Nevel

 city, district center

Town and the administrative center of Nevelsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on Lake Nevel 242 kilometers (150 mi) southeast of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 16,324 (2010 Census).
Nevel was first mentioned in Ivan the Terrible's will among towns that had been founded during his reign. In 1562, during the Livonian War, it was the site of the Battle of Nevel, in which Poles defeated the Russians. In 1580, it was captured by Polish–Lithuanian forces aided by Hungarian infantry. In 1581, Polish-Russian peace talks were held in the town, to no avail, and the following year it eventually passed to Russia. In 1619, it was recaptured by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1623, it was granted Magdeburg rights by the Polish–Lithuanian King Władysław IV Vasa. While part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth it was located in the Polotsk Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1634, Władysław IV granted Newel to the Radziwiłł family. At the time, there were eight churches, either Catholic or Orthodox, in the town. In 1655, the town was captured by the Russians, and the castle was destroyed, however, it was restored to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1678. Nevel became part of Russia during the First Partition of Poland in 1772, when it was included into newly established Pskov Governorate, chartered, and made the seat of Nevesky Uyezd of Pskov Governorate. In 1777, it was transferred to Polotsk Viceroyalty. In 1796, the viceroyalty was abolished and Nevel was transferred to the Belarusian Governorate; it formed a part of Vitebsk Governorate from 1802. In 1897, the ethnic make-up, by mother tongue, was 62.4% Jewish, 25.6% Belarusian, 10.8% Russian, and 0.8% Polish. Two annual fairs were held in the town in the late 19th century. In early 1919 it was part of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia. After 1919, Vitebsk Governorate was a part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. On March 24, 1924, Vitebsk Governorate was abolished, and Nevel was transferred to Pskov Governorate. On August 1, 1927, the uyezds and governorates were abolished and Nevelsky District, with the administrative center in Nevel, was established as a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. It included parts of former Nevelsky Uyezd. On June 3, 1929, Nevelsky 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, Western Oblast was abolished and the district was transferred to Kalinin Oblast, and on February 5 of the same year, Nevelsky District became a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of Kalinin Oblast, one of the okrugs abutting the state boundaries of the Soviet Union. On May 4, 1938, the district was subordinated directly to the oblast. During World War II, Nevel was under German occupation from 16 July 1941 until 6 October 1943. On August 22, 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast. On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished and Nevelsky District was transferred to Pskov Oblast.