Valday, Novgorod Oblast

Valdai (Russian Валдай ) is a Russian city with 16,098 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ) and the center of the Rajons same name in Novgorod Oblast.

Geography

Valdai is located in the southern part of Novgorod Oblast, close to the administrative border with Tver Oblast, about 400 kilometers northwest of Moscow and 140 km south-east of the regional center of Veliky Novgorod. The nearest town is 46 km north of Okulovka Valdai. The city's location on the wooded plateau of Valdai Hills and on the west side of the seven- kilometer-long and four kilometers wide Waldaisees is very scenic and attracts mainly in the summer months recreation-seekers. On an island in this lake is the Iwerski Monastery.

History

The city emerged from the village called Waldaiskoje Selischtsche, literally " Valdai settlement ", which was first mentioned in 1495. Originally, the village belonged to the Novgorod boyars Vasily Jessifow, 1654 passed into the possession of the Iwerski monastery and remained until 1764, when all the country estates of the Russian Orthodox monasteries of the Russian empire were nationalized, its property. This condition also promoted the development of the town, as the monastery in the 17th century started for the settlement of craftsmen and merchants there, and in 1694 also built the first stone building in Valdai back with the Trinity Church. A threaded along the lakeshore road allowed trading activities with Novgorod, Tver and St. Petersburg.

1770 the place was declared as part of a territorial reform of Empress Catherine II to the city. Valdai was county town and received its own coat of arms.

From the end of the 18th century, the bell founder craft developed in Valdai high degree. Already in the 19th century were marked as "gift from the Valdai " designated bells and small bells for horse teams throughout Russia a term. Trade with other regions of Russia was initially favored by the paved road built in 1834 between Moscow and St. Petersburg, led by Valdai. However, their importance faded away after the construction of the Nicholas Railroad, the Valdai bypassed. Despite the resulting economic slowdown bells were cast in Valdai until well into the 1920s into it. At the heyday of the craft in the 19th century still reminds us a lot of valuable historical merchant houses in the old town.

Demographics

Note: Census data

Economy and Transport

Today's Valdai is known primarily as a tourist center. The industry plays a relatively minor role: to call is the optics plant Jupiter, a mechanism as well as factory operations in the food industry.

The most important road connection Waldais is a highway M10, which is a part of the European Route 105. In addition Valdai has a regional station at one of Bologoje on Staraya Russa after Dno leading branch line of the railway Nikolai.