Leningrad Oblast
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subject of
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
(an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position. The oblast was named after the city of Leningrad. In 1991, the city restored its original name,
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, but the oblast retains the name of Leningrad. The capital and largest city is Gatchina. The oblast overlaps the historic region of Ingria and is bordered by
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
( Kymenlaakso and South Karelia) in the northwest and
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and t ...
(
Ida-Viru County Ida-Viru County ( et, Ida-Viru maakond or ''Ida-Virumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale - the main mineral mined in Estonia. Oil shale is used ...
) in the west, as well as five federal subjects of Russia: the
Republic of Karelia The Republic of Karelia (russian: Респу́блика Каре́лия, Respublika Kareliya; ; krl, Karjalan tašavalta; ; fi, Karjalan tasavalta; vep, Karjalan Tazovaldkund, Ludic: ''Kard’alan tazavald''), also known as just Karelia (rus ...
in the northeast, Vologda Oblast in the east, Novgorod Oblast in the south,
Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast (russian: Пско́вская о́бласть, ') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
in the southwest, and the federal city of
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
in the west. The first governor of Leningrad Oblast was Vadim Gustov (in 1996–1998). The current governor, since 2012, is
Aleksandr Drozdenko Aleksander Yurievich Drozdenko (russian: Александр Юрьевич Дрозденко; 1 November 1964) is a Russian economist and politician. He has been Governor of Leningrad Oblast since 28 May 2012. Drozdenko was born in the village ...
. The oblast has an area of and a population of 1,716,868 ( 2010 Census); up from 1,669,205 recorded in the 2002 Census. Leningrad Oblast is highly industrialized.


Geography

Leningrad Oblast is located around the
Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland ( fi, Suomenlahti; et, Soome laht; rus, Фи́нский зали́в, r=Finskiy zaliv, p=ˈfʲinskʲɪj zɐˈlʲif; sv, Finska viken) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and E ...
and south of two great freshwater lakes,
Lake Ladoga Lake Ladoga (; rus, Ла́дожское о́зеро, r=Ladozhskoye ozero, p=ˈladəʂskəjə ˈozʲɪrə or rus, Ла́дога, r=Ladoga, p=ˈladəɡə, fi, Laatokka arlier in Finnish ''Nevajärvi'' ; vep, Ladog, Ladoganjärv) is a fresh ...
and Lake Onega. The oblast includes the Karelian Isthmus and some islands, including Gogland in the Gulf of Finland and
Konevets Konevets (russian: Коневец; fi, Konevitsa or ''Kononsaari'') is an approximately 8.5-km² island famous as the site of the Konevsky Monastery. It is located off the southwestern shore of Lake Ladoga near the village of Vladimirovka. The i ...
in Lake Ladoga. Much of the area of the oblast belongs to the drainage basin of the Neva, which is the only outflow of Lake Ladoga. The Neva, which flows to the Gulf of Finland (the city of Saint Petersburg is located in its river delta) is relatively short, but its drainage basin is very large, including Lake Onega and
Lake Ilmen Lake Ilmen ( rus, И́льмень, p=ˈilʲmʲɪnʲ) is a large lake in the Novgorod Oblast of Russia. A historically important lake, it formed a vital part of the medieval trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Novgorod - wh ...
. The
Svir The Svir (, Veps: , Karelian/Finnish: ) is a river in Podporozhsky, Lodeynopolsky, and Volkhovsky districts in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows westwards from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two largest ...
and the Volkhov flow from Lake Onega and Lake Ilmen, respectively, to Lake Ladoga. Other major tributaries of Lake Ladoga include the Vuoksi and the
Syas The Syas () is a river in Lyubytinsky District of Novgorod Oblast and Tikhvinsky and Volkhovsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The Syas flows from the Valdai Hills north into Lake Ladoga. The town of Syasstroy is located at its mouth. It ...
. Rivers in the western part of the oblast flow to the Gulf of Finland; the two biggest rivers there are the Luga and the Narva, which forms the border of Russia and Estonia. Small areas in the east of the oblast lie within the river basin of the Chagodoshcha, a tributary of the Mologa, and of the
Suda The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; grc-x-medieval, Σοῦδα, Soûda; la, Suidae Lexicon) is a large 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas (Σούδας) or Souidas ...
, both within the Volga basin. A ridgeline in Tikhvinsky District in the eastern oblast forms part of the divide between the Baltic Sea and Caspian Sea basins. The terrain of Leningrad Oblast is relatively flat and mostly covered with forest and swamps. An exception is the rocky Karelian Isthmus, which contains a lake district, as well as the Vepsian Upland in the east. The biggest lakes on the isthmus are Lake Vuoksa, Lake Sukhodolskoye, and Lake Otradnoye. Leningrad Oblast contains two federally protected natural areas, the Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve and Mshinskoye Boloto Zakaznik, both created to protect the forest and swamp landscapes of northwestern Russia.


