The Bryansk region is located in the Central Black Earth region. It borders on the Smolensk region in the north, the Kaluga region in the northeast, the Oryol region in the east and the Kursk region in the southeast. In the south it has a federal border with Ukraine (Chernihiv and Sumy regions), and in the west with Belarus (Gomel and Mogilev regions).
Bryansk serves as the administrative
center of Bryansk Oblast and ranks among the oldest cities in Russia's
Central Black Earth Region, with a history spanning over 1,000 years.
Situated on hilly terrain with leafy ravines, it features notable
churches and a rich heritage tied to military glory, particularly
partisan activities during World War II. Despite wartime damage, it
retains architectural charm and cultural sites.
Zhukovka earns recognition as the cycling
capital of the region, thanks to its scenic routes and active promotion
of bicycle tourism along the Desna River. This tranquil town acts as the
administrative center of Zhukovsky District.
Karachev
stands as one of the region's historic towns with deep roots in medieval
times and regional administration.
Klintsy
functions as the second-largest city in the oblast, known for its
well-preserved 19th-century architecture, including merchant houses and
officials' residences. It historically served as a center for Old
Believers and today thrives in the textile industry alongside ancient
temples.
Novozybkov represents a significant southern town in the
oblast, with a notable history and cultural landmarks.
Pochep offers local history museums and quiet
charm, appealing to visitors interested in regional heritage.
Starodub counts among the oldest
settlements, once a major center in historical principalities and known
for its longstanding cultural importance.
Dyatkovo
gained fame as a hub of partisan resistance during WWII and serves as
Russia's national center for lead-crystal and glass art production.
Zlynka, Mglin,
Sevsk, Seltso,
Surazh, Trubchevsk,
Unecha, and Fokino
are smaller yet distinctive towns that contribute to the oblast's
diverse fabric, each with local histories, architecture, and community
traditions rooted in the region's forested and agricultural landscape.
Bryansk Forest Biosphere Reserve (also known as
Bryansky Forest Nature
Reserve) forms a pristine protected area of ancient
broadleaf and mixed forests, one of the last intact examples in European
Russia. Spanning about 12,186 hectares along the Nerussa River near the
Ukrainian border, it belongs to the UNESCO Nerussa-Desna Woodland
Biosphere Reserve. The reserve safeguards rich biodiversity, including
rare species like European bison, black storks, brown bears, and various
protected animals listed in Russia's Red Book. Visitors enjoy
eco-trails, hiking, and observation of natural ecosystems in this
peaceful, marshy woodland.
Ovstug hosts the museum-estate of the
renowned Russian poet, philosopher, and diplomat Fyodor Tyutchev.
Located in Zhukovsky District about 36 km from Bryansk, this picturesque
site preserves the family estate where Tyutchev spent his early years.
The surrounding landscapes inspired many of his poems, making it a
must-visit for literature enthusiasts and those seeking serene rural
heritage.
Russian
1. Entry Requirements and Visa
Russia requires a visa for most
foreigners (including citizens of the US, UK, Canada, and Australia).
There is no visa-free entry or visa-on-arrival for these nationalities.
Apply for a tourist visa (single/double-entry or 3-year
multiple-entry). US citizens typically need a formal invitation from a
hotel or licensed tour operator.
Applications are usually submitted
in person or by mail at a Russian consulate or visa center. Processing
takes at least 2 weeks (faster options available for a premium fee).
Mandatory travel/medical insurance (Western policies often do not cover
Russia—use a Russian provider).
Upon arrival, register with
authorities within 7 days (hotels usually handle this).
Due to
sanctions, Western bank cards frequently do not work. Bring sufficient
cash in USD or EUR.
Check the latest requirements directly on the
Russian embassy website for your nationality, as rules can change.
2. By Air (Most Common International Route)
Bryansk International
Airport (BZK) has very limited scheduled flights and is not a practical
international gateway.
Recommended route:
Fly internationally
to one of Moscow’s major airports (Sheremetyevo – SVO, Domodedovo – DME,
or Vnukovo – VKO). Direct flights from the US/EU are suspended; most
travelers route via Istanbul, Dubai, Belgrade, or similar hubs.
Continue from Moscow to Bryansk by ground transport (see below). Total
travel time from a Moscow airport to Bryansk is typically 5–7 hours.
3. From Moscow to Bryansk (Fastest Domestic Leg)
The
Moscow–Bryansk distance is approximately 376 km. Here are the main
transport options:
Train (Recommended): 4–6 hours, $16–46
(approx. RUB 1,200–3,400). Multiple daily departures (including
comfortable Lastochka trains) from Moscow’s Kiyevsky Railway Terminal to
Bryansk-Orlovsky station. Reliable, scenic, and easy to book via the
Russian Railways (RZD) app or website.
