Belozersky District (Russian: Белозе́рский райо́н) is an administrative[1] and municipal[7] district (raion), one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northwest of the oblast and borders with Vytegorsky District in the north, Vashkinsky District in the northeast, Kirillovsky District in the southeast, Cherepovetsky and Kaduysky Districts in the south, and with Babayevsky District in the west. The area of the district is 5,400 square kilometers (2,100 sq mi).[4] Its administrative center is the town of Belozersk.[3] Population: 17,271 (2010 Census);[5] 21,648 (2002 Census);[9] 24,777 (1989 Census).[10] The population of Belozersk accounts for 55.7% of the district's total population.[5]

Belozersky District Белозерский район
District
Vaskin Pine Wood, a protected area of Russia in Belozersky District
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Belozersky District in Vologda Oblast
Coordinates: 60°02′N 37°47′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Vologda Oblast[1]
Established	August 1, 1927[2]
Administrative center	Belozersk[3]
Area [4]
• Total	5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi)
Population  (2010 Census)[5]
• Total	17,271
• Estimate  (2018)[6]	14,785 (−14.4%)
• Density	3.2/km2 (8.3/sq mi)
• Urban	55.7%
• Rural	44.3%
Administrative structure
• Administrative divisions	1 Towns of district significance, 13 Selsoviets
• Inhabited localities[3]	1 Cities/towns, 278 Rural localities
Municipal structure
• Municipally incorporated as	Belozersky Municipal District[7]
• Municipal divisions[7]	1 Urban settlements, 5 Rural settlements
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [8])
OKTMO ID	19610000
Website	http://www.belozer.ru

Geography

The district is located southwest of Lake Beloye, with the southern half of the lake constituting a part of the district's territory. There are many smaller lakes within the district. The biggest of them are Lake Andozero, Lake Lozskoye, and Lake Vorbozomskoye. The entire district belongs to the basin of the Sheksna River. The northern part and the areas adjacent to Lake Beloye drain into the lake and its tributaries. The main tributaries of Lake Beloye within the district are the Megra and the Kovzha Rivers (with the major tributary being the Shola). The Kovzha flows in its lower course, where it actually forms a water reservoir, along the border of the district. The southern part of the district is in the basin of the tributaries of the Andoga River, which itself is a tributary of the Suda River, and the southwestern part is in the basin of the tributaries of the Sheksna. A stretch of the Sheksna River forms the eastern border of the district.

Most of the area of the district is covered by woods.

History

According to the Primary Chronicle, Sineus, a brother of Rurik, became the prince of Beloozero in 862. If one assumes this to be accurate, Belozersk is one of the oldest towns in Russia. However, it is likely that Sineus never existed.[11] The archaeological data show that the settlement existed in the 10th century on the northern shore of the lake, close to the selo of Kisnema (now Troitskoye in Vashkinsky District) but in the 10th century it was transferred to the outflow of the Sheksna River. Later it was moved to the current location. In the 10th–13th centuries, the area was controlled by the Novgorod Republic; in the 13th century it was a part of the Principality of Beloozero; and in the 14th century it became a part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, the area was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as Saint Petersburg Governorate). In 1727, separate Novgorod Governorate was split off. Belozersk (Beloozero) was named as one of the towns constituting the governorate, and in 1727, Belozersk became the seat of Belozersk Oblast of Novgorod Governorate. In 1776, the area was transferred to Novgorod Viceroyalty. In 1796, the viceroyalty was abolished and Belozersky Uyezd was transferred to Novgorod Governorate.

In June 1918, five uyezds of Novgorod Governorate, including Belozersky Uyezd, were split off to form Cherepovets Governorate, with the administrative center in Cherepovets. On August 1, 1927, Cherepovets Governorate was abolished, and its area became Cherepovets Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. Simultaneously, the uyezds were abolished, and Belozersky District was established. On September 23, 1937, Belozersky District was transferred to newly established Vologda Oblast.[2]

On August 1, 1927, Sholsky District with the administrative center in the selo of Zubovo[12] was also established. In 1937, it was transferred from Leningrad Oblast to Vologda Oblast. In 1959, the district was abolished. The area of Sholsky District was split between Vashkinsky and Belozersky Districts.[2]

Economy

Industry

The economy of the district is based on timber industry which in 2011 was responsible for 88% of all goods produced in the district.[4]

Agriculture

As of 2005, twenty-two farms were operating in the district.[13]

Transportation

Belozersk is connected by all-seasonal roads with Cherepovets, Kirillov, and Lipin Bor (connecting further to Vytegra). There are also local roads.

