Velikiye Luki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Velikiye Luki (Russian: Вели́кие Лу́ки); name also romanized as Velikie Luki, is a city on the meandering Lovat River in the southern part of Pskov Oblast, Russia. Its name is translated as "Great Meanders".[1] It is the second largest city in Pskov Oblast, with a population of 104,979 (2002 Census);[2] 113,745 (1989 Census).[3] The city is served by the Velikiye Luki Airport.
The city of Velikiye Luki was first mentioned in a chronicle under the year of 1166. After the construction of a fortress in 1211, Velikiye Luki turned into a city of strategic importance, defending the approaches to Pskov and Novgorod. It was incorporated into Muscovy by Ivan the Great in 1478. At the beginning of the 20th century, it evolved into an important railway hub following the construction of the railway connecting Moscow with Riga.
During the World War II, in 1941 and 1942, intensive fighting took place in the vicinity between German and Soviet forces . During the Battle of Velikiye Luki (in late 1942) a German force of about 7,000 was surrounded in the town which had been turned into a fortress. After months of heavy fighting, the German defenders were finally wiped out in January 1943. As a result of this siege, the city suffered almost total destruction.
Velikiye Luki has been claimed as the birth place of Soviet Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky. The Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Matrosov is buried in this city. Modest Mussorgsky's memorial house, standing on the bank of a large picturesque lake, is within easy range of the town.
[edit] References
- ^ ISBN 530900257Х. Г. П. Смолицкая. "Топонимический словарь Центральной России". "Армада-Пресс", 2002 (G. P. Smolitskaya. Toponymic Dictionary of Central Russia. Armada-Press, 2002)
- ^ Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved on 2008-07-25.
- ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров. (All Union Population Census of 1989. Present population of union and autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and okrugs, krais, oblasts, districts, urban settlements, and villages serving as district administrative centers.)" (in Russian). Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года (All-Union Population Census of 1989). Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics (1989). Retrieved on 2007-12-13.
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Cities and towns in Pskov Oblast |  |
| Administrative center: Pskov Dno | Gdov | Nevel | Novorzhev | Novosokolniki | Opochka | Ostrov | Pechory | Porkhov | Pustoshka | Pytalovo | Sebezh | Velikiye Luki |
