Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...

and the

administrative center An administrative center 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 administrative language (such as Belgium, L ...

of Smolensk Oblast,

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 ...

, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of

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 ...

. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. Population: The city has been destroyed several times throughout its long history because it was on the invasion routes of various empires. Smolensk is known for its electronics, textiles, food processing, and diamond faceting industries.

Etymology

The name of the city is derived from the name of the Smolnya River. Smolnya river flows through Karelian and Murmansk areas of north-western Russia. The origin of the river's name is less clear. One possibility is the old Slavic word () for black soil, which might have colored the waters of the Smolnya. An alternative origin could be the Russian word (), which means resin,

tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscosity, viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic matter, organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. ...

, or pitch. Pine trees grow in the area, and the city was once a center of resin processing and trade. The

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...

emperor

Constantine VII Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zo ...

(r. 913–959) recorded its name as ().

Geography

The city is located in European Russia on the banks of the upper Dnieper River, which crosses the city within the Smolensk Upland, which is the western part of the Smolensk–Moscow Upland. The Dnieper River flows through the city from east to west and divides it into two parts: the northern (Zadneprove) and southern (center). Within the city and its surroundings the river takes in several small tributaries. In the valleys are stretched streets, high ridges, hills, and headlands form the mountain. Smolensk is situated on seven hills (mountains). The old part of the city occupies the high, rugged left (south) bank of the Dnieper River. The area features undulating terrain, with a large number of tributaries, creeks and ravines.

History

Medieval origins

Smolensk is among the oldest Russian cities of the known Rus' era. The first recorded mention of the city was 863 AD, two years after the founding of

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...

. According to Russian Primary Chronicle, Smolensk (probably located slightly downstream, at the archaeological site of Gnezdovo) was located on the area settled by the East Slavic Radimichs tribe in 882 when Oleg of Novgorod took it in passing from Novgorod to Kiev. The town was first attested two decades earlier, when the Varangian chieftains Askold and Dir, while on their way to Kiev, decided against challenging Smolensk on account of its large size and population. The first foreign writer to mention the city was the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. In '' De Administrando Imperio'' (c. 950) he described Smolensk as a key station on the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The Rus' people sailed from the Baltic region up the Western Dvina ( Daugava) River as far as they could then they portaged their boats to the upper

Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine ...

. It was in Smolensk that they supposedly mended any leaks and small holes that might have appeared in their boats from being dragged on the ground and they used

to do that, hence the city name. The Principality of Smolensk was founded in 1054. Due to its central position in

, the city developed rapidly. By the end of the 12th century, the princedom was one of the strongest in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, wh ...

, so that Smolensk princes frequently controlled the Kievan throne. Numerous churches were built in the city at that time, including the church of Sts. Peter and Paul (1146, reconstructed to its presumed original appearance after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

) and the church of St.

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

(1180, also partly rebuilt). The most remarkable church in the city is called Svirskaya (1197, still standing); it was admired by contemporaries as the most beautiful structure east of Kiev. Smolensk had its own veche since the very beginning of its history. Its power increased after the disintegration of

, and although it was not as strong as the veche in Novgorod, the princes had to take its opinion into consideration; several times in 12th and 13th centuries there was an open conflict between them.

Between Lithuania and Russia

Although spared by the Mongol armies in 1240, Smolensk paid tribute to the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragment ...

, gradually becoming a pawn in the long struggle between

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...

and the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The last sovereign monarch of Smolensk was Yury of Smolensk; during his reign the city was taken by Vytautas the Great of Lithuania on three occasions: in 1395, 1404, and 1408. After the city's incorporation into the

, some of Smolensk's boyars (e.g., the Sapiehas) moved to

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional u ...

; descendants of the ruling princes (e.g., the

Tatishchev Tatishchev may refer to: * Dmitry Tatishchev * Vasily Tatishchev Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev (russian: Васи́лий Ники́тич Тати́щев) (19 April 1686 – 15 July 1750) was a prominent Russian Imperial statesman, historian, phi ...

