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Torzhok Торжок
Town of oblast significance[1]
View of Borisoglebsky Monastery
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Torzhok
Torzhok Location of Torzhok Show map of Russia Torzhok Torzhok (Tver Oblast) Show map of Tver Oblast
Coordinates: 57°02′N 34°58′E / 57.033°N 34.967°E / 57.033; 34.967Coordinates: 57°02′N 34°58′E / 57.033°N 34.967°E / 57.033; 34.967
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Tver Oblast[1]
First mentioned	1139[2]
Town status since	1775[2]
Government
• Mayor	Yevgeny Ignatov
Area
• Total	59 km2 (23 sq mi)
Elevation	165 m (541 ft)
Population (2010 Census)[3]
• Total	47,644
• Estimate  (2018)[4]	45,641
• Density	810/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Administrative status
• Subordinated to	Torzhok Okrug[1]
• Capital of	Torzhoksky District[5], Torzhok Okrug[1]
Municipal status
• Urban okrug	Torzhok Urban Okrug[6]
• Capital of	Torzhok Urban Okrug[6], Torzhoksky Municipal District[6]
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [7])
Postal code(s)[8]	172000-172011
Dialing code(s)	+7 48251
Twin towns	Slonim, Moscow, Savonlinna, Melle, Valday
OKTMO ID	28750000001
Website	torzhok-adm.ru

Torzhok (Russian: Торжо́к) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Tvertsa River along the federal highway M10 and a branch of the Oktyabrskaya Railway division of the Russian Railways. The town is famous for its folk craft of goldwork embroidery. Population: 47,644 (2010 Census);^[3]48,967 (2002 Census);^[9]49,982 (1989 Census).^[10]

History

General view of the town in the 1910s

Aerial view of Torzhok

Torzhok was first mentioned in a chronicle in 1139 as Novy Torg.^[2] The Mongols burned it in 1238, but did not proceed northward to Novgorod. At that time, the town commanded the only route whereby grain was delivered to Novgorod. Once Torzhok blocked the route, a great shortage of grain and famine in Novgorod would follow. Consequently, Torzhok was known as a key to the Novgorod Republic and frequently changed hands during feudal internecine wars.

The town was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Moscow with the rest of the Novgorod Republic in 1478. The Polish army frequently ravaged it during the Time of Troubles. During the imperial period, Torzhok was known as an important post station on the highway from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Alexander Pushkin, for instance, used to pass through Torzhok on a number of occasions, and there is a museum dedicated to him in the town.

In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, Torzhok was included into Ingermanlandia Governorate (since 1710 known as Saint Petersburg Governorate), and in 1727 Novgorod Governorate split off. In 1775, Tver Viceroyalty was formed from the lands which previously belonged to Moscow and Novgorod Governorates, and Torzhok was transferred to Tver Viceroyalty, which in 1796 was transformed to Tver Governorate. In 1775, Novotorzhsky Uyezd was established, with the center in Torzhok, and Torzhok was granted town status.^[2]

On July 12, 1929 the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Novotorzhsky District, with the administrative center in Torzhok, was established within Tver Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 29, 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Novotorzhsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.^[11] In February 1963, during the abortive administrative reform by Nikita Khrushchev, Torzhoksky, Likhoslavlsky, and Kamensky District were merged into a new district which was called Torzhoksky District. On March 4, 1964 Likhoslavlsky District, and on January 12, 1965 Kuvshinovsky District (which occupied the same area as the former Kamensky District) were re-established. Torzhoksky District retained the new name.^[11] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Torzhok serves as the administrative center of Torzhoksky District,^[5] even though it is not a part of it.^[1] As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as Torzhok Okrug—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.^[1] As a municipal division, Torzhok Okrug is incorporated as Torzhok Urban Okrug.^[6]

Economy

Torzhok has twenty-two large and medium-sized industrial enterprises.^{[citation needed]} Two of them are especially significant. JSC Pozhtekhnika and OAO Torzhok Plant Printing Inks account for 70% of all industrial output.

Transportation

A railway line which connects Likhoslavl with Soblago via Selizharovo runs through Torzhok. Another railway line branches off in Torzhok and heads south to Rzhev via Vysokoye. Both lines are served by infrequent passenger traffic.

The M10 highway, which connects Moscow and St. Petersburg, passes close to Torzhok. A road to Ostashkov branches off to the west. There is also a road connecting Torzhok with Staritsa. There are local roads as well, with the bus traffic originating from Torzhok.

Architecture

Architectural monuments of Torzhok include a number of parish churches, dating back to the late 17th or early 18th centuries. Under Catherine the Great, the old monastery of Sts. Boris and Gleb was redesigned in Neoclassical style by a local landowner, Prince Lvov. The main city church is the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral, founded in 1374. The current edifice was consecrated in 1822. There is also Catherine the Great's diminutive travel palace.

Military

There is an air base located near the town which has in residence the 344th Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel of Army Aviation.^[12] The center operates the "Golden Eagles" combat helicopter aerobatic team. The 696th Regiment tests all current models and modifications of Russian military helicopters. The center uses Ka-50, Mi-8, Mi-24, Mi-26, and Mil Mi-28Н helicopters for training purposes.

In 2002 the center consisted of the:^[12]

• 696th Research-Instructor Helicopter Regiment (Troop Transport Helicopters) (Torzhok, Tver Oblast)


• 92nd Research-Instructor Helicopter Squadron (Sokol, Vladimir Oblast)


• 118th independent Helicopter Squadron (Chebenki, Orenburg Oblast) (though on 1.12.07 absorbed by the 4215th Aircraft Reserve Base)


• 2881st Helicopter Reserve Base (Totskoye-2, Orenburg Oblast)


• Kushalino test range (from 2005) (Military Unit: 15478)

Notable people

• 
  Mikhail Bakunin (1814–1876), revolutionary anarchist


• 
  Alexej von Jawlensky, painter


• 
  Solomon Shereshevsky, mnemonist

Twin towns and sister cities

Tvertsa Embankment

Torzhok is twinned with:

• 
  Savonlinna, Finland^[13]
  


• 
  Slonim, Belarus
  


• 
  Melle, Germany
  

References

Notes

Sources

• 
  Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №34-ЗО от 17 апреля 2006 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области», в ред. Закона №66-ЗО от 1 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 18 Закона Тверской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №17 (специальный выпуск), 19 апреля 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #34-ZO of April 17, 2006 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast, as amended by the Law #66-ZO of October 1, 2014 On Amending Article 18 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).


• 
  Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №4-ЗО от 18 января 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов», в ред. Закона №65-ЗО от 24 июля 2012 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 2 Закона Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №3, 21–27 января 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #4-ZO of January 18, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, as amended by the Law #65-ZO of July 24, 2012 On Amending Article 2 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the official publication.).

Further reading

• 
  Annette M. B. Meakin (1906). "Torjok". Russia, Travels and Studies. London: Hurst and Blackett. OCLC 3664651.
  

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Torzhok.

• 
  Official website of Torzhok (in Russian)
  


• 
  Unofficial website of Torzhok (in Russian)
  


• Torzhok: The golden age of provincial Russia