Plesetsky District

Plesetsky District Плесецкий район (Russian)
Location of Plesetsky District within Arkhangelsk Oblast
Coordinates: 62°42′N 40°17′E
Administrative status
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Arkhangelsk Oblast
Administrative center	urban-type settlement of Plesetsk
# of cities/towns	0
# of urban-type settlements	8
# of selsoviets	11
Municipal status (as of July 2011)
Municipally incorporated as	Plesetsky Municipal District
- # of urban settlements	8
- # of rural settlements	9
Statistics
Area	27,500 km2 (10,600 sq mi)
Population (2010 Census, preliminary)	49,318 inhabitants
Population (2002 Census)	58,257 inhabitants
- Urban population	62.5%
- Rural population	37.5%
Density	2 /km2 (5.2 /sq mi)
Time zone	MSD (UTC+04:00)
Established	July 15, 1929
District newspaper	Kuryer Prionezhya
Official website

Plesetsky District (Russian: Плесе́цкий райо́н) is an administrative district (raion) one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Plesetsky Municipal District. It is located in the western portion of the oblast and borders with Primorsky District in the north, Kholmogorsky District in the northeast, town of Mirny and Vinogradovsky District in the east, Shenkursky District in the southeast, Nyandomsky and Kargopolsky Districts in the south, Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia in the west, and Onezhsky District in the northwest. Its administrative center is the urban locality (a work settlement) of Plesetsk. District's population: 49,318 (2010 Census preliminary results); 58,257 (2002 Census); 83,357 (1989 Census). The population of Plesetsk accounts for 22.4% of the district's population.

The town of Mirny and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome are located at the territory of the district but are administered by the federal government of Russia.

History

The area was originally populated by the Finno-Ugric peoples and then colonized by the Novgorod Republic. It was located at the trading routes connecting central and northern Russia: first, from Moscow to the White Sea along the Onega River, and then, after 1765, along the newly built road between Saint-Petersburg and Arkhangelsk, which still exists and passes Kargopol and Plesetsk.

In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, the area was divided between Ingermanland Governorate (known from 1710 as Saint Petersburg Governorate) and Archangelgorod Governorate. In the course of consequent administrative reforms, some parts of the district were included into Kargopolsky and Pudozhsky Uyezds and were transferred in 1727 to Novgorod Governorate, ending up by 1801 in Olonets Governorate. Archangelgorod Governorate was abolished and transformed into Vologda Viceroyalty, and in 1796, Arkhangelsk Governorate was established, including Onezhsky and Arkhangelsky Uyezds. In particular, when in 1897 the railroad between Vologda and Arkhangelsk was built, Plesetskaya railway station was located in Arkhangelsky Uyezd.

During the Russian Civil War in 1918, battles were fought between the Red Army and the British troops in Plesetsk and around.

On July 15, 1929, the uyezds were abolished, the governorates merged into Northern Krai, and Plesetsky District was established among others. It became a part of Arkhangelsk Okrug of Northern Krai.

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. Plesetsky District remained in Arkhangelsk Oblast ever since.

Between July 15, 1929 and January 1, 1963, Priozyorny District with the center in the selo of Konyovo existed and was a part of Northern Krai, Northern Oblast, and then Arkhangelsk Oblast. In 1963, it was merged with Plesetsky District. In 1966, Mirny, at the time a work settlement, was transferred from Plesetsky District to the oblast administration, and eventually to the federal administration.

Between July 15, 1929 and July 31, 1931, Chekuyevsky District with the center in the selo of Chekuyevo existed and was a part of Northern Krai. In 1931, the district was abolished, and its area divided between Plesetsky and Onezhsky Districts.

Location and geography

A rural view in Plesetsky District

The western part of the district belongs to the river basin of the Onega, which is the biggest river in the district. The Onega crosses the district from the south to the north, splitting it into two parts of roughly equal areas. The biggest tributaries of the Onega within the district are the Kena and the Mosha. The northeastern part of the district mostly drains into the Yemtsa River, which is a major tributary of the Northern Dvina. Minor areas in the west of the district drain into the Vodla River across the border with the Republic of Karelia.

