Toropets
Encyclopedia
Toropets is a town and the administrative center of Toropetsky District
of Tver Oblast
, Russia
, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomeno. Population:
s, Toropets belonged to the Princes of Smolensk
. By 1167, it was large enough to have its own princes. The most famous of its rulers was Mstislav the Bold
, whose grandson Alexander Nevsky
wed Alexandra of Polotsk in Toropets in 1239.
In the mid-15th century the town passed to the Great Duchy of Lithuania, which had to surrender it to Ivan III
following the Battle of Vedrosha
in 1503. In the early 17th century, Toropets was ransacked by the Polish
army. In 1777, the town became a part of the Pskov
guberniya
.
The Soviet authority in Toropets was established on October 30 (November 12), 1917. In 1935, the town was included into Kalinin Oblast (today's Tver Oblast). The town was occupied by the Wehrmacht
from August 29, 1941, until January 21, 1942, when it was liberated during the Toropets-Kholm Operation
.
The oldest brick churches in the town are dedicated to St Nicholas (1666–1669), to Our Lady of Kazan
(1698–1765), and to John the Baptist (1704).
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Toropetsky District
Toropetsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 36 in Tver Oblast, Russia....
of Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno...
, 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...
, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomeno. Population:
History
In 1074, when the town was first mentioned in chronicleChronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
s, Toropets belonged to the Princes of Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
. By 1167, it was large enough to have its own princes. The most famous of its rulers was Mstislav the Bold
Mstislav the Bold
Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold was one of the most popular and active princes of Kievan Rus' in the decades preceding Mongol invasion of Rus. He was the maternal grandfather of Alexander Nevsky and the prince Leo of Galicia....
, whose grandson Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military...
wed Alexandra of Polotsk in Toropets in 1239.
In the mid-15th century the town passed to the Great Duchy of Lithuania, which had to surrender it to Ivan III
Ivan III of Russia
Ivan III Vasilyevich , also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and "Grand Prince of all Rus"...
following the Battle of Vedrosha
Battle of Vedrosha
The battle on the Vedrosha River was a battle in the course of the Russo-Lithuanian war of 1500-1503 which ended with a decisive Russian victory and proved to be of strategic significance...
in 1503. In the early 17th century, Toropets was ransacked by the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
army. In 1777, the town became a part of the Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
guberniya
Guberniya
A guberniya was a major administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire usually translated as government, governorate, or province. Such administrative division was preserved for sometime upon the collapse of the empire in 1917. A guberniya was ruled by a governor , a word borrowed from Latin ,...
.
The Soviet authority in Toropets was established on October 30 (November 12), 1917. In 1935, the town was included into Kalinin Oblast (today's Tver Oblast). The town was occupied by the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
from August 29, 1941, until January 21, 1942, when it was liberated during the Toropets-Kholm Operation
Toropets-Kholm Operation
The Toropets–Kholm Offensive was a military operation conducted south of Lake Ilmen by the Red Army during World War II, from 9 January-6 February 1942. The operation contributed to the formation of the Kholm Pocket, the encirclement of the Wehrmachts II...
.
The oldest brick churches in the town are dedicated to St Nicholas (1666–1669), to Our Lady of Kazan
Our Lady of Kazan
Our Lady of Kazan, also called Theotokos of Kazan , was a holy icon of the highest stature within the Russian Orthodox Church, representing the Virgin Mary as the protector and patroness of the city of Kazan. Copies of the image are also venerated in the Catholic Church...
(1698–1765), and to John the Baptist (1704).
Further reading
Toropets. Materials for the history of cities XVII and XVIII centuries (1888) (Торопец. Материалы для истории городов XVII и XVIII столетий) at Runivers.ru in DjVuDjVu
DjVu is a computer file format designed primarily to store scanned documents, especially those containing a combination of text, line drawings, and photographs. It uses technologies such as image layer separation of text and background/images, progressive loading, arithmetic coding, and lossy...
and PDF formats