Tikhvin (russian: Ти́хвин;
Veps:
Tihvin) 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 ...
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, Lu ...
of
Tikhvinsky District
Tikhvinsky District (russian: Ти́хвинский райо́н) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #52-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the oblast and b ...
in
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, although it was not until 194 ...
,
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-eig ...
, located on both banks of the
Tikhvinka River in the east of the oblast, east of
St. Petersburg. Tikhvin is also an industrial and cultural center of the district, as well as its transportation hub. Population:
It was previously known as ''Predtechensky pogost'',
''Tikhvinsky posad''.
Etymology
Per to one version (
Max Vasmer
Max Julius Friedrich Vasmer (; russian: Максимилиан Романович Фа́смер, translit=Maksimilian Romanovič Fásmer; 28 February 1886 – 30 November 1962) was a Russo-German linguist. He studied problems of etymology in I ...
was a supporter of it) the name of the town originates from
Old East Slavic ''тихъ'' (russian: тихий), which means «quiet».
[Фасмер М. Этимологический словарь русского языка. vol. IV. p. 63.] Per another version, from Finnish ''tihkua'' — «trickle out».
[Поспелов Е. М. Географические названия мира: Топонимический словарь: Ок. 5000 единиц. Moscow, 1998]
History
It was first mentioned in 1383 as Predtechensky pogost (), when a chronicle reported that a wooden Church of the Dormition was built here.
Later, in 1495–1496, Y. K. Saburov, a clerk in the Novgorod
Cadastre, mentioned the "...Tikhvin parish and in it, a wooden church..."
Its location at the intersection of trade routes which connected the
Volga River
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchme ...
with
Lake Ladoga and the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...
ensured its rapid development. At the beginning of the 16th century, it was already a widely known commerce and trade center. In 1507–1515, funded by prince
Vasily III of Moscow, on the spot of the burned wooden church, Dmitry Syrkov of
Novgorod constructed the monumental stone Cathedral of Dormition, which stands to this day.
In 1560, by order of
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
Ivan the Terrible, the Monastery of Dormition was built on the left bank of the
Tikhvinka River. Management of the construction project was entrusted to Fyodor Syrkov, the son of Dmitry Syrkov. Special importance was placed on the haste of its construction; therefore, the Tsar permitted the use of peasants from twenty rural divisions to assist in building it.
In the spring and summer of 1560, the large Monastery of Dormition and the smaller Vvedensky convent were simultaneously built, as well as two trade and industrial settlements with various buildings for residential, economic, and religious purposes. The monastery was initially surrounded by a stockade of sharpened poles. Later, in the mid-17th century, it was replaced by two parallel log walls, filled in between with earth and stones. A covered walkway with arrow slits went along the top of walls and above the walls nine powerful towers were raised. Thus, on the spot of an ancient settlement, an important fortified stronghold was created, which would play a large role in the defense of the northwestern borders of Russia.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Russian state underwent a
deep internal crisis. During the Swedish-Polish incursion, the Swedes occupied and devastated the region around Novgorod. In 1613, Tikhvin was captured, ransacked, and burned. Tradespeople, sheltering behind the fortress walls of the monastery, survived a prolonged siege and numerous attacks before routing the Swedish army. The fight ended with the expulsion of the Swedes from the area, marking the beginning of the liberation of the Novgorod region from Swedish and Polish forces.
Tikhvin blossomed economically during the 17th and 18th centuries. The products of Tikhvin's blacksmiths enjoyed special demand and were bought not only in Russian cities but also abroad. Tikhvin became one of the points for foreign trade in Russia and Tikhvin Fair was one of the largest in the country. The bloom in trade and crafts in the 17th century contributed to an increase of the settlement's population, which grew considerably.
Stone buildings were permitted only on the territory of the monastery. In the 16th century, in addition to the cathedral, a stone
refectory
A refectory (also frater, frater house, fratery) is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries. The name derives from the Lat ...
was built, and a church dedicated to the birth of the Mother of God was erected in 1581. In 1600, a five-roofed
belfry was constructed. An especially intense period of stone construction took place in the second half of the 17th century, when all the wooden buildings in the monastery were replaced by ones of stone. As a result of these works, a highly artistic ensemble of historical and architectural monuments was created on the territory of the monastery, which is mostly preserved to this day, although in the 18th and 19th centuries some of the cloister buildings underwent reconstruction which altered their original appearance.
Since their construction in 1560, Tikhvin owed its allegiance to the monastery and convent. In 1723, after a prolonged fight, the inhabitants of Tikhvin were freed from monastery control and obtained their own administration, a magistrate who answered to
Novgorod Province office. The settlement was not totally separated from the monastery until 1764, after an edict concerning the transfer of the monastery's property to the state. In 1773, Tikhvin was granted town status.
