Tver

Tver (English)
Тверь (Russian)
-  City[1]  -
City of oblast significance[1]

Views of Tver

Location of Tver Oblast in Russia
Tver
Location of Tver in Tver Oblast
Coordinates: 56°51′45″N 35°55′27″E / 56.86250°N 35.92417°ECoordinates: 56°51′45″N 35°55′27″E / 56.86250°N 35.92417°E
Coat of arms
Flag
Administrative status (as of December 2012)
Country Russia
Federal subject Tver Oblast[1]
Administratively subordinated to Tver Okrug[1]
Administrative center of Tver Oblast,[1] Kalininsky District,[2] Tver Okrug[1]
Municipal status (as of September 2006)
Urban okrug Tver Urban Okrug[3]
Administrative center of Tver Urban Okrug,[3] Kalininsky Municipal District[3]
Mayor Alexander Korzin[4]
Representative body City Duma
Statistics
Area 152.22 km2 (58.77 sq mi)[5]
Population (2010 Census) 403,606 inhabitants[6]
- Rank in 2010 46th
Population (2013 est.) 408,852 inhabitants[7]
Density 2,651/km2 (6,870/sq mi)[8]
Time zone MSK (UTC+03:00)[9]
First mentioned 1135
Previous names Tver (until 1931),
Kalinin (until 1991)
Postal code(s)[10] 170000-170043
Dialing code(s) +7 4822
Official website
Tver on WikiCommons

Tver (Russian: Тверь; IPA: [tvʲerʲ]) is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 408,852 (2013 est.);[7] 403,606 (2010 Census);[6] 408,903 (2002 Census);[11] 450,941 (1989 Census).[12]

Located north of Moscow, Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in the Russian Empire, with a population of 60,000 on January 14, 1913. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa Rivers. The city was known as Kalinin (Кали́нин) from 1931 to 1990.

History

Medieval origins

The first written record of Tver is dated 1135. Originally a minor settlement of Novgorodian traders, it passed to the Grand Prince of Vladimir in 1209. In 1246, Alexander Nevsky granted it to his younger brother Yaroslav Yaroslavich (d. 1271), from whom a dynasty of local princes descended. Four of them were killed by the Golden Horde and were proclaimed saints by the Russian Orthodox church.

Formerly a land of woods and bogs, the Principality of Tver was quickly transformed into one of the richest and most populous Russian states. As the area was hardly accessible for Tatar raids, there was a great influx of population from the recently devastated south. By the end of the century, it was ready to vie with Moscow for supremacy in Russia. Both Tver and Moscow were young cities, so the outcome of their rivalry was far from being certain.

Grand princedom

Statue of Afanasy Nikitin

Mikhail, the Grand Prince of Tver, who ascended the throne of Vladimir in 1305, was one of the most beloved of medieval Russian rulers. His policy of open conflict with the Golden Horde led to his assassination there in 1318. His son Dmitry "the Terrible Eyes" succeeded him, and, concluding an alliance with the mighty Grand Duchy of Lithuania, managed to raise Tver's prestige even higher.

Exasperated by Dmitry's influence, Prince Ivan Kalita of the Grand Duchy of Moscow engineered his murder by the Mongols in 1326. On hearing the news of this crime, the city revolted against the Horde. The Horde joined its forces with Muscovites and brutally repressed the rebellion. Many citizens were killed, enslaved or deported. This was the fatal blow to Tver's aspirations for supremacy in Russia.

In the second half of the 14th century, Tver was further weakened by dynastic struggles between its princes. Two senior branches of the ruling house, those of Kashin and Kholmsky, asserted their claims to the grand ducal throne. The claimers were backed up by Moscow and eventually settled at the Moscow Kremlin court.

During the Great Feudal War in the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Tver once again rose to prominence and concluded defensive alliances with Lithuania, Novgorod, Byzantium, and the Golden Horde. Grand Prince Boris of Tver sent one of his men, Afanasy Nikitin, to search for gold and diamonds as far as India. Nikitin's travelogue, describing his journey from 1466 to 1472, is probably the first ever firsthand account of India by a European. A monument to Nikitin was opened on the Volga embankment in 1955.

Later history

At last, on September 12, 1485, the forces of Ivan the Great seized the city. The principality was given as an appanage to Ivan's grandson, only to be abolished several decades later. Last scions of the ruling dynasty were executed by Ivan the Terrible during the Oprichnina. At that turbulent time, Tver was ruled by Simeon Bekbulatovich, a former khan of Kasimov. The only remnant of his ephemeral reign is a graceful tent-like church in the village of Kushalino, 28 kilometers (17 mi) northeast of Tver.

The city's decline was not irrevocable, however. With the foundation of St. Petersburg, Tver gained importance as a principal station on the highway (and later railway) en route from Moscow. It was much visited by Russian royalty and nobility traveling from the old capital to the new one and back.

