Grayvoron

Grayvoron (Гра́йворон, ) is a town and the administrative center of Grayvoronsky District in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the shores of the Vorskla (a tributary of the Dnieper) and Grayvoronka Rivers. It was previously known as Grayvorony (until 1838). As of March 2024, the town is under the control of Ukrainian-backed Russian anti-government forces.

History
The sloboda of Grayvorony (Грайвороны) was founded on August 5, 1678. The name can be literally translated as "the scream of the crow". It was granted town status and given its present name in 1838. According to a 1897 census, the town had a population of 6,340, of which 55% were Russians, 43.3% were Ukrainians, 1.1% were Jews, 0.2% were Romani and 0.1% were Poles.

The area has been the site of several cross border incursions led by anti-Putin groups since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 22 May 2023, the Freedom of Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps, two Russian paramilitary units fighting for Ukraine, launched an incursion into parts of Belgorod Oblast, including Grayvoron. As a result, many citizens started panicking and evacuating into safer regions of Russia, although no formal evacuation order was announced. On 23 May, Russia said it had routed the militants, pushing the remainder back into Ukraine. The settlement was once again the scene of fighting in 2024, amid another incursion.

Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Grayvoron serves as the administrative center of Grayvoronsky District, to which it is directly subordinated. As a municipal division, the town of Grayvoron, together with the selo of Lugovka, Belgorod Oblast in Grayvoronsky District, is incorporated within Grayvoronsky Municipal District as Grayvoron Urban Settlement.

Demographics
Population:

Notable people
Grayvoron is the birthplace of the Russian engineer and inventor Vladimir Shukhov.