Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a

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 ...

and the

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 ...

Oryol Oblast Oryol Oblast (), also known as Orlovshchina (), 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 Oryol. Population: Geography It is loc ...

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 ...

, situated on 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, ...

, approximately south-southwest 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 ...

. It is part of the

Central Federal District The Central Federal District ( rus, Центральный федеральный округ, p=tsɨnˈtralʲnɨj fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnɨj ˈokrʊk) is one of the federal districts of Russia, eight federal districts of Russia. Geographically, the di ...

, as well as the Central Economic Region. First founded as a medieval stronghold of the

Principality of Chernigov The Principality of Chernigov was one of the largest and most powerful states within Kievan Rus'. For a time the principality was the second most powerful after the Principality of Kiev. The principality was formed in the 10th century and maint ...

, Oryol was part of

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

in the

late medieval period The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...

, and then Russia since the

early modern period The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...

. It has served as the seat of regional administration since 1778. The city is particularly known for the infamous former prison for political and war prisoners of Tsarist Russia, the

Soviet Union 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 ...

and

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

History

Early history

While there are no historical records, archaeological evidence shows that a fortress settlement existed between the

and

Orlik River Orlik may refer to: People * Orlik (surname) * Marian Bernaciak (1917-1946), Polish partisan leader whose nom de guerre was Orlik ("Little Eagle") Places * Orlik, Pomeranian Voivodeship, north Poland * Orlik, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north P ...

s as early as the 12th century, when the land was a part of the

. The name of the fortress is unknown; it may not have been called Oryol at the time. In the 13th century, the fortress became a part of the

Zvenigorod Zvenigorod () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Moscow Oblast of western Russia. In 2010 it had a population of about 16,000. History The town's name is based either on a personal name (cf. Zvenislav, Zvenimir) or on a ...

district of the

Karachev Karachev () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Karachevsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. Population: History First chronicled in 1146, it was the capital of one of the Upper Oka Principal ...

Principality. In the early 15th century, the territory was conquered by the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

. The city was soon abandoned by its population after being sacked either by Lithuanians or the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

. The territory became a part of the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721. ...

in the 16th century.

Tsardom of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich decreed that a new fortress be built on the spot in 1566 for the purpose of defending the southern borders of the country. The fortress was built starting in the summer of 1566 and ending in the spring of 1567. The location chosen was less than ideal strategically, as the fortress was located on a seasonally flooded low ground easily targeted from the neighboring high ground.

False Dmitry I False Dmitry I or Pseudo-Demetrius I () reigned as the Tsar of all Russia from 10 June 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dmitriy Ivanovich (). According to historian Chester S.L. Dunning, Dmitry was "the only Tsar ever raise ...

and his army passed through Oryol in 1605;

Ivan Bolotnikov Ivan Isayevich Bolotnikov (; 1565–1608) headed a popular uprising in Russia in 1606–1607 known as the Bolotnikov Rebellion (''Восстание Ивана Болотникова''). The uprising formed part of the Time of Troubles in Russia ...

in 1606;

False Dmitry II False Dmitry II (; died ), historically known as Pseudo-Demetrius II and also called ("the thief of Tushino"), was the second of three pretenders to the Russian throne who claimed to be Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich, the youngest son of Ivan the T ...

camped in Oryol for the winter of 1607–1608. Polish forces sacked it in 1611 and 1615. While the population fled after the second sacking and moved to

Mtsensk Mtsensk () is a town in Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Zusha River (a tributary of the Oka) northeast of Oryol, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 28,000 (1970). History It was first mentioned in the Nikon Chronic ...

, the Orlovsky Uyezd continued to exist administratively. Oryol was rebuilt in 1636. The question of moving the fortress to the more advantageous high ground was debated until the 1670s, but the move was never made. The fortress was deemed unnecessary and taken apart in the early 18th century.

Russian Empire

In the mid-18th century Oryol became one of the major centers of grain production, with the Oka River being the major trade route until the 1860s when it was replaced by a railroad. Oryol was granted town status in 1702. In 1708, Oryol was included as a part of

Kiev Governorate Kiev Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire (1796–1917), Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–18; 1918–1921), Ukrainian State (1918), and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–19 ...

; in 1719,

Oryol Province Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...

was created within Kiev Governorate. The Province was transferred to the newly created

Belgorod Governorate Belgorod Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire in 1727–1779 with its capital in Belgorod. In 1775–1779, as a result of the gubernatorial reform of Catherine II, Belgorod Governorate was di ...

in 1727. On March 11 (February 28

old style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries betwe ...