Bus: 7.5–9 hours, $18–32.
Regular services from Salaryevo or Tyoply Stan bus stations in Moscow.
Cheaper but slower and less comfortable.
Drive / Taxi / Rideshare:
5.5–6 hours. Use the M3 highway. Rideshares via BlaBlaCar are popular
and affordable; private taxis cost significantly more (RUB
20,000–40,000). Driving yourself is feasible but requires attention to
fuel availability and local rules.
Tip: From Moscow airports,
take the Aeroexpress train or metro/taxi to Kiyevsky station, then board
the train to Bryansk (adds 1–2 hours total).
4. By Land / From
Neighboring Countries
From Belarus: Possible via approved border
crossings (e.g., Selishche–Novozybkov on the Gomel–Bryansk route). Buses
or trains from Minsk take 10–12+ hours. Driving is straightforward on
decent roads, provided you have the correct visas.
From Ukraine: Not
recommended or practical. The border is heavily militarized and
restricted.
From Europe (e.g., Poland): Enter Belarus first (via
Brest or similar), then cross into Russia at an authorized point. This
route involves long travel times, full visa requirements for both
countries, and potential border delays.
Driving your own vehicle
into Russia requires temporary import documents and valid international
insurance.
5. Once in Bryansk Oblast
Bryansk city serves as
the main transport hub with a major railway station (Bryansk-Orlovsky /
Bryansk-1). Local buses, marshrutkas (minibuses), taxis (Yandex Go), and
car rentals provide connections to smaller towns such as Klintsy,
Novozybkov, and Dyatkovo. A car is often useful for exploring more rural
or remote areas.
Practical Tips
Book trains and major
transport in advance, especially premium classes.
Download Russian
apps (Yandex Go, Sber, RZD) before arrival.
Purchase a local SIM card
(MTS, Beeline, or Megafon) at the airport or station for mobile service.
Carry cash (rubles) as card payments can be unreliable.
Russian
language skills are essential outside major hotels.
Stay informed
about local alerts, especially near border zones.
Register your stay
if required.
Location, Borders, and Coordinates
Bryansk Oblast lies at roughly
52°57′N 33°24′E, forming a compact, somewhat triangular shape extending
about 190 km north-south and up to 270 km west-east. It borders six
Russian oblasts and two foreign countries:
North: Smolensk Oblast
Northeast: Kaluga Oblast
East: Oryol Oblast
Southeast: Kursk
Oblast
South: Chernihiv and Sumy Oblasts of Ukraine
West: Gomel
and Mogilev Oblasts of Belarus
This borderland position gives it
strategic geographic importance historically as a frontier zone between
Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian territories.
Topography and
Relief
The terrain is a gently undulating plain typical of the
central East European Plain, with low relief and modest elevation
differences. Average elevation is about 181 m (594 ft) above sea level,
with a minimum of around 110 m (361 ft) in river valleys and a maximum
of approximately 285–288 m (935 ft) on low hills or interfluves.
The Desna River divides the oblast into a higher, more dissected right
(western) bank (elevated plateaus and ravines up to 85 m deep) and a
lower, flatter left (eastern) bank floodplain/lowland.
Low hills with
mixed forest cover dominate the north and east, while the broader Desna
basin and southern areas are flatter and heavily agricultural.
Influences from the Polesie lowlands (west) and the Middle
Russian/Smolensk uplands (north/east) create subtle transitions, with
gentle slopes generally trending northeast-to-southwest. River valleys
incise the plain, creating ravines and gullies, but overall the
landscape is not mountainous.
Most of the land outside forests
has been cleared for agriculture, giving much of the oblast a cultivated
appearance.
Hydrology
Bryansk Oblast has a dense river network
belonging primarily to the Dnieper River basin (via the Desna), with a
smaller portion in the Volga basin. There are about 125 rivers totaling
roughly 9,000 km in length.
The Desna River is the main artery
(approximately 500 km within the oblast), flowing northwest to southwest
through the center. Bryansk city lies at its confluence with the Bolva
River.
Major tributaries include the Bolva, Navlya, Nerussa, Sudost,
Besed, Iput, and Snoy.
Floodplains, oxbow lakes, and wetlands are
common along the Desna and its tributaries. There are also dozens of
lakes (many floodplain or kettle types, plus artificial reservoirs and
over 1,000 ponds). Groundwater is abundant from Cretaceous and Devonian
aquifers.
Climate
Bryansk Oblast has a humid continental
climate (Köppen Dfb) with distinct seasons: cold, snowy winters and
warm-to-mild summers. It is moderately influenced by Atlantic air masses
but remains continental overall.
Winter (November–March): Very
cold, with January average temperatures around −6 to −9°C (highs near
−4°C, lows −8°C or colder). Extreme lows can reach −37 to −41°C. Snow
cover lasts 100–120 days, with depths of 20–40 cm. Thaws are common.
