Pechory

History

It was founded as a posad in the 16th century near the Pskov-Caves Monastery (which was established in the 15th century) and soon developed into an important trading post. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, Pechory was an important border stronghold. It was besieged numerous times by Russia's enemies: Stephen Báthory's forces sacked the settlement during the Siege of Pskov in 1581–1582, and the Swedes or Polish stormed Pechory in 1592, 1611, 1615, and 1630, and from 1655 to 1657. Boris Sheremetev began his campaign of 1701 in Pechory and the fortification was besieged by Swedes in the course of the Great Northern War in 1701 and 1703. After the war, Pechory lost its military significance.

In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, the area was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as Saint Petersburg Governorate). In 1727, separate Novgorod Governorate was split off and in 1772, Pskov Governorate was established; it existed as Pskov Viceroyalty between 1777 and 1796. In 1776, Pechory was granted town rights and Pechorsky Uyezd was established, but in 1797, the uyezd was abolished and the territory became a part of Pskovsky Uyezd of Pskov Governorate.

From February to December 1918, Pechory was occupied by the Germans. During the Estonian War of Independence, the town was occupied by the Estonian army on March 29, 1919. Under the terms of the Tartu Peace Treaty, Pechory and the territory around it, called Setomaa, were given to Estonia in 1920.

During the years between the World Wars, Petseri, as it was called at that time, was the center of Petseri County, one of the eleven counties that made up the Republic of Estonia. Under the Estonian rule, the town population more than doubled, predominantly due to arrival of ethnic Estonians. In May 1925, most of the land owned by the Pskov-Caves Monastery was confiscated by the Estonian government. St. Peter's Lutheran Church was built in 1926. After the annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union in 1940, the town originally remained a part of the Estonian SSR. During World War II, the town was occupied by the German Army from July 10, 1941 until August 11, 1944.

On January 16, 1945, Pechory and most of Petseri County were transferred to Pskov Oblast of the Russian SFSR and Pechorsky District was established. In 1956, Pechory Secondary School No. 2 was opened for Estonian-speaking students.

After Estonian independence was re-established in 1991, the town and the territory around it were claimed for Estonia because of the terms of the Tartu Peace Treaty, in which the Soviet Union had relinquished further claims on Estonian territory. Estonia is reported to have dropped this claim in November 1995. A newer Estonian-Russian Border Treaty was signed by Estonia on May 18, 2005, reflecting the later border changes, but was rejected and cancelled by Russia on June 27, 2005, because references to Soviet occupation were added.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Pechory serves as the administrative center of Pechorsky District, to which it is directly subordinated. As a municipal division, the town of Pechory, together with forty-two rural localities, is incorporated within Pechorsky Municipal District as Pechory Urban Settlement.

Religion

Pechory is famous for the Russian Orthodox Pskov-Caves Monastery. Also, St.Peter's Evangelical Lutheran church is situated in the town. It is famous for its historic organ.

Notable people