Skobars

Skobars or Skobari (Russian: Скобари) are an slang name of the inhabitants of the Pskov Oblast and some neighboring areas in Tver and Novgorod oblasts. The word comes from the word horseshoe or bracket (Russian: скоба), which is forged by a blacksmith.

Percentage of Skobars in Pskov Oblast by district (2003)

The local identity is quite strong nowadays, especially in Pskov Oblast, where there is a racing team, a chain of souvenir shops and a literary magazine named after this group and a blacksmith festival, the Skobar Day.[1] There also is a monument to a Skobar man in one of central parks in the city of Pskov.[2]