See Also

Tver

Tver is a city in Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

, the administrative center of Tver Oblast Tver Oblast

Tver Oblast is a federal subject [i] of Russia [i]. ... 

. Population: 408,903 . Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and the model provincial town of Imperial Russia Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until it was declared a republic in August 1917. ... 

. It is located at the confluence of Volga Volga River

The Volga, widely viewed as the national river of Russia [i], flows through the western part of the coun ... 

 and Tvertsa Rivers. The city was known as Kalinin from 1931 to 1990.

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Timeline

1164   The first written record of Tver

1485   Muscovian Muscovy

Muscovy is a traditional Western name for the Russia [i]n state that existed from the 14th century [i] ... 

 forces take hold of Tver.



Encyclopedia



Tver is a city in Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

, the administrative center of Tver Oblast Tver Oblast

Tver Oblast is a federal subject [i] of Russia [i]. ... 

. Population: 408,903 . Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and the model provincial town of Imperial Russia Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until it was declared a republic in August 1917.
... 

. It is located at the confluence of Volga Volga River

The Volga, widely viewed as the national river of Russia [i], flows through the western part of the coun... 

 and Tvertsa Rivers. The city was known as Kalinin from 1931 to 1990.

Medieval origins

The first written record of Tver is dated 1164. Originally a minor settlement of Novgorod Novgorod Republic

The Novgorod Feudal Republic was a powerful medieval Russia [i]n state which stretched from the Baltic Sea [i]... 

ian traders, it passed to the Grand Prince of Vladimir Vladimir

Vladimir is an old city in Russia [i]. ... 

 in 1209. In 1246, Alexander Nevsky Alexander Nevsky

Saint Alexander Nevsky listen was the Grand Prince of Novgorod [i] and Vladimir [i] during some of the m ... 

 granted it to his younger brother Yaroslav Yaroslavich , from whom a dynasty of local princes descended. Four of them were killed in the Golden Horde Golden Horde

The Golden Horde was a Tatar [i]-Mongol [i] state established in parts of present-day Russia [i], Ukraine [i]... 

 and were proclaimed saints by the Russian Orthodox church Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church , also known as the Orthodox Catholic Church of Russia, is that body of ... 

.

Formerly a land of woods and bogs, the Tver principality Principality

A principality is a monarchical [i] feudatory or sovereign state [i], ruled or reigned over by ... 

 was quickly transformed into one of the richest and most populous Russian states. As the area was hardly accessible for Tatar Tatars

Tatars , often misspelled Tartar, is a collective name applied to the Turkic speaking [i] ... 

 raids, there was a great influx of population from the recently devastated South. By the end of the century, it was ready to vie with Moscow Moscow

Moscow is the capital [i] of Russia [i] and the country's principal political, economic, financial, edu ... 

 for supremacy in Russia. Both Tver and Moscow were the young cities, so the outcome of their rivalry was far from being certain.

Grand princedom



Mikhail Mikhail Yaroslavich

Mikhail Yaroslavich, also known as Michael of Tver, was a Prince [i] of Tver [i] who ruled as Grand Prince [i]... 

 of Tver, who ascended the throne of Vladimir Vladimir

Vladimir is an old city in Russia [i]. ... 

 in 1305, was one of the most beloved of medieval Russian rulers. His policy of open conflict with the Golden Horde Golden Horde

The Golden Horde was a Tatar [i]-Mongol [i] state established in parts of present-day Russia [i], Ukraine [i]... 

 led to his assassination there in 1318. His son Dmitry "the Terrible Eyes" succeeded him, and, concluding an alliance with the mighty Lithuania Lithuania

Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania , is a country in northern Europe.... 

, managed to raise Tver's prestige even higher.

Exasperated by Dmitry's influence, prince Ivan Kalita Ivan I of Russia

Ivan I Danilovich Kalita, Prince [i] of Moscow [i], Grand Prince [i] of Vladimir [i], son of Daniil Aleksandrovich [i]... 

 of Moscow Moscow

Moscow is the capital [i] of Russia [i] and the country's principal political, economic, financial, edu ... 

 engineered his murder by the Mongols in 1326. On hearing the news of this crime, the city revolted against the Horde. The latter joined its forced with Muscovites and brutally repressed the rebellion. Many citizens were killed, enslaved, or deported. This was the fatal blow to Tver's pretensions for supremacy in Russia.

In the second half of the 14th century 14th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 14th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

, Tver was further weakened by dynastic struggles between its princes. Two senior branches of the ruling house, those of Kashin Kashin

Kashin is a town [i] in Tver Oblast [i], Russia [i], located around a rur ... 

 and Kholmsky, asserted their claims to the grand ducal throne. The claimants were backed up by Moscow and eventually settled at the Kremlin Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin is a historic fortified complex at the very heart of Moscow [i], overlooking the Moskva River [i]... 

 court.

