Kalininsky District () is an administrative
and municipal
[Law #4-ZO] district (
raion
A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is c ...
), one of the
thirty-six in
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast (, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was known as Kalinin Oblast (). Population:
Tver Oblast is a region of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno. Much o ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. It is located in the south of the
oblast
An oblast ( or ) is a type of administrative division in Bulgaria and several post-Soviet states, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Historically, it was used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The term ''oblast'' is often translated i ...
and borders with
Likhoslavlsky District in the north,
Rameshkovsky District in the northeast,
Kimrsky District in the east,
Konakovsky District in the southeast,
Lotoshinsky District of
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...
in the south,
Staritsky District
Staritsky District () is an administrative and municipalLaw #4-ZO district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Tver Oblast, thirty-six in Tver Oblast, Russia. It is located in the central and southern parts of the oblast and borders ...
in the southwest, and with
Torzhoksky District in the west. The area of the district is .
Its
administrative center
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.
In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
is the
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
of
Tver
Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population:
The city is ...
(which is not administratively a part of the district).
[Law #34-ZO] Population: 52,047 (
2010 Census);
Geography

The whole area of the district belongs to the
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
of the
Volga River
The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...
. The Volga itself crosses the district from northwest to southeast, entering the
Ivankovo Reservoir. The biggest tributaries of the Volga within the district are the
Tvertsa River (left), which has its mouth in the city of Tver, the
Shosha River (right), which crosses the southern part of the district, with the
Lama River, a major tributary of the Shosha, forming a stretch of the border between Kalininsky and Konakovsky Districts, and the
Soz River (left). The northeastern part of the district, northeast of Tver, is a swamp.
History
In the Middle Ages, the area belonged to
Principality of Tver
The Principality of Tver () was a Russian principality which existed between the 13th and the 15th centuries with its capital in Tver. The principality was located approximately in the area currently occupied by Tver Oblast and the eastern part of ...
, and in the 14th century was, together with the principality, annexed by the
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Principality of Moscow, or Muscovy, known as the Principality of Moscow until 1389, was a late medieval Russian monarchy. Its capital was the city of Moscow. Originally established as a minor principality in the 13th century, the gra ...
. The trade route between Moscow and
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the ...
crossed the area, and, in particular,
Mednoye developed as a rich merchant locality on this route.
In the course of the
administrative reform carried out in 1708 by
Peter the Great
Peter I (, ;
– ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
, the area was included into
Ingermanlandia Governorate (since 1710 known as Saint Petersburg Governorate). In 1727 it was transferred to newly established
Novgorod Governorate
Novgorod Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR, which existed from 1727 to 1776 and from 1796 to 1927. Its administrative cent ...
. In 1775,
Tver Viceroyalty was formed from the lands which previously belonged to Moscow and Novgorod Governorates, and the whole area was transferred to Tver Viceroyalty, which in 1796 was transformed to
Tver Governorate
Tver Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 until 1929. Its seat was in Tver. The governorate was lo ...
. The area belonged to
Tverskoy Uyezd.
On July 12, 1929 the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Tverskoy District, with the administrative center in Tver, was established within
Tver Okrug of
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...
. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On November 20, 1931 Tver was renamed Kalinin, and consequently Tverskoy District was renamed Kalininsky District. On January 29, 1935
Kalinin Oblast was established, and Kalininsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, most of the area of the district was briefly occupied by
German troops. By the end of December 1941, the district was back under control of the Soviet authorities.
In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.
Another district created on July 12, 1929 was
Turginovsky District, with the center in the
selo of
Turginovo. It was a part of Tver Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On January 29, 1935 Turginovsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast. On February 1, 1963 Turginovsky District was abolished and merged into Kalininsky District.
On July 12, 1929
Yemelyanovsky District, with the center in the selo of
Yemelyanovo was created as well. It was a part of Tver Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On January 29, 1935 Yemelyanovsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast. On July 4, 1956 Yemelyanovsky District was abolished and split between Kalininsky, Staritsky, Turginovsky, and
Vysokovsky Districts.