), 1778 Oryol Vice-Royalty was created from parts of

Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...

and Belgorod Governorates. In 1779, the city was almost entirely rebuilt based on a new plan; and the Oryol River was renamed Orlik (lit: "little eagle").

Russian Republic

After the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

of 1917, the city was in Bolshevik's hands, except for a brief period between October 13 and October 20, 1919, when it was controlled by

Anton Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (, ; – 7 August 1947) was a Russian military leader who served as the Supreme Ruler of Russia, acting supreme ruler of the Russian State and the commander-in-chief of the White movement–aligned armed forces of Sout ...

White Army The White Army, also known as the White Guard, the White Guardsmen, or simply the Whites, was a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and Anti-Sovietism, anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. T ...

Soviet Union

Oryol was once again moved between different

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 ...

s in the 1920s and 1930s: first as Oryol Governorate until 1928, then

Central Black Earth Region The Central Black Earth Region or the Central-Chernozem Region; is a segment of the Eurasian Black Earth belt that lies within Central Russia and comprises Voronezh Oblast, Lipetsk Oblast, Belgorod Oblast, Tambov Oblast, Oryol Oblast and K ...

between 1928 and 1934, finally in

Kursk Oblast Kursk 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 Kursk. As of the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, Kursk Oblast had a pop ...

), finally becoming the administrative center of its own Oryol Oblast on September 27, 1937. The

Oryol Prison The Oryol Prison has been a prison in Oryol since the 19th century. It was a notable place of incarceration for political prisoners and war prisoners of the Second World War. The building of prison, built in 1840, is one of the oldest building ...

was a notable place of incarceration for political prisoners and war prisoners of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Christian Rakovsky Christian Georgiyevich Rakovsky ( – September 11, 1941), Bulgarian name Krastyo Georgiev Rakovski, born Krastyo Georgiev Stanchov, was a Bulgarian-born socialist Professional revolutionaries, revolutionary, a Bolshevik politician and Soviet Un ...

Maria Spiridonova Maria Alexandrovna Spiridonova (; 16 October 1884 – 11 September 1941) was a Narodnik-inspired Russian revolutionary. In 1906, as a novice member of a local combat group of the Tambov Socialists-Revolutionaries (SRs), she assassinated a securi ...

Olga Kameneva Olga Davidovna Kameneva (, ; – 11 September 1941) (née Bronstein — Бронште́йн) was a Russian Bolshevik revolutionary and a Soviet politician. She was the sister of Leon Trotsky and the wife of Lev Kamenev. Childhood and revolutio ...

and 160 other prominent political prisoners were shot on September 11, 1941 on

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

's orders in the

Medvedev Forest massacre The Medvedev Forest massacre () or Orel massacre (Орловский расстрел) was a mass execution in the Soviet Union carried out by the Soviet secret police NKVD on 11 September 1941. Less than three months after the German invasion ...

outside Oryol. Bahnhof_von_Orjol_im_September_1941

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Oryol was occupied by the

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

on October 7, 1941. The French air squadron Normandie-Niemen fought in the skies over Oryol. Oryol was liberated on August 5, 1943 during the Operation Kutuzov, Oryol strategic offensive operation "Kutuzov" on the Battle of Kursk, Oryol-Kursk Bulge. The city was almost completely destroyed. By Order No .2 of I. V. Stalin of August 5, 1943, on this day in Moscow, an artillery salute was given to the troops that liberated Oryol. Since then, the city has had the nickname, "City of the First Salute", and the day of the liberation from the German invaders was celebrated as the city's day. On September 19, 1943, in the Oryol, was the first parade of partisan units stationed in the Oryol region during the war.

Russian Federation

On December 14, 2024 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine an oil depot in Oryol was attacked and set on fire by Ukrainian drones. Russian social media reported explosions and the governor confirmed a fire had broken out at an "infrastructure facility". A fire at the oil depot was detected by NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System, FIRMS.

Geography

Time zone

Oryol has the same time zone as Moscow (Moscow time), or UTC+03:00.

Location

Oryol stands on the banks of the

and its tributary Orlik river in the Central Russian Upland of the East European Plain, approximately south-southwest of Moscow.

