Vladimir Oblast () is a
federal subject
The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the administrative division, constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political division ...
of
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
(an
oblast
An oblast ( or ) is a type of administrative division in Bulgaria and several post-Soviet states, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Historically, it was used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The term ''oblast'' is often translated i ...
). Its
administrative center
An administrative centre 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 the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
is the
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
of
Vladimir
Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria ().
Etymology
...
, which is located east of
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. As of the
2010 Census, the oblast's population was 1,443,693.
The
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage List
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
includes the 12th-century cathedrals of
Vladimir
Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria ().
Etymology
...
,
Suzdal
Suzdal (, ) is a Types of inhabited localities in Russia, town that serves as the administrative center of Suzdalsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which is located along the Kamenka tributary of the Nerl (Klyazma), Nerl River, north o ...
,
Bogolyubovo, and
Kideksha
Kideksha () is a village ('' selo'') in Seletskoye Rural Settlement, Suzdalsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kamenka and Nerl Rivers, east of Suzdal. The name derives from ''keaδkē'' (stone) and '' ...
.
Geography
Vladimir Oblast borders
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
,
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl (; , ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl rivers. ...
,
Ivanovo
Ivanovo (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Russia and the administrative center and largest city of Ivanovo Oblast, located northeast of Moscow and approximately from Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir and Kostroma. ...
,
Ryazan
Ryazan (, ; also Riazan) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 C ...
, and
Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
Nizhny Novgorod Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Nizhny Novgorod. It has a population of 3,119,115 as of the 2021 Ru ...
s. The
oblast
An oblast ( or ) is a type of administrative division in Bulgaria and several post-Soviet states, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Historically, it was used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The term ''oblast'' is often translated i ...
is situated in the center of the
East European Plain
The East European Plain (also called the Russian Plain, "Extending from eastern Poland through the entire European Russia to the Ural Mountains, the ''East European Plain'' encompasses all of the Baltic states and Belarus, nearly all of Ukraine, ...
. The
Klyazma
The Klyazma (, ''Klyaz'ma'' or ''Kliazma''), a river in the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Vladimir Oblasts in Russia, forms a left tributary of the Oka. and the
Oka are the most important rivers. There are approximately three hundred lakes. The oblast is situated in a zone of
mixed forests. The region's geology is characterized by a variety of
sedimentary
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedime ...
and
igneous
Igneous rock ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
The magma can be derived from partial ...
rocks, including
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
,
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...
,
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
,
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
, and
diabase
Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro,
is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-gra ...
. There are also several mineral deposits in the oblast, including
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
,
apatite
Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of Hydroxide, OH−, Fluoride, F− and Chloride, Cl− ion, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of ...
, and
phosphate
Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus.
In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...
. Some notable natural landmarks in the oblast include the Klyazma Reservoir and the
Suzdal Kremlin
The Suzdal Kremlin () is the oldest part of the city of Suzdal, Russia, dating from the 10th century.
Like other Russian kremlins, it was originally a fortress or citadel which was the religious and administrative center of the city. It is most n ...
, which is a
UNESCO World Heritage site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. Additionally, there are several nature reserves and parks in the oblast, such as the
Meshchyora National Park and the
Ugra National Park
Ugra National Park () is a national park in central Russia, located in Kaluga Oblast, in the valley of the Ugra River (Oka), Ugra River. It was established on 10 February 1997 to protect typical landscapes of Central Russia. In 2002, it was design ...
.
Fauna
The oblast's
fauna
Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...
currently includes more than fifty species of mammals (some examples including
elk
The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. ...
,
brown bear
The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...
,
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
,
roe deer,
red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
and
sika deer
The sika deer (''Cervus nippon''), also known as the northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south t ...
,
lynx
A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
, wolf, squirrel, rabbit, marten, fox, weasel, badger and other fur-bearing animals), five species of reptiles, and ten species of amphibians. The semiaquatic
Russian desman
The Russian desman (''Desmana moschata''; ''vykhukhol'') is a small semiaquatic mammal that inhabits the Volga river, Volga, Don River, Russia, Don and Ural River basins in Russia. Some authorities, citing old Soviet sources, claim the animal ca ...
is listed in the
Russian Red Book of endangered species. The region is inhabited by 216 species of birds, among which are the
capercaillie
''Tetrao'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse. Feathers from the bird were used to create the characteristic hat of the bersaglieri, an Italian ace infantry formation.
...
,
black grouse
The black grouse (''Lyrurus tetrix''), also known as northern black grouse, Eurasian black grouse, blackgame or blackcock, is a large Aves, bird in the grouse family. It is a Bird migration, sedentary species, spanning across the Palearctic in m ...
