Slantsevsky District () is an administrative and municipal district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southwest of the oblast and borders with Ida-Viru County of Estonia in the west, Kingiseppsky District in the north, Volosovsky District in the northeast, Luzhsky District in the east, Plyussky District of Pskov Oblast in the south, and Gdovsky District, also of Pskov Oblast, in the southwest. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the town of Slantsy. Population (excluding the administrative center): 10,480 (2002 Census);
Geography
The area of the district is flat. Its western and southern parts belong to the drainage basin of the Narva River. The Narva flows at the border between Russia and Estonia, and in the northwestern part of the district is dammed and forms the Narva Reservoir. The largest tributary of the Narva within the district is the Plyussa. The eastern part of the district belongs to the basin of the Luga River, with the largest tributary of the Luga within the district being the Dolgaya River. The Luga itself forms the northeastern border of the district.
History
Originally, the area of the district was populated by Finnic peoples, eventually, the Slavs began arriving. After the 9th century, the eastern part of the area was dependent on the Novgorod Republic (from the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow), and the western part belonged to Pskov. The area was constantly at the frontier and became the battleground between Germans and Swedes, on one side, and Russians, on the other side. It was desolated during the Livonian War. In 1617, according to the Treaty of Stolbovo, the west of the area was transferred to Sweden, and in the 1700s, during the Great Northern War, it was conquered back by Russia.
In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, the area was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as Saint Petersburg Governorate). Later on, Gdovsky Uyezd with the administrative center in Gdov was established, and the area was a part of Gdovsky Uyezd. The governorate was renamed Petrograd in 1914 and Leningrad in 1924. In 1919, Gdovsky Uyezd was an area where important events of the Russian Civil War and the Estonian War of Independence were taking place. Originally, the area east of the Narva was under control of the revolutionary government. On May 15, 1919, the detachment under command of Stanislav Bulak-Balakhovich captured Gdov, and the whole uyezd thus came under control of the Yudenich's White Army troops. In November 1919, the Red Army recaptured Gdov.
On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished, and Gdovsky District was established, with the administrative center in the town of Gdov. It included parts of former Gdovsky Uyezd. The governorates were abolished as well, and the district became a part of Luga Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished as well, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. Between March 22, 1935 and September 19, 1940, Gdovsky District was a part of Pskov Okrug of Leningrad Oblast, one of the okrugs abutting the state boundaries of the Soviet Union.
On March 11, 1941, Slantsevsky District, with the administrative center in the urban-type settlement of Slantsy, was split from Gdovsky District. One selsoviet from Kingiseppsky District was transferred to newly established Slantsevsky District. Between August 1941, and February 1944, Slantsevsky District was occupied by German troops. In February 1944, the Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive, a military operation in which the Soviet Army advanced to the east bank of the Narva and of Lake Peipus, took place here.
The areas adjacent to the Narva River were assigned to Estonia in 1920, following the Estonian War of Independence and the Treaty of Tartu, signed on February 2, 1920. On November 24, 1944 this area was transferred to Leningrad Oblast and shared between Slantsevsky (south) and Kingiseppsky (north) Districts.
On April 5, 1949 Slantsy was granted town status. On January 1, 1963 Slantsevsky District was abolished and split between Kingiseppsky and Luzhsky Districts. On November 3, 1965 it was re-established and included some of the areas previously transferred to Kingiseppsky District.