Summer (May–September): Warm; July averages +19 to +20°C (highs up to
+24°C, extremes +36–37°C). The warm season lasts roughly 3.7–3.8 months
with highs above 18–19°C.
Annual average temperature: About 7°C.
Precipitation: 550–710 mm per year (slightly higher in the northwest),
fairly evenly distributed but peaking in summer (wettest month often
July). Growing season lasts 180–200 days.
The climate supports
agriculture but brings risks like late spring frosts and occasional
summer droughts.
Soils, Vegetation, and Ecosystems
Soils are
predominantly sod-podzolic (soddy-podzolic) in the north and west (on
sandy loams), transitioning to gray forest soils and more fertile
variants in the east and southeast. Meadow-swamp and peat soils occur in
lowlands and floodplains.
Vegetation is transitional between forest
and forest-steppe zones. Forests cover about 25–33% of the oblast
(sources vary slightly; recent estimates around 26% natural forest),
dominated by:
Coniferous (especially pine on sandy soils)
Mixed forests
Deciduous broadleaf (oak, linden, etc.) in the south
and on richer soils
Forest-steppe patches in the southeast
Agricultural land (grains, industrial crops) dominates the cleared areas
(~57% of territory).
Fauna includes typical European forest species:
deer, boar, wolves, bears, lynx, and diverse birds (including all 10
European woodpecker species). European bison have been reintroduced in
protected areas.
Natural Resources
Key deposits include peat
(widespread), sand, clay, chalk, marl, phosphorite, and other building
materials. Some iron ore has been exploited historically. Peat bogs and
forests provide additional resources.
Protected Areas and Notable
Features
The flagship protected area is Bryansky Les Nature Reserve
(part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve, ~12,186 ha), one of Europe’s last
relatively intact southern broadleaf forests. It features flat terrain
(134–189 m elevation), pine and pine-oak stands on sandy soils, bogs,
meadows, and rich biodiversity (>750 vascular plant species). It
protects European bison and other wildlife.
Environmental
Concerns
Parts of the southwestern districts (Gordeyevsky, Klimovsky,
Klintsovsky, Krasnogorsky, Surazhsky, Novozybkovsky) were contaminated
by radioactive fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In 1999,
roughly 226,000 people (16% of the population) lived in areas with
elevated contamination (>5 Curie/km² of cesium-137). Remediation and
monitoring continue.
Overall, Bryansk Oblast’s geography combines
flat, fertile plains suited for agriculture with significant forest
cover and river systems, creating a mosaic of cultivated land,
woodlands, and wetlands in a classic East European Plain setting. Its
border position and riverine focus have shaped both its natural
environment and human history.
The oldest Paleolithic sites on the territory of the Bryansk region
are Khotylevo 1, Korshevo I, Korshevo II, Betovo (Middle Paleolithic),
Khotylevo 2 and Khotylevo 6, belonging to the Gravettian culture (about
25 thousand years ago). Near the village of Eliseevichi, on the right
bank of the Sudost River, there is an Upper Paleolithic site Eliseevichi
II (23,000–21,000 years ago).
The territory of the Bryansk region
has been inhabited by Slavic tribes since ancient times. In the 9th-11th
centuries, northerners (the Kvetun settlement) lived along the banks of
the Desna, the Vyatichi lived on the wooded watershed of the Desna and
the Oka, and the Radimichi lived in the basin of the Iput and Besed. In
the XII-XIII centuries, the Bryansk Territory was part of the Chernigov,
and then Novgorod-Seversky principalities. Vshchizh (Shchizh) from the
11th century was the specific center of the Chernihiv principality.
After the ruin of Chernigov by the Mongol-Tatars, the princely table
around 1246 was transferred to Bryansk; Bryansk principality was formed.
Since 1356, the Bryansk lands were under the rule of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania, then the Commonwealth. At the beginning of the 16th century
(according to the treaty of 1503), the region became part of the
Muscovite state and became its southwestern outpost in the struggle
against Lithuania, Poland and the Crimean Khanate.
According to
the Deulinsky truce of 1618, the southern and western lands of the
modern Bryansk region went to the Commonwealth.
After the victory
over the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the lands were annexed to Russia. In
1654, the entire left bank of the Dnieper (Little Russia), including the
southwestern lands of the Bryansk region, were administratively and
militarily divided into regiments and hundreds. One of the largest
Little Russian regiments was Starodubsky, approved as independent in
1663 (before that it was part of the Nezhinsky regiment). It consisted
of 10 hundreds (Starodubskaya, Mglinskaya, Pochepskaya, Pogarskaya,
etc.). In 1781, the division into regiments and hundreds was replaced by
division into counties and governorships (from 1796 - provinces). Since
1802, Starodubshchina, from which Mglinsky, Novomestsky (later
Novozybkovsky), Starodubsky and Surazhsky districts were formed, became
part of the Chernihiv province.