, grouse, partridge, woodcock, goose, duck, etc. The
lesser white-fronted goose
The lesser white-fronted goose (''Anser erythropus'') is a goose closely related to the larger greater white-fronted goose (''A. albifrons''). It breeds in the northernmost Palearctic, but it is a scarce breeder in Europe, with a reintroduction ...
is listed in the Red Book.
Hunting season runs from October to February with the following license and permit restrictions:
*Elk, wild boar, red deer, and sika deer from mid-November through mid-January
*Hare from October through January
*Grouse, black grouse, woodcock, duck and goose for 10 days in April.
Bodies of water in the region are rich in numerous species (about 40) of fresh-water fish (e.g.
eel
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
,
roach
Roach or The Roach may refer to:
Animals
* Cockroach, various insect species of the order Blattodea
* Common roach (''Rutilus rutilus''), a fresh and brackish water fish of the family Cyprinidae
** ''Rutilus'' or roaches, a genus of fishes
* Cal ...
,
pike
Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to:
Fish
* Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus''
* Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes
* ''Esox'', genus of ...
,
perch
Perch is a common name for freshwater fish from the genus ''Perca'', which belongs to the family Percidae of the large order Perciformes. The name comes from , meaning the type species of this genus, the European perch (''P. fluviatilis'') ...
,
bream
Bream (, ) are species of freshwater fish belonging to a variety of genera including '' Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), '' Ballerus'', '' Blicca'', '' Brama'', '' Chilotilapia'', '' Etelis'', '' Lepomis'', '' Gymnocranius'', ...
,
rudd
''Scardinius'' is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, Eurasian minnows and related species. The fishes in this genus are commonly called rudds. Locally, the name "rudd" without ...
, and
sturgeon
Sturgeon (from Old English ultimately from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European *''str̥(Hx)yón''-) is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the ...
in the
Klyazma River
The Klyazma (, ''Klyaz'ma'' or ''Kliazma''), a river in the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Vladimir Oblasts in Russia, forms a left tributary of the Oka. ), which support
ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
L ...
in winter. Additionally, the oblast has several hunting farms.
Hydrography
The total expanse of the oblast's surface waters is 32.9 hectares.
The region has hundreds of rivers with a total length of more than 8.6 million kilometers—there are 560 rivers and streams throughout the oblast. The Klyazma River flows into the
Oka River
The Oka (, ; ) is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, ...
on the south-eastern edge of the oblast's border with the
Nizhny Novgorod Region. The Klyazma River's major tributaries in the Vladimir Region are the
Sherna (with the
Molokcha flowing into it), the
Kirzhach
Kirzhach () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Kirzhachsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Kirzhach River in the west of the oblast, west of Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir and ...
(with its own tributaries being the Big and Small Kirzhach), the
Peksha, the
Koloksha
Koloksha () is a rural locality (a village) in Kolokshanskoye Rural Settlement, Sobinsky District, Vladimir Oblast
Vladimir Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Vladimir, which is loc ...
, the
Nerl, the
Sudogda
Sudogda () is a town and the administrative center of Sudogodsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the river Sudogda (Klyazma's tributary) southeast of Vladimir, the administrative center of the oblast. Populat ...
, the
Uvod
The Uvod () is a river in Ivanovo and Vladimir Oblasts in Russia, a left tributary of the Klyazma (Volga's basin).Уводь
...
, the
Lukh and the
Suvorosch. Tributaries of the Oka within Vladimir oblast are the
Gus,
Unzha
The Unzha () is a river in the Vologda Oblast, Vologda and Kostroma Oblast, Kostroma oblasts of Russia. It is a tributary of the Volga, which it enters at the Gorky Reservoir. It is long, and its Drainage basin, basin covers . , and
Ushna rivers. The
Dubna River
Dubna ( rus, Дубна́, p=dʊbˈna) is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It has a status of ''naukograd'' (i.e. town of science), being home to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, an international nuclear physics research center and one ...
, a tributary of the
Volga River
The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...
, originates near the town of
Alexandrov Alexandrov (masculine, also written Alexandrow) or Alexandrova (feminine) may refer to:
* Alexandrov (surname) (including ''Alexandrova''), a Slavic last name
* Alexandrov, Vladimir Oblast, Russia
* Alexandrov (inhabited locality), several inhabite ...
. The Oka River is navigable throughout the region (157 km). The rivers in the region are characterized by their flat currents, broad valleys and meandering channels. Water levels are characterized by their high spring tides, low water periods over summer-autumn with occasional flooding during heavy rains, and stable/low levels throughout the winter.
