Novokhopyorsk is a city (since 1710) in Russia, the administrative
center of the Novokhopyorsk district of the Voronezh region and the
urban settlement of Novokhopyorsk.
The city is included in the
list of historical cities of Russia.
Population - 5948 people.
(2021).
Location and General Setting
Novokhopyorsk is situated in the
eastern part of Voronezh Oblast, in central European Russia. It lies
approximately 270 kilometers (170 miles) southeast of the oblast's
capital, Voronezh, and serves as the administrative center of
Novokhopyorsky District. The town's geographic coordinates are 51°06′N
41°37′E, placing it within the broader East European Plain, a vast
lowland that dominates much of European Russia's topography. The
district as a whole covers 2,334 square kilometers (901 square miles),
representing a rural, sparsely populated area in the forest-steppe zone
transitioning between northern forests and southern grasslands. This
region is part of the Oka-Don Plain, characterized by its position in
the "Black Earth" belt, known for fertile chernozem soils that support
agriculture.
Historically, the town's location was chosen for
strategic reasons; founded in 1710 as a fortress and granted town status
in 1779, it was established on higher ground along the river to defend
against nomadic incursions and facilitate trade routes in the steppe
frontier. Its proximity to the Don River basin has influenced settlement
patterns, with the area bordering Ukrainian ethnic territories to the
south and forming part of the historical Don region.
Topography
and Terrain
The topography of Novokhopyorsk and its district is
predominantly flat to gently undulating, typical of the East European
Plain's steppe and forest-steppe landscapes. Elevations range from about
114 to 200 meters (374 to 656 feet) above sea level, with the town
itself at around 140 meters (460 feet). The terrain features subtle
fluvial (river-formed) undulations shaped by ancient glacial and
periglacial processes from the Pleistocene era, including low ridges,
shallow valleys, and floodplains. Much of the area is a post-glacial
plain composed of Quaternary sediments, such as loess, clays, and sands,
which contribute to the region's fertile soils but also make it prone to
erosion in river valleys.
The landscape is a mosaic of open steppes,
meadows, and wooded areas, with about 80% of the nearby Khopyor Nature
Reserve (within the district) covered by forests and floodplains.
Steeper slopes and ravines occur along riverbanks, where erosion has
carved deeper channels. Overall, the flatness facilitates agriculture
but increases vulnerability to flooding during high-water periods.
Rivers and Water Bodies
Novokhopyorsk is prominently defined by
its position on the right (western) bank of the Khopyor River, one of
the largest left tributaries of the Don River. The Khopyor itself is 979
kilometers (608 miles) long, with a drainage basin of 61,100 square
kilometers (23,600 square miles), originating in the Volga Uplands and
flowing southward to join the Don near Serafimovich. Major tributaries
of the Khopyor include the Serdoba (left), Vorona (right), Savala
(right), and Buzuluk (left), which contribute to the region's
hydrological network. The river is navigable for 323 kilometers from its
mouth, supporting local transport and fishing.
Within the district,
the Khopyor meanders through floodplains, creating around 400 lakes,
oxbows (abandoned river bends), grassy bogs, and black alder swamps.
Seasonal flooding inundates large areas, enriching soils but posing
risks to settlements. The river's name derives from Old Slavic roots
meaning "beautiful" or "swift," reflecting its dynamic flow, and it
directly influenced the town's naming. Groundwater is abundant due to
the porous sediments, supporting wetlands and small streams.
Climate
The climate is humid continental (Köppen Dfb), featuring
significant seasonal variations common to central Russia. Winters are
cold and snowy, with average January temperatures around -6°C (21°F),
while summers are warm and occasionally humid, with July averages of
26°C (79°F). Annual precipitation is approximately 553 mm (21.8 inches),
evenly distributed, though spring and summer see more rainfall,
contributing to river flooding. The frost-free period lasts about 199
days, from late April to early October, with prevailing northwesterly
winds. Extreme events include droughts in summer and blizzards in
winter, influenced by the region's inland position away from moderating
oceanic effects.
