

B) trade and craft part of the city

D) the central fortified part of the city

3) side

4) settlement

Write down the numbers in your answer, arranging them in the order corresponding to the letters:

Task 5 No. 1138

9. Establish a correspondence between the names of settlements and the events of ancient Russian history associated with them: for each element of the first column, select the corresponding element from the second column.

NAMES OF PLACES
POINTS

B) Novgorod

B) Sparkling

D) Bogolyubovo

1) the uprising of the Drevlyans and the murder of Prince Igor Rurikovich

2) the murder of Grand Duke Andrei Yuryevich

3) construction of the Tithe Church

4) calling of the Varangians

5) the capture of the first Russian city by the Mongols during the Batu invasion

6) place of baptism of St. Vladimir

Where did traders and artisans live in the Russian city?

Where did traders and artisans live in the Russian city?

For the most part, it was customary to place settlements on the banks of rivers (on high banks). The fortified centers of these settlements were located on large hills that stood out in the open area. The capes that were formed at the confluence of rivers were quite convenient for living. For the most part, “detinets” were erected on them, becoming the core of ancient Russian settlements. Such children were built so that only one side remained flat.

Large cities included three separate parts:

1. Detinets (mountain, vyshgorod, daylight town);

2. Okolnyi grad;

3. Outskirts, also often called ends or suburbs.

Boyars, boyar and princely servants, as well as artisans lived in Detinets, but not all of them, but only those who served the boyar’s mansions and the prince’s court. They also built monasteries and churches in Dytinets, as well as shelters, which during the siege were the last refuge of the surviving townspeople.

The second part of the city was the above-mentioned roundabout town or settlement, which is essentially a city. Usually it was located on the flat side and surrounded by fortifications, which were often much more powerful than the fortifications of the detinets.

It was in the roundabout row that the main quarters of artisans, trading areas, monasteries, numerous churches and merchant farmsteads were located. As the city grew, new territories were added to it, also surrounded by walls. According to researchers and archaeologists, the settlements reached the scale of several hectares.

Outside the city walls there were sides, ends or suburbs, which were craft settlements that arose due to certain characteristics of the profession. For example, it was more convenient for tanners to locate their workshops and houses closer to the water, and potters usually settled near large clay outcrops. Trading settlements were also located here. In addition, other distinct ethnic groups (Jews, Germans, etc.) usually settled in the suburbs. These settlements could also have their own fortifications.

The artisans themselves were very often the builders of defensive structures, as well as ramparts that were intended to shelter the townspeople.

Of course, merchants, due to their higher status, settled in more luxurious neighborhoods and houses. By the way, the street lines were straight, which made it easy to separate groups.

From its very appearance, Rus' was famous for its densely populated and fortified villages. It was so famous that the Varangians, who later began to rule it, called the Slavic lands “Gardariki” - a country of cities. The Scandinavians were amazed by the fortifications of the Slavs, since they themselves spent most of their lives at sea. Now we can figure out what the ancient Russian city is and why it is famous.

Reasons for appearance

It is no secret that man is a social being. For better survival, he needs to gather in groups. And if earlier the tribe became such a “center of life,” then with the disappearance of barbaric customs it was necessary to look for a civilized replacement.

In fact, the emergence of cities in people's lives is so natural that it could hardly be otherwise. They differ from a village or village in one important factor - the fortifications that protected the settlements. In other words, walls. It is from the word “fence” (fortification) that the word “city” comes from.

The formation of ancient Russian cities is associated, first of all, with the need for protection from enemies and the creation of an administrative center for the principality. After all, it was in them that the “blue blood” of Rus' was most often found. A sense of security and comfort was important to these people. All traders and artisans flocked here, turning the settlements into Novgorod, Kiev, Lutsk, bustling with life.

In addition, the newly created settlements became excellent trading centers; merchants from all over the world could flock here, receiving the promise of being under the protection of a military squad. Due to the incredible importance of trade, cities in Rus' were most often built on the banks of rivers (for example, the Volga or Dnieper), since at that time waterways were the safest and fastest way to deliver goods. Settlements along the river banks became richer than ever before.