There are many lakes in the district, especially in the west. Two of the biggest lakes of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Lake Kenozero and Lake Undozero, both in the river basin of the Kena, are located within the district.

The major part of the district is covered by coniferous forests (taiga).

The southwestern part of the district, including Lake Kenozero, is included into Kenozyorsky National Park (which is split between Kargopolsky and Plesetsky Districts).

Divisions

Administrative divisions

Administratively, the district is divided into eleven selsoviets and has jurisdiction over eight urban-type settlements (Obozersky, Oksovsky, Plesetsk, Puksoozero, Samoded, Savinsky, Severoonezhsk, and Yemtsa). The following selsoviets have been established (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):

• Fedovsky (Fedovo):
• Kenoretsky (Karyakino);
• Kenozersky (Vershinino);
• Kholmogorsky (Lomovoye);
• Konyovsky (Konyovo);
• Krasnovsky (Kokovka);
• Pochezersky (Nizhneye Ustye);
• Sosnovsky (Letneozersky);
• Tarasovsky (Podvolochye);
• Undozersky (Undozero);
• Yarnemsky (Ulitino).

Municipal divisions

Municipally, the district is divided into eight urban settlements and nine rural settlements:

Urban settlements	Administrative center
Obozerskoye Urban Settlement (Обозерское городское поселение)	work settlement of Obozersky
Oksovskoye Urban Settlement (Оксовское городское поселение)	work settlement of Oksovsky
Plesetskoye Urban Settlement (Плесецкое городское поселение)	work settlement of Plesetsk
Puksoozerskoye Urban Settlement (Пуксоозерское городское поселение)	work settlement of Puksoozero
Samodedskoye Urban Settlement (Самодедское городское поселение)	work settlement of Samoded
Savinskoye Urban Settlement (Савинское городское поселение)	work settlement of Savinsky
Severoonezhskoye Urban Settlement (Североонежское городское поселение)	work settlement of Severoonezhsk
Yemtsovskoye Urban Settlement (Емцовское городское поселение)	work settlement of Yemtsa
Rural settlements	Administrative center
Fedovskoye Rural Settlement (Федовское сельское поселение)	selo of Fedovo
Kenoretskoye Rural Settlement (Кенорецкое сельское поселение)	village of Koryakino
Kenozerskoye Rural Settlement (Кенозерское сельское поселение)	village of Vershinino
Kholmogorskoye Rural Settlement (Холмогорское сельское поселение)	settlement of Lomovoye
Konyovskoye Rural Settlement (Конёвское сельское поселение)	selo of Konyovo
Pochezerskoye Rural Settlement (Почезерское сельское поселение)	village of Nizhneye Ustye
Tarasovskoye Rural Settlement (Тарасовское сельское поселение)	village of Podvolochye
Undozerskoye Rural Settlement (Ундозерское сельское поселение)	settlement of Undozero
Yarnemskoye Rural Settlement (Ярнемское сельское поселение)	settlement of Ulitino

Economy

Industry

Bauxite extraction (close to Severoonezhsk) is a developed industry in the district. The bauxites were discovered in the area in 1949, and the extraction began in 1978. A big cement plant is located in Savinsky. Timber industry is also an important branch.

Transport

Plesetsk is located on the road connecting Kargopol with one of the principal highways in Russia, M8 between Moscow and Arkhangelsk (the highways meet in the village of Brin-Navolok). This is the historic trading route which connected Kargopol with Arkhangelsk before the railroad was built, and long stretches of this road are still unpaved. The stretch between Kargopol and Plesetsk was paved in 2011.

