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Orel Region
// GENERAL INFORMATION
Orel Region is located in the southwestern part of European Russia and is part of the Central economic district. It borders on Kaluga and Tula regions in the north, Bryansk Region in the west, Kursk Region in the south, and Lipetsk Region in the east. The region extends more than 150 km from north to south and more than 200 km from west to east.
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Orel Region is one of the smaller Russian regions, with an area of 24 700 km2. It has a population of 911 600 people (62.2% urban and 37.8% rural).
The region includes 7 cities, 14 towns, and 24 districts, each having a town with a population of 8000 to 25 000 as its district center. The largest cities are Livny (pop. 53 400) and Mtsensk (pop. 51 000).
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Orel Region is situated in the center of the Central Russian Uplands within the steppe and forest steppe zones. It has a temperate continental climate with an average January temperature of -8 °C and an average July temperature of +18 °C. Average annual precipitation is 490-590 mm, and the average number of days with snow cover is 126. The region has 48 million hectares of black earth soils (chernozems), which represents three-quarters of the world's chernozem reserves.
In recent years, there has been great emphasis on the development of education in Orel Region. Many higher educational institutions operate in the region, in particular, a pedagogical university, a technical university, a military institute of governmental relations, and an agricultural academy, which graduate highly trained professionals for various economic sectors.
Today, the region is a center of modern agrarian science, as well as a major industrial center with engineering and steel-rolling plants, instrument-making and electronics companies, and more than 4500 small and medium businesses.
The administrative center is the old Russian city of Orel, founded by Ivan the Terrible as a fortress city in 1566. Today, it is a beautiful modern center with a unique architectural character combining historical and contemporary buildings. The city is divided into four districts; it has a population of about 347 000 people.
Orel is an old territory with a wealth of historical and cultural traditions, which gave the world outstanding writers such as Ivan Turgenev and Leonid Andreev and the philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin. The creative work of writers and poets Leskov, Bunin, Karamzin, and Fet, as well as many other famous people, are connected with Orel.
HISTORY
Orel Region is a richly endowed territory in the center of Russia that has played, and continues to play, an enormous role in the country's cultural and intellectual development. A Slavic tribe known as the Vyatichi began settling on the banks of the upper Oka River and its tributaries as early as the 8th and 9th centuries. Twelfth-century Moscow chronicles mention the cities of Mtsensk, Novosil, and Kromy, now located in Orel Region.
The history of the city of Orel began on September 8, 1556, when construction of the Orlovskaya Fortress began on the southern border of the Muscovite state by decree of Ivan the Terrible. It immediately became the center of the large Orel District. Historians believe the town received its name from the Orel River on which it was built.
Orel was devastated by the Poles in 1611 and then completely razed four years later. The fortress of Orel was rebuilt only in 1636 and populated once again. The city has been ravaged, burned to the ground, and revived repeatedly during its existence. Orel existed as a fortress until 1702, gradually losing its military significance. However, owing to fertile land and the labor of peasants who grew wheat and rye on it, the city gained a reputation as a grain-producing city. It soon became a center of the grain trade, which supplied Moscow with grain and flour. In the latter half of the 19th century, railways and roads connected Orel with Moscow, Ukraine, the Baltic States, and the Volga region and it became a major transportation center. The city's industrialization began during the Soviet period with the construction of engineering plants.
The Soviet Union's victory in the Second World War [called the Great Patriotic War in Russia] was a national feat unparalleled in history. There had never been a war in recorded history in which the masses had been so well organized and so united as in the Second World War. Our people are true makers of history.
The start of the war marked the beginning of years of severe trial for the region. Defensive battles were still continuing on the northern and southern fronts of the Kursk salient, but the Soviet command was already preparing an offensive code-named "Kutuzov". Forces on the Western, Bryansk, and Central fronts were to strike from the north, east, and south of Orel.
The offensive began on June 12, 1943.
On August 5, after breaking through the German defenses and forcing them to retreat, the Soviet Army drove them out of Orel. In memory of this event, a T-70 tank was placed on a common grave in May 1 (Pervomaiskaya) Square [now Tankmen's Square (Skver tankistov)] in Orel on August 7, 1943.
The tank's gun faces west to where battles with the enemy were still going on. The square was redeveloped in 1963 and an Eternal Flame was lit. In 1968, the T-70 tank was replaced with a T-34 tank, which was connected with the brilliant victories of Soviet armored troops in the Second World War.
A granite monolith with the names of the dead soldiers stands on the common grave in the center of the square, along with two stone slabs with a map of the battle on the Orel-Kursk Arch [the battle front in the region] and the text of the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief for the first victory salute in Moscow in honor of the liberation of the cities of Orel and Belgorod from the German occupiers.
The monument was designed and planned by architects A. Radionov, K. Silobram, S. Fedorov, O. Levitsky, and O. Vernoslov.
