Velikiye Luki: Fortress, Museums and Memorial Sites

• The fortress is designated a cultural heritage site of federal significance and was built in the early 18th century by order of Peter I.
• The Velikiye Luki Museum of Local Lore has more than 40,000 museum items.
• The Memorial House Museum of Academician I. M. Vinogradov holds around 6,000 memorial items.

The Velikiye Luki fortress is an earthen rampart fortress with bastions. It was reconstructed by order of Peter the Great at the beginning of the 18th century. An earthen rampart is a raised defensive embankment; bastions are projecting parts of a fortification. These definitions bring into focus the architectural features that characterize this historic site. Its designation as a cultural heritage site of federal significance and its creation by order of Peter I in the early 18th century provide a historical and cultural context.

The local history museum tour “In Fire and the Gleam of Steel” runs through the grounds of the bastioned earthwork fortress. Before visiting, check the latest information about ticket purchases for this tour.

The Velikiye Luki Museum of Local Lore has more than 40,000 museum items. Its historical exhibition covers 352 m²; the exhibition hall is closed for renovation until 2028. This is important to bear in mind if you are planning your visit around this particular exhibition.

Another focus is the Memorial House Museum of Academician I. M. Vinogradov. It is housed in the restored home where the mathematician’s parents lived and holds around 6,000 memorial items. Its connection to the family home and its collection give the museum a biographical focus, while the Museum of Local Lore has a considerably larger overall collection.

The Alley of Heroes of Military Glory is in the memorial zone by the Eternal Flame on the A. Matrosov Embankment. Its location connects the named memorial site with the Eternal Flame and the embankment. The alley’s opening in 2015 is another historical reference point.

In July 1948, the remains of Alexander Matrosov were transferred from Loknya District and reburied in Pokrovskaya Square, now Matrosov Square in Velikiye Luki. The Matrosov Monument is part of the city’s memorial complex.

In the wider destination of Pskov Oblast, the churches of the Pskov School of Architecture offer a distinct regional cultural theme. The ten religious architectural monuments are located in the historic city of Pskov and along the banks of the Velikaya River. Their architectural styles and decorative elements date from the 12th to the beginning of the 17th century. This lets you distinguish the local fortress, museum and memorial themes from a specifically regional architectural theme.

Discover more destinations: Shershni, Pushkinskiye Gory, Pechory, Pskov, Sloboda, Porhov, Gdov and Zhidilov Bor.

When was the Alley of Heroes of Military Glory opened?

It opened on January 17, 2015.

What items are included in the “Weapons” collection?

The Museum of Local Lore’s collection includes a 16th-century halberd, a chain mail shirt, 17th-century armor, and edged and firearms from the 18th to 20th centuries.

Who is depicted in the bust on Theater Square?

The bust, erected in 1951, depicts Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, a native of Velikiye Luki. He was a twice-awarded Hero of the Soviet Union and a Marshal of the Soviet Union and Poland.

See the overview of the wider destination: Pskov Oblast.