Layout

Oryol was founded at the behest of Ivan the Terrible in 1566, in the area between the Oka and Orlik rivers. Little information exists about its early history; the earliest data available refers to 1636, when the city was rebuilt after its destruction during the Time of Troubles. According to historian T. G. Svistunova, the 16th-century Oryol fortress had three lines of fortifications and consisted of a city, an Ostrog (fortress), ostrog and a posad surrounded by gaps. The city housed a cathedral, a voivode's (warlord or military leader's) house, government buildings and courts for the boyar children; the prison consisted of gunners' yards, a blacksmith, and two parish churches near the prison towers. In the posad was a sloboda (settlement), sloboda. In 1636, Oryol was rebuilt by the voivode B. Koltovsky; it expanded with annexation of land beyond the Oka. Oryol remained a fortress city with a corresponding garrison; Pushkarskaya Sloboda was still located in the prison, boyar children and nobles settled on the left bank of the Orlik, and a Cossack sloboda developed near the Oka. Oryol lost its military character after the 1689 fire, when the partially-burned city fortress was not rebuilt. In central Oryol, streets fan out from the fortress; two main axes are the Upper and Lower Korchak Roads. Opposite the fortress was probably a second marketplace in the Zaotsk section, where the dragoon settlements had a relatively-regular layout along the river. Away from the river, the grid becomes a fan. The cityits fortress, three marketplaces, two monasteries and a number of parish churcheswas developed from the river. Its structure was visible from the Oka: the central fortress, the fan-shaped center and the grid of the Zaotsk settlements. The city was connected by bridges, making Oryol a military fortress and a trade center. The city's earliest plans, by Mikhail Buzovlev and Petr Botvinev, date to 1728. A 1778 plan fixed its radial layout, and a radial-semicircular system was proposed the following year. In 1848, a new plan including Polesskaya Square was approved. Oryol's modern layout was developed in 1939 by Suborov, an architect at the leningrad-based Russian State Research and Design Institute of Urbanism. The first post-war reconstruction plan was made in Lengiprogor under the direction of architect V. A. Gaikovich. Oryol's development required a new general plan, which was drawn up in 1958 by V. A. Gaikovich and A. M. Suborov of Lengiprogor. The city's center was Lenin Square, on which the House of Soviets was built in 1961. In 1966, construction of flood-control embankments in the central city began.

Climate

Oryol has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dfb''). Winters are moderately cold and changeable. The first half is softer, second with often warmings. Summers are warm, in separate years — they can be rainy or hot and dry.

Administrative and municipal status

Oryol is the

of the

and, within the subdivisions of Russia#Administrative divisions, framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of Orlovsky District, even though it is not a part of it.Law #522-OZ As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the city of federal subject significance, city of oblast significance of Oryol—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the administrative divisions of Oryol Oblast, districts. As a subdivisions of Russia#Municipal divisions, municipal division, the city of oblast significance of Oryol is incorporated as Oryol Urban Okrug.Law #467-OZ

City districts

Administratively, the city is divided into four districts: * Severny (Северный) — population: 65,815 (2021) * Sovetsky (Советский) — population: 74,315 (2021) * Zheleznodorozhny (Железнодорожный) — population: 60,278 (2021) * Zavodskoy (Заводской) — population: 103,288 (2021) (the biggest, oldest, and most populous)

Politics

In February 2012, the city duma abolished the direct election of mayor. In December 2013, a referendum was held and 71% of the people supported the return of direct mayoral election.

Mayors

* 1991–1997: Alexander Kislyakov * 1997–2002: Yefim Velkovsky * 2002–2006: Vasily Uvarov * 2006–2009: Alexander Kasyanov * 2009–2010: Vasily Eremin * 2010–2012: Viktor Safianov * 2012–2015: Sergey Stupin * 2015–2020: Vasily Novikov * 2020–''present'': Yuri Parakhin City-managers: * 2012–2015: Mikhail Bernikov * 2015–2017: Andrey Usikov * 2017–2020: Alexander Muromsky

Demographics

According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, Federal State Statistics Service, in January 2020 the number of residents came to 308 838. It is the 66th place among 1117 cities of Russia for 2019. Largest ethnic groups in 2010: * Russians (96,8%) * Ukrainians in Russia, Ukrainians (1,1%) * Armenians (0,4%) * Belarusians (0,3%) * Azerbaijanis (0,2%) * Tatars (0,1%) * Jews in Russia, Jews (0,1%)

Transportation

The formation of the Oryol as an important transportation hub is due to the favorable geographical position of the city on the borders of the Central Economic Region, Central and Central Black Earth economic regions. The city has trolley, tram and bus systems. These kinds of public transport cover the entire territory of the city. Each bus, tram and trolley is equipped with route indicators that inform about the route through the city, designated stops. There are also taxis and rental cars. In past years, in the summer on the Oka River waterbus operated as a form of transport excursion and walking orientation.

