Дореволюционная Россия на фотографиях. Пенза
Pre-Revolutionary Russia in photographs - Penza
Penza is on the Sura River, located some 625 km southeast of Moscow.
The city was founded as a Russian frontier fortress-city and to this day, remnants of the Lomovskaya sentry line built in 1640 have been preserved at the western edge of the city, and remains of earth ramparts dating from the mid-16th century are preserved in the city centre.
Until 1663, Penza was a wooden stockade with only a small settlement. Then in May 1663, the architect Yuri Kontransky arrived in Penza on the Tsar's orders to direct the construction of a fortress city as part of a wider fortress building program to protect Russia from attacks by Crimean Tatars. The initial construction consisted of a wooden Kremlin, a village, and quarters for the nobility, small tradesmen, and merchants………..
Little remains today of its historical past.
Music: "November" from Les Saisons by Tchaikovsky
