Verkhnetoyemsky District
Encyclopedia
Verkhnetoyemsky District is an administrative district (raion
), one of the twenty-one
in Arkhangelsk Oblast
, Russia
. Municipally, it is incorporated as Verkhnetoyemsky Municipal District. It is located in the southeast of the oblast
and borders with Pinezhsky District
in the north, Udorsky District of the Komi Republic
in the east, Krasnoborsky
and Ustyansky District
s in the south, Shenkursky District
in the west, and Vinogradovsky District
in the northwest. Its administrative center is the rural locality (a selo) of Verkhnyaya Toyma
. District's population: Population of Verkhnyaya Toyma accounts for 17.6% 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
. Toyma has been first mentioned in the chronicles in 1137 as a point where the indigenous population had to bring tribute (fur), though it is not clear whether this Toyma refers to the present-day Verkhnyaya Toyma. From 1552, Verkhnyaya Toyma has been a local administration center.
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
. In 1918, the area moved to the newly formed Northern Dvina Governorate
, and in 1924 the uyezd
s were abolished in favor of the new divisions, the districts (raions). Verkhnetoyemsky District was formed on April 10, 1924 and included a part of the former Solvychegodsky Uyezd. Verkhnetoyemsky District had the biggest area and the least population among the districts of Northern Dvina Governorate.
In the following years, the district remained in the same borders, but the first-level administrative division of Russia kept changing. In 1929, Northern Dvina Governorate was merged into Northern Krai
, which in 1936 was transformed into Northern Oblast. In 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Verkhnetoyemsky District remained in Arkhangelsk Oblast ever since.
From 1924 to 1959, Cherevkovsky District existed, with the administration located in Cherevkovo, initially in Northern Dvina Governorate. On September 11, 1959 the district was abolished and split between Krasnoborsky
, Verkhnetoyemsky, and Ustyansky District
s; the administrative center Cherevkovo became a part of Krasnoborsky District.
s. The central and eastern parts of the district belongs to river basin of the Pinega River
with its main tributaries the Vyya River
(left) and the Ilesha River
(right). The Pinega flows through Verkhnetoyemsky District in the south-north direction and confluences with the Northern Dvina beyond the boundaries of the district. The minor area in the northeast of the district belongs to the basin of the Mezen River
(not of the Northern Dvina basin). The whole area of the district drains into the White Sea
.
Almost the whole of the district is covered by coniferous forests (taiga
). The exception are the meadows in the floodplain
s.
s. The only locality which previously had a status of an urban-type settlement
, Dvinskoy, was in 2004 downgraded in status to that of a rural locality. The following selsoviets have been established (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):
There is a road connecting Kotlas
and Arkhangelsk
on the left bank of the Northern Dvina River. There are also local roads. There is regular passenger bus traffic over the district, and also from Krasnoborsk to Arkhangelsk. The right bank of the Northern Dvina River (including Verkhnyaya Toyma) is not connected by the all-season roads to the main road network.
There is an airport in Verkhnyaya Toyma, which used to generate considerable passenger traffic in 1980s, but it is now defunct.
The four objects protected at the federal level are:
The only state museum in the District is Verkhnyaya Toyma District Museum in Verkhnyaya Toyma
and the black horses, symbols of a wealthy household. By 1970s, the craft declined.
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 Verkhnetoyemsky Municipal District. It is located in the southeast 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 Pinezhsky District
Pinezhsky District
Pinezhsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Pinezhsky Municipal District...
in the north, Udorsky District of the Komi Republic
Komi Republic
The Komi Republic is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is situated to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain...
in the east, Krasnoborsky
Krasnoborsky District
Krasnoborsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Krasnoborsky Municipal District...
and 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...
s in the south, Shenkursky District
Shenkursky District
Shenkursky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkursky Municipal District...
in the west, and 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 northwest. Its administrative center is the rural locality (a selo) of Verkhnyaya Toyma
Verkhnyaya Toyma
Verkhnyaya Toyma is an airport in Russia located 1 km northeast of the rural locality of Verkhnyaya Toyma. It is a paved civilian airstrip serving the region northwest of Kotlas. It is capable of handling Yak-42 and An-24 aircraft...
. District's population: Population of Verkhnyaya Toyma accounts for 17.6% of the district's population.
History
The area was originally populated by 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....
. Toyma has been first mentioned in the chronicles in 1137 as a point where the indigenous population had to bring tribute (fur), though it is not clear whether this Toyma refers to the present-day Verkhnyaya Toyma. From 1552, Verkhnyaya Toyma has been a local administration center.
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...
. In 1918, the area moved to the newly formed Northern Dvina Governorate
Northern Dvina Governorate
Northern Dvina Governorate was a governorate of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1918 to 1929. Its seat was in the city of Veliky Ustyug. The governorate was located in the North of European Russia, and its territory is currently divided between Arkhangelsk, Vologda,...
, and in 1924 the uyezd
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...
s were abolished in favor of the new divisions, the districts (raions). Verkhnetoyemsky District was formed on April 10, 1924 and included a part of the former Solvychegodsky Uyezd. Verkhnetoyemsky District had the biggest area and the least population among the districts of Northern Dvina Governorate.
In the following years, the district remained in the same borders, but the first-level administrative division of Russia kept changing. In 1929, Northern Dvina Governorate was 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...
, which in 1936 was transformed into Northern Oblast. In 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Verkhnetoyemsky District remained in Arkhangelsk Oblast ever since.
From 1924 to 1959, Cherevkovsky District existed, with the administration located in Cherevkovo, initially in Northern Dvina Governorate. On September 11, 1959 the district was abolished and split between Krasnoborsky
Krasnoborsky District
Krasnoborsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Krasnoborsky Municipal District...
