Demyansky District (russian: Демянский район) is an administrative
[Law #559-OZ] and municipal
[Law #397-OZ] district (
raion), one of the
twenty-one
21 (twenty-one) is the natural number following 20 and preceding 22.
The current century is the 21st century AD, under the Gregorian calendar.
In mathematics
21 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 3 and 7, and a deficie ...
in
Novgorod Oblast,
Russia. It is located in the south of the
oblast and borders with
Krestetsky District
Krestetsky District (russian: Кресте́цкий райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #559-OZ and municipalLaw #351-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-one in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is located in the center of the oblast and borders w ...
in the north,
Valdaysky District
Valdaysky District (russian: Валда́йский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #559-OZ and municipalLaw #371-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-one in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the oblast and borders ...
in the northeast,
Firovsky District of
Tver Oblast in the southeast,
Ostashkovsky District of Tver Oblast in the south,
Maryovsky District in the southwest,
Starorussky District
Starorussky District (russian: Старору́сский райо́н) is an administrativeLaw #559-OZ and municipalLaw #377-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-one in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southwest of the oblast and bo ...
in the west, and with
Parfinsky District in the northwest. The area of the district is .
Its
administrative center is the
urban locality (a
work settlement) of
Demyansk.
Population: 16,020 (
2002 Census);
The population of Demyansk accounts for 41.3% of the district's total population.
Geography
Demyansky District is located in the
Valdai Hills. As typical for the region, the east of the district contains many lakes. The biggest ones are
Lake Seliger, which the district shares with Tver Oblast, and
Lake Velyo, shared with Valdaysky District. Lake Seliger and adjacent areas belong to the
basin of the
Volga River. The western part of the district lies in the basin of the
Pola River and its
tributaries, the biggest of which are the
Polomet
The Polomet (russian: Полометь) is a river in Valdaysky, Krestetsky, and Demyansky Districts of Novgorod Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Pola. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributary of the Polome ...
and the
Yavon. Minor areas in the east of the district belong to the drainage basin of the
Msta River. The divide between the basins of the
Atlantic Ocean (to which the Pola and the Msta belong) and the
Caspian Sea (to which Lake Seliger belongs) thus runs through the district. 12% of the district's territory is occupied by the
Valdaysky National Park, which protects forests and lakes in the Valdai Hills and includes Lake Seliger.
History
The area was a part of
Derevskaya Pyatina of the
Novgorod Republic.
The fortress of Demon, which protected the waterway from Lake Ilmen upstream the Pola and the Yavon to Lake Seliger, was first mentioned in a 1406 chronicle. The fortress was located close to the boundary between the Novgorod Republic and the
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...
and it was besieged by Muscovite troops at least twice. The Muscovites did not manage to conquer Demon in 1441, but in the 1470s they were more successful and managed to conquer and destroy the fortress. After the subsequent fall of Novgorod, Demon was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In the 17th century, Demon went into decline and a new settlement—known initially as Demyansky Pogost and later as Demyansk—was founded nearby. In the course of the
administrative reform carried out in 1708 by
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
, the area was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as
Saint Petersburg Governorate). In 1727, separate
Novgorod Governorate was split off. Between 1772 and 1824, Demyansk was a part of
Starorussky Uyezd
Starorussky Uyezd (''Старорусский уезд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Novgorod Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the southwestern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Staraya Russa.
Demo ...
of
Novgorod Viceroyalty (since 1796 of Novgorod Governorate). In 1824, it was chartered and became the seat of
Demyansky Uyezd Demyansky Uyezd (''Демянский уезд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Novgorod Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the southwestern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Demyansk.
Demographics
At th ...
, which was split from Starorussky Uyezd.
[Snytko et al., p. 26]
In August 1927, the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Demyansky District, with the administrative center in the town Demyansk,
[Snytko et al., pp. 101–102] was established within
Novgorod Okrug of
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...
effective October 1, 1927.
[Snytko et al., p. 85] It included parts of former Demyansky and Starorussky Uyezds.
At the same time, the town of Demyansk was demoted to a rural locality (a ''
selo'').
On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast.
[Snytko et al., pp. 87–88] On January 1, 1932,
Polnovo-Seligersky District was abolished and merged into Demyansky District.
[Snytko et al., p. 133] Between September 9, 1941 and February 21, 1943, Demyansky District was occupied by
German troops.
The district was the area of fierce battles, and, in 1942 in particular, some German troops were
encircled but subsequently managed to break out. On July 5, 1944, Demyansky District was transferred to newly established Novgorod Oblast,
where it remained ever since. On December 10, 1962, a part of
Polavsky District was merged into Demyansky District.
[Snytko et al., p. 225] Between February 1, 1963 and January 12, 1965, the district was transformed into Demyansky Rural District,
[Snytko et al., p. 173] as a part of
Nikita Khrushchev's abortive administrative reforms. On February 1, 1963, most of
Molvotitsky District's territory was merged into Demyansky Rural District, but on December 30, 1966, the merger was reverted.
[Snytko et al., pp. 195–196] Also on February 1, 1963,
Lychkovsky District was split and merged into Demyansky Rural District and
Krestetsky Industrial District.
[Snytko et al., p. 184]
Economy
Industry
There are no large industrial enterprises in the district. The existing enterprises serve timber and food industries.
Agriculture
As of 2011, there were seven collective farms and fourteen mid-scale private farms operating in the district and specializing on both
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
and
horticulture.
Transportation
A railway which connects
Bologoye Bologoye () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Bologoye, Tver Oblast, a town in Bologovsky District of Tver Oblast
;Rural localities
* Bologoye, Omsk Oblast, a '' selo'' in Rozovsky Rural Okrug of Russko-P ...
and
Pskov
Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=pskov-ru.ogg, p=pskof; see also names in other languages) is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population ...
via
Staraya Russa crosses the district from east to west. The main station within the district is
Lychkovo.
Demyansk is located on the road connecting
Yazhelbitsy
Yazhelbitsy (russian: Яжелбицы) is a village ('' selo'') in Valdaysky District of Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the M 10 highway south-east of Veliky Novgorod.
It was the site of the 1456 Treaty of Yazhelbitsy between Grand Prince ...
and Staraya Russa. There are also local roads.
Lake Seliger is navigable.
Culture and recreation
The district contains 1 cultural heritage monument of federal significance and additionally 231 objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. The federal monument is the "Knyazhaya Gora" (The Prince Hill) archaeological site.
Demyansk is home of the Demyansky District Museum.
References
Notes
Sources
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{{Use mdy dates, date=August 2012
Districts of Novgorod Oblast
States and territories established in 1927