Zapadnaya Dvina was founded in 1900 as a station on the railway connecting Moscow and Riga. In 1927, it was granted urban-type settlement status.[10] It belonged to Toropetsky Uyezd of Pskov Governorate.
On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished, and Oktyabrsky District was established, with the administrative center in the selo of Staraya Toropa. Pskov Governorate was abolished as well, and the district became a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. The district center was subsequently moved to the settlement of Zapadnaya Dvina. On June 17, 1929, the district was transferred to Western Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were also abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 29, 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Oktyabrsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.[11] In 1937, Zapadnaya Dvina was granted town status. Between October 6, 1941 and January 21, 1942, Zapadnaya Dvina was occupied by German troops. On August 22, 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast. On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished, and Oktyabrsky District was transferred back to Kalinin Oblast. On February 13, 1963, it was merged with a part of Nelidovsky District to form Zapadnodvinsky District, with the administrative center in Zapadnaya Dvina.[11] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.
The economy of Zapadnaya Dvina and the district is based on timber production.[12]
Transportation
The railway which connects Moscow and Riga via Rzhev passes through Zapadnaya Dvina. There is passenger railway traffic. The M9 highway connecting Moscow with Riga passes just north of Zapadnaya Dvina. A paved road to Ostashkov via Andreapol branches off. There are also local roads with bus traffic originating from Zapadnaya Dvina.
^ abcdLaw #34-ZO stipulates that the borders of the settlements (administrative-territorial divisions) are identical to the borders of the urban and rural settlements (municipal divisions), and that the borders of the administrative districts are identical to the borders of the municipal districts. Law #24-ZO, which describes the borders and the composition of the municipal formations in Zapadnodvinsky Municipal District, lists the town of Zapadnaya Dvina as a part and the administrative center of Zapadnaya Dvina Urban Settlement of that district.
^Западнодвинский район (in Russian). Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
Sources
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 №24-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Западнодвинский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №104-ЗО от 8 декабря 2010 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Западнодвинский 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 #24-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Zapadnodvinsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #104-ZO of December 8, 2010 On Amending the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Zapadnodvinsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
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.).