Gorokhovets
Encyclopedia
Gorokhovets is a town and the administrative center of Gorokhovetsky District
of Vladimir Oblast
, Russia
, located on the highway from Moscow
to Nizhny Novgorod
. It also serves as a river port on the Klyazma River
. Population: The name of the town originates from the Russian word "" (gorokh, "peas").
Before the arrival of East Slavs, the region was inhabited by the Finno-Ugric people of Merya. Gorokhovets was first mentioned in a chronicle
for 1239, when it was sacked by the Mongols. It is believed that a minor fortress had existed there for several preceding decades.
In 1539, the Tatars of Kazan were about to burn it but retreated upon seeing a ghost in a shape of a gigantic knight with a sword. After that, the mount where the apparition was seen came to be known as Puzhalovo ("frightening one").
The golden age of Gorokhovets is associated with the 17th century, when it was a merchandise centre for a large area, which comprised today's Vladimir and Ivanovo
regions. A number of churches, monasteries, and chambers were commissioned by the local merchants at that time. The 17th-century belfries of Gorokhovets are particularly noteworthy.
According to the Soviet TV series Seventeen Instants of Spring, Gorokhovets was a native town of Stirlitz
, a fictional Soviet spy in Nazi Germany
, played by Vyacheslav Tikhonov
. A plan to erect a monument to Stirlitz, as a Tikhonov look-alike, in the downtown Gorokhovets is currently under discussion.
Gorokhovetsky District
Gorokhovetsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 16 in Vladimir Oblast, Russia....
of Vladimir Oblast
Vladimir Oblast
Vladimir Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Vladimir, which is located east of Moscow...
, 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...
, located on the highway 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...
to Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
. It also serves as a river port on the Klyazma River
Klyazma River
The Klyazma River is a river in the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Vladimir Oblasts in Russia, a left tributary of the Oka River. The length of the river is 686 kilometres. The area of its drainage basin is 42,500 km². The Klyazma River freezes up in November and stays under the ice...
. Population: The name of the town originates from the Russian word "" (gorokh, "peas").
History
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
for 1239, when it was sacked by the Mongols. It is believed that a minor fortress had existed there for several preceding decades.
In 1539, the Tatars of Kazan were about to burn it but retreated upon seeing a ghost in a shape of a gigantic knight with a sword. After that, the mount where the apparition was seen came to be known as Puzhalovo ("frightening one").
The golden age of Gorokhovets is associated with the 17th century, when it was a merchandise centre for a large area, which comprised today's Vladimir and Ivanovo
Ivanovo
Ivanovo is a city and the administrative center of Ivanovo Oblast, Russia. Population: Ivanovo has traditionally been called the textile capital of Russia. Since most textile workers are women, it has also been known as the "City of Brides"...
regions. A number of churches, monasteries, and chambers were commissioned by the local merchants at that time. The 17th-century belfries of Gorokhovets are particularly noteworthy.
According to the Soviet TV series Seventeen Instants of Spring, Gorokhovets was a native town of Stirlitz
Stirlitz
Max Otto von Stierlitz is the lead character in a popular Russian book series written in the 1960s by novelist Julian Semyonov and of the television adaptation Seventeen Moments of Spring, starring Vyacheslav Tikhonov, as well as in feature films, produced in the Soviet era, and in a number of...
, a fictional Soviet spy in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, played by Vyacheslav Tikhonov
Vyacheslav Tikhonov
Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Tikhonov was a Soviet and Russian actor whose best known role was as Soviet spy Stirlitz in the television series Seventeen Moments of Spring. He was a recipient of numerous state awards, including the titles of People's Artist of the USSR and Hero of Socialist Labour .-...
. A plan to erect a monument to Stirlitz, as a Tikhonov look-alike, in the downtown Gorokhovets is currently under discussion.