There are about three hundred lakes covering an area of five thousand hectares. Most of them are small and undrained and many are overgrown with a peat layer. The origin of the lakes varies. Numerous
oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or stream pool, pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is meander cutoff, cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. The word "oxbow" can also refer to a U-shaped bend in a river or stream, whether ...
s are scattered along the river valleys. The largest of them are Lake Urvanovskoe (12 km long) and Lake Visha (length about 10 km). In the
Meshchera Lowlands
Meshchera Lowlands (Meshchyora Lowlands) (), also referred to as simply Meshchera/Meshchyora, is a spacious lowland in the middle of the European Russia. It is named after the Finnic Meshchera people, which used to live there (later mixing ...
and in the northwest of the oblast are lakes of ancient
alluvial valleys:
Isikhry,
Svyatoe and others. Lakes of
karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
origin, located in the lower reaches of the Klyazma and in the center of
Vyaznikovsky District
Vyaznikovsky District () is an administrativeLaw #130-OZ and municipalLaw #62-OZ district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Vladimir Oblast, sixteen in Vladimir Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northeast of the oblast. The area of ...
(a northeastern district in the oblast), have highly mineralized water and are associated with underground watercourses. The largest and deepest of them is
Lake Kshchara. In the districts of
Alexandrov Alexandrov (masculine, also written Alexandrow) or Alexandrova (feminine) may refer to:
* Alexandrov (surname) (including ''Alexandrova''), a Slavic last name
* Alexandrov, Vladimir Oblast, Russia
* Alexandrov (inhabited locality), several inhabite ...
and
Yuryev-Polsky glacial lakes are small in size.
The main masses of wetlands in the region (total area of 37.4 thousand hectares) occur in Meshchera and
Balakhna
Balakhna () is a town and the administrative center of Balakhninsky District in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volga River, north of Nizhny Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 33, ...
(in the northeast of the oblast) lowlands.
Climate
Vladimir Oblast has a humid
continental climate
Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...
. The region experiences a significant temperature range between day and night during the summer months, which can lead to frequent thunderstorms.
The oblast receives an average of 600-700 millimeters of precipitation annually, with most of it falling in the summer months. Snowfall is common in the winter months, with an average of 50-60 centimeters (20-24 inches) of snowfall per year.
The climate of Vladimir Oblast is influenced by its location in the center of the
East European Plain
The East European Plain (also called the Russian Plain, "Extending from eastern Poland through the entire European Russia to the Ural Mountains, the ''East European Plain'' encompasses all of the Baltic states and Belarus, nearly all of Ukraine, ...
and its distance from the ocean. The oblast is situated far from any major bodies of water, which means that it experiences a greater temperature range and less moderating effects from maritime air masses than regions closer to the coast. However, the region is also shielded from harsh arctic air masses by the
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains ( ),; , ; , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range in Eurasia that runs north–south mostly through Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the river Ural (river), Ural and northwestern Kazakhstan. , which lie to the east.
History
The territory of modern Vladimir Oblast has been populated since ancient times. The oldest known traces of human settlement date to the
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories ...
. A settlement of Homo Sapiens dating back to between 32,050 BC and 28,550 BC was discovered in the area of
Sungir
Sungir (, sometimes spelled Sunghir) is an Upper Paleolithic archaeological site in Russia and one of the earliest records of modern ''Homo sapiens'' in Eurasia. It is situated about east of Moscow, on the outskirts of Vladimir, near the Klyazm ...
, located around 200 km east of
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
.
The region of Vladimir were inhabited by different people like Slavs, Tatars, Finno-Ugrics and Balts. The East Slavic tribe of the
Buzhans
The Buzhans were a tribal union of Early Slavs, which supposedly formed the East Slavs in southern Russia and the Volga region. They are mentioned as ''Buzhane'' in the ''Primary Chronicle''. Several localities in Russia are claimed to be connected ...
originated in the Vladimir region. Archaeological excavations of
Volga Finn settlements document also the Finno-Ugric roots of this land. Merya, Muromian, and Meshchera are inhabited territory of the region during this period.
Since the 10th century AD, Slavic colonization of the area began in
Murom
Murom (, ) is a historical types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls along the west bank of the Oka River. It borders Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and is situated from the administrative center Vladimir, ...
and
Suzdal
Suzdal (, ) is a Types of inhabited localities in Russia, town that serves as the administrative center of Suzdalsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which is located along the Kamenka tributary of the Nerl (Klyazma), Nerl River, north o ...
