Oryol: Difference between revisions

 

===Urban layout===

Oryol was founded at the behest of Ivan the Terrible in 1566, in the area between the Oka and Orlik rivers. There is not much information about the initial stage of its existence: the earliest data available refers to 1636 when the city was rebuilt after it was completely destroyed during the Time of Troubles. According to the historian T.G. Svistunova, the Oryol Fortress of the 16th century had three lines of fortifications and consisted of a chopped "city", an "[[Ostrog (fortress)|Ostrog]]" and a Posad, surrounded by gaps. The "city" housed a cathedral, a [[voivode]]'s (i.e. "warlord" or "military-leader") house, government buildings and siege courts for the [[boyar]] children; on the territory of the prison, there were yards of gunners, collars and a blacksmith, as well as two parish churches, which stood near the towers of the prison: Epiphany gunners and Nikolskaya collars. On the Posad there were about 30 yards of the Sloboda. In 1636, Oryol was rebuilt by voivode B. Koltovsky. The territory of the city increased due to the annexation of the land beyond the river. Oryol continued its existence as a fortress city with a corresponding garrison: Pushkarskaya Sloboda was still located in the prison, boyar children and nobles settled on the left bank of the Orlik, Cossack Sloboda appeared near the Oka, and Streletskaya near the Karachevskaya (Korchakovskaya) road. Oryol lost its military character after the fire in 1689 when the city fortress was partially burned down and was no longer rebuilt.