s, Kropotkins, Mussorgskys, Vyazemskys) fled to

Three Lithuanian Smolensk regiments took part in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) against the Teutonic Knights. It was a severe blow to Lithuania when the city was taken by Vasily III of Russia in 1514. To commemorate this event, the Tsar founded the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow and dedicated it to the icon of Our Lady of Smolensk. In order to repel future Polish–Lithuanian attacks, Boris Godunov made it his priority to heavily fortify the city. The stone kremlin constructed in 1597–1602 is the largest in Russia. It features thick walls and numerous watchtowers. Heavy fortifications did not prevent the fortress from being taken by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1611 after a long twenty-month siege, during the Time of Troubles and Dimitriads. Weakened Muscovy temporarily ceded Smolensk land to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Truce of Deulino. The city was granted Magdeburg rights in 1611 and was the seat of Smolensk Voivodeship for the next forty-three years. To recapture the city, the Tsardom of Russia launched the so-called " Smolensk War" against the Commonwealth in 1632. After a defeat at the hands of king Wladislaw IV, the city remained in Polish–Lithuanian hands. In 1632, the Uniate bishop Lew Kreuza built his apartments in Smolensk; they were later converted into the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

of Saint Barbara. The hostilities resumed in 1654 when the Commonwealth was being affected by the Khmelnytsky Uprising and the Swedish deluge. After another siege, on September 23, 1654, Smolensk was recaptured by Russia. In the 1667 Truce of Andrusovo, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth renounced its claims to Smolensk.

Modern history

Smolensk has been a special place to Russians for many reasons, not least for the fact that the local

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

housed one of the most venerated Orthodox icons, attributed to St. Luke. Building the new Cathedral of the Assumption was a great project which took more than a century to complete. Despite slowly sinking into an economic backwater, Smolensk was still valued by the Tsars as a key fortress defending the route to

. It was made the seat of Smolensk Governorate in 1708. In August 1812, two of the largest armies ever assembled clashed in Smolensk. During the hard-fought battle, described by Leo Tolstoy in '' War and Peace'' (Book Three Part Two Chapter 4), Napoleon entered the city. Total losses were estimated at 30,000 men. Apart from other military monuments, central Smolensk features the Eagles monument, unveiled in 1912 to mark the centenary of Napoleon's Russian campaign. At 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, ...

, the 56th Smolensk Infantry Division was first assigned to the First Army of the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, Romanization of Russian, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the earl ...

. They fought at the Battle of Tannenberg. It was subsequently transferred to the 10th Army and fought at the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes. In March 1918, the Belarusian People's Republic, proclaimed in

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

under the German occupation, declared Smolensk part of it. In February–December 1918, Smolensk was home to the headquarters of the Western Front, North-West Oblast Bolshevik Committee and Western Oblast Executive Committee. On January 1, 1919, the

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

was proclaimed in Smolensk, but its government moved to Minsk as soon as the German forces had been driven out of the city several days later.

Soviet period

After the revolution, there was debate on whether to include Smolensk in the Byelorussian SSR. In 1920 a provincial census was held, according to which the Russian population prevailed over the Belarusian one, meaning Smolensk had to be transferred to the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

. In 1940, from Smolensk, the Katyn Massacre occurred, in which some 22,000 Polish POWs were murdered 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. ...

. At this time Boris Menshagin was mayor of Smolensk, with his deputy Boris Bazilevsky. Both of them would be key witnesses in the Nuremberg Trials over the massacre. During

, Smolensk once again saw wide-scale fighting during the first Battle of Smolensk when the city was captured by the Germans on July 16, 1941. The first Soviet counteroffensive against the German army was launched in August but failed. However, the limited Soviet victories outside the city halted the German advance for a crucial two months, granting time to Moscow's defenders to prepare in earnest. Over 93% of the city was destroyed during the fighting; the ancient icon of Our Lady of Smolensk was lost. Nevertheless, it escaped total destruction. In late 1943, Hermann Göring had ordered Gotthard Heinrici to destroy Smolensk in accordance with the Nazi "scorched earth" policy. He refused and was punished for it. The city was finally liberated on September 25, 1943, during the second Battle of Smolensk. The rare title of

Hero City Hero City may refer to: * Hero City (Soviet Union), awarded 1965–1985 to cities now in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine * Hero City of Ukraine, awarded 2022 * Hero Cities of Yugoslavia, awarded 1970–1975 * Leningrad Hero City Obelisk, a monument ...

was bestowed on Smolensk after the war. After the Germans captured the city in 1941, they found the intact archives of the Smolensk Oblast Committee of the Communist Party, the so-called

Smolensk Archive The Smolensk Archive is the name given to the archives of Smolensk Oblast Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which were captured intact by the army of Nazi Germany when it conquered the city of Smolensk in 1941. It also included the NKVD and the S ...

. The archive was moved to Germany, and a significant part of it eventually ended up in the United States, providing Western scholars and intelligence specialists with unique information during the Cold War on the local workings of the Soviet government during its first two decades. The archives were returned to Russia by the United States in 2002.

