MYSHKIN DISTRICT
The Myshkin district population as of 01/01/2006 was 11,300.
The district area is 1,111.2 sq. km.
The administrative centre is Myshkin with population of 5.900 people.
The distance from the district center to Yaroslavl is 126 km.
History
The results of archaeological excavations prove that on that place there stood a small town in the XI-XIIIth centuries. Unfortunately the town had existed only for a short time: it suffered greatly during the war between the Princes of Novgorod and Suzdal in the middle of the XIIth century, and in 1238 was completely destroyed by the Tartars. Later Myshkin was rebuilt as a selo. In the XV-XVII centuries, the land around Myshkin belonged to the Princes Shumorovskys, Ushaty, Yukhotzky, Mezetzky, Mstislavskys, then to Moscow Chudov Monastery. In 1551 within the possessions of princes Ushatys between Myshkin and Mologa were erected the walls and towers of the town of Sviyazhsk, which was shipped down the Volga River and was made a strong point of the Russian troops during the capture of Kazan.
The location of Myshkin appeared to be favourable due to its proximity to the Volga rapids, among which the Myshkin gates presented difficulty for ships passing through them. Enterprising people of Myshkin mastered the art of piloting ships and earned not bad money while piloting merchants' ships through the rapids.
After Catherine II administrative reform, Myshkin was provided with a city status in 1777, in 1778 with a coat-of-arms featuring the bear of Yaroslavl in the upper part of it and a mouse in the lower portion, and in 1780, it received a city construction plan the quarter structure of which envisaged by the reform is still kept up to our days.
St.Nicola's which had existed long before Myshkin was announced to be a town, and Assumption Cathedral which was built in the first half of the XIXth century with the donations of the merchants of Myshkin have become the composition centres of Myshkin.
The XIX th century is associated with the period of Myshkin flourishing. Wealthy merchants, the Sitzkos, Chistovs, Stolbovs were well-known in many towns and cities of Russia. As to Petr Arsenjevitch Smirno(v)-ff, who was born in the village of Kayurovo of the Myshkin uyezd, he got fame as a creator of Russian vodka. Fyodor Konstantinovitch Opochnin, a nobleman, collected a rich library in Myshkin which could do honours to any principal town of province.
In 1927, Myshkin lost its town status for the second time, it was turned into a selo Myshkino, an urban type settlement since 1943. Finally, in 1991, it got back its town status and original name.
Socio-economic background
The basis for practical economy of the Myshkin municipal district is agriculture.
There are 17 collective farms, 58 farms, "Zavolzhye" CJSC manufacturing association, "Myshkinsky" poultry-farming JSC specializing in agri-food production on the district's territory. There are 820 people engaged in production altogether.
In 2005 the volume of dispatched self-manufactured agri-food production amounted to 78 million roubles.
The area under crop is 67,600 hectares as of 01.01.2006. Agri-food production in the district specializes in dairy cattle-breeding and crop-cultivating.
The forest area is 45,100 hectares. The automobile stretch of hard-coated roads is 258.8 kilometres.
The construction complex is developing successfully. Approximately 11 milliard roubles of funds were used in 2005 into the fixed capital in the district's economy (198.1% compared to 2004). The investments growth in the district is due to the construction of the 5th sequence of the gas main-line, (with "Yamalgazinvest" being the principal).
There are 274 enterprises and organizations performing their activities on the Myshkin municipal district's territory including all fields of national economy.
As for overall results of 2005 total number of employed in the Myshkin municipal district economy amounted to 5,600 people.
Of first priority is tourism, a fast developing branch of the Myshkin district economy.
59,000 people were accommodated by the "Myshkin tourism centre" in 2005. Today a small town with 6,000 people living in it possesses 10 museums. The town has turned into an attractive tourism centre of Russia.
Tourism facilitates development of other branches of economy. One of the major tasks is cooperation between all who is interested, uniting efforts on mutual terms.
Investment potential
Presently, of major priority is tourism development. The following resources are available to conduct this:
- Good geographical location;
- preserved architecture of an old merchant town; nice natural-landscape environment;
- using the Mouse as a symbol of Myshkin makes the town a successful museum-town of classical Russian province offering theme tours of Myshkin;
- active enthusiastic work of a group of people, true patriots of their town, who create a positive image of the town;
- cooperation of the municipal district Administration in promoting tourism and having valid program of its development.
In 2008 - the Year of a Mouse - a large-scale celebration is being planned.
The programme of preparation for this event has not only the district, but also regional importance. The main project of this programme is a new tourist complex of the Mouse construction which should become the main zest of Myshkin and the centre of tourism.
Tourism
In 2005 sales proceeds from tourism amounted to 6.4 million roubles, more than 70,000 tourists were accommodated.
Within a 10 year period of tourism development hardly ever known Myshkin has quickly turned into a tourist centre of Federal importance. The House of crafts, Uchemsky district museum, the museum of famous vodka manufacturer Smirnoff and the museum of "Russian valenki", the museum of Katzkars.
"The Museum of Katzkarz" was founded in Martynovo village, 40 km away from Myshkin. Firstly, it was a peasant log house of the end of the 19th century, now it has become a nice museum of the local lore where one can book an excursion, order meal out of the Russian "petch" (stove), play "the genuine Katzkar" entertainment-cognitive game, purchase traditional oberegis of Katzkars, (an obereg is a sort of a talisman which is on guard from evil), as well as the only in Russia rural magazine, "Katz annals".
Of great importance in Myshkin's image forming were large -scale social initiatives. These were well thought of and organized, somewhat unique Town's Days:
—"The Mouse-96" international festival
—the 220th Birthday of Myshkin
—"Play, Harmonica, over the Volga"
—The humour Olympiad featuring famous "Anshlag" ("Sold-out") TV-programme
—"The Russian Valenki Festival"
—annual interregional Opochinsky ethnographical Readings, scientific-practical conferences "On the Land of St. Kassian", "The Myshkin Theatrelands", the Katz ethnological conferences, the Tyutchev's scientific readings.
The Victory Memorial built in Myshkin in the tourists' esteem is thought to be a unique erection of Russia's significance. Creating the Memorial was a symbol of the highest respect and tribute to defenders of the Fatherland. It is unique not only in its ideological sense but artistic performance and grandeur, for it was built in a province, in a small town of Myshkin. On the most beautiful place, on a high bank of the Volga river, in ensemble with the House of Culture and Entertainment was founded a new organising town centre, erection of public value and tourist attraction.
The Myshkin crossing is extremely important to Myshkin being a tourist attraction itself. The Uglich River port is building a new moorage for ferry crossing. What makes it unusual is the apparel installed in it which will climb or descend depending on the water level in the Volga. The port intends to improve the ferry crossing henceforward, replacement of a vessel-carrier is being planned in prospective as well as the construction of a waiting room on the moorage and a cafe.
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Administration of the Myshkin municipal district
152830, Yaroslavl Region, Myshkin, Uspenskaya Sq., 4
phone +7 (48544) 2-14-45,
fax +7 (48544) 2-26-21
The Head of administration of municipal district
Anatoliy Gennadyevich Kuritsyn