Serpukhov
Encyclopedia
Serpukhov is a city in Moscow Oblast
, Russia
, which is situated at the confluence
of the Oka
and the Nara River
s. It is located 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) south from Moscow
on the Moscow—Simferopol
highway. The Moscow—Tula
railway passes through the town. Population:
. The town frequently fell prey to the hordes of Toqtamysh, Crimean Tatars
, and other steppe conquerors. It was necessary to protect it with a stone citadel, or kremlin
, which was completed by 1556 as part of the Great Abatis Belt.
. However, during the 19th century, parts of the citadel were demolished by the town's inhabitants, who used its limestone
for their private residences. Even now the vast majority of basements in nearby houses are built from this material. In the kremlin, the chief monument is the Trinity cathedral, built in 1696 in Moscow baroque style.
The Vysotsky Monastery
features a cathedral and refectory
dating from the late 16th century, as well as the miracle-working icon Inexhaustible Chalice
. Another important cloister is called Vladychny, with the Presentation cathedral and a tent-like St. George's church, both erected during Boris Godunov
's reign. The latter monastery is named after the honorary title of Russian bishops, as it was founded by the holy metropolitan Alexis
in 1360.
factory produces the Lada Oka
microcar since the 1980s. The Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve
sprawls within 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the city.
with:
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, which is situated at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Oka
Oka River
Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as to the town of Kaluga. Its length exceeds...
and the Nara River
Nara River
Nara River is a river in the Moscow Oblast and Kaluga Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Oka River. The length of the river is 158 kilometres. The area of its basin is 2030 km². The Nara River freezes up in November-December and stays under the ice until April. The cities of...
s. It is located 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) south from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
on the Moscow—Simferopol
Simferopol
-Russian Empire and Civil War:The city was renamed Simferopol in 1784 after the annexation of the Crimean Khanate to the Russian Empire by Catherine II of Russia. The name Simferopol is derived from the Greek, Συμφερόπολις , translated as "the city of usefulness." In 1802, Simferopol became the...
highway. The Moscow—Tula
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
railway passes through the town. Population:
History
Serpukhov was established in 1339 to protect the southern approaches to Moscow. Two years later it was made a seat of the powerful princedom ruled by a cousin and close associate of Dmitry Donskoy, Vladimir of Serpukhov. Town status was granted to it in 1374. The princedom continued until 1456, when the last prince escaped to LithuaniaLithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. The town frequently fell prey to the hordes of Toqtamysh, Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group that originally resided in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
, and other steppe conquerors. It was necessary to protect it with a stone citadel, or kremlin
Kremlin (disambiguation)
-Russia:*The Moscow Kremlin – seat of the Russian government.*The Government of the Soviet Union*The Government of Russia*Kazan Kremlin, a fortress in Kazan-Places:France...
, which was completed by 1556 as part of the Great Abatis Belt.
Landmarks
The citadel commands a steep hill where the small Serpeyka River enters the NaraNara River
Nara River is a river in the Moscow Oblast and Kaluga Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Oka River. The length of the river is 158 kilometres. The area of its basin is 2030 km². The Nara River freezes up in November-December and stays under the ice until April. The cities of...
. However, during the 19th century, parts of the citadel were demolished by the town's inhabitants, who used its limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
for their private residences. Even now the vast majority of basements in nearby houses are built from this material. In the kremlin, the chief monument is the Trinity cathedral, built in 1696 in Moscow baroque style.
The Vysotsky Monastery
Vysotsky Monastery
Vysotsky Monastery is a walled Russian Orthodox monastery commanding the high left bank of the Nara River in Serpukhov, close to its confluence with the Oka. Its name stems from the Russian word for "heights"....
features a cathedral and refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
dating from the late 16th century, as well as the miracle-working icon Inexhaustible Chalice
Inexhaustible Chalice
Inexhaustible Chalice is a Russian Marian icon which belongs to the Orans type and is considered miracle-making. The feast day for this icon is observed on May 5....
. Another important cloister is called Vladychny, with the Presentation cathedral and a tent-like St. George's church, both erected during Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov
Boris Fyodorovich Godunov was de facto regent of Russia from c. 1585 to 1598 and then the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. The end of his reign saw Russia descend into the Time of Troubles.-Early years:...
's reign. The latter monastery is named after the honorary title of Russian bishops, as it was founded by the holy metropolitan Alexis
Alexius, Metropolitan of Moscow
Saint Alexius was Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia , and presided over the Moscow government during Dmitrii Donskoi's minority....
in 1360.
Modern town
In modern times, Serpukhov has become a local industrial center with textile, mechanical engineering, furniture and paper-producing industries. The SeAZSeAZ
SeAZ is a large engineering plant in Serpukhov, Russia. The company was founded on July 7, 1939 by order of the People's Commissar of General Engineering Industry and by the head of Glavmotoveloprom, concerning production of small capacity motorcycles...
factory produces the Lada Oka
Lada Oka
VAZ-1111 Oka is a city car designed in Russia in 1988 by AvtoVAZ featuring a 750 cc SOHC 2-cylinder engine. The car was developed by AutoVAZ, but it has never entered volume production there. All production was sourced to SeAZ factory in Serpukhov and ZMA in Naberezhnye Chelny...
microcar since the 1980s. The Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve
Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve
Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Biosphere Reserve is one of Russia's smallest zapovedniks , sprawling over an area of 5,000 hectares along the left bank of the Oka River in the Serpukhov District of Moskva Oblast. It was established in 1945 as part of the Moscow Nature Reserve and is home to 900 plant...
sprawls within 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the city.
Transport
The city is linked by trains to Moscow and Tula and is on the M2 highway between Moscow and the Crimea. There are also river boat services along the Oka river.Culture and education
Serpukhov is home to the Serpukhov Historical and Art Museum and the Serpukhov art Gallery. The city is home to the Serpukhov Military Academy of Missile troops and branches of several Moscow based universities.People from Serpukhov
- Herman of AlaskaHerman of AlaskaSaint Herman of Alaska was one of the first Eastern Orthodox missionaries to the New World, and is considered by Orthodox Christians to be the patron saint of the Americas.-Biography:Saint Herman was born in the town of Serpukhov in the Moscow Diocese around 1756...
, missionary to Alaska - Viktor GrishinViktor GrishinViktor Vasilyevich Grishin was a Soviet politician. He was a Candidate and Full Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.Grishin was born in Serpukhov, Moscow Oblast. He served in the Red Army from 1938 until 1940...
, Soviet Politician - Oleg MenshikovOleg MenshikovOleg Evgenyevich Menshikov ; is a Russian entertainer. He is a film and theatre actor, singer and director. He started his film career in the early 1980s playing in the comedy Pokrovskie vorota and in Nikita Mikhalkov's Rodnya....
, actor and entertainer - Vladimir ShkolnikVladimir ShkolnikVladimir Sergeyevich Shkolnik , born 17 February 1949 in Serpukhov, Russia, served as the Minister of Industry and Trade in the Government of Kazakhstan until Galym Orazbakov replaced him on 10 January 2007 in a political shakeup...
, Kazakhstani politician
Twin towns/sister cities
Serpukhov is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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