“ Owing to a great fire in 1777, the town is almost entirely modern; and its fortifications have been transformed into promenades. Besides a good picture gallery in the Ratshof, and the 13th-century church of St John, Yuriev possesses a university, with an observatory, an art museum, a botanical garden and a library of 250,000 volumes, which are housed in a restored portion of the cathedral, burned down in 1624. The university was founded by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1632 ”

“ In 1600 it fell into the hands of the Swedes, in 1603 reverted to the Poles, and in 1625 was seized by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. The Russians again obtained temporary possession in 1666, but did not effect a permanent occupation till 1704. In 1708 the bulk of the population were removed to the interior of Russia. ”