Recent events

On April 10, 2010, a Tu-154 military jet carrying Polish president Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and many notable political and military figures crashed in a wooded area near Smolensk while approaching the local military airport. All ninety-six passengers died immediately on impact. The purpose of the visit was to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre. In June 2013, archaeologists of the

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...

discovered and unearthed ancient temples in Smolensk dated to the middle to second half of the 12th century, built on the left bank of the Dnieper River. At the time the city was the capital of

Smolensk principality The Principality of Smolensk (eventually Grand Principality of Smolensk) was a Kievan Rus' lordship from the 11th to the 16th century. Until 1127, when it passed to Rostislav Mstislavich, the principality was part of the land of Kiev. The princip ...

. In September 2013, Smolensk widely celebrated its 1,150th anniversary with funds spent on different construction and renovation projects in the city. In celebration the Central Bank of Russia issued commemorative coins made of precious metals.

Attractions

Owing to its long and rich history, Smolensk is home to many examples of Russian architecture ranging from the Kievan Rus period to post-WWII

Stalinist style Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory ...

. Although the city was destroyed several times over, many historically and culturally significant buildings remain, including a large number of churches and cathedrals. The most famous of these are the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Immaculate Conception Church, and the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, which is one of the few structures from before the Mongol invasion remaining in Russia. File:Смоленск. Дом Энгельгардта..JPG, House

Engelhardt Engelhardt may refer to: Places *4217 Engelhardt, asteroid, named after geologist Wolf von Engelhardt * Engel'gardt, moon crater, named after astronomer Vasily Engelhardt *Engelhardt Ice Ridge, Antarctic feature, named after geophysicist Hermann En ...

File:Смоленск. Дом Будникова..JPG, House Budnikova File:Смоленск. Сбербанк..JPG, Sberbank Building File:Смоленск. Здание 1930-х годов..JPG, Editorial office of the newspaper Krasnoarmeyskaya Pravda File:Смоленск. Концертный зал филармонии..JPG, Smolensk Philharmonic Concert Hall File:Smolensk train station.jpg,

Smolensk railway station Smolensk railway station is the primary passenger railway station for the city of Smolensk in Russia, and an important stop along the Moscow–Brest Railway. Trains * Moscow — Smolensk * Moscow — Minsk * Moscow — Brest * Moscow � ...

File:Смоленск. Здание универмага..JPG, Department Store building File:Смоленский драматический театр.JPG, The A. Griboedov Smolensk Drama Theater

The Smolensk Kremlin

The Smolensk Kremlin, built at the end of the 16th century during the reign of Tsars Fyodor I Ioannovich and Boris Godunov, under the supervision of the architect Fyodor Kon, is one of the greatest achievement of Russian medieval architecture and military engineering. File:BD090090(2).jpg, The walls of Smolensk File:Федор Конь.jpg, Monument to Fyodor Kon File:Bub.jpg, Bubleika Tower File:Долгочевская башня первая в ансамбле.jpg, Dolgochevskaya Tower File:Башня Орел вечером.jpg, Oryol Tower

Churches and cathedrals

File:Вид вечером.jpg, Cathedral of the Assumption File:Smolensk Catholic Church 2.JPG, Immaculate Conception Church File:Свирская Церковь.jpg, Church of St. Michael the Archangel File:Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on Gorodyanka in Smolensk (2013-11-08) 06.JPG, Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on Gorodyanska File:Церковь Иоанна Богослова.JPG, Temple of St. John the Divine File:Смоленск. Церковь Николая Чудотворца..JPG, Church of St. Nicholas File:Смоленск. Вознесенский собор..JPG, Ascension Cathedral File:Смоленск. Богоявленский собор..JPG, Epiphany Cathedral File:Avraamiev monastery in Smolensk - the view from the tower Zaaltarnoy.JPG, Savior-Transfiguration Avraamiev Monastery File:Smolensk Trinity Monastery Holy Trinity Cathedral IMG 1913 2175.jpg, Holy Trinity Cathedral

Monuments

Being the site of many great battles in Russian history, Smolensk is home to many monuments commemorating its rich military history. File:Opalennyiy tsvetok, Scorched Flower.jpg, The Scorched Flower, a monument to child prisoners of Nazi concentration camps File:Tvardovsky Monument Smolensk.JPG, Monument to Alexander Tvardovsky and

Vasily Turkin Vasili, Vasily, Vasilii or Vasiliy ( Russian: Василий) is a Russian masculine given name of Greek origin and corresponds to '' Basil''. It may refer to: * Vasili I of Moscow Grand Prince from 1389–1425 *Vasili II of Moscow Grand Prince ...

