Onezhsky District
Encyclopedia
Onezhsky District is an administrative district (raion
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 Onezhsky Municipal District. It is located in the northwest 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 Primorsky District
Primorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Primorsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Primorsky Municipal District...

 in the northeast, Plesetsky District in the southeast, Pudozhsky
Pudozhsky District
Pudozhsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Pudozhsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Pudozh. District's population: 27,538 ; Population of Pudozh accounts for 44.8% of...

, Medvezhyegorsky
Medvezhyegorsky District
Medvezhyegorsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Medvezhyegorsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Medvezhyegorsk. District's population: 38,388 ; Population of...

, and Segezhsky District
Segezhsky District
Segezhsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Segezhsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Segezha. District's population: 15,624 ; Population of Segezha accounts for 71.9% of...

s of the Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...

 in the southwest, and Belomorsky District
Belomorsky District
Belomorsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Belomorsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Belomorsk. District's population: 24,003 ; Population of Belomorsk accounts for...

 of the Republic of Karelia in the west. From the north, the district borders 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...

. Its administrative center is the town of Onega. District's population:

The town of oblast significance
City of federal subject significance
City of federal subject significance is an umbrella term used to refer to a type of an administrative division of a federal subject of Russia which is equal in status to a district but is organized around a large city; occasionally with surrounding rural territories.According to the 1993...

 of Onega is administratively separate from the district, but municipally is a part of it (incorporated as Onega Urban Settlement).

History

The area was originally populated by the Finno-Ugric peoples
Finno-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...

. It was located at the trading route connecting central and northern Russia, from Moscow to the White Sea along the Onega River. 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....

. The descendants of the Novgorod population are the Pomors who inhabit the White Sea coast and traditionally are engaged in fishery. Many villages in the district along the coast, such as Unezhma (now abandoned), have historical significance as old Pomor villages. The western coast of the Onega Bay
Onega Bay
The Onega Bay is located in [the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia, west of the city of Arkhangelsk. It is the southernmost of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Dvina Bay, the Mezen Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The area of the bay is...

 is known as Pomor Coast (Pomorsky Bereg).

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...

, and Onega was granted town rights. In 1796, the area 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...

. The current territory of the district was included into Onezhsky Uyezd. In 1929, 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, the governorates 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...

, and Onezhsky 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. Onezhsky District remained in Arkhangelsk Oblast ever since.

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

On December 17, 1940, Belomorsky District was established on the Onega Peninsula
Onega Peninsula
The Onega Peninsula is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It protrudes into the White Sea, with Onega Bay to the south-west, and Dvina Bay to the north-east. The length of the peninsula is about , and the width varies between and .-Geography:...

, on the areas which previously were parts of Primorsky
Primorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Primorsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Primorsky Municipal District...

 and Onezhsky Districts. The administrative center of the district was established in the selo of Pertominsk. On September 30, 1958, Belomorsky District was abolished, with its area shared between Primorsky and Onezhsky Districts.

Location and geography

The district occupies the lower course of the Onega River
Onega River
The Onega is a river in Kargopolsky, Plesetsky, and Onezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. The Onega connects Lake Lacha with the Onega Bay in the White Sea southwest of Arkhangelsk, flowing in the northern direction. The discharge at the source is and at the mouth is . The river is ...

 and 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...

 coast around the Onega Bay
Onega Bay
The Onega Bay is located in [the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia, west of the city of Arkhangelsk. It is the southernmost of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Dvina Bay, the Mezen Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The area of the bay is...

, including the western part of the Onega Peninsula
Onega Peninsula
The Onega Peninsula is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It protrudes into the White Sea, with Onega Bay to the south-west, and Dvina Bay to the north-east. The length of the peninsula is about , and the width varies between and .-Geography:...

 (which it shares with Primorsky District
Primorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Primorsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Primorsky Municipal District...

. The area of the district drains to the Onega and short rivers of the Onega Bay basin. The main tributaries of the Onega within the district limits are the Kodina River
Kodina River
The Kodina is a river in Primorsky and Onezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Onega River. It is long, and the area of its basin...

 and the Kozha River. The exception is the southwestern part of the district which drains into the Ileksa River
Ileksa River
The Ileksa is a river in Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia in Russia. It is the principal tributary of Lake Vodlozero, and thus belongs to the basins of Lake Onega and of the Baltic Sea. It is long, and the area of its basin...