Flora

The most taxonomically diverse vascular plant families are
Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...
,
Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus '' Carex'' ...
,
Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns ...
and
Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...
. By far the most diverse genus is '' Carex'' (68 species). The diversity in genera '' Hieracium'' (with ''Pilosella''), '' Ranunculus'' (with ''Batrachium''), '' Alchemilla'', '' Galium'', ''
Potamogeton ''Potamogeton'' is a genus of aquatic, mostly freshwater, plants of the family Potamogetonaceae. Most are known by the common name pondweed, although many unrelated plants may be called pondweed, such as Canadian pondweed (''Elodea canadensis'' ...
'', '' Salix'', '' Veronica'', '' Viola'', '' Juncus'', '' Artemisia'', '' Potentilla'', ''
Rumex The docks and sorrels, genus ''Rumex'', are a genus of about 200 species of annual, biennial, and perennial herbs in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. Members of this genus are very common perennial herbs with a native almost worldwide distribu ...
'', '' Festuca'', ''
Epilobium ''Epilobium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, containing about 197 species. The genus has a worldwide distribution. It is most prevalent in the subarctic, temperate and subantarctic regions, whereas in the subtropics ...
'', ''
Poa ''Poa'' is a genus of about 570 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly in Europe and Asia), bluegrass (mainly in North America), tussock (some New Zealand species), a ...
'', '' Trifolium'', '' Campanula'', '' Vicia'', '' Lathyrus'', ''
Geranium ''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in ...
'' is also considerable. The territory has no endemic plant taxa. Vascular plant species of Leningrad Oblast listed in the red data book of Russia are '' Botrychium simplex'', ''
Cephalanthera rubra ''Cephalanthera rubra'', known as red helleborine, is an orchid found in Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. Although reasonably common in parts of its range, this Cephalanthera has always been one of the rarest orchids in Britain. Descript ...
'', '' Cypripedium calceolus'', '' Epipogium aphyllum'', '' Lobelia dortmanna'', '' Myrica gale'', '' Ophrys insectifera'', ''
Orchis militaris ''Orchis militaris'', the military orchid, is a species of orchid native to Europe. It is the type species of the genus '' Orchis''. Description This plant grows to a height of 20 to 50 cm with a robust stem with rather drawn up oblo ...
'', '' Pulsatilla pratensis'', '' Pulsatilla vernalis''.