A royal palace in Tver

Following a devastating fire of 1763, the city was rebuilt in a Neoclassical style. Under Catherine the Great, the central part was thoroughly reconstructed. Crumbling medieval buildings were razed and replaced with imposing Neoclassical structures. The most important of these are the Travel Palace of the Empress (designed by the celebrated Matvei Kazakov), and the Ascension church (designed by Prince Lvov and consecrated in 1813).

In 1931, the city was renamed Kalinin, after a notable Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin who had been born nearby. The last vestige of the pre-Petrine epoch, the Savior Cathedral, was blown up in 1936. In 1940, the NKVD executed more than 6,200 Polish policemen and prisoners of war from Ostashkov camp.

The Wehrmacht occupied Kalinin for two months from 17 October to 16 December 1941, leaving the city in ashes. Kalinin was the first major city in Europe to be liberated from the Wehrmacht.

During the Cold War, Kalinin was home to the Kryuchkovo air base, which is no longer in service. The city's historic name of Tver was restored in 1990.

Apart from the suburban White Trinity Church (1564), there are no ancient monuments left in Tver. The central part is graced with Catharinian and Soviet edifices, bridges, and embankments. Tver's most notable industries are a railroad car plant, opened in 1898, an excavator factory, and a glass factory. Tver is home to Migalovo, which is one of Russia's biggest military airlift facilities.

Administrative and municipal status

Tver is the administrative center of the oblast[1] and, within the framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of Kalininsky District,[2] even though it is not a part of it.[1] As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as Tver Okrug—an administrative unit with a status equal to that of the districts.[1] As a municipal division, Tver Okrug is incorporated as Tver Urban Okrug.[3]

Politics

Seat of the Tver City Duma and City Administration in Lenin Square

The Tver City Duma, the local parliament is composed of 33 deputies). The executive branch is the Administration of Tver. The structure consists of the head of administration of the city administration (since 2012 - Valery Pavlov), his deputies, industry bodies (departments of architecture and construction, housing and communal services, health and social policy, property management and land resources; economy, investment and industrial policy, a number of departments and divisions), as well as the administration of the four districts - Zavolzhsky, Moscow, Proletarsky and Tsentralny. A considerable part of the government buildings of the city of Tver and the Tver Oblast lay along Sovietskaya Street: the Soviet area (Sovietskaya 44) is the residence of the Governor of the Oblast, and a former Regional Party Committee (Sovietskaya 33) is The Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast.

Tver City Duma as a representative body of the city existed from 1785 to 1918, was reconstituted after the dissolution of councils and adoption of the new Constitution of Russia in 1993. March 20, 1994, elections were held in the House of Representatives, who on May 26 was called Tver City Duma. June 7 deputies were able to hold the first meeting of the entitled, and on June 14 - to elect a chairman Valery Matitsyna (later occupied this position Valery Pavlov, Victor Pochtarev Dmitry Bazhenov, Igor Serdyuk, Andrei Borisenko, Lyudmila Polosina Vladimir Babichev). In 1996, deputies took the founding document of the city - the Charter of the city of Tver, putting him in the Duma elections portion by rotation, then the election of deputies held October 27, 1996 and in the future - every two years on the "even" and "odd" districts. In 2007, 12 former deputies (including the former chairman of the Duma Pochtareva) were convicted of taking bribes for decisions in favor Rosvodokanal and other utilities. In October 2008, the deputies of the elections have already passed on party lists, and in March 2009 on the system of party lists have been translated the entire composition of the City Duma, while discontinued the practice of "rotation" of Deputies (the Duma election in parts). In the elections of 2009 the best results (49 percent of the vote) showed local communists.

October 27, 1996 simultaneously with elections to the City Duma passed the first general elections of the head of the city, they defeated Alexander Belousov, who led the 1991 municipal administration and received more than 50 percent of the vote. October 30, 2000 he was reelected to a second term, and April 9, 2003 he died of a heart attack. On July 6, 2001at the early elections of the Mayor won the opposition-leaning City Duma Oleg Lebedev. December 2, 2007 when he supported the pro-government party United Russia was re-elected for a second term, receiving more than 70 percent of the vote. On April 11, 2008 he was suspended by the Central District Court in connection with a criminal case opened in 2005, closed in 2006 and renewed the Prosecutor General of Russia in March 2008 (Lebedev was accused of hindering the work of the investigation in against his deputy Oleg Kudryashov). On May 23 Oleg Lebedev was reinstated, and on June 3 - again dismissed, 25 June, he was taken into custody and transported to Kashin, where he was convicted of visiting college Tver Regional Court jury to eighteen years' imprisonment, which automatically meant the termination of his powers. In 2009, he was released on parole, but the position was not restored.

