Pechersk (selo), Smolensky District, Smolensk Oblast


Pechersk, also spelled Pechyorsk, is a rural locality in Smolensky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located north of Smolensk. Population: 4,067.

Etymology

The name "Pechersk" is derived from the Old Russian word "печера", meaning "cave".

History

In 1859, it had an Orthodox church and a population of nineteen, living in five homesteads. Administratively, it was a part of Smolensky Uyezd of Smolensk Governorate.
Until December 28, 2004, it had a status of a settlement.
On April 10, 2010, a Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Polish 36th Special Aviation Regiment crashed near Smolensk-North air base near Pechersk, killing the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński and other Polish officials.