Smolensk Region
// GENERAL INFORMATION
Smolensk Region was officially formed on September 27, 1937. It is located in the central part of the East European Plain. The region borders on Belarus in the southwest, west, and northwest; Pskov and Tver regions in the north; Moscow Region in the northeast; Kaluga Region in the east; and Bryansk Region in the southeast. The Dnieper is the main river. Smolensk Region has a total area of 49 800 km2 (0.29% of the Russian Federation).
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The region consists of 25 regions (3 in the city of Smolensk), 17 towns, and 419 rural councils. The cities of Smolensk (founded in 862), Vyazma (1239), Gagarin (1776), Roslavl (1408), Safonovo (1952), Yartsevo (1926), and Desnogorsk (1974) are under regional jurisdiction, while Velizh (1536), Demidov (1776), Dorogobuzh (1150), Dukhovshchina (1777), Elnya (1776), Pochinok (1926), Rudnya (1926), and Sychevka (1776) are under district jurisdiction.
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Smolensk Region has a temperate continental climate with warm summers and moderately cold winters. The climate is influenced by moist Atlantic air, but inflows of Arctic air masses are possible at any time of year. Winds are mainly from the west, southwest, and south; and the relative humidity is 81%. The average January temperature is -9.4°C, and the average July temperature is +17.1°C; average annual precipitation is 600 mm.
Smolensk is the capital of Smolensk Region. It is located about 400 km southwest of Moscow on the upper Dnieper River. The river divides Smolensk into northern (Zadneprovye) and southern (center) parts. Smolensk is a truly beautiful city; hills, numerous rivers and luxuriant vegetation give it a picturesque appearance. The city's moderate climate contributes to abundant vegetation growth. Today, Smolensk has 40 squares, 6 boulevards, 12 wooded areas, and 12 public gardens and parks.
HISTORY
The city of Smolensk is first mentioned in the Ustyuzh chronicle in 863.
The 9th to 13th centuries were a time of tragic civil wars and battles with Mongol-Tatar forces, a time when trades developed, a time of subtle diplomacy of the Smolensk princes, a time when the people of Smolensk were transformed from staunch pagans into Christians, and a time when the first Orthodox churches were built.
Grand Prince Igor Rurikovich of Kiev became the ruler of Smolensk land in 882, and thus Smolensk became part of the Kievan state.
The first prince of Smolensk was Stanislav, the ninth son of Grand Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich of Kiev. He did not live in Smolensk, but merely collected tribute and sent it to the prince of Kiev.
In 1054, after the death of Yaroslav the Wise (Yaroslav Mudry), his fifth son, Vyacheslav, became prince of Smolensk. He lived in the citadel on Sobornaya Mountain and was not just a governor but an actual prince. Therefore, 1054 is considered the year the Smolensk principality was formed.
The most dramatic events of the early 15th century were the fierce struggle against Polish and Lithuanian feudal lords, the uprising to free the land from foreigners (Lithuanians, Germans, and Poles), and the battle of Grunwald. This period was marked by epidemics and famine, but was also a time of rapid cultural growth in Smolensk.
In 1501, Grand Prince Ivan III of Moscow made Smolensk his main objective, but his campaigns were unsuccessful. Another war for Smolensk began in 1512 and lasted for eight years; Vasily III, the new prince of Moscow, made three major campaigns. Under a treaty of 1522, the Smolensk lands went to the Muscovite state.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Smolensk was one of the most important economic and military centers of the Grand Princedom of Moscow. It was also a major commercial center, and home industry production reached high levels. Construction of the Smolensk fortress wall was an important event in the history of Rus.
Science, education, and culture advanced in Smolensk in the 18th century, and construction of Uspensky Cathedral was completed.
In 1708, Peter the Great issued a decree dividing Russia into 20 provinces. Riga Province, formed in 1713, included Smolensk as a newly organized subprovince divided into five districts (Smolensky, Belsky, Vyazemsky, Dorogobuzhsky, and Roslavlsky). The subprovince was subsequently reorganized into a province in 1726.
The 19th century was a time of important changes in the region's social, economic, and cultural life. The war of 1812 was another dramatic event in the history of Smolensk. Monuments and street names recall the celebrated Russian victory over the French in that war.
The abolition of serfdom in 1861 provoked a wave of peasant actions, as the peasants received less land than they had had under serfdom. Land, urban, military, and legal reforms were also carried out.