In late 2008 Tver City Duma adopted amendments to the charter of the city, under which were abolished direct elections of the Mayor and introduced a new position of head of the city administration, with this amendment to the charter of the city caused a mixed reaction of the public and local attempts to bring the issue by the Communists to citywide referendum were not supported by City Duma. In March 2009, the new mayor (now ceremonial post) was elected MP from the United Russia Vladimir Babichev, and in May the same year, the head of the city administration was appointed Toloko Basil, who was previously the first deputy governor of the Tver Oblast. As the mayor and the head of the local administration were elected thin majority 17 votes (United Russia, Fair Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party) against 16 (Communist Party). On December 27, 2011 by a majority vote (22 for, 6 against) City Council voted in favor of early termination of Basil Toloko. On March 29, 2012 decision of the Tver City Duma (25 - for 4 - against) to the post of Head of the Administration was appointed Valery Pavlov, previously held the post of the first deputy chief of staff.

Education

Tver is home to Tver State University, the most highly rated university of the region. It is also home to the Tver State technical university, medical, and agricultural academies and more than twenty colleges and lyceums, branch campuses of some Moscow higher educational institutions and more than fifty high schools.

The Tver State Medical Academy is a medical Academy located in Tver.

The Tver Branch of MESI. Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and Informatics (MESI) - a university with more than 75 years of history. MESI is a leader in ratings among the economic institutions of Moscow and Russia.

Tver also houses the Zhukov Air and Space Defense Academy.

Tver also has around 50 secondary schools, a private school (lycee), and the Suvorov military school.

Transportation

Tver railway depot and roundhouse, ca. 1860. Photo courtesy SMU.

Railway

The Oktyabrskaya Railway linking Moscow and St. Petersburg crosses the city. Since 1850, there has been a railway connection between Tver and Moscow.[13] The primary Tver' Railway Station has a locomotive and car shed, allowing it to service both passenger and cargo trains. In addition to the Tver' Central Station, there are three minor stations within the city perimeter: Lazurnaya, Proletarskaya and Doroshikha. The suburban railway service links Tver to Moscow, Bologoye, Torzhok and Vasilevsky Mokh (via separate line). Most trains passing from Moscow to the north-west regions make a short stop in Tver'.

The newly designed high-speed railway line between Moscow and St Peterburg is expected to have "New Tver'" station several kilometers southward of the city border.[14]

The narrow gauge railway of KSM-2 factory, Tver plant of building materials №2.

Roads

The major M10 motorway linking Moscow and St. Petersburg also crosses the city. This motorway is a part of the Pan-European corridors system. The roads to Rzhev (A112), Vesyegonsk (P84) and Volokolamsk (P90), along with many smaller regional roads, originate in the city. The new highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, that is designed at the present time, will pass closely to the northern border of Tver. Tver is notable by a pretty high number of private cars: there are 288 cars per thousand residents, which is well above average among the other regions of Russia.[15]

Public transit

There is a local bus station that interconnects Tver' with minor towns of Tver Oblast, neighboring oblasts, and Moscow.

Local public transit consists of trolleybuses, trams, buses, and marshrutkas (routed taxis). The latter two have taken priority during recent years.

Air

There are two airfields within the city: Migalovo military air base and Zmeyevo airport; although the nearest airport with regular scheduled commercial service is Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow.

Water

The river station (речной вокзал) is located on the left bank of the Volga River, close to the confluence with the river Tvertsa. There is also a small cargo port in the lower part of the Volga. During the summertime, pleasure boats ply up and down the Volga, with their base off the City Park.

Culture

The Zvezda Cinema (1937) is the largest in Tver Oblast

Tver is home to:

Sports

The city association football team, FC Volga Tver, plays in the Russian Second Division.

Climate

Tver has a humid continental climate, which is typical for Central Russia. Winters are long, snowy and cold, but extremely severe frosts (below −35 °C (−31 °F)) are rare, less than 10 calendar days per annum. The summer is generally warm and humid, with the temperature often rising higher than +30 °C (86 °F).

