Sineus and Truvor were the brothers of Rurik, a chieftain of the Varangian Rus tribe considered to be the founder of the Rurik dynasty, which ruled the Kievan Rus. According to the Russian Primary Chronicle, the town of Izborsk was the seat of Truvor from 862 to 864. Although his burial mound is still shown to occasional tourists, archaeological excavations of long barrows abounding in the vicinity did not reveal the presence of the Varangian settlement at the site, which indicates that Izborsk was an important centre of the early Krivichs.

Truvor's gorodishche is a settlement about half a kilometer north from the fortress that came about in the late 7th and early 8th century, and proceeded to grow twice in size in the 10th and 11th centuries. It was the predecessor of the Izborsk Fortress, protected by an oakwood wall which was later upgraded to stone, 3 meters in height by 3 meters in width in the 12th century. Though Truvor's gorodishche is mostly destroyed, a small part of the wall remains today.

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Izborsk, Russia
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Founded: 9th century AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Russia

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4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Александра Я (5 months ago)
Historical place, beautiful observation deck, Truvorov cross and church. All in one place. I recommend!
Алексей Иванов (6 months ago)
If you approach the Truvorov settlement itself, an amazing panorama of the remains of the fortress will appear before your eyes. The fortress is very well located: on the top of a high hill in the shape of a triangle. On one side it is protected by Gorodishchenskoe Lake and the Dry Swamp, on the other by Velesov Ravine and the Zmeinaya Balka tract. Alas, bad weather did not allow me to go down to the Altar Stone, which served as an idol in pagan times, the “Head of Veles” stone... In the hollow you can see the gate - the old entrance to the settlement. At the top of the rampart there is an Estonian security sign dating back to the times when the Pechora district of the Pskov region was part of Estonia (1920-1940s). Truvorovo settlement is one of the places associated with the earliest pages of the Old Russian state. A must visit here.
Роман Мелещенко (11 months ago)
We spent the whole day in Izborsk and received a lot of positive emotions. Expositions, exhibitions, special thanks to our guide Sofia. We talked with the local residents, they were open, hospitable, and loved their small homeland. We learned a lot of interesting things. The pancake place is super, the local cat is very well-mannered.
Olga Ivlieva (3 years ago)
From here, amazing! Already captures the spirit! The only downside is that you need to go here through the existing cemetery.
Aleksei Pollitruk (3 years ago)
One of the important places in the history of Russia, which is associated with the legendary Varangian Truvor, one of the Rurik brothers. Visually it looks like a pointed triangular cape, all excavations have been mothballed, only the old wooden gates have been restored. On the territory of the settlement is the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of the 17th century. Near the settlement there is an ancient cemetery with preserved stone crosses from the 15th century. One of the crosses, taller than a human being, is known as the Truvor cross.
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