Description of the attraction
Initially, Izborsk was located on an ancient settlement that existed even earlier than the fortress on Zhuravya Gora. The city located in these places occupied an area in a triangular cape, located on a high plateau. The area was not that big, although the location was wonderful. The settlement was located on the top of a hill, the base of which goes straight to the bottom of the valley. From a height above the valley one can see an unprecedented expanse, from which the valley goes into the northern part; Lake Malskoe can be seen in the distance. On the western and northern sides, the Truvorovo settlement was reliably covered by deep ravines with rather steep slopes, and in the eastern part there was the Gorodishchenskoye lake. Along the very top of the earthen rampart there was a wooden tyn made of pointed oak logs exposed close to each other, as well as from above. We can say that the village of Krivichi soon became a settlement - a fortified settlement.
Truvorovo settlement was not a fortress in our modern sense of the concept. In the inner part of the settlement, residents settled, whose houses were log cabins, reaching a length of 4-4.5 meters. The log cabins were built of logs, the floors were covered with planed boards. The dwellings were heated through clay ovens. In the central part of the settlement there was a small area about 20 meters across. The site was located on a natural flagstone ledge, which is why it rose slightly above the entire surrounding surface. Most likely, it was in this place that frequent meetings of local residents were held, as well as holidays were held in honor of pagan deities.
Tombstones and crosses made of stone in the historical part of the cemetery, located next to the settlement, are especially important evidence of the past life and ancient times of Truvorov fortified settlement. The ancient burials located at the very edge of the settlement have no names to this day, but nevertheless, people say from century to century the legend that the warriors of the famous Varangian Truvor are buried in ancient graves above massive stone slabs. led by their leader. There is a grave here, over which a huge cross rises, tilted slightly due to antiquity. In this grave is buried Prince Truvor, who ruled in Izborsk according to the records of the Tale of Bygone Years.
This legend is now forever associated with the name of Izborsk. Catherine II, who believed in the Izborsk legend about the Grand Duke, ordered the minting of a medal, which later had an inscription that the great ruler Truvor died in 864. It is this large cross over the grave that is called "Truvor's Cross", and the ancient burial is the burial place of Truvor. The stone cross reaches a height of more than 2 meters, and the spread of the horizontally located ends is 1.5 meters. The obverse of the cross has a barely noticeable trace of a carved Slavic inscription; thanks to the efforts of scientists it was possible to read it as “Glorious King Jesus Christ. Niko. " Niko, in this context, translates as "victory".
In all the scientific works of Truvor, the cross belongs to the 14-15th century, although no one has been engaged in thorough research of the grave of Prince Truvor. The stone slabs, which are located on other ancient burials and have not been deciphered by anyone, have not been sufficiently studied. Until now, many researchers are arguing about the meanings of the geometric figures depicted on the gravestones.
The mysterious history of Tuvorov settlement still holds many secrets. According to local residents, the site is guarded by snakes that guard not only the site itself, but also numerous graves from hunters for archaeological relics. In addition, Truvorov's cross is revered as an "energy pillar", which carries the strongest source of energy for the earth.
There is also the Nikolskaya Church at Truvorovo settlement, dating back to the 16-17 centuries. It is this monument that harmoniously fits into the surrounding nature, making up the necessary balance of everything seen.