Tikhvin has considerable deposits of bauxite, a component involved in the manufacture of aluminum. These reserves were of "decisive significance" to the German war effort in World War II. 12th Panzer Division launched an operation to capture Tikhvin on 19 October 1941. During
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Tikhvin was occupied by Nazi troops from 8 November 1941 to 9 December 1941.
Due to counterattacks on the part of Soviet forces, it had to be abandoned after one month, but many architectural monuments were destroyed during that time. The re-capture of Tikhvin is considered to have been extremely vital in the execution of the
Road of Life
The Road of Life () was the set of ice road transport routes across Lake Ladoga to Leningrad during the Second World War. They were the only Soviet winter surface routes into the city while it was besieged by the German Army Group North under ...
during the
Siege of Leningrad, thanks to its railway. It allowed the Soviets to provide much more foodstuffs in comparison to the makeshift land road previously used.
Climate
Administrative and municipal status
Within the
framework of administrative divisions, Tikhvin 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 is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of
Tikhvinsky District
Tikhvinsky District (russian: Ти́хвинский райо́н) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #52-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the oblast and b ...
.
[Oblast Law #32-oz] As an administrative division, it is, together with nineteen
rural localities, incorporated within Tikhvinsky District as Tikhvinskoye
Settlement Municipal Formation.
As a
municipal division, Tikhvinskoye Settlement Municipal Formation is incorporated within Tikhvinsky Municipal District as Tikhvinskoye Urban Settlement.
[Law #52-oz]
Economy
Industry
In Soviet times, the largest employer in Tikhvin was a heavy machine factory, known as ''Transmash'' up to 2001, where tractors and defense equipment were manufactured. In its heyday, 20,000 people were employed there. The plant was very negatively affected by the
dissolution of the Soviet Union and post-Soviet economic problems. Tractor production ceased in 2003 and by 2005, its workforce was reduced to about a thousand. The plant was acquired in 2001 by the
ICT Group
ICT Group, Inc. was a multinational call center and outsourcing company based in the Philadelphia suburb of Newtown.
During the global financial crisis of 2008–2009
Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to:
Entert ...
and restructured, a ferroalloy plant (acquired by
Mechel
Mechel (russian: ПАО «Мечел») is one of Russia's mining and metals companies, comprising producers of coal, iron ore in concentrate, steel, rolled steel products. Headquartered in Moscow, it sells its products in Russia and overseas, and ...
in 2008), and rail wagon building plant were constructed in the first decade of the 21st century.
Other industrial enterprises in the town include the manufacturing of furniture for
IKEA, a construction company, a wood-chemical plant (producing
rosin
Rosin (), also called colophony or Greek pitch ( la, links=no, pix graeca), is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene comp ...
,
resin
In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on n ...
,
turpentine
Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a spec ...
, and other such wood-based chemicals), a meat-packing plant, a dairy plant, a bread factory, and other light enterprises.
Transportation
A railway connecting
St. Petersburg and
Vologda
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 hu ...
passes Tikhvin. A secondary railway branches out south, connecting Tikhvin with
Budogoshch
Budogoshch (russian: Бу́догощь) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Kirishsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the banks of the Pchyovzha River. Municipally, it serves as the administrative center of Budog ...
.
The
A114 Highway, connecting Vologda with
Cherepovets and St. Petersburg, passes Tikhvin as well. There are also local roads.
The whole course of the
Tikhvinka River is a part of the
Tikhvinskaya water system
The Tihvinskaya water system was one of the waterways connecting the Volga River with the Baltic Sea, and specifically the Mologa River with Syas River. In terms of the current administrative division of Russia, the waterway belongs to Vologda and ...
, one of the waterways constructed in the early 19th century to connect the basins of the
Volga
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchm ...
and the
Neva Rivers. The waterway runs from the
Syas upstream the Tikhvinka.
Lake Yelgino is connected by the
Tikhvin Canal
Tikhvin (russian: Ти́хвин; Veps: ) is a town and the administrative center of Tikhvinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on both banks of the Tikhvinka River in the east of the oblast, east of St. Petersburg. Tikhvin ...
, with the upper course of the
Volchina River. The waterway then follows downstream the
Gorun River
Gorun is a village in Shabla Municipality, Dobrich Province, northeastern Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern ...
, the
Chagodoshcha River
The Chagodoshcha (russian: Чагодоща, also known as Chagoda, russian: Чагода) is a river in Boksitogorsky District of Leningrad Oblast and in Chagodoshchensky, Babayevsky, and Ustyuzhensky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. ...
