The area of the district is divided between thedrainage basins of theWestern Dvina and theDnieper Rivers. The rivers in the northern and the central part of the district drain into theMezha, a left tributary of the Western Dvina. The biggest tributary of the Mezha within the district is theObsha. Small areas in the south of the district belong to the drainage basin of theVop, a right tributary of the Dnieper. Over 65% of the area of the district is occupied by forest.[2]
The fortress of Bely is first mentioned in a chronicle in 1350, since it was conquered by theGrand Duchy of Lithuania. It was located on the border between Lithuanian and Russian lands, and intermittently changed affiliation between Lithuania (later Poland) and theGrand Duchy of Moscow, until in 1654 it finally went to Moscow.[9]
On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Belsky District with the administrative center in the town of Bely was established. It belonged toRzhev Okrug ofWestern Oblast.[10][11] On August 1, 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. On 27 September 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between Smolensk andOryol Oblasts. Belsky District was transferred toSmolensk Oblast.[10][12] During World War II, in 1941—1943, the district was occupied by German troops. On August 22, 1944, the district was transferred to newly establishedVelikiye Luki Oblast. On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished, and Belsky District was transferred toKalinin Oblast. On February 13, 1963 the district was abolished and merged into Nelidovsky District; on November 3, 1965 it was re-established.[12] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.[11]
A paved road connectingNelidovo andSmolensk viaDukhovshchina crosses the district from north to south, passing Bely. There are local roads. There are no railways in the district; the closest railway stations are in Nelidovo (on the railway connecting Moscow and Riga viaVelikiye Luki) andVladimirsky Tupik (the terminus of a railway which branches off inSafonovo from the line connecting Moscow and Smolensk.
The building of the former high school for girls, Bely
The district contains eleven cultural heritage monuments of federal significance (five of them in Bely) and additionally ninety-two objects (sixty-five of them in Bely) classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. The federally protected monuments are the Saint Mitrophan Church in the village ofDunayevo, the Saint Nicholas Church in the village ofChichaty, as well as archeological sites related to the old town of Bely and several monuments to the soldiers fallen in the World War II.[14]
There is a local museum in Bely, founded in 1925.[15]
^"Историческая справка" (in Russian). Belsky District Administration. RetrievedJuly 21, 2015.
^abВоробьёв, М. В. (1993). Г. В. Туфанова (ed.).Административно-территориальное деление Смоленской области (in Russian). Государственный архив Смоленской области. pp. 118–133.
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №4-ЗО от 18 января 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов», в ред. Закона №65-ЗО от 24 июля 2012 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 2 Закона Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №3, 21–27 января 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #4-ZO of January 18, 2005On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, as amended by the Law #65-ZO of July 24, 2012On Amending Article 2 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №19-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Бельский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №56-ЗО от 13 июля 2009 г «О внесении изменений в Приложение №1к Закону Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Бельский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №10, 11–17 марта 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #19-ZO of February 28, 2005On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Belsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban and Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #56-ZO of July 13, 2009On Amending Appendix 1 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Belsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban and Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