The pace of cultural development picked up in the second half of the 19th century. Gymnasia and vocational schools opened in Smolensk, a public theater opened in 1866, and the first museum opened in 1888. It was during this time that the Smolensk explorers Przewalski and Kozlov led a number of expeditions to Central Asia.
The 20th century brought wars, revolutions, and economic upheavals. Smolensk land endured three revolutions (the revolution of 1905 and the February and October revolutions of 1917) and three wars (the First World War, Civil War, and Second World War).
At the beginning of the 20th century, Smolensk land was a typical mid-Russian agrarian province. Then, after the revolution of October 1917, the Soviets came to power. Smolensk Region was formed in September 1937 from the central and western districts of Western (Zapadnaya) Region as the result of a reorganization of the latter region. The new region exceeded present-day Smolensk Region in both population and area.
One of the main battles of the Second World War took place in Smolensk land, defeating Hitler's plans for a blitzkrieg. The battle lasted from July 10 to September 10, 1941, and gave Moscow time to prepare to repel Hitler's forces. Smolensk was heavily damaged during the war, but it rose again from the ruins through the labor of city residents and their great love for their city and was awarded the title of hero city.
Today, Smolensk is the region's administrative, industrial, and cultural center. Nearly half of the industrial production potential is concentrated here. Smolensk is known as a major engineering and metalworking center; and the food, light, and building material industries are also well developed.
The main freight and passenger flows from Western Europe and the Baltic States pass through Smolensk, making it western Russia's largest transportation center.
Smolensk is also a city of museums and libraries, scientific and educational institutions, places of entertainment, and outstanding historical and architectural monuments. The 20th century was a time of both construction and creativity.
RESOURCES
Smolensk Region has abundant mineral resources, such as deposits of brown coal, peat, phosphorite, refractory clay, cement materials, tufa, and various kinds of building materials. The region's explored mineral resources occupy an important place in its economy. The value of these mineral reserves, not including fresh and mineral water, is estimated at $12 billion US. Only 1.5% of these deposits are currently being worked.
About 20 kinds of mineral are known to occur in and around Smolensk, particularly building materials, such as glacial and postglacial boulders, sand, brick and ceramic clays, and boulder- and loess-like loams. Tufa, ochre, and peat are of minor importance.
Smolensk Region has a dense river network and many lakes, ponds, bogs, and underground water sources.
Many picturesque lakes, such as Sapsho, Dgo, Balkanovskoe, Rytoe, Lososno, Chistik, Mutnoe, and Akatovskoe (the largest lake in Smolensk Region, with an area of 650 hectares), are located in the northern part of the region. These lakes formed after the last glaciers retreated. The most famous of these lakes is 6-km-long Lake Sapsho, with its islands and resort village of Przhevalskoe.
The Dnieper, Ustrom, Volost, Borovka, Desna, Iput, and Besed rivers are just a few of the enormous number of rivers that flow through the region.
Most of the region is located in the forest zone, with mixed forests predominating. The forests have an enormous influence on the climate by increasing atmospheric humidity. They also hold moisture in the soil, prevent erosion, and clean the air. Both coniferous and deciduous forests are found in the region, but they are unevenly distributed.
The forests in the northern part of the region are typically mixed coniferous-deciduous forests covering 60.3% (151 600 hectares) of the area. The central part is located in a zone of alternating coniferous and deciduous forests, while coniferous forests predominate in the southwest.
Forests are Smolensk Region's main resource. The region has proven timber reserves that if used appropriately and efficiently could significantly strengthen the regional economy. However, conservation of this natural resource is inadequate due to a lack of financing.
The plant life of Smolensk Region is rich and varied. It includes forest, meadow, aquatic, and marsh vegetation. The region's geographic location and climatic conditions favor the growth of temperate latitude flora. Birch, aspen, alder, oak, mountain ash, hazel, viburnum, linden, poplar, and ash are encountered in the deciduous forests, and spruce and pine, in the coniferous forests. Herbs, berries, and mushrooms are plentiful.
Cultivated crops include grains, flax, silo corn, and annual and perennial grasses.
The wildlife of Smolensk Region consists mainly of animals adapted to mixed forests, for example, moose, bears, wolves, foxes, and wild boar. However, the amount of forest land in Ugransky District has decreased over the past ten years, resulting in the disappearance of some rare animal species; and despite the large amount of forest cover in Kholm-Zhirkovsky District, the number of wild hoofed animals has declined so drastically that they cannot be hunted either commercially or for sport.