, a tributary of Lake Vodlozero
Lake Vodlozero
Lake Vodlozero is a large freshwater lake in the southeastern part of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It is located at and has an area of 322 km². It is 36 km long and 16 km wide. There are more than 190 islands on the lake. Vodlozero is used for fishery. It freezes up in early...

, in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...

 basin. The divide between Arctic and Atlantic Oceans thus runs through the district. There are many lakes throughout the district; the biggest one being Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero is a freshwater lake, located in the south of Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and biggest one in Onezhsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...

, the source of the Kozha, a left tributary of the Onega. The islands in the Onega Bay are also administered by Onezhsky District. The biggest island of the Onega Bay is Kiy Island
Kiy Island
Kiy-Island is an island in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, 8 km off-shore and 15 km from the town of Onega. The island stretches for 2 kilometres from north-west to south-east, but its width does not exceed 800 meters.The island includes wide and sandy beaches, piny woods rich with...

.

Vodlozersky National Park was established in 1991 in the river valley of the Ileksa to protect the 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...

 coniferous forests. Since 2001, the National Park has the status of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the first one in Russia. The park is shared between Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Pudozhsky District
Pudozhsky District
Pudozhsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Pudozhsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Pudozh. District's population: 27,538 ; Population of Pudozh accounts for 44.8% of...

 of the Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...

. It was planned that one more national park, Onezhskoye Pomorye National Park, would be opened at the coast of the Onega Peninsula to protect pristine forests; however, the creation of the park was delayed and is not currently on the agenda.

Administrative divisions

Administratively, the district is divided into thirteen selsoviet
Selsoviet
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...

 (Maloshuyka
Maloshuyka
Maloshuyka is an urban locality in Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Maloshuyka River off the White Sea coast and southwest of the town of Onega. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Maloshuyskoye Urban Settlement, one of the two urban settlements in the...

). Two other localities which previously had a urban-type settlement status were downgraded to rural localities in 2002. These are Kodino and Mudyuga. The following selsoviets have been established (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):
  • Chekuyevsky (Antsiferovsky Bor);
  • Khachelsky (Khachela);
  • Kodinsky (Kodino);
  • Kokorinsky (Porog);
  • Mudyuzhsky (Mudyuga);
  • Nimengsky (Nimenga);
  • Posadny (Posad);
  • Priluksky (Priluki);
  • Purnemsky (Purnema);
  • Sulozersky (Zolotukha);
  • Tamitsky (Tamitsa);
  • Ust-Kozhsky (Ust-Kozha);
  • Vekhneozersky (Vekhneozersky).

Municipal divisions

Municipally, the district is divided into two urban settlements and six rural settlements (the administrative centers are given in parentheses):
  • Maloshuyskoue Urban Settlement (Maloshuyka
    Maloshuyka
    Maloshuyka is an urban locality in Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Maloshuyka River off the White Sea coast and southwest of the town of Onega. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Maloshuyskoye Urban Settlement, one of the two urban settlements in the...

    );
  • Onezhskoye Urban Settlement (Onega);
  • Chekuyevskoye Rural Settlement (Antsiferovsky Bor);
  • Kodinskoye Rural Settlement (Kodino);
  • Nimengskoye Rural Settlement (Nimenga);
  • Pokrovskoye Rural Settlement (Pokrovskoye);
  • Porozhskoye Rural Settlement (Porog);
  • Zolotukhskoye Rural Settlement (Zolotukha).

Industry

The economy of the district is based on timber industry. There is also production of construction materials.

Agriculture

Fishery was a traditional occupation of Pomors on the White Sea coast. There are still two fishing collective farms
Collective farming
Collective farming and communal farming are types of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise...

. Inland, there is production of milk and meat as well as potatoes and vegetables.

Transport

The only railway line in the district branches off in Obozerskaya railway station from the railroad between Moscow and Arkhangelsk and runs west to Onega and Belomorsk
Belomorsk
Belomorsk is a town and the administrative center of Belomorsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Onega Bay on the shore of the White Sea. Population:...

 where it joins the railroad between Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...

 and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...

. It was built during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 to secure the transport of goods from the harbor of Murmansk to central Russia.