The Volga–Baltic Waterway (formerly known as the Mariinsk Canal System), connecting the Rybinsk Reservoir in the basin of the Volga River and Lake Onega in the basin of the Neva River, runs through the district, following the course of the Sheksna, Lake Beloye, and the course of the Kovzha. The Belozersky Canal bypasses Lake Beloye from the south.

Penitentiary establishments

The district houses Prison No. OE 256/5 (ФКУ ИК-5), of the Federal Penitentiary Service, on Ognenny Ostrov on Lake Novozero, southwest of the town of Belozersk.[14] This is one of the five penitentiary institutions in Russia where individuals convicted to life imprisonment are held.

Culture and recreation

The district contains 13 objects classified as cultural and historical heritage by Russian Federal law, and additionally 132 objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local importance.[15] The cultural heritage monuments of the federal significance are several buildings in the town of Belozersk as well as a number of archaeological monuments.

The Belozersky Local Museum located in Belozersk is an umbrella organization which not only hosts ethnographic and historical exhibits, but also manages the most important architectural monuments in Belozersk such as the Transfiguration Cathedral.[16]

Notable people

• Sergey Vikulov (1922-2006), poet, editor, and the Union of Soviet Writers official

References

Notes

Sources

• Законодательное Собрание Вологодской области. Закон №371-ОЗ от 4 июня 1999 г. «О вопросах административно-территориального устройства Вологодской области», в ред. Закона №2916-ОЗ от 7 декабря 2012 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон области "О вопросах административно-территориального устройства Вологодской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Красный Север", №124–125, 29 июля 1999 г. (Legislative Assembly of Vologda Oblast. Law #371-OZ of June 4, 1999 On the Matters of the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Vologda Oblast, as amended by the Law #2916-OZ of December 7, 2012 On Amending the Oblast Law "On the Matters of the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Vologda Oblast". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
• Правительство Вологодской области. Постановление №178 от 1 марта 2010 г. «Об утверждении реестра административно-территориальных единиц Вологодской области», в ред. Постановления №686 от 25 июня 2012 г. «О внесении изменений в некоторые Постановления Правительства области». Вступил в силу 20 марта 2010 г. Опубликован: "Красный Север", №29, 20 марта 2010 г. (Government of Vologda Oblast. Resolution #178 of March 1, 2010 On Adopting the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units of Vologda Oblast, as amended by the Resolution #686 of June 25, 2012 On Amending Various Resolutions of the Oblast Government. Effective as of March 20, 2010.).
• Законодательное Собрание Вологодской области. Закон №1107-ОЗ от 6 декабря 2004 г. «Об установлении границ Белозерского муниципального района, границах и статусе муниципальных образований, входящих в его состав», в ред. Закона №3666-ОЗ от 1 июня 2015 г. «О преобразовании некоторых муниципальных образований Белозерского муниципального района, о внесении изменений в Закон области "Об установлении границ Белозерского муниципального района, границах и статусе муниципальных образований, входящих в его состав" и изменения в Приложение к Закону области "О некоторых вопросах организации и деятельности органов местного самоуправления на территории Вологодской области"». Вступил в силу через 10 дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Красный Север", №242, 11 декабря 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Vologda Oblast. Law #1107-OZ of December 6, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of Belozersky Municipal District, on the Borders and Status of the Municipal Formations It Comprises, as amended by the Law #3666-OZ of June 1, 2015 On the Transformation of Several Municipal Formations in Belozersky Municipal District, on Amending the Law of the Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of Belozersky Municipal District, on the Borders and Status of the Municipal Formations It Comprises", and on Amending the Appendix to the Law of the Oblast "On Various Issues of Organization and Functioning of the Local Self-Government on the Territory of Vologda Oblast". Effective as of after 10 days from the day of the official publication.).

На других языках

[ru] Белозерский район (Вологодская область)