, Verkhnetoyemsky, and 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...
s; the administrative center Cherevkovo became a part of Krasnoborsky District.
Location and geography
The district is located at both banks of the Northern Dvina River; the left-bank-part of the district is considerably smaller than the right-hand-one. The major part of the district belongs to the river basins of the Northern Dvina and its major tributaries. The main (right-hand) Nothern Dvina tributaries within the district are the Verkhnyaya Toyma and Nizhnyaya Toyma RiverNizhnyaya Toyma River
The Nizhnyaya Toyma is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky and Vinogradovsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right bank tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The length of the river is...
s. The central and eastern parts of the district belongs to river basin of the Pinega River
Pinega River
The Pinega is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky, Pinezhsky, and Kholmogorsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Northern Dvina River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
with its main tributaries the Vyya River
Vyya River
The Vyya is a river in Pinezhsky and Verkhnetoyemsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Pinega River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
(left) and the Ilesha River
Ilesha River
The Ilesha is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky and Krasnoborsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast and in Udorsky District of Komi Republic in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Pinega River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
(right). The Pinega flows through Verkhnetoyemsky District in the south-north direction and confluences with the Northern Dvina beyond the boundaries of the district. The minor area in the northeast of the district belongs to the basin of the Mezen River
Mezen River
The Mezen is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Leshukonsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. Mezen is one of the biggest rivers of European Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin...
(not of the Northern Dvina basin). The whole area of the district drains into the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
.
Almost the whole 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...
). The exception are the meadows in the floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s.
Administrative divisions
Administratively, the district is divided into fourteen 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. The only locality which previously had a status of an 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...
, Dvinskoy, was in 2004 downgraded in status to that of a rural locality. The following selsoviets have been established (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):
- Afanasyevsky (Voznesenskoe);
- Dvinskoy (Dvinskoy);
- Fedkovsky (Avnyugsky);
- Gorkovsky (Sogra);
- Kornilovsky (Isakovskaya);
- Nizhnetoyemsky (Burtsevskaya);
- Novovershinsky (Lakhoma);
- Puchuzhsky (Kondratovskaya);
- Seftrensky (Zelennik);
- Soyginsky (Igumnovskaya);
- Timoshinsky (Semyonovskaya 1-ya);
- Verkhnetoyemsky (Verkhnyaya Toyma);
- Vershinsky (Chyorny Ruchey);
- Vyysky (Okulovskaya).
Municipal divisions
Municipally, the district is divided into nine rural settlements (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):- Afanasyevskoye Rural Settlement (Voznesenskoye);
- Dvinskoye Rural Settlement (Dvinskoy);
- Fedkovskoye Rural Settlement (Avnyugsky);
- Gorkovskoye Rural Settlement (Sogra);
- Puchuzhskoye Rural Settlement (Kondratovskaya);
- Seftrenskoye Rural Settlement (Zelennik);
- Timoshinskoye Rural Settlement (Semyonovskaya 1-ya);
- Verkhnetoyemskoye Rural Settlement (Verkhnyaya ToymaVerkhnyaya ToymaVerkhnyaya Toyma is an airport in Russia located 1 km northeast of the rural locality of Verkhnyaya Toyma. It is a paved civilian airstrip serving the region northwest of Kotlas. It is capable of handling Yak-42 and An-24 aircraft...
); - Vyyskoye Rural Settlement (Okulovskaya).
Economy
Prior to 1917, the main occupations of the population were hunting, wood distillation, and livestock production. Crop production was basically unknown, and regular shortages of bread have been recorded due to the seasonal inaccessibility of the area. Verkhnyaya Toyma was a major trade center due to the location on the Northern Dvina. The large-scale timber industry only took a start in 1929, when Nizhnyaya Toyma Forest Production Company was established. The agriculture is currently bankrupt and does not deliver any products.Transport
The Northern Dvina is navigable, although there is only local passenger navigation.There is a road connecting Kotlas
Kotlas
Kotlas is a town in the southeast of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Northern Dvina and Vychegda Rivers. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . It also serves as the administrative center of Kotlassky District, by which it is...
and Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
on the left bank of the Northern Dvina River. There are also local roads. There is regular passenger bus traffic over the district, and also from Krasnoborsk to Arkhangelsk. The right bank of the Northern Dvina River (including Verkhnyaya Toyma) is not connected by the all-season roads to the main road network.
There is an airport in Verkhnyaya Toyma, which used to generate considerable passenger traffic in 1980s, but it is now defunct.
Culture and recreation
The district contains four objects classified as cultural and historical heritage by Russian Federal law, and additionally seventy-five objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local importance. Most of these are wooden churches and wooden rural houses built prior to 1917.The four objects protected at the federal level are:
- Saint George Church (1672) in the village of Vershina — was moved in the museum of Malye KorelyMalye KorelyMalye Korely is a village in Primorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the north of Russia. The main sight of the village is an open-air museum, featuring the traditional wooden architecture of Arkhangelsk area...
in Arkhangelsk; - The ensemble of Soyezerskaya Pustyn including the Trinity Church (1748) and the bell-tower (18th century).
The only state museum in the District is Verkhnyaya Toyma District Museum in Verkhnyaya Toyma
Nizhnyaya Toyma painting school
Nizhnetoyemskaya Volost (now Nizhnetoyemsky Selsoviet) was a center of traditional wood painting crafts in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is characteristic of painting in black and red colors over a yellow background. Their favorite motifs were the Sirin BirdSirin
Sirin is a mythological creature of Russian legends, with the head and chest of a beautiful woman and the body of a bird . According to myth, the Sirins lived "in Indian lands" near Eden or around the Euphrates River....
and the black horses, symbols of a wealthy household. By 1970s, the craft declined.