The Tarusa River and the city of the same name: history and famous inhabitants

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Tarusa, a beautiful provincial town near Kaluga, was comfortably located on the banks of the Oka River for a very long time - 8 centuries ago. Many years have passed since that time, and he lived his own life and retained his magnificent beauty. Its culture, history and famous people are described in this article.

History of the Prioksky town

The specific date of the creation of the first settlements on the site of the current Tarusa could not be established, and the first mention of the inhabitants of this area dates back to the end of the second half of the 10th century. Hypotheses are being put forward that the tribes of the Slavs, the Vyatichi, already lived here in those days. Their main occupation was fishing, housekeeping and the sale of various handicrafts, since river communication already then connected the lands of Russia with each other, and the city of Tarusa is located on which river? On the Oka.

About the town under its modern name there is a document dated 1246, where there is information that the owner of these lands was the son of Prince Chernigov Yuri. Then Tarusa representedan outpost and the center of the prince's possessions.

There is a legend about the origin of the name of the settlement: the courtyard of the ruler of these lands was surrounded by a high fence around the perimeter, which the Golden Horde troops tried to destroy for a long time. During the assault, the Mongol-Tatars attacked her with cries of "Ta Rus!". Their efforts were in vain, and the local population gave the name of the fortress Tarus, which was later renamed to the current name of the town.

In the 14th century, the small principality merged with Moscow.

In the 17th century, almost all the inhabitants of Tarusa died from the disease (plague). Only a few decades later, the city recovered from this blow.

During the Second World War from October 24 to December 19, 1941, Tarusa was captured by the Nazis, but they did not bring serious harm. The bridge across the Tarusa River was destroyed by the retreating units of the Red Army. Later it was rebuilt.

In 1961, during the reign of N. S. Khrushchev, the almanac "Tarus Pages" was published. Party members banned the publication, but a certain number of copies were still purchased. This piece is now highly valued by antique dealers.

10 years later, dissidents often stopped in Tarusa. Joseph Brodsky, Alexander Ginzburg, A. Solzhenitsyn and many others have been here.

Now the town has the legal status of an architectural and natural reserve. For more than 7 years, work has been carried out here to perpetuate the memory of Lieutenant General M. G. Efremov, who was born in this provincial town. In addition, Tarusafamous for its minerals, which are actively used in construction (for example, the so-called Tarusa marble).

Cultural heritage of Tarusa

The city is rich in various sights. The most famous among them are:

1. Housing-museum of K. G. Paustovsky. The writer considered Tarusa a comfortable quiet place, which was not affected by the development of industry. The city seems to have been mothballed forever in imperial times.
2. Housing-museum of Marina Tsvetaeva's family. Located in a picturesque place. The house was erected by the grandfather of the world famous poetess. The building is located near the river. Nearby are crystal clear springs and a path for tourists and fans of Marina Tsvetaeva.
3. Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul. It is also located on the coast of the Oka. The cathedral was erected by the famous architect I. Yasnygin in 1785. In 1779, on the site of the temple, there was a small wooden church dedicated to Nikolai Ugodnik.
4. S. Richter's country house was built in the middle of the 20th century (in 1950). From there, a magnificent panorama of the surroundings opens up.
5. Housing Vasily Alekseevich Vatagin, who was in the city in 1902, fell in love with its originality and decided to stay here to live. After 12 years, they built a dwelling. He gave priority to the style of the ancient architecture of the North of Russia.
6. House of writers. The calm, peaceful beauty of the city has fallen in love with many talented people of the country. Among them was Professor I. V. Tsvetaev -creator of the Pushkin Museum and father of the famous poetess.

This is not a complete list of cultural heritage, which annually attracts a large number of tourists and pilgrims.

Famous inhabitants

The list of celebrities who have visited the city at different times will be very impressive. They had different fates and goals. There were writers Paustovsky, Chekhov and Tolstoy, Tarkovsky and Richter, Sumarokov, painters Polenov and Borisov-Musatov and many other prominent representatives of Russian culture.

A place of honor among the famous people whose life is connected with Tarusa is assigned to the family of the poetess M. Tsvetaeva. The estate of her ancestors has been preserved, and the time has not spared the dwelling of the poetess herself. Later, her house was restored and set aside as a museum. Not far from the Peter and Paul Church there is a monument in the form of a lady, looking at the river and the surrounding area. In 1960, through the efforts of the local population, a large boulder was erected, which recalls the cordial attitude of M. Tsvetaeva to Tarusa.

In the town at the Old Cemetery, the daughter of the poetess, A. Efron, found her last refuge.

The famous artist V. Borisov-Musatov lived in this architectural and natural reserve, from under whose brush unique canvases came out. The urban setting, the beauty of the surrounding area, the beauty of the Tarusa River, as well as the mighty and mysterious Russian spirit inspired the painter.

It is impossible not to mention K. G. Paustovsky, who is still loved by the inhabitants of Tarusa. The writer did a lot to ensure that the inhabitants of the town livedcomfortable. Through his efforts, the streets were landscaped in those days. Now the aforementioned house-museum of this great man is located in the city.

The river of the same name

When the question arises of which river the city of Tarusa is on, the first association, of course, is with the beautiful Oka. However, another small river flows near the city with the same name for this place. This small river, 88 km long, begins near the village of Andreevka. Near the town, the Tarusa River flows into the Oka. This rivulet matches the city - quiet, calm and a little sleepy. It is rich in fish and attracts fishing enthusiasts just like its namesake attracts tourists.

The Tarusa River is a wonderful place to relax. Near the natural park "Beaver Cape" there is a source of the Old Testament Saint Elijah the Prophet, which is often visited by Orthodox believers.

There is a hypothesis that the city was named after the name of the river. Therefore, the question of which river Tarusa stands on is not unambiguous, since it is located at the mouth of two rivers.