Velikiye Luki Oblast (, ''Velikolukskaya oblast'') was 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 ...

'' (a first-level administrative and municipal unit) of the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

from 1944 to 1957. Its seat was in the city of

Velikiye Luki Velikiye Luki ( rus, Вели́кие Лу́ки, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪjə ˈlukʲɪ; lit. ''great meanders''. Г. П. Смолицкая. "Топонимический словарь Центральной России". "Армада-� ...

. The oblast was located in the northwest of European Russia, and its territory is currently divided between

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

, and

Tver Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population: The city is ...

Oblasts.

History

Velikiye Luki Oblast was established on 22 August 1944, one day before Pskov Oblast, to administrate areas of Soviet Union previously occupied by German troops and liberated in the course of

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 ...

. It included twenty-three districts, # Belsky (with the administrative center located in Bely); # Bezhanitsky (

Bezhanitsy Bezhanitsy () is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Bezhanitsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is one of the two urban-type settlements in the district. Population: History Bezhanitsy was founded in t ...

); # Idritsky (

Idritsa Idritsa () is an urban locality (a work settlement) in Sebezhsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Idritsa River, a left tributary of the Velikaya River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Idritsa Urban Settlement, one of the t ...

); # Ilyinsky ( Ilyino); # Kholmsky ( Kholm); # Krasnogorodsky (

Krasnogorodsk Krasnogorodsk (; ) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Krasnogorodsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Sinyaya River south of Pskov. Municipally, it is incorporated as Krasnogorodsk Urban Se ...

); # Kudeversky ( Kudever); # Kunyinsky ( Kunya); # Leninsky (

Andreapol Andreapol () is a town and the administrative center of Andreapolsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Valdai Hills on the left bank in the upper course of the Western Dvina. Population: 12,000 (1968). Paleontology Fossils of ...

); # Loknyansky ( Loknya); # Nelidovsky (

Nelidovo Nelidovo () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities * Nelidovo, Nelidovsky District, Tver Oblast, a town of district significance in Nelidovsky District of Tver Oblast ;Rural localities *Nelidovo, Ivanovo Oblast, ...

); # Nevelsky ( Nevel); # Novosokolnichesky (

Novosokolniki Novosokolniki () is a town and the administrative center of Novosokolnichesky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Maly Udray River at the junction of the St. Petersburg–Kyiv and Moscow–Riga railways, southeast of Pskov, th ...

); # Oktyabrsky ( Zapadnaya Dvina); # Opochetsky (

Opochka Opochka () is a town and the administrative center of Opochetsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Velikaya River, south of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: History It was founded in 1414. At the t ...

); # Penovsky ( Peno); # Ploskoshsky ( Ploskosh); # Pustoshkinsky ( Pustoshka); # Sebezhsky (

Sebezh Sebezh () is a town and the administrative center of Sebezhsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in a picturesque setting between Lakes Sebezhskoye and Orono south of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: His ...

); # Seryozhinsky ( Bologovo); # Toropetsky (

Toropets Toropets () is a town and the administrative center of Toropetsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia, located where the Toropa River enters Lake Solomennoye. Population: History In 1074, when the town was first mentioned in chronicles, Torop ...

); # Usvyatsky ( Usvyaty); # Velikoluksky (

). Kholmsky District was transferred from

Novgorod Oblast Novgorod Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, including Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa, are located in the oblast. The historic m ...

, Belsky, Ilyinsky, and Usvyatsky Districts were transferred from

Smolensk Oblast Smolensk Oblast (), informally also called Smolenshchina (), is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative centre is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Smolensk. As of the 2021 Russ ...

, and other districts were split off from

Kalinin Oblast Tver Oblast (, ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was known as Kalinin Oblast (). Population: Tver Oblast is a region of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno. Much of ...

. On 10 March 1945 four more districts, Podberezinsky (with the administrative center located in

Podberezye Podberezye () is the name of several rural localities in Russia. Kaluga Oblast As of 2010, two rural localities in Kaluga Oblast bear this name: * Podberezye, Babyninsky District, Kaluga Oblast, a village in Babyninsky District * Podberezye, Mos ...

), Porechensky ( Porechye), Prihabsky ( Prikhaby), and Zharkovsky ( Zharkovsky), were established. In 1948, the center of Prikhabsky District was transferred to the selo of Usmyn, and in 1948, the district was renamed Usmynsky District. In 1952, Ust-Dolyssky District with the center in the selo of Ust-Dolyssy was established. The most important authority in the oblast was the first secretary of the

CPSU The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

Oblast Committee. The following persons were the first secretaries, * Grigory Mefodyevich Boykachyov (1944–1950); * Zakhar Filippovich Slaykovsky (1950–1951); * Sergey Stepanovich Rumyantsev (1951–1955); * Ivan Petrovich Tur (1955–1957). On 2 October 1957 Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished. Its area was split between Kalinin and

Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Pskov. As of the Russian Census ...

s. Belsky, Ilyinsky, Leninsky, Nelidovsky, Oktyabrsky, Penovsky, Seryozhinsky, Toropetsky, and Zharkovsky Districts were transferred to Kalinin Oblast, and all other districts were merged into Pskov Oblast.

References

{{Authority control Oblasts of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic History of Novgorod Oblast