The entire eastern (Great
Russian) part of the Bryansk region (Bryansk, Karachevsky, Sevsky and
Trubchevsky counties) since 1709 belonged to the Kiev province,
including since 1719 it was part of the Sevsk province of this province.
In 1727, the Sevsk province became part of the newly formed Belgorod
province. In 1778, the Oryol governorship was formed, to which the
counties of the abolished Sevskaya province were transferred (at the
same time, the borders of the counties were changed, and new counties
were formed, including Lugansk).
In the XVIII-XIX centuries.
economic revival began. In the 18th century, a factory industry
appeared. Since the second half of the 18th century, many lands of
Starodubshchyna belonged to Hetman Kirill Razumovsky, who carried out
large-scale construction here. In the eastern part of the Bryansk region
at the end of the XVIII century. industrialist I. A. Maltsov, who
founded a number of glass enterprises on local sands and wood fuel,
widely develops the factory business. At the beginning of the XIX
century. he also buys up all the metallurgical plants of the region and
creates the Maltsovsky factory district, which also covers parts of the
neighboring counties - Zhizdrinsky and Roslavl.
During the civil
war, the provincial cities of Orel and Chernigov found themselves in the
zone of active hostilities, in connection with which the Bryansk and
Pochep district executive committees were given provincial powers back
in 1918-1919. On April 1, 1920, the Bryansk Governorate was formed,
which existed until October 1, 1929, when it was included in the Western
Region.
On September 27, 1937, the Central Executive Committee of
the RSFSR decided to abolish the Western region, dividing it into the
Smolensk and Oryol regions. The current territory of the Bryansk region
became part of the Oryol region.
In August-October 1941, the
region was occupied by German troops. From the first days of the
occupation, the struggle against the invaders took on the character of a
nationwide movement. About 60 thousand partisans operated in the Bryansk
forests, partisan units of S. A. Kovpak, A. F. Fedorov, A. N. Saburov
were formed here. The invaders caused great damage to the region: cities
(70% of the housing stock) and villages (111 thousand houses),
industrial enterprises were destroyed and burned. After the liberation
of the region (August-September 1943), extensive restoration work was
carried out.
The Bryansk region was formed by the Decree of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 5, 1944 from the
cities and districts of the Orel region, located approximately within
the boundaries of the previously existing Bryansk province. The region
included the cities of regional subordination of Bryansk, Bezhitsa and
Klintsy, as well as Brasovsky, Bryansky, Vygonichsky, Gordeevsky,
Dubrovsky, Dyatkovsky, Zhiryatinsky, Zhukovsky, Zlynkovsky, Karachevsky,
Kletnyansky, Klimovsky, Klintsovsky, Komarichsky, Krasnogorsky,
Mglinsky, Navlinsky, Novozybkovsky , Pogarsky, Ponurovsky, Pochepsky,
Rognedinsky, Sevsky, Starodubsky, Suzemsky, Surazhsky, Trubchevsky and
Unechsky districts.
Order of Lenin (January 30, 1967) - for active participation in the partisan movement, courage and steadfastness shown by the working people of the Bryansk region in the fight against the Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War, and for the successes achieved in the restoration and development of the national economy.
Bryansk Oblast was formed on July 5, 1944, by separating from Oryol Oblast.
The first people settled on the territory of modern Bryansk Oblast
from 120 to 70 thousand years ago. Then, after the glacier retreated to
the north, a mild and warm climate was established on these lands. The
territory of Bryansk Krai at that time was a forest-steppe zone with a
climate somewhat warmer than today. This allowed the territory to be
populated by ancient people who came here from the foothills of the
Caucasus, Carpathians and Crimea, where it was already becoming crowded.
The sites of Khotylevo 1, Korshevo I, Korshevo II, Betovo, Negotino
(Zhukovsky District) belong to the Middle Paleolithic in Bryansk Oblast.
The Khotylevo 2 and Khotylevo 6 sites near the village of Khotylevo
in the Bryansk region, discovered by archaeologist F. M. Zavernyaev,
belong to the late Paleolithic. A total of six sites of the late
Paleolithic era have been discovered in the region to date. These
settlements existed between 30 and 15 thousand years BC. Near the
southern outskirts of Bryansk are the Karachizh, Timonovka 1-3, and
Suponevo sites, aged about 12-15 thousand years. One of the most ancient
supposed domestic dogs in Russia was considered to be an animal whose
remains were discovered at the Yeliseyevichi-1 site near the village of
Yeliseyevichi. It is dated to 14-13 thousand years ago. In Yudinovo,
during excavations carried out by K. M. Polikarpovich, V. D. Budko, Z.
