Ostrov (, lit. ''island'') 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 Ostrovsky District in Pskov Oblast,

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 on the Velikaya River, south of

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

, 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: 27,000 (1974).

Etymology

The name of the town, which means "island" in Russian, originates from the island on the Velikaya, on which the Ostrov fortress was originally built.

History

It was founded as a fortress in the end of the 13th century and first mentioned in 1342. It had been an important military outpost throughout the 15th-16th centuries. In 1501 it was conquered by the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...

after the Battle of the Siritsa River. In 1582 it was captured by Polish forces of Jan Zamoyski. In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

, it was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as

Saint Petersburg Governorate Saint Petersburg Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Saint Petersburg. The governorate was composed of of area and 2,112,033 inhabitants. It was bordered by Governorate of Estonia, Estonian and G ...

). Ostrov is specifically mentioned as one of the towns making the governorate.Указ об учреждении губерний и о росписании к ним городов
In 1727, separate Novgorod Governorate was split off and in 1772,

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 ...

(which between 1777 and 1796 existed as Pskov Viceroyalty) was established.

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

incorporated it as a town in 1777. In 1897, the ethnic make-up, by mother tongue, was 80.1% Russian, 11.8% Jewish, 2.5% German, 2.0% Polish, 1.7% Latvian. Ostrov town in Russia pre 1917

On August 1, 1927, the uyezds and governorates were abolished and Ostrovsky District, with the

in Ostrov, was established as a part of Pskov Okrug of

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 ...

.''Administrative-Territorial Structure of Pskov Oblast'', pp. 11–14 It included parts of former Ostrovsky, Opochetsky, and Pskovsky Uyezds. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were also abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. Between March 22, 1935 and September 19, 1940, Ostrovsky District was a part of the restored Pskov Okrug of Leningrad Oblast, one of the okrugs abutting the state boundaries of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. Between July 6, 1941 and July 21, 1944, Ostrov was occupied by German troops. An underground resistance group was active in Ostrov during the war. On August 23, 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Pskov Oblast.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Ostrov serves as the

of Ostrovsky District, to which it is directly subordinated.Law #833-oz stipulates that the borders of the administrative districts are identical to the borders of the municipal districts. The Law #420-oz, which describes the borders and the composition of the municipal districts, lists the town of Ostrov as a part of Ostrovsky District. As a municipal division, the

of Ostrov is incorporated within Ostrovsky Municipal District as Ostrov Urban Settlement.Law #420-oz

Economy

Industry

The economy of Ostrov is based on food, electronic, and textile industries (5.4%).

Transportation

A railway from St. Petersburg via

to Pytalovo and further to Rēzekne in

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

passes Ostrov. In Latvia, it provides access to

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

and

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

(via

Daugavpils Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region ...

). As of 2012, there was passenger traffic on the railway. The M20 Highway, which connects St. Petersburg and Vitebsk via Pskov, passes Ostrov as well. Ostrov is the northern terminus of the European route E262, which proceeds to

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

via Rēzekne and Daugavpils. There are also road connections from Ostrov northwest to Pechory via Palkino, northeast to Porkhov, and southeast to Novorzhev, as well as local roads.

Military

The town was home to Ostrov air base, a major medium-range bomber base during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. In addition, a unit of the Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) included a main base in the town, a nearby fixed field site for training, and three operational missile launch areas 10–30 km away. This military unit also supported reserve officer training of students of several institutes, including Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

Culture and recreation

The town possesses a Neoclassical cathedral from 1790 and a typical Pskovian church from 1543. Close at hand is a historical suspension bridge, opened in 1853
winter view
. Ostrov hosts the Ostrov District Museum, the only museum in the district.

References

Notes

Sources

* * *Архивный отдел Псковского облисполкома. Государственный архив Псковской области. "Административно-территориальное деление Псковской области (1917–1988 гг.). Справочник". (''Administrative-Territorial Structure of Pskov Oblast (1917–1988). Reference.'') Книга I. Лениздат, 1988.

External links

The murder of the Jews of Ostrov
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 ...

, at Yad Vashem website. {{Authority control Cities and towns in Pskov Oblast Ostrovsky Uyezd Holocaust locations in Russia