Bridge over the Sukhona River at Sokol, June 2008

Sokol (russian: Со́кол) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in the center of

Vologda Oblast Vologda Oblast ( rus, Вологодская область, p=vəlɐˈɡotskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Vologodskaya oblast, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is Vologda. The Oblast has a population of 1,202,444 ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, located on both banks of the

Sukhona River The Sukhona (russian: Су́хона) is a river in the European part of Russia, a tributary of the Northern Dvina. The course of the Sukhona lies in Ust-Kubinsky, Sokolsky, Mezhdurechensky, Totemsky, Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky, and Velikoustyu ...

. Population: ; 36,000 (1970).

History

The village of Sokolovo () existed on this location since at least 1615. Since 1796, the village was part of

Kadnikovsky Uyezd Kadnikovsky Uyezd () was one of the subdivisions of the Vologda Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the southwestern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Kadnikov. In terms of present-day administrative borders, ...

Vologda Governorate Vologda Governorate (russian: link=no, Вологодская губерния, ''Vologodskaya guberniya'', ''Government of Vologda'') was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, which existed fr ...

. In 1897, a paper mill was built near the village and Sokolovo became the primary place of residence of the employees of the mill. In November 1923, the Vologda Executive Committee decreed to create Sverdlovsko-Sukhonsky District with the administrative center in the settlement of Sokol; however, the decision was not approved by the central authorities, and the district was never created. On July 15, 1929, the uyezds were abolished, the governorates merged into

Northern Krai Northern Krai (russian: Северный край, ''Severny Krai'') was a ''krai'' (a first-level administrative and municipal unit) of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1929 to 1936. Its seat was in the city of Arkhangelsk. ...

, and Sverdlovsky District with the administrative center in the work settlement of Sokol was established among others. It became a part of

Vologda Okrug Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. Population: The city serves as a major transport hub of ...

of Northern Krai. In 1932, Sokol was granted town status, and the district was renamed Sokolsky.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Sokol serves as 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 A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...

Sokolsky District Sokolsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia: *Sokolsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, an administrative district of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast *Sokolsky District, Vologda Oblast, an administrative and ...

, even though it is not a part of it.Resolution #178 As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the town of oblast significance of Sokol (one of the four in the oblast)—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the

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 ...

.Law #371-OZ As a municipal division, the town of oblast significance of Sokol is incorporated within Sokolsky Municipal District as Sokol Urban Settlement.Law #1121-OZ

Economy

Industry

The town is home to two large paper mills (''Sukhonsky Tsellyulozno-Bumazhny Kombinat'' and ''Sokolsky Tsellyulozno-Bumazhny Kombinat'').

Transportation

Sukhona railway station on the railway connecting

Vologda Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda (river), Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. ...

and

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ; rus, Арха́нгельск, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk), also known in English as Archangel and Archangelsk, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies o ...

is located in Sokol. One of the principal highways in Russia, M8, which connects

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 ...

and

, crosses Sokolsky District passing Sokol. Other roads connect Sokol with

Kharovsk Kharovsk (russian: Ха́ровск) is a town and the administrative center of Kharovsky District in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Kubena River, north of Vologda, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: ...

and

Ustye Ustye (russian: У́стье) may refer to several places in Russia: Arkhangelsk Oblast * Ustye, Arkhangelsk Oblast, a village in Ryabovsky Selsoviet of Lensky District Chuvash Republic * Ustye, Chuvash Republic, a ''selo'' in Pitishevskoye Rural ...

. There are also local roads, with the bus traffic originating from Sokol. Sukhona is navigable in Sokol; however, there is no passenger navigation.

Culture and recreation

Sokol hosts the Sokol District Museum, one of the two museums in Sokolsky District.

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Sokol is twinned with: *

Tutayev Tutayev (russian: Тута́ев) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia. Population: It has previously been called Romanov-Borisoglebsk, and before that it was two towns separated by the Volga River: Romanov and Borisoglebsk. History Befor ...

, Russia *

Valkeakoski Valkeakoski (; lit. "white rapids") is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located south of Tampere, north of Hämeenlinna and north of Helsinki in the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of wh ...

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 B ...

References

Notes

Sources

* * * {{Authority control Cities and towns in Vologda Oblast Kadnikovsky Uyezd