History


Pre-Leningrad Oblast

The territory of present-day Leningrad Oblast was populated shortly after the end of the Weichselian glaciation and now hosts numerous archaeological remnants.Лапшин В. А. "Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 1: Западные районы". Leningrad, 1990.Лапшин В. А. "Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 2: Восточные и северные районы". Saint-Petersburg: Изд. СПбГУ, 1995. .Лебедев Г. С. "Археологические памятники Ленинградской области". Leningrad: Лениздат, 1977. The Volga trade route and trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks crossed the territory. Staraya Ladoga, the first capital of legendary
Rurik Rurik (also Ryurik; orv, Рюрикъ, Rjurikŭ, from Old Norse '' Hrøríkʀ''; russian: Рюрик; died 879); be, Рурык, Ruryk was a semi-legendary Varangian chieftain of the Rus' who in the year 862 was invited to reign in Novgoro ...
, founded in the 8th-9th century, is situated in the east of the oblast, on the Volkhov River. In the 12th-15th centuries, the territory was divided between the Kingdom of Sweden and Novgorod Republic (see Swedish-Novgorodian Wars) and populated mostly by various Baltic Finns people such as Karelians (northwest), Izhorians and Votes (west), Vepsians (east), as well as
Ilmen Slavs The Novgorod Slavs, Ilmen Slavs (russian: Ильменские слове́не, ''Il'menskiye slovene''), or Slovenes (not to be confused with the Slovenian Slovenes) were the northernmost tribe of the Early Slavs, and inhabited the shores of L ...
of Novgorod (south). During the Russo-Swedish Wars of the 15th-17th centuries, the border moved back and forth over the land. The central part of the territory is known as the historical region of Ingria (or the land of Izhora) and in the 17th century, after most of the present-day territory of Leningrad Oblast was captured by Sweden with the Treaty of Stolbovo of 1617, became subject to substantial Finnish Lutheran population influx from Finnish Karelia (which included Karelian Isthmus, the northwestern part of present-day Leningrad Oblast) and Savonia. Having faced religious pressure from Lutheran pastors and Swedish authorities, the local Orthodox population of Russian and Finnic ancestry massively fled from Ingria to neighbour Russian provinces, so Ingrian Finns soon became the dominant ethnic group. During the
Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...
(1700–1721) the territory of what is now Leningrad Oblast was conquered from Sweden by Russia under
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 ...
, who founded
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
amidst the land in 1703, which soon became the capital of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...
. In 1708, most of the territory was organized into Ingermanland Governorate under Governor General Alexander Menshikov. It was renamed Saint Petersburg Governorate in 1710 (the borders of that governorate, however, differed very significantly from those of the present-day oblast and included much of the areas of current Novgorod, Pskov, and Vologda Oblasts). In 1721, the territorial concessions of Sweden were confirmed with the Treaty of Nystad. The life of the countryside was greatly influenced by the vicinity of the imperial capital, which became a growing market for its agricultural production as well as the main consumer of its mineral and forest resources. In 1719–1810, Ladoga Canal was dug between the Svir River and the
Neva River The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it i ...
as part of the Volga-Baltic waterway to bypass stormy waters of
Lake Ladoga Lake Ladoga (; rus, Ла́дожское о́зеро, r=Ladozhskoye ozero, p=ˈladəʂskəjə ˈozʲɪrə or rus, Ла́дога, r=Ladoga, p=ˈladəɡə, fi, Laatokka arlier in Finnish ''Nevajärvi'' ; vep, Ladog, Ladoganjärv) is a fresh ...
. Since the advent of rail transport in the late 19th century, the areas in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg had been popular summer resort destinations ( dachas) for its residents. However, while Saint Petersburg itself was populated mostly by Russians from the very beginning, it was not until the 20th century that its surrounding population was Russified. In 1914, with the beginning of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Saint Petersburg was renamed Petrograd and the governorate was accordingly renamed Petrograd Governorate. After the
Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
, in 1918, the capital was transferred from Petrograd to
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, farther from the borders of the country. In 1919, during the Russian Civil War, the Northwestern White Army advancing from Estonia and led by Nikolai Yudenich tried to capture Petrograd and even managed to reach its southern outskirts, but the attack against the Red Army under Leon Trotsky ultimately failed, and Yudenich retreated. The border with Estonia was established in the Russian-Estonian Treaty of Tartu of 1920. Finland-backed Ingrian Finns of North Ingria attempted to secede in 1918–1920, but were incorporated back with the Russian-Finnish Treaty of Tartu, which settled the border between Finland and Soviet Russia. In 1924, Petrograd was renamed Leningrad, and Petrograd Governorate was again renamed accordingly (Leningrad Governorate).


