The whole area of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Volga River, and much of the area belongs to the basin of the Mologa. The Mologa flows through the district, entering it from the west and turning north. The town of Bezhetsk, the district center, is located on the banks of the Mologa. The principal tributary of the Mologa within the district, the Osen (right), is rather short, but its drainage basin covers the whole eastern part of the district. The Tifina, a tributary of the Volchina, a major left tributary of the Mologa, has its source in the southwestern corner of the district. Minor areas in the southeast of the district belong to the basin of the Kashinka River, a tributary of the Volga. The rivers in the southern part of the district drain into the Drezna River, a left tributary of the Medveditsa River.
History
Bezhetsk area was first mentioned in chronicles in 1137. At the time, it was a part of the Novgorod Republic. Later, the area, known as Bezhetsky Verkh, became disputed between Novgorod, Tver, and Moscow, and eventually in the 15th century firmly became a part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The center of Bezhetsky Verkh was Bezhichi, which were destroyed in the end of the 13th century, and then the center was transferred to Gorodetsk (Gorodetsko), currently known as Bezhetsk. Since 1433, Bezhetsk had its own prince, who was subordinate to the Grand Prince of Moscow.[9]
On July 12, 1929 the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Bezhetsky District, with the administrative center in the town of Bezhetsk, was established within Bezhetsk Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 29, 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Bezhetsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.[10] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.[11]
On January 29, 1935 Tebleshsky District with the administrative center in the selo of Kiverichi was established as a part of Kalinin Oblast. On July 4, 1956 it was abolished and split between Bezhetsky and Goritsky Districts.[10]
Economy
Industry
There are enterprises of timber, textile, and food industries, as well as a plant producing air compressors, all located in Bezhetsk.[12]
Agriculture
The main agricultural specializations of the district are cattle breeding with meat and milk production, as well as growing of potatoes, flax, and vegetables.[2]
Transportation
A railway connecting Rybinsk and Bologoye via Sonkovo crosses the district from east to west. The most important railway station within the district is Bezhetsk.
Bezhetsk is located on the road connecting Tver and Vesyegonsk, which crosses the district from south to north. It is also connected by roads with Sonkovo, Kesova Gora, and Maksatikha. There are local roads as well, with bus traffic originating from Bezhetsk.
None of the rives within the district are navigable.
Culture and recreation
The district contains twenty-two cultural heritage monuments of federal significance (seven of them in the town of Bezhetsk) and additionally sixty objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance (twenty-four of them in Bezhetsk). The federal monuments include trade arcades and the Church of the Presentation of Mary in Bezhetsk, a number of (mostly 18th century) churches in the villages, as well as a number of archeological sites.[13]
There are two museums in the district. The Bezhetsk District and Literature Museum, located in Bezhetsk, shows expositions about the author Vyacheslav Shishkov and the musician Vasily Andreyev, who were both born in Bezhetsk.[14] The House of Poets museum in the selo of Gradnitsy highlights the biography of Anna Akhmatova, one of the most celebrated Russian poets. The building was originally located in the village of Slepnyovo and belonged to the mother of the poet Nikolay Gumilev, who was married to Akhmatova between 1910 and 1918. Akhmatova, Gumilev, and their son, Lev Gumilev, we spending considerable periods of time in the house in the 1910s. In 1918 the house was sold and eventually moved to Gradnitsy. The museum was open in 1989, after serving for many years as a school.[15]
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №4-ЗО от 18 января 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов», в ред. Закона №65-ЗО от 24 июля 2012 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 2 Закона Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №3, 21–27 января 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #4-ZO of January 18, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, as amended by the Law #65-ZO of July 24, 2012 On Amending Article 2 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №18-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Бежецкий район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №55-ЗО от 13 июля 2009 г. «О внесении изменений в Приложение №1 к Закону Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Бежецкий район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №10, 11–17 марта 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #18-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Bezhetsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban and Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #55-ZO of July 13, 2009 On Amending Appendix 1 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Bezhetsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban and Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).