Demidov (russian: Деми́дов) is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares ...
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
Demidovsky District in
Smolensk Oblast
Smolensk Oblast (russian: Смоле́нская о́бласть, ''Smolenskaya oblast''; informal name — ''Smolenschina'' (russian: Смоле́нщина)) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative centre is the city ...
,
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
Kasplya River
The Kasplya (Belarusian and russian: Каспля) is a river in Smolensky, Demidovsky, and Rudnyansky Districts of Smolensk Oblast of Russia and in Vitebsk Region of Belarus, and a major left tributary of the Daugava. Its length is , the first ...
at its
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ( main stem); ...
with the
Gobza River. Population: It was previously known as ''Porechye'' (until 1918).
History
The area was settled in the prehistory, and, as the Western Dvina always has been an important waterway, there are multiple archaeological sites in the district. The fortress of Porechye () is first mentioned in 1499, and since 1514 it belonged to the
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lat ...
, at the border with the
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 ...
. In 1580, after the
Livonian War
The Livonian War (1558–1583) was the Russian invasion of Old Livonia, and the prolonged series of military conflicts that followed, in which Tsar Ivan the Terrible of Russia (Muscovy) unsuccessfully fought for control of the region (pre ...
, the area was transferred to
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 ...
, where it was included into
Vitebsk Voivodeship
Vitebsk Voivodeship ( be, Віцебскае ваяводзтва, pl, Województwo witebskie, la, Palatinatus Vitebsciensis) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (from 1569 Polish–Lithu ...
. In 1667, according to the
Truce of Andrusovo
The Truce of Andrusovo ( pl, Rozejm w Andruszowie, russian: Андрусовское перемирие, ''Andrusovskoye Pieriemiriye'', also sometimes known as Treaty of Andrusovo) established a thirteen-and-a-half year truce, signed in 1667 be ...
, it was transferred back to Russia. Subsequently Porechye developed as an important trading post since it was located at the intersection of roads connecting Saint Petersburg with Kiev and Moscow with Riga.
The Kasplya was navigable until mid-19th century, and Porechye sent ships to Riga. Later, it lost its trade important, since the Kasplya became more shallow, and the railway between Moscow and Riga went via
Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki ( rus, Вели́кие Лу́ки, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪjə ˈlukʲɪ; lit. ''great meanders''. Г. П. Смолицкая. "Топонимический словарь Центральной России". "Армада-П ...
, far from Porechye.

In the course of the
administrative reform carried out in 1708 by
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 ...
, the area was included into
Smolensk Governorate
Smolensk Governorate (russian: Смоленская губерния, Smolenskaja gubernija), or the Government of Smolensk, was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and the Russian SFSR. It ex ...
and remained there until 1929, with the exception of the brief periods between 1713 and 1726, when it belonged to
Riga Governorate
Riga Governorate or the Province of Riga (russian: Рижская губерния) was the administrative region of the Russian Empire in modern southern Estonia and northern Latvia from 1713 to 1783. The Province of Riga was formed to replace th ...
, and between 1775 and 1796, when Smolensk Governorate was transformed into
Smolensk Viceroyalty
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 old ...
. In 1776, Porechye was granted a town status, and
Porechsky Uyezd with the center in Porechye was established. On 19 November 1918, Porechye was renamed Demidov, to commemorate the
bolshevik
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
Yakov Demidov, who was the chairman of the Uyezd Communist Party Committee and was killed during the
Russian Civil War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Russian Civil War
, partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I
, image =
, caption = Clockwise from top left:
{{flatlist,
*Soldiers ...
.
Porechsky Uyezd was renamed Demidovsky Uyezd.
In 1927, Demidovsky Uyezd was abolished.
On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Demidovsky District with the administrative center in Demidov was established. The district belonged to
Smolensk Okrug
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 c ...
of
Western Oblast
Western Oblast (russian: Западная область, ''Zapadnaya oblast'') was an ''oblast'' (a first-level administrative and municipal unit) of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1929 to 1937. Its seat was in the city ...
. On August 1, 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast.
On 27 September 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between
Oryol
Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fe ...
and Smolensk Oblasts. Demidovsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast. Between 1941 and September 1943, during WWII, the district was occupied by German troops.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the
framework of administrative divisions, Demidov 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, L ...
of
Demidovsky District.
[Resolution #261] As an administrative division, it is, together with four
rural localities
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are des ...
, incorporated within Demidovsky District as Demidovskoye
Urban Settlement
An Urban settlement is a concentrated settlement that is part of an urban area. It is an area with high density of human-created structures.
*Municipal urban settlement, a type of subdivision such as Cape town in Western Cape
*Urban settlement, a ...
.
As a
municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban settlement status and is a part of Demidovsky Municipal District.
[Law #131-z]
Economy
Industry
In Demidov, there are enterprises of timber and construction industries.
Transportation
Paved roads connect Demidov with
Smolensk
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 ...
, with
Nevel via
Velizh
Velizh (russian: Ве́лиж) is a town and the administrative center of Velizhsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Western Dvina, from Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population:
History
In t ...
, and with
Rudnya. There are also local roads with bus traffic originating from Demidov.
The closest railway station is in Rudnya, on the railway connecting Smolensk with Vitebsk.
Culture and recreation
A couple of dozens of 18-19th century buildings survived; they are designated cultural monuments. One of them is the Dormition Church, built between 1852 and 1861. Several monuments to soldiers and civilians killed during the Russian Civil war and during WWII has been also designated historic monuments.
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
External links
*
Official website of DemidovDemidov Business Directory
*Mojgorod.ru
Entry on Demidov
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Smolensk Oblast
Porechsky Uyezd