Volkhov
It was previously known as Zvanka (until December 27, 1933), Volkhovstroy (until April 11, 1940).
The town developed during the industrialization in the first half of the 20th century. The settlement of Zvanka (Званка) with a train depot was built here while the railway connecting St. Petersburg with Vologda was being constructed. It was a part of Novoladozhsky Uyezd of St. Petersburg Governorate. A second rail line running north of the station towards Murmansk was constructed in 1916, making the station an important railway junction. In 1918, construction of the Volkhov Hydroelectric Station (the first in the Soviet Union) started on this spot. In 1926, the power plant became operational and in 1932, the first Soviet aluminum plant was launched nearby.
On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Volkhovsky District, with the administrative center in Zvanka, was established. The governorates were also abolished and the district became a part of Leningrad Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. On August 15, 1930, the okrugs were abolished as well and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On December 27, 1933, the settlements serving the station, the dam, and the aluminum plant were merged with several adjacent villages to form the town of Volkhovstroy. On September 19, 1939, Volkhovstroy became a town of oblast significance and on April 11, 1940, it was renamed Volkhov. During World War II, between 1941 and 1944, the Volkhov River separated the Soviet and the German positions, and Volkhov was a battleground scene. The city itself was never occupied by German troops, and in December 1941 the advance of the German troops to Volkhov was stopped by the Red Army.
In 2010, the administrative structure of Leningrad Oblast was harmonized with its municipal structure and Volkhov became a town of district significance.
Map - Volkhov
Map
Country - Russia
Flag of Russia |
The East Slavs emerged as a recognisable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries CE. The first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', arose in the 9th century, and in 988, it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire. Rus' ultimately disintegrated, with the Grand Duchy of Moscow growing to become the Tsardom of Russia. By the early 18th century, Russia had vastly expanded through conquest, annexation, and the efforts of Russian explorers, developing into the Russian Empire, which remains the third-largest empire in history. However, with the Russian Revolution in 1917, Russia's monarchic rule was abolished and replaced by the Russian SFSR—the world's first constitutionally socialist state. Following the Russian Civil War, the Russian SFSR established the Soviet Union (with three other Soviet republics), within which it was the largest and principal constituent. At the expense of millions of lives, the Soviet Union underwent rapid industrialization in the 1930s, and later played a decisive role for the Allies of World War II by leading large-scale efforts on the Eastern Front. With the onset of the Cold War, it competed with the United States for global ideological influence; the Soviet era of the 20th century saw some of the most significant Russian technological achievements, including the first human-made satellite and the first human expedition into outer space.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
RUB | Russian ruble | ₽ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
CE | Chechen language |
CV | Chuvash language |
KV | Komi language |
RU | Russian language |
TT | Tatar language |