A. Abramova and G. V. Grigorieva, a residential settlement site was
discovered with utility pits and the remains of four rounded yaranga
dwellings made of mammoth bones, built by ancient people of the
Timonovo-Yudinovo Upper Paleolithic culture about 15 thousand years ago.
During the Upper Paleolithic period, major changes occurred in climatic
conditions. Due to the onset of the last Valdai glaciation, the climate
became quite cold. At that time, the region was a cold, almost treeless
plain. People accustomed to joint, tribe-wide hunting for large animals,
each of which could provide them with food for several weeks or even
months, also adapted to the new conditions, but did not retreat to the
south. They began to sew clothes from skins, and used tusks and bones,
for example, of mammoths, as frames for windbreaks and primitive
dwellings. At the same time, according to archaeologists, people learned
to use and make fire. Near Sevsk (Desninskoye left bank) in a sand
quarry, a mammoth cemetery was discovered, for the bone-bearing horizon
of which radiocarbon dates of 13950±70 and 13680±60 years ago were
obtained.
At the end of the 3rd millennium BC, the tribes of the battle axe culture invaded the territory of today's Bryansk region, moving up the Iput, Sudosti, and Desna rivers. Representatives of the battle axe culture occupied a vast territory from Central Europe to the Baltic and Black Sea regions.
The settlements of the Yukhnov culture (the Levenka-2 settlement in
the village of Levenka, the Blagoveshchenskaya mountain near Vshchizh)
belong to the Early Iron Age.
In the 1st century, the Pochep
culture was formed from the synthesis of elements of the Yukhnov and
Zarubintsy cultures as a result of the migration of descendants of the
Zarubintsy tribes from the Middle Dnieper region to Podesenye.
The Bryansk treasure is dated to the 3rd century AD (Kiev
archaeological culture).
To the south of the village of Levenka
and the Vablya River is the Levenka-4 settlement of the 5th-7th
centuries, where pottery of the Kolochin culture (a local version of the
Kyiv culture) was found.
The first Slavs appeared in the south of
the modern Bryansk region in the 6th-7th centuries in the territories of
the present-day Trubchevsky, Pogarsky and Starodubsky districts. Many
toponyms of these places are of Old Slavic origin: Sudo(go)st, Radogosh
(the old name of Pogar), Sluchovsk. The settlement of the region by
Slavic tribes occurred from the southwest. The name of the Desna River
is also of Slavic origin and means "right", which indirectly confirms
the direction of settlement of the Slavs, since the Desna is a left
tributary of the Dnieper. However, for those who went from the lower
reaches of the Dnieper upstream, the Desna was indeed a right tributary.
The penetration of the Slavs into the Bryansk region was mostly
peaceful, since there was enough free land. But there were also bloody
skirmishes - at the Sluchevsky settlement near the village of Sluchovsk
on the Sudost River, skeletons of people with Baltic features were
found, who died in the 6th-7th centuries during the storming of the
settlement. This settlement "locks" the mouth of the Sudost and could
hinder those who were moving from the south up its course - that is, the
Slavs. The set of belt decorations, weapons and horse equipment of the
Sevsk treasure, the Bititsky settlement, Khodosovka corresponds to the
features of the Saltovsky horizon II, but does not include later
elements of horizons III-V. It is known from the chronicles that three
Slavic tribes came to the territory of the Bryansk region - the
Severians, the Radimichi and the Vyatichi. Archaeologists supplement
this information, including the Krivichi and the Polyans in this list.
By the end of the 10th century, according to archaeologists, the Slavic
tribes settled in the territory of the present-day Bryansk region as
follows: the southeastern part of the region with the center at the
Kvetunskoye settlement near Trubchevsk (modern Sevsky, Suzemsky,
Komarichsky, Brasovsky, Navlinsky, Trubchevsky, partially Pogarsky and
Pochepsky districts) became part of the Severyansky tribal union. The
northeasternmost part (modern Karachevsky, partially Navlinsky,
Dyatkovsky and, partly, Bryansk districts) was occupied by the Vyatichi,
the northern part of the region was settled by the Smolensk Krivichi.
The Slavic tribe of Radimichi moved to the west of the present-day
Bryansk region (the Iput basin), to the territory of the Balts,
gradually mixing with them and adopting elements of their culture. From
the south, up the Snov River, from Chernigov, the squads of the Kyiv
princes began to penetrate, by the middle of the 10th century they had
taken possession of the southern part of the "neutral zone" between the
northerners and the Balts (later the Radimichi, modern Starodubsky,
partly Klimovsky, Unechsky, Pogarsky districts).
