Regions of Russia - Tver 101

Tver has medieval origins as evidenced in the many ancient churches and landmarks dotted throughout the region. Hosting a population of more than 400,000, Tver city is the administrative centre of the region and it was one of the most prominent parts of Russian.

Landscape

Located at the meetings of the Tversta and Volga Rivers, Tver was once called Kalinin and is divided into sections by the above mentioned rivers. Although this is now one of the most populated regions in Russia, it was once a land which consisted of swamps and forest. And even when the town was developed during the 17th century, an immense fire resulted in the entire city being rebuilt with Neoclassical architecture as seen today in the Travel Palace of Empress. 

Climate

Enjoying a continental climate, Tver enjoys typical central Russian weather where the winters are long and cold but the summer is quite humid and hot. Temperatures are quite extreme in both cases as they can plummet to below -35°C in winter and above + 30°C in summer.

History

This region is best known for being associated with the secret Soviet police during the Joseph Stalin era and this organization carried out many aggressive acts including several political assassinations. Many iconic names in Russian folklore were also synonymous with the city, names such as Mikhail, the Grand Prince of Tver and Ivan the Great, who conquered the city in the mid 1400’s. Unfortunately Tver is best known for more sinister reasons in general and in 1940, the soviet secret police officials (NKVD) murdered more than 6,000 polish prisoners of war.

Economy and Tourism

The main industry to prosper in Tver is the railroad plan which opened more than one hundred years ago. It is here, you can find the main source of employment for the region while a nearby glass factory and excavator manufacturing plant are also important. And then there is the Migalovo which is one of the largest military facilities in the whole of Russia. Aside from the White Trinity Church, there are few remnants of the long history which inhabited the region and so Tver is rarely considered a travel destination for visitors to Russia.