Reconstruction of industrial facilities and public utilities was completed ahead of schedule after the end of the war, and Orel's industrial potential increased many times within a short period. New industries appeared in the city, including a steel-rolling plant, a watch factory, and companies in the instrument-making and electronics industries. Diversified industry (engineering, electronics, and metallurgy) also developed in other cities of the region.
Orel observed its 400th anniversary in 1966, and in honor of this event a 20-m-high monument was built with a letter for the generation of 2066 enclosed in its base.
RESOURCES
The surface relief of Orel Region is a hilly plain with a transitional zone where the soils change from sod-podzolic to predominantly leached and podzolic chernozems. Agricultural land occupies a large part of the region (2 085 700 hectares); most of it (1 662 700 hectares, or 79.7%) consists of cropland. Soils encountered in the region vary from light gray forest soil in the west to leached and typical chernozems in the east and south.
The soil quality of croplands and natural meadows varies considerably, from leached chernozem (12.8%), dark gray forest soils (23.8%), podzolic chernozem (29.7%), to sod-podzolic and light gray forest soils (8.1%). More than 240 soil types have been identified on the region's croplands alone.
Despite its relatively small size, Orel Region is one of the leaders in a group of regions of European Russia (the Central, Central Black Earth, Volga-Vyatka, and Volga economic districts, as well as Bashkortostan, Rostov Region, and Stavropol and Krasnodar territories) in amount of agricultural land per resident. This circumstance, along with favorable natural and climatic conditions, has determined the overall agricultural and industrial orientation of the regional economy. With a population density considerably less than average for central Russia, the region is noted for its high level of agricultural development.
Water Resources. Orel Region has more than 2000 rivers and streams with a total length of 9100 km, although none of them are navigable. The main river is the Oka (a tributary of the Volga), which has its source in the southern part of the region and flows through it for 190 km. Its basin covers an area of 14 500 km2, and the average annual flow on the border with Tula Region is 2.058 billion m3. The main tributaries of the Oka within the region are the Zusha, Neruch, Nugr, Kroma, Rybnitsa, Orlik, and Tson rivers. The southeastern part of Orel Region is in the Sosna River basin (a tributary of the Don River), and the southwestern part is in the basins of the Navlya and Nerussa rivers, which flow into the Desna River (a tributary of the Dnieper River). There are also about 60 smaller rivers with an average annual flow of 3 billion m3 and many small, fast-flowing streams.
Up to the 1960s, the rivers of Orel Region were extensively used to generate power (small hydroelectric power plants, water mills). There are no large-scale reservoirs in the region; the largest are the Neruchanskoe reservoir in Sverdlovsky District (6.8 million m3), the finishing pond of the Lubna fish farm in Khotynetsky District (4.5 million m3), and the Orlovskoe reservoir (4.0 million m3).
According to geological survey data, Orel Region has a variety of mineral resources, many of which are still undeveloped. Iron ore reserves in Orel Region are an extension of the Kursk magnetic anomaly. The ore in Dmitrovsky District is deposited at depths of 180-260 m in a bed 2.5-19 m thick. The deposit is commercially important but is currently not being worked. Limonite [brown iron ore] reserves in Verkhovsky District with a deposition depth of 8-40 m, a bed thickness of 0.5-7 m, and iron content of about 42% are similar to Lipetsk ores in geological structure and iron content.
Limestone, sand, and clay have various applications in the production of building materials. Limestone and dolomite deposits are found in nearly every district.
Reserves of white true chalk and white clay (kaolin) are located in Dolzhansky District. Kaolin can be used as the source material for making porcelain and electrical components, such as insulators. The refractory clays of Maloarkhangelsky District are used for making dishes, facing tile, roofing tile, sewer pipe, and similar products.
In addition to these minerals, there are deposits of brown coal in Bolkhovsky District (deposition depth of 35-40 m, seam thickness of 0.3-3.2 m), phosphorites in Dmitrovsky, Bolkhovsky, and Glazunovsky districts (bed thickness up to 0.4 m, P2O5 content up to 17%), and peat (largest deposits are in Khotynetsky and Shablykinsky districts).
There are no large thermal or hydroelectric power plants in Orel Region, since it has no fuel or hydroelectric power resources of its own. However, the Kursk, Novovoronezh, and Smolensk nuclear power plants, which are all located within a radius of 250-300 km, along with the Tula, Bryansk, and Lipetsk thermal power plants, make up the power deficit.
ECONOMY
The main industries in Orel Region are the food and light industries, engineering and metalworking, and ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy. The engineering and metalworking industries manufacture production equipment for various industries, forklift trucks, construction and agricultural equipment, and machinery for municipal services. Numerous companies in the instrument-making and electronics sectors maintain high scientific and technical potential with the latest high-end technologies and experienced specialists.
