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Smolensk, Russia

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Location

The Resume

    (863- )
    Area: 166.35 km²
    Population: 330,049 (January 1, 2015)
    Name derived from the Smolnya River, whose name probably originated from the old Slavic word 'smol', meaning black soil, or the Russian word 'smola', meaning resin, tar, or pitch
    Settled by the Krivichi tribe
    First mentioned by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII as 'Miliniska'
    Seat of Grand Principality of Smolensk (1054-1387)
    Part of Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1387-August 1, 1514)
    Part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (June 1611-September 23, 1654)
    Part of Belarusian People's Republic (1918-1919)
    Awarded the title Hero City for its role in World War II (1985)

Why Smolensk, Russia might be annoying:

    It has been invaded many times throughout its history, specifically by Kievan Rus (882), the Mongols (1238-1240), Lithuania (1395, 1404, 1408), Poland (September 1609-June 1611), Napoleonic France (August 16-18, 1812), and Nazi Germany (July 6-August 5, 1941).
    18 km from the city is the Katyn Forest, where, in the biggest tragedy in modern Polish history, the NKVD executed about 22,000 Polish intellectuals and high-ranking military officers. (April-May 1940)
    A plane carrying Polish president Lech Kaczynski and 95 other people, mostly dignitaries visiting an event commemorating the Katyn Massacre, crashed near the city, killing everyone on board. (April 10, 2010)
    Its roads are rarely repaired and cleaned properly, leaving them with many cracks and potholes.
    Moreover, the roads can be very slippery during winter, so pedestrians have to wear grippy shoes or risk injury.
    Its historical landmarks are badly maintained, with graffiti covering the walls and piles of garbage lying around them.

Why Smolensk, Russia might not be annoying:

    Its strategic position on the banks of the Dnieper River enabled it to flourish as a commercial center since medieval times.
    It is a symbol of Russian patriotism because of its endurance in the midst of foreign invasions.
    The Mongols spared it from utter destruction on the condition that the principality pay tribute to the Khanate of the Golden Horde.
    It houses some of Russia's oldest churches, such as the Uspensky Cathedral (1101), the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (1146), and the Church of St. John the Baptist (1180).
    With walls about 6.5 km long, its fortress is bigger than the Moscow Kremlin.
    It housed the Icon of the Virgin of Smolensk, a copy of an Orthodox icon attributed to the apostle Luke that was lost during World War II.

Credit: Big Lenny


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 26 Votes: 23.08% Annoying