During the Great Feudal War Vasili II of Russia

Vasili II Vasiliyevich Tyomniy was the Grand Prince [i] of Moscow [i] whose long reign was plagued by th ... 

 in Muscovy Muscovy

Muscovy is a traditional Western name for the Russia [i]n state that existed from the 14th century [i] ... 

, Tver once again rised to prominence and concluded defensive alliances with Lithuania, Novgorod, Byzantium, and the Golden Horde. Grand Prince Boris of Tver sent one of his men, Afanasiy Nikitin Afanasy Nikitin

Afanasy Nikitin was a Russia [i]n traveler and writer and the first European [i] to document his visit t ... 

, to search gold and diamonds as far as India India

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

. Nikitin's travelogue, describing his journey from 1466 to 1477, is probably the first ever first-hand account of India by an European. A monument to Nikitin was opened on the Volga Volga River

The Volga, widely viewed as the national river of Russia [i], flows through the western part of the coun... 

 embankment in 1955.

Later history

At last, on September 12, 1485, the forces of Ivan the Great Ivan III of Russia

Ivan III Vasilevich, also known as Ivan the Great, was a grand duke of Muscovy [i] who first adop ... 

 seized the city. The principality was given as an appanage to Ivan's grandson, only to be abolished several decades later. Last scions of the ruling dynasty were executed by Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich was the Grand Duke of Muscovy [i] from 1533 [i] to 1547 [i] and was the first ruler... 

 during the Oprichnina. At that turbulent time, Tver was ruled by Simeon Bekbulatovich Simeon Bekbulatovich

Simeon Bekbulatovich was a baptized khan [i] of the Qasim Tatars [i]. ... 

, a former khan of Kasimov Kasimov

Kasimov is a town in Ryazan Oblast [i], Russia [i], the administrative center of Kasimovsky District [i] ... 

. The only remnant of his ephemeral reign is a graceful tent-like church Tented roof

A hipped roof or tented roof is a special type of roof [i], widely used in 16th [i] a ... 

 in the
, 28 km north-east of Tver.



The city's decline was not irrevocable, however. With the foundation of St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg listen is a city located in northwestern Russia [i] on t ... 

, Tver gained importance as a principal station on the highway from Moscow to St. Petersburg. It was much visited by Russian royalty Royal family

A royal family is the extended family of a monarch [i]. ... 

 and nobility travelling from the old capital to the new one and back.

Under Catherine the Great Catherine II of Russia

Catherine II of Russia, called the Great , born Sophie Augusta Frederike of Anhalt-Zerbst) so... 

, the downtown was thoroughly reconstructed. Crumbling medieval edifices were razed and replaced with imposing Neoclassical Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism is the name given to quite distinct movements [i] in the decorative [i] ... 

 structures. The most important of these are the Travel Palace of the Empress , and the Ascension church .

In 1931, the city was renamed Kalinin, after a notable Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin Mikhail Kalinin

Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin was a Bolshevik [i] revolutionary and Soviet [i] politician.
... 

. A last vestige of pre-Petrine epoch, the Saviour Cathedral, was blown up in 1936. In 1940 the NKVD executed more than 6,200 Polish policemen and prisoners of war from Ostashkov Ostashkov

Ostashkov is a town in Tver Oblast [i], Russia [i], 199 km west of Tver [i]. ... 

 camp. The Wehrmacht Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht was the name of the armed forces [i] of Nazi-Germany [i] from 1935 [i] t... 

 occupied Kalinin for two months in 1941, leaving the city in ashes. A large-scale resistance movement in the city and the region resulted in over 30,000 Nazi soldiers and officers eliminated during the occupation of the city. Notably, Kalinin was the first major city in Europe Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

 to be liberated from the Wehrmacht. The historic name of Tver was restored in 1990.

Apart from the suburban White Trinity Church , there are no ancient monuments left in Tver. The downtown is graced with Catharinian and Soviet edifices, bridges and embankments. Tver's most notable industries are a railroad car Railroad car

A railroad car, also known as an item of rolling stock, is a vehicle [i] on a railroad [i] that is ... 

s plant, opened in 1898, an excavation-machine factory.

Education


Tver is home to Tver State University, the most highly rated university of the region. It is also home to a technical university, medical, military, and agricultural academies and more than 20 colleges and lyceums, branch campuses of some Moscow higher educational institutions and more than 50 high schools.

External links