Population

First of all, the city could not exist without a ruler. It was either the prince or his deputy. The building in which he lived was the richest secular housing; it became the center of the settlement. He resolved various legal issues and established procedures.

The second part of the ancient Russian city is the boyars - people close to the prince and capable of influencing him directly with their words. They occupied various official positions and lived in such settlements richer than anyone, except perhaps the merchants, but they did not stay in one place for long. At that time, their life was an endless road.

Next, we need to remember about the various artisans of all possible professions, from icon painters to blacksmiths. As a rule, their living quarters were located inside the city, and their work workshops were outside the walls.

And the last in the social ladder were the peasants; they did not live inside the settlement, but were located on the lands that they cultivated. As a rule, people entered the Old Russian gorodon only for trade or legal matters.

Cathedral

The center of the ancient Russian city is the church. The cathedral, located in front of the main square, was a real symbol. The most monumental, decorated and rich building, the temple was the center of spiritual power.

The larger the city became, the more churches appeared inside it. But none of them had the right to be grander than the main and first temple, which personified the entire settlement. Princely cathedrals, parish and house churches - they all seemed to reach out to the main spiritual center.

Monasteries played a special role, which sometimes became literally cities within cities. Often a fortified settlement could arise precisely around the place of residence of the monks. Then the main temple of the monastery became dominant in the spiritual life of the city.

Cathedrals were actively decorated, and gilded domes appeared for a reason: they were visible for many kilometers, and they were a “guiding star” for travelers and lost souls. The temple, with its splendor, was supposed to remind people that earthly life is nothing, and only God’s beauty, which was the church, can be considered true.

Gates

Gates, of which there were up to four in fortified villages (on the cardinal points), were, oddly enough, given great importance. As the only passage into the ancient Russian city, they represented enormous symbolic meaning: “to open the gates” meant to give the city to the enemy.

They tried to decorate the gates as much as possible, and it would be better to make at least one of them a grand entrance through which the prince and noble people would enter. They were supposed to instantly shock the visitor and testify to the prosperity and happiness of the local residents. No money or effort was spared on the good finishing of the gates; the entire city often repaired them.

It was also customary to consider them a kind of sacred place, which was protected not only by earthly troops, but also by saints. In the rooms above the gate there were often many icons, and right next to them there was a small chapel, the purpose of which was to protect the entrance by the Will of God.

Bargain

A small area, usually near a river (most settlements were founded around them), was a necessary part of economic life. The ancient Russian cities of Russia could hardly have existed without trade, the main ones of which were merchants.

Here, at the auction, they placed and unloaded their goods, and this is where the main transactions took place. Often, spontaneously, a market appeared here. Not the one where peasants traded, but a rich place created for the city elite with a lot of foreign goods and expensive jewelry. It represented not a symbolic, but a true “sign of quality” of the settlement. It was from the bargaining that one could understand how rich the settlement was, because the merchant would not stand idle where there was no profit.

Mansions

The embodiment of secular power was the residence of the prince or governor. It was not only the residence of the ruler, but also an administrative building. Various legal issues were resolved here, trials took place, and troops gathered before campaigns. It was often the most fortified place in the city, with a protected courtyard, where all residents had to run in the event of a military threat.

Around the ruler's chambers there were less wealthy boyar houses. Most often they were made of wood, unlike a prince’s house, which could be afforded. Old Russian cities were architecturally rich precisely thanks to the dwellings of the nobility, who tried to decorate their home as much as possible and show their material wealth.

Ordinary people lived in separate wooden one-story houses or huddled in barracks, which most often stood on the very edge of the city.

Fortifications

As already mentioned, the cities of the ancient Russian state were created, first of all, to protect people. For this purpose, fortifications were organized.

At first the walls were wooden, but over time stone defensive structures appeared more and more often. It is clear that only wealthy princes could afford such a “pleasure”. Fortifications made from heavy logs pointed at the top were called forts. A similar word originally designated every city in the Old Russian language.