Automotive

In the Oryol converge important highways of federal and regional values: * "Crimea" * * * * 54А-1 * 54К-16 The main intercity terminal: Oryol Bus Station

Trolleybus

On 29 October 1968, a regular movement was opened. Length of the contact network . There are 4 routes for 2019.

Railway

Since 1868, there has been a railway connection between Oryol and Moscow. Here converge 5 railway lines: on Yelets, Moscow, Kursk, Bryansk, Mikhailovsky mine. The main terminals: Oryol Station, Station Luzhki-Oryol.

Tram

On November 3, 1898, Oryol inaugurated an electric tram. The draft was prepared by the Belgian entrepreneur FF Gilon and firm «Compagnie mutuelle de tramways», which won the right to build not only a tram, but also lighting in the city. Oryol tram is one of the oldest electric tram systems in Russia. It is 1 year older than Moscow and 9 years — St. Petersburg. In 2017, the length of the lines in double-track calculation was . For 2019, there are 3 routes, which are operated: Tatra T3 (74 units), Tatra T6B5 (13 units), 71-403 (1 unit), 71-405 (1 unit).

Aerial

The city is served by the Oryol Yuzhny Airport, which is currently not working.

Education

There are six Higher education, institutions of higher education in Oryol, as well as four branches of such institutions from other cities. ;Local * Oryol Law Institute * Oryol State Agrarian University * Oryol State Institute of Culture * Oryol State Institute of Economics and Trade * Oryol State University * Russian Federation Security Guard Service Federal Academy ;Branches * Oryol Branch of the Russian University of Transport (Moscow) * Oryol Branch of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Moscow) * Oryol branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation (Moscow) * Oryol branch of the Voronezh Institute of Economics and Law (Voronezh)

International cooperation

Twin towns – sister cities

Oryol is Sister city, twinned with: * Razgrad, Bulgaria (1968) * Offenbach am Main, Germany (1988) * Leeuwarden, The Netherlands (1990–2002) * Zhodzina, Belarus (2016) * Mary, Turkmenistan, Mary, Turkmenistan (2017)

Partner cities

* Kaluga, Russia (2003) * Kolpino, Saint Petersburg, Kolpino, Russia (2010) * Kolpinsky District, Russia (2010) * Novosibirsk, Russia (2014) * Volokolamsky District, Russia (2014) * Novi Sad, Serbia (2017) * Maribor, Slovenia (2017) * Penza, Russia (2018)

Notable people

* Leonid Andreyev, writer * Mikhail Bakhtin, literary criticDavid Lodge (author), David Lodge, ''After Bakhtin: Essays on Fiction and Criticism'', London & New York: Routledge, 1990, p. 1 * Fedor Baranov, fisheries scientist * Denis Boytsov, boxer * Yulia Bravikova, rhythmic gymnast * Felix Dzerzhinsky, security chief * Afanasy Fet, poet * Nikolai Getman, painter and Gulag survivor * Timofey Granovsky, historian * Vasily Kalinnikov (1866–1901), composer * Yakov Kasman, pianist * Anna Petrovna Kern, socialite * Stanislav Lebamba, association football player * Josef Lhévinne, pianist and piano teacher * Nikolai Leskov, novelist * Denis Menchov, cyclist * Artem Mikoyan, founder of the MiG aircraft manufacturer * Fritz Noether, mathematician * Nikolai Polikarpov, aviation designer * Yevgeni Preobrazhensky, statesman * Vladimir Karlovich Roth, neuropathologist * Valerian Safonovich, statesman * Aleksandr Selikhov, footballer * Alexey Stakhanov, celebrated miner/engineer * Pyotr Stolypin, statesman * :pl:Maksymilian Stratanowski, Maksymilian Stratanowski, painter * Yakov Sverdlov, Bolshevik revolutionary * Ivan Turgenev, novelist and playwright * Aleksey Yermolov (general), Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov, military general * Gennady Zyuganov, politician * Alexander Nikishin, Professional Ice Hockey Player for the Carolina Hurricanes

References

Notes

Sources

* * *

External links

*
Official website of Oryol

Unofficial website of Oryol

The murder of the Jews of Oryol
during

, at Yad Vashem website. {{Authority control Oryol, Orlovsky Uyezd (Oryol Governorate) Holocaust locations in Russia