Yelets

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A street of Yelets, with the Ascension Cathedral in the background.

Yelets (Russian: Еле́ц) is a city in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Sosna River, which is a tributary of the Don River. Its population was 116,726 as of the 2002 Census.

Yelets is the oldest centre of the Black Earth Region. It is mentioned in historical documents as far back as 1146 AD, when it belonged to the Princes of Ryazan. The town's position at the very south of Russian lands made it an easy prey for Turkic conquerors. The Mongols burnt it in 1239, Uzbeg Khan ravaged it in 1316, Timur sacked it in 1395, and the Tatars devastated it in 1414.

In 1483, the Principality of Yelets was absorbed by Muscovy, while the local Rurikid rulers (last heard of in the 19th century) entered the service of Ivan III. In 1591, Boris Godunov revived the largely deserted town by establishing a fortress there. In 1618, the fortress was captured "by subterfuge" by 20,000 Cossacks under Petro Konashevych, allied with Wladyslaw IV of Poland. They dismantled a large part of town fortifications.

In the 19th century, Yelets became the largest trade centre of the region. Handmade lace has been a notable product of the city since then; other important industries are grain milling and the manufacture of machinery. The town's chief landmark is the vast Ascension Cathedral, built over the years 1845–1889 to a Neo-Muscovite design by Konstantin Thon. It is the only church by Thon to survive the Soviet years more or less intact.