Smolensk Lake District (Smolenskoe Poozerye) National Park has been established by order of the RF government to preserve Smolensk Region's unique natural ecosystem. Most of the park is located in Demidovsky District, with its center in the village of Podosinki. As a result of the excellent environmental conditions and the absence of industrial development, nature in the national park has preserved its primeval character.
The Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant (Smolenskaya AES) in Desnogorsk represents a major environmental problem for the region, and there are not enough funds for immediate modernization of the first two power generating units. Today, despite financial difficulties at the plant, the staff are doing their utmost to ensure the safety of the power plant itself, its personnel, and the environment. One of the most urgent tasks is the development of a set of measures for radioactive waste disposal.
ECONOMY
Smolensk Region is part of Russia's Central economic district. Industry is this district includes sectors such as engineering and metalworking (production of measuring and hydrometeorological devices, computer equipment, electrical appliances, refrigerators, automobiles, power-generating and store equipment, and aircraft manufacture), the chemical industry (production of ammonia, saltpeter, fertilizers, and plastics), light industry (production of clothing, and cotton and linen fabrics), the food industry, and brown coal and peat production.
The region's main industrial centers are Smolensk, Vyazma, Roslavl, Safonovo, Gagarin, and Yartsevo, where large companies such as an aircraft plant, the AO ZIL auto plant, the Izmeritel factory, AO Aisberg, the Kristall factory, the Dvigatel factory, and AO Sharm are located.
The power industry, represented by the Dorogobuzh (Dorogobuzhskaya) and Smolensk (Smolenskaya) state regional power plants (GRES) and the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant, is another very important sector.
Smolensk Region has a well-developed road, rail, and water transportation network.
Smolensk Region is one of four members of the Central economic district with the highest levels of available production facilities. The industry gross value added indicator is higher in the material and industrial spheres than in the service industries, and is higher than the Russian average in the agricultural sphere. Market relations are developing more rapidly here compared to other regions. However, there is evidence of a further production decline and an increase in unemployment, which hinders economic growth. Some of the negative factors include low competitiveness of manufactured goods, the predominance of imports, and a poorly developed market infrastructure. Conversion and modernization of the machine tool and auto industries and electrical and power engineering are pressing problems for Smolensk Region today. There are also problems in expanding production in the knitwear, linen, and food production sectors, reequipping companies, and building up the raw material base.
Industry is Smolensk Region's leading economic sector. Nearly 40% of the industrial production potential is concentrated in the city of Smolensk. Diamond cutting companies have the largest share of GDP. The largest of these companies is the Kristall State Unitary Corporation (GUP Kristall) in Smolensk. Smolensk is also a major center of the engineering and metalworking industries, with the instrument-making, electronics, electrical, and auto industries having the largest share of GDP among engineering companies. The most efficient companies in this sector are Izmeritel, Analitpribor Production Association (PO Analitpribor) of Smolensk, AO Aisberg, AO Instrument, AO Iskra, AO Integrated Road-Building Machines (Kompleksnye dorozhnye mashiny), AO Smolensk Auto Plant (Smolensky avtoagregatny zavod), and AO Svet. The main specialized products of these companies are various gas analyzers, household refrigerators and freezers, equipment for the engineering industry, machinery for public utilities, boilers for residential heating, portable cash registers, lamps, car engines, and medical equipment.
Food industry companies in Smolensk produce all the basic food products. Some representative companies include AO Rosa (whole milk products), AO Smolmyaso (meat products), AO SAKhKO and AO Khlebopek (baked goods and confectionery), AO SAOMI (pasta), and AO Bacchus (Bakhus) and AO Smolensk Beer (Smolenskoe pivo) (liquor, beer, nonalcoholic drinks, and mineral water).
The largest companies in the light industry sector are AO Charm, AO Smolensk Hosiery Factory (Smolenskaya chulochnaya fabrika), AO Voskhod, and AO Smolensk Flax Mill (Smolensky lnokombinat), which produce knitwear, socks and stockings, and ready-made clothing.
Companies in the building material industry include two brick factories and AO Stroikonstruktsiya, AO Stroidetal, and ZhBI, which produce reinforced concrete components and structures. AO Gnezdovo produces a wide range of ceramic products and facing tiles. The municipal company Dorozhnik produces nonmetallic materials.
A unitary enterprise, Smolensk Printing Plant (Smolensky poligrafichesky kombinat), is the main company in the printing industry. It is the largest producer of school textbooks and instruction manuals. Two other printing offices, one regional and one municipal, operate in the city.
