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Yelnya Ельня
Town
A street in Yelnya
FlagCoat of arms
Location of Yelnya
YelnyaLocation of YelnyaShow map of RussiaYelnyaYelnya (Smolensk Oblast)Show map of Smolensk Oblast
Coordinates: 54°35′N 33°11′E / 54.583°N 33.183°E / 54.583; 33.183
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Smolensk Oblast
Administrative district	Yelninsky District
Urban settlement	Yelninskoye
First mentioned	1150
Town status since	1776
Area
• Total	97.94 km (37.81 sq mi)
Elevation	230 m (750 ft)
Population
• Total	10,095
• Density	100/km (270/sq mi)
Administrative status
• Capital of	Yelninsky District, Yelninskoye Urban Settlement
Municipal status
• Municipal district	Yelninsky Municipal District
• Urban settlement	Yelninskoye Urban Settlement
• Capital of	Yelninsky Municipal District, Yelninskoye Urban Settlement
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK )
Postal code(s)	216330
Dialing code(s)	+7 48146
OKTMO ID	66619101001

Yelnya (Russian: Е́льня) is a town and the administrative center of Yelninsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Desna River, 82 kilometers (51 mi) from Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. The population was 10,095 (2010 Census); 10,798 (2002 Census); 9,868 (1989 Soviet census).

Etymology

Yelnya's name is likely related to the Russian word "ель"('yel', lit. fir tree) or "елань" (yelan', lit. land cleared from forest).

History

It was first mentioned in the historical documents in 1150 when according to the order of knyaz Rostislav of Smolensk it was to pay a tax of four grivnas and a fox skin.

The settlement shared the history of the Smolensk lands—it paid duty to the Golden Horde, then was captured by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was returned to Russia with the rest of the Smolensk Voivodeship at the close of the Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667. In 1776, it was granted town status and became the seat of an uyezd.

In 1812, during the French invasion of Russia, Yelnya became an important center of the partisan movement. During the counter-offensive campaign, Mikhail Kutuzov's headquarters were located here.

In October 1928, Yelninsky Uyezd was abolished and split between Smolensky, Roslavlsky, and Vyazemsky Uyezds. On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Yelninsky District with the administrative center in Yelnya was established. The district belonged to Smolensk Okrug of Western Oblast. On August 1, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. On 27 September 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between Oryol and Smolensk Oblasts. Yelninsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast.

During World War II, Yelnya was a place of several important battles. On 30 August 1941, it became the place of the Yelnya Offensive, the first successful offensive operation of Soviet troops in the Great Patriotic War, although they suffered heavy losses taking the town. In 1942, Yelninsky District became a part of the so-called "Dorogobuzh Partisan Krai". The German garrison in the town was not able to control the rural territories which were effectively under the partisan control. In March 1942, partisans even liberated the town, killing more than a thousand German troops, but in three days on March 18, 1942 they were forced to retreat back to the forests.

289 Jews used to live in Yelnya in 1939 but in March 1942, 230 Jews were shot by German units in a mass execution.

In August 1943, Yelnya played the key part in the Battle of Smolensk. On August 30, Germans were forced to abandon Yelnya, sustaining heavy casualties. This started a full-scale German retreat from the area. By September 3, Soviet forces reached the eastern shore of the Dnieper.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Yelnya serves as the administrative center of Yelninsky District. As an administrative division, it is, together with ten rural localities, incorporated within Yelninsky District as Yelninskoye Urban Settlement. As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban settlement status and is a part of Yelninsky Municipal District.

Economy

Industry

The town has a cheese factory, a large bakery, a brick factory, and a few sawmills.

Transportation

Yelnya railway station is on the railway connecting Smolensk and Sukhinichi via Spas-Demensk. There is infrequent passenger navigation.

Yelnya is connected by roads with Safonovo (where it has access to the M1 highway connecting Moscow and Smolensk), with Pochinok, and with Roslavl.

Culture and recreation

There is a local museum in Yelnya.