. The current territory of Vladimir Oblast became was part of
Kievan Rus
Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,.
* was the first East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of Russ ...
. After the breakdown of the authority of Kievan Rus, the region became part of the Rostov-Suzdal principality in the 11th century and then the
Vladimir-Suzdal principality in the 12th century. Vladimir region rapidly developed in the mid-12th century during the rule of
Yuri Dolgorukiy
Yuri I Vladimirovich (; ; c. 1099 – 15 May 1157), commonly known as Yuri Dolgorukiy (, ) or the Long Arm, was a Monomakhovichi prince of Rostov and Suzdal, acquiring the name ''Suzdalia'' during his reign. Noted for successfully curbing t ...
and
Andrey Bogolyubsky
Andrey Yuryevich Bogolyubsky (, lit. Andrey Yuryevich of Bogolyubovo; died 28 June 1174) was Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1157 until his death. During repeated internecine wars between the princely clans, Andrey accompanied his father Yuri D ...
. New townships arose—
Yuriev-Polsky,
Yaropolch-Zalessky,
Gorokhovets,
Starodub-on-the-Klyazma
Starodub-on-the-Klyazma ( rus, Староду́б-на-Кля́зьме, p=stərɐˈdub nə ˈklʲæzʲmʲɪ) was a prominent urban centre of Russian Opolye from the 12th until the 14th century. Like so many towns in the vicinity, it was named ...
,
Mstislavl
Mstislaw or Mstislavl is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Mstsislaw District. In 2009, its population was 10,804. As of 2024, it has a population of 10,019.
History
Mstislavl was first mentioned in t ...
—along with princely residences in
Kideksha
Kideksha () is a village ('' selo'') in Seletskoye Rural Settlement, Suzdalsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kamenka and Nerl Rivers, east of Suzdal. The name derives from ''keaδkē'' (stone) and '' ...
and
Bogolyubovo.
The
Vladimir Highway
The Vladimir Highway (Russian: Влади́мирский тракт, ''Vladimirskiy trakt''), familiarly known as the ''Vladimirka'' (Влади́мирка), was a road leading east from Moscow to Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod. Its length was ...
, a pre-modern civilian road that has been in use since at least the 14th century, traverses the region, bringing people between Moscow and
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət, t=Lower Newtown; colloquially shortened to Nizhny) is a city and the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast an ...
.
Most, if not all, of modern Vladimir, during the Soviet period, seems to have been part of Ivanovo Oblast until it became a separate
Federal Subject
The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the administrative division, constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political division ...
on 14 August 1944.
Politics
During the
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
period, the high authority in the oblast was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Vladimir CPSU Committee (who in reality had the greatest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected
regional parliament.
The Charter of Vladimir Oblast is the fundamental law of the region. The current Charter was accepted by the
Legislative Assembly of Vladimir Oblast on 14 August 2001.
Legislative branch
The Legislative Assembly of Vladimir Oblast is the province's standing legislative (representative) body. The Legislative Assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutions, and other legal acts and by supervising the implementation and observance of the laws and other legal acts passed by it.
The current 6th convocation was elected in the elections on 8 September 2013 under a mixed system (19 deputies were elected in single-mandate constituencies, 19 on the lists of political parties). Most of the seats are held by
United Russia
The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...
- 32, the
Communist Party - 3, the
Liberal Democratic Party
Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
- 2,
A Just Russia
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''.
It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...
- 1. Vladimir Kiselyov (United Russia) was elected Chairman of the Legislative Assembly. On 17 August 2015, Deputy Sergei Kuryshyov (United Russia), who was sentenced to five and a half years in a colony-settlement for a fatal accident while drunk, was prematurely deprived of his mandate.
Executive branch
The highest executive body is the Oblast Government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day to day matters of the province. The Oblast administration supports the activities of the Governor who is the highest official and acts as guarantor of the observance of the oblast Charter in accordance with the
Constitution of Russia
The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993 and enacted on 25 December 1993. The latest significant reform occurred in 2020, marked by extensive amendments that altered various sections ...
.
The governor is elected by citizens of the Russian Federation residing in the territory of the Vladimir Oblast and possessing active suffrage based on universal, equal, and direct suffrage by secret ballot for a term of 5 years. Since October 2021, the position has been occupied by
Aleksandr Avdeyev, having also won the
2022 Vladimir Oblast gubernatorial election.
Judicial branch
Judicial power is exercised by the federal courts, the Vladimir Oblast Court, the Arbitration Court of the Vladimir Oblast, and the Justices of the Peace of the Vladimir Oblast.