The food industry produces sugar, canned dairy products and meats, soft drinks, confectionery, and baked goods. Cheese, butter, and alcohol production is expanding as well. Light industry is involved in the production of textiles, clothing, and shoes. Ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy manufacture secondary and tertiary conversion products, such as cold-drawn steel, steel cord, steel wire cable, pipe, fastenings, aluminum castings, and nonferrous metal alloys. Nearly 85% of the raw materials needed for industry are imported from other regions, since Orel Region has few resources. The only exceptions are the building material and food industries, which use local raw materials. More than 770 companies in various sectors comprise the region's industrial complex. Most of them are located in the largest industrial centers, i.e., Orel, Livny, and Mtsensk, which account for more than 83% of industrial output. Among the largest companies in Orel Region are the Mtsensk Aluminum Foundry (Mtsensky zavod alyuminiego litya), AMO ZIL, ZAO Orlex, ZAO Raduga, OAO Orelenergo, OAO Livgidromash, ZAO Orel Road-Building Machine Plant (Dormash), OAO Yantar, AOOT Avtoagregat, OAO Prompribor, and OAO Pogruzchik. Companies of nearly all sectors accounting for almost half of all industrial production are located in Orel. Companies in the engineering (including instrument making), construction, and food industries are located in Livny. The main industry in Mtensk is nonferrous metallurgy.
Most of the region's agricultural land is used for plant cultivation. Grain growing is very important, with winter wheat and rye being the main crops. Buckwheat, oats, barley, and potatoes are also grown, and sugar beets are in great demand. New, high-quality seed varieties are used for sowing, which increases total grain yields and improves the quality; 91-98% of the planted seed meets sowing standards. The area planted in feed grains is increasing due to the expansion of livestock farming, which includes beef and dairy cattle farming, pig farming, sheep farming for meat and wool, poultry farming, and horse breeding.
Orel Region is the largest milk producer among the Russian regions. The region's cattle stocks number 301 000 head of Simmentals (40%) and Holsteins (60%). The milk yield for both breeds is 2000 kg of per cow per year. Each breed has its own breeding organization. Several pedigree farms are involved in breeding Simmentals; among them are the 50th Anniversary of October Farm (KKh 50 let Oktyabrya) in Livensk District, where 450 purebred cows yield 4688 kg of milk each. Holsteins are bred on two pedigree farms, Zvyaginki and the Orel Experimental Farm (OPKh NPO ZBK Orel), which have a combined total of 1650 cows. Good conditions and proper breeding have resulted in some of the highest milk yields among purebred herds in Russia.
AUTHORITIES
The Orel Regional Duma and the Election Committee exercise legislative authority in Orel Region, while the regional, district, and city administrations exercise executive authority. The Administration of Orel Region is the region's highest executive body.
THE ARTS
The city of Orel places a great deal of emphasis on arts and crafts. In recent years, the cultural center in Orel has discovered 500 masters of these art forms and has held exhibitions of their work.
There is a remarkable woman living in Orel who has devoted her life to delighting children with the magical world of puppets. Her name is Lyubov Zhmakina. She makes and paints puppets and also stages her own shows. She presented her first show in Orel in 1972. The performance was dedicated to children and used puppets to show the elements of how to behave in public. The children loved the scenes from life, which simultaneously made them laugh and instructed them.
Children's laughter and the looks of rapture on the young spectators' faces are Lyubov Zhmakina's reward for her work.
Regional Exhibition Hall
Until recently, the Artists' Union had a monopoly on exhibitions. However, today, Orel has the Regional Exhibition Hall, which unites the region's artists. In 1996, a competition for young artists was organized in the exhibition hall. Children whose talent was still not fully revealed learned about the world of art. At the exhibition, they could get advice from professional artists and enrich their knowledge of art. Regional artists, such as L.N. Parinka, O.S. Tuchnina, S.V. Prokopov, Zh.A. Travinskaya, and V.I. Lebedev have held personal exhibitions in the hall. These exhibitions have been a great success with city residents.
Raduga Ensemble
Orel's own Raduga (Rainbow) dance ensemble had the privilege of participating in the carnival procession in Moscow during the city's 850th anniversary celebrations in September 1997.
Students of the institute of arts and culture formed the ensemble in 1978. The ensemble consists of a dance group and a musical ensemble. Raduga's repertoire includes Russian folk dances from various regions of the country.
Orel Masters
Rare crafts such as woodcarving, basket weaving, macrame, and wonderful lacework and embroidery have been preserved in various villages in the region. The hands of the lacemakers produce patterns in fine, nearly weightless threads that rival the frost patterns on windows in delicacy.
Craftsmen who model clay toys and ceramics also make their contribution to Orel's cultural heritage. Orel potters have their own style of painting distinct from the work of craftsmen in other regions.
The art of Orel masters has been presented twice at fairs in Germany and France, as well as in Russia (Kaliningrad, Moscow, and Sochi). The cultural legacy and knowledge of Orel masters is being carefully passed on to their children and grandchildren, who are continuing the work of their forebears.
Official Site of the Administration of Orel Region:http://www.adm.orel.ru
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