In the 9th century, the Slavic tribes living in the territory of the
modern Bryansk region, like many neighboring tribes, were dependent on
the Khazar Khaganate, although this state was located far from the
region, in the lower reaches of the Volga. The Khazars did not interfere
in the internal affairs of the local Slavs, but did not forget to demand
tribute from them. They paid it "bela ot dyma" (belka from a house). In
the 9th-10th centuries, the northerners, Radimichi and Vyatichi
gradually came under the rule of Kyiv from the Khazars. Already in 884,
two years after the capture of Kyiv, Prince Oleg "went to the north"
(went to the northerners). There had long been ties between the
northerners and Kiev, since the Desna connected the Podesenye with the
Dnieper region. Therefore, Oleg subjugated the northerners without much
difficulty and forced them to pay himself the same tribute that they had
previously given to the Khazars. In the following year, 885, Prince
Oleg's ambassadors arrived to the Radimichi. They demanded that Kyiv's
authority be recognized and that they pay tribute to Oleg. Soon the Kyiv
princes demanded that the Severians and Radimichi and warriors be given
to them. When Oleg made a campaign against Constantinople in 907, his
army included Severians and Radimichi. Warriors from these tribes also
took part in Prince Igor's unsuccessful campaigns against the Khazars in
913 and 944. Almost all of them died in the Caspian steppes. By the
middle of the 10th century, only the Vyatichi remained under the rule of
the Khazars from the Bryansk tribes. In 964-966, the Kiev prince
Svyatoslav the Brave made a campaign against the Khazars, finally
destroying their state, and at the same time subjugated the Vyatichi,
imposing tribute on them. However, the land of the Vyatichi was far from
Kyiv and they continued to enjoy great independence. When Svyatoslav
died in 972 and a war broke out between his sons, the Vyatichi
completely separated from Kyiv. Only in 981 did Prince Vladimir conquer
this tribe again. In 984, Vladimir subjugated the Radimichi, who had
separated during the civil war. Thus, by the end of the 10th century,
the territory of the modern Bryansk region was completely incorporated
into the Old Russian state.
In Kvetun, the lower date of both the
settlement and the burial ground is the 10th century. The exact date of
the foundation of Bryansk is unknown. Most likely, it was founded under
Vladimir Svyatoslavich at the end of the 10th century; the official year
of foundation is considered to be 985. Vshchizh (Shchizh) was an
appanage center of the Chernigov principality from the 11th century. The
first mention of Bryansk as a guard post dates back to 1146 in the
Ipatiev Chronicle. Sevsk was first mentioned in 1146 in two chronicles -
Voskresenskaya and Ipatyevskaya. From 1159 to 1167, the cities of
Bryansk, Berezy and the adjacent lands were part of the Vshchizh
Principality.
In the 12th century, the ancient Russian city of
Obolov is known from the chronicles.
In 1238, after the defeat of Vshchizh by the Mongols and the
extinction of the descendants of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Bryansk became
the capital of a vast principality that included Chernigov,
Novgorod-Seversky, Starodub and Trubchevsk. After the capture of
Chernigov by the Mongols and the capture of Bishop Porfiry in 1239, the
center of the diocese and the capital of the Chernigov-Seversky
principality moved to the surviving Bryansk.
In 1246, the Bryansk
prince was Roman Mikhailovich, the son of the Chernigov prince Mikhail
Vsevolodovich of Chernigov who died in the Horde. Bryansk troops
participated in the campaigns of the Horde and Galicia-Volyn troops
against Lithuania at the end of the 13th century.
In the 13th
century (possibly after the Mongol-Tatar attack), Bryansk was moved from
Chashin Kurgan to Pokrovskaya Mountain.
In 1356-1359, during the
struggle for power, the Bryansk Principality was captured by Olgerd and
annexed to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Bryansk troops are mentioned in
connection with the Battle of Kulikovo (1380) together with princes
Dmitry Olgerdovich and Gleb Bryansky. Prince Roman Mikhailovich became
the last Lithuanian governor in Smolensk in 1396. After his death in
1401, the Bryansk Principality was liquidated.
In 1535, Polish-Lithuanian troops took the Russian fortress of Starodub and massacred the local population. In 1664, the Russian troops of Yakov Cherkassky defeated the Poles in the Battle of Mglin.
In 1781, the division of Bryansk into regiments and hundreds was
replaced by a division into counties and viceroyalties (since 1796 —
provinces). Since 1802, Starodubshchina, from which Mglin, Novomestsky
(later Novozybkovsky), Starodubsky and Surazhsky counties were formed,
became part of the Chernigov province.
The entire eastern (Great
Russian) part of Bryansk (Bryansk, Karachevsky, Sevsky and Trubchevsk
counties) since 1709 belonged to the Kyiv province, including since 1719
it was part of the Sevskaya province of this province. In 1727, the
Sevskaya province became part of the newly formed Belgorod province. In
1778, the Oryol Viceroyalty was formed, to which the counties of the
abolished Sevsk Province were transferred (at the same time, the
boundaries of the counties were changed, and new counties were formed,
including Lugansk).
