Toropets: Urban Structure as a Chronicle Depicted in Genetic Parts

Abstract

The article presents a study of the formation of Toropets urban structure: from "Krivichi settlement" to the Kremlin, to Posad and the borders of the modern city; analyzes the peculiarities of the movement of Posad, churches, formed during significant time epochs in a stable spatial-compositional system. The territories that still exist - the ancient settlement - the town of Krivichi, Red Island, former Dytynets, the current square - the ancient marketplace, and the whole town within the historical boundaries of the early 20th century - make up a large part of the modern Toropets territory. The study confirms the invariability of the outline of the main south-north artery, formed at the origin of the settlement; which connects the genetic parts preserved in the structure as if threaded on the historical axis of time "north-south". The authors dwell upon the peculiarities of architectural ensembleslocation in the structure of the town, the rarest specimens of classicism style buildings of the early-mid 18th century, the Toropets traditions of church architecture are represented: all these make impressive architectural and artistic images and views of the town which reflect the richness of Russian historical and cultural heritage.