Shenkursky District
Encyclopedia
Shenkursky District is an administrative district (raion
), one of the twenty-one
in Arkhangelsk Oblast
, Russia
. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkursky Municipal District. It is located in the south of the oblast
and borders with Vinogradovsky District
in the north, Verkhnetoyemsky District
in the east, Ustyansky District
in the southeast, Velsky District
in the south, Nyandomsky District
in the west, and Plesetsky District in the northwest. Its administrative center is the town of Shenkursk
. District's population: Population of Shenkursk accounts for 37.5% of the district's population.
and then colonized by the Novgorod Republic
. After the fall of Novgorod, the area became a part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow
. Historically, it was a part of Vazhsky Uyezd, a vast area including almost all of the river basin of the Vaga
. The chronicles mention Shenkursk
in 1229 as Sheng-Kurye. In 1426, Varlaam Vazhsky, who was later beautified as a saint, founded the Vazhsky Monastery. In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, the area was included into Archangelgorod Governorate
, In 1780, the governorate was abolished and transformed into Vologda Viceroyalty
. Vazhsky Uyezd was split, and the area of the current Shenkursky District became a part of the newly established Shenkursky Uyezd. In 1796, Shenkursky Uyezd was transferred to Arkhangelsk Governorate
.
Shenkursk played a prominent role in the Russian Civil War
. In the autumn of 1918, about six thousand British and American troops advanced south of Shenkursk. On January 19-25, the Bolshevik troops staged a counteroffensive, known as the Battle of Shenkursk
. Three thousand troops, split into three armies, advancing from three sides, cut Shenkursk off, and moved the front
area 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) north of Shenkursk.
Shenkursky District remained in Arkhangelsk Governorate until 1929, when several governorates were merged into Northern Krai
. On July 15, 1929, the uyezds were abolished, and Shenkursky Uyezd was split into Shenkursky, Bereznikovsky
, and Rovdinsky Districts. Shenkursky District became a part of Nyandoma Okrug of Northern Krai. Rovdinsky District, with the administration located in Rovdino, existed until 1959 (with a brief break between 1931 and 1935). On September 11, 1959, the district was abolished and split between Shenkursky and Velsky District
s; the district center Rovdino became a part of Shenkursky District.
In the following years, the first-level administrative division of Russia kept changing. In 1930, the okrug was abolished, and the district became subordinate to the central administration of Northern Krai. In 1936, the krai itself was transformed into Northern Oblast. In 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Shenkursky District remained in Arkhangelsk Oblast ever since.
, a major left tributary of the Northern Dvina. The major tributary of the Vaga is the Led River
(left). Some areas in the east, northeast, north, and west of the district drain to various left tributaries of the Northern Dvina. There are many glacial lake
s in the district, the biggest of which is Lake Lum.
Most of the district is covered by coniferous forests (taiga
). There are meadows in the floodplains of the river valleys, most notably the Vaga's, and swamp
s.
s and one urban-type settlement
(Shenkursk
). The following selsoviets have been established (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):
connecting Moscow and Arkhangelsk, crosses the district from south to north. Shenkursk is located several kilometers east from the highway; however, it lies on the other bank of the Vaga and is only connected with the highway by a ferry crossing. The roads on the right bank of the Vaga are minor.
The Vaga is navigable within the limits of the district, but there is no passenger navigation.
The four objects protected at the federal level include:
The only museum in the district is Shenkursky District Museum.
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
), one of the twenty-one
Administrative divisions of Arkhangelsk Oblast
Administratively, Arkhangelsk Oblast is divided into six cities and towns of oblast significance, twenty-one districts, and two island territories . Besides, Mirny is a town under the federal government management....
in Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkursky Municipal District. It is located in the south of the oblast
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
and borders with Vinogradovsky District
Vinogradovsky District
Vinogradovsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Vinogradovsky Municipal District...
in the north, Verkhnetoyemsky District
Verkhnetoyemsky District
Verkhnetoyemsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Verkhnetoyemsky Municipal District...
in the east, Ustyansky District
Ustyansky District
Ustyansky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Ustyansky Municipal District...
in the southeast, Velsky District
Velsky District
Velsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Velsky Municipal District...
in the south, Nyandomsky District
Nyandomsky District
Nyandomsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Nyandomsky Municipal District...
in the west, and Plesetsky District in the northwest. Its administrative center is the town of Shenkursk
Shenkursk
Shenkursk is a town and the administrative center of Shenkursky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement of Shenkursky Municipal District. Population:...