Leningrad Oblast

Leningrad Oblast was established on 1 August 1927, by the resolutions of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee "On the Establishment of Leningrad Oblast" and "On the Borders and Composition of the Okrugs of Leningrad Oblast"''Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast'', pp. 33–34 by merging Cherepovets, Leningrad, Murmansk,
Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
, and Pskov Governorates. The territory of the oblast corresponded to the modern territories of the present-day Leningrad Oblast (with the exception of the Karelian Isthmus and the territories along the border with Estonia), Novgorod Oblast,
Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast (russian: Пско́вская о́бласть, ') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
, parts of Vologda Oblast, most of
Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of ...
, and the federal city of Saint Petersburg. The total area of the oblast was ;''Administrative-Territorial Division of Leningrad Oblast'', p. 10 more than four times larger than the modern entity. Administratively, the oblast was divided into nine okrugs ( Borovichi, Cherepovets, Leningrad, Lodeynoye Pole, Luga, Murmansk,
Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
,
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 ...
, and Velikiye Luki), each of which was in turn subdivided into
district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
s. In 1929, Velikiye Luki Okrug was transferred to newly formed Western Oblast. Leningrad was administratively separated from Leningrad Oblast in December 1931. In 1935 five southernmost districts were made part of Kalinin Oblast. In 1936 some parts of the territory of Leningrad Suburban District of Leningrad was returned to Leningrad Oblast and divided into Vsevolozhsky District, Krasnoselsky District, Pargolovsky District and
Slutsky District Slutsky is a Belarusian, Russian, and Ashkenazi Jewish surname that derived from Slutsk in Belarus. The Jewish family name 'Slutsky' is an Ashkenazized form of ( he, סלוצקי; russian: Слу́цкий; ua, Слуцький) It is shared by ...
(renamed Pavlovsky District in 1944). Vologda Oblast, which has included the easternmost districts of Leningrad Oblast (former Cherepovets Governorate), was created in 1937.
Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of ...
was split from Leningrad Oblast in 1938. In the autumn of 1934, the Forbidden Border Zone along the western border of the Soviet Union was established, where nobody could appear without special permission issued by the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...
. It was officially only 7.5 km deep initially, but along the Estonian border it extended to as much as 90 km. The zone was to be cleansed of Finnic and other peoples who were considered "politically unreliable" by the regime. Starting from the 1929, the Soviet authorities carried out mass deportations of the
Ingrian Finn The Ingrians ( fi, inkeriläiset, ; russian: Ингерманландцы, translit=Ingermanlandts'i), sometimes called Ingrian Finns, are the Finnish population of Ingria (now the central part of Leningrad Oblast in Russia), descending from Lut ...
ish population of the oblast, which constituted the majority in many rural localities as late as in the beginning of the 20th century, to the east, replacing them with people from other parts of the Soviet Union. On 30 November 1939, the Soviet Union waged the Winter War against neighbouring Finland and with the Moscow Peace Treaty in 1940 gained some territories, including the Karelian Isthmus. Their Karelian population was hastily evacuated to inner Finland and later replaced with people from other parts of the Soviet Union. A small part of the territory (the municipalities of Kanneljärvi, Koivisto and Rautu) was incorporated into Leningrad Oblast, the rest being included within the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa, and shortly thereafter the territory became the site of the
Battle of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad (russian: links=no, translit=Blokada Leningrada, Блокада Ленинграда; german: links=no, Leningrader Blockade; ) was a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the Soviet city of L ...
. The Wehrmacht captured the southwestern part of the oblast and reached Tikhvin in the east, while Finnish troops quickly recaptured the ceded territories in the Continuation War, encircling Leningrad from the land. In 1944 Soviet offensives managed to expel the Wehrmacht and put military pressure on Finland, which ceded the Karelian Isthmus again in the Moscow Armistice of September 19, 1944. This time the newly acquired territories on the isthmus were incorporated into the Leningrad Oblast ( Vyborgsky and Priozersky Districts). In 1947 the territorial gains were confirmed with the Paris Peace Treaty.
Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...
and
Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast (russian: Пско́вская о́бласть, ') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
s were formed out of the southern parts of Leningrad Oblast in 1944. In January 1945 a small part of the
Estonian SSR The Estonian SSR,, russian: Эстонская ССР officially the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic,, russian: Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика was an ethnically based adminis ...
to the east of the River Narva with the town of Jaanilinn (now Ivangorod) was transferred to the Russian SFSR and incorporated into Leningrad Oblast. Since then, the territory of Leningrad Oblast has not changed significantly, although some suburbs of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) have been excluded from the oblast and incorporated into the city. In October 1946 Leningrad gained from the oblast some former Finnish territories along the northern coast of the
Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland ( fi, Suomenlahti; et, Soome laht; rus, Фи́нский зали́в, r=Finskiy zaliv, p=ˈfʲinskʲɪj zɐˈlʲif; sv, Finska viken) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and E ...
divided into Sestroretsky District and Kurortny District, including the town of Terijoki. In 1953,
Pavlovsky District Pavlovsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia. The district names are generally related to or derived from the male first name Pavel. Districts of the federal subjects *Pavlovsky District, Altai Krai ...
of the oblast was abolished, and parts of its territory including Pavlovsk were made subordinate to Leningrad. In 1954 the settlements Levashovo,
Pargolovo Pargolovo (russian: Па́рголово, fi, Parkala, german: Pargola) is a municipal settlement in the Vyborgsky District of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Until the late 20th century, it was the city's northern suburb. The name derives from ''Parko ...
and Pesochny were also transferred to Leningrad. In 1956 Boksitogorsky District of Leningrad Oblast gained a small territory of Novgorod Oblast. Uritsk was transferred from the oblast to the city of Leningrad in 1963, Krasnoye Selo and several settlements nearby—in 1973, Lomonosov—in 1978. After a referendum in 1991, the city of Leningrad was renamed back to Saint Petersburg, but Leningrad Oblast retained its name. On 13 June 1996, Leningrad Oblast, alongside Tver Oblast and
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, signed a power-sharing agreement with the federal government, granting it autonomy. This agreement would be abolished on 18 April 2002.