Climate data for Tver
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.0
(48.2)		 8.4
(47.1)		 17.5
(63.5)		 27.2
(81)		 33.7
(92.7)		 34.0
(93.2)		 37.3
(99.1)		 38.8
(101.8)		 30.6
(87.1)		 24.5
(76.1)		 13.2
(55.8)		 9.4
(48.9)		 38.8
(101.8)
Average high °C (°F) −4.6
(23.7)		 −4.2
(24.4)		 2.1
(35.8)		 10.8
(51.4)		 18.0
(64.4)		 21.5
(70.7)		 24.1
(75.4)		 21.5
(70.7)		 15.2
(59.4)		 8.3
(46.9)		 0.7
(33.3)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 9.2
(48.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) −7.4
(18.7)		 −7.6
(18.3)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 5.8
(42.4)		 12.4
(54.3)		 16.3
(61.3)		 18.7
(65.7)		 16.4
(61.5)		 10.7
(51.3)		 4.9
(40.8)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 −6
(21)		 5.1
(41.2)
Average low °C (°F) −10.3
(13.5)		 −11.3
(11.7)		 −5.7
(21.7)		 1.0
(33.8)		 6.5
(43.7)		 11.0
(51.8)		 13.2
(55.8)		 11.5
(52.7)		 6.6
(43.9)		 1.9
(35.4)		 −3.7
(25.3)		 −8.6
(16.5)		 1.0
(33.8)
Record low °C (°F) −38.9
(−38)		 −37.2
(−35)		 −33.9
(−29)		 −21.1
(−6)		 −7
(19)		 −0.5
(31.1)		 2.2
(36)		 −2.2
(28)		 −7
(19)		 −15
(5)		 −27.2
(−17)		 −44
(−47)		 −44
(−47)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 41
(1.61)		 36
(1.42)		 30
(1.18)		 33
(1.3)		 58
(2.28)		 78
(3.07)		 83
(3.27)		 76
(2.99)		 62
(2.44)		 64
(2.52)		 49
(1.93)		 43
(1.69)		 653
(25.71)
Source: [16]

Religion

Tver has four functioning Russian Orthodox cathedrals, fifteen Orthodox churches, a Mormon chapel, a Catholic church, a mosque, and a synagogue.

Tver, as in other cities of Central Russia the main religion is Russian Orthodox Christianity. The city is the center of Diocese of Tver and Kashin of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is located diocesan administration and the residence of the ruling bishop - Archbishop of Tver and Kashin, from December 4, 1988 the diocese headed by Metropolitan Victor (Oleynik).

Headquarters of the Diocese of Tver and Kashin in Sovietskaya street

White Trinity Temple in Zatmache, recently renamed Trinity Cathedral, built in 1564 and has since been repeatedly reconstructed, is the oldest surviving stone buildings Tver, it is subordinate to the ruling bishop. Ascension Cathedral, built in the 1750s, is located in the historic center of the city on Tverskaya Avenue and has the status of episcopal monastery. Preserved Assumption Cathedral 18th century pre-existing Otroch monastery is in Trans-Volga district, near the mouth of Tvertsa river. Resurrection Cathedral was built in 1912-1913, marking the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty and in the 1990s, after the return of the church received the status of the cathedral and is directly subordinate to the ruling bishop. Not far from the cathedral is the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ and the monastery, built in 1810s.

Notable people

Stepan Razin Embankment in Tver

Twin towns and sister cities

Tver is twinned with:

References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Law #34-ZO
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Государственный комитет Российской Федерации по статистике. Комитет Российской Федерации по стандартизации, метрологии и сертификации. №ОК 019-95 1 января 1997 г. «Общероссийский классификатор объектов административно-территориального деления. Код 28 220», в ред. изменения №243/2014 от 18 апреля 2014 г.. (State Statistics Committee of the Russian Federation. Committee of the Russian Federation on Standardization, Metrology, and Certification. #OK 019-95 January 1, 1997 Russian Classification of Objects of Administrative Division . Code 28 220, as amended by the Amendment #243/2014 of April 18, 2014. ).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Law #4-ZO
  4. ↑ New mayor of Tver is United Russia member
  5. ↑ БД ПМО Тверской области. Город Тверь
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (2010 All-Russia Population Census) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Предварительная оценка численности населения на 1 января 2013 года по муниципальным образованиям (in Russian). Тверьстат. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  8. ↑ The value of density was calculated automatically by dividing the 2010 Census population by the area specified in the infobox. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox does not necessarily correspond to the area of the entity proper or is reported for the same year as the population.
  9. ↑ Правительство Российской Федерации. Федеральный закон №107-ФЗ от 3 июня 2011 г. «Об исчислении времени», в ред. Федерального закона №248-ФЗ от 21 июля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Федеральный закон "Об исчислении времени"». Вступил в силу по истечении шестидесяти дней после дня официального опубликования (6 августа 2011 г.). Опубликован: "Российская газета", №120, 6 июня 2011 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Federal Law #107-FZ of June 31, 2011 On Calculating Time, as amended by the Federal Law #248-FZ of July 21, 2014 On Amending Federal Law "On Calculating Time". Effective as of after sixty days following the day of the official publication.).
  10. ↑ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (Russian)
  11. ↑ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек" [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian). Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  12. ↑ Demoscope Weekly (1989). "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров" [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года[All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  13. ↑ Train Station in Tver (Russian)
  14. ↑ Trillion for Sapsan
  15. ↑ Самые автомобилизированные города России
  16. ↑ "Climate data for Tver". Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  17. ↑ "Town twinnings and international relations"(Italian)

Sources

Further reading