On March 5, 1935
Kushalinsky District with the center in the selo of
Kushalino was established on the areas previously belonging to Kalininsky and Rameshkovsky Districts. On July 4, 1956 it was abolished and split between Kalininsky,
Goritsky, and Rameshkovsky Districts.
On March 5, 1935
Mednovsky District with the center in the selo of
Mednoye was established as well on the areas previously belonging to Kalininsky, Likhoslavlsky, and
Novotorzhsky Districts. On July 4, 1956 it was abolished and split between Kalininsky and Novotorzhsky Districts.
On September 8, 1937
Orshinsky District with the administrative center in the selo of
Rozhdestveno was established in the area which previously belonged to Konakovsky and Zavidovsky Districts. On October 22, 1959 the district was abolished and split between Konakovsky, Kalininsky, and Goritsky Districts.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the
framework of administrative divisions, Kalininsky District is one of the
thirty-six in the oblast.
The city of
Tver
Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population:
The city is ...
serves as its
administrative center
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.
In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
, despite being incorporated separately as an
okrug
An okrug is a type of administrative division in some Slavic-speaking states. The word ''okrug'' is a loanword in English, alternatively translated as area, district, county, or region.
Etymologically, ''okrug'' literally means ' circuit', der ...
—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.
As a
municipal division, the district is incorporated as Kalininsky Municipal District.
[Law #26-ZO] Tver Okrug is incorporated separately from the district as Tver Urban Okrug.
Economy
Industry
The district has several industrial enterprises, producing plastic, copper alloys, and repairing the boat motors.
Vasilyevsky Mokh is a center of
peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
extraction.
Agriculture
The main agricultural specializations of the district are cattle breeding with meat and milk production and potato growing.
Transportation
The
Moscow – Saint Petersburg Railway crosses the district from southeast to northwest, passing Tver. All stations and platforms south of Tver on this line within the district are on the
Leningradsky suburban railway line and are connected by regular passenger suburban service with both Moscow (
Moscow Leningradsky railway station) and Tver. There is also a railway line from
Doroshikha to Vasilyevsky Mokh, however, the passenger traffic to Vasilyevsky Mokh discontinued in 2014, and the line is likely to be demolished.
The
M10 highway, which connects Moscow and St. Petersburg, crosses the district from southeast to northwest. Tver is connected by roads with
Bezhetsk
Bezhetsk () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Bezhetsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Mologa River at its confluence with the Ostrechina. Population: 20,618 (2024). It was pr ...
via
Rameshki, with
Kimry, with
Rzhev
Rzhev ( rus, Ржев, p=ˈrʐɛf) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population:
Hist ...
via
Staritsa, and with
Lotoshino by roads, all of which cross the district. There are local roads as well.
Culture and recreation

The district contains 12 cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally 140 objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. The federal monuments include the ensemble of the
Orsha Ascension Monastery in the village of
Orsha
Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662.
History
...
and the ensemble of churches in the
selo of
Ivanovskoye, as well as the Church of Our Lady of Kazan (1764) in the selo of
Mednoye, several archeological sites, and a monument commemorating Polish officers who were executed in Mednoye in 1940.
There are a number of museums in the district. In
Domotkanovo, in the former estate of the Derviz family,
Valentin Serov, a Russian painter, stayed for extended periods, and the estate is currently a museum. In the settlement of
Emmaus
Emmaus ( ; ; ; ) is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before two of his disciples while they were walking on the road to Emmaus.
Although its geograp ...
, the house of Soviet
socialist realist artist
Vladimir Serov (unrelated to Valentin Serov) is preserved as a museum. In Emmaus, there is also a museum of
Kalinin Front. In Mednoye, there is a complex commemorating Polish prisoners of war who were held in the concentration cam there and executed in 1940. In the village of
Knyazevo, the building of a school which the future opera tenor
Sergei Lemeshev attended, is also converted into a museum. In the village of
Novinki, during the
Revolution of 1905
The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, the first
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
of Peasant Deputies in Russia was formed. The building survived and is currently a museum.
References
Notes
Sources
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{{Use mdy dates, date=March 2013
__NOTOC__
Districts of Tver Oblast
States and territories established in 1929