In the 18th-19th centuries, the economic
revival of the region began. In the 18th century, the factory industry
appeared. From the second half of the 18th century, many lands of
Starodubshchyna belonged to Hetman Kirill Razumovsky, who carried out
large-scale construction here. In the eastern part of Bryansk at the end
of the 18th century, the industrialist I. A. Maltsov widely developed
the factory business, founding a number of glass factories on local sand
and wood fuel. At the beginning of the 19th century, he also bought up
all the metallurgical plants of the region and created the Maltsovsky
factory and plant district, which also covered parts of the neighboring
counties - Zhizdrinsky and Roslavlsky.
In 1920, the Bryansk province appeared on the map of the country,
which existed until October 1, 1929, when it was included in the Western
region.
On September 27, 1937, the Central Executive Committee of
the RSFSR decided to abolish the Western region, dividing it into the
Smolensk and Oryol regions. The current territory of the Bryansk region
became part of the Oryol region.
In August-October 1941, the
region was occupied by German troops. From the first days of the
occupation, the fight against the invaders took on the character of a
nationwide movement. About 60,000 partisans operated in the Bryansk
forests, partisan units of S. A. Kovpak, A. F. Fedorov, A. N. Saburov
were formed here. The invaders caused enormous damage to the region:
cities (70% of the housing stock) and villages (111,000 houses),
industrial enterprises were destroyed and burned. After the liberation
of the region (August-September 1943), major restoration work was
carried out.
The Bryansk region was formed by the Decree of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 5, 1944 from the
cities and districts of the Oryol region, located approximately within
the borders of the previously existing Bryansk province. The region
includes the cities of regional subordination Bryansk, Bezhitsa and
Klintsy, as well as Brasovsky, Bryansk, Vygonichsky, Gordeevsky,
Dubrovsky, Dyatkovsky, Zhiryatinsky, Zhukovsky, Zlynkovsky, Karachevsky,
Kletnyansky, Klimovsky, Klintsovsky, Komarichsky, Krasnogorsky,
Mglinsky, Navlinsky, Novozybkovsky, Pogarsky, Ponurovsky, Pochepsky,
Rognedinsky, Sevsky, Starodubsky, Suzemsky, Surazhsky, Trubchevsky and
Unechsky districts. As a result of the Chernobyl accident on April 26,
1986, part of the territory of the Bryansk region was contaminated with
long-lived radionuclides (mainly Zlynkovsky, Klimovsky, Klintsovsky,
Novozybkovsky, Krasnogorsky and Gordeevsky districts).
By the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation "On approval of the list of settlements located within the boundaries of radioactive contamination zones due to the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant" dated October 8, 2015, the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 18, 1997 No. 1582 "On approval of the list of settlements located within the boundaries of radioactive contamination zones due to the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant" and the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 7, 2005 No. 197 "On amending the list of settlements located within the boundaries of radioactive contamination zones due to the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant" were no longer in effect and the boundaries of radioactive contamination zones were revised "taking into account the change in the radiation situation, including as a result of the implementation of a set of protective and rehabilitation measures in 1986-2014." As a result, the city of Novozybkov was removed from the resettlement zone and assigned to the zone of residence with the right to resettlement. Only 26 settlements of the Bryansk region remained in the evacuation zone, 4 rural settlements in the Krasnogorsk district were included in the exclusion zone. The cities of Novozybkov, Zlynka, and most rural settlements in the southwest of the Bryansk region were "downgraded" in status, losing a number of benefits and payments provided for by the Law of the Russian Federation "On the social protection of citizens exposed to radiation due to the Chernobyl disaster".
On March 2, 2023, the "Russian Volunteer Corps" carried out a raid on the territory of the region from the territory of Ukraine.
Main industries: mechanical engineering, metalworking, radio
electronics, food industry, timber processing.
The largest /
well-known enterprises:
CJSC "Maltsovsky Portlandcement" (Fokino).
The largest cement producer not only in Russia, but also in Europe;
Bryansk Machine-Building Plant (BMZ).