In addition to the palisade itself, the settlement was protected by an earthen rampart. In general, most often settlements appeared in advantageous strategic points. In the lowlands, the city would not last long (until the first military conflict), and therefore most often they were based on high points. We can say that we know nothing about poorly fortified settlements, because they instantly disappeared from the face of the earth.

Layout

For modern, very chaotic and confusing settlements, the real example is the ancient Russian city. The fortress, in which most of the population lived, was truly skillfully and precisely planned, as nature itself would dictate.

Essentially, the cities of that time were round in shape. In the middle, as already mentioned, stood two important centers: spiritual and secular. This is the main cathedral and the prince's estate. Around them, twisting in a spiral, were the rich houses of the boyars. Thus, wrapping around, for example, a hill, the city descended lower and lower, to the walls. Inside, it was divided into “streets” and “ends,” which ran like threads through the spirals and went from the gate to the main center.

A little later, with the development of settlements, the workshops, which were initially located outside the main line, were also surrounded by walls, creating secondary fortifications. Gradually, over the centuries, cities grew in exactly this way.

Kyiv

Of course, the modern capital of Ukraine is the most famous ancient Russian city. In it you can find confirmation of all the theses stated above. In addition, it must be considered the first truly large fortified village on the territory of the Slavs.

The main city, surrounded by fortifications, was located on a hill, and Podol was occupied by workshops. There, next to the Dnieper, there was a market. The main entrance to Kyiv, its main entrance, is the famous Golden Gate, which, as was said, had not only practical, but also sacred significance, especially since they were named after the gates of Constantinople.

It became the spiritual center of the city. It was to him that other temples and churches gravitated, which he surpassed in both beauty and grandeur.

Velikiy Novgorod

Old Russian cities in Russia cannot be listed without mentioning. This densely populated center of the principality served a very important purpose: it was an extremely “European” city. It was here that diplomats and traders from the Old World flocked, since Novgorod was located in the middle of the trade routes of Europe and the rest of Rus'.

The main thing that we have now received thanks to Novgorod is an incomparably huge number of different historical monuments. There is a unique opportunity to see them right now by buying a plane ticket because Novgorod was not destroyed and captured during the Mongol yoke, although it paid an exorbitant tribute.

The so-called “Novgorod Kremlin”, or Novgorod Detinets, is widely known. These fortifications served as a reliable fort for the great city for a long time. In addition, one cannot fail to mention Yaroslav's Dvorishche - a huge district of Novgorod on the banks of the Volkhov, where there was a market and many houses of a wide variety of wealthy merchants. In addition, it is assumed that it was there that the prince’s monastery was located, although it has still not been possible to find it in Veliky Novgorod, perhaps due to the absence of an integral princely system as such in the history of the settlement.

Moscow

The history of ancient Russian cities, of course, cannot be described without the presence in the list of such a grandiose settlement as Moscow. It had the opportunity to grow and become the center of modern Russia thanks to its unique location: virtually every major northern trade route passed by it.

Of course, the main historical attraction of the city is the Kremlin. It is with it that the first associations now arise when this word is mentioned, although initially it simply meant “fortress.” Initially, as for all cities, the defense of Moscow was made of wood and much later acquired the familiar appearance.

The Kremlin also houses the main temple of Moscow - the Assumption Cathedral, which has been perfectly preserved to this day. Its appearance literally embodies the architecture of its time.

Bottom line

Many names of ancient Russian cities were not mentioned here, but the goal was not to create a list of them. Three are enough to clearly demonstrate how conservative the Russian people were in establishing settlements. And you can’t say that they had this quality undeservedly; no, the appearance that the cities had was dictated by the very nature of survival. The plan was as practical as possible and, in addition, created a symbol of the real center of the region, which the fortified settlements were. Now such construction of cities is no longer relevant, but it is possible that someday they will talk about our architecture in the same way.