Kholm (russian: Холм) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

and the

administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

of Kholmsky District in

Novgorod Oblast Novgorod Oblast (russian: Новгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Novgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, includin ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

, located at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the Lovat and Kunya Rivers, north of Toropets, southwest of

Staraya Russa Staraya Russa ( rus, Старая Русса, p=ˈstarəjə ˈrusːə) is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased o ...

, and south of

Veliky Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ...

, the administrative center of the

oblast An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdo ...

. Population:

History

The

Lovat River The Lovat ( be, Ловаць ''Łovać'', ; russian: река́ Ло́вать) is a river in Vitebsk Oblast of Belarus, Usvyatsky, Velikoluksky, and Loknyansky Districts, as well as of the city of Velikiye Luki, of Pskov Oblast and Kholmsky ...

was a part of the

trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a medieval trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Eastern Roman Empire. The route allowed merchants along its length to establish a direct prosperous trade with the Empir ...

, one of the oldest trading routes passing through Rus'. The settlement was first mentioned in 1144 as Kholmsky

pogost ''Pogost'' (russian: погост, from Old East Slavic: погостъ) is a historical term with several meanings in the Russian language. It has also been borrowed into Latgalian (''pogosts''), Finnish (''pogosta'') and Latvian (''pagasts' ...

(). During the Middle Ages, the town, then a seat of the Princes of Kholm, withstood innumerable sieges by Lithuanians, Poles, and Swedes. In 1777, it was elevated in status to that of an uyezd town of

Pskov Viceroyalty Pskov Viceroyalty (russian: Псковское наме́стничество) was an administrative division (a '' namestnichestvo'') of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1777–1796. The seat of the Viceroyalty was located in Pskov. Both the ...

and given its present name. In 1796, it was transferred to

Pskov Governorate Pskov Governorate (russian: link=no, Псковская губерния, ''Pskovskaya guberniya'') was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and Russian SFSR, which existed from 1772 until 1777 and from 1796 until ...

. In August 1927, the uyezds were abolished and, effective October 1, 1927, Kholmsky District was established, with the

in Kholm.Snytko et al., p. 85 Pskov Governorate was abolished as well and the district became a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of

Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, although it was not until 1 ...

. On June 3, 1929, Velikiye Luki Okrug was transferred to Western Oblast.Snytko et al., p. 87 On July 23, 1930 the okrugs were abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 29, 1935, the district became a part of the newly established Kalinin Oblast. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, it was occupied by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

from August 3, 1941 to February 21, 1944, when it was liberated. It was the scene of the

Kholm Pocket The Kholm Pocket (german: Kessel von Cholm; russian: Холмский котёл) was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Kholm, south of Leningrad, in World War II's the Eastern Front, from 23 January ...

from January 21 to May 5, 1942. The town was completely ruined and even now its current population is only a third of the pre-war one. Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B21250, Russland, Cholm, Soldaten vor Hausruinen

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B21250, Russland, Cholm, Soldaten vor Hausruinen

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-004-3648-21A, Russland, Cholm, Frauen mit Toten auf Schlitten

On July 5, 1944, the district was included in newly established Novgorod Oblast, but already on August 22, 1944 it was transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast.Snytko et al., p. 93 On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished and Kholmsky District was transferred to

Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast (russian: Пско́вская о́бласть, ') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the city of Pskov. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 673, ...

.Snytko et al., p. 240 On July 29, 1958, it was transferred to Novgorod Oblast and remained there ever since.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kholm serves as the

of Kholmsky District.Law #559-OZ As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Kholmsky District as the

town of district significance Town of district significance is an administrative division of a district in a federal subject of Russia. It is equal in status to a selsoviet or an urban-type settlement of district significance, but is organized around a town (as opposed to a ...

of Kholm.Resolution #121 As a municipal division, the town of district significance of Kholm is incorporated within Kholmsky Municipal District as Kholmskoye Urban Settlement.Law #353-OZ

Economy

Industry

The economy of Kholm and its district is based on timber industry.

Transportation

Kholm is connected by roads to

, to Bezhanitsy, to Demyansk via Maryovo, and to Toropets. The Lovat and the Kunya Rivers are not navigable in Kholm.

Culture and recreation

Kholm contains eight monuments classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. Seven of them are graves of and monuments to soldiers fallen in

, while the eighth one is an archaeological site. In the dense woods and impracticable swamps to the west of Kholm lies the deserted Rdeysky Monastery. Kholm hosts the Kholmsky District Museum which was opened in 1983.

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * *

External links

Official website of Kholm

Kholm Business Directory
{{Use mdy dates, date=September 2011 Cities and towns in Novgorod Oblast Kholmsky Uyezd (Pskov Governorate)