Kholm () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and the

administrative center An administrative centre 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 the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

of Kholmsky District in

Novgorod Oblast Novgorod Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, including Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa, are located in the oblast. The historic m ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, located at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of the Lovat and Kunya Rivers, north of

Toropets Toropets () is a town and the administrative center of Toropetsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomennoye. Population: History In 1074, when the town was first mentioned in chronicles, Torop ...

, southwest of

Staraya Russa Staraya Russa (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist, Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased over ...

, and south of

Veliky Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the ...

, the administrative center of the

oblast An oblast ( or ) is a type of administrative division in Bulgaria and several post-Soviet states, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Historically, it was used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The term ''oblast'' is often translated i ...

. Population:

History

The Lovat River was a part of the

trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a medieval trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Eastern Roman Empire. The route allowed merchants along its length to establish a direct prosperous trade with the Empire ...

, one of the oldest trading routes passing through Rus'. The settlement was first mentioned in 1144 as Kholmsky pogost (). During the Middle Ages, the town, then a seat of the Princes of Kholm, withstood innumerable sieges by Lithuanians, Poles, and Swedes. In 1777, it was elevated in status to that of an uyezd town of Pskov Viceroyalty and given its present name. In 1796, it was transferred to

Pskov Governorate Pskov Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR, which existed in 1772–1777 and 1796–1927. Its seat was located in Opochka b ...

. In August 1927, the uyezds were abolished and, effective October 1, 1927, Kholmsky District was established, with the

in Kholm.Snytko et al., p. 85 Pskov Governorate was abolished as well and the district became a part of

Velikiye Luki Okrug Veliky, or similar, may refer to: * Veliky (rural locality) (''Velikaya'', ''Velikoye''), name of several rural localities in Russia * Veliky (surname) * Velikaya, a river in Pskov Oblast, Russia * Velikaya (Chukotka), a river in Chukotka, Russia * ...

Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast (, ; ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). The oblast has an area of and a population of 2,000,997 (2021 Russian census, 2021 Census); up from 1,716,868 recorded in the 2010 Russian census ...

. On June 3, 1929,

was transferred to Western Oblast.Snytko et al., p. 87 On July 23, 1930 the okrugs were abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 29, 1935, the district became a part of the newly established Kalinin Oblast. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, it was occupied by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

from August 3, 1941 to February 21, 1944, when it was liberated. It was the scene of the Kholm Pocket from January 21 to May 5, 1942. The town was completely ruined and even now its current population is only a third of the pre-war one. On July 5, 1944, the district was included in newly established Novgorod Oblast, but already on August 22, 1944 it was transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast.Snytko et al., p. 93 On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished and Kholmsky District was transferred to

Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Pskov. As of the Russian Census ...

.Snytko et al., p. 240 On July 29, 1958, it was transferred to Novgorod Oblast and remained there ever since.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kholm serves as the

of Kholmsky District.Law #559-OZ As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Kholmsky District as the

town of district significance Town of district significance is an administrative division of a district in a federal subject of Russia. It is equal in status to a selsoviet or an urban-type settlement of district significance, but is organized around a town (as opposed to a ...

of Kholm.Resolution #121 As a municipal division, the town of district significance of Kholm is incorporated within Kholmsky Municipal District as Kholmskoye Urban Settlement.Law #353-OZ

Economy

Industry

The economy of Kholm and its district is based on timber industry.

Transportation

Kholm is connected by roads to

, to Bezhanitsy, to Demyansk via Maryovo, and to

. The Lovat and the Kunya Rivers are not navigable in Kholm.

Culture and recreation

Kholm contains eight monuments classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. Seven of them are graves of and monuments to soldiers fallen in

, while the eighth one is an archaeological site. In the dense woods and impracticable swamps to the west of Kholm lies the deserted Rdeysky Monastery. Kholm hosts the Kholmsky District Museum which was opened in 1983.

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * *

External links

Official website of Kholm

Kholm Business Directory
{{Use mdy dates, date=September 2011 Cities and towns in Novgorod Oblast Kholmsky Uyezd (Pskov Governorate)