Ostrov, Ostrovsky District, Pskov Oblast
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Template:Infobox Russian inhabited locality
Ostrov (Template:Langx, lit. island) is a town and the administrative center of Ostrovsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Velikaya River, Template:Convert south of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: Template:Ru-census2010 Template:Ru-census2002 Template:Su-census1989 27,000 (1974).
Etymology
The name of the town, which means "island" in Russian, originates from the island on the Velikaya, on which the Ostrov fortress was originally built.<ref name="gr">Template:Cite book</ref>
History
It was founded as a fortress in the end of the 13th century and first mentioned in 1342.<ref name="gr"/> It had been an important military outpost throughout the 15th-16th centuries.<ref name="gr" /> In 1501 it was conquered by the Livonian Order after the Battle of the Siritsa River.<ref name="gr" /> In 1582 it was captured by Polish forces of Jan Zamoyski.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, it was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as Saint Petersburg Governorate). Ostrov is specifically mentioned as one of the towns making the governorate.<ref name="1708List">Указ об учреждении губерний и о росписании к ним городов Template:In lang</ref> In 1727, separate Novgorod Governorate was split off and in 1772, Pskov Governorate (which between 1777 and 1796 existed as Pskov Viceroyalty) was established.Template:Citation needed Catherine the Great incorporated it as a town in 1777.<ref name="gr" /> In 1897, the ethnic make-up, by mother tongue, was 80.1% Russian, 11.8% Jewish, 2.5% German, 2.0% Polish, 1.7% Latvian.<ref name=c1897>Template:Cite book</ref>
On August 1, 1927, the uyezds and governorates were abolished and Ostrovsky District, with the administrative center in Ostrov, was established as a part of Pskov Okrug of Leningrad Oblast.<ref name="PskovO1988">Administrative-Territorial Structure of Pskov Oblast, pp. 11–14</ref> It included parts of former Ostrovsky, Opochetsky, and Pskovsky Uyezds.<ref name="OstrovskyDHist">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were also abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast.<ref name="PskovO1988" /> Between March 22, 1935 and September 19, 1940, Ostrovsky District was a part of the restored Pskov Okrug of Leningrad Oblast,<ref name="PskovO1988" /> one of the okrugs abutting the state boundaries of the Soviet Union. Between July 6, 1941 and July 21, 1944, Ostrov was occupied by German troops.<ref name="gr" /> An underground resistance group was active in Ostrov during the war. On August 23, 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Pskov Oblast.<ref name="PskovO1988" />
Administrative and municipal status
Template:Historical populations Within the framework of administrative divisions, Ostrov serves as the administrative center of Ostrovsky District,<ref name="OKATO">Template:OKATO reference</ref> to which it is directly subordinated.<ref name="Incorp">Law #833-oz stipulates that the borders of the administrative districts are identical to the borders of the municipal districts. The Law #420-oz, which describes the borders and the composition of the municipal districts, lists the town of Ostrov as a part of Ostrovsky District.</ref> As a municipal division, the town of Ostrov is incorporated within Ostrovsky Municipal District as Ostrov Urban Settlement.<ref name="PskovO_mun">Law #420-oz</ref>
Economy
Industry
The economy of Ostrov is based on food, electronic, and textile industries (5.4%).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Transportation
A railway from St. Petersburg via Pskov to Pytalovo and further to Rēzekne in Latvia passes Ostrov. In Latvia, it provides access to Riga and Vilnius (via Daugavpils). As of 2012, there was passenger traffic on the railway.
The M20 Highway, which connects St. Petersburg and Vitebsk via Pskov, passes Ostrov as well. Ostrov is the northern terminus of the European route E262, which proceeds to Kaunas via Rēzekne and Daugavpils. There are also road connections from Ostrov northwest to Pechory via Palkino, northeast to Porkhov, and southeast to Novorzhev, as well as local roads.
Military
The town was home to Ostrov air base, a major medium-range bomber base during the Cold War. In addition, a unit of the Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) included a main base in the town, a nearby fixed field site for training, and three operational missile launch areas 10–30 km away. This military unit also supported reserve officer training of students of several institutes, including Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Culture and recreation
The town possesses a Neoclassical cathedral from 1790 and a typical Pskovian church from 1543. Close at hand is a historical suspension bridge, opened in 1853 (winter view, summer view).
Ostrov hosts the Ostrov District Museum, the only museum in the district.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
References
Notes
Sources
- Template:RussiaAdmMunRef
- Template:RussiaAdmMunRef
- Архивный отдел Псковского облисполкома. Государственный архив Псковской области. "Административно-территориальное деление Псковской области (1917–1988 гг.). Справочник". (Administrative-Territorial Structure of Pskov Oblast (1917–1988). Reference.) Книга I. Лениздат, 1988.
External links
- The murder of the Jews of Ostrov during World War II, at Yad Vashem website.