Town of Glory, a German-financed 2019 documentary, by Dmitry Bogolyubov and Anna Shishova-Bogolyubova, filmed over three years, a destitute post-industrial provincial town, economically marginalized since the Soviet Union collapse.

References

Notes

1. ^ Resolution #261
2. ^ Историческая справка (in Russian). Yelninsky District administration. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
3. ^ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
4. ^ Law #108-z
5. Федеральная служба государственной статистики. Федеральное агентство по технологическому регулированию и метрологии. №ОК 033-2013 1 января 2014 г. «Общероссийский классификатор территорий муниципальных образований. Код 66 619 101». (Federal State Statistics Service. Federal Agency on Technological Regulation and Metrology. #OK 033-2013 January 1, 2014 Russian Classification of Territories of Municipal Formations. Code 66 619 101. ).
6. "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
7. Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
8. Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). 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] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (in Russian).
9. 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]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики . 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
10. Москалев, О.Л. История системы образования (in Russian). Museum of History of Education of Smolensk Oblast. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
11. Борис Парфенов; Ольга Хоренженкова. К истории формирования Смоленской области (in Russian). Смоленск. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
12. "Yahad - in Unum".
13. Предприятия и организации (in Russian). Yelninsky District Administration. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
14. Туризм (in Russian). Yelninsky District administration. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
15. DW Documentary. "Russia: A small town clings to its Soviet past". YouTube.
16. "Town of glory (Film)". KINOGLAZ.fr. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
17. "Town of Glory". german-documentaries.de. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
18. "Russians flee Putin regime to join Ukraine refugees in Israel". RFI. April 17, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
19. "Town of Glory (Uyezdnyy gorod Ye)". Cineuropa. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
20. "True Story, episode 3: Town of Glory". DOKweb.net. Institute of Documentary Film. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
21. "Town of Glory". DW.com. May 27, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
22. "TOWN OF GLORY". HYPERMARKET FILM. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
23. "Documentary film about Yelnya in Russia". southcoastview.co.uk. April 5, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.

Sources

• Администрация Смоленской области. Постановление №261 от 30 апреля 2008 г. «Об утверждении реестра административно-территориальных единиц и территориальных единиц Смоленской области», в ред. Постановления №464 от 27 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в реестр административно-территориальных единиц и территориальных единиц Смоленской области». Опубликован: База данных "Консультант-плюс". (Administration of Smolensk Oblast. Resolution #261 of April 30, 2008 On the Adoption of the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and Territorial Units of Smolensk Oblast, as amended by the Resolution #464 of June 27, 2014 On Amending the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and Territorial Units of Smolensk Oblast. ).
• Смоленская областная Дума. Закон №108-з от 20 декабря 2004 г. «О наделении статусом муниципального района муниципального образования "Ельнинский район" Смоленской области, об установлении границ муниципальных образований, территории которых входят в его состав, и наделении их соответствующим статусом», в ред. Закона №108-з от 23 ноября 2011 г. «О внесении изменений в областной Закон "О наделении статусом муниципального района муниципального образования "Ельнинский район" Смоленской области, об установлении границ муниципальных образований, территории которых входят в его состав, и наделении их соответствующим статусом"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Вестник Смоленской областной Думы и Администрации Смоленской области", №13, часть II, стр. 144, 22 декабря 2004 г. (Smolensk Oblast Duma. Law #108-z of December 20, 2004 On Granting the Status of the Municipal District to the Municipal Formation of "Yelninsky District" of Smolensk Oblast, on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations the Territories of Which It Comprises, and on Granting Them Appropriate Status, as amended by the Law #108-z of November 23, 2011 On Amending the Oblast Law "On Granting the Status of the Municipal District to the Municipal Formation of "Yelninsky District" of Smolensk Oblast, on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations the Territories of Which It Comprises, and on Granting Them Appropriate Status". Effective as of the official publication date.).

External links

• Official website of Smolensk Oblast. History of Yelnya (in Russian)
• Mojgorod.ru. Entry on Yelnya (in Russian)

• Cities and towns in Smolensk Oblast
• Yelninsky Uyezd
• Holocaust locations in Russia