Smolensk

Main article: Smolensk region

City administration

• Administration of the city of Smolensk

Power

• Municipal Unitary Enterprise "Smolenskteploset"

History

2024: Reconstruction of the Glinka Garden with the support of Sberbank

The city garden named after M. I. Glinka (Blonye garden) is located in the very heart of Smolensk. The park has not been updated for a long time, and Sberbank, together with the regional government, decided to give the townspeople a new look of their favorite vacation spot. During the reconstruction, new paths and lanterns, themed platforms, lawns and flower beds, art objects and small architectural forms, tree lighting appeared in the park. And what will be the fountain - the pearl of the park, - the residents of Smolensk themselves chose. According to the results of a survey of citizens, the concept of a smart light and music fountain was developed. He releases 146 jets into the sky, and the central one reaches a height of 21 meters. The diameter of the fountain is 18 meters. With the help of modern multimedia equipment, video with sound can be broadcast to the water, so the fountain performs not only an entertainment, but also an educational function.

The innovative fountain was solemnly opened on the first day of summer by the president, chairman of the board of Sberbank German Gref, governor of the Smolensk region Vasily Anokhin and artistic director and general director of the Mariinsky Theater, general director of the Bolshoi Theater Valery Gergiev. During the opening ceremony of the park, they laid flowers at the monument to Mikhail Glinka, a native of the Smolensk province, in honor of his 220th birthday and planted oaks. These trees were not chosen by chance: under one of the giant oaks planted in the composer's family estate in the village of Novospasskoye, Smolensk region, Glinka wrote the score of the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila.

As part of the opening ceremonies, the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Valery Gergiev gave a festive concert at the Smolensk State Academic Drama Theater named after A.S. Griboedov. And on the water surface on the first evening of the fountain, a video lecture of the famous violinist Mikhail Kazinik about Mikhail Glinka, specially created for this event, was shown.

1813

Landowners hire "frosts" - those who remained after the invasion of the French

After the invasion of the French, many foreigners remained in Smolensk, holding various positions under Napoleon's army. Between them, Dr. Val subsequently enjoyed a well-deserved reputation, who provided medical care to sick residents of the city for free. For which they nicknamed him "friend of mankind."

"Frosts," as the French remaining in Russia were called, were hired by landowners in various kinds of positions - governors, hairdressers, lackeys, etc. A rare landowner's house did not acquire "frosts," wrote historian V. I. Grachev.

Population reduction from 15 to 10 thousand inhabitants

Before the invasion of the French in Smolensk there were 15 thousand inhabitants, after - no more than 10 thousand.

According to a contemporary: "Smolensk could not be called a city, if it did not have a huge wall surrounding it and the remaining stone churches.

In 1813, residents were allowed to take bricks from towers blown up by the French - no more than 10 thousand each, 10 rubles per thousand.

This time in Smolensk was nicknamed "ruin." And even a hundred years later they still said: "it was in devastation or after it."

1812: Battle of Smolensk with French troops

Albrecht Adam. The battle for Smolensk on August 18, 1812

Stone houses were destroyed, wooden burned, corpses were lying on the streets, which at first were collected and burned, and when the firewood was over, they began to dig large deep holes and lay corpses in rows, pouring lime over every third row. Cleaning lasted about 3 months, but with the onset of spring, when the snow fell, again many human corpses were found in gardens, gardens, lakes, ponds and even wells.

1667: Andrusov peace with Poland and the return of Smolensk to Russia

Main article: History of Russia

The Andrusov truce is an agreement concluded in 1667 between the Russian kingdom and the Commonwealth and put an end to hostilities in the Russian-Polish war of 1654-1667.

On January 30 (February 9), 1667, in a village near Smolensk, the Andrusovsky truce was signed, ending the 13-year Russian-Polish war. According to him, Russia crossed Smolensk, as well as other lands that had previously departed for the Commonwealth during the Time of Troubles, including Dorogobuzh, Belaya, Nevel, Krasny, Velizh, Severskaya land with Chernigov and Starodub.