Geological and Soil Features
Geologically,
the area is underlain by Quaternary deposits from the last ice age,
including alluvial sands, clays, and loess, overlaying older Mesozoic
and Paleozoic bedrock. These sediments form fertile chernozem soils,
rich in humus, which dominate the steppe zones and support grain farming
(wheat, barley, corn). The district has minor mineral resources, such as
sands and clays for construction, but no major deposits. Seismic
activity is low, typical of the stable East European Craton.
Surrounding Areas and Natural Features
The surrounding landscape is
part of the East European forest-steppe ecoregion, blending broadleaf
forests, grasslands, and riverine wetlands. To the north and west lie
more forested areas transitioning to the Oka River basin, while
southward it opens into drier steppes near the Don. The Khopyor Nature
Reserve, a 16,178-hectare (40,000-acre) protected area within the
district, preserves a 50-km stretch of the river, featuring upland oak
woods, floodplain forests, and steppes. Flora includes over 1,060
vascular plant species, such as oaks, ash, linden, maple, feather
grasses, and forbs. Fauna is diverse, with 45 mammals (e.g., Russian
desman, elk, wild boar), 236 birds, 48 fish (e.g., pike, perch), and 9
amphibians.
Nearby settlements include the urban locality of
Novokhopyorsky and rural villages, with the district bordering other
Voronezh districts and neighboring oblasts. The area's low population
density (15–40 people per sq km) reflects its rural, agricultural focus,
though proximity to the Don region has historically linked it to Cossack
territories.
In the middle of the 17th century, the future Novokhopyorsky district
was located in the western part of the territory of the “dwelling of the
Don Cossacks”. Here, on the banks of the Khoper in the second half of
the 17th century, the Khoper Cossacks founded several settlements -
towns:
Belyaevsky,
Grigorievsky
Pristansky.
There was a
shipyard in Pristanskoye. On it, in 1698-1699, three ships were built
and launched by the merchants of Prince B. A. Golitsyn, F. Yu.
Romodanovsky and steward I. Bolshoi-Dashkov: “Bezfayazn”, “Good
Beginning” and “Connection”. This town was a significant trading point
on the so-called “Ordobozarny road”, connecting Moscow (via Ryazan and
Kasimov) with Astrakhan. Already from the 17th century, this road began
to be called “Khopyorskaya”, and from the 18th century - “Astrakhan
Highway”. The town of Pristan is located on the banks of the Khopr, to
the south of the hill on which the historical center of the city is now
located, at the mouth of the Mamayev ravine, at the foot of the Cossack
Mountain. The Cossack Sloboda was subsequently located there. This is
where the passing trade road passed.
During the period of the
existence of the first settlement - Pristansky town (mid-17th century -
1709), the functions of the future city of Novokhopyorsk were laid down.
The active participation of residents of the Pristansky town in the
uprising of Stepan Razin (1670-1671), and then in the uprising of
Kondraty Bulavin (1707-1708) led to Peter I ordering the burning of the
Cossack towns on Khoper, including Pristansky.
Soon, however,
again by order of the tsar and according to his plan, a new Khopyorsky
earthen fortress was founded on the ashes of Pristansky, with a shipyard
attached to it. For the construction of ships for the first Azov
flotilla began. The fortress was founded in 1710 on a high coastal hill
according to a drawing drawn up by Peter I. The drawing of the fortress
was sent to the Azov governor, Admiral Count Apraksin, and he entrusted
the construction of the fortress to the Voronezh vice-governor S. A.
Kolychev. In the eastern and southern walls of the fortress there were
passage gates, from which roads diverged down to the river, along the
plateau, around the fortress. 1710 began to be considered in official
historiography as the year of the founding of Novokhopyorsk.