Representatives in the Federal Assembly
Like every
federal subject
The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the administrative division, constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political division ...
, the
Federation Council
The Federation Council, unofficially Senate, is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, with the lower house being the State Duma. It was established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993.
Each of the 89 federal s ...
of the Vladimir Oblast has
two representatives: one from the legislative assembly and one from the republic's government.
In the
2021 elections to the
State Duma of the 8th convocation (2021-2026), two deputies from the Vladimir Oblast were elected in two
constituencies
An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...
: in constituency No. 79 -
Igor Igoshin
Igor Nikolaevich Igoshin (; born 11 December 1970, Kirov, Kirov Oblast) is a Russian political figure and a deputy of 3rd State Duma, 3rd, 4th State Duma, 4th, 5th State Duma, 5th, State Duma, 6th, 7th State Duma, 7th, and 8th State Dumas. In ...
, in constituency No. 80 -
Grigory Anikeyev
Grigory Viktorovich Anikeyev (; born 28 February 1972 in Dutovo, Komi Republic) is a Russian politician and member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
Anikeyev draw attention in April 2018 when he was named the member of State Duma of ...
.
According to party lists of the single federal district (proportional system) in the regional group Vladimir Oblast, three candidates received mandates:
Nikolai Burlyaev (A Just Russia),
Aleksey Govyrin (United Russia), and
Roman Lyabikhov (Communist Party).
Administrative divisions
Economy and transportation
The largest companies in the region include the local branches of
Mondelez International
Mondelēz International, Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational confectionery, food industry, food, Holding company, holding, drink industry, beverage and snack food company based in Chicago. Mondelez has an annual rev ...
(revenues of $ million in 2017) and
Ferrero SpA
Ferrero International SpA ( , ), more commonly known as Ferrero Group or simply Ferrero, is an Italian multinational company with headquarters in Alba. Ferrero is a manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products, and the second ...
($ million),
Treyd Servis (baby food manufacturer, $ million),
Starodvorskiye Kolbasy (sausage producer, $ million).
The
Gusevskoye peat narrow gauge railway for hauling
peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
operates in the
Gus-Khrustalny District
Gus-Khrustalny District () is an administrativeLaw #130-OZ and municipalLaw #69-OZ district (raion), one of the sixteen in Vladimir Oblast, Russia. It is located in the south of the oblast. The area of the district is . Its administrative center i ...
.
Demographics
Population: 1,443,693 (
2010 Census);
Vital statistics for 2024:
*Births: 8,072 (6.2 per 1,000)
*Deaths: 21,174 (16.2 per 1,000)
Total fertility rate (2024):
1.14 children per woman
Life expectancy (2021):
Total — 68.11 years (male — 63.18, female — 73.00)
Ethnic composition (2010):
*
Russians
Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
: 95.6%
*
Ukrainians
Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...
: 0.9%
*
Tatars
Tatars ( )[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...
: 0.5%
*
Armenians
Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
: 0.5%
*
Belarusians
Belarusians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Belarus. They natively speak Belarusian language, Belarusian, an East Slavic language. More than 9 million people proclaim Belarusian ethnicity worldwide. Nearly 7.99&n ...
: 0.3%
*Others: 2.2%
*95,410 people were registered from administrative databases, and did not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.
Settlements
Religion
According to a 2012 survey
42.3% of the population of Vladimir Oblast adheres to the
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...
, 5.1% are
unaffiliated Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
, 1.2% are Eastern Orthodox Christian believers who don't belong to the church or belong to other (non-Russian)
Eastern Orthodox church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...
es, and 0.5% of the population are adherents of the
Slavic native faith
The Slavic Native Faith, commonly known as Rodnovery and sometimes as Slavic Neopaganism, is a modern Paganism, modern Pagan religion. Classified as a new religious movement, its practitioners hearken back to the Slavic paganism, historica ...
(Rodnovery). In addition, 32% of the population declares to be "
spiritual but not religious
"Spiritual but not religious" (SBNR), also known as "spiritual but not affiliated" (SBNA), or less commonly "more spiritual than religious", is a popular phrase and initialism used to self-identify a life stance of spirituality that does not reg ...
", 13.9% is
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, and 4.8% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.
Notable people
*
Edward Shatov (born 1973), Russian Catholic priest, director of Center for Family of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mother of God at Moscow
References
Notes
Sources
*
External links
*
{{Use mdy dates, date=March 2013
States and territories established in 1944
Oblasts of Russia