Pochep, Bryansk Oblast

Pochep (Russian: По́чеп) is a town and the administrative center of Pochepsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located 84 kilometers (52 mi) southwest of Bryansk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 14,991 (2021 Census); 17,161 (2010 Census); 17,064 (2002 Census); 16,868 (1989 Soviet census).

History

The origin of Pochep is unknown but it was mentioned in the 15th century as an important town of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It fell into the hands of the Grand Duchy of Moscow in 1503. Pochep was returned to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth under the terms of the Truce of Deulino. It was part of the Smolensk Voivodeship. Pochep remained of little significance until 1709, when Hetman Ivan Skoropadsky made a grant of it to Alexander Menshikov. The latter founded the fort of Alexandropolis in the vicinity and launched manufacture of sails for Russian ships in Pochep.

The industry declined following Menshikov's downfall and the town stagnated until 1750, when it passed to another Hetman, Kirill Razumovsky, who planned to build his summer residence there. The only monument to these plans is the Resurrection Church, built in the 1750s to a confident Baroque design and often attributed to Antonio Rinaldi.

During World War II, Pochep was occupied by the German Army from August 22, 1941 to September 21, 1943. According to the Soviet archives, 1,875 Jews, including men, women, and children, were murdered during the Holocaust, mainly in the shootings of March 1942.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Pochep serves as the administrative center of Pochepsky District. As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Pochepsky District as Pochepsky Urban Administrative Okrug. As a municipal division, Pochepsky Urban Administrative Okrug is incorporated within Pochepsky Municipal District as Pochepskoye Urban Settlement.

Notable people

Pavel Axelrod, Russian Menshevik, was born here in 1850.
Matvey Blanter, Russian composer, famous for the song "Katyusha", was born here in 1903.
Roman Konoplev, Russian politician and publicist, was born here in 1973.

References

Notes

Sources

Брянская областная Дума. Закон №13-З от 5 июня 1997 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Брянской области», в ред. Закона №4-З от 5 февраля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Брянской области». Опубликован: "Брянский рабочий", №119, 24 июня 1997 г. (Bryansk Oblast Duma. Law #13-Z of June 5, 1997 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Bryansk Oblast, as amended by the Law #4-Z of February 5, 2014 On Amending Various Legislative Acts of Bryansk Oblast. ).
Брянская областная Дума. Закон №69-З от 2 ноября 2012 г. «Об образовании городских административных округов, поселковых административных округов, сельских административных округов, установлении границ, наименований и административных центров административных округов в Брянской области». Вступил в силу 1 января 2013 г. Опубликован: Информационный бюллетень "Официальная Брянщина", №16, 6 ноября 2012 г.. (Bryansk Oblast Duma. Law #69-Z of November 2, 2002 On the Establishment of Urban Administrative Okrugs, Settlement Administrative Okrugs, Rural Administrative Okrugs, on Establishing Borders, Names, and Administrative Centers of the Administrative Okrugs of Bryansk Oblast. Effective as of January 1, 2013.).
Брянская областная Дума. Закон №3-З от 9 марта 2005 г. «О наделении муниципальных образований статусом статусом городского округа, муниципального района, городского поселения, сельского поселения и установлении границ муниципальных образований в Брянской области», в ред. Закона №75-З от 28 сентября 2015 г. «Об изменении статуса населённого пункта посёлок Красный Ятвиж Клетнянского района Брянской области». Вступил в силу через 10 дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Брянская неделя", №13, 8 апреля 2005 г. (Bryansk Oblast Duma. Law #3-Z of March 9, 2005 On Granting the Municipal Formations the Status of Urban Okrug, Municipal District, Urban Settlement, Rural Settlement and on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Bryansk Oblast, as amended by the Law #75-Z of September 28, 2015 On Changing the Status of the Inhabited Locality the Settlement of Krasny Yatvizh in Kletnyansky District of Bryansk Oblast. Effective as of the day which is 10 days after the official publication.).