Volkhov

 city, district center

Town and the administrative center of Volkhovsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the river Volkhov 122 kilometers (76 mi) east of St. Petersburg. Population: 47,182 (2010 Census). It was previously known as Zvanka (until December 27, 1933), Volkhovstroy (until April 11, 1940).
The town developed during the industrialization in the first half of the 20th century. The settlement of Zvanka (Званка) with a train depot was built here while the railway connecting St. Petersburg with Vologda was being constructed. It was a part of Novoladozhsky Uyezd of St. Petersburg Governorate. A second rail line running north of the station towards Murmansk was constructed in 1916, making the station an important railway junction. In 1918, construction of the Volkhov Hydroelectric Station (the first in the Soviet Union) started on this spot. In 1926, the power plant became operational and in 1932, the first Soviet aluminum plant was launched nearby. On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Volkhovsky District, with the administrative center in Zvanka, was established. The governorates were also abolished and the district became a part of Leningrad Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. On August 15, 1930, the okrugs were abolished as well and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On December 27, 1933, the settlements serving the station, the dam, and the aluminum plant were merged with several adjacent villages to form the town of Volkhovstroy. On September 19, 1939, Volkhovstroy became a town of oblast significance and on April 11, 1940, it was renamed Volkhov. During World War II, between 1941 and 1944, the Volkhov River separated the Soviet and the German positions, and Volkhov was a battleground scene. The city itself was never occupied by German troops, and in December 1941 the advance of the German troops to Volkhov was stopped by the Red Army. In 2010, the administrative structure of Leningrad Oblast was harmonized with its municipal structure and Volkhov became a town of district significance.