In
1715, a wooden Resurrection Cathedral was built in the fortress, and a
century and a half later a stone one appeared in its place. The Khopyor
fortress was built for one and a half thousand service people; it was
surrounded by an earthen rampart and wooden towers with 26 cannons. In
1716, dragoon and soldier companies were stationed here. In 1732, next
to the fortress, opposite its southern gate, the wooden Cathedral of St.
Nicholas the Wonderworker was built, located on the site of the current
Church of the Exaltation of the Cross.
From the eastern gate of
the fortress, a steep winding road immediately descended to Khopr (“the
old Cossack tract”, the cobblestone surface of which has been partially
preserved to this day), the second road first went north along the edge
of the coastal terrace (now Karl Marx Street), and then went steeply
down -to the shipyard (Vezzhaya street, which also retains its
cobblestone surface).
In 1768, by decree of Catherine II, the Don
Expedition was created to assist ground forces in the fight against the
Turkish fleet and prevent landings on the Black and Azov Seas. Rear
Admiral Alexey Naumovich Senyavin was appointed head of the expedition.
A shipyard was established in Novokhopyorsk. In 1769-1870, the boats
“Elan”, “Khoper” and others were built at the Novokhopyorsk shipyard.
The first squadron consisted of the ships “Taganrog”, “Corona”, the boat
“Courier” and the frigate “Second”, the second squadron - of 16 the
two-masted cannon "Khotin", the ships "Azov", "Novopavlovsk", "Morey"
and the frigate "First". In 1771, the frigate “First” was transferred
from the shipyard to Taganrog for completion, and the future invincible
naval commander F.F. Ushakov was among its crew. Later, thanks to
Ushakov, already the captain of the ship Modon, the city of Sevastopol
was founded in Crimea.
The crews of the ships built on Khoper
proved themselves heroically in the war with Turkey of 1768-1774. In
total, more than 30 ships were built at the Novokhopyorskaya shipyard,
which became part of the first Black Sea flotilla.
Lev Konstantinovich Naumenko (1933-2020) - Doctor of Philosophy,
professor, specialist in dialectics.
Vasily Vasilyevich Litvinov
(1873-1941) - local historian, teacher at the Novokhopersky City School
(1898-1910). In 1910 he moved to Voronezh, where he received the
position of chief curator of the Voronezh Provincial Museum. At the same
time, head of the museum library (since 1921). Head of out-of-school
education of the Voronezh district department of public education
(1918-1922). He was unreasonably repressed in 1930 in the so-called
“case of local historians.” In 1934, he was released early and worked at
the Voronezh Statistics Department. From the mid-1890s, he published
informational notes in the Don and Voronezh Telegraph newspapers. Since
the beginning of the 20th century, he began to study biographies of
outstanding natives of the region, the history of educational
institutions, historiography and bibliography of local history.
Nikolai Ivanovich Jordansky (1876-1928) - Russian journalist, publicist,
social and political figure, Soviet diplomat.
Food industry enterprises, butter factory, production of building
materials.
In Novokhoperskoye, there has long been a folk craft
known in the USSR and Russia - women and girls knit soft, warm down
scarves with a beautiful border, they are in no way inferior to Orenburg
down scarves. In winter, hats are replaced. The down for making scarves
is shorn from goats. The village of Rusanovo, Novokhopersky district, is
considered to be the birthplace of scarves.
Novokhopyorsk was mentioned in the novel “The Twelve Chairs” by Ilf
and Petrov: in a note addressed to Madame Gritsatsueva, Ostap Bender
said that it was to this city that he urgently had to go with a report
(in the film - “to Novokhopyorsk with a report to a meeting of the Small
Council of People’s Commissars”) . Apparently, even then the city was
perceived as a symbol, and could lay claim to the title of “capital of
the Russian province,” just like nearby Uryupinsk.
The events of
Andrei Platonov’s novel “Chevengur” unfold near Novokhopyorsk.
Chapter 15 of Arkady Gaidar’s story “School” begins with the phrase “For
several days there have been battles near Novokhopyorsk.”