Ples
The town «Ples' is one of the oldest towns on the Volga. There is no architectural masterpieces, nevertheless this town has a cultural significance for Russia. A long time ago Ples attracted creative people: artista and musicians, writers – all, who looked for the peace and inspiration.
Arriving the popular Russian artist I. Levitan in Ples, who painted here a number of landscapes, the most famous in the world, brought this town a popularity. Ples really attracts tourists’ attention by its unique nature, owing to which people called it “Rissian Switzerland”.
The originality of the landscape is shown in its contrasts: visually the town is divided into three areas, differing from each other in their geographical peculiarities. The first one is located in the highlands, the second one – in the riverside place and the third area – over the river. According to this streets of the town stretch in parallel with the Volga, and all temples are located on the natural highlands. For example, the Uspenskaya church is located on Sobornaya hill with the height 70 m. The existing legend narrates that in this place there was an Utopian town Chuvil, called otherwise “Bird’s kingdom”. And in course of archeological digs, carried out at the end of 19th century, another fact ascertained: scientists found remains of a primitive man.
The church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, standing on the hill, hasn’t any mural painting. There isn’t a splendid decoration. But it is worth to see the monument to its founder, prince Basil Dmitrievich. It was raised by 500 anniversary of the town in 1910. At the foot of Sobornaya hill the Voskresenskaya church towers. It was erected in honor of the victory of Russian army over Napoleon. All house-building works were finished already by 1817. The church is surrounded from two sides by small trade rows of stalls of the middle of the 19th century.
Another hill is Petropavlovskaya. It is located on the opposite bank of the Shohonka river. This part of the town is called Zarachja. By the way the hill has another name. It was called Levitanskaya after Levitan had painted a local chapel of the end of 16 century on one of his canvases. The picture is called “Over eternal peace”. Unfortunately in 1903 the chapel burned. It was impossible to restore it, that’s why in 1980-s in place of it the wooden Voskresenskaya church, brought from Bilyukovo village, was erected. Here there is another building – the Petropavlovskaya church.
Isaac Levitan often was on another hill, which is called Cold. The most complete collection of his canvases are collected in the local museum of landscapes, and I.I. Levitan’s house-museum, will help to know about the artist’s way of life.
At this house – museum worked and lived the artist himself in 1888-89 years. Here worked two expositions halls. The materials of first hall show us the true works of I. I. Levitan, and also his friend – artists, with whom he was living at this house – Alexey Stepanov and Sophia Kuvshinnikova.
The small and silent town impressed the artist to creation of such masterpieces of russia landscape paintings - «Silent place», « After rain. Ples», «the Evening. Golden Ples», «Birch groves» etc.
There are many interesting estate complexes in Ples outskirts.
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