The town originated before the Mongol invasion of Russia as a fortress defending eastern approaches to Smolensk. In 1508, Vasily III sent Italian masters to build a wooden fort there. The town was ravaged during the Time of Troubles, and its population was reduced to 10 men in 1614. Between 1611 and 1668 the town belonged to Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as a part of Smoleńsk Voivodship. Subsequently, the town survived other foreign invasions and numerous fires.
The principal points of historic interest lie outside the city proper. The 18th-century estate of Aleksino, for instance, used to be reputed for its stud-farm of Orlov stallions. The Boldin Monastery, dating from the 15th century, was renovated by the Godunov family in the late 16th century. The Godunovs commissioned a five-domed cathedral, a tented refectory, and a pillar-like bell-tower to be built there. According to Peter Baranovsky, the abbey represented the best-preserved 16th-century monastery complex in Eastern Europe. It was blown up by the retreating Germans in 1943 but was partly rebuilt in the 1990s.
External links
- History and monuments of Dorogobuzh
- Various information on Dorogobuzh at My Town website
- Location via Encarta Maps
- Satellite photo from Google Maps
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Last updated on Sunday June 29, 2008 at 04:08:32 PDT (GMT -0700)
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