Discover Tula Region with the Presidential Library

We keep on acquainting readers with the regions of our vast country. An individual collection of the Presidential Library spotlights Tula Region – a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, which is famous for pryaniks, samovars and weapons.

The present-day Tula Region was founded on September 26, 1937. However the history of this land is much older. The book by V. Ivanovsky “About the History of Ancient Inhabitants of Tula Governorate and their Princes” (1897) gives a chance to discover it. “Residents of Tula Governorate, along with Orel and Kaluga Governorates, originate from the Slavic tribe of Vyatichi. The history provides few facts about this tribe, that is why we have to rely largely on chronicle extracts and make guesses”, the author writes.

“The Historical Survey of Tula Governorate” of 1850 reads in particular about the Battle of Kulikovo of 1380, which took place in the south-east of the region.

G. M. Belotserkovsky’s book “Tula and Tula Uezd during 16th and 17th Centuries” reads that the great nature, soil fertility, dense forests with their zoological and botanical diversity, rich water resources, hayfields and mineral resources of this area must have attracted settlers from the ancient times".

But in the history of the city it is necessary to take into account its border with the steppe: "The southern border of the Moscow state was particularly worrying, and therefore was the issue of constant concern of the government. It will not be an exaggeration to say that the 16th century in the history of Tula began with a continuous and exhausting war with steppe nomads. This war lasted for a century and continued even during the half of the 17th century. "

The most common defensive fortification there was an abatis - an obstacle formed of trees laid in a special way. Such a forest road six versts wide was a perfect barrier protecting from the steppe, G. M. Belotserkovsky wrote.

The book of Yu. Yu. Panfilov “Natural Sites of Tula Region” also available on the website of the Presidential Library highlights the unique broad-leaved forests of the Tula Abatis line, steppe oak forests in the valley of Krasivaya Mecha River, meadow steppes, lakes and geological outcrops ".

I. P. Sakharov in the book “Monuments of Tula Governorate” describes "settlement sites, burial mounds, earthworks, city fortifications, rocks, battles, unearthed money and other finds": "There is a variety of folk legends about ancient settlements. They are attributed either to cities, destroyed by the Tatars or Poles, or ancient dens of robbers, or are considered to be either treasuries with money or sworn places, devastated for the sins of their inhabitants ... "

The book by Joseph Hamel “The Historical and Technical Description of the Tula Arms Plant” of 1826 is of a particular interest as a source for study of "man-made wonders" of the region. The preface to the book reads that "the Russia’s oldest plant produced a great number of weapons and made a great contribution especially towards the last Patriotic War [the war of 1812]”.

J. Hamel added that "in the technical respect the latter is now at such a degree of perfection, which does not exist even at the best arms factories in England”.

The production of weapons began here at the end of 16th century. However it was February 15, 1712, when Peter the Great founded the state arms plant in Tula, that saw the true milestone in the history.

"This decree marks the beginning of a new era in the Russian arms industry - from purely handicraft production it was to become a plant", S. A. Zybin wrote in the book “The History of the Tula Arms Plant of Peter the Great” (1912).

"In 1695, while passing through Tula, Peter the Great decided to ask local craftsmen to produce several halberds following foreign models. The young gunsmith Nikita Demidov examined the foreign halberd carefully and volunteered to make his own, a better one. A month later he delivered 300 new halberds to the tsar in Voronezh. Peter liked them and ordered 2000 weapons. Russian guns cost only 1 ruble 80 kopecks apiece, 7-8 times cheaper than foreign ones. <...> The Tula Arms Plant products were of such a high quality that Peter in one of his decrees recognized the Tula weapons as a standard ... " - M. Kozhukhov narrates in the radio broadcast about Tula, which is available on the portal of the Presidential Library. What is more, the library’s website provides access to the video tour, dedicated to the Tula State Arms Museum.

The Charter of the Tula Nobility Assembly of 1909 portrays the life of the Tula Governorate in the second half of 19th - early 20th cc. "Tula Nobility Assembly aims to give its visitors the opportunity to read the Russian and foreign press, to spend time playing legal games and attend family, literary and musical evenings, balls and masquerades, arranged by the Assembly and enjoy a good meal at a reasonable price”, the first paragraph of this document reads.

A. D. Lyubavsky’s “Criminal Cases of the Tula District Court” of 1874 reads: "the local jurors deal with a variety of cases, including "The case of the provincial clerk Aleksey Protopopov, convicted of stealing a hat”.

The portal of the Presidential Library provides access to the secret accounts of the security department of the late 19th century, and in particular The case of a secret member of Moscow Security Department nicknamed “Gavrilov”, which deals with two robberies.  

It is worth noting that a famous estate of Leo Tolstoy – Yasnaya Polyana – is located in Shyokinsky District, Tula Region. It was here that Leo Tolstoy wrote “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina” and other works. It is the place where the writer is buried. The collections of the Presidential Library feature a variety of rare cards with the views of Yasnaya Polyana.