Sandovsky District

The district lies fully in the basin of the Mologa River. The Mologa itself flows at the western border of the district, separating it from Lesnoy District. Rivers in the north and the west of the district drain directly into the Mologa, whereas rivers in the south and in the center of the district drain into the Melecha, which together with the Mogocha forms the Osen, a right tributary of the Mologa. The source of the Melecha lies within the district. Most of the district is covered by forests.

In the Medieval times, the territory of the modern district was populated with the Finnish peoples and later it was dependent on the Novgorod Republic. In the end of the 15th century, together with Novgorod, it was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow and was a part of Bezhetsk pyatina, one of five pyatinas Novgorod was administratively divided into. Under Vasily II, some of the lands were given to Stanislaw Melecki, a Polish noble converted to Russian Orthodox church.^[2]

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), but in 1727 it was transferred to Moscow Governorate. In 1775, Tver Viceroyalty was formed from the lands which previously belonged to Moscow and Novgorod Governorates, and in 1776, Vesyegonsky Uyezd was established as a part of Tver Viceroyalty. Vesyegonsk was granted town rights. In 1796, the viceroyalty was transformed into Tver Governorate and Vesyegonsky Uyezd was abolished; the territory was transferred to Bezhetsky Uyezd. In 1803, it was re-established. On April 25, 1921, Vesyegonsky Uyezd was transferred to newly established Rybinsk Governorate. On February 15, 1923, Rybinsk Governorate was abolished and the uyezd was transferred back to Tver Governorate.^[12]

On July 12, 1929, the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Sandovsky District, with the administrative center in the selo of Sandovo, was established within Bezhetsk Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast.^[12] In 1932, the administrative center of the district was transferred to the village of Orudovo near Sandovo railway station, which eventually grew up into the settlement of Sandovo.^[2] On January 29, 1935, Kalinin Oblast was established and Sandovsky District was transferred to it. In February 1963, during the abortive administrative reform by Nikita Khrushchev, Sandovsky District was merged into Vesyegonsky District, but in January 1965 it was re-established.^[12] In 1967, Sandovo was granted urban-type settlement status.^[2] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.

The district has enterprises of timber and food industries.^[13]

The main agricultural specializations in the district are cattle breeding with meat and milk production, as well as flax, vegetables, and potato growing. The agriculture is in deep crisis, with only one mid-size farm being profitable.^[14]

A railway connecting Moscow and Mga via Sonkovo and Pestovo crosses the district from southeast to northwest. The major railway station is Sandovo.

Sandovo is connected by road with Krasny Kholm via Molokovo. Gravel roads run to Vesyegonsk and Ustyuzhna. There are also local roads, with bus traffic originating from Sandovo.

The district contains nineteen cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally eighteen objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance.^[15] The federal monuments include three estates, in the villages of Ladozhskoye, Tukhani, and Yuryevo.

In Sandovo, there is a Bee Museum, which shows materials related to beekeeping, a traditional occupation of local peasants. The museum was opened in 2007.^[16]

• Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №34-ЗО от 17 апреля 2006 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области», в ред. Закона №66-ЗО от 1 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 18 Закона Тверской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №17 (специальный выпуск), 19 апреля 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #34-ZO of April 17, 2006 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast, as amended by the Law #66-ZO of October 1, 2014 On Amending Article 18 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).
• 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, 2005 On 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, 2012 On 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 №44-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Сандовский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №18-ЗО от 28 марта 2013 г. «О преобразовании муниципальных образований Топоровское сельское поселение Сандовского района Тверской области и Старосандовское сельское поселение Сандовского района Тверской области и внесении изменений в Закон Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Сандовский 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 #44-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Sandovsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #18-ZO of March 28, 2013 On the Transformation of the Municipal Formations of Toporovskoye Rural Settlement of Sandovsky District of Tver Oblast and Starosandovskoye Rural Settlement of Sandovsky District of Tver Oblast and on Amending the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Which the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Sandovsky District" Comprises and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).