Kirovsky District () is an administrative and municipal district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the center of the oblast and borders with Volkhovsky District in the east, Kirishsky District in the southeast, Nevsky and Kolpinsky Districts of the federal city of St. Petersburg in the west, Tosnensky District in the southwest, and with Vsevolozhsky District in the northwest. From the north, the district is bounded by Lake Ladoga. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the town of Kirovsk. Population (excluding the administrative center): 60,221 (2002 Census);
Geography
The Neva River, which connects Lake Ladoga with the Baltic Sea, serves as the northwestern border of the district. The territory of the district is divided between the drainage basins of the Neva, of Lake Ladoga, and of the Volkhov River, a major tributary of Lake Ladoga. The main rivers inside the district are the Mga and the Tosna (left tributaries of the Neva), the Naziya (a tributary of Lake Ladoga), and the Olomna (a left tributary of the Volkhov). Large areas of the district are covered by swamps. The western part of the district is essentially an urbanized area adjacent to the city of St. Petersburg.
History
Originally, the territory of the modern district was populated by Finnic peoples. From the 9th century, the Neva River was a key ingredient of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, and the region was changing hands between the Novgorod Republic (from the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow), and Sweden. The fortress of Oreshek, controlling access to the Baltic Sea at the source of the Neva, was founded in the 14th century and rebuilt several times. In 1617, per the terms of the Treaty of Stolbovo, the area was transferred to Sweden, and in the 1700s, during the Great Northern War, it was conquered back by Russia. The city of St. Petersburg was founded in 1703.
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). In 1727, it became a part of Sankt-Peterburgsky Uyezd, and in 1755, Shlisselburgsky Uyezd was established. In 1914, Sankt-Peterburgsky Uyezd was renamed Petrogradsky. On February 14, 1923, Shlisselburgsky Uyezd was merged into Petrogradsky Uyezd. In January 1924, the uyezd was renamed Leningradsky. The eastern part of the district in 1708 was included into Ladozhsky Uyezd with the seat in Staraya Ladoga. In 1727, separate Novgorod Governorate was split off, the uyezd was transformed into Novoladozhsky Uyezd, and the seat was moved to Novaya Ladoga. In 1776, the area was transferred to Novgorod Viceroyalty and in 1781, it was moved back to Saint Petersburg Governorate. On December 9, 1922, the administrative center of the uyezd was moved to the selo of Gostinopolye, which was renamed Volkhov and was granted town status. The uyezd was renamed Volkhovsky. In 1924, the changes were rolled back, the administrative center moved to Novaya Ladoga, and Volkhov was demoted back to a rural locality and eventually renamed Gostinopolye. The name of the uyezd remained Volkhovsky. Saint Petersburg Governorate was renamed twice, first Petrograd Governorate and subsequently Leningrad Governorate.
On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Mginsky District, with the administrative center in the settlement of Mga, was established. The governorates were also abolished and the district became a part of Leningrad Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. It included parts of former Volkhovsky and Leningradsky Uyezds. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished as well and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On September 20, 1930, the administrative center of the district was transferred to the selo of Putilovo and the district was renamed Putilovsky. On September 20, 1931, the administrative center of the district was moved back to Mga and the district's old name of Mginsky was restored. During World War II, between September 1941 and January 1944, parts of the district were occupied by German troops. On December 9, 1960, Mginsky District was abolished and split between Volkhovsky and Tosnensky Districts.