world.wikisort.org - Russia

Yelnya (Russian: Е́льня) is a town and the administrative center of Yelninsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Desna River, 82 kilometers (51 mi) from Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. The population was 10,095 (2010 Census);[3] 10,798 (2002 Census);[9] 9,868 (1989 Census).[10]

Yelnya Ельня
Town[1]
A street in Yelnya
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Yelnya
Yelnya Location of Yelnya Show map of Russia Yelnya Yelnya (Smolensk Oblast) Show map of Smolensk Oblast
Coordinates: 54°35′N 33°11′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Smolensk Oblast[1]
Administrative district	Yelninsky District[1]
Urban settlement	Yelninskoye[1]
First mentioned	1150[2]
Town status since	1776
Area [1]
• Total	97.94 km2 (37.81 sq mi)
Elevation	230 m (750 ft)
Population  (2010 Census)[3]
• Total	10,095
• Estimate  (2018)[4]	8,993 (−10.9%)
• Density	100/km2 (270/sq mi)
Administrative status
• Capital of	Yelninsky District[1], Yelninskoye Urban Settlement[1]
Municipal status
• Municipal district	Yelninsky Municipal District[5]
• Urban settlement	Yelninskoye Urban Settlement[5]
• Capital of	Yelninsky Municipal District[5], Yelninskoye Urban Settlement[6]
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [7])
Postal code(s)[8]	216330
Dialing code(s)	+7 48146
OKTMO ID	66619101001

Etymology

Yelnya's name is likely related to the Russian word "ель"('yel', lit. fir tree) or "елань" (yelan', lit. land cleared from forest).^{[citation needed]}

History

It was first mentioned in the historical documents in 1150[2] when according to the order of knyaz Rostislav of Smolensk it was to pay a tax of four grivnas and a fox skin.^{[citation needed]}

The settlement shared the history of the Smolensk lands—it paid duty to the Golden Horde, then was captured by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. 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.[2]

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.[11] 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 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.[12]

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.[13]

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 administrative center of Yelninsky District.[1] As an administrative division, it is, together with ten rural localities, incorporated within Yelninsky District as Yelninskoye Urban Settlement.[1] As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban settlement status and is a part of Yelninsky Municipal District.[5]

Economy

Industry

The town has a cheese factory, a large bakery, a brick factory, and a few sawmills.[14]

Transportation

Yelnya railway station is on the railway connecting Smolensk and Sukhinichi 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.[15]

References

Notes

Sources

• Администрация Смоленской области. Постановление №261 от 30 апреля 2008 г. «Об утверждении реестра административно-территориальных единиц и территориальных единиц Смоленской области», в ред. Постановления №464 от 27 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в реестр административно-территориальных единиц и территориальных единиц Смоленской области». Опубликован: База данных "Консультант-плюс". (Administration of Smolensk Oblast. Resolution #261 of April 30, 2008 On the Adoption of the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and Territorial Units of Smolensk Oblast, as amended by the Resolution #464 of June 27, 2014 On Amending the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and Territorial Units of Smolensk Oblast. ).
• Смоленская областная Дума. Закон №108-з от 20 декабря 2004 г. «О наделении статусом муниципального района муниципального образования "Ельнинский район" Смоленской области, об установлении границ муниципальных образований, территории которых входят в его состав, и наделении их соответствующим статусом», в ред. Закона №108-з от 23 ноября 2011 г. «О внесении изменений в областной Закон "О наделении статусом муниципального района муниципального образования "Ельнинский район" Смоленской области, об установлении границ муниципальных образований, территории которых входят в его состав, и наделении их соответствующим статусом"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Вестник Смоленской областной Думы и Администрации Смоленской области", №13, часть II, стр. 144, 22 декабря 2004 г. (Smolensk Oblast Duma. Law #108-z of December 20, 2004 On Granting the Status of the Municipal District to the Municipal Formation of "Yelninsky District" of Smolensk Oblast, on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations the Territories of Which It Comprises, and on Granting Them Appropriate Status, as amended by the Law #108-z of November 23, 2011 On Amending the Oblast Law "On Granting the Status of the Municipal District to the Municipal Formation of "Yelninsky District" of Smolensk Oblast, on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations the Territories of Which It Comprises, and on Granting Them Appropriate Status". Effective as of the official publication date.).

External links

• Official website of Smolensk Oblast. History of Yelnya (in Russian)
• Mojgorod.ru. Entry on Yelnya (in Russian)

На других языках

---

- [en] Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast

---

[es] Yelnia

Yelnia (en ruso: Е́льня) es una ciudad del óblast de Smolensk, en Rusia, ubicada sobre el río Desná a 82 km de Smolensk. En 2002 en ella habitaban 10.798 habitantes.

---

[ru] Ельня

Е́льня — город (с 1776 года[3]) в России, административный центр Ельнинского района Смоленской области. Население — 8629[2] человек (2021).

---

---