, and the
Mologa River
The Mologa (russian: Моло́га) is a river in Maksatikhinsky, Bezhetsky, Lesnoy, and Sandovsky Districts of Tver Oblast, Pestovsky District in Novgorod Oblast, and Ustyuzhensky and Cherepovetsky Districts in Vologda Oblast Russia. It is ...
. Currently, it is not used for any commercial navigation. Most of the locks built on the Tikhvinka decayed and are not in use.
Architecture
Today, Tikhvin is divided into two parts: the "old town", which preserves the look of a small provincial town, and the "new town", consisting of apartment blocks built 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
in the typical Soviet style. The majority of the population lives in the "new town". The houses and buildings of the "old town" are mostly wooden; in the center square, which until the 20th century was the commercial heart of the town, stands a restored cathedral, Savior of the Transfiguration, which is the main church in the town. In addition to the cathedral, a number of notable buildings are preserved around the square, including the hotel "St. Petersburg" (now
Sberbank
PJSC Sberbank (russian: Сбербанк, initially a contraction of russian: сберегательный банк, translit=sberegatelnyy bank, lit=savings bank, link=no) is a Russian majority state-owned banking and financial services compa ...
) and the "Guest Court", which was closed for many years after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, but has been completely restored and now functions as a shopping center.
An additional point of interest is the historical part of the town with old wooden buildings and planning characteristic of the 18th century. The ruins of wooden sluices from the 19th century has been preserved as well; these are the remains of the
Tikhvinskaya water system
The Tihvinskaya water system was one of the waterways connecting the Volga River with the Baltic Sea, and specifically the Mologa River with Syas River. In terms of the current administrative division of Russia, the waterway belongs to Vologda and ...
.
Culture
The famous Russian composer,
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, was born in Tikhvin. His house has been converted into a museum.
Festivals
*"Tikhvin Lel": begun in 1991, a yearly children's artistic competition and festival of traditional dance associations. In 2000 more than 80 associations from different cities of Russia and countries of the
CIS
Cis or cis- may refer to:
Places
* Cis, Trentino, in Italy
* In Poland:
** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central
** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north
Math, science and biology
* cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
participated, with more than 1000 participants. There are three categories of competition: classical dance, folk dance, and variety dance. Many associations attend the festival several years in a row. Since 1998, players of folk instruments have been able to take part in the competition as soloists, duets, ensembles and orchestras. In 2000, 76 contestants participated in this portion of the festival.
*"September in Tikhvin": an open festival of wind and jazz music that began in 2000 and is organized in part by the Rimsky-Korsakov School of Arts. The festival's aims are to encourage connections between musicians of different countries, train young people with the best examples of world jazz, and raise the level of musical education in art and music schools. Famous jazz musicians and jazz associations from Russia and abroad have participated in the festival throughout the years; participants from other countries have included those from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain. One of the initiators of the festival was the Tikhvin jazz quartet (created in 1994), which has repeatedly represented Tikhvin in festivals in France, Germany, and Finland.
Religion
![Tikhvinskaya ikona Bozhiey Materi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Tikhvinskaya_ikona_Bozhiey_Materi.jpg)
The main architectural and historical sight of town is the
Monastery of the Dormition, founded in 1560. The monastery is famed for the
Theotokos of Tikhvin
The Theotokos of Tikhvin is one of the most celebrated Orthodox Christian icons. It is said to be one of the icons written by St. Luke the Evangelist. According to tradition, in the 5th century, the icon was transferred from Jerusalem to Constan ...
icon. According to legend, it appeared on the shore of the Tikhvinka River on June 26 (July 9), 1383; later at this place the monastery and town would be built.
Notable people
*
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908), composer
*
Voin Rimsky-Korsakov
Voin Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov ( rus, Воин Андреевич Римский-Корсаков, p=ˈvoɪn ɐnˈdrʲeɪvʲɪtɕ ˈrʲimskʲɪj ˈkorsəkəf, a=Ru-Voin Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov.ogg; 1822–1871) was a Russian navigator, hydrog ...
(1822–1871), his brother, naval figure
Twin towns – sister cities
Tikhvin is
twinned with:
*
Hérouville-Saint-Clair
Hérouville-Saint-Clair () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
It is a suburb of the city of Caen, and lies adjacent to it in a northeasterly direction, along the west side of the Canal de C ...
, France
*
Imatra
Imatra is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. Imatra is dominated by Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River and the border with Russia. On the other side of the border, away from the centre of Imatra, lies the Russian town of Svetogorsk. ...
, Finland
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
External links
Photos of Tikhvin
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Leningrad Oblast
Tikhvinsky Uyezd