The company, founded in 1873,
produces railway locomotives, marine diesel engines, freight cars and
more;
Bryansk Automobile Plant (BAZ) and Bryansk Wheel Tractor
Plant (BZKT);
JSC "Bryanskselmash" Production of grain and forage
harvesters;
ZAO "Group Silicon-El". Production of semiconductor
devices;
Zhukovsky motor and bicycle plant, JSC GPP. Produces road,
mountain, speed and cargo bikes; ATVs, motorcycles;
Zhukovsky plant
of technological equipment, (JSC ZhZTO). Production of mini-boilers,
production lines;
Bezhitsky steel plant. Produces steel castings,
mainly for the railway industry;
JSC "Dyatkovo-DOZ". Production of
chipboard, furniture;
CJSC "Bryansk Arsenal" Production of road
machines: graders, asphalt pavers;
CJSC "Irmash" (plant of irrigation
machines). Production of road construction equipment: asphalt pavers,
light graders, complex road machines. Currently bankrupt;
Klintsovsky
truck crane plant. Truck cranes with a lifting capacity from 15 to 40
tons;
JSC Research Institute "Izoterm" - development, manufacture of
special technological equipment for microelectronics, crystal growth,
equipment for nuclear power plants, medicine, railway depots;
TNV
"Cheese Starodubsky" - production of cheeses, dairy products;
OAO
Pogar Cigarette and Cigar Factory is the only manufacturer of Russian
cigars;
JSC "Proletary" (Surazh). Production of cardboard and
packaging;
CJSC Metaclay is a company established to implement a
project for the production of modified polymers. The company's
shareholders are Rosnano - 49%, OAO "Metalist" - 51%.
As of the end of 2020, there was only one power plant in operation in the Bryansk region — the Klintsovskaya CHPP with a capacity of 10 MW. In 2020, it produced 44 million kWh of electricity.
They grow fodder, cereals, industrial crops, potatoes and vegetables.
Sugar beets are grown in the south-east of the region. There is dairy
and meat cattle breeding, pig breeding and poultry farming; horse
breeding and beekeeping.
In 2020, the volume of agricultural
production is 99.9 billion rubles (102.3%), of which crop production is
46.0 billion rubles (100%), animal husbandry is 53.8 billion rubles
(104.3%).
As of January 1, 2021, in the Bryansk region, farms of all categories
kept 505.0 thousand heads of cattle (+22.5 thousand), including cows
205.6 thousand heads (+9.3 thousand), pigs 487.9 thousand heads (+174.1
thousand), sheep and goats 24.5 thousand heads (-0.2 thousand).
Produced in 2020: 295.3 thousand tons of milk (+0.7%). Milk yield per
cow in farms of all categories is 5569 kg (+347 kg).
The Bryansk region ranks first in Russia in terms of growing
potatoes. In 2020, they dug up 854.0 thousand tons (+3.2%, the share of
12.6% of Russian production), the yield is 323 centners per hectare. 27
thousand tons of vegetables were harvested in the fields with a yield of
395 centners per hectare.
The Bryansk region sets records in
terms of corn yields, harvesting 150-180 centners per hectare on
individual farms.
The Bryansk region ranks first in Russia in
terms of sunflower yield. With an average yield in Russia in 2020 of
only 17.4 c/ha, the yield in the Bryansk region was 32.19 c/ha. In 2017
- 37.16 c/ha, in 2018 - 33.02 c/ha, in 2019 - 32.42 c/ha.
In
2020, the harvest of grain and leguminous crops amounted to 1 million
455 thousand tons, with a yield of 44.1 centners per hectare (+3.1
centners per hectare). 805.4 thousand tons of wheat were harvested, with
a yield of 47.6 c/ha (+ 7.6 c/ha). 98.3 thousand tons of barley were
threshed, with a yield of 40.6 centners per hectare (+4.9 centners per
hectare). The average yield of buckwheat in 2020 is 12.5 c/ha (-2.3
c/ha), corn yield is 95.1 c/ha (+0.6 c/ha). 26.7 thousand tons of
soybeans were harvested with an average yield of 20.9 c/ha (+4.6 c/ha).
Rape threshed 96.8 thousand tons.
Due to the border position, there are several customs terminals in
Bryansk and the region.
Railway
Railway transport is highly
developed in the Bryansk region. The length of the main railway lines is
1132 km (network density - 32.5 km / 1000 km² - one of the largest
indicators in Russia), most of them are electrified (an alternating
current network is used).
Major railway junctions are Bryansk,
Unecha, Navlya.
Most of the long-distance trains pass through
Bryansk and Navlya along the Moscow-Kyiv line. Developed suburban
communication. Most of the small branches for passenger traffic are
closed, only Dyatkovo - Fayansovaya operate.
Automotive
Federal highways pass through the region:
M3 / E 101 "Ukraine" Moscow
- Kaluga - border with Ukraine.
P120 Orel - Bryansk - Smolensk -
Rudnya - border with the Republic of Belarus.
A240 Bryansk -
Novozybkov - border with the Republic of Belarus.
As of the end
of 2010, the Bryansk region occupied one of the last places in Russia in
terms of the number of personal cars per 1,000 inhabitants - 125.1
(ahead only of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Chukotka), which is
almost half the Russian average (228.3 )
Aviation
Bryansk
International Airport is located 14 km southwest of the regional center.
The Bryansk region is one of 15 regions in which, on September 1, 2006, the subject "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" was introduced as a regional component of education.