. District's population: Population of Shenkursk accounts for 37.5% of the district's population.
History
The area was originally populated by the Finno-Ugric peoplesFinno-Ugric peoples
The Finno-Ugric peoples are any of several peoples of Europe who speak languages of the proposed Finno-Ugric language family, such as the Finns, Estonians, Mordvins, and Hungarians...
and then colonized by the Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
. After the fall of Novgorod, the area became a part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
. Historically, it was a part of Vazhsky Uyezd, a vast area including almost all of the river basin of the Vaga
Vaga River
The Vaga is a river in Totemsky, Syamzhensky, and Verkhovazhsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Velsky, Shenkursky, and Vinogradovsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left and the biggest tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
. The chronicles mention Shenkursk
Shenkursk
Shenkursk is a town and the administrative center of Shenkursky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement of Shenkursky Municipal District. Population:...
in 1229 as Sheng-Kurye. In 1426, Varlaam Vazhsky, who was later beautified as a saint, founded the Vazhsky Monastery. In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, the area was included into Archangelgorod Governorate
Archangelgorod Governorate
Archangelgorod Governorate , or the Government of Archangelgorod, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed from 1708 until 1780. Its seat was in Archangel...
, In 1780, the governorate was abolished and transformed into Vologda Viceroyalty
Vologda Viceroyalty
Vologda Viceroyalty was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1780–1796.The viceroyalty was established by a decree of Catherine II on , 1780...
. Vazhsky Uyezd was split, and the area of the current Shenkursky District became a part of the newly established Shenkursky Uyezd. In 1796, Shenkursky Uyezd was transferred to Arkhangelsk Governorate
Arkhangelsk Governorate
Archangelsk Governorate was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed from 1796 until 1929. Its seat was in Arkhangelsk...
.
Shenkursk played a prominent role in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. In the autumn of 1918, about six thousand British and American troops advanced south of Shenkursk. On January 19-25, the Bolshevik troops staged a counteroffensive, known as the Battle of Shenkursk
Battle of Shenkursk
The Battle of Shenkursk, in January of 1919, was a major battle of the Russian Civil War. Following the Bolshevik victory at the Battle of Tulgas, the Red Army's next offensive action was against the Allied garrison of Shenkursk; located on the Vaga River...
. Three thousand troops, split into three armies, advancing from three sides, cut Shenkursk off, and moved the front
Front (military)
A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces. This can be a local or tactical front, or it can range to a theater...
area 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) north of Shenkursk.
Shenkursky District remained in Arkhangelsk Governorate until 1929, when several governorates were merged into Northern Krai
Northern Krai
Northern Krai was a krai of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1929 to 1936. Its seat was in the city of Arkhangelsk...
. On July 15, 1929, the uyezds were abolished, and Shenkursky Uyezd was split into Shenkursky, Bereznikovsky
Vinogradovsky District
Vinogradovsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Vinogradovsky Municipal District...
, and Rovdinsky Districts. Shenkursky District became a part of Nyandoma Okrug of Northern Krai. Rovdinsky District, with the administration located in Rovdino, existed until 1959 (with a brief break between 1931 and 1935). On September 11, 1959, the district was abolished and split between Shenkursky and Velsky District
Velsky District
Velsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Velsky Municipal District...
s; the district center Rovdino became a part of Shenkursky District.
In the following years, the first-level administrative division of Russia kept changing. In 1930, the okrug was abolished, and the district became subordinate to the central administration of Northern Krai. In 1936, the krai itself was transformed into Northern Oblast. In 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Shenkursky District remained in Arkhangelsk Oblast ever since.
