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The city of Velikiye Luki was first mentioned in a chronicle under the year of 1166. After the construction of a fortress in 1211, Velikiye Luki turned into a city of strategic importance, defending the approaches to Pskov and Novgorod. It was incorporated into Muscovy by Ivan the Great in 1478. It was granted town status in 1777. At the beginning of the 20th century, it evolved into an important railway hub following the construction of the railway connecting Moscow with Riga. During World War II, in 1941 and 1942, intensive fighting took place in the vicinity between German and Soviet forces. During the Battle of Velikiye Luki (in late 1942) a German force of about 20,000 was surrounded in the town which had been turned into a fortress. After months of heavy fighting, the German defenders were finally wiped out in January 1943. As a result of this siege, the city suffered almost total destruction. Velikiye Luki has been claimed as the birth place of Soviet Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky. The Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Matrosov is buried in this city. Modest Mussorgsky's memorial house, standing on the bank of a large picturesque lake, is within easy range of the town. |
