Gorodets, Russia

Gorodets

Gorodets is a small pleasant looking town, 50km northwest of Nizhny Novgorod. "Gorodets" means literary "very small town", and by the Russian standards this name is justified even now, after more than 830 years of Gorodets' history. Gorodets was founded in 1152 by the Grand Prince Yury Dolgoruky. Just 5 years earlier (in 1147) Yury Dolgoruky founded Moscow. The people of Gorodets like to think that had the history taken a slightly different route, Gorodets rather than Moscow could be the national capital.

It was a frontier outpost in the XIIth century for the Suzdal principality against the Bulgars. Later, in 1216, Gorodets served as a refuge for prince Yury Vsevolodovich after he had lost out to his brother Constantine, and was forced to give up to him the mantle of great prince and make do till Constantine's death, with the Gorodets "udel" (district). When prince Yury finally became Great Prince, Gorodets served as an assembly point for warriors gathered to campaign against Great Bulgar. On 14 November 1263, in Gorodets, Great Prince Alexander Nevsky died on the return trip from the Horde, having as the chronicle recounts worked hard for Novgorod and the entire Rus' land.

The town is famous for various branches of the Russian folk art developed during the ages of Gorodets' history. Especially famous are the Gorodets decorative paintings on wood (see illustration on the left). Also well known (as well as good tasting) are the Gorodets pryaniks (ginger bread).

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