The district lies in the southeastern part of the Valdai Hills and is split between the drainage basins of the Baltic and Caspian Seas. The rivers in the western part of the district drain into the Msta, a major tributary of Lake Ilmen, which belongs to the basin of the Neva and thus of the Baltic Sea. The Msta itself crosses the southwestern part of the district and makes a stretch of the border between Udomelsky and Bologovsky Districts. The central and the eastern parts of the district belong to the basin of the Mologa, a tributary of the Rybinsk Reservoir in the basin of the Volga which drains into Caspian Sea. Udomelsky District is a part of the lake district located in the Valdai Hills, with the largest lakes within the district being Lake Udomlya, Lake Pesvo, and Lake Navolok, all in the drainage basin of the Msta. Most of the district area is covered by forest.
History
The area of the district was originally populated by the Finnic peoples, in the 11th century, Slavs started to arrive. Until the 15th century, the area belonged to the Novgorod Republic, and subsequently, together with Novgorod, it was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The area belonged to Bezhetsk Pyatina, one of the five pyatinas into which Novgorod Lands were divided.
On July 12, 1929 the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Udomelsky District, with the administrative center in the railway station of Udomlya, was established within Tver 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 Udomelsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.[10] In January 1961 Udomlya was granted work settlement status. In February 1963, during the abortive administrative reform by Nikita Khrushchev, Udomelsky District was merged into Bologovsky District, but in January 1965 it was re-established.[11] Between 1974 and 1984, the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant was constructed. On September 11, 1981 Udomlya was granted town status.[9] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.
On June 1, 1936 Brusovsky District with the administrative center in the settlement of Brusovo was established as a part of Kalinin Oblast. On November 14, 1960 it was abolished and split between Maksatikhinsky and Udomelsky Districts.[10]
Economy
Industry
The main industrial enterprise in the district is the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant, located in Udomlya. There are also enterprises of timber and food industries.[12]
Agriculture
The main agricultural specialization of the district is cattle breeding with meat and milk production. Fish farming is also significant.[13]
Transportation
The railway connecting Rybinsk and Bologoye via Bezhetsk crosses the district from east to west. Udomlya is the principal station within the district.
The road which connects Maksatikha and Vyshny Volochyok crosses the southern tip of the district. Udomlya has an access to this road. There are also local roads, with bus traffic originating from Udomlya. No roads cross the borders into Novgorod Oblast, Lesnoy, or Bologovsky Districts.
Culture and recreation
The district contains four cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally thirty-seven objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. The federal monuments are the tomb of artist Alexey Venetsianov in the selo of Venetsianovo, as well as three archeological sites.[14]
There is a local museum in Udomlya.[15] The former Datcha Chayka on the shores of Lake Udomlya, which belonged to artist Vitold Byalynitsky-Birulya, is also open as a museum.[16]
^Михайлов, Ю.С. (2002). Даче Чайка 90 лет (in Russian). Удомельская старина. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
Sources
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 №51-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Удомельский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №75-ЗО от 8 октября 2014 г. «О преобразовании муниципальных образований Таракинское сельское поселение Удомельского района Тверской области и Удомельское сельское поселение Удомельского района Тверской области и внесении изменений в Закон Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Удомельский 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 #51-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Udomelsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #75-ZO of October 8, 2014 On the Transformation of the Municipal Formations of Tarakinskoye Rural Settlement in Udomelsky District of Tver Oblast and Udomelskoye Rural Settlement in Udomelsky District of Tver Oblast and on Amending the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Udomelsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).