Onega is connected to Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina River, west of Arkhangelsk. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . Municipally, it is incorporated as Severodvinsk Urban Okrug. The city was founded as...

 by a road. There are no all-seasonal roads on the left bank of the Onega River within the district.

The Onega is navigable downstream from the selo of Porog; there is regular passenger navigation. There is also limited passenger service on the Onega Bay
Onega Bay
The Onega Bay is located in [the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia, west of the city of Arkhangelsk. It is the southernmost of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Dvina Bay, the Mezen Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The area of the bay is...

.

Onega is served by the Onega Airport which has weekly passenger flights to 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...

 and to the selo of Purnema on the Onega Peninsula
Onega Peninsula
The Onega Peninsula is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It protrudes into the White Sea, with Onega Bay to the south-west, and Dvina Bay to the north-east. The length of the peninsula is about , and the width varies between and .-Geography:...

.

Culture and recreation

Onezhsky District has a very high concentration of historical, archaeological, and architectural monuments. The district contains thirty-two objects classified as cultural and historical heritage by Russian Federal law, and additionally eighteen objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local importance. Most of these are wooden churches and chapels located in the area.

The monuments classified as historical and architectural heritage are the following:
  • The Ascention Church in the village of Kusheretskaya (17th century) — has been moved to the Malye Korely
    Malye Korely
    Malye 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...

     open air museum;
  • The ensemble of Makaryinsky Pogost (St. Makarius Church, the Church of the Erection of the Cross, and the bell-tower, 17th and 18th century) in the village of Makaryinskaya — burnt down in 1985 and does not exist any more;
  • The wooden St. Nicholas church in the village of Nizhmozero — burnt down in 1970s;
  • The wooden St. Iliya Church in the village of Vazentsy — destroyed in 1970s;
  • The ensemble of Verkhnemudyugsky Pogost (the Church of the Entrance to Jerusalem, the Church of the Tikhvin icon of the Virgin, and the bell-tower, 18th century) in the village of Verkhovye — burnt down in 1997 and does not exist any more;
  • The ensemble of the former monastery on Kiy Island
    Kiy Island
    Kiy-Island is an island in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, 8 km off-shore and 15 km from the town of Onega. The island stretches for 2 kilometres from north-west to south-east, but its width does not exceed 800 meters.The island includes wide and sandy beaches, piny woods rich with...

    ;
  • The ensemble of the Maloshuyka Pogost, consisting of wooden St. Nicholas Church (1638), the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (1873), and the bell-tower (1825), located in the village of Abramovskaya;
  • The chapel of the Erection of the Cross (18th century) in the village of Matveevka;
  • The chapel of St. George in the village of Nermushi;
  • The ensemble of the Piyala Pogost, consisting of the Ascencion Church (1654) and the bell-tower (1700);
  • The ensemble of the Purnema Pogost, consisting of the St. Nicholas Church (1618) and the Nativity Church (1860);
  • The ensemble of the Turchasovsky Pogost, consisting of the Transfiguration Church (1786) and the bell-tower (1908).


The most notable wooden churches are triple church ensembles, which consist of two churches (a bigger, not heated, church used in the summer, a smaller, heated church used in the winter, and a bell-tower). Not more than a dozen of these triple wooden ensembles survived intact, and two of them (the Piyala Pogost and the ensemble in the selo of Vorzogory) are located in Onezhsky District, in the village of Abramovskaya. Two more, Makaryinsky Pogost and Verkhnemudyugsky Pogost, burned down in 1985 and 1997, respectively.

The Kozheozersky Monastery
Kozheozersky Monastery
Kozheozersky Monastery is a Russian Orthodox monastery founded by Niphont of Kozheozero and Serapion of Kozheozero in 1550s. The monastery is located on a peninsula in Lake Kozhozero, in Onezhsky District in the north-west of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia...

, founded in 1560, has a great historical value. Nikon
Patriarch Nikon
Nikon , born Nikita Minin , was the seventh patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church...

, the future patriarch of Moscow and reformer of Russian Orthodox Church, was an abbot of the monastery from 1643 to 1646. The monastery is located on a peninsula (formerly an island) on Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero is a freshwater lake, located in the south of Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and biggest one in Onezhsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...

 and can only be accessed by hiking up the Kozha River for several days.

The only state museum in the district is the Onega Historical Museum.
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