First secretaries of the Leningrad Oblast CPSU Committee

In the period when they were the most important authority in the oblast (1927 to 1991), the following first secretaries were appointed, *1927-1934 Sergey Mironovich Kirov, assassinated *1934-1945 Andrey Andreyevich Zhdanov *1945-1946 Alexey Alexandrovich Kuznetsov, subsequently executed *1946-1949 Pyotr Sergeyevich Popkov, subsequently executed *1949-1953 Vasily Mikhaylovich Andrianov *1953-1957 Frol Romanovich Kozlov *1957-1962 Ivan Vasilyevich Spiridonov *1962-1970 Vasily Sergeyevich Tolstikov *1970-1983 Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov *1983-1985 Lev Nikolayevich Zaykov *1985-1989 Yury Filippovich Solovyov *1989-1991 Boris Veniaminovich Gidaspov


Governors

Since 1991, governors were sometimes appointed, and sometimes elected, *1991-1996
Alexander Semyonovich Belyakov Alexander Semyonovich Belyakov (russian: Алекса́ндр Семёнович Беляко́в; born 20 May 1945) is a Russian politician who served as Governor of Leningrad Oblast in 1991–1996 and member of the State Duma of the Russian Fe ...
, head of the administration, appointed; *1996-1998 Vadim Anatolyevich Gustov, governor, elected; *1998-2012 Valery Pavlovich Serdyukov, governor, elected, then appointed; *2012- Aleksandr Yuryevich Drozdenko, appointed.


Administrative divisions

Administratively, Leningrad Oblast is divided into seventeen
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
and one town of oblast significance (
Sosnovy Bor Sosnovy Bor (russian: Сосно́вый Бор; lit. ''pine forest (copse)'') is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Amur Oblast As of 2010, one rural locality in Amur Oblast bears this name: * Sosnovy Bor, Amur Oblast, a '' sel ...
). In terms of area, the largest administrative district is Podporozhsky (), and the smallest is Lomonosovsky (). Lomonosovsky District is the only district in Russia that has its administrative center (the town of Lomonosov) located within a different federal subject. While the district is a part of Leningrad Oblast, Lomonosov is located within the federal city of
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
.


Demographics

''Population'': ;Vital statistics for 2012 *Births: 15 611 (9.0 per 1000) *Deaths: 25 396 (14.7 per 1000) ; Leningrad Oblast currently has the lowest fertility rate in all of Russia. While birth rates have risen considerably elsewhere, they have remained stuck at a very low level in Leningrad Oblast. ;Ethnic groups According to the 2010 Census, the ethnic composition was: * Russian 92.7% * Ukrainian 2% * Belarusians 1.1% * Tatar 0.5% * Armenian 0.4% * Uzbek 0.4% *
Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...
0.3% * Finnish 0.3% *
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
0.2% *
Tajik Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Tajikistan * Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan * Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan * Tajik (surname) * Tajik cu ...
0.2% * Moldovan 0.2% * Veps 0.1% *others 1.6% *114,747 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group. ;Religion According to a 2012 survey 55.1% of the population of Leningrad Oblast adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 4% are unaffiliated generic
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, 1% are
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s, 1% of the population adheres to the Slavic native faith (Rodnovery), 1% are
Old Believers Old Believers or Old Ritualists, ''starovery'' or ''staroobryadtsy'' are Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian Orthodox Church as they were before the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow bet ...
. In addition, 20% of the population declared to be "
spiritual but not religious "Spiritual but not religious" (SBNR), also known as "spiritual but not affiliated" (SBNA), is a popular phrase and initialism used to self-identify a life stance of spirituality that does not regard organized religion as the sole or most valuable ...
", 8% is
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, and 9.9% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.


Economy


Industry

The oblast, particularly the areas adjacent to Saint Petersburg, is heavily industrialized. The major enterprises include the oil refinery in Kirishi, the Ford car assembly plant, Hyundai Russia assembly plant and the Rexam PLC Beverage Can Europe and Asia packaging plant in Vsevolozhsk, the paper mill in Syssstroy, and the paper mill and the plant producing oil platforms in Vyborg, and the Tikhvin industrial site in Tikhvin.


