Yelninsky District

Yelninsky District (Russian: Ельнинский райо́н) is an administrative[1] and municipal[4] district (raion), one of the twenty-five in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the oblast and borders with Dorogobuzhsky District in the north, Ugransky District in the east, Spas-Demensky District of Kaluga Oblast in the southeast, Roslavlsky District in the south, Pochinkovsky District in the west, and with Glinkovsky District in the northwest. The area of the district is 1,808.15 square kilometers (698.13 sq mi).[1] Its administrative center is the town of Yelnya.[1] Population: 14,948 (2010 Census);[2] 17,457 (2002 Census);[6] 19,699 (1989 Census).[7] The population of Yelnya accounts for 67.5% of the district's total population.[2]

Yelninsky District Ельнинский район
District
Desna river in Yelnya, Yelninsky District
Coat of arms
Location of Yelninsky District in Smolensk Oblast
Coordinates: 54°34′N 33°10′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Smolensk Oblast[1]
Established	1929
Administrative center	Yelnya[1]
Area [1]
• Total	1,808.15 km^2 (698.13 sq mi)
Population  (2010 Census)[2]
• Total	14,948
• Estimate  (2018)[3]	12,838 (-14.1%)
• Density	8.3/km^2 (21/sq mi)
• Urban	67.5%
• Rural	32.5%
Administrative structure
• Administrative divisions	1 Urban settlements, 10 Rural settlements
• Inhabited localities[1]	1 Cities/towns, 170 Rural localities
Municipal structure
• Municipally incorporated as	Yelninsky Municipal District[4]
• Municipal divisions[4]	1 Urban settlements, 10 Rural settlements
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [5])
OKTMO ID	66619000
Website	http://elnya-admin.admin-smolensk.ru/

Geography

The district is located on the Smolensk Upland and is divided between the drainage basins of the Dnieper and the Volga. The rivers in the southwestern part of the district drain into the Desna River, a major left tributary of the Dnieper. The Desna has its source within the area of the district, and the town of Yelnya is located on the banks of the Desna. The northern part of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Uzha River, another left tributary of the Dnieper, which also has its source within the district. Minor areas in the western part of the district drain into the Sozh River, a major left tributary of the Dnieper. Another major river which has its source within the area of the district is the Ugra River, a left tributary of the Oka. The eastern part of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Ugra. 14% of the area of the district is occupied by forest.[8]

History

Yelnya has been first mentioned in chronicles in 1150. The area belonged intermittently to the Principality of Smolensk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and Poland. In 1667, according to the Truce of Andrusovo, Yelnya was transferred to Russia. In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, the area was included into Smolensk Governorate and remained there until 1929, with the exception of the brief periods between 1713 and 1726, when it belonged to Riga Governorate, and between 1775 and 1796, when Smolensk Governorate was transformed into Smolensk Viceroyalty. It belonged to Yelninsky Uyezd, with the center in Yelnya.[9] In October 1928, Yelninsky Uyezd was abolished and split between Smolensky, Roslavlsky, and Vyazemsky Uyezds.[10]

On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Yelninsky District with the administrative center in the town of Yelnya was established on the territories which previously belonged to Yelninsky and Durogobuzhsky Uyezds. The district belonged to Smolensk Okrug of Western Oblast. On August 1, 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. On 27 September 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between Oryol and Smolensk Oblasts. Yelninsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast. Between 1941 and 1943, during WWII, the district was occupied by German troops. In 1961, Glinkovsky District was merged into Yelninsky District, but in 1980 it was re-established.[11]

Economy

Industry

There are enterprises of food, construction, and timber industries in the district.[12]

Agriculture

The main agricultural specializations of the district are cattle breeding with meat and milk production, as well as crops, beans, and potato growing.[12]

Transportation

The railway connecting Smolensk and Sukhinichi via Spas-Demensk crosses the district from northwest to southeast. Yelnya is the largest railway station in the district. There is infrequent passenger navigation.

Yelnya is connected by roads with Safonovo (where it has access to the M1 highway connecting Moscow and Smolensk), with Pochinok, and with Roslavl.

Culture and recreation

The main house of the Glinka Estate, Novospasskoye

There is a local museum in Yelnya. In the selo of Novospasskoye, in the estate where the composer Mikhail Glinka was born, there is a memorial museum.[13]

References

Notes

1. Resolution #261
2. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
3. "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
4. Law #108-z
5. "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
6. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек" [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
7. "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров" [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
8. "О регионе" (in Russian). Yelninsky District Administration. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
9. "Историческая справка" (in Russian). Yelninsky District administration. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
10. Москалев, О.Л. "История системы образования" (in Russian). Museum of History of Education of Smolensk Oblast. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
11. Борис Парфенов; Ольга Хоренженкова. "К истории формирования Смоленской области" (in Russian). Смоленск. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
12. "Предприятия и организации" (in Russian). Yelninsky District Administration. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
13. "Туризм" (in Russian). Yelninsky District administration. Retrieved June 5, 2018.

Sources

• Администрация Смоленской области. Постановление №261 от 30 апреля 2008 г. «Об утверждении реестра административно-территориальных единиц и территориальных единиц Смоленской области», в ред. Постановления №464 от 27 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в реестр административно-территориальных единиц и территориальных единиц Смоленской области». Опубликован: База данных "Консультант-плюс". (Administration of Smolensk Oblast. Resolution #261 of April 30, 2008 On the Adoption of the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and Territorial Units of Smolensk Oblast, as amended by the Resolution #464 of June 27, 2014 On Amending the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and Territorial Units of Smolensk Oblast. ).
• Смоленская областная Дума. Закон №108-з от 20 декабря 2004 г. «О наделении статусом муниципального района муниципального образования "Ельнинский район" Смоленской области, об установлении границ муниципальных образований, территории которых входят в его состав, и наделении их соответствующим статусом», в ред. Закона №108-з от 23 ноября 2011 г. «О внесении изменений в областной Закон "О наделении статусом муниципального района муниципального образования "Ельнинский район" Смоленской области, об установлении границ муниципальных образований, территории которых входят в его состав, и наделении их соответствующим статусом"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Вестник Смоленской областной Думы и Администрации Смоленской области", №13, часть II, стр. 144, 22 декабря 2004 г. (Smolensk Oblast Duma. Law #108-z of December 20, 2004 On Granting the Status of the Municipal District to the Municipal Formation of "Yelninsky District" of Smolensk Oblast, on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations the Territories of Which It Comprises, and on Granting Them Appropriate Status, as amended by the Law #108-z of November 23, 2011 On Amending the Oblast Law "On Granting the Status of the Municipal District to the Municipal Formation of "Yelninsky District" of Smolensk Oblast, on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations the Territories of Which It Comprises, and on Granting Them Appropriate Status". Effective as of the official publication date.).