Pikalyovo (Pikalëvo)
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Voskresensky Luchensky Pogost, which is located within the current boundaries of the town, was presumably founded in the 12th or 13th century. At the time, it belonged to the Novgorod Republic. Pikalyovo was first mentioned by name in 1620. Eventually it became a village, and since 1906 the name was assigned to the newly built railway station on the railway connecting St. Petersburg and Vologda. Since the 18th century, Pikalyovo was part of Tikhvinsky Uyezd of Novgorod Governorate. In 1918, the uyezd was transferred to Cherepovets Governorate and between 1923 and 1927 Pikalyovo was the administrative center of Pikalyovskaya Volost. On August 1, 1927, the governorate was abolished and Pikalyovsky District with the administrative center in the selo of Pikalyovo was established as a part of Leningrad Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. In 1932, Pikalyovsky District was abolished. The current area of the town was split between Tikhvinsky and Yefimovsky Districts.
In 1935, the construction of a cement factory commenced. The settlement serving the factory was named Pikalyovo after the railway station. The cement plant was evacuated during World War II and after the war several industrial enterprises were built, including the aluminum oxide plant. In 1947, Pikalyovo was granted urban-type settlement status. On July 25, 1952, it was transferred to newly established Boksitogorsky District, and on December 9, 1954, it was granted town status. In 1992, it became the town of oblast significance. In 2010, the administrative division of Leningrad Oblast was harmonized with the municipal division, and Pikalyovo was made the town of district significance.
Pikalyovo was strongly hit by economic crises of the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s. In one infamous episode, in 2009, about three hundred inhabitants blocked the highway between St. Petersburg and Vologda to protest wage retardation. Vladimir Putin, the then-Prime Minister of Russia, flew to Pikalyovo and, without going through any legal procedures, ordered Oleg Deripaska, the plant owner, to pay out the debts immediately.
Map - Pikalyovo (Pikalëvo)
Map
Country - Russia
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| Flag of Russia | |
The East Slavs emerged as a recognisable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries CE. The first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', arose in the 9th century, and in 988, it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire. Rus' ultimately disintegrated, with the Grand Duchy of Moscow growing to become the Tsardom of Russia. By the early 18th century, Russia had vastly expanded through conquest, annexation, and the efforts of Russian explorers, developing into the Russian Empire, which remains the third-largest empire in history. However, with the Russian Revolution in 1917, Russia's monarchic rule was abolished and replaced by the Russian SFSR—the world's first constitutionally socialist state. Following the Russian Civil War, the Russian SFSR established the Soviet Union (with three other Soviet republics), within which it was the largest and principal constituent. At the expense of millions of lives, the Soviet Union underwent rapid industrialization in the 1930s, and later played a decisive role for the Allies of World War II by leading large-scale efforts on the Eastern Front. With the onset of the Cold War, it competed with the United States for global ideological influence; the Soviet era of the 20th century saw some of the most significant Russian technological achievements, including the first human-made satellite and the first human expedition into outer space.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUB | Russian ruble | ₽ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| CE | Chechen language |
| CV | Chuvash language |
| KV | Komi language |
| RU | Russian language |
| TT | Tatar language |