Lopatinsky garden

File:Памятник Софийскому полку в Смоленске.JPG, Monument to the

2nd Sofia Infantry Regiment The 2nd Emperor Alexander III's Sofia Infantry Regiment (russian: 2-й пехотный Софийский Императора Александра III полк) was an infantry regiment of the Russian Imperial Army. By 1914, the 2nd Sofia Infan ...

File:Смоленск. Пушка в Лопатинском саду..JPG, Cannon in Lopatinsky garden File:Смоленск. Лопатинский сад..JPG, Monument to the defenders of Smolensk

Square of Memory of Heroes

File:Smolensk skver pamyati geroyev.jpg, View of the Heroes' Square File:Смоленск. Памятник Благодарная Россия..JPG, The "Grateful Russia" Monument, commemorating the centenary of the Russian victory over Napoleon File:Смоленск. Бюст Кутузова в Сквере Памяти Героев.JPG, The bust of Mikhail Kutuzov

Education buildings

File:Смоленск. Университет..JPG,

Smolensk State University Smolensk State University (russian: Смоленский государственный университет (СмолГУ)) is a university in Smolensk, Smolensk Oblast, Russia. History It was formed on November 7, 1918 by a decree of the Coun ...

building File:Russia sgtep april2007.jpg, Smolensk Polytechnic College building File:Смоленск. Академия физической культуры..JPG, Smolensk Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism building File:Смоленск. Колледж телекоммуникаций..JPG, Smolensk College of Telecommunications building

Post-war Stalinist buildings

File:Смоленск. Здание советского периода..JPG File:Смоленск. Жилой дом..JPG File:Смоленск. Сталинка..JPG

Administrative and municipal status

Smolensk serves as the administrative center of the '' oblast'' and, within the framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of Smolensky District, even though it is not a part of it.Resolution #261 As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as Smolensk Urban Okrug—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status.Decision #164

Climate

Smolensk has a warm-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Dfb''). By European standards, the climate is quite cold for its latitude on 54°N. The far inland position warms springs up relatively quickly, with May being quite a bit milder than September.

Economy

Smolensk has several factories including the Smolensk Aviation Plant and several electronics and agricultural machinery factories.

Transportation

Smolensk is located on the M1 main highway and

Moscow–Brest Railway The Moscow–Brest Railway (russian: Московско-Брестская железная дорога) is about 1,100 km of Moscow Railway within Russian Railways and Belarusian Railway, that connects between Moscow in Russia and Brest near a ...

. Since 1870, there is a railway connection between Smolensk and Moscow. Local public transport includes buses and trolleybuses. Public transportation network includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, and '' marshrutkas''. There are two airports located in the outskirts of the city; Smolensk South (civilian) and

Smolensk North Smolensk North Airport (russian: военный аэродром "Смоленск-Северный", "Smolensk North Military Aerodrome") is a decommissioned military airbase in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located 4 km north of the city of ...

(military); however, there are no regular flights scheduled to Smolensk South Airport.

Education

Smolensk is home to the

(SMOLGU) and the

Smolensk State Medical University (affiliated as university in 2015) Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

(SSMU); together with colleges of further education and other educational institutes.

Twin towns – sister cities

Smolensk is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * Colorado Springs, United States (1993- suspended 2022) *

Hagen Hagen () is the 41st-largest city in Germany. The municipality is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme (met by t ...

, Germany (1985) * Kerch, Ukraine (2000) * Kragujevac, Serbia (2009) * Targovishte, Bulgaria (2002) * Tulle, France (1981) * Vitebsk, Belarus

Notable people

*Ivan Ivanovich Baryatinsky (1772-1825), Russian Rurikid Prince; father of Prince

Aleksandr Baryatinsky Prince Aleksandr Ivanovich Baryatinsky (russian: Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Баря́тинский, tr. ; – 9 March 1879) was a Russian General and Field Marshal (from 1859), Prince, governor of the Caucasus. Early life a ...

. * Sergey Belavenets (1910–1942), chess master, theoretician, and chess journalist *

Alexander Belyayev Alexander Romanovich Belyaev (russian: Алекса́ндр Рома́нович Беля́ев, ; – 6 January 1942) was a Soviet Russian writer of science fiction. His works from the 1920s and 1930s made him a highly regarded figure in Russia ...

(1884–1942), science fiction writer * Lydia Durnovo (1885–1963), art restorer and historian * Dzham (born 1986), hip hop musician * Peter Fishman (born 1955), sculptor * Yuri Gagarin (1934–1968), cosmonaut * Fyodor Glinka (1786–1880) a Russian poet and author. * Mikhail Glinka (1804 in Novospasskoye – 1857), composer. * Sergey Glinka (1774–1847) a minor Russian author of the Romantic period. * Elizaveta Golovanova (born 1993), Miss Russia 2012 *

Natalia Ishchenko Natalia Sergeyevna Ishchenko (russian: Наталья Серге́евна Ищенко; born 8 April 1986) is a retired Russian competitor in synchronized swimming, five-times Olympic champion and nineteen-times world champion. Ishchenko annou ...

