Description of the attraction
The history of the development of the Izborsk Museum-Reserve began back in the 60s of the 20th century on the initiative of S. A. Shcherbakov, when a museum began its work on a generally accepted basis in the city of Izborsk, which was engaged in collecting and collecting archaeological objects found at various times in within the Izborsko-Malskaya valley. The official opening date of the museum is July 27, 1964. In 1993 the museum received the status of an independent legal entity and was transformed into the State Historical-Architectural and Natural-Landscape Museum-Reserve "Izborsk", having an area of 8 thousand hectares.
The Izborsko-Malskaya valley with its inherent unique in its kind not only natural, but also historical and architectural monuments has become the center of the territory of the museum-reserve. The valley has retained its layout, which has been forming for millennia. Also here you can see the town-planning structure typical of the valley, merchant estates, traditional peasant small settlements, defensive structures and religious buildings. The most significant archaeological monuments were the Truvorovo settlement dating back to the 8th century, as well as the ensemble of the Malaya Church of the 15th century, the Izborsk fortress of the 14th century, chapels, temples, and worship crosses.
All the surrounding environs of Izborsk are monuments of the richest nature of the North-Western Russian Plain. It is in this place that a variety of hydrological, geological, soil, landscape and biological objects are concentrated. It is the very fact of the existence of such an unusual combination of flora and fauna that is already a rarity. The local land has always been famous for the ethnic homeland of the small Seto ethnic group, which today lives in the area of southern Estonia, as well as in the Pechora region. In 2000, in a village called Sigovo in the Pechora region, the Seto ethnographic museum-reserve, a branch of the Izborsk museum-reserve, was opened.
As you know, Izborsk is the earliest zone on the border lines of North-Western Ancient Rus, as well as a unique monument of Russian defensive architecture. Currently, the only ensemble of the Izborsk fortress has perfectly preserved the remains and fragments of towers, walls, specially adapted defensive devices, as well as the Nikolsky temple of the 14th century. The main part of the current exposition entitled "The History of Izborsk 8-17 centuries", as well as the museum's fund collection are archaeological items, which in total number about 47 thousand items.
Currently, great efforts of the Russian Government, as well as the regional administration and the museum staff are aimed at redesigning the museum complex and expanding the inherent tourist infrastructure. A special museum and tourist complex called "Peasant Estate" has been created with a pancake, a broiler, and souvenir shops. For tourists there are fascinating excursions, a Russian bath, boat and horse rides at their disposal. The staff of the museum-reserve has developed a new concept, the main idea of which is presented in the idea of "open gates", as well as in creating an open and hospitable atmosphere for visitors, which allows attracting about one hundred thousand tourists to the museum-reserve every year.
