Verkhovazhsky District
Encyclopedia
Verkhovazhsky District is an administrative district (raion
), one of the twenty-six
in Vologda Oblast
, Russia
. Municipally, it is incorporated as Verkhovazhsky Municipal District. It is located in the north of the oblast
and borders with Velsky District
of Arkhangelsk Oblast
in the north, Ustyansky District
of Arkhangelsk Oblast in the northeast, Tarnogsky District
s in the east, Totemsky District
in the south, Syamzhensky District
in the southwest, Vozhegodsky District
in the west, and Konoshsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in the northwest. The area of the district is 4260 square kilometres (1,644.8 sq mi). Its administrative center is the selo of Verkhovazhye
. District's population: 16,346 (2002 Census
); Population of Verkhovazhye accounts for 31.8% of the district's population.
(it was controlled first by Novgorodians
, and after the fall of Novgorod was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Moscow
), and the later construction of the surface road connecting Moscow and Arkhangelsk, by 17th century Verkhovazhye was a major trading settlement. In 18th century industry was introduced, which included a distillery, an iron works, and a paper production plant. In 18th century, Verkhovazhnsky Posad (currently Verkhovazhye) was one of the main trading towns in the Russian North, holding two annual fairs.
In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great the area was included into Archangelgorod Governorate
. Vaga volosts were explicitly mentioned as one of the towns included in the governorate. In 1780, the governorate was abolished and transformed into Vologda Viceroyalty
. The latter was abolished in 1796, and the part of it which included Verkhovazhye was made Vologda Governorate
. Since 1780, the upper Vaga lands were part of Velsky Uyezd with the administrative center in the town of Velsk.
In 1929, several governorates, including Vologda Governorate, were merged into Northern Krai
. On July 15, 1929, the uyezds were abolished, and Velsky Uyezd was split into Velsky, Verkhovazhsky, and Ustyansky Districts. Verkhovazhsky District became a part of Nyandoma Okrug of Northern Krai.
In 1930, the okrug was abolished, and the district became subordinate to the central administration of Northern Krai. On July 30, 1931, Verkhovazhsky District was merged into Velsky District (with the exception of Zhikhovsky Selsoviet, which was transferred to Totemsky District), and on January 25, 1935, it was reestablished. In 1936, the krai was transformed into Northern Oblast. In 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Verkhovazhsky District remained in Vologda Oblast ever since.
(the name of the district center, Verkhovazhye, means literally on the Upper Vaga) and its tributaries
, the major of which are the Kuloy
in the east and the Pezhma
in the west. Areas in the west and in the southwest of the district drain to the tributaries of the Kubena
, in the river basin of the Sukhona
. The whole area of the district belongs to the river basin of the Northern Dvina.
There are many swamps in the districts, most of them are located in the valleys of the Vaga and the Kuloy. The river basins of the Vaga and the Kuloy are separated by the chain of hills which runs through the district from the north to the south.
85% of the district are is covered by forests. In particular, spruce
occupies 44% of all forested areas, birch
occupies 22%, pine
- 25%, and aspen
- 3% of all forested areas.
There are three natural monuments of local significance in the district protecting various landscapes,
In additional, the Chugly Park created by Illarion Dudorov 47 kilometres (29.2 mi) from Verkhovazhye, is protected as a natural monument since 2002.
, eleven privately owned mid-scale farms, and one private small-scale farms operated in the district. The main directions were cattle breeding and flax
growing. The flax growing, which was a traditional occupation of the peasants in the area, was named a priority direction.
, which connects Moscow
and Arkhangelsk
, crosses the district from the south to the north, bypassing Verkhovazhye. There are also local roads, with the bus traffic originating from Verkhovazhye.
None of the rivers are navigable in the limits of the district.
The only state museum in the district is the Historical Museum of Verkhovazhsky District, located in the selo of Verkhovazhye.
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-six
Administrative divisions of Vologda Oblast
Administratively, Vologda Oblast is divided into four cities and towns of oblast significance and twenty-six districts.In terms of the area, the biggest administrative district is Vytegorsky District ....
in Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is Vologda. The largest city is Cherepovets.Vologda Oblast is rich in historic monuments, such as the magnificent Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Ferapontov Convent , medieval towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Belozersk, baroque...
, 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 Verkhovazhsky Municipal District. It is located in the north 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 Velsky District
Velsky District
Velsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Velsky Municipal District...
of 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....
in the north, 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...
of Arkhangelsk Oblast in the northeast, Tarnogsky District
Tarnogsky District
Tarnogsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Tarnogsky Municipal District...
s in the east, Totemsky District
Totemsky District
Totemsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Totemsky Municipal District...
in the south, Syamzhensky District
Syamzhensky District
Syamzhensky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Syamzhensky Municipal District...
in the southwest, Vozhegodsky District
Vozhegodsky District
Vozhegodsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Vozhegodsky Municipal District...
in the west, and Konoshsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in the northwest. The area of the district is 4260 square kilometres (1,644.8 sq mi). Its administrative center is the selo of Verkhovazhye
Verkhovazhye
Verkhovazhye is a rural locality and the administrative center of Verkhovazhsky District, Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. It also serves as the administrative center of Verkhovazhsky Selsoviet, one of the fourteen selsoviets into which the district is...
. District's population: 16,346 (2002 Census
Russian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...
); Population of Verkhovazhye accounts for 31.8% of the district's population.
History
The area of Verkhovazhye and the upper course of the Vaga were populated already in 13th century. Due to its location on one of the main waterways connecting central Russia and the White SeaWhite 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...
(it was controlled first by Novgorodians
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...