Plesetsk (Plesetskaya station) is located on the railway line between Moscow and Arkhangelsk (built in the south-north direction). In Obozersky, the line to Onega and Belomorsk branches off to the west from the main railway. From Severoonezhsk, a railway line to the west, connecting to Undozero and Yangory (an extension of the line from Puksa to Navolok) is one of the biggest railways in Russia which does not belong to Russian Railways. The owner of the railway is the State Department of Corrections. Plans to extend this line to Medvezhyegorsk have not been realized.

The Onega is not navigable within the limits of the district because of the rapids.

Culture and recreation

The Intercession Chapel (18th century) in the selo of Konyovo

Plesetsky District has a very high concentration of historical, archaeological, and architectural monuments. The district contains fourteen objects classified as cultural and historical heritage by Russian Federal law, and additionally 110 objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local importance. Most of these are wooden churches, chapels, farms, and also monuments to the Red Army soldiers who died in the Russian Civil War. Some of the protected wooden buildings are located in Kenozyorsky National Park.

The monuments classified as historical and architectural heritage are the following,

• The Porzhensky Pogost, which is the ensemble of St. George church with the bell-tower (both from 18th century) surrounded by the wooden wall with gates and towers (1789). The villages adjacent to Porzhensky Pogost have been deserted, and there is no road heading to it, so that the Pogost is only accessible via a pedestrian trail.
• The Pochozersky Pogost in the village of Filippovskaya, on lake Pochozero. This is a triple church ensemble which consists of the big summer (cold) church of the Origin of the Wood of the Cross (1783), smaller winter (warm) church of the Translation of the Head of John the Baptist (end of 18th century), and the bell-tower; additionally there is the Chapel of Cyric and Ulita (beginning of 19th century) in the same village.
• The St. Ilia Church (1622) in Zadnyaya Dubrova.
• The St. Nicholas Church in Berezhnaya Dubrova.
• The Intercession Chapel (18th century) in Konyovo.
• The St. Iliya Church (1855) in Malye Ozerki.

Some of the monuments have been protected as part of the Kenozyorsky National Park.

The district weekly newspaper, Kuryer Prionezhya (Курьер Прионежья) has been published since 1999. The editorial office is in the settlement of Severoonezhsk.

References

Sources

• Архангельское областное Собрание депутатов. Областной закон №65-5-ОЗ от 23 сентября 2009 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Архангельской области», в ред. Областного закона №150-12-ОЗ от 4 мая 2010 г «О внесении изменений и дополнений в отдельные областные законы». Вступил в силу через десять дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Волна", №43, 6 октября 2009 г. (Arkhangelsk Oblast Council of Deputies. Oblast Law #65-5-OZ of September 23, 2009 On the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Arkhangelsk Oblast, as amended by the Oblast Law #150-12-OZ of May 4, 2010 On Amending and Supplementing Certain Oblast Laws. Effective as of the day ten days after the official publication.).
• Архангельское областное Собрание депутатов. Областной закон №258-внеоч.-ОЗ от 23 сентября 2004 г. «О статусе и границах территорий муниципальных образований в Архангельской области (текст в ред. от 15 февраля 2010 г.)», в ред. Областного закона №309-23-ОЗ от 7 июля 2011 г «О внесении изменений и дополнений в отдельные Областные законы в сфере организации и осуществления местного самоуправления». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Волна", №38, 8 октября 2004 г. (Arkhangelsk Oblast Council of Deputies. Oblast Law #258-vneoch.-OZ of September 23, 2004 On the Status and Borders of the Territories of the Municipal Formations in Arkhangelsk Oblast (text of rev. of February 15, 2010), as amended by the Oblast Law #309-23-OZ of July 7, 2011 On Amending and Supplementing Several Oblast Laws on the Subject of Organization and Implementation of the Local Self-Government. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).

External links

• "Официальный сайт администрации муниципального образования "Плесецкий муниципальный район" / Official website of the district administration" (in Russian). http://www.moples.ru/. Retrieved July 2, 2011.