Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-08
THE WAR PRIMER ey National Geographic Society.

"Pskov, the halfway city between Riga and Petrograd, and strategic point of prime importance, is .des- cribed in today's war geography bull letin of the National Geographic So- ciety as follows:
 The capital of a province of the same name. and one of the most an eient cities of the Russian empire, Pskov has been a trading post for directly in the parth of German land advance upon Petrograd from Riga. 'Pskov is situated on both banks their confluence It is divided into four quarters. the oldest and most important being the Kremiin, sur rounded by white limestone walls in q fair state of preservation in spite of the fact thai they have been stand ing for more than eight centuries.
 'Petrograd lies to the northeast of Pskoy distance of I'll miles by rail, and Riga is almost the same distance to the, southwest. The town lies nine miles south of Lake Pskov into which the Veffkaya flows.
 For more than a thousand years Pekov has been a trading post for merchants of south Europe seeking the natural channel of the Veiillaya. As early as 992 the town was un!Ied with it's sister trading center of Nov gorod, 125 miles to the northeast, to lC, places grew rapidly in importance and wealth.
 During the MongoIian invasion of Russia, Pskoy succeeded in establish ing it's complete independence of Nov eorod. setting up a republic of it's own. a government which differed somewhat from that of it's rival in that Novgoro1 was dominated by p:utocratic merchant class whereas in Tskov the poorer clements of the pop Clatfon usually maintained themselves iH ..4e Pewer; - ,,o. the sixteenth century succeeded ;n depriving Pskov of it's Independence and from that time it's rulers were subject to the overlords of the great Russian metropolis.
 ''Pslsov owed it's salvation in 1870 10 patriotic monk Nicholas SaIos, who by feigning madness, dissuaded the ruthless Ivan the Terrible from his determination to destroy the city because it had been suspected of trea- sen to that monarch's cause. Eleven years later the citizens resisted the hesieging army of Poland's king, Stephen Bathory, for seven months. II was also besieged at one time by GI,stayus AdoipEus.
 the famous old Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. foun led in 113S. The present structure dates from 1691-99. Here are buried the princes of Pskov,
 
 Dovmont under whose leadership the Teutonic Knights were defeat ted in the 18th century and during whose regime the citys first walls were built. enabling the citizens of Pskov to make good their claim of independ- cree from Noveorod
 For many years during the middle ages Psf1ov was an important mem- Der of the Hanseatic League, and German factory was established here or the left bank of the Ve1ikayan. The Germans. however. were not especf- ally popular in Pslxov even in that cay, for they were not permitted to cross the bridge of boats from the factory into the main portion of the town. which at it's zenith had 8 pop uiatipn of 60,Go0.
 Pskov is an important station for trade between Riga and Noygorod. It's exports include flax, corn. honey. tsl How. skins. tar. and timber. while it's imports consist chiefly of wool ems and manufactured goods. 1t has q regular steamer service with Dor pat. on the Embach River. tributary Of Lake Pefpus.r