Olonets province was one of the northern parts of the Russian Empire. It was separated into a separate governorship by decree of Catherine the Great in 1784. Apart from small breaks, the province existed until 1922.
Location
Olonets province was located within 60-68 degrees north latitude, 45-59 degrees east longitude.
The province bordered on the following lands:
- Novgorod and St. Petersburg provinces, shores of Lake Ladoga (south);
- Arkhangelsk province (north);
- White Sea, Vologda province (east);
- Finland (west).
The length in both directions was 700 versts, and the total area was just over 116 square versts, which is 130 square kilometers.
History
The future Olonets province was part of different territories, the most famous of which was Veliky Novgorod. In 1649, the Olonets district was created. It was part of the Ingermanlad, St. Petersburg, Novgorod provinces.
History of Olonets provincebegins in 1773, when Catherine the Great, mentioned above, created the Olonets province. Later it became a region, and since 1784 - a governorship. From 1796 to 1801 the governorship was abolished.
1801 is considered the year of the creation of the Olonets province. Alexander II ruled at that time, he also approved the coat of arms of the province.
With the advent of Soviet power, the province was included in the Union of Communes of the Northern Region, and later - in the Karelian Labor Commune. In 1920, the province was again formed, since the Russian and Vepsian population lived there. But turning a blind eye to the national homogeneity of the Karelian labor commune, in 1922 they decided to abolish the Olenets province and divide it into different counties and provinces, including Karelia.
Rulers of the province
The first ruler of the Olonets vicegerency was Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin. He is known for his poetry, but he was also a statesman, senator, privy councillor.
He was the ruler for only two years. During this time, he managed to organize the formation of various provincial institutions, put into operation the first city hospital in the province. Thanks to field inspections, he wrote notes in which he showed the relationship between natural and economic factors.
If we consider the rulers of the province since 1801, there were more than twenty of them. The first governor of the Olonets province Aleksey Matveyevich Okulov managed affairs for only one year.
We alth of the region
Olonets province was rich inwater resources. On its territory there were a large number of lakes and rivers. The largest of them are Lake Onega, the rivers Svir, Onega, Vyg and others.
Also, the region is rich in forests and the following minerals:
- granite;
- gold;
- lead;
- silver;
- mica;
- iron ore;
- marble;
- amatists;
- pearl;
- colorful clays;
- martial waters.
The region had its drawbacks in the form of infertile rocky soil and an unfavorable climate with frequently changing winds. But the presence of animals in the forests, and fish in the reservoirs compensated for such shortcomings for people.
Provincial city
The main city on the Olonets land has always been Petrozavodsk. Today it is the largest city in the region, as well as the capital of the Republic of Karelia.
The history of the city began with the founding of the Shuya arms factory in 1703 by Peter the Great. The territory of the plant was surrounded by a rampart and guns were placed on it. The plant gradually turned into a fortress that was able to withstand the Swedes. Soon the plant became the largest enterprise in the country.
Since Peter the Great visited the factory, a wooden palace was built for him, a camp church, and a garden was planted. Also, a settlement arose around the plant, which increased every year.
Under Catherine the Great, a new cannon foundry was built (Alexandrovsky). After its discovery in 1777, Petrozavodsk officially became a city, and in 1781year and the center of the Olonets land.
During the war of 1812, the city became a temporary shelter for part of the treasures of the Academy of Arts. The National Library of Russia, the Ministry of Education, part of the Main Pedagogical Institute, as well as the affairs of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences moved to Petrozavodsk.
More detailed information about other settlements of the region is contained in the book "Olonets province: lists of settlements in 1879".
