Safonovo, Safonovsky District, Smolensk Oblast

Safonowo (Russian Сафоново ) is a Russian district town with 46 116 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ) in the Smolensk Oblast. It lies in the west of the country near the border with Belarus, 102 km north-east of the regional center Smolensk on the Dnieper River inflow Wopez. The nearest town is Dorogobusch, 20 km south of Safonowo away.

History

The first mention of the village Safonowo near the road from Moscow to Smolensk date from the year 1859. Late 19th century the street was laid in parallel a railway line, which is close to Safonowo also passes over. In 1929, the city administrative center of the newly formed eponymous Rajons within the Smolensk Oblast. With the removal of lignite near Safonowo from the 1930s, the place was turned into a housing estate, in 1938 the status of an urban-type settlement, and in 1952 finally received the city status.

Demographics

Note: Census data

Economy and Transport

The city possesses chemical factories and machinery and equipment, also of a brick and asphalt works. The former lignite mining with nine mines ceased in the 1980s and 1990s due to low profitability.

Safonowo is located on the Russian highway M 1 ( European Route 30), which runs from Moscow to Minsk. At the railway highway Moscow - Smolensk -Minsk -Warsaw Safonowo has a railway station.

Main axis of the inner city is the Ulitsa Lenina ( Lenin Street ), in which the most representative buildings of the city, the central park and the Lenin monument are and what the Eternal Flame and the underlying culture palace ends. The other downtown streets are aligned to these.