Agriculture

The main agricultural specializations of the oblast are cattle breeding with meat and milk production and poultry production. The main agricultural lands are in the east and in the southwest of the oblast.


Transportation

Saint-Petersburg is a major railway hub, and all railways running to it cross also Leningrad Oblast. They connect Saint-Petersburg with Moscow (
Saint Petersburg – Moscow Railway In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
),
Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
via Vyborg, Murmansk via Petrozavodsk, Sortavala via Priozersk, Tallinn via
Kingisepp Kingisepp (russian: Ки́нгисепп or ), formerly Yamburg (), Yam (), and Yama (; Votic language, Votic: Jaama), is an ancient types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Kingiseppsky District of Lening ...
,
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
via
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 ...
, Vitebsk via Dno, and Veliky Novgorod. There is a network of railways at the Karelian Isthmus, in particular, connecting Vyborg and Priozersk, as well as south of Saint-Petersburg. There also railway lines connecting Veymarn with
Slantsy Slantsy (russian: Сланцы) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Slantsy, Leningrad Oblast, a town in Slantsevsky District of Leningrad Oblast; incorporated as Slantsevskoye Settlement Municipal FormationO ...
, Veymarn with Petergof via
Sosnovy Bor Sosnovy Bor (russian: Сосно́вый Бор; lit. ''pine forest (copse)'') is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Amur Oblast As of 2010, one rural locality in Amur Oblast bears this name: * Sosnovy Bor, Amur Oblast, a '' sel ...
,
Mga MGA can refer to: Transport *MGA, IATA code for Augusto C. Sandino International Airport (Managua International Airport) in Managua, Nicaragua *Monongahela Railway, a former coal-hauling short line railroad in the United States *The MG MGA, a pop ...
with Sonkovo via
Kirishi Kirishi (russian: Ки́риши, ) is a town and the administrative center of Kirishsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volkhov River, southeast of St. Petersburg. Population: It was previously ...
, Volkhov with Vologda via Tikhvin and Cherepovets, Volkhov with Chudovo, and Lodeynoye Pole with Sortavala via Olonets. Most of them support intensive passenger and cargo traffic. Paved roads well cover the western and the central parts of Leningrad Oblast. The M10 highway connects Saint Petersburg with Moscow via Veliky Novgorod in the south and with the Finnish border, continuing across the border to Helsinki, in the north. It is split between European routes E18 (Saint Petersburg to Finland) and E105 (Saint Petersburg to Moscow), and much of it within the oblast is built as a dual carriageway. R21 highway (also part of E105) runs from Saint Petersburg to Murmansk via Petrozavodsk, and A180 (part of
E20 E20 or E-20 may refer to: * E20 fuel, a mixture of 20% ethanol and 80% gasoline * European route E20 * Tandberg E20, a videoconferencing system * E20, a postcode district in the E postcode area, announced in March 2011 for use on the site of the 20 ...
) connects Saint Petersburg with Ivangorod and continues across the Estonian border to Tallinn. R23 connects Saint Petersburg with Pskov; it is a part of the E95. A114 runs to Vologda via Cherepovets. A paid motorway between Saint Petersburg and Moscow and the new A121 from Saint-Petersburg to Sortavala, around the Western coast of Ladoga are under construction. Roads are well served by bus traffic. The Luga, the
Svir The Svir (, Veps: , Karelian/Finnish: ) is a river in Podporozhsky, Lodeynopolsky, and Volkhovsky districts in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows westwards from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two largest ...
, the Volkhov, and the Neva are all navigable and heavily user for cargo transport, however, there is no scheduled passenger navigation within the oblast, except for seasonal leisure river cruises from Saint-Petersburg. The Onega Canal, shared with Vologda Oblast, serves as a bypass of Lake Onega from the south. Similarly, the Ladoga Canal bypasses
Lake Ladoga Lake Ladoga (; rus, Ла́дожское о́зеро, r=Ladozhskoye ozero, p=ˈladəʂskəjə ˈozʲɪrə or rus, Ла́дога, r=Ladoga, p=ˈladəɡə, fi, Laatokka arlier in Finnish ''Nevajärvi'' ; vep, Ladog, Ladoganjärv) is a fresh ...
from the east, from the Svir to the Neva. It is a part of the Volga–Baltic Waterway. In contrast, the Tikhvinskaya water system, connecting the
Syas The Syas () is a river in Lyubytinsky District of Novgorod Oblast and Tikhvinsky and Volkhovsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The Syas flows from the Valdai Hills north into Lake Ladoga. The town of Syasstroy is located at its mouth. It ...
and the Mologa, which provided access from the Ladoga to the river basin of the Volga, is disused. The trans-border Saimaa Canal connects Lake Saimaa in Finland with the Gulf of Finland, has special status, and is occasionally used for passenger navigation. Ust-Luga, Vyborg, Vysotsk, and
Primorsk Primorsk may refer to: * Dənizkənarı, Azerbaijan, formerly called Primorsk * Primorsk, Leningrad Oblast, a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, formerly Koivisto or Björkö * Primorsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Kaliningrad Ob ...
are the major sea terminals on the Gulf of Finland. There is a number of airfields in Leningrad oblast that are now used only by the general aviation. Scheduled and international flights are available exclusively from
Pulkovo airport Pulkovo ( rus, links=no, Пулково, p=ˈpulkəvə) is an international airport serving St. Petersburg, Russia. It consists of one terminal which is located south of the city centre. The airport serves as a airline hub, hub for Rossiya Ai ...
in Saint-Petersburg.


