Pochinkovsky District () is an administrativeResolution #261 and municipalLaw #132-z district (

raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is c ...

), one of the twenty-five in

Smolensk Oblast Smolensk Oblast (), informally also called Smolenshchina (), is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative centre is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Smolensk. As of the 2021 Russ ...

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 ...

. It is located in the southern central part 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 ...

and borders with Kardymovsky District in the north, Glinkovsky District in the northeast, Yelninsky District in the east, Roslavlsky District in the southeast, Shumyachsky District in the south,

Khislavichsky District Khislavichsky District () is an administrativeResolution #261 and municipalLaw #110-z district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Smolensk Oblast, twenty-five in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southwest of the oblast and ...

in the southwest, Monastyrshchinsky District in the west, and with Smolensky District in the northwest. The area of the district is . Its

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 ...

is the

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 ...

of Pochinok. Population: 30,959 ( 2010 Census); The population of Pochinok accounts for 28.3% of the district's total population.

Geography

The whole area of the district belongs to the

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of the

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

. Most of the area belongs to the drainage basin of the Sozh, a left tributary of the Dnieper. The Sozh crosses the area of the district in the northwest. The biggest tributaries of the Sozh within the district are the Khmara and the Ostyor (both left). The Ostyor has its source in the district. Another major left tributary of the Dnieper, the Desna, also crosses the area of the district in the southeast, and a minor area in the southeast of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Desna. The Dnieper itself makes the border between Pochinkovsky and Kardymovsky Districts, the rivers in the northern part of the district flow into the Dnieper. The district is situated in the Smolensk Upland, with a hilly landscape.

History

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 ...

, the area was included into

Smolensk Governorate Smolensk Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and the Russian SFSR. It existed, with interruptions, between 1708 and 1929. Smolensk Governorate, together with seven o ...

and remained there until 1929, with the exception of the brief period between 1775 and 1796, when Smolensk Governorate was transformed into

Smolensk Viceroyalty Smolensk is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, 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 cities in Russia. It ...

. The area was split between Smolensky, Krasninsky, Yelninsky, and Roslavlsky Uyezds. Pochinok has been known since 1811 as a village. It belonged to Yelninnsky Uyezd. In 1926, it was granted a town status. In October 1928, Yelninsky Uyezd was abolished and split between Smolensky, Roslavlsky, and Vyazemsky Uyezds. On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Pochinkovsky District with the administrative center in the town of Pochinok was established on the territories which previously belonged to Smolensky, Krasninsky, and Roslavslsky Districts of Smolensk Governorate. The district belonged to

Roslavl Okrug Roslavl (, ) is a town and the administrative center of Roslavlsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is a road and rail junction and a market town. Population: History Roslavl was founded as Rostislavl in the 1130s or 1140s. The name i ...

of Western Oblast. 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, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...

and Smolensk Oblasts. Pochinkovsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast. Between 1941 and 1943, during WWII, the district was occupied by German troops. On 12 July 1929, Stodolishchensky District with the administrative center in the selo of Stodolishche was established on the areas which previously belonged to Roslavlsky and Yelninsky Uyezds of Smolensk Governorate. It belonged to Roslavl Okrug of Western Oblast. In 1937, the raion was transferred to Smolensk Oblast. In 1961 it was abolished and split between Pochinkovsky and Roslavlsky District.

Economy

Industry

There are enterprises of textile and food industries in the district.

Agriculture

The main agricultural specializations of the district are cattle breeding with meat and milk production, as well as poultry breeding.

Transportation

A railway connecting

Smolensk Smolensk 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 cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

and

Bryansk Bryansk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), Desna River, southwest of Moscow. It has a population of 379,152 at the 2021 census. Bryans ...

crosses the district from northwest to southeast. Pochinok is the main railway station within the district. The R120 road (formerly A141), which connects Smolensk with Bryansk and

, crosses the district from the northwest to southeast, passing close to Pochinok. There is a road between Pochinok and Yelnya, as well as another one across the border to

Mstsislaw Mstislaw or Mstislavl is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Mstsislaw District. In 2009, its population was 10,804. As of 2024, it has a population of 10,019. History Mstislavl was first mentioned in the ...

where it continues to

Orsha Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662. History ...

and Krychaw. There are also local roads with bus traffic originating from Pochinok. The Dnieper is navigable within the district, however, there is no organized navigation.

Culture and recreation

In Pochinok, there is a local museum which was opened in 2000. The expositions highlight history of the district. In the village of Seltso, there is the Museum-Estate of Alexander Tvardovsky. Tvardovsky, a 20th-century Russian poet, was born in this village in 1910, but his family house was destroyed during World War II. In 1988, the estate was reconstructed.

References

Notes

Sources

* * {{Use mdy dates, date=January 2013 Districts of Smolensk Oblast States and territories established in 1929