Description of the attraction
Settlement Savkino is a small village and settlement located on the banks of the Sorot River, 1 km from the famous Pushkin's estate Mikhailovskoye. Today the territory of the settlement is part of the A. S. Pushkin. The mound is so named because it is located on Savkina Gora, which has a geometric shape, as well as a regular slope, which indicates that the hill was created artificially. A road that runs along the mountain leads to the top of the hill, which is so typical for this kind of fortification. From the highest point of the hill, a beautiful view of the estates, parks, meadows, as well as Petrovskoye Lake opens up.
Immediately beyond the Sorot River, a wonderful view opens up of a village called Dedovtsy, past which an old road to the city of Pskov runs. On the hill, or rather on its left side, during Pushkin's stay in these places, the Deriglazovo estate was located, which belonged to landowners by the name of Shelgunovs, who were on friendly terms with the parents of the great poet N. O. and A. S. Pushkin.
According to archaeological data, the first settlement appeared on this site in the 9th century and existed until the 16th century. At this time, the Livonian War flared up, and the whole area was literally devastated by the soldiers of Stephen Batory. There is an assumption that before the start of the Livonian War, the city of Voronich, adjacent to part of the fortifications, was located on this territory. It is believed that in ancient times there was the Mikhailovsky Monastery from Gorodishche, where the name Mikhailovskoye came from.
To date, it has been confirmed that in the first years of this century, there was a dilapidated chapel on Savkina Gora, which has been restored today. Also on the top of the mountain there are stone crosses that were brought here from other places. The pedestal of one of the crosses is made of granite, which stands next to the chapel; it bears an inscription in the form of a date, which corresponds to 1513 according to modern chronology. The cross on this pedestal is not original, and it was made of sandstone, after which it was installed in the 20th century. Another cross was erected on one of the mass graves of Russian soldiers who gave their lives on this land fighting foreign invaders. It is known that the village of Savkino was named after the legendary and greatest priest named Savva. The village was burned down by German troops in 1944. Today, in its place is a village intended for the workers of the Pushkin Museum-Reserve.
The territory where the village of Savkino is located today was formerly called the Safronov Wasteland and was run by a peasant from the village of Steimaki, which was located one verst from the famous Svyatogorsk monastery, closer to the side of the city of Novorzhev. Most likely, this peasant was called Safron, although A. M. Vyndomsky, who was Trigorsky's attorney. It is believed that it was in his honor that the wasteland was named, occupying an area of 30 hectares. On the eastern side, the wasteland bordered on a small lake Malenets, as well as its channel into the Sorot River. On the southern side of Safronov, the wasteland was limited by the so-called "road washed out by rains." In the old days this place was called "Crooked pines".
It should be noted that Savkino was one of the favorite places of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. This place attracted the poet for its beauty and ease, as well as the incredible charm of antiquity. In the depths of his soul, Pushkin had one desire - to acquire this piece of paradise, which at that time belonged to small landowners by the name of Zateplinsky.
Alexander Sergeevich came to Savkino more than once, at least in the years when all his desires were aimed at only one goal - to leave the stuffy atmosphere of the city of St. Petersburg, to break free from it. But the poet's dreams were not destined to come true, although until the very end of his life he really wanted to settle in this cozy, calm and peaceful place.
