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Pytalovsky District Пыталовский район
District
Vyshgorodok, Pytalovsky District
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Pytalovsky District in Pskov Oblast
Coordinates: 57°04′N 27°54′E / 57.067°N 27.900°E / 57.067; 27.900Coordinates: 57°04′N 27°54′E / 57.067°N 27.900°E / 57.067; 27.900
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Pskov Oblast[1]
Established	1945
Administrative center	Pytalovo[2]
Area [3]
• Total	1,111 km2 (429 sq mi)
Population (2010 Census)[4]
• Total	12,083
• Estimate  (2018)[5]	10,803 (-10.6%)
• Density	11/km2 (28/sq mi)
• Urban	48.2%
• Rural	51.8%
Administrative structure
• Inhabited localities[2]	1 Cities/towns, 327 Rural localities
Municipal structure
• Municipally incorporated as	Pytalovsky Municipal District[2]
• Municipal divisions[2]	1 Urban settlements, 7 Rural settlements
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [6])
OKTMO ID	58653000
Website	http://pytalovo.reg60.ru/

Pytalovsky District (Russian: Пыта́ловский райо́н) is an administrative^[1] and municipal^[2] district (raion), one of the twenty-four in Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is located in the west of the oblast and borders with Palkinsky District in the north, Ostrovsky District in the east, Krasnogorodsky District in the south, and with Kārsava, Baltinava, and Viļaka municipalities of Latvia in the west. The area of the district is 1,111 square kilometers (429 sq mi).^[3] Its administrative center is the town of Pytalovo.^[2] Population: 12,083 (2010 Census);^[4] 14,853 (2002 Census);^[7]16,167 (1989 Census).^[8] The population of Pytalovo accounts for 48.2% of the district's total population.^[4]

Geography

The district is elongated in the meridional direction and lies in the basin of the Velikaya River and thus of the Narva River. Two of the main left tributaries of the Velikaya flow through the district, originating in Latvia. The Kukhva River crosses the northern part of the district and a stretch of it makes up a state border between Latvia and Russia. The Utroya River crosses the district from north to south, and the town of Pytalovo is located on the banks of the river. A major right tributary of the Utroya, the Lzha River, forms the border with Krasnogorodsky District.

History

Pytalovo (the alternative name of which was Novo-Dmitrovskoye) was known as a village in Vyshgorodok volost, Ostrovsky Uyezd, Pskov Governorate since the end of the 18th century.^[9] In the course of World War I, in February 1918 the German Army advances on Pskov and Petrograd capturing western part of Pskov Governorate until November when the Red Army retakes it.^[10] In May 1919 г. advancing pro-czarist Russian North-Western Army of Gen. Nikolai Yudenich supported by Estonian and Latvian republican units recaptures westernmost part of the Pskov Governorate.

According to the Treaty of Riga, signed on August 11, 1920, Russian SFR ceded Kachanovskaya, Tolkovskaya and Vyshgorodetskaya volosts (latter included Pytalovo) to Latvia. Annexed Pskovian municipalities were first merged into Ludza District of Latvia, but later with some northern-eastern Latvian municipalities (Balvi) separated into the newly established Abrene District. From 1925, Pytalovo was known as Jaunlatgale. In 1933, it was granted town status, and in 1938 renamed Abrene. In 1940, Latvia became a part of the Soviet Union, and the eastern part of Abrene District became a part of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.^[11] Between August 1941 and August 1944, the area was occupied by German troops. On January 16, 1945, the area that had been ceded to Latvia in 1920 was transferred from the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Pskov Oblast, Abrene was renamed back to Pytalovo and Pytalovsky District with the administrative center in Pytalovo was created. In 1959, the district was abolished and split between Ostrovsky and Krasnogorodsky Districts; in 1965, it was re-established.^[12] After Latvia regained independence in 1991, it laid territorial claims on Pytalovsky District. In 2007, the treaty between Latvia and Russia recognized the existing border.^[13]

Restricted access

The part of the district along the state border is included into a border security zone, intended to protect the borders of Russia from unwanted activity. In order to visit the zone, a permit issued by the local Federal Security Service department is required.^[14]

Economy

Industry

As of 2003, only two industrial enterprises survived in the district—a textile factory and a printing house. A milk factory and a flax production factory, previously the biggest enterprises in the district, were defunct.^[15]

Agriculture

The main specializations of agriculture in the district are meat, milk, and eggs production.^[16] Agriculture in the district experiences a deep crisis, with salaries below the poverty line and the production on a sharp decline.^[15]

Transportation

A railway from St. Petersburg via Pskov to Rēzekne in Latvia and further to Vilnius crosses the district from northwest to southeast. The main station within the district is Pytalovo. In Pytalovo, another railroad to Gulbene and Riga branches off west. As of 2012, there was passenger traffic on the railway.

The European route E262, from Ostrov to Kaunas via Rēzekne and Daugavpils crosses the district from northwest to southeast. Pytalovo is not on the road but is easily accessible from it. There are also local roads.

Culture and recreation

The district contains three cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally twenty-six objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance.^[17] The federally protected monuments are the churches in the villages of Korovsk and Pustoye Voskresenye, as well as an archeological site.

Vyshgorodok, formerly a borderline castle and the municipal centre, is the oldest locality of the Pytalovo District mentioned in the written sources (1476 AD).

Pytalovo hosts an ethnographic museum focusing on Russian and Latgalian culture.^[18]

References

Notes

Sources

• 
  Псковское областное Собрание депутатов. Закон №833-оз от 5 февраля 2009 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Псковской области». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Псковская правда", №20, 10 февраля 2009 г. (Pskov Oblast Council of Deputies. Law #833-oz of February 5, 2009 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Pskov Oblast. Effective as of the official publication date.).


• 
  Псковское областное Собрание депутатов. Закон №420-оз от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ и статусе вновь образуемых муниципальных образований на территории Псковской области», в ред. Закона №1542-ОЗ от 5 июня 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Псковской области "Об установлении границ и статусе вновь образуемых муниципальных образований на территории Псковской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Псковская правда", №41–43, №44–46, №49–51, 4 марта 2005 г., 5 марта 2005 г., 11 марта 2005 г. (Pskov Oblast Council of Deputies. Law #420-oz of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders and the Status of the Newly Formed Municipal Formations on the Territory of Pskov Oblast, as amended by the Law #1542-OZ of June 5, 2015 On Amending the Law of Pskov Oblast "On Establishing the Borders and the Status of the Newly Formed Municipal Formations on the Territory of Pskov Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).