Energy

The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant is located in the city of
Sosnovy Bor Sosnovy Bor (russian: Сосно́вый Бор; lit. ''pine forest (copse)'') is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Amur Oblast As of 2010, one rural locality in Amur Oblast bears this name: * Sosnovy Bor, Amur Oblast, a '' sel ...
. There are four major hydroelectric plants in the oblast. The Volkhov Hydroelectric Station, on the Volkhov River, was constructed in 1921 and became the first major hydropower station in the Soviet Union. The others are the Upper Svir Hydroelectric Station and the Lower Svir Hydroelectric Station, both on the Svir River, and the Narva Hydroelectric Station on the Narva River.


Science and technology

There are many science and high-tech institutions around Saint Petersburg, some of which are located in the oblast. For example, Gatchina is the site of the and Sosnovy Bor hosts the Research Institute of Optical and Electronic Devices.


Culture and recreation


Architecture

Since prehistory, the Volkhov and the Neva Rivers were constituents of major trade routes, and archaeological sites dot their banks. Staraya Ladoga has many pre-1700 sites, including two of about a couple of dozens standing pre-Mongol churches in Russia. Both of them were built in the 1160s. The Oreshek Fortress in Shlisselburg and the Koporye Fortress, both built in the 14th century, and the Ivangorod Fortress, originally built in 1492, are excellent examples of Russian fortification art. Podporozhsky District contains the best samples of wooden ecclesiastical architecture in Leningrad Oblast, some of which are collectively referred to as ''Podporozhye Ring'': The Resurrection Church in the settlement of Vazhiny, the Saint Nicholas Church in the village of Soginitsy, the Sts Peter and Paul Chapel in the village of
Zaozerye Zaozerye (russian: Заозерье) is the name of several types of inhabited localities in Russia, rural localities in Russia. Arkhangelsk Oblast As of 2010, ten rural localities in Arkhangelsk Oblast bear this name: *Zaozerye, Khavrogorsky Sels ...
, and the Saint Athanasy chapel in the village of Posad. The two other notable wooden churches are located in the villages of
Gimreka Gimreka (russian: Ги́мрека) is a settlement in Podporozhsky District, Leningrad Oblast in Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the large ...
and Shcheleyki close to the Onega Lakeshore. The center of Vyborg preserves many examples of medieval Swedish architecture, unique for Russia. After Saint Petersburg was founded in 1703, many estates and residences were founded around the city. Some of them still stand and are listed as World Heritage sites, aggregated into the site of Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments. includes, among others, estates in Gostilitsy, Ropsha, and
Taytsy Taytsy (russian: Та́йцы) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Gatchinsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located north of the town of Gatchina. Population: Taitsy is home to the Demidov Estate, a World Heritage Site. ...
. Localities in the Karelian Isthmus preserve some fine inter-war Finnish architecture. The best-known example is the Viipuri Municipal Library by Alvar Aalto.


Twin regions

* Aarhus Municipality,
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...
* South Chungcheong Province,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
* Kyoto Prefecture,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the no ...
*
Lombardy (man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
*
Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province, in southwestern Poland, is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divided. The voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Wrocław, Legnica, Wałbrz ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
*
Nordland Nordland (; smj, Nordlánnda, sma, Nordlaante, sme, Nordlánda, en, Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, the least populous of all 11 counties, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, N ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
(from 1987)


References


Notes


Sources

* * *


Further reading


Nature

*Айрапетьянц А.Э., Стрелков П.П., Фокин И.М. ''Звери''. рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1987. *Балашова Н.Б., Никитина В.Н. ''Водоросли'' рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1989. *''Биоразнообразие Ленинградской области (Водоросли. Грибы. Лишайники. Мохообразные. Беспозвоночные животные. Рыбы и рыбообразные)'' / Под. ред. Н.Б.Балашовой, А.А.Заварзина. - (Труды Санкт-Петербургского общества естествоиспытателей. Серия 6. Том 2.). – Saint-Petersburg: Изд-во СПб. университета, 1999. *Бобров Р.В. ''Леса Ленинградской области''. Leningrad Лениздат, 1979. *Бродский А.К., Львовский А.Л. ''Пауки, насекомые'' рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1990. *''Иллюстрированный определитель растений Ленинградской области'' / Под ред. А. Л. Буданцева, Г. П. Яковлева. Moscow: КМК, 2006. *Кириллова М.А., Распопов И.М. ''Озера Ленинградской области''. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1971. *''Красная Книга природы Ленинградской области. Том 1. Особо охраняемые природные территории''. Отв. ред. Г.А. Носков, М. С. Боч ed Data Book of Nature of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 1. Protected Areas Saint-Petersburg: Акционер и К, 1998. *''Красная Книга природы Ленинградской области. Том 2. Растения и грибы''. Отв. ред. Г.А. Носков ed Data Book of Nature of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 2. Plants and Fungi Saint-Petersburg: Мир и Семья, 2000. *''Красная Книга природы Ленинградской области. Том 3. Животные''. Отв. ред. Г.А. Носков ed Data Book of Nature of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 3. Animals Saint-Petersburg: Мир и Семья, 2002. *''Леса Ленинградской области: современное состояние и пути их возможного развития''. Saint-Petersburg, 1998. *Мальчевский А. С., Пукинский Ю. Б. ''Птицы Ленинградской области и сопредельных территорий. История, биология, охрана''. Т.1-2. Leningrad: Изд-во ЛГУ, 1983. *Наумов Н.А. ''Флора грибов Ленинградской области. Том 1. Архимицеты и фикомицеты'' he Fungus Flora of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 1. Archimycetes, Phycomycetes Moscow—Leningrad: Изд-во АН СССР, 1954. *Наумов Н.А. ''Флора грибов Ленинградской области. Том 2'' he Fungus Flora of the Leningrad Region. Vol. 2 Moscow—Leningrad: Наука, 1964. *Неелов, А.В. ''Рыбы'' рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1987. *Покровская Г.В., Бычкова А.Т. ''Климат Ленинграда и его окрестностей''. Leningrad: Гидрометеоиздат, 1967. *''Природа Ленинградской области и ее охрана'' / Ред. Т.И. Миронова, Э.И. Слепян. - Leningrad: Лениздат, 1983. *Пукинский Ю. Б. ''Птицы'' рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1988. *Свидерская М.Д., Храбрый В.М. ''Сохраним для потомков: Особо охраняемые природные территории Ленинградской области''. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1985. *Старобогатов Я.И. ''Раки, моллюски'' рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1988. *Филимонов Р.В., Удалов С.Г. ''Жуки-усачи Ленинградской области. Атлас-определитель''. onghorn Beetles of the St. Petersburg Region: An Identification Atlas Saint-Petersburg: Петроглиф, 2001. *''Флора Ленинградской области'' / Под ред. Б. К. Шишкина. Вып. 1–4. Leningrad: Изд. ЛГУ, 1955–1965. *Хазанович К. К.
Геологические памятники Ленинградской области
'. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1982. *Черепанова Н.П., Пшедецкая Л.И. ''Грибы''. рирода Ленинградской области Leningrad: Лениздат, 1990.


History

*Лапшин В. А. ''Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 1: Западные районы''. Leningrad, 1990. *Лапшин В. А. ''Археологическая карта Ленинградской области. Часть 2: Восточные и северные районы''. Saint-Petersburg: Изд. СПбГУ, 1995. *Лебедев Г. С. ''Археологические памятники Ленинградской области''. Leningrad: Лениздат, 1977.


External links


Official website of Leningrad Oblast

Official website of Leningrad Oblast

Detailed and historical maps
{{Use mdy dates, date=October 2014 Ingria States and territories established in 1927 1927 establishments in the Soviet Union Fennoscandia