The natural conditions in Smolensk Region are favorable for agriculture, which is an important part of the regional economy. The land is flat, and there is a long frost-free period and enough warmth and moisture for crops. Agricultural land occupies 43.3% of the region's territory and is used to grow grain, industrial, and feed crops (40% of the sown area). Grain is grown everywhere in the region, with enormous areas sown in rye, barley, wheat, and buckwheat. Potatoes are the second most important crop after grains. Smolensk Region produces 40% of the flax in the Central economic district and 28% of all flax in Russia.
Livestock farming is the region's most important agricultural sector, providing most of the marketable products. The sector is mainly oriented towards beef and dairy cattle farming, horse breeding, pig and poultry farming, and beekeeping.
The region has a well-developed agricultural processing industry, with flax mills, butter and cheese factories, and dairies located in the cities and villages. Production levels are sufficient to meet all the needs of the region's population.
AUTHORITIES
The Administration of Smolensk Region is the region's executive body. It is made up of the Head of the Administration and government bodies and officials under him. The Head of the Administration is the highest official, who acts as guarantor of the observance of the regional Charter in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Territorial sectoral and functional bodies and the Government of Smolensk Region are also part of the Administration
The Smolensk Regional Duma is the region's highest legislative body.
Federal courts (general jurisdiction, courts martial, and courts of arbitration) organized and functioning in accordance with federal legislation and the Constitution of the Russian Federation exercise judicial authority in Smolensk Region. The establishment of emergency courts is prohibited.
In addition, a regional court, district and city courts, and a regional court of arbitration function in the region. Neighborhood (burlaw) courts and arbitration tribunals may also operate in Smolensk Region.
CULTURE AND ART
Smolensk is not only a major industrial center, but is also a scientific and cultural center. One could go on and on about the city's points of interest, but the most historic parts of this amazing city are the sites where monuments to the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 have been raised.
The celebrated Uspensky Cathedral is located in Smolensk; and there are five other churches besides the cathedral. And of course there is Smolensk Fortress, surrounded on all sides by wonderful natural landscapes. Smolensk is an ancient city with its own historic libraries, such as the Dorogobuzhskaya and Smolenskaya libraries; one of them, the Lenin Library, is Smolensk Region's largest book depository. No less interesting are the region's famous people, such as the talented artist Evgeniya Senina.
The region has many clubs for young people, where they can do whatever interests them, whether it is performing in miniature shows, singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, or displaying their speaking talents. For children, there are various contests, which they enthusiastically take part in. On of these contests was dedicated to the 55th anniversary of Smolensk's liberation from the German occupiers. Sunshine (Solnyshko), an outstanding children's dance ensemble, adds new groups every year; and the talented choreographers who work with them, giving all their warmth and kindness, should not be forgotten.
Smolensk is a region with unique history, culture, and geography and great tourist potential. The unforgettable beauty of this ancient land, its forests and multitudes of lakes, and its architectural monuments create excellent conditions for developing tourism and recreation. Smolensk Region has a fairly well developed infrastructure and plenty of opportunities for full-fledged recreation for even the most demanding residents and visitors. Visitors to the city can stay in hotels with high-level facilities and a wide range of services.
For culture lovers, there are theaters, museums, cultural centers, clubs, and all kinds of exhibitions.
Every historical age has left its mark on Smolensk Region, from ancient burial mounds (kurgans) and settlements to 12th-century architecture, fortress walls, churches, and monasteries. Smolensk and its surroundings are a rarity in Russian culture and the home of many people renowned in Russia and abroad. Many old estates are located in the region. The ancestral estates of composer Mikhail Glinka and writer Aleksandr Griboedov have been restored, and the Teremok historical and architectural complex and the Przewalski Museum House welcome visitors. The museums of Smolensk Region have assembled unique and varied archeological, ethnographic, numismatic, natural history, and military history collections, as well as collections of manuscripts, old printed books, and memorial objects connected with important historical events. The museums also have valuable collections of art works, from paintings, drawings, and sculptures to arts and crafts. These collections will almost certainly be attractive to tourists who love art and history. In addition, the museums display authentic works by Italian Renaissance masters and paintings of the 17th-20th centuries from Holland, Spain, France, and other Western European countries.
Excursions through Smolensk land will acquaint you with the attractions of this remarkable region.
There are nearly 4000 historic monuments in the region, and the city of Smolensk has numerous parks, squares, and gardens that have become favorite places for both adults and children to relax. Smolenskoe Poozerye National Park is outstanding for its multitude of lakes and its untouched spruce and deciduous forests. The establishment of the park provided an incentive to develop ecotourism, which is popular with Russian and foreign visitors alike.
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