, and after the fall of Novgorod was transferred to 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....
), and the later construction of the surface road connecting Moscow and Arkhangelsk, by 17th century Verkhovazhye was a major trading settlement. In 18th century industry was introduced, which included a distillery, an iron works, and a paper production plant. In 18th century, Verkhovazhnsky Posad (currently Verkhovazhye) was one of the main trading towns in the Russian North, holding two annual fairs.
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...
. Vaga volosts were explicitly mentioned as one of the towns included in the governorate. 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...
. The latter was abolished in 1796, and the part of it which included Verkhovazhye was made Vologda Governorate
Vologda Governorate
The Vologda Governorate or Government of Vologda was a guberniya in the historical northern region of the European part of Russian Empire.In its size it was second right after the neighboring Archangelgorod Governorate...
. Since 1780, the upper Vaga lands were part of Velsky Uyezd with the administrative center in the town of Velsk.
In 1929, several governorates, including Vologda Governorate, 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, and Velsky Uyezd was split into Velsky, Verkhovazhsky, and Ustyansky Districts. Verkhovazhsky District became a part of Nyandoma Okrug of Northern Krai.
In 1930, the okrug was abolished, and the district became subordinate to the central administration of Northern Krai. On July 30, 1931, Verkhovazhsky District was merged into Velsky District (with the exception of Zhikhovsky Selsoviet, which was transferred to Totemsky District), and on January 25, 1935, it was reestablished. In 1936, the krai was transformed into Northern Oblast. In 1937, Northern Oblast was split into Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vologda Oblast. Verkhovazhsky District remained in Vologda Oblast ever since.
Location and geography
The area of the district is slightly elongated from the west to the east. It is crossed from the south to the north by the Vaga RiverVaga River
The Vaga is a river in Totemsky, Syamzhensky, and Verkhovazhsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Velsky, Shenkursky, and Vinogradovsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left and the biggest tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
(the name of the district center, Verkhovazhye, means literally on the Upper Vaga) and its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, the major of which are the Kuloy
Kuloy River (Vaga)
The Kuloy is a river in Totemsky and Verkhovazhsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and Velsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Vaga River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
in the east and the Pezhma
Pezhma River
The Pezhma is a river in Vozhegodsky and Verkhovazhsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Konoshsky and Velsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Vaga River. It is long, and the area of its basin . Its main tributary is the Semzhenga .The source of the Pezhma...
in the west. Areas in the west and in the southwest of the district drain to the tributaries of the Kubena
Kubena River
The Kubena is a river in Konoshsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Vozhegodsky, Syamzhensky, Kharovsky, Sokolsky, and Ust-Kubinsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin . The Kubena is the principal tributary of Lake Kubenskoye and belongs to the basins...
, in the river basin of the Sukhona
Sukhona River
The Sukhona is a river in the European pert of Russia, a tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The course of the Sukhona lies in Ust-Kubinsky, Sokolsky, Mezhdurechensky, Totemsky, Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky, and Velikoustyugsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It is long, and the area of its...
. The whole area of the district belongs to the river basin of the Northern Dvina.
There are many swamps in the districts, most of them are located in the valleys of the Vaga and the Kuloy. The river basins of the Vaga and the Kuloy are separated by the chain of hills which runs through the district from the north to the south.
85% of the district are is covered by forests. In particular, spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
occupies 44% of all forested areas, birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
occupies 22%, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
- 25%, and aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
- 3% of all forested areas.
There are three natural monuments of local significance in the district protecting various landscapes,
- Listvennichny Bor Landscape ZakaznikZakaznikZakaznik is a type of protected area in Russia and other former Soviet republics such as Ukraine that meets World Conservation Union's category III, or more frequently category VII criteria....
(Larch wood) 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) south of Verkhovazhye, protects a stand of Siberian larchSiberian LarchThe Siberian Larch or Russian Larch is a frost-hardy tree native to western Russia, from close to the Finnish border east to the Yenisei valley in central Siberia, where it hybridises with the Dahurian Larch L...
; - Verkhovazhsky Les Landscape Zakaznik, in the valley of the Vaga close to Verkhovazhye, protects the landscapes of the Vaga valley;
- Ivoninsky Bor Landscape Zakaznik, in the valley of the Kuloy at the border with Arkhangelsk Oblast, to protect glacial lake landscapes.
In additional, the Chugly Park created by Illarion Dudorov 47 kilometres (29.2 mi) from Verkhovazhye, is protected as a natural monument since 2002.
Industry
The economy of the district is based on timber industry, which is, however, steadily on decline. There is also food industry, mainly bread baking.Agriculture
In 2010, three collective farmsCollective farming
Collective farming and communal farming are types of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise...
, eleven privately owned mid-scale farms, and one private small-scale farms operated in the district. The main directions were cattle breeding and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
growing. The flax growing, which was a traditional occupation of the peasants in the area, was named a priority direction.
Transport
One of the principal highways in Russia, M8M8 highway (Russia)
The Russian route M8, also known as the Kholmogory Highway or Yaroslavl highway, is a major trunk road that links Moscow to the Russian North in general and the sea harbour of Arkhangelsk in particular...
, which connects Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
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...
, crosses the district from the south to the north, bypassing Verkhovazhye. There are also local roads, with the bus traffic originating from Verkhovazhye.
None of the rivers are navigable in the limits of the district.
Culture and recreation
The district contains 174 objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. Most of these are wooden farms and churches built prior to 1917.The only state museum in the district is the Historical Museum of Verkhovazhsky District, located in the selo of Verkhovazhye.