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The city of Lipetsk oblast.
Yelets or Elets is a city in the Lipetsk region of Russia, located 78 km to the west of Lipetsk, 450 km from Moscow.
The population of Yelets is about 99,200 (2022), the area - 70 sq. km.
The phone code - +7 47467, the postal codes - 399770-399788.
The official year of Yelets foundation is 1146. It is the year when the fortress was first mentioned in Nikonovskaya chronicle. After being destroyed several times, Yelets fortress was reconstructed in 1592, together with other fortresses on southern boundaries of the Muscovite state, and became the origin of present day city.
In 1708, local blacksmiths were registered at the ship-building branch of Azov gubernia. From 1719, Yelets became part of Oryol gubernia. Bread and meat trade was developed in the town. In the second half of the 18th century, it became a large trade and industrial center of the region. Tanning industry was developed to such an extent that Yelets was called the “Capital of Boots” of the Russian Empire.
By the mid 19th century, Yelets could compete with a lot of Russian towns in its importance. The population was about 25,000. Most of the residents worked at different plants. The town had an excellent trade square, 3 schools, a hospital, a hotel, a restaurant, 16 churches, a monastery and a convent.
By the end of the 19th century, trade and industrial importance of Yelets decreased, but it grew into a large railway hub. The highway from Moscow to Voronezh crossed the town.
The famous writer and poet Ivan Bunin spent his childhood in Yeletsky district of Oryol gubernia. He attended a gymnasium there, visited the town quite often and described it in his works.
Yelets laces made the town world-famous. They were remarkable for their small vegetable and geometrical pattern contrasting with delicate openwork background.
During the World War II, Yelets was occupied by the German army from December 4 till December 9, 1941. When Orel city was occupied, Yelets received the status of the regional center.
In 2007, Yelets received the status of the City of Military Glory.
Yelets entrance sign
Yelets city view
Yelets scenery
The City Day of Yelets is celebrated on the first Sunday in September.
Yelets is one of the oldest cities in Russia, with a rich cultural and historical heritage. It is the only city in the Lipetsk region, which is in the list of cities of the Russian Federation with valuable historical town-planning ensembles and complexes.
The climate in the city is temperate continental with moderately cold winters, warm and sunny, and sometimes hot and sultry summers. The average summer temperature is +20 degrees Celsius, -10 degrees C in winter.
The main industries are as follows: mining (lime-stone mining at open-cast mines); machine-building; construction; chemical; light (“Yelets laces” - traditional local handicraft known worldwide); food (Yelets sugar-producing plant built in 1965).
The federal highways M4 Moscow - Novorossiysk and R119 Oryol - Tambov run through the city.
There are about 230 monuments of history and culture, 90 of them are of regional and federal importance. Nevertheless, it is considered that the main value of Yelets is not in separate monuments, but the whole architectural design of the city. The present names of streets in the central part are dubbed with the historical ones.
Yelets has a museum of local study with several branches: I.A.Bunin, T.N.Khrennikov, N.N.Zhukov houses-estates, a folk handicrafts museum and an art museum.
Resurrection Church, built by the architect Konstantin Ton’s design in 1845-1889, is one of the main sights. It is one of the largest churches in Russia.
One can’t help admiring Znamensky Monastery on Kamennaya (Stony) Hill which recently lay in ruins. Today, it is almost completely restored.
A lot of monuments of church architecture are presented here - about 20 churches (10 of them are open) and 2 monasteries.
At present, much has been done to attract tourists to this historic city. But it is still not an easy task because of lack of infrastructure and bad roads.
Central square in Yelets
Fire tower in Yelets
University in Yelets
The following information will be useful, if you are going to visit Yelets as a tourist.
Yelets street
Yelets street view
Yelets scenery
Yelets architecture
Church of the Yelets Icon of the Mother of God
Ascension Cathedral in Yelets
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