Yelnya () 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 Yelninsky District in Smolensk 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 Desna River, from

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 ...

, 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 ...

. The population was

Etymology

Yelnya's name is likely related to the Russian word ""('yel''', lit. '' fir tree'') or "" (''yelan''', lit. ''land cleared from forest'').

History

It was first mentioned in the historical documents in 1150 when according to the order of

knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...

Rostislav of Smolensk it was to pay a tax of four grivnas and a fox skin. The settlement shared the history of the

lands—it paid duty to the Golden Horde, then was captured by the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

and the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

. It was returned to Russia with the rest of the Smolensk Voivodeship at the close of the Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667. In 1776, it was granted town status and became the seat of an uyezd. In 1812, during the French invasion of Russia, Yelnya became an important center of the partisan movement. During the counter-offensive campaign, Mikhail Kutuzov's headquarters were located here. 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 Yelninsky District with the administrative center in Yelnya was established. The district belonged to

Smolensk Okrug 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 ...

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 and Smolensk Oblasts. Yelninsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast. During World War II, Yelnya was a place of several important battles. On 30 August 1941, it became the place of the Yelnya Offensive, the first successful offensive operation of Soviet troops in the Great Patriotic War, although they suffered heavy losses taking the town. In 1942, Yelninsky District became a part of the so-called "Dorogobuzh Partisan Krai". The German garrison in the town was not able to control the rural territories which were effectively under the partisan control. In March 1942, partisans even liberated the town, killing more than a thousand German troops, but in three days on March 18, 1942 they were forced to retreat back to the forests. 289 Jews used to live in Yelnya in 1939 but in March 1942, 230 Jews were shot by German units in a mass execution. In August 1943, Yelnya played the key part in the Battle of Smolensk. On August 30, Germans were forced to abandon Yelnya, sustaining heavy casualties. This started a full-scale German retreat from the area. By September 3, Soviet forces reached the eastern shore of the Dnieper.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Yelnya serves as the

of Yelninsky District.Resolution #261 As an administrative division, it is, together with ten rural localities, incorporated within Yelninsky District as Yelninskoye Urban Settlement. As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban settlement status and is a part of Yelninsky Municipal District.Law #108-z

Economy

Industry

The town has a cheese factory, a large bakery, a brick factory, and a few sawmills.

Transportation

Yelnya railway station is on the railway connecting Smolensk and

Sukhinichi Sukhinichi () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Sukhinichsky District in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, a large railway junction on the Moscow – Kyiv line, situated on the Bryn River southwest of Kalu ...

via Spas-Demensk. There is infrequent passenger navigation. Yelnya is connected by roads with Safonovo (where it has access to the M1 highway connecting Moscow and Smolensk), with Pochinok, and with Roslavl.

Culture and recreation

There is a local museum in Yelnya. ''Town of Glory'', a German-financed 2019 documentary, by Dmitry Bogolyubov and Anna Shishova-Bogolyubova, filmed over three years, a destitute post-industrial provincial town, economically marginalized since the Soviet Union collapse.

References

Notes

Sources

* *

External links

*Official website of Smolensk Oblast
History of Yelnya
*Mojgorod.ru

{{Use mdy dates, date=August 2011 Cities and towns in Smolensk Oblast Yelninsky Uyezd Holocaust locations in Russia