Christmas Eve

Pskov was covered in snow when we arrived. It was late and the sky was pitch black. We couldn't see anything as our tour bus drove us to our Soviet-style hotel. However, the town was revealed in all its glory the following day, Christmas Eve. Pskov is less than 50 kms from the Estonian border. It's been the vanguard of Russia for more than 1000 years. As a result, it's been to subject of invasion, dozens of times, most recently 1941 when the Nazi came to town.

Today, Pskov is home to more than 15 small, generally white-washed churches. Many are monuments to invasion and subsequent survival. They are the last of more than 200 churches that once stood on every street in the town. As a border town, when you're subject to constant invasion, you feel a need to thank God for every day of freedom you have.

The town's skyline is dominated by the Krom, a medieval citadel, built on the banks of the the Velikaya river. Within its walls rises the 256-foot-tall Trinity Cathedral, founded in 1138 and rebuilt in the 1690s. The cathedral contains the tombs of saint princes Vsevolod (died in 1138) and Dovmont (died in 1299). You enter the cathedral by ascending 33 steps, one for each year Christ lived. Inside is an astonishing gilt, seven-level Iconstatis, dominating the far wall. Throughout Russia, most Iconstatis are five panels high. Nobody knows why Pskov has an extra two levels of panel.

Outside the Krom's walls are the foundations of a further 12 churches. This is the site of a mini-UN for the surrounding district. During the middle ages, each surrounding district built its own church here, thus cementing peaceful diplomatic relations with its neighbours. Across the road from the spectacular Krom looms a drab Soviet-style government building complete with its own grand statue of Lenin. The constrast is stark, bringing home the tragedy of 70 years of Soviet rule.

Christmas Eve was spent celebrating in style at our hotel. Our tour group was joined by a second group that had travelled from Moscow. Together we celebrated Christmas with a visit from Santa, team games, plenty of vodka and dancing until late. It would be fair to say that many in our group were nursing hefty hangovers on Christmas Day.