Volkhov (Russian: Во́лхов) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov 122 kilometers (76 mi) east of St. Petersburg. Population: 47,182 (2010 Census);[4] 46,596 (2002 Census);[9] 50,325 (1989 Census).[10]

Volkhov Волхов
Town[1]
In Volkhov
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Volkhov
Volkhov Location of Volkhov Show map of Russia Volkhov Volkhov (Leningrad Oblast) Show map of Leningrad Oblast
Coordinates: 59°55′N 32°18′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Leningrad Oblast[1]
Administrative district	Volkhovsky District[1]
Settlement municipal formation	Volkhovskoye Settlement Municipal Formation[1]
Founded	Beginning of the 20th century[2]
Town status since	December 27, 1933[3]
Elevation	33 m (108 ft)
Population  (2010 Census)[4]
• Total	47,182
• Estimate  (2018)[5]	44,868 (−4.9%)
Administrative status
• Capital of	Volkhovsky District[1], Volkhovskoye Settlement Municipal Formation[1]
Municipal status
• Municipal district	Volkhovsky Municipal District[6]
• Urban settlement	Volkhovskoye Urban Settlement[6]
• Capital of	Volkhovsky Municipal District[6], Volkhovskoye Urban Settlement[6]
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [7])
Postal code(s)[8]	187401–187404, 187406, 187409
Dialing code(s)	+7 81363
OKTMO ID	41609101001

It was previously known as Zvanka (until December 27, 1933),[3] Volkhovstroy (until April 11, 1940).[3]

History

The town developed during the industrialization in the first half of the 20th century.[2] The settlement of Zvanka (Званка) with a train depot was built here while the railway connecting St. Petersburg with Vologda was being constructed.[2] It was a part of Novoladozhsky Uyezd of St. Petersburg Governorate.^{[citation needed]} A second rail line running north of the station towards Murmansk was constructed in 1916,[2] making the station an important railway junction. In 1918, construction of the Volkhov Hydroelectric Station (the first in the Soviet Union) started on this spot.[2] In 1926, the power plant became operational and in 1932, the first Soviet aluminum plant was launched nearby.[2]

On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Volkhovsky District, with the administrative center in Zvanka, was established.[3] The governorates were also abolished and the district became a part of Leningrad Okrug of Leningrad Oblast.[3] On August 15, 1930, the okrugs were abolished as well and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast.[11] On December 27,^{[citation needed]} 1933, the settlements serving the station, the dam, and the aluminum plant were merged with several adjacent villages to form the town of Volkhovstroy.[3] On September 19, 1939, Volkhovstroy became a town of oblast significance and on April 11, 1940, it was renamed Volkhov.[3] During World War II, between 1941 and 1944, the Volkhov River separated the Soviet and the German positions, and Volkhov was a battleground scene. The city itself was never occupied by German troops, and in December 1941 the advance of the German troops to Volkhov was stopped by the Red Army.[12]

In 2010, the administrative structure of Leningrad Oblast was harmonized with its municipal structure[13] and Volkhov became a town of district significance.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Volkhov serves as the administrative center of Volkhovsky District.[1] As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Volkhovsky District as Volkhovskoye Settlement Municipal Formation.[1] As a municipal division, Volkhovskoye Settlement Municipal Formation is incorporated within Volkhovsky Municipal District as Volkhovskoye Urban Settlement.[6]

Economy

Industry

The economy of Volkhov is essentially based on the Volkhov Hydroelectric Station and on the aluminum production plant.[14]

Transportation

Volkhov (railway stations Volkhovstroy I and Volkhovstroy II) is an important railway hub. One railway line connects in with St. Petersburg (Moskovsky Rail Terminal), and Volkhovstroy I is the terminal station of suburban trains from St. Petersburg. To the east, a railway line continues to Vologda via Tikhvin and Cherepovets. Another railway line passing through Volkhov connects Chudovo in the south and Lodeynoye Pole, Petrozavodsk, and ultimately Murmansk in the north. In Chudovo, it connects to railway between St. Petersburg and Moscow, so that all traffic between Moscow and Murmansk proceeds via Volkhovstroy.

Volkhov is located on the road connecting Kiselnya on the M18 Highway, which connects St. Petersburg and Murmansk, and Tikhvin, Cherepovets and Vologda.^{[clarification needed]} Volkhov is also connected by roads with Kirishi and with Novaya Ladoga. There are also local roads, with bus traffic originating from Volkhov.

The Volkhov River is navigable; however, there is no passenger navigation.

Culture and recreation

The district contains five cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally seventeen objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance.[15] The federal monuments are the Volkhov Hydroelectric station, the monument to Genrikh Graftio, the head of the construction of the power plant, the first building of the aluminum plant, as well as the houses where Graftio and Boris Vedeneyev, who was also leading the power plant construction, lived.

Twin towns and sister cities

Volkhov is twinned with:

• Mosjøen, Norway
• Järvenpää, Finland^{[citation needed]}
• Grovskinka, Belarus^{[citation needed]}
• Sundsvall, Sweden

References

Notes

Sources

• Законодательное собрание Ленинградской области. Областной закон №32-оз от 15 июня 2010 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Ленинградской области и порядке его изменения», в ред. Областного закона №23-оз от 8 мая 2014 г. «Об объединении муниципальных образований "Приморское городское поселение" Выборгского района Ленинградской области и "Глебычевское сельское поселение" Выборгского района Ленинградской области и о внесении изменений в отдельные Областные законы». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Вести", №112, 23 июня 2010 г. (Legislative Assembly of Leningrad Oblast. Oblast Law #32-oz of June 15, 2010 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Leningrad Oblast and on the Procedures for Its Change, as amended by the Oblast Law #23-oz of May 8, 2014 On Merging the Municipal Formations of "Primorskoye Urban Settlement" in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast and "Glebychevskoye Rural Settlement" in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast and on Amending Various Oblast Laws. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
• Законодательное собрание Ленинградской области. Областной закон №56-оз от 6 сентября 2004 г. «Об установлении границ и наделении соответствующим статусом муниципального образования Волховский муниципальный район и муниципальных образований в его составе», в ред. Областного закона №17-оз от 6 мая 2010 г «О внесении изменений в некоторые областные законы в связи с принятием федерального закона "О внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Российской Федерации в связи с совершенствованием организации местного самоуправления"». Вступил в силу через 10 дней со дня официального опубликования (24  сентября 2004 г.). Опубликован: "Вестник Правительства Ленинградской области", №27, 14 сентября 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Leningrad Oblast. Oblast Law #56-oz of September 6, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of and Granting an Appropriate Status to the Municipal Formation of Volkhovsky Municipal District and to the Municipal Formations Comprised By It, as amended by the Oblast Law #17-oz of May 6, 2010 On Amending Various Oblast Laws Due to the Adoption of the Federal Law "On Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Due to the Improvement of the Organization of the Local Self-Government". Effective as of after 10 days from the day of the official publication (September 24 2004).).

На других языках

[ru] Волхов (город)