Location and geography
The district is located in the valley of the Vaga RiverVaga River
The Vaga is a river in Totemsky, Syamzhensky, and Verkhovazhsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Velsky, Shenkursky, and Vinogradovsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left and the biggest tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
, a major left tributary of the Northern Dvina. The major tributary of the Vaga is the Led River
Led River
The Led is a river in Plesetsky and Shenkursky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Vaga River. It is long, and the area of its basin . Its main tributary is the Tarnya ....
(left). Some areas in the east, northeast, north, and west of the district drain to various left tributaries of the Northern Dvina. There are many glacial lake
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
s in the district, the biggest of which is Lake Lum.
Most of the district is covered by coniferous forests (taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
). There are meadows in the floodplains of the river valleys, most notably the Vaga's, and swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s.
Administrative divisions
Administratively, the district is divided into twelve selsovietSelsoviet
Selsoviet is a shortened name for a rural council. The full names for the term are, in , , . Selsoviets were the lowest level of administrative division in rural areas in the Soviet Union...
s and one urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement ; , selyshche mis'koho typu ) is an official designation for a type of locality used in some of the countries of the former Soviet Union...
(Shenkursk
Shenkursk
Shenkursk is a town and the administrative center of Shenkursky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement of Shenkursky Municipal District. Population:...
). The following selsoviets have been established (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):
- Fedorogorsky (Nikiforovskaya);
- Mikhaylovsky (Zapakovskaya);
- Khozminsky (Ispolinovka);
- Nikolsky (Shipunovskaya);
- Rovdinsky (Rovdino);
- Shakhanovsky (Nosovskaya);
- Shegovarsky (Shegovary);
- Syumsky (Kulikovskaya);
- Tarnyansky (Rybogorskaya);
- Ust-Padengsky (Ust-Padenga);
- Verkholedsky (Rakovskaya);
- Verkhopadengsky (Ivanovskoye);
- Yamskogorsky (Odintsovskaya).
Municipal divisions
Municipally, the district is divided into one urban settlement and eleven rural settlements (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):- Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement (ShenkurskShenkurskShenkursk is a town and the administrative center of Shenkursky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement of Shenkursky Municipal District. Population:...
); - Fedorogorskoye Rural Settlement (Nikiforovskaya);
- Nikolskoye Rural Settlement (Shipunovskaya);
- Rovdinskoye Rural Settlement (Rovdino);
- Shakhanovskoye Rural Settlement (Nosovskaya);
- Shegovarskoye Rural Settlement (Shegovary);
- Syumskoye Rural Settlement (Kulikovskaya);
- Tarnyanskoye Rural Settlement (Rybogorskaya);
- Ust-Padengskoye Rural Settlement (Ust-Padenga);
- Verkholedskoye Rural Settlement (Rakovskaya);
- Verkhopadengskoye Rural Settlement (Ivanovskoye);
- Yamskogorskoye Rural Settlement (Odintsovskaya).
Industry
The basis of the economy of the district is timber industry. There is also food industry, including milk production.Transport
One of the principal highways in Russia, M8M8 highway (Russia)
The Russian route M8, also known as the Kholmogory Highway or Yaroslavl highway, is a major trunk road that links Moscow to the Russian North in general and the sea harbour of Arkhangelsk in particular...
connecting Moscow and Arkhangelsk, crosses the district from south to north. Shenkursk is located several kilometers east from the highway; however, it lies on the other bank of the Vaga and is only connected with the highway by a ferry crossing. The roads on the right bank of the Vaga are minor.
The Vaga is navigable within the limits of the district, but there is no passenger navigation.
Culture and recreation
The district contains four objects classified as cultural and historical heritage by Russian Federal law, and additionally ninety-four objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local importance. Most of these are wooden rural houses, churches, and bridges built prior to 1917.The four objects protected at the federal level include:
- Bogoslovsky Pogost which is the ensemble consisting of the wooden Church of Three Holy Hierarchs (1782) and the Chapel of St. Varlaam of Vaga (1821), both neglected;
- The Assumption Church in Sulonda (1667), which burned down in the 1970s.
The only museum in the district is Shenkursky District Museum.