(born 1986), swimmer * Anatoly Kharlampiyev (1906–1979), founder of Sambo * Eduard Khil (1934–2012), singer * Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (born 1946), religious leader *

Ivan Kirpa Ivan Kirpa (born March 6, 1978 in Roslavl, Russia) is a Russian welterweight boxer from Saint Petersburg, Russia. He won his first 19 fights, before losing to Bradley Pryce Bradley Pryce (born 15 March 1981) is a Welsh former professional bo ...

(born 1978), boxer * Vladimir Kirpichnikov (1903–1950), general * Sergey Konenkov (1874–1971), sculptor * Dina Korzun (born 1971), theater and film actress * Pavel Kucherov, (born 1964), football player and coach * Olga Kuzenkova, (born 1970), athlete * Semyon Lavochkin (1900–1960), aircraft designer * Maria Itkina (1932–2020), runner *

Natalia Levchenkova Natalia Levchenkova (born in Smolensk on ) is a Russian-born Moldovan biathlete. Levchenkova competed in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics for Moldova. Her best performance was 8th in the 2006 individual. In 2006, she also finished 21st in t ...

(born 1977), biathlete * Anatoly Lukyanov (1930–2019), politician *

Grigorii Maksimov Grigorii Petrovich Maksimov (russian: Григо́рий Петро́вич Макси́мов; 1893–1950) was a Russian anarcho-syndicalist. From the first days of the Russian Revolution, he played a leading role in the country's syndicalist ...

(1893–1950), politician * Morris Markin (1893–1970), businessman and founder of Checker Motors Corporation * Timofey Mikhaylov (1859–1881), revolutionary, one of the assassins of Tsar Alexander II *

Uladzimir Navumau Uladzimir Navumau ( be, Уладзімір Навумаў, russian: Владимир Наумов, Vladimir Naumov, also ''Uladzimir Naumau''; born 7 February 1956 in Smolensk, Russia) is a Belarusian politician accused of human rights violat ...

(born 1956), Belarusian politician and general * Viktor Nemytskii (1900–1967), mathematician *

Anatoly Onishchuk Anatoly Onishchuk (russian: Анатолий Онищук; born 29 August 1946) is a Soviet former sports shooter. He competed in the 25 metre pistol event at the 1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Vera ...

(born 1946), sport shooter *

Taisiya Osipova Taisiya Vital'evna Osipova (Russian: Таисия Витальевна Осипова, born 26 August 1984 in Smolensk) is a Russian opposition activist from the unregistered National Bolshevik Party and " The Other Russia" party. She is the wife o ...

(born 1984), political activist * Yevgeny Polivanov (1891–1938), linguist, orientalist * Grigory Potyomkin (1739 at Chizheva – 1791), statesman. * Andrey Starovoytov, (1915–1997), IIHF Hall of Fame inductee * Aleksandr Tvardovsky (1910–1971), writer * Olga Voronets (1926–2014), mezzo-soprano folk singer

Honors

Smolensk Strait between Livingston Island and Deception Island in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...

is named after the city.Ivanov, L
General Geography and History of Livingston Island.
In: ''Bulgarian Antarctic Research: A Synthesis''. Eds. C. Pimpirev and N. Chipev. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2015. pp. 17–28. A Soviet post

project planned the creation of a light cruiser vessel named Smolensk. It was never constructed.

References

Notes

Sources

* * * "Była notatka o opcjach prawnych śledztwa". Były dyplomata o katastrofie smoleńskiej - Polsat News, polsatnews.pl ostęp 2020-03-18(pol.)https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2016-10-24/byla-notatka-o-opcjach-prawnych-sledztwa-byly-dyplomata-o-katastrofie-smolenskiej/.

Bibliography

External links

*
Official website of Smolensk

Travel in Smolensk

Smolensk news

Smolensk Wiki

Homepage of the Smolensk fortressSome photos of the Smolensk fortressMore photos of Smolensk
*(in English
Smolensk photos in Soviet times, 1983 in color

Basketball in Smolensk

News of Smolensk sport

News of Smolensk medicineThe murder of the Jews of Smolensk
during

, at Yad Vashem website. *
Smolensk State Medical University
* {{Use mdy dates, date=December 2012 Forts in Russia Portages Smolensk